Water Flow Regulation Research Articles

Hydrological significance of rock glaciers and other periglacial landforms as sustenance of wet meadows in the Patagonian Andes

Wet meadows in mountainous areas are important environments for the ecosystem services provided, mainly those associated with the water supply to local people. In the region of the Patagonian Andes wet meadows are spatially associated with rock glaciers and other related periglacial landforms. The aim of this work was to determine the hydrological significance of these geoforms as sustenance of wet meadows in La Hoya watershed, located in Northern Patagonian Andes. We carried out a geomorphological mapping of the depositional units, wetlands, springs and streams located in the area. During fieldwork, we checked and completed this information, together with sedimentological analysis of the morphosedimentary units and hydrodynamic and salinity measurements on streams and springs. Finally, we performed hydrogeological schemes to outline the geological and geomorphological controls regulating water flows and the development of wet meadows. Results obtained show a constant flow from rock glaciers and solifluction lobes towards wet meadows during the driest period. The principal contribution of water comes from snowmelt and rain, constituting a short and intermediate-term water input. Rock glaciers and solifluction lobes constitute effective water storage depositional units, and the groundwater discharged from these landforms is constant, even during the dry season, which keeps wet meadows moist and evergreen year-round.

Interannual and intra-annual changes in the Volga River water discharge in the alignment of the Zhigulevsk hydroelectric complex

Interannual and intra-annual changes in river water flow play a decisive role in the formation of water quality and the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. For a quantitative assessment of long-term and seasonal changes in the water flow of the Volga River, an analysis of water discharge in the outlet section of the Kuibyshev reservoir (Zhigulevsky hydroelectric complex) for the period 1958-2019 was carried out. Almost the entire water flow of the Volga River passes through the bottom spillways of the hydroelectric power station and the overflow dam of the Zhigulevsky hydroelectric complex. The results of time series analysis showed that the average annual water discharge was 7,7 × 103 m3/s, the highest water discharge was 10,4 × 103 m3/s, and the lowest water discharge was 5,3 × 103 m3/s. Over a long-term observation period (61 years), it was established that the water content of the river is characterized by a change in low water and high-water periods. Statistical analysis revealed a positive trend for an increase in the average annual water discharge of the Volga River by 700 m3/s. Extremely low-water (1996, 1977, 1976, 1975, 1973, 1967) and extremely high-water (1994, 1991, 1990, 1981, 1979, 1966) years have been identified. The regulation of water flow at the Zhigulevsky hydroelectric complex has formed the seasonal variability of water discharge, which is characteristic of technical water bodies. Within the year, three periods are distinguished: winter low-water period (December-March), spring high water (April-June), and summer-autumn low-water period (July-November). The highest water discharges were observed during the spring flood (8,7-19,6 × 103 m3/s). During the winter and summer-autumn low-water period, the water discharge was 5,5-6,5 × 103 m3/s. The amplitude of fluctuations in the average monthly water discharge for the entire observation period was 2,1-33,5 × 103 m3/s.

Linking ecosystem services and human health in coastal urban planning by DPSIWR framework

Studies have evaluated how the urban expansion process impacts ecosystem services and human well-being in coastal areas. Conceptual models have been proposed to analyze this cause-effect relationship, such as DPSWIR (Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Well-being-Response). However, analysis of the effects on human well-being, including health, is explored to a limited extent in the model. This study proposes to adapt the DPSIWR model to better integrate the potential effects on human health and well-being in the analysis due to the loss of coastal ecosystem services caused by the urban expansion process. As a case study, the model is applied to the municipality of Armação dos Búzios, in the southeast of Brazil. From a temporal analysis in which urban expansion was measured in the period between 1976 and 2019, it was registered that the urban area in the municipality went from 1.9% of the territory in 1976 to 20.5% in 2019. Consequently, the ecosystems and their services have been severely affected, which can harm subsistence, security, social relations, and the health of the population. The main group of services impacted by urban expansion was the regulation and maintenance, especially the ones related to the regulation of water flow. These findings indicate an alert for decision makers, mainly regarding the risk of flood events and the emergence of parasitic infectious diseases. As a management response, it is important to consider the integration of environmental and health policies in coastal urban planning plans and strategies. For this, there is a need for better coordination between the public health, urban planning and environment sectors in the municipality. This study proposes a management tool that contributes to an integrated assessment between the aspects of planning, environmental conservation and effects on public health and social well-being, allowing a broader and holistic view of the reality of the territory, thus contributing to the establishment good governance practices.

