Pub Date : 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147653
Riccardo Travaglini, Francesco Superchi, Francesco Papi, Alessandro Bianchini
{"title":"Towards offshore hydrogen production via floating wind turbines: a comparative study on main electrolyzer technologies in two Mediterranean case studies","authors":"Riccardo Travaglini, Francesco Superchi, Francesco Papi, Alessandro Bianchini","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147653","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147653","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147709
Jafir Mehmood, Khurshid Ahmad, Noman Arshed
{"title":"Interplay of renewable energy technology R&D, digital technologies, and environmental policy in agricultural emission Mitigation: Theoretical and empirical perspectives","authors":"Jafir Mehmood, Khurshid Ahmad, Noman Arshed","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147709","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147709","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"91 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110304","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-02DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147684
Shuxin Mao, Ouyang Hui, Jian Xue
The water–energy–food nexus (WEFN) offers an integrative lens for managing interdependent resources, but current models often overlook the systemic constraint that not all subsystem goals can be simultaneously fulfilled due to limited coordination capacity. In this study, we proposed the Impossible Supply Triangle Hypothesis, which formalizes this constraint and introduces the Goal Fulfillment Ratio (GFR) as a normalized metric of subsystem goal attainment. Based on this framework, we conducted a spatiotemporal assessment of WEFN supply, demand, and coordination dynamics in China's Mu Us Sandy Land from 2000 to 2020. The GFR analysis revealed that 10.33 % of the region entered a resource conflict state in 2020 with conflict zones primarily concentrated in the counties of Dingbian, Yijinhuoluo, Yanchi, and Jingbian. Sensitivity analysis confirms the triangle model's validity: as the coordination threshold decreases from 2.2 to 1.8, the conflict ratio rises sharply from 2.98 % to 93.07 %, indicating heightened systemic stress near the threshold. Supply-Demand Match Degree (SDMD) analysis showed average matching degrees in 2020 of 0.0115 (water), 0.0034 (energy), and −0.0038 (food), indicating relative surpluses for water and energy, and deficits for food. Root Mean Square Deviation trade-off assessment identified Jingbian, Hengshan, and Yijinhuoluo as the counties with the highest supply-side imbalances. Scenario simulations showed that a 10 % economic recession increased water SDMD by 13.57 %, while a 10 % population decrease raised energy SDMD by 23.16 %. These findings demonstrate that the Goal Fulfillment Ratio–Supply–Demand Match Degree–Root Mean Square Deviation framework can effectively reveal structural risks and coordination limits in WEFN systems, providing a replicable tool for integrated resource governance.
{"title":"Diagnosing supply–demand coordination in the water–energy–food nexus: A triangle framework for the Mu Us Sandy Land","authors":"Shuxin Mao, Ouyang Hui, Jian Xue","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147684","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147684","url":null,"abstract":"The water–energy–food nexus (WEFN) offers an integrative lens for managing interdependent resources, but current models often overlook the systemic constraint that not all subsystem goals can be simultaneously fulfilled due to limited coordination capacity. In this study, we proposed the Impossible Supply Triangle Hypothesis, which formalizes this constraint and introduces the Goal Fulfillment Ratio (GFR) as a normalized metric of subsystem goal attainment. Based on this framework, we conducted a spatiotemporal assessment of WEFN supply, demand, and coordination dynamics in China's Mu Us Sandy Land from 2000 to 2020. The GFR analysis revealed that 10.33 % of the region entered a resource conflict state in 2020 with conflict zones primarily concentrated in the counties of Dingbian, Yijinhuoluo, Yanchi, and Jingbian. Sensitivity analysis confirms the triangle model's validity: as the coordination threshold decreases from 2.2 to 1.8, the conflict ratio rises sharply from 2.98 % to 93.07 %, indicating heightened systemic stress near the threshold. Supply-Demand Match Degree (SDMD) analysis showed average matching degrees in 2020 of 0.0115 (water), 0.0034 (energy), and −0.0038 (food), indicating relative surpluses for water and energy, and deficits for food. Root Mean Square Deviation trade-off assessment identified Jingbian, Hengshan, and Yijinhuoluo as the counties with the highest supply-side imbalances. Scenario simulations showed that a 10 % economic recession increased water SDMD by 13.57 %, while a 10 % population decrease raised energy SDMD by 23.16 %. These findings demonstrate that the Goal Fulfillment Ratio–Supply–Demand Match Degree–Root Mean Square Deviation framework can effectively reveal structural risks and coordination limits in WEFN systems, providing a replicable tool for integrated resource governance.","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"87 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146101341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-02DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147668
