Conclusion
Agricultural decision support systems (DSS) are mainly focused on enhancing the provision of individual soil functions such as primary productivity and nutrient cycling, while often overlooking other essential soil functions, including water purification and regulation, climate regulation and carbon sequestration, soil biodiversity, and habitat provision.
The catchment of the Topolnitsa River is highly complex due to: (1) anthropogenic pressure from mining and copper-processing industries, (2) natural geochemical enrichment of soils with metals and metalloids, (3) acidic emissions associated with ammonia production, and (4) the presence of large and diverse tailings storage facilities located upstream of the river system.
Ecological risk assessment using the TRIAD approach, based on scientific evidence, is essential for understanding the causal relationships between chemical contamination and environmental risks. This study is particularly important, as multiple analyses have been conducted with consideration of ecosystem structure, aiming to reduce uncertainty in site-specific soil ecological risk assessment (SERA).
The results will provide information to support effective risk management in decision-making for soil ecosystem protection. In addition, the findings will contribute to the development of policies and priorities for soil risk management.
Ensuring the continuity and long-term sustainability of activities beyond the project’s completion.
The successful implementation of the proposed project will significantly enhance both fundamental and applied scientific knowledge related to the investigation of complex biological systems.