Long-term shear strength weakening of soft interlayers due to low-permeability

Soft interlayers are distiuctive geological units that serve as semi-permeable layers that regulate water flow and chemical transport in the subsurface. However, their hydrogeolocial characteristics are still poorly understood due to its unique sedimentary features. Duo to the low-permeability of Permian Maokou soft interlayers, water contents remain invariable and cause continuous weakening effect to its shear strength. Series of ring-shear creep tests are conducted to study the effect of water contents on ring-shear rheological properties. According to the experimental results, the instantaneous shear strain modulus is closely affected by water content, normal stress, and duration of test. Besides, the long-term shear strength and residual shear strength are close to each other when the normal stress is relatively small. But the strength reduction factor from the residual shear strength to the long-term shear strength should be considered under high normal stresses. Furthermore, the long-term cohesion and friction angle are obtained by fitting the long-term shear strength values under different normal stresses. An exponential function relation exists between the two long-term shear strength parameters and water contents. Finally, based on the analysis of the SEM (scanning electron microscope) results, it can be concluded that the effect of water content on rheology properties is mainly caused by lubrication, expansion of particles of samples in water. Micro-holes and cracks on failure surfaces also exhibit ductile failure characteristics.

Analysing the Impact of Climate Change on Hydrological Ecosystem Services in Laguna del Sauce (Uruguay) Using the SWAT Model and Remote Sensing Data

Assessing how climate change will affect hydrological ecosystem services (HES) provision is necessary for long-term planning and requires local comprehensive climate information. In this study, we used SWAT to evaluate the impacts on four HES, natural hazard protection, erosion control regulation and water supply and flow regulation for the Laguna del Sauce catchment in Uruguay. We used downscaled CMIP-5 global climate models for Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5 projections. We calibrated and validated our SWAT model for the periods 2005–2009 and 2010–2013 based on remote sensed ET data. Monthly NSE and R2 values for calibration and validation were 0.74, 0.64 and 0.79, 0.84, respectively. Our results suggest that climate change will likely negatively affect the water resources of the Laguna del Sauce catchment, especially in the RCP 8.5 scenario. In all RCP scenarios, the catchment is likely to experience a wetting trend, higher temperatures, seasonality shifts and an increase in extreme precipitation events, particularly in frequency and magnitude. This will likely affect water quality provision through runoff and sediment yield inputs, reducing the erosion control HES and likely aggravating eutrophication. Although the amount of water will increase, changes to the hydrological cycle might jeopardize the stability of freshwater supplies and HES on which many people in the south-eastern region of Uruguay depend. Despite streamflow monitoring capacities need to be enhanced to reduce the uncertainty of model results, our findings provide valuable insights for water resources planning in the study area. Hence, water management and monitoring capacities need to be enhanced to reduce the potential negative climate change impacts on HES. The methodological approach presented here, based on satellite ET data can be replicated and adapted to any other place in the world since we employed open-access software and remote sensing data for all the phases of hydrological modelling and HES provision assessment.