Javier Herrero-Encinas, Cristina López-Cózar-Navarro, Carlos Castro-Gil, Silverio Alarcón
The meat sector is of significant economic importance to Spain. However, it is equally imperative that this sector operates in a manner that is both responsible and environmentally sustainable. The objective of this study was to determine the most valued sustainability attributes of the meat industry by consumers, with a view to enhancing the communication policy of companies. This work reduces the gap in how meat companies can connect their sustainability actions with consumers' concerns. A study was conducted to obtain Spanish consumers' opinions on evaluating thirteen sustainability attributes in the meat industry. This was achieved by means of a questionnaire (n = 505). The results obtained demonstrated a high level of interest in sustainable development. Furthermore, social responsibility aspects, particularly those related to the safety of the workplace, are of particular significance when compared to environmental and corporate sustainability parameters. Kruskal-Wallis test showed a higher concern of sustainable attributes in women compared to men. The segmentation analysis by K-means procedure showed three differentiated groups: proactives, conscious and skeptical. Based on these findings, interesting insights can be applied to communication strategies in meat firms.
{"title":"Meat production and sustainability: Spanish consumers’ perception","authors":"Javier Herrero-Encinas, Cristina López-Cózar-Navarro, Carlos Castro-Gil, Silverio Alarcón","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147668","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147668","url":null,"abstract":"The meat sector is of significant economic importance to Spain. However, it is equally imperative that this sector operates in a manner that is both responsible and environmentally sustainable. The objective of this study was to determine the most valued sustainability attributes of the meat industry by consumers, with a view to enhancing the communication policy of companies. This work reduces the gap in how meat companies can connect their sustainability actions with consumers' concerns. A study was conducted to obtain Spanish consumers' opinions on evaluating thirteen sustainability attributes in the meat industry. This was achieved by means of a questionnaire (n = 505). The results obtained demonstrated a high level of interest in sustainable development. Furthermore, social responsibility aspects, particularly those related to the safety of the workplace, are of particular significance when compared to environmental and corporate sustainability parameters. Kruskal-Wallis test showed a higher concern of sustainable attributes in women compared to men. The segmentation analysis by K-means procedure showed three differentiated groups: proactives, conscious and skeptical. Based on these findings, interesting insights can be applied to communication strategies in meat firms.","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"101 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-02DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147671
Saverio Ferraro, Leonardo Leoni, Alessandra Cantini, Valentina Di Pasquale, Filippo De Carlo
The growing concern about the environmental impact of industrial processes highlights the need for sustainable practices in supply chain management and logistics. Maturity Models (MMs) are widely used to evaluate the development of entities through continuous improvement, addressing sustainability assessment and enhancements. Literature proposes MMs for evaluating green practices in logistics. However, the MMs available do not follow systematic design, and they lack proper validation and application. This study introduces the Green Logistics Maturity (GreLoM) model to evaluate and improve green logistics practices within organizations. Using structured methodologies for maturity modeling, the five-level GreLoM model is based on four dimensions of resource management, process management, network management, and sustainable reporting, each one with relevant sub-dimensions and items. The model was developed using a hybrid approach that combines analysis of existing logistics MMs and semi-structured interviews with expert practitioners. The GreLoM model was validated through content validity and reliability analysis, assessed by a balanced pool of industry experts and academic researchers. After validation, the GreLoM model was applied descriptively, comparatively, and prescriptively in two case studies using a structured questionnaire weighing respondents' feedback by their knowledge with the process and years of experience. The results demonstrate the utility and practicality of the GreLoM model, suggesting that its adoption can support the transition to a low-emission industry, aligning with global sustainability goals. The model assesses the maturity of green logistics practices and promotes a culture of continuous improvement by comparing model application results with practitioners' perceptions of improvement areas. Thus, the GreLoM model can be a valuable tool for practitioners aiming for low emissions and for researchers focused on green logistics assessment and sustainable maturity modeling.
