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Location map and distribution of the main mountain chains of the Alpine system. The study area is marked by a red contour line
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Karst terrains cover some 30% of the Western Balkans, where rich karst aquifers represent the main source of potable water supply and ensure the development of local economies and tourism. In this "classical karst" region, there are also numerous sites or areas under different forms of protection-from those that are included in the UNESCO World Her...
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Karst terrains cover some 30% of the Western Balkans, where rich karst aquifers represent the main source of potable water
supply and ensure the development of local economies and tourism. In this “classical karst” region, there are also numerous
sites or areas under different forms of protection—from those that are included in the UNESCO World H...
The purpose of this study was to analyze the feasibility of mangrove forests in the Pekalongan Mangrove Park Ecotourism Area in Pekalongan Regency, North Pekalongan City, Central Java as a mangrove ecotourism area and determine a development strategy. This research method used quantitative and qualitative approaches, primary and secondary data obta...
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... Nevertheless, the mounting popularity of island tourism has brought about vehement debates and environmental apprehensions. The subsequent economic growth has been a significant development in these regions (Phong and Van Tien 2021;Stevanović et al. 2022). ...
Unregulated sewage discharge into the sea poses a considerable danger to marine ecosystems, with coastal regions being particularly vulnerable to this because of the impact of tourism. This issue is amplifed during the summer season, as the Balearic Islands are a heavily frequented destination. This study aims to determine the water quality in fve diferent wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) representative on the islands. For this purpose, we analysed several parameters, including biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), treated water fow, suspended solids (SS), nitrates (N) and phosphorus (P), at the inlet and outlet of the WWTPs for 5 years. We set particular thresholds for each parameter and documented any breach by comparing the fndings with the existing regulations. The least favourable results indicate non-compliance regarding N and P levels throughout the entire study period, as well as a lack of reduction percentage.
Furthermore, fow analysis refects the signifcant infuence of tourism on water quality, with notable increases in both population and treated water volume during the peak tourist season. Overall, the investigation ofers a robust foundation for comprehending water quality in relation to coastal landscape in the Balearic Islands. It pinpoints signifcant worry spots and underscores tourism’s immediate impact on this ecological feature.
... On the other hand, the recent and forecast water scarcity in the Mediterranean basin has encouraged the authorities to find new solutions, such as the exploitation of new unconventional water resources, or to increase the exploitation of conventional ones (Balacco et al., 2022;Ducci & Lasagna, 2019;Grappein et al., 2021;Stevanović et al., 2022). However, the exploitation of karst coastal aquifers, for its strict conditions of management, should not be done from karst submarine springs but preferably onshore, where a sustainable use of conventional resources is still related to a successful approach in estimating karst groundwater potential and discharge, which is not often easy to obtain (Bakalowicz, 2018;Fleury et al., 2007;Parisi et al., 2018). ...
Karst aquifers are characterized by different types of groundwater flow, related to different types of permeability due to the simultaneous presence of matrix, fractures and conduits. The presence of a well-developed karst conduit system leads to a rapid circulation of groundwater within the aquifer and a pulse-type response of the spring flow to the rainfall inputs, with a potential fast transport of contaminants from the hydrogeological basin surface to the discharge zones. Supported by hydro chemical analyses of spring water samples and single discharge measurements, it was possible to develop specific mass balance models, correlating ion content to spring flowrates. Specifically, Mg2+ content revealed a reliable application for spring baseflow separation in karst settings. Once the local model has been set, its conservative behaviour, in mostly limestone-dominant aquifers, allows using Mg2+ as a natural tracer of groundwater flow, distinguishing conduit flow (overflow) and diffuse flow (baseflow) occurrence in the spring outlet, without additional discharge measurements. In karst settings, the difficulty in continuously monitoring the spring discharge values makes this application interesting for exploitation management. This study shows the results obtained for two springs located in Central Italy, confirming that monitoring groundwater quality in karst environments is often the key for successfully characterizing springs and assessing the total yield when direct measurements are not available.
... Their distribution is partly influenced by the selection of KGDEs and also reflects the different degrees of research within the study area. The Dinarides are a core area and prime example for research on karst and associated ecosystems (Stevanović et al. 2021), whereas there is much less research in other regions such as North Africa. Still, the Balkan Peninsula with the Dinarides and the Iberian Peninsula show an abundance of KGDEs, which indicate their higher importance and frequency in these regions. ...
