RESUMEN
This work quantified ecosystem services (ES) and the geographic gross product (GGP) at municipal level in the Metropolitan Region of Buenos Aires (MRBA), Argentina. The ES offer and GGP were evaluated for each land use (extensive agriculture EA, intensive agriculture IA, urban and periurban agriculture UPA, green areas GA, urban use URB), expressed as a percentage (%), at the municipality level. Municipalities with a greater URB percentage (<70) presented an elevated ES offer from GA. In periurban municipalities EA contributed to ES offer more than other vegetated land uses (IA, GA, and UPA). Urban municipalities presented 20% more GGP than periurban municipalities. The GGP was negatively associated with total ES offer (-0.34) and ES offer from EA (-0.46). The identification and quantification of ES and GGP is relevant for achieving an adequate landscape planning and a sustainable environmental and economic use of urban systems.
Asunto(s)
Agricultura , Ecosistema , Argentina , Ciudades , Conservación de los Recursos Naturales , Análisis Costo-BeneficioRESUMEN
The use of alternative soilless media for the production of potted plants requires knowledge of their physical and chemical characteristics to result in the best conditions for plant growth. We investigated the use of alternative soilless media based on river waste and Sphagnun sp. and Carex sp. from Argentinean peatlands on Petuniaxhybrida and Impatiens wallerana production at two fertilization levels (200 and 400mgl(-1)N). River waste or 'temperate peat' is the name given to a material, resulting from the accumulation of aquatic plant residues under an anaerobic subtropical environment, which is dredged from river banks. Our results showed that alternative substrates based on river waste can be used to grow high quality plants. This result was not fully explained on the basis of established methods to evaluate substrate quality. Highly concentrated fertigation solution decreased the substrate quality parameters and plant growth. Nitrate leaching from the alternative substrates containing river waste was lower than the standard peat-based materials, which makes river waste desirable from a sustainable pot production system perspective. River waste and Carex peat are suitable alternatives to Sphagnum peat from the Northern Hemisphere.