{"title":"The green logistics maturity model for evaluating sustainable logistics practices","authors":"Saverio Ferraro, Leonardo Leoni, Alessandra Cantini, Valentina Di Pasquale, Filippo De Carlo","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147671","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147671","url":null,"abstract":"The growing concern about the environmental impact of industrial processes highlights the need for sustainable practices in supply chain management and logistics. Maturity Models (MMs) are widely used to evaluate the development of entities through continuous improvement, addressing sustainability assessment and enhancements. Literature proposes MMs for evaluating green practices in logistics. However, the MMs available do not follow systematic design, and they lack proper validation and application. This study introduces the Green Logistics Maturity (GreLoM) model to evaluate and improve green logistics practices within organizations. Using structured methodologies for maturity modeling, the five-level GreLoM model is based on four dimensions of resource management, process management, network management, and sustainable reporting, each one with relevant sub-dimensions and items. The model was developed using a hybrid approach that combines analysis of existing logistics MMs and semi-structured interviews with expert practitioners. The GreLoM model was validated through content validity and reliability analysis, assessed by a balanced pool of industry experts and academic researchers. After validation, the GreLoM model was applied descriptively, comparatively, and prescriptively in two case studies using a structured questionnaire weighing respondents' feedback by their knowledge with the process and years of experience. The results demonstrate the utility and practicality of the GreLoM model, suggesting that its adoption can support the transition to a low-emission industry, aligning with global sustainability goals. The model assesses the maturity of green logistics practices and promotes a culture of continuous improvement by comparing model application results with practitioners' perceptions of improvement areas. Thus, the GreLoM model can be a valuable tool for practitioners aiming for low emissions and for researchers focused on green logistics assessment and sustainable maturity modeling.","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"84 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
To achieve carbon neutrality in the built environment, designers worldwide must prioritize the development of more sustainable buildings, particularly those integrating hybrid solar configurations, to reduce reliance on conventional energy sources. In this context, energy storage systems are quintessential. Although numerous studies have examined the techno-economic performance of hybrid solar Photovoltaic (PV)/battery/hydrogen systems, the substantial potential of hydrogen under different climate zones, load profiles, and parameter variations in the off-grid building stocks remains underexplored. This study seeks to address this gap by comprehensively investigating PV/battery/hydrogen systems through a tailored optimization workflow while accounting for the dynamic interrelation between hourly spatiotemporal variations in solar energy output and energy demand across six different climate zones. In addition to optimizing the number and tilt angle of photovoltaic panels, the battery capacity, and storage modulation coefficient, the workflow optimally sizes the key hydrogen system components, including the electrolyzer, storage tank, and fuel cell. The main objective is to minimize the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) via Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and compare it against two other metaheuristic algorithms: Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO). PSO proved its superiority by providing relatively lower LCOE values of 0.44–0.7 $/kWh, while ensuring the targeted Self-Sufficiency Ratio (SSR) of 100 %. Moreover, incorporating the hydrogen system reduces the LCOE by up to 0.12 $/kWh (15.4 %) in Ifrane, compared to battery-only systems. These findings highlight the importance of climate-sensitive design and hybrid storage strategies in enhancing the economic and energy resilience of off-grid net-zero energy buildings. At an SSR of 90 %, LCOE ranges between 0.28 and 0.37 $/kWh, reflecting a 36.4–54.3 % cost reduction. This shows that fully renewable systems, while feasible, may incur substantially higher costs of electricity. Interestingly, the sensitivity analysis reveals that the optimal configurations are highly sensitive to the discount rate, as a reduction from 5 % to 2 % leads to an LCOE decrease of up to 0.097 $/kWh, followed by the battery's techno-economic parameters. Lastly, the Monte Carlo–based uncertainty analysis further shows that the optimized LCOE values consistently fall within the interquartile range of the probability distributions, confirming the consistency of the optimal solutions.
