Excessive Water Use Research Articles

Oasis sustainability is related to water supply mode

Oasis development relies on water supply and the supply mode can be divided into artesian piloting water (APW) mode and high-lift pumping water (HPW) mode. APW mode relies on gravity to retain and intercept water. HPW mode uses cascade pumping irrigation projects to transport water by up to 470 m, mainly serving extremely arid areas. A comprehensive analysis of the water-energy-food-ecology (WEFE) nexus to optimize water use management is conducive to the sustainable development of an oasis. Due to differences in water supply difficulty and cost, there are significant differences in socioeconomic development, water management, and drought adaptation between the APW and HPW oases. Taking the APW and HPW regions of Ningxia in the Yellow River Basin as the study areas, this study constructed a Bayesian network (BN) to quantify the causality and uncertainty in the WEFE nexus to analyze the development status and the evolving characteristics of the human-water relationships of the two regions. Scenario simulation based on BN quantified the impact and difference of management measures on the WEFE nexus in the two regions. During 2000–2020, as the APW region developed, agricultural water use decreased by 36%, showing great water-saving potential, while the development of the HPW region experienced water shortages. Excessive and inefficient agricultural water use is the main factor affecting the sustainability in both regions. Improving irrigation coefficient is the most effective way to reduce agricultural water use, and there is still a large adjustment space in agricultural water prices, channel lining rates and drip irrigation popularization areas to improve this coefficient. The adjustment of the planting structure will have great water-saving potential in the APW region, such as reducing rice area to 20,000 ha will save 5 × 108 m3 of water, but the potential is limited in the HPW area dominated by drought-resistant crops. In addition, improving wastewater treatment and ecological water use will effectively improve surface water quality and the ecological environment in the APW and HPW regions.

Synergistic effect of biochar-based compounds from vegetable wastes and gibberellic acid on wheat growth under salinity stress

Soil salinization is a prevalent form of land degradation particularly in water-deficient regions threatening agricultural sustainability. Present desalinization methods demand excessive water use. Biochar has been recognized as a potential remedy for saline soils and Gibberellic acids (GA3) are known to mediate various biochemical processes aiding in stress mitigation. This study was undertaken at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur during winter 2022–23 to explore the combined effect of biochar and GA3 on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in saline conditions. Employing a fully randomized design wheat seeds in 24 pots were subjected to two salinity levels with three replications across eight treatments: T1 to T8 ranging from controls with different soil electrical conductivities (ECs) to treatments involving combinations of GA3, biochar and varying soil ECs. These treatments included T1 (control with soil EC of 2.43dS/m), T2 (salinity stress with soil EC of 5.11dS/m), T3 (10 ppm GA3 with soil EC of 2.43dS/m), T4 (10 ppm GA3 with soil EC of 5.11dS/m), T5 (0.75% Biochar with soil EC of 2.43dS/m), T6 (0.75% Biochar with soil EC of 5.11dS/m), T7 (10 ppm GA3 combined with 0.75% biochar at soil EC of 2.43dS/m) and T8 (10 ppm GA3 plus 0.75% biochar at soil EC of 5.11dS/m). The results indicated that the combined applications of GA3 and biochar significantly enhanced plant growth in saline conditions viz. germination rate by 73%, shoot length of 15.54 cm, root length of 4.96 cm, plant height of 16.89 cm, shoot fresh weight 43.18 g, shoot dry weight 11.57 g, root fresh weight 24.26 g, root dry weight 9.31 g, plant water content 60.77%, photosynthetic rate 18.58(CO2 m−2 s−1) carotenoid 3.03 g, chlorophyll a 1.01 g, chlorophyll b 0.69 g, total chlorophyll contents by 1.9 g as compared to the control. The findings suggest that the combined application of these agents offers a sustainable and effective strategy for cultivating wheat in saline soils. The synergy between biochar and GA3 presents a promising avenue for sustainable wheat cultivation in saline conditions. This combined approach not only improves plant growth but also offers an innovative, water-efficient solution for enhancing agricultural productivity in saline-affected regions.