Effects of winter wheat and endogeic earthworms on soil physical and hydraulic properties

Earthworms directly and indirectly affect soil physico-hydraulic properties. We studied interactions between winter wheat and the common European earthworm Allolobophora chlorotica, testing for impacts upon soil physico-hydraulic properties. Column experiments with three different soil textures and field-relevant earthworm densities were conducted. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) increased over time in earthworm treatments, with the increase occurring most rapidly in the plant plus earthworm treatment. After 16 weeks Ks had increased in the treatment comprising both plants and earthworms by factors of 12, 34 and 39 in the loam, silt-loam and sandy-loam soils respectively relative to controls. The presence of earthworms resulted in an 88.5% increase in the contribution of pores >3 mm diameter to water flow. In the majority of treatments, soil water-holding capacity and percentage water-stable aggregates of the 5 cm topsoil in both the plant and the earthworm treatments increased significantly compared to controls with the plant plus earthworm treatment showing the greatest increase. Plant growth was greater in the presence than absence of earthworms. Our study shows synergistic and additive effects on soil physical properties in the presence of both earthworms and plants compared to when only earthworms or plants are present. It shows that it is not just vertical-burrowing anecic earthworms that can have a significant effect on soil hydraulic properties but that field-relevant densities of endogeic earthworms such as A. chlorotica can also contribute to soil water flow regulation.

The impact of soil erosion on soil-related ecosystem services: development and testing a scenario-based assessment approach

The ecosystem service (ES) approach usually addresses soil erosion as the regulating service control of erosion rates or soil retention. In addition to the assessment of this regulating ES, mitigated impacts on soil-related ES by preventing soil erosion can be assessed. This study presents a scenario-based approach for the assessment of the impact of soil erosion on soil-related ES. The assessment approach was tested in agricultural landscapes in Northern Germany, combining mapping and assessment of soil-related ES. In six scenarios, the degradation of soils due to soil erosion was simulated by the calculation of soil profile reductions. The scenarios represent two levels of impact with three time steps (+50, +100, +150 years). In the scenarios for the structural impact, the potential soil erosion rates were extrapolated into the future to generate spatially explicit information on degraded soils. In the scenarios for the mitigated impact, the actual soil erosion rates were extrapolated. Four soil-related ES were assessed for the initial state and the scenarios crop provision, water filtration, water flow regulation and fresh water provision. The comparison of the potential service supply of the four soil-related ES in the scenarios enabled the assessment of the long-term effect of the ES control of erosion rates. The mitigated reduction in the potential service supply for three of the considered ES (crop provision, water filtration, water flow regulation) is large and highlights the importance of sustainable soil management. Contrary to this, the ES fresh water provision benefits of erosion-induced soil profile reductions.

წყნეთი-სამადლო საავტომობილო გზის მიმდებარე ტერიტორიის ჰიდროგეოლოგიური პირობების შესახებ

The aim of researching the current hydrogeological state of the territory adjacent to the TsknetiSamadlo highway is to present such anti-landslide measures with the help of which normal operating conditions of the highway should be created. The study area is located on the northern side of the southeastern fork of the Trialeti Range, from the slopes of which many deep erosional ravines originate, filled in the spring-summer period with water that flows into the gorge of the r. Vere. The river is the main basis of erosion of the study area. To carry out hydrogeological studies, two water samples were taken - the water found on the landslide slope, which flowed along the surface of the bare slope, and a small amount of ground water from under the slope. The data of the chemical analysis of waters showed that these two samples are identical in chemical composition. The results of the total mineralization correspond to M = 1.9 g / l. Consequently, the water is not suitable for drinking, as it belongs to the category of slightly saline waters and is classified as sulphate-hydrocarbonate calcium-sodium. In addition to water samples along the road, one soil sample was taken to determine the degree of soil contamination. In the extract of a soil sample, the indicator of total mineralization is slightly increased (M = 0.3 g / l), according to its chemical composition, it is classified as hydrocarbonate-sulphate sodium-calcium. With regard to the anti-landslide measures proposed for the investigated area, the main one is the regulation of surface water flows using a system of spillways and drainages, which requires an accurate calculation of the height and steepness of slopes, in addition, maximum preservation of vegetation cover on deluvial slopes is required.