{"title":"Climate-sensitive optimization of autonomous hybrid photovoltaic/battery/hydrogen systems for net-zero energy rural buildings via particle swarm optimization","authors":"Anouar Tribiche, Niima Es-Sakali, Said Laasri, Amine Alaoui Belghiti, Samir Idrissi Kaitouni","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147667","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147667","url":null,"abstract":"To achieve carbon neutrality in the built environment, designers worldwide must prioritize the development of more sustainable buildings, particularly those integrating hybrid solar configurations, to reduce reliance on conventional energy sources. In this context, energy storage systems are quintessential. Although numerous studies have examined the techno-economic performance of hybrid solar Photovoltaic (PV)/battery/hydrogen systems, the substantial potential of hydrogen under different climate zones, load profiles, and parameter variations in the off-grid building stocks remains underexplored. This study seeks to address this gap by comprehensively investigating PV/battery/hydrogen systems through a tailored optimization workflow while accounting for the dynamic interrelation between hourly spatiotemporal variations in solar energy output and energy demand across six different climate zones. In addition to optimizing the number and tilt angle of photovoltaic panels, the battery capacity, and storage modulation coefficient, the workflow optimally sizes the key hydrogen system components, including the electrolyzer, storage tank, and fuel cell. The main objective is to minimize the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) via Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and compare it against two other metaheuristic algorithms: Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO). PSO proved its superiority by providing relatively lower LCOE values of 0.44–0.7 $/kWh, while ensuring the targeted Self-Sufficiency Ratio (SSR) of 100 %. Moreover, incorporating the hydrogen system reduces the LCOE by up to 0.12 $/kWh (15.4 %) in Ifrane, compared to battery-only systems. These findings highlight the importance of climate-sensitive design and hybrid storage strategies in enhancing the economic and energy resilience of off-grid net-zero energy buildings. At an SSR of 90 %, LCOE ranges between 0.28 and 0.37 $/kWh, reflecting a 36.4–54.3 % cost reduction. This shows that fully renewable systems, while feasible, may incur substantially higher costs of electricity. Interestingly, the sensitivity analysis reveals that the optimal configurations are highly sensitive to the discount rate, as a reduction from 5 % to 2 % leads to an LCOE decrease of up to 0.097 $/kWh, followed by the battery's techno-economic parameters. Lastly, the Monte Carlo–based uncertainty analysis further shows that the optimized LCOE values consistently fall within the interquartile range of the probability distributions, confirming the consistency of the optimal solutions.","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"289 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study investigates the laminar burning velocity (LBV) and instability of NH3/H2/CO ternary mixtures under oxygen-enriched conditions (Ω: 0.21–0.65) at elevated temperatures and pressures. Results show that increasing Ω significantly enhances LBV and shifts peak velocity toward leaner conditions. A novel decoupling method using a virtual species (FN2) reveals that while oxygen enrichment promotes LBV primarily through intensified thermal effects, the physical expanding effect becomes dominant as Ω increases. Notably, an engineering trade-off was identified: while Ω = 0.45 achieves comparable LBV enhancement to preheating at 567 K, its peak NOx emission is approximately 5 times higher due to heightened NNH pathway sensitivity. Regarding stability, increasing Ω elevates the effective Lewis number (Leeff), suppressing thermo-diffusive instability. Conversely, elevated pressure (3 atm) triggers a transition to distinct cellular structures as flame thinning weakens curvature-stabilizing effects, allowing hydrodynamic instability to dominate. Furthermore, a rigorous quantitative framework using Fourier spectral decomposition and fractal analysis was introduced to characterize flame front perturbations.1 By decomposing morphological evolution into specific modal amplitudes, the results quantitatively demonstrate that CO addition and oxygen enrichment suppress thermo-diffusive instabilities by reducing mid-to-high frequency spectral amplitudes (K = 6–20). In contrast, elevated pressure triggers rapid amplification of these modes, marking a shift toward hydrodynamic-dominated instability. This spectral analysis provides a novel diagnostic tool for distinguishing competing effects of fuel composition and operating conditions on flame stability, offering a critical theoretical framework for optimizing high-performance, low-emission ammonia-fueled combustors.