Sustainable Water in Mining? The Importance of Traditional Owner Involvement in Commercial Water Use and Management in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia

AbstractThe mining industry is a significant water user, an issue that gains a particular prominence in arid zone mining regions, such as the Pilbara region in Western Australia (WA). Mining companies extract vast amounts of water from the groundwater aquifers to access orebodies and to dewater the mine pits. Much of this water is dumped in creeks, injected back into the aquifer downstream or used in mining processing. There is increased awareness from community members for sustainable water use in mining beyond life of mine, and the emergence of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles in the mining and metals sector signals a shift towards recognizing the importance of water stewardship. Much of the land subject to dewatering in the Pilbara is also subject to native title determinations. For Traditional Owners, important cultural values are associated with water. However, water is not adequately covered in native title, especially in relation to commercial use. We argue that Traditional Owner involvement in design and management of the use of excess water from a mining proponent's water licence (dewatering) can assist in sustainable use of groundwater, as well as provide opportunities in social and economic enterprises. As a provocation style piece, this paper is based on secondary literature, rather than ethnographic data. It explores the political and regulatory landscape of mine dewatering and outlines the limitations that have existed historically and currently and which inhibit Traditional Owners to participate in water management or commercial water interests. We also provide a high‐level analysis of several mining proponents' public policy commitments to water stewardship to assess the sustainable use of water which involves stakeholders such as Traditional Owners in water decision‐making. Finally, we identify possible opportunities and provide some recommendations, for water futures in this dry region where iron ore mining and gas extraction, already massive, are expanding further.

Real-time soil monitoring and irrigation system for taro yam cultivation

<span>The yam cultivation industry faces hurdles in satisfying the world’s rising demand. Meanwhile, agricultural activities encounter issues such as monitoring systems for soil composition that are not directly integrated with the irrigation system. Hence, this research aims to develop an irrigation and soil monitoring system using NodeMcu ESP8266 for taro yam cultivation. <br /> A soil composition and irrigation device were developed using NodeMcu ESP8266 to control the irrigation system autonomously. Then, the real-time monitoring systems using Blynk 2.0 was designed. The final method is used to test the irrigation and soil monitoring system in a taro yam growing area. The results show that the irrigation and soil monitoring system reduced water usage by about 32.5%, as the 3.6 liters of water used daily before applying the irrigation and soil monitoring device was reduced to 2.43 liters per day. In conclusion, the developed device can conveniently display the ambient air’s humidity, temperature, and soil moisture conditions on smartphones and desktops. In addition, this system can maintain soil moisture according to a set value, which can prevent excessive water use for taro yam cultivation.</span>

Solution of trade‐offs between food production, water use, and climate change mitigation in global agriculture

AbstractTrade‐off conflicts among the Sustainable Development Goals have been a challenge. To reconcile frictional relationships among food production security (Goal 2), water use efficiency (Goal 6), and climate change mitigation (Goal 13), an empirical examination using deterministic frontier analysis was conducted globally. A single volume‐based index for each goal is too simple to evaluate the agricultural sustainability of different areas from the nexus assessment perspective. Our major findings are threefold. First, approximately two‐thirds of African countries have suffered from small food production and excess water use. Second, marked contrasts are observed in the possibilities of an increase in food production and reduction in water use and CO2 emissions among regions. Asian countries use water efficiently, whereas countries in the western regions control CO2 emissions. Third, trade‐offs among food production, water use, and CO2 emissions in agriculture are observed. It is almost impossible to reduce water use in Asia and CO2 emissions in the western regions for food production security. Based on the nexus approach, local strategies need to be compatible with global sustainability. Future research should identify the factors that determine the agricultural efficiency to devise local strategies, and develop policies simultaneously pursuing relevant environmental and well‐being goals.

On the Path to Sustainable Cosmetics: Development of a Value-Added Formulation of Solid Shampoo Incorporating Mango Peel Extract

The excessive use of water and plastic packaging in the cosmetic industry imposes the need to develop sustainable alternatives. Moreover, agricultural by-products are reported in the literature to be rich in bioactive properties, namely high antioxidant capacity, suggesting their potential use in cosmetic formulations as substitutes for commercial additives. The aim of this work was the development of a sustainable formulation of solid shampoo, incorporating extracts from mango peel as antioxidants. The characterization of the extracts revealed the presence of several phenolic compounds and a strong antioxidant capacity. Six formulations of solid shampoo were produced by varying the quantity of the additives: tocopherol and butylated hydroxytoluene, used as positive controls, and mango peel (MP) extract. The antioxidant capacity assays demonstrated that the MP extract increased the antioxidant activity of the shampoos, in comparison to the positive controls and the stability tests revealed that the MP extract is a stable ingredient. Hence, it was concluded that the MP extract is a strong source of antioxidants with the potential to replace commercial antioxidants in cosmetics. Thus, it was possible to develop a value-added formulation of solid shampoo, eliminating the use of water and plastic for the packaging, and reusing waste from the food sector.