Diatoms and other siliceous indicators track the ontogeny of a “bofedal” (wetland) ecosystem in the Peruvian Andes

Recent warming in the Andes is affecting the region’s water resources including glaciers and lakes, which supply water to tens of millions of people downstream. High-elevation wetlands, known locally as “bofedales”, are an understudied Andean ecosystem despite their key role in carbon sequestration, maintenance of biodiversity, and regulation of water flow. Here, we analyze subfossil diatom assemblages and other siliceous bioindicators preserved in a peat core collected from a bofedal in Peru’s Cordillera Vilcanota. Basal radiocarbon ages show the bofedal likely formed during a wet period of the Little Ice Age (1520–1680 CE), as inferred from nearby ice core data. The subfossil diatom record is marked by several dynamic assemblage shifts documenting a hydrosere succession from an open-water system to mature peatland. The diatoms appear to be responding largely to changes in hydrology that occur within the natural development of the bofedal, but also to pH and possibly nutrient enrichment from grazing animals. The rapid peat accretion recorded post-1950 at this site is consistent with recent peat growth rates elsewhere in the Andes. Given the many threats to Peruvian bofedales including climate change, overgrazing, peat extraction, and mining, these baseline data will be critical to assessing future change in these important ecosystems.

The ecosystem services of urban soils: A review

The expansion of urban areas worldwide is increasing the anthropogenic impact upon soil and highlights the important role of urban areas in supporting a sustainable future. As such, urban soils are becoming more important in the delivery of a broad range of ecosystem services (ESs), including carbon storage and climate regulation, biomass provision for food and water flow regulation, and recreational benefits. In this review, we aim to support the development of this emerging research area and, subsequently, support the improved treatment and management of urban soil and ES delivery. We present a systematic review of which ESs have been studied and examine trends in research using a co-occurrence analysis of key terms. We then provide a summary review of current knowledge on ESs and identify the gaps in knowledge. Our review highlights that this is a young, but growing, field of research, with a marked increase in publications since 2014. We found that supporting processes and regulating services were most commonly studied, with 88% and 71% of the papers relating to quantitative studies addressing these, respectively. Cultural, provisioning and water-related ESs were relatively understudied, suggesting key gaps for future research. However, this may be attributable to a disconnection between academic communities rather than a lack of knowledge. Fewer than 20% of quantitative studies addressed more than two ESs simultaneously, leading us to suggest that urban soil multifunctionality is a key area for future research, and highlighting the need to integrate understanding of urban soil ESs across disciplines and professions. In addition to this overarching suggestion, we propose six research gaps and opportunities: further research into biomass provision for food, water-related ESs and cultural ESs; greater geographical representation; further interconnection between research and practitioner communities; and a focus on the future drivers of soil change in urban environments.

Analytical solution for a strong free-surface water vortex describing flow in a full-scale gravitational vortex hydropower system

Strong free-surface water vortices are found throughout industrial hydraulic systems used for water treatment, flow regulation, and energy generation. Previous models using the volumetric flow rate as a model input have generally been semi-empirical, and have tended to have some limitations in terms of the design of practical hydropower systems. In this study, an analytical model of a strong free-surface water vortex was developed. This model only requires the water head and geometric parameters as its inputs and calculates the maximum volumetric flow rate, air-core diameter, and rotational constant. Detailed experimental depth–discharge data from a full-scale gravitational vortex hydropower system, unavailable in the relevant literature, were obtained, and the simulated results showed excellent agreement with the experimental observations. These data could be used to verify similar models using laboratory-scale physical models in order to investigate the scaling effects. In contrast to previous models, this model does not assume a constant average velocity across the vortex radius and allows precise calculation of the resultant velocity vectors. Therefore, this model presents advantages in turbine design for energy generation systems.