{"title":"Experimental and numerical study on oxygen-enriched NH3/H2/CO/air premixed combustion at elevated temperature and pressure","authors":"Ningning Li, Haoxin Deng, Xiaoping Wen, Fahui Wang, Jun Song, Guoyan Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147660","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147660","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the laminar burning velocity (LBV) and instability of NH<sub>3</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>/CO ternary mixtures under oxygen-enriched conditions (<em>Ω</em>: 0.21–0.65) at elevated temperatures and pressures. Results show that increasing <em>Ω</em> significantly enhances LBV and shifts peak velocity toward leaner conditions. A novel decoupling method using a virtual species (FN<sub>2</sub>) reveals that while oxygen enrichment promotes LBV primarily through intensified thermal effects, the physical expanding effect becomes dominant as <em>Ω</em> increases. Notably, an engineering trade-off was identified: while <em>Ω</em> = 0.45 achieves comparable LBV enhancement to preheating at 567 K, its peak NOx emission is approximately 5 times higher due to heightened NNH pathway sensitivity. Regarding stability, increasing <em>Ω</em> elevates the effective Lewis number (<em>Le</em><sub><em>ef</em>f</sub>), suppressing thermo-diffusive instability. Conversely, elevated pressure (3 atm) triggers a transition to distinct cellular structures as flame thinning weakens curvature-stabilizing effects, allowing hydrodynamic instability to dominate. Furthermore, a rigorous quantitative framework using Fourier spectral decomposition and fractal analysis was introduced to characterize flame front perturbations.1 By decomposing morphological evolution into specific modal amplitudes, the results quantitatively demonstrate that CO addition and oxygen enrichment suppress thermo-diffusive instabilities by reducing mid-to-high frequency spectral amplitudes (K = 6–20). In contrast, elevated pressure triggers rapid amplification of these modes, marking a shift toward hydrodynamic-dominated instability. This spectral analysis provides a novel diagnostic tool for distinguishing competing effects of fuel composition and operating conditions on flame stability, offering a critical theoretical framework for optimizing high-performance, low-emission ammonia-fueled combustors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"544 ","pages":"Article 147660"},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147662
Jinyue Wang, Xia Hu
A global trend of woody plant expansion is an important ecological issue in arid and semi-arid regions. Knowledge gaps remain regarding alterations in above- and below-ground vegetation structures, and the importance of their regulation on soil organic carbon (SOC) storage during woody plant expansion process. In this study, typical shrub-covered grasslands were selected along the mean annual precipitation (MAP) gradient to investigate the regulatory effects of above- and below-ground vegetation structures on SOC storage, with shrub-uncovered plots used as controls. The results revealed that, woody plant expansion significantly increased root density, surface area density, node density, and branch density. "Bimodal trends" in the root surface area and node density were observed, with peaks at 136 mm and 236 mm MAPs. Woody plant expansion significantly reduced the evenness and Simpson's index in the 132–186 mm MAPs. Woody plant expansion significantly reduced total organic carbon (TOC) storage by 28.52 %, particulate organic carbon (POC) storage by 15.41 %, and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) storage by 22.72 %, and increased dissolved organic carbon (DOC) storage by 30.38 %. With the decreasing MAP gradient, the TOC and MAOC storage in the shrub-covered grasslands tended to decrease, whereas the POC and DOC storage tended to first increase then decrease. During the woody plant expansion process, the key root structure influencing SOC shifted from roots >3 mm to roots <3 mm in diameter. In shrub-covered grasslands, roots with diameters of 1–3 mm were the primary contributors to POC storage, whereas those with diameters <1 mm were the primary contributors to DOC. The main factors influencing SOC storage changed from the combined above- and below-ground structures to the aboveground structure, which explained 84.7 % of the variation. The main factors influencing POC storage changed from climatic factors to belowground structural factors. The main factors influencing DOC storage changed from climatic factors to a combination of above-ground structural and climatic factors. Climatic factors were the main factors influencing TOC and MAOC storage.