A Low Cost Smart Irrigation Planning Based on Machine Learning and Internet of Things

In an agriculture system major issues of irrigation systems for plants water supply is a critical factor. A significant amount of freshwater is required for this task but after the utilization of water in the irrigation process it is being polluted. In addition, the excessive use of water during the irrigation process can negatively affect crop production. Therefore, we need to provide a balanced amount of water for effective crop production and conservation of water. In this paper, we proposed low-cost irrigation planning with two key aims: first is to reduce the installation and maintenance costs of data collection in innovative irrigation systems and second is to control the valve for water supply automatically. In this context, we first provide a review of recent irrigation systems based on the Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine Learning (ML). Next, we introduce a working plan to collect crop water requirements using a soil moisture sensor. Then, an algorithm is proposed to decide the water supply for water treatment. Finally, the experiments are conducted on the samples collected from the farmland of wheat crops. Additionally, two different scenarios are considered to collect the water requirement samples. Based on the experimental and theoretical analysis of water requirements the proposed irrigation system can reduce the water demand by up to 25% as compared to traditional ways of irrigation. Moreover, in comparison of popular valve automation system the proposed multiple valve based system reduces the amount of water wastage up-to 22%. Therefore by utilizing the advance computational techniques (IoT and ML), we can reduce the cost of irrigation system and planning.

A simultaneous equations approach to analyze the sustainable water–energy–food nexus in South Korea

Factors such as climate change, economic development, population growth, pandemics, and geopolitical instability threaten water, energy, and food (WEF) security, which consequently put sustainability at risk. However, studies that simultaneously consider WEF security and sustainability aspects still need improvement. This research aimed to build a sustainable WEF nexus framework and analyze the interrelationships among water consumption, electricity demand, food production, and ecological footprint, considering the Environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis and external factors of the WEF nexus. For the empirical analysis, this study employed the three-stage least squares method to identify synergies and trade-offs in the sustainable WEF nexus in South Korea using panel data from 2005 to 2019. The results indicated that rice production causes excessive use of agricultural water, thereby deteriorating water availability and quality. This phenomenon leads to scarce water resources and environmental degradation, which negatively impact energy production and sustainability. Although increased agricultural productivity through automation improves food security, it can pose a threat to energy security by increasing electricity demand and energy imports. The EKC hypothesis test revealed that environmental problems cannot be solved through economic development. However, the indicators related to WEF security influence environmental sustainability rather than economic growth. These results indicate that WEF security and sustainability can be improved simultaneously by maximizing synergies and minimizing trade-offs within a sustainable WEF nexus. Therefore, this research provides a roadmap for policymakers regarding efficient ways to improve environmental quality and WEF security.

Assessment of Drinking Water Quality using the SPSS Method

For humans, water is a vital component of survival. It is the main source for supplying home, agricultural, and commercial water needs. In the studied area Due to excessive use of ground water Due to insufficient filling Ground water quality has deteriorated. The overall health and life expectancy of the populace in many developing nations are being negatively impacted by the lack of access to safe drinking water. Because of the increased exploitation by humans, the quality of the world's water supplies is declining. The lithological and geochemical makeup of the rocks, as well as different hydrodynamic parameters, all affect the natural groundwater quality. Agriculture, industry and household sectors Growing needs are largely fulfilled by ground water sources. In certain quantities, Salt, chloride, iron, manganese etc. Natural chemicals for public health Not harmful, but they are drinking water Can affect quality. The World Health Organization (WHO) and Bureau of Indian Requirements' (BIS) drinking water standards were compared to the groundwater's physicochemical properties in the research region to determine if the water was suitable for human use (BIS)

Water use strategy of nitraria tangutorum shrubs in ecological water delivery area of the lower inland river: Based on stable isotope data

