The soil conservation agenda of Brazil: A review of "edge-to-edge" science contributions.

Soil conservation adheres to various United Nations Sustainable Development Goals while in Brazil is a constitutional obligation. To attain the goals and fulfil the obligation, laws, policies, governance and science must be imbricated to deliver suitable conservation solutions for the long term, namely appropriate to positively influence other downstream chains such as the food chain. However, in Brazil, a major world producer and exporter of food, weaknesses were recently diagnosed by judicial authorities concerning soil governance and coordinated land use policies.

Integrating policy, data and technology in pursuing effective management of ecosystem services.

With the growing concerns about the protection of ecosystem functions and services, governments have developed public policies and organizations have produced an awesome volume of digital data freely available through their websites. On the other hand, advances in data acquisition through remote sensed sources and processing through geographic information systems (GIS) and statistical tools, allowed an unprecedent capacity to manage ecosystems efficiently. However, the real-world scenario in that regard remains paradoxically challenging.

Carbon footprints of tailings dams' disasters: A study in the Brumadinho region (Brazil).

Tailings dams' breaks are environmental disasters with direct and intense degradation of soil. This study analyzed the impacts of B1 tailings dam rupture occurred in the Ribeirão Ferro-Carvão watershed (Brumadinho, Brazil) in January 25, 2019. Soil organic carbon (SOC) approached environmental degradation.

The water cycle of small catchments impacted with tailings mudflows: A study in the Ferro-Carvão watershed after the breakup of B1 dam in Brumadinho.

The B1 tailings dam of Córrego do Feijão iron-ore mine owned by Vale, S.A. company collapsed in 25 January 2019 releasing to the Ferro-Carvão stream watershed (32.

A method to describe attenuation of river contamination under peak flows: Can the public water supply from Paraopeba River finally return after the Brumadinho dam disaster?

Tailings dams' disasters begin a stage of river water contamination with no endpoint at first sight. But when the river was formerly used for public water supply and the use was suspended as consequence of a dam break, a time window for safe suspension lift must be anticipated to help water managers. The purpose of this study was to seek for that moment in the case of Brumadinho dam disaster which occurred in 2019 and injected millions of cubic meters of iron- and manganese-rich tailings into the Paraopeba River, leading to the suspension of public water supply to Belo Horizonte metropolitan region with this resource, until now.

Attenuation of water contamination in the Paraopeba River after the collapse of B1 tailings dam: Natural wash-off and dredging contributions.

Following the B1 dam collapse at Córrego do Feijão Mine, actions were taken to address environmental damage and enhance the quality of water in the Paraopeba River. Natural processes in the river involve gradual reduction of contamination through dispersion and downstream transportation of tailings-a slow, nature-driven process. Dredging, a human intervention, aimed to expedite recovery.

Sediment source fingerprints of natural processes and anthropogenic pressures: A contribution to manage the Paraopeba River basin impacted by the B1 tailings dam collapse.

Understanding the origins of sediment transport in river systems is crucial for effective watershed management, especially after catastrophic events. This information is essential for the development of integrated strategies that guarantee water security in river basins. The present study aimed to investigate the rupture of the B1 tailings dam of the Córrego do Feijão mine, which drastically affected the Brumadinho region (Minas Gerais, Brazil).

Nickel sources affect soil biological properties but do not affect sorghum growth.

Nickel (Ni) is an essential element, but it can be phytotoxic in high concentration, which may be caused by high availability in soil solution. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sources and doses of Ni applied to a dystrophic Red Latosol cultivated with sorghum on i) the availability of the metal in the soil; ii) the impact on biological and biochemical properties of the soil; iii) the absorption and distribution in sorghum plants; and iv) crop productivity. The experiment was carried out within a completely randomized design with two nickel sources [nickel(II) nitrate, Ni(NO) and nickel(III) oxide, NiO], three doses (35, 70, and 140 mg Ni kg soil), plus controls without Ni, with 3 replications.

A framework model to integrate sources and pathways in the assessment of river water pollution.

Metal and nutrient pollution, soil erosion, and alterations in climate and hydrology are prevalent issues that impact the water quality of riverine systems. However, integrated approaches to assess and isolate causes and paths of river water pollution are scarce, especially in the case of watersheds impacted by multiple hazardous activities. Therefore, a framework model for investigating the multiple sources of river water pollution was developed.

Geomorphologic risk zoning to anticipate tailings dams' hazards: A study in the Brumadinho's mining area, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The use of tailings dams in the mining industry is recurrent and a matter of concern given the risk of collapse. The planning of tailings dam's emplacement usually attends construction design criteria and site geotechnical properties, but often neglects the risk of installing the depositional facilities in potentially unstable landscapes, namely those characterized by steep slopes and(or) high drainage densities. In order to help bridging this gap, the present study developed a framework model whereby geomorphologic vulnerability is assessed by a set of morphometric parameters (e.

Groundwater security indicators and their drivers: An assessment made in a region of tropical climate (Paraopeba River basin, Brazil).

Groundwater helps overcoming periods of drought buffering their effects on water supply to people, natural ecosystems and the economy. Following the latest Conference of the Parties (COP27), groundwater research gained renewed impulse because the Parties committed themselves to invest on environmental dimensions of water security related with aquifer characterization and protection. In that context, the purpose of this study was to help providing an integrated assessment to some fundamental issues about groundwater security, summarized as the three "how"s: how much, how ready and for how long can groundwater be delivered from watersheds? A complementary goal was to identify and quantify the role of watershed characteristics controlling these "how"s.