Regenerative rotational grazing management of dairy sheep increases springtime grass production and topsoil carbon storage

Increased traditional dairy sheep production in the Basque Country of northern Spain could substantially affect pasture soils. This type of agricultural land performs vital functions and provides essential ecosystem services. Regenerative farming practices such as rotational grazing with prolonged resting periods are designed to improve farmland soil health, while profitably delivering high-quality farm products. The aim of this study was to determine the mid-term effect of rotational grazing on soil ecosystem services and evaluate their synergies and trade-offs. A 4.5-ha experimental pasture was divided into two sections: one subjected to regenerative rotational grazing and the other to conventional rotational grazing. A flock of 135 Latxa breed dairy ewes was evenly distributed over the two areas during six consecutive years. On the conventional rotational grazing section, the sheep were allowed to feed for 6–10 d followed by a 15-d rest period. On the regenerative rotational grazing section, the sheep were allowed to feed for 1–2 d followed by a 24-d rest period. Vegetation and soil were then sampled according to a grid design. Springtime grass production was estimated by cutting the vegetation, topsoil carbon storage was determined through elemental analysis of soil organic carbon, nutrient cycling was calculated by measuring the activity of six enzymes (β-glucosidase, β-glucosaminidase, sulfatase, acid phosphatase, L-alanine aminopeptidase, and L-leucine aminopeptidase), water flow regulation was calculated using a simplified water retention index, and biodiversity was determined via 16S rRNA metabarcoding of soil prokaryotes. Regenerative rotational grazing achieved 30% higher springtime grass production and 3.6% higher topsoil carbon storage than conventional rotational grazing. The other parameters did not differ significantly between the grazing regimes. Regenerative rotational grazing reduced relative data dispersion for all ecosystem services, possibly because it supported comparatively homogeneous pasture use by livestock and avoided the negative consequences of overgrazing and undergrazing. Thus, regenerative rotational grazing might effectively improve certain soil ecosystem services without causing trade-offs to others.

Graded bed load transport in sediment supply limited channels under unsteady flow hydrographs

Natural river channels that are sediment supply limited due to upstream water management practices and/or flow regulation are often subject to in-channel bed degradation and bed surface restructuring during natural flood hydrographs or controlled flow releases from upstream dams. The heterogeneity of sediment sizes present in these channels means that different size classes are transported more actively during different parts of the hydrograph. A series of laboratory experiments is conducted to investigate the in-channel response of a graded sediment bed to a range of design flow hydrographs when no sediment is supplied at the upstream boundary. The results show varying temporal lag and bed load transport hysteresis for different transported fractions, defined by fine, medium and coarse size classes in the graded sediment mixture. The coarse size class typically exhibits clockwise hysteresis, indicating more active transport during the rising hydrograph limb, whereas the fine size class demonstrates either no/mixed or counterclockwise hysteresis, as it becomes more active during the falling limb. On this separate limb basis, predictions of fractional bed load transport rates are improved by calculating unique reference threshold shear stresses for each size class at the initiation and cessation of fractional grain motions on the rising and falling limbs, respectively. Corresponding temporal variations in the bed load median grain size vary depending on the hydrograph total water work and unsteadiness, with peak values generally attained during the rising limb and overall bed load fining observed during the falling limb. Analysis of the three size classes also indicates that the medium-coarse and fine fractions are transported in larger relative proportions during smaller magnitude, more flashy hydrographs and larger magnitude, flatter hydrographs, respectively. The resulting armouring of the post-hydrograph bed surface layer is most significant at the upstream end of the channel and decreases exponentially in the downstream direction. Two empirical models, based on combined hydrograph and bed sediment descriptors, are also shown to predict reasonably well the overall bed load yields generated under different flow hydrographs from the satisfactory collapse of the current experimental data and previous datasets for both uniform and graded bed sediments. These bed load yields provide an empirical means to describe the extent of upstream bed armouring and the downstream fining of the bed surface layer after the passage of individual hydrographs.