... Water quality deterioration is a major threat for 40% of the ecosystems in the data collection. The Dinaric Karst is a region where improper waste management and a lack of wastewater treatment plants is the main threat causing water quality deterioration (Stevanović et al. 2021). Stevanović et al. (2021) advise the construction of sanitary landfills and wastewater treatment plants to better manage solid and liquid waste. ...
... The Dinaric Karst is a region where improper waste management and a lack of wastewater treatment plants is the main threat causing water quality deterioration (Stevanović et al. 2021). Stevanović et al. (2021) advise the construction of sanitary landfills and wastewater treatment plants to better manage solid and liquid waste. Lake Ohrid, originally oligotrophic, shows signs of eutrophication caused by nutrient inputs from agricultural and forestry practices and a lack of appropriate sewage systems (Cvetkoska et al. 2018;Kostoski et al. 2010). ...
Karst groundwater-dependent ecosystems (KGDEs) in the Mediterranean region are important in terms of ecosystem services and biodiversity but are increasingly under anthropogenic pressures and climate-change constraints. For this study, the ecohydrological characteristics, threats, and protection status of 112 selected KGDEs around the Mediterranean Sea, including caves, springs, rivers and wetlands, were evaluated, based on local expert knowledge and scientific literature. Results demonstrate that KGDEs contribute considerably to regional biodiversity. The diversity of karst landscapes, combined with the groundwater emergence at springs, leads to exceptional habitat diversity, particularly in arid climates, where KGDEs serve as a refuge for species that could not thrive in the surrounding environment. The most common threats identified among the selected sites are direct human disturbances, such as mass tourism or overfishing, water-quality deterioration and water shortage from aquifer overdraft and/or climate change. Although most of the selected sites are under protection, conservation measures are frequently insufficient. Such shortcomings are often caused by poor data availability, little knowledge on conservation needs of invertebrate species, and conflicts of interest with the local population. For this purpose, it is necessary to raise environmental awareness and promote interdisciplinary research, in order to monitor water quality and quantity in addition to the status of the biocenoses.
... Groundwater resources are very vulnerable due to natural and anthropogenic impacts, especially in karstic terrains of arid and semi-arid zones, due to increased requirements caused by climate change and population expansion [1,2]. Karst landscapes are considered highly fragile settings that are severely vulnerable to sinkhole formation. ...
Karstic terrains are usually dominated by aquifer systems and/or underground cavities. Overexploitation of groundwater in such areas often induces land subsidence and sometimes causes sinkholes. The Cheria basin in Algeria suffers from severe land subsidence issues, and this phenomenon has been increasing in recent years due to population expansion and uncontrolled groundwater exploitation. This work uses GPS data and persistent scatterer interferometry synthetic aperture radar (PS-InSAR) techniques to monitor the land subsidence rate by employing Sentinel-1 satellite data for the period from 2016 to 2022. Our results demonstrate that the Cheria basin experiences both uplift and subsidence in places, with an overall substantial change in the land surface. The total cumulative subsidence over 6 years reached a maximum of 500 mm. Comparison of land deformation between PSI and GPS showed root mean square error (RMSE) values of about 2.83 mm/year, indicating that our analyzed results are satisfactorily reproducing the actual changes. Nonetheless, these results can be used to extract the susceptible zones for vertical ground displacement and evaluate the surface deformation inventory map of the region for reducing damages (e.g., human losses, economic impact, and environmental degradation) that may occur in the future (e.g., sinkholes) and can be further utilized in perspective for a sinkhole early warning system.
... That human-made elements, such as domestic, agricultural, and industrial activities, as well as improper waste management, are the primary causes of the restricted supply of high-quality water, both in rural and urban areas. A group researchers demonstrated that the biggest dangers to the quality of water and biodiversity are inappropriate solid waste management and a lack of wastewater treatment plants (Stevanović et al., 2021). Although the Adriatic Coast, which is located between the Italian and Balkan peninsulas, has relatively abundant surface and groundwater resources, they reported that demand for water is constantly rising due to the growth of tourism, intensive farming, and urbanization, particularly along the Coast. ...
