Urban Agroecology:Risks and Benefits

城市农业生态学:风险与收益

• 批准号: 2606930
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Queen's University Belfast
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2606930
• 关键词: Urban; Agroecology; Risks; Benefits

Thesis context and potential impact: The EU Horizon 2020 Upsurge project aims to test nature-based solutions in urban areas with the goal of implementing and sharing knowledge of effective environmentally-centred practices. As part of the scheme, Belfast City Council has proposed the development of a local site: Lower Botanic Gardens, into a community crop-based plot to support local educational programmes, improve rewilding/biodiversity, human health and social well-being, climate change and air pollution effects, and crucially, support food production. The proposed location is currently an unused derelict brownfield site and will require regeneration and repurposing using applied corrective soils and composts to achieve appropriate chemical conditions for agroecological use. This thesis will aim to aid the development of the site into a functioning agroecological system by assessing the potential risks and benefits associated with geochemical remediation of the site, looking particularly at the transfer of site-specific inorganic contaminants through the crop system and at the potential carbon transfers across the soil. Broadly this will determine the efficacy and applicability of such solutions and their outcomes, and, as part of an international urban development project, the conclusions from this thesis may then be used to determine the potential success of applied nature-based solutions at geochemically-similar urban sites. Aims: This project aims to develop an unused derelict brownfield site into a functional agro-ecological system. Specifically, this research aims to investigate the use of in vitro bioavailability testing and the use of carbon transfer methodology to determine the movement of elements within the system. This will support the broader project aims of identifying the risks and benefits of urban agroecology applied to a specific setting, and of supporting research into the application and efficacy of nature based solutions to counter general urban issues. Objectives: Specific research objectives include undertaking chemical characterisation of the site soil; measuring contaminant bioaccessibility in soils and plants using laboratory-based in vitro methodology to determine the impact of soil contamination on human health; and measuring carbon sequestration and transfer. Finally, the results of these will be contextualised against the suitability, or risks and benefits, of the agroecological system in this setting. Research methodology: Soil characterisation of the Lower Botanic Gardens, Belfast, will be conducted according to the BS 10175 site investigation code of practice. Oral bioaccessibility of toxic elements in soil and plants will be determined using the Bioaccessibility Research Group of Europe (BARGE) in vitro Unified Bioaccessibility Method (UBM). Carbon sequestration methodology is to be determined. Alignment to EPSRC's strategies and research areas: This project is linked to EPSRC research themes related to living with environmental change in urban areas, infrastructure and urban development, and chemical biology. Chemical biology and biological chemistry will be utilised to determine the risks of urban brownfield sites as renovated agroecological sites on human health. From there, research into site-specific remediation and green space improvement for human health, social, and economic benefit, both presents the opportunity for an applicable improvement in short term site specific conditions and also provides the basis for enhanced current and future urban infrastructure sustainability and resilience on a broader geographical scale. Companies and collaborators: Belfast City Council

论文背景和潜在影响：欧盟地平线2020热潮项目旨在在城市地区测试基于自然的解决方案，目标是实施和分享有效的以环境为中心的实践知识。作为该计划的一部分，贝尔法斯特市议会提议将当地的一个地点：下植物园开发成一个以社区作物为基础的地块，以支持当地的教育项目，改善野生动物/生物多样性、人类健康和社会福祉、气候变化和空气污染的影响，最重要的是，支持粮食生产。拟议的地点目前是一个未使用的废弃棕地，需要使用施用矫正土壤和堆肥进行再生和重新利用，以达到农业生态使用的适当化学条件。本文旨在通过评估与该地点的地球化学修复相关的潜在风险和收益，特别是通过作物系统转移特定地点的无机污染物，以及潜在的碳在土壤中的转移，帮助该地点发展成为一个功能性的农业生态系统。从广义上讲，这将决定这些解决方案的有效性和适用性及其结果，并且，作为国际城市发展项目的一部分，本文的结论可以用来确定在地球化学相似的城市地点应用基于自然的解决方案的潜在成功。目的：该项目旨在将一个未使用的废弃棕地开发成一个功能性的农业生态系统。具体来说，本研究旨在研究体外生物利用度测试和碳转移方法的使用，以确定系统内元素的运动。这将支持更广泛的项目目标，即确定应用于特定环境的城市农业生态学的风险和效益，并支持研究基于自然的解决方案的应用和效果，以应对一般的城市问题。目的：具体的研究目的包括对场地土壤进行化学表征；使用基于实验室的体外方法测量土壤和植物中的污染物生物可及性，以确定土壤污染对人类健康的影响；测量碳的固存和转移。最后，将这些结果与这种环境下农业生态系统的适宜性或风险和效益进行背景分析。研究方法：贝尔法斯特下植物园的土壤特征将根据BS 10175现场调查实践规范进行。使用欧洲生物可及性研究小组（BARGE）体外统一生物可及性方法（UBM）测定土壤和植物中有毒元素的口服生物可及性。碳固存方法有待确定。与EPSRC的战略和研究领域保持一致：该项目与EPSRC的研究主题相关，涉及城市地区环境变化、基础设施和城市发展以及化学生物学。将利用化学生物学和生物化学来确定城市棕地用地作为改造后的农业生态用地对人类健康的风险。在此基础上，针对人类健康、社会和经济效益的特定场地修复和绿地改善的研究，既为短期特定场地条件的适用改善提供了机会，也为在更广泛的地理范围内增强当前和未来城市基础设施的可持续性和弹性提供了基础。公司和合作者：贝尔法斯特市议会