{"title":"Divergent above- and below-ground vegetation structures regulate SOC storage of grasslands during woody plant expansion","authors":"Jinyue Wang, Xia Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147662","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147662","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A global trend of woody plant expansion is an important ecological issue in arid and semi-arid regions. Knowledge gaps remain regarding alterations in above- and below-ground vegetation structures, and the importance of their regulation on soil organic carbon (SOC) storage during woody plant expansion process. In this study, typical shrub-covered grasslands were selected along the mean annual precipitation (MAP) gradient to investigate the regulatory effects of above- and below-ground vegetation structures on SOC storage, with shrub-uncovered plots used as controls. The results revealed that, woody plant expansion significantly increased root density, surface area density, node density, and branch density. \"Bimodal trends\" in the root surface area and node density were observed, with peaks at 136 mm and 236 mm MAPs. Woody plant expansion significantly reduced the evenness and Simpson's index in the 132–186 mm MAPs. Woody plant expansion significantly reduced total organic carbon (TOC) storage by 28.52 %, particulate organic carbon (POC) storage by 15.41 %, and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) storage by 22.72 %, and increased dissolved organic carbon (DOC) storage by 30.38 %. With the decreasing MAP gradient, the TOC and MAOC storage in the shrub-covered grasslands tended to decrease, whereas the POC and DOC storage tended to first increase then decrease. During the woody plant expansion process, the key root structure influencing SOC shifted from roots >3 mm to roots <3 mm in diameter. In shrub-covered grasslands, roots with diameters of 1–3 mm were the primary contributors to POC storage, whereas those with diameters <1 mm were the primary contributors to DOC. The main factors influencing SOC storage changed from the combined above- and below-ground structures to the aboveground structure, which explained 84.7 % of the variation. The main factors influencing POC storage changed from climatic factors to belowground structural factors. The main factors influencing DOC storage changed from climatic factors to a combination of above-ground structural and climatic factors. Climatic factors were the main factors influencing TOC and MAOC storage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"544 ","pages":"Article 147662"},"PeriodicalIF":10.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.147602
Kaijun Wang , Yasir Abbas , Muhammad Saqlain Jamil , Fayyaz Ali Shah , Linxuan Li , Pei Liang , Xingpeng Jing , Litong Ma , Weihuang Zhu , Sining Yun
While lignite has been explored as a co-substrate in anaerobic digestion (AD), its role as a multifunctional additive and the underlying mechanisms through which it enhances AD performance and digestate humification remain inadequately studied. This work systematically evaluated the effects of lignite particle size (large, medium, small) and dosage (1.0–8.0 wt%) on biogas production and digestate quality. Lignite amendment significantly improved cumulative biogas yield (289.3–373.8 mL/g VS), cumulative CH4 yield (178.7–243.6 mL/g VS), and anaerobic biodegradability (35.5–48.4 %) compared to the control (234.2 mL/g VS, 129.7 mL/g VS, 25.8 %). CH4 content increased from 55.4 % to 61.8–66.7 %, with a corresponding decrease in CO2. Small-sized lignite at 2.0 wt% exhibited optimal improvement, consistent with its high electron exchange capacity (0.89 μmol e− g−1). Graphitized structure and abundant surface functional groups of lignite enhanced electrochemical activity, with limiting current response increasing from −4.4 mA and 1.2 mA to −13.8 mA and 2.5 mA, and solution resistance and charge transfer resistance reducing from 15.6 Ω and 11.9 Ω to 12.4 Ω and 8.5 Ω, respectively. Lignite amendment enriched key microbial populations, elevating the relative abundances of syntrophic bacteria (Firmicutes) and methanogens (Methanobacterium, Methanosarcina, Methanofollis) by 13.4–15.0 % and 11.0–13.0 %, respectively. These synergistic improvements facilitated extracellular electron transfer and promoted CO2 conversion to CH4. Furthermore, lignite addition increased the nutrient (4.07–4.16 %) and humic acid (32.6–41.4 %) content of the digestate, indicating enhanced humification. These findings demonstrate that lignite serves as an effective multifunctional additive to simultaneously boost energy recovery and digestate quality in AD systems, offering a promising strategy for the valorization of low-rank coal in waste-to-bioenergy conversion.
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