Integrated assessment of environmental risks during regenerative farming implementation on degraded soils: A methodological review

Alla Lishchuk; Nadiya Karachinska

doi:10.60923/issn.2281-4485/24671

Authors

Alla Lishchuk Institute of Agroecology and Environmental Management National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8339-9365

Alla Mykolayivna Lishchuk is a Doctor of Agricultural Sciences and a Leading Researcher at the Institute of Agroecology and Environmental Management of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. She specializes in agronomy and ecology, with a main focus on soil restoration technologies and environmental risk assessment in agrocenoses. Her current research interests include regenerative agriculture, the impact of climate change on soil degradation in the Ukrainian Forest-Steppe, and the development of integrated indices for environmental monitoring. She is actively working on projects related to soil health and sustainable land management. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8339-9365.
Nadiya Karachinska Institute of Agroecology and Environmental Management National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6571-8430

Nadiia V. Karachynska is a Candidate of Biological Sciences and Senior Researcher at the Institute of Agroecology and Environmental Management of NAAS of Ukraine. Her scientific work is dedicated to the study of ecological safety in the agricultural sector, monitoring of soil degradation processes, and the development of criteria for risk assessment in agrocenoses. She specializes in the analysis of soil quality indicators and the implementation of adaptive-landscape systems of agriculture. Karachynska is actively involved in national research programs focused on sustainable land management and the restoration of degraded territories in the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6571-8430.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60923/issn.2281-4485/24671

Keywords:

regenerative agriculture, environmental risks, soil health, integrated index, degraded soils, agroecosystems, ecological stability

Abstract

This study systematically assesses soil degradation and environmental risks arising from agroecosystem transformation during the transition from intensive to regenerative agriculture. Amid climate change and declining fertility, regenerative practices effectively enhance soil organic carbon sequestration and stimulate microbial activity. However, the conversion phase involves non-linear, asymmetric restructuring of biogeochemical cycles, which can destabilize labile carbon pools and mobilize reactive soil compounds. The aim of this study was to develop a conceptual and methodological framework for the integrated evaluation of these multi-directional shifts. We propose the Regenerative Transition Safety Index (RTSI), which integrates three core domains: the Biological Functionality Index (BFI), the Carbon Stability Index (CSI), and the Ecotoxicological Load Index (ETI). Within this risk-sensitive module, positive contributions of microbial biomass, soil respiration, and enzymatic activity are balanced against negative pressures such as ionic stress, nitrogen imbalances, and heavy metal bioavailability in the rhizosphere. A five-level graded interpretation scale for the RTSI was established, defining threshold intervals based on the stability boundaries of soil ecosystems and the concept of the adaptive cycle. RTSI enables early detection of hidden ecological risks before irreversible changes occur, ensuring proactive management and long-term soil health during agroecosystem transformation.

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Integrated assessment of environmental risks during regenerative farming implementation on degraded soils: A methodological review

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