Maximising the effectiveness of riparian buffer zones in the Mediterranean

来自农业的弥漫性污染对水质构成严重威胁，特别是在地中海地区。随着未来气候情景预测极端降水频率的增加，这些问题可能会变得更加紧迫。从源头上解决扩散污染是解决这一问题的一种经济有效的方法，河岸缓冲带和间作种植是潜在的经济有效的解决方案。然而，对于如何利用物种组成来最大限度地提高其效率并实现粮食生产的可持续集约化，人们知之甚少。植物可以通过储存养分、增加孔隙度、形成水稳性团聚体、改变疏水性和降低密度来改变土壤性质。通过温室和实验室研究以及西班牙的田间试验相结合，该项目将解决这一知识差距，从而为农民提供关于减少土壤侵蚀的最佳种植物种的建议。直接与水果生产商合作，成功的候选人将有机会改变农业实践，以减少弥漫性污染。

Diffuse pollution from agriculture represents a serious threat to water quality, especially in Mediterranean regions. With future climate scenarios projecting increased frequencies of extreme precipitation, these problems are likely to become more pressing. Tackling diffuse pollution at source is a cost effective way to address this issue and riparian buffer strips and intercrop planting represent potentially cost-effective solutions. However, little is known about how species composition can be used to maximise their efficiency and enable sustainable intensification of food production. Plants can alter soil properties by storing nutrients, increasing porosity, creating water-stable aggregates, changing hydrophobicity, and decreasing density. Using a combination of greenhouse and laboratory studies and field trials in Spain this project will address this knowledge gap resulting in recommendations for farmers about the best species to plant to reduce soil erosion. Working directly with fruit producers the successful candidate will have the opportunity to change agricultural practice to reduce diffuse pollution.