Excessive water use in the upper and middle reaches of arid inland river basins will inevitably lead to the drying up of the lower reaches. Water allocation and ecological water delivery have been widely used as water resources management strategies in global arid regions, and the implementation of such strategies has a great impact on the downstream ecosystem. We established an ecohydrological observation system at the lower reaches of the Shiyang River, an inland river in the arid region of China. The stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope technique was used to study the influence mechanism of artificial water delivery on the water use strategy of nitraria tangutorum shrubs, the typical dominant species around Qingtu Lake. The results showed that: (1)12.33% of the water used by the dominant species in the terminal lake area came directly from ecological water delivery, 77.88% from soil water formed by water delivery, and only 9.79% from precipitation. (2)With the increase of distance, nitraria tangutorum shrubs absorbed less surface soil water and lake water, and gradually turned to using deeper soil water and precipitation. (3) Ecological water delivery cycles affected the water use strategies of nitraria tangutorum shrubs. The proportion of deep soil water used by plants increased in the non-water delivery period, and the proportion of precipitation absorbed by plants also increased. Thus, Vegetation in the terminal lake region mainly depended on ecological water use, and the amount and time of water delivery directly determined the water use of dominant species. The results help us to understand the adaptation mechanism of plants under the background of artificial water delivery in the low reaches of arid inland river basins and provide a reference for the rational use of water resources and ecological construction.

The socio-environmental challenges in the transition to sustainable bioeconomy: a review

The bioeconomy has been proposed worldwide as a way to combat global environmental and socio-economic challenges, from climate change to income diversification and food security. Consequently, the term "bioeconomy" has gained considerable attention in the economic field over the last 15 years. Interestingly, an alleged global sustainable development model has become the subject of intense sustainability debate among researchers in recent years. The sustainability of the bioeconomy itself remains unanswered today. Most of the previous studies on sustainable bioeconomy focused on the analysis of the impacts on technology related to environmental issues while overlooking the socio-environmental implications and excluding society. Meanwhile, various studies highlight potential socio-environmental negative impacts associated with the new economic model. It is possible that the increased use of biological resources could further compromise ecosystems and create increasing social and ethical issues. Furthermore, this economic model could bring new environmental challenges related to the excessive use of soil and water. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine and identify potential socio-environmental sustainability challenges and pitfalls that need to be addressed in order to ensure a successful transition to a sustainable bioeconomy. Following a systematic literature review, scientific studies and field reports were selected for this review after searching Google Scholar, Web of Science and Scopus databases. The results identified a number of potential key socio-environmental concerns related to the transition to the bioeconomy.

Excessive Use of Water and Fertilizer by Homeowners: Why It Happens, How It Affects the Environment, and How the Nursery Industry and Extension Outreach Can Help

Abstract Despite global concerns regarding climate change, one thing remains constant: homeowners want gardens and landscapes that serve them functionally and aesthetically. The strong affinity homeowners have for their land can lead to excessive use of water and fertilizer. This literature review explores the relationships between homeowners and their residential landscapes and the efforts that can be made to address misuse and overuse of resources. Governmental organizations should work together with community groups, nursery and landscape associations, and university Extension faculty to understand homeowner desires and behaviors before instituting policies regarding resource use that are unpopular, resented, and ignored. Networking between the nursery industry and university Extension faculty and Master Gardener volunteers can provide educational opportunities for homeowners to understand and implement more sustainable landscape practices as well as showcasing ornamental landscape plants that can help meet both personal aesthetics and resource conservation goals.

Anthropogenic problems threatening major cities: Largest surface deformations observed in Hatay, Turkey based on SBAS-InSAR