Biosynthesis of exopolysaccharides by soil bacteria <i>Paenibacillus mucilaginosus</i> on a nutrient molasses medium

Bacterial exopolysaccharides exhibiting water-retaining and cementing properties play an essential role in such processes as the formation and stabilization of soil aggregates, regulation of nutrients and water flow through plant roots, as well as reduction of salt stress in plants. When bacteria producing exopolysaccharides are introduced into a soil, plants become more resistant to water stress due to improved structure and significant accumulation of proline, sugars and free amino acids under the conditions of water deficiency. In this work, we set out to determine the efficiency of exopolysaccharide biosynthesis by the soil bacteria Paenibacillus mucilaginosus when cultivated on a nutrient molasses medium. The bacterial strains P. mucilaginosus 560 and 574 provided by the Departmental collection of non-pathogenic microorganisms for agricultural purposes (All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology, St. Petersburg) were used as exopolysaccharide producers. In order to determine the influence of cultivation conditions on the synthesis of exopolysaccharides by P. mucilaginosus, the one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) method was used. On the basis of the obtained results, we determined the most effective producer of exopolysaccharides, the age and dose of the inoculum, the optimal values of the cultivation temperature and medium pH, the source of nitrogen and its concentration, as well as the aeration conditions affecting exopolysaccharide biosynthesis and the growth of the selected bacterial strain P. mucilaginosus. It was established that the P. mucilaginosus 574 strain is the most effective producer of exopolysaccharides. It was shown that the biosynthesis of exopolysaccharides is most effective and economical upon the cultivation of P. mucilaginosus 574 on a nutrient medium containing 2% molasses without addition of minerals and nitrogen. The maximum amount of exopolysaccharides can reach 9.55 g/L on a nutrient medium containing 2% molasses at a volume of 50 ml with the addition of 0.1% corn extract as an inducer of exopolysaccharide synthesis at a cultivation temperature of 30±1 °C, a medium pH of 6.0±0.2 with the introduction of 5% inoculum after 24 hours of inoculation. The obtained research results are recommended for use when creating new technologies for the production of microbiological fertilizers.

Design of hydraulic’ tools for students’ practicum

Fluid mechanics and hydraulics subject is a subject that explains the concepts of the nature of fluids (liquids and gases) when stationary or moving, or when interacting with other fluids or solid objects. One of the courses in this subject related to hydraulics is about open channels. Many students have difficulties understanding this material and not able to describe abstract concepts because they were not doing experiments with the open channel. The purpose of this research is to develop hydraulic devices for open channels that can be used by students for practicum. The methods used to develop these tools are the study of literature, determination of design concepts, exploration of design scenarios, toolmaking, testing, evaluation, and improvement the tools. These tools are also equipped with a microcontroller to regulate water flow, the slope of the water-retaining plate to display hydraulic jumps and adjust the pump power. The test results show that the tool can provide consistent results, both from flowrate, weir overflow coefficient, and Froude numbers.

Pembangunan Instalasi Cuci Tangan dalam Menurunkan Risiko Penyebaran Covid-19 di TPA Km. 14 Kota Palangka Raya

Scavengers have a risk of contracting Covid-19, which comes from the garbage when it is sorted. Based on this, it is necessary to make efforts to build a handwashing installation in the Km. 14 Landfill Palangka Raya City environment to prevent Covid-19, for the convenience of scavengers at work without the need for worries. The handwashing installation placement is based on the points that scavengers frequently pass so that it will be easier to access. This easy access will increase handwashing installations, which will potentially reduce the risk of Covid-19 spreads in the Km. 14 Landfill Palangka Raya City. The 250 L reservoir is placed on a wooden support. The placement is intended to facilitate the installation of water taps and when washing hands. The installation of water faucets is carried out in the 250 L reservoir provided by the 250 L reservoir producer. The sink is placed just below the water faucet outside, making it easier to wash hands and regulate water flow. The water flow from the collected hand washing will then flow gravitationally to the water filter that has been attached to the hose for further filtering so that when it flows into the country, the results of handwashing will not reduce the quality of the soil or groundwater.