Payment for Environmental Services: A critical review of schemes, concepts, and practice in Brazil.

The Payment for Environmental Services (PES) is often conceived through complex schemes without a clear definition of all concepts involved. This study presents the results of a systematic literature review on PES schemes in Brazil, accompanied by a critical assessment of their efficacy for potential environmental gains. The PES approaches were grouped into six categories based on the research focus, and those that were focused on PES policies were identified as the most studied.

Scenarios of environmental deterioration in the Paraopeba River, in the three years after the breach of B1 tailings dam in Brumadinho (Minas Gerais, Brazil).

The collapse of B1 dam at the Córrego do Feijão mine of Vale, S.A., located in the Ferro-Carvão stream watershed (Brazil), released 11.

Multicriteria spatial model to prioritize degraded areas for landscape restoration through agroforestry.

Reconciling the restoration of ecosystem services within agricultural landscapes is an effort that has been advancing within degraded areas restoration through agroforestry systems. However, to contribute to the effectiveness of these initiatives, it is essential to integrate landscape vulnerability and local demands to better highlight in which areas the implementation of agroforestry systems should be prioritized. Thus, we developed a spatial hierarchization methodology as a decision support tool as an active strategy for agroecosystem restoration.

The COP27 screened through the lens of global water security.

Water security is an expression of resilience. In the recent past, scientists and public organizations have built considerable work around this concept launched in 2013 by the United Nations as "the capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socio-economic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and water-related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability". In the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27), held in Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt) in last November, water security was considered a priority in the climate agenda, especially in the adaption and loss and damage axes.

A framework model to determine groundwater contamination risk based on a L-Matrix of aquifer vulnerability and hazardous activity indices.

The method presented in this study assesses groundwater contamination risk using a L-Matrix system approach. The L-Matrix in this case is a cartesian diagram where the XX-axis represents aquifer vulnerability (0≤V≤1) determined by the well-known DRASTIC model, and the YY-axis represents the potential hazardousness (0≤H≤1) of an activity (infrastructural development, industrial activities, livestock and agriculture) measured by a European Commission approach. The diagram is divided into four regions, the boundaries of which are set to V = 0.

A partial least squares-path model of environmental degradation in the Paraopeba River, for rainy seasons after the rupture of B1 tailings dam, Brumadinho, Brazil.

The present study aimed to investigate the rupture of B1 tailings dam of Córrego do Feijão mine, which drastically affected the region of Brumadinho (Minas Gerais, Brazil). The contamination of water resources reached 155.3 km from the dam site.

A groundwater security model based on hydraulic turnover times and flow compartments.

Starting with a log-linear relationship between groundwater discharge per unit drainage area (/ ), hydraulic turnover time () and aquifer mobile storage (), this study builds a groundwater security method at catchment scale. The method embeds previously published approaches to calculate / , and , and relies solely on stream flow discharges and watershed areas. The ability to build a method on a couple of variables is remarkable.

Spatial indicator of priority areas for the implementation of agroforestry systems: An optimization strategy for agricultural landscapes restoration.

The ecological functions restoration in agricultural areas is a major challenge on a landscape scale. In the specific case of active restoration through Agroforestry Systems (AFS), the absence of a specific direction hinders ecological restoration processes, especially in regions that prefer intensive agriculture. Thus, this study aims to develop a Spatial Indicator of Priority Areas to guide Agroforestry Systems implementation in agricultural landscapes.

A partial least squares-path model of causality among environmental deterioration indicators in the dry period of Paraopeba River after the rupture of B1 tailings dam in Brumadinho (Minas Gerais, Brazil).

This study investigated the collapse of B1 mine-tailings dam that occurred in 25 January 2019 and severely affected the Brumadinho region (Minas Gerais state, Brazil) socially, economically and environmentally. As regards water resources, the event impacted the Paraopeba River in the first 155.3 km counted from the dam site, meaning nearly half the main water course downstream of B1.

Water security threats and challenges following the rupture of large tailings dams.

The rupture of mine-tailings dams can severely contaminate rivers, because released tailings can interact with water for years keeping contaminant concentrations high. The general purpose of this study was to examine the rupture of B1 tailings dam in Ferro-Carvão stream (municipality of Brumadinho, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil), which occurred in 25 January 2019 and contaminated the main water course (Paraopeba River) with 2.8 Mm of metal-rich tailings.

Prognosis of metal concentrations in sediments and water of Paraopeba River following the collapse of B1 tailings dam in Brumadinho (Minas Gerais, Brazil).

In January 25, 2019, the B1 dam of Córrego do Feijão mine located in Brumadinho municipality (Minas Gerais, Brazil) collapsed and injected nearly 2.8 Mm of iron (Fe)- and manganese (Mn)-rich tailings in the Paraopeba River. This study assessed the contribution of tailings to the contamination of sediments and water by those metals.

Production of clean water in agriculture headwater catchments: A model based on the payment for environmental services.

This study aimed to present a payment for ecosystem services model that promotes a symbiotic coexistence between agriculture and clean water production. The model favors application to headwater catchments where clean water production is expected. However, the frequent invasion of these areas with intensive agriculture and livestock production systems affects water quality threatening the use of this resource, namely as drinking water.

A case study of factors controlling water quality in two warm monomictic tropical reservoirs located in contrasting agricultural watersheds.

The integration of internal (e.g., stratification) and external (e.