The surface deformation caused by tectonic activities and anthropogenic factors poses a great threat to cities worldwide. The investigation and monitoring of these deformations are crucial in order to create risk analysis for the future. The problem in this case is to investigate the surface deformations and their negative effects caused by groundwater use and to identify possible landslide areas. In this study, the surface deformations in Hatay province were analyzed using SBAS-InSAR. The results from these analyses were evaluated by field observations. Sentinel-1 descending (183 datasets) and ascending (147 datasets) track geometries were selected to determine the surface deformation and its temporal evolution. Both east-west and vertical surface deformations were calculated, and the surface deformation profiles, surface 3D models and time series were created. These time series were associated with monthly precipitation data. The deformation area was interpreted with regard to available well-log data and geological setting of the study area. As a result of the study, a surface deformation resembling a bowl like structure was observed in the industrial zone located in the city center of Hatay-Güzelburç. The deformation rates are approximately 22.3 cm/year in the form of subsidence, 3.6 cm/year in the form of eastern movement and 10.1 cm/year in the form of western movement. The deformation of this bowl-like structure decelerated in the winter and accelerated in the summer due to excessive water use. The average monthly precipitation dataset supports these results. The stratigraphic data from water wells and the presence of limestone outside the eastern boundary of the deformation area show a thick clay layer in the eastern block of the bowl-shaped deformation structure. The difference between these two units, which causes a sharp anomaly at the eastern border of the deformation area, is interpreted as a probable normal fault. The second study area where surface deformations are observed is the landslide zone. The deformation was found to be 7.5 cm/year in a westward direction and 1.5 cm/year as subsidence.

Moderation of nitrogen availability through the application of pyrolyzed and unpyrolyzed organic materials in saline water irrigated soil

Soil application of pyrolyzed biomass (biochar) has been proposed as an effective strategy for managing degraded land, but its limitations as a sole nutrient supplier discourage its widespread application as a soil amendment. Excessive use of saline water for irrigation leads to buildup of salts and other toxic ions, which cause a decline in the availability of essential nutrients due to negative effects on the mineralization process. Therefore, a long-term incubation experiment was conducted for 52weeks to study the individual or combined impact of pyrolyzed [biochar derived from rice residue (RB)] and unpyrolyzed organic materials [rice residue (RR) and animal manure (AM)] on nitrogen (N) dynamics in soil irrigated with water of varying electrical conductivity (EC) (EC0.3 [non-saline canal water), EC10, and EC15 dS m-1 (saline)]. Increasing salinity had an adverse effect on N mineralization, reducing it by 20-70% during the incubation period. Irrespective of the EC, soil amended with AM showed greater and faster N mineralization than unamended control, while individual application of RB or RR showed immobilization of N during the early period of incubation. However, conjoint application of pyrolyzed (RB) and unpyrolyzed organic materials (RR or AM) showed enhanced mineralized N content (26-96%) compared with the sole biochar-amended soil irrigated with water of different EC levels. It was most likely due to the synergic effect of unpyrolyzed materials on the mineralization rate of biochar. On the other hand, the high cation exchange capacity, large surface area, and greater total porosity of the biochar may cause stronger adsorption of free NH4+-N released from the labile organic amendments, thereby moderating the N mineralization process under saline conditions. Therefore, it is recommended that biochar be used in conjunction with AM or RR to ensure the prolonged availability of N in a saline environment.

Embracement of industry 4.0 and sustainable supply chain practices under the shadow of practice-based view theory: Ensuring environmental sustainability in corporate sector

Industry 4.0, also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, is bringing forth fast development. This revolution is reforming how companies work and relics optimistic regarding the opportunities Industry 4.0 may bring for sustainability. In recent years, several businesses have used sustainable supply chain practices (SSCPs) to make their supply networks less harmful to society and the environment. The goal is to minimize adverse environmental effects, such as those caused by excessive energy, water, and waste use. Sustainable business practices are becoming more and more crucial for growing firms as well as for resolving global issues. This research analyzes how Industry 4.0 affects the textile industry's environmental, social, and economic performance through SSCPs. Smart-PLS is utilized to examine the hypotheses using structural equation modeling, and a total of 639 valid survey responses were collected and processed for this study. The results show that SSCPs benefit Industry 4.0's environmental, social, and economic performance and have a positive impact. Industry 4.0 research incorporating SSCPs and the triple bottom line is a relatively recent concept.; further research may focus on other elements that could make SSCPs easier to execute. In this study, we employed the Practice-based view (PBV) theory for the sustainable supply chain (SSC) model; however, future researchers may use the Resource-based perspective or ecological modernization theory. The implications of Industry 4.0 on the textile industry's environmental, social, and economic performance through SSCPs have been the subject of a few research.