Several studies have successfully carried out aquifer vulnerability evaluations using a combination of geophysical and biogeochemical methods. Unfortunately, some identified shortcomings have often led to inaccurate assessments. This review attempts to identify some of these drawbacks and suggest better ways to improve upon analysis and interpretation of results. Articles reviewed were sourced publicly and subjected to systematic analysis based on fundamental principles. The outcomes of each analysis were discussed, among which was a study that applied Ohmega Resistivity meter to acquire Self-Potential (SP) data without specifying the nature of electrode used. The result indicated large SP readings ≥200mV attributed to high fluid flow. According to analysis, when copper stakes are used, spurious SP readings occur in contrast to lower SP values of roughly 10 mV when suitable non-polarizable electrodes of Cu/CuSO4 porous pots are utilized to collect SP data. The review made clear the importance of providing detailed explanation of the nature of materials used. Another study solely collected samples for groundwater quality assessments during dry season, ignoring the effects of seasonal variation on water parameters. This must have had an impact on the results of the investigations. Research examined the aquifer problems in Gosa area of Abuja, utilizing only the Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) technique. The study suggested basaltic intrusion as probable cause of borehole failures in the area. A different research which incorporated VES and data from the hill-shaded Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), suggested insufficient interconnectivity within the fractures as conditions controlling groundwater occurrence in the area. The study illustrated the need for integrating geophysical methods for effective target detection. To map the infiltration of leachate into the subsurface, a study applied only the VES technique. Studies, however, showed that the VES method only provided average resistivity readings, suppressing some features. The study suggested the combination of VES and 2-D imaging for more accurate results. Another study obtained data via the ADMT Groundwater Detector. At the interpretation stage, the author interpreted ADMT data as VES, which was perceived as inaccurate as their principles and methodologies are different. Another study was noted to have presented results without categorizing the Aquifer Protective Capacity (APC) rating in percentages (%). It was assessed that a framework that accurately categorized the APC of each transversal using common statistics guidelines would have made it simpler to understand and aided decision-making. Future research is advised to take some of the noted flaws into account in order to enhance data processing and interpretation.
The municipal water supply, related mainly to the cities of Albanian, began to develop in the second half of the 19th century and much intensively after 1945. Today the reported mean water production for the cities, on average, is about 300 l/capita/d including drinking and industrial water supply. The territory of Albania consists of uneven distribution of very heterogeneous aquifers conditioning the reach variety of the municipal water supply solutions. In this article are analyzed and classified the hydrogeological aspects of water supply sources of the settlements, which are summarized in five groups: (a) Wells in alluvial intergranular aquifers; (b) karst springs; (c) wells in karst aquifers; (d) springs in fissured rocks, and (e) mixed water sources. For each group of the water supply sources the main concerns regarding the quantity and quality problems are analyzed facilitated by the description of a variety of representative examples of different situations. Based on the gained experience important recommendation are given for the better understanding of hydrogeological aspects of water supply systems emphasizing the problematics along the river water recharge areas and on the seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers, as well as on transboundary aquifers. However, the main problems of public water supply of Albania remain the poor management of water supply systems which is reflected in the e high water losses, as well as the low public awareness of request for sustainable use.
The leaf-architecture characteristics of 15 ligneous plants of the karst region of the upper reaches of the Chishui River were assessed using spatial syntax. Furthermore, the relationship between leaf-architecture characteristics, plant functional traits, and soil water-holding capacity as well as the adaptation of plant architecture to this habitat were explored. The following results were obtained: (1) The integration, connectivity, and control of primary veins are significantly better than those of secondary veins, indicating strong interveinal ranking. The integration, connectivity, and control of evergreen tree species are superior to those of deciduous tree species, suggesting a more complex spatial morphological structure of evergreen leaves. In evergreen trees, the spatial morphological structure of tree leaves is more complex than that of shrubs, while the spatial morphological structure of tree leaves of deciduous trees is simpler than that of shrubs. (2) The dry matter content of the leaves of the investigated 15 ligneous plants ranged from 10.79 to 31.83 mg·g⁻¹. The leaf relative water deficit, maximum net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and the specific leaf area content ranged from 35.15 to 66.53%, 0.4–32 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹, 0.07–0.71 g·cm⁻²·h⁻¹, and 230.15–585.39 cm²·g⁻¹, respectively. (3) The spatial syntax index is significantly correlated with transpiration rate, leaf relative water deficit, as well as soil maximum and available water-holding capacity. (4) Based on the spatial morphological structure of leaves, four basic modes of the leaf architecture can be classified: evergreen mode with complex morphological leaf-structure, evergreen mode with lower complex morphological leaf-structure, mixed evergreen and deciduous modes with lower complex leaf-morphological structure, and deciduous mode with simple morphological leaf-structure. (5) The spatial morphological structure of leaves in karst areas effectively exposes differences of architecture among different plants. Space syntax effectively represents leaf-architecture characteristics and is important for the study of plant architecture. Understanding plant architecture characteristics and their adaptation to the environment provides a scientific basis for the selection of tree species and planting patterns in the vegetation restoration area.
