Publications
TERRASAFE’s peer-reviewed research papers.
2026: A scoping review of narrative analysis in studies of rural depopulation and land abandonment
Rural depopulation and land abandonment are intensifying globally, with acute impacts in Europe’s marginal and inner regions. Although demographic and land-use change are extensively documented quantitatively, less is known about how local communities experience, interpret and contest these transformations. Narrative analysis is well suited to examining these subjective and symbolic dimensions, yet its application in depopulation research remains scattered and methodologically heterogeneous. Following PRISMA-ScR guidance, 37 studies published up to 2025 were identified and synthesised through methodological mapping and thematic synthesis. Over time, the reviewed literature increasingly foregrounds socio-cultural and governance-related meanings alongside ecological framings, showing how communities negotiate loss, belonging, agency and competing rural futures. The synthesis indicates that narrative approaches can complement quantitative evidence by clarifying how land-use change and policy interventions are interpreted, legitimised or contested in place-based terms. At the same time, uneven geographical coverage and variable methodological reporting underline the need for greater transparency, reflexivity and analytical comparability in narrative depopulation research.
Salvia, R., Saulle, M.M.M. & Quaranta, G. Discov Sustain 7, 861 (2026).
2026: A scenario-based economic valuation framework for ecosystem service benefits of biochar-mediated soil erosion control
This study quantifies the gross ecosystem-service benefits of biochar-mediated soil erosion control across climate, agricultural, and water-system pathways, while treating runoff reduction as a non-monetised hydrological co-benefit. Soil erosion is a major driver of land degradation, with global losses exceeding billions of tonnes annually and affecting approximately 24% of European land. Meta-analytical evidence indicates that biochar application reduces soil erosion by 16% and surface runoff by 25% on average, with stronger effects observed in erosion-prone environments. Using this evidence, three baseline erosion scenarios were evaluated. Under low, moderate, and high baseline erosion scenarios, central gross benefits were €2.80, €9.33, and €24.19 ha⁻1 yr⁻1, respectively. Monte Carlo analysis yielded median total values of €2.95 (95% uncertainty interval: €1.36–€7.48), €9.85 (€4.54–€24.92), and €25.52 (€13.81–€56.21) ha⁻1 yr⁻1, respectively. These estimates exclude biochar production, transport, and application costs and therefore represent gross co-benefits rather than net economic returns. Mediterranean experiments reported erosion reductions of up to 67%, substantially above the global mean, illustrating the strong context dependence of biochar responses but not providing a basis for regional economic extrapolation. The results identify soil erosion control as a potentially measurable co-benefit of biochar deployment across climate, agricultural, and water systems. The framework provides a transparent basis for future site- and region-specific valuation while explicitly accounting for uncertainty in biophysical and economic parameters.
Gholamahmadi, B., Carbon Neutral Syst. 2, 22 (2026)