The Impact of Public Policy Measures during the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Characteristics of Urban Wastewater in the Republic of Serbia

The change in the way of life caused by the introduction of social restriction measures (closures, the restriction of working hours, and restriction of movement) by governments and thus, the resulting changes in people’s behavior, have affected all aspects of life, i.e., social activities, business, the environment and the performance of the infrastructure of the water supply system. Social distancing policies around the world in response to the pandemic have led to spatio-temporal variations in water consumption and therefore, to changes in the flow of wastewater, creating potential problems in the infrastructure, operation and quality of services. The goal of this work was to examine how these changes and how the pandemic itself affected the characteristics of municipal wastewater. Data on the quantity and quality of municipal wastewater in four settlements of different sizes in the Republic of Serbia in the period from 2015 to 2022 were collected. The data indicated an increase in the amount of wastewater generated in 2020, which may be a consequence of excessive water use. An increase in the mean concentrations of most parameters in 2020 compared to the previous five-year average was also observed. The most significant changes were observed concerning the concentrations of organic matter (2–124%), nitrogen (6–80%), phosphorus (14–91%), suspended matter (8–308%), fats and oils (97–218%) and surfactants (12–110%). Changes in terms of increasing concentrations were also noticed after the peak of the pandemic, i.e., in the period from 2021 to 2022. In addition, an increase in the COD/BOD ratio from around 2 to around 4 in the year 2020 was also observed (COD—Chemical Oxygen Demand; BOD—Biological Oxygen Demand). This is very important and should be taken into account in wastewater treatment procedures in order to achieve high efficiency in the operation of the plant itself.

Comparative Analysis Between Traditional Aquaponics and Reconstructed Aquaponics Systems in Propagating Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)

The aquaponic system of planting is a method that does not require soil usage. It is a method that only needs water, fish, lava rocks (a substitute for soil), and plants. Aquaponic systems are sustainable and environmentally friendly. Its use not only helps to plant in small spaces but also helps reduce artificial chemical use and minimizes excess water use, as aquaponics consumes 90% less water than soil-based gardening. The study applied a descriptive and experimental design to assess and compare conventional and reconstructed aquaponic methods for reproducing tomatoes. The researchers created an observation checklist to determine the significant factors of the study. The study aims to determine the significant difference between traditional aquaponics and reconstructed aquaponics systems propagating tomatoes in terms of height, weight, girth, and number of fruits. The reconstructed aquaponics system’s higher growth yield results in a much more nourished crop than the traditional aquaponics system. It is superior in its number of fruits, height, weight, and girth measurement. Moreover, the reconstructed aquaponics system is proven to eliminate all the hindrances present in the traditional aquaponics system, which are overcrowding of fish, algae growth, pest problems, contaminated water, and dead fish.

Comparative analysis between traditional aquaponicsand reconstructed aquaponics systems in propagatingtomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)

The aquaponic system of planting is a method that does not require soil usage. It is a method that only needswater, fish, lava rocks (a substitute for soil), and plants. Aquaponic systems are sustainable and environmentallyfriendly. Its use not only helps to plant in small spaces but also helps reduce artificial chemical use andminimizes excess water use, as aquaponics consumes 90% less water than soil-based gardening. The studyapplied a descriptive and experimental design to assess and compare conventional and reconstructed aquaponicmethods for reproducing tomatoes. The researchers created an observation checklist to determine the significantfactors of the study. The study aims to determine the significant difference between traditional aquaponicsand reconstructed aquaponics systems propagating tomatoes in terms of height, weight, girth, and number offruits. The reconstructed aquaponics system’s higher growth yield results in a much more nourished crop thanthe traditional aquaponics system. It is superior in its number of fruits, height, weight, and girth measurement.Moreover, the reconstructed aquaponics system is proven to eliminate all the hindrances present in the traditionalaquaponics system, which are overcrowding of fish, algae growth, pest problems, contaminated water, anddead fish.