PASTURES, SOIL AND COMPOSTING. LITERATURE REVIEW

The Veterinarian must be aware of the pastures and their handling, as the high quality pastures will contribute to an excellent nutrition of the animals. Within this logic, soil is an essential natural resource for the survival of animals, since ecosystems contribute to the growth of plants and to the regulation of water flow in the environment, functioning as an environmental buffer, in the formation, attenuation and degradation of compounds natural. Composting is the process of controlled degradation of organic waste, which is a process in which it seeks to reproduce ideal conditions of humidity, oxygen and nutrients, especially carbon and nitrogen, to favor and accelerate the degradation of waste in a safe manner, avoiding the attraction of disease vectors and eliminating pathogens. Thus, knowing these environmental contributions, will favor in the guidelines that the veterinarian should pass on to the country man, aiming to have a well-nourished herd and with consequent lesser animal convalescence.

Development of a Pilot Smart Irrigation System for Peruvian Highlands

AbstractWith growing developments in the technology of cloud storage and the Internet of Things, smart systems have become the latest trend in major agricultural regions of the world. The Arequipa and Caylloma provinces of Peru are highly productive agricultural areas that could benefit from these technologies. This region has low precipitation, generally less than 100 mm per year. Electricity is not available in most of the agricultural fields, limiting the types of irrigation methods and technologies that can be supported. Currently, 20 ponds supplied by water runoff from the Andean glaciers are used for irrigating approximately 545 hectares of land in the Majes district (Caylloma province). In order to develop optimal techniques for water irrigation in Arequipa and improve the infrastructure, there is a need for development of a smart water irrigation system applicable to the existing conditions in the region. The current study proposes a pilot smart water irrigation framework comprised of a drip irrigation module, wireless communication module, and a sensor network for intelligently regulating water flow from the cloud. In this study, a TEROS 12 soil moisture sensor is connected to a Digi XBee wireless module for collecting measurements of volumetric water content, temperature, and electrical conductivity, which are sent through a secure IP gateway to the cloud. A user‐friendly web interface is available for end‐users to access and analyze real‐time data. The proposed framework is easily implementable, low‐cost, and is predicted to conserve water through optimization of irrigation cycles based on a set moisture threshold.

Mathematical description of water flow quantity for microhydroelectric station

The main methods of regulating water flow and power of a microhydroelectric power plant are considered. New technical solutions are proposed for screw jet hydraulic turbines adapted to low heads and water flow rates. Preliminary calculations carried out by the authors show that the power of a micro-hydroelectric power plant depends on the individual factors of the area.As the speed of the water flow increases, the speed of the water wheel also increases, and in turn, the electric power of the micro-hydroelectric power plant is increased.

Impact of river dynamics on the genetic variation of Gypsophila repens (Caryophyllaceae): a comparison of heath forest and more dynamic gravel bank populations along an alpine river.

Alpine rivers are, despite anthropogenic water flow regulation, still often highly dynamic ecosystems. Plant species occurring along these rivers are subject to ecological disturbance, mainly caused by seasonal flooding. Gypsophila repens typically grows at higher altitudes in the Alps, but also occurs at lower altitudes on gravel banks directly along the river and in heath forests at larger distances from the river. Populations on gravel banks are considered non-permanent and it is assumed that new individuals originate from seed periodically washed down from higher altitudes. Populations in heath forests are, in contrast, permanent and not regularly provided with seeds from higher altitudes through flooding. If the genetic structure of this plant species is strongly affected by gene flow via seed dispersal, then higher levels of genetic diversity in populations but less differentiation among populations on gravel banks than in heath forests can be expected. In this study, we analysed genetic diversity within and differentiation among 15 populations of G. repens from gravel banks and heath forests along the alpine River Isar using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP). Genetic diversity was, as assumed, slightly higher in gravel bank than in heath forest populations, but genetic differentiation was, in contrast to our expectations, comparable among populations in both habitat types. Our study provides evidence for increased genetic diversity under conditions of higher ecological disturbance and increased seed dispersal on gravel banks. Similar levels of genetic differentiation among populations in both habitat types can be attributed to the species' long lifetime, a permanent soil seed bank and gene flow by pollinators among different habitats/locations.