Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech

This perspective paper draws on insights from a 2024 symposium entitled ‘ Exploring methods for researching shifts in knowledge production for agroecology transition ’. The symposium critically examined emerging conceptual and methodological challenges arising from combining agroecology with living labs and research infrastructures as key instruments promoted within EU policy to strengthen Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS). Through presentations, group discussions, and iterative reflections, we identified four key tensions: structural constraints limiting farmers’ agency within living lab approaches, the problematic nature of AKIS as supposedly neutral frameworks, the oversimplification of transition frameworks as linear rather than overlapping categories, and risks of definitional dilution or cooptation. We then demonstrate that these tensions are not unique to agroecology, bridging the concepts and methods within agroecology research with those used in other fields of sustainable food system transition research, such as transdisciplinary research and sustainable transitions. This conceptual mapping of shared tensions reveals opportunities for mutual learning. Bridging these fields would help create clarity at the conceptual and methodological levels, ultimately strengthening the theoretical foundations and enabling more nuanced approaches to food system transition research.

Open woody formations provide critical dryland ecosystem services—fuelwood, charcoal, construction materials, and livestock fodder—yet remain systematically underestimated by global monitoring systems prioritizing dense forests. Conventional binary forest/non-forest classifications fail to effectively detect these formations, creating a disconnect between forest cover assessments and ground reality. This limitation highlights fundamental challenges in detecting sparse woody vegetation where deciduous phenology, spectral confusion with herbaceous vegetation, and shadows compromise traditional remote sensing.We mapped continuous woody cover (0-100%) across 36 years (1989-2025) using Landsat imagery and Random Forest regression calibrated on 505 photo-interpreted plots and validated on 41 field plots. Images acquired during rainy season/early dry season maximized detection when deciduous species retain foliage. We analyzed fire regimes (2000-2024) and human pressure via distance gradients from habitations (1-10 km) to identify degradation drivers.Intact woody thickets declined dramatically from 60% (1989) to 35% (2025), with accelerating loss after 2010. Fire is the primary degradation driver: burned areas lose four times more woody cover than unburned zones. Crucially, fire frequency—not single events—determines degradation severity. Natural recovery is very limited even after 10 years, insufficient to offset immediate post-fire losses. Human proximity also shows significant impacts: woody cover is approximately 20% lower near habitations than in remote areas.Continuous woody cover mapping successfully quantifies sparse woody vegetation dynamics in heterogeneous dryland environments. This approach is transferable to similar dryland ecosystems globally facing comparable detection challenges. Results reveal that fire frequency exceeds natural recovery capacity, providing scientific evidence to inform conservation and restoration strategies in drylands under increasing anthropogenic pressure.

Multi-species grassland mixtures are gaining popularity in managed grasslands, particularly as a strategy to improve soil functioning and subsequently soil health and climate regulation. However, mechanistic data on the relation between plant diversity and the greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of the soil are still sparse. We conducted a full-factorial mesocosm experiment to determine whether multi-species grassland mixtures can enhance the delivery of ecosystem services compared to traditional perennial ryegrass monocultures. Treatments included two plant communities, two soil types and three cutting frequencies - representing land use intensities under controlled conditions. We measured effects on greenhouse gas (GHG) effluxes (CO2, CH4 and N2O), above- and belowground productivity as well as functional catabolic diversity of soil microbes Linear Mixed Models (LMMs) revealed that plant community and soil type impacted all greenhouse gas effluxes, while cutting frequency only impacted CO2 efflux significantly. Multi-species grass mixtures significantly elevated primary productivity compared to perennial ryegrass monocultures, and influenced functional microbial diversity, even overriding soil type (and therefore legacy) effects on functional microbial diversity over a short timeframe. These improvements in soil functioning can improve the delivery of crucial ecosystem services such as climate regulation, food and feed production and soil habitat and nutrient cycling, which underlines the potential of species-rich grassland mixtures in multifunctional grassland farming systems. Future research should explore long-term field dynamics and validate these findings by making carbon budgets to support climate-smart management strategies.

Village landscapes within an 80 km radius of Lubumbashi (south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo) are undergoing rapid spatial transformation driven by subsistence agriculture, charcoal production, and mining activities. This study analyzes how these transformations are spatially perceived and organized across five village territories of the Lubumbashi Charcoal Production Basin using an adapted version of Kevin Lynch’s perceptual model. Landscape elements were independently identified by trained cartographic observers and by local community members. A comparison of the resulting maps yields a Sørensen similarity index ranging between 70% and 75% across villages, indicating strong convergence in spatial interpretation despite differences in expertise. Among the perceptual components, districts and landmarks account for nearly half of all identified elements and comprise the most perceptible anthropogenic disturbances. Spatial analysis shows that areas perceived as negatively impacted represent between 40% and 79% of total village surfaces. Deforestation associated with post-cultivation fallow dominates in Makisemu (47.6%) and Texas (64.4%), while woodland degradation linked to charcoal production is particularly pronounced in Mwawa (39.0%) and Luisha (25.1%). Mining-related disturbances, including soil and water alteration, are especially evident in Nsela (24.6%). These findings demonstrate that Lynch’s framework, although originally developed for urban systems, can effectively structure perception in diffuse rural woodland environments when methodologically adapted. Perception-based cartography therefore provides a robust complementary tool to biophysical monitoring for understanding the spatial footprint of anthropogenic pressures at the village scale and informing ecosystem restoration strategies.