Species action plan for conservation of an isolated Steppe Eagle population in Turkey

Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis) is a globally Endangered (EN) species according to IUCN Red List, with a breeding range extending through the arid zones of southern Russia and Kazakhstan, from Kalmykia in the west to Dauria in the east. There is a small, isolated breeding population in Turkey, discovered in 2003, which lost contact with the main breeding range. Although there are studies carried out between 2015 and 2021, the size of the isolated population is not exactly known. To protect this small population on the brink of extinction, the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (GDNCNP), which is officially responsible for wildlife conservation, programmed to prepare a species action plan in 2021. As part of the “Preparation, Implementation and Monitoring of Species Action Plans for Endangered Species in Turkey within the Concept of a New Methodology”, shortly “Endangered Species” project, Steppe Eagle was selected, based on a prioritization study, to be one of the pilot species for which species actions to be prepared. Field studies were conducted in the 2022 breeding season to identify threats causing stress to the Steppe Eagle. During the breeding studies in 2022, it was determined that 4 pairs of Steppe Eagles were confirmed to be breeding in Central Anatolia, and 4 pairs attempted to breed. During the field studies, threat factors were listed based on direct observations, indirect observations (nest records, mortality records, etc.), and bilateral discussions with local communities. Using the threat analysis adopted by IUCN and adapted to Turkey within the framework of the same project, a national-level threat analysis was conducted. Direct threat factors causing stress to the species were listed as conversion of grasslands into agricultural areas, excessive use of groundwater and surface water leading to the drying of wetlands, power transmission lines, human activities and grazing pressure on breeding islands in wetlands, illegal hunting, predation, researcher pressure, hybridization with Eastern Imperial Eagles (Aquila heliaca), and artificial materials in nests. Additionally, the use of rodent poisons was also identified as a potential threat. As a result of the threat analysis, the threats with the highest level of impact on the species were identified as the conversion of grasslands into agricultural areas and excessive water usage. These threats result in the transformation of steppe habitat and decrease in the species' food sources. Another high-level threat is illegal hunting. The identified threats were transferred to a problem tree and, following the method generated in the “Endangered Species” project, problem tree was transformed to a result chain. In the result chain, the selected results for eliminating/reducing threats were defined by identifying intervention points and transforming them into objectives. Activities were defined to achieve the identified objectives. Within the scope of the 10-year action plan a total of 34 activities were designed under 9 objectives to be achieved. Eight out of the 9 objectives involve conservation, and one involves research-related activities. The aim of the 10-year plan is to conserve and support the breeding population of the species in Turkey.

Plant hydraulics provide guidance for irrigation management in mature polar plantation

Irrigation is essential for sustaining the productivity of plantation forests in arid, semi-arid, and seasonal drought regions. Current irrigation management is commonly scheduled based on time or soil water status, which often fails to capture plant physiological demand. Here we report on the variation of traits related to plant water use for 7-year-old Populus tomentosa plantations under different irrigation treatments in North China during two growth seasons with contrasting environmental dryness. Plant hydraulics were assessed by stomatal regulation strategy as well as hydraulic traits conferring water transport efficiency and safety, including branch hydraulic conductivity (Ks), thresholds for xylem embolism (Px) and percentage loss of leaf rehydration capacity (PLRC), leaf water potential at turgor loss point (Ψtlp) as well as hydraulic capacitance before and after turgor loss (Cbulk-pre and Cbulk-post respectively). Our results showed that both seasonal increases in rainfall and irrigation could modify stomatal regulation strategy, resulting in a more anisohydric stomatal behavior, but through different underlying mechanisms. Specifically, seasonal variation in stomatal regulation was primarily manipulated by the daily fluctuation of leaf water potential, Ψtlp, and possibly the water supply-demand relationship. At the same time, we speculated that irrigation-dependent alternation was presumably associated with shifted belowground traits. Seasonal variation in hydraulic traits was found for Ks and Ψtlp, with trees in the dry season displaying higher Ks and less negative Ψtlp regardless of irrigation, while other traits governing hydraulic functioning were essentially invariable across seasons or irrigation treatments. Tree growth rate was lower in the wet season and was independent of irrigation, which was likely explained by the occurrence of hydraulic impairment due to less stringent stomatal control. Overall, our results suggest that limited precipitation and high atmospheric vapor pressure deficit in the dry season would not compromise tree growth because of the tighter stomatal control, while hydraulic dysfunction could occur in the wet season due to excessive water use strategy, subsequently perhaps contributing to the reduction in growth rate. The findings of this study underscore the usefulness of physiological traits in guiding irrigation management and advocate reconsidering plantation water management strategy based on reliable indicators.