Water Conservation Strategies Research Articles

Influence of Climate Change Adaptation Policies on Sheep Farming Viability in Australia

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of climate change adaptation policies on sheep farming viability in Australia. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Climate change adaptation policies in Australia have significantly influenced the viability of sheep farming in recent years. Research indicates that the implementation of targeted adaptation measures, such as improved pasture management and water conservation strategies, has helped mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change on sheep farming viability. Studies have shown that farms adopting these policies have experienced higher survival rates of livestock and increased profitability compared to those without such measures. Additionally, government support programs aimed at assisting sheep farmers in implementing climate adaptation strategies have been instrumental in enhancing the resilience of the sector. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Adaptation theory in environmental economics, resilience theory & theory of planned behavior (TPB) may be used to anchor future studies on analyze the impact of climate change on wheat yields in Australia. The enhancement of breeding programs focuses on practical genetic advancements to create drought and heat-resistant sheep varieties, addressing direct climate impacts on livestock. By advocating for government and industry funding for genetic research, the recommendations influence policy towards investing in long-term solutions for climate resilience.

Resident water conservation behaviors among different age groups in rural areas of the Weibei arid belt, China

Understanding water conservation behaviors across various age groups is crucial for developing effective water resource management strategies particularly in arid and semiarid zones. Based on a semi-structural questionnaire survey of 445 households in China’s Weibei arid belt and extended Theory of Planned Behavior Model, a Structural Equation Model (SEM) was constructed to elucidate the age-related impact of water conservation knowledge, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control on water-saving behaviors. The results show that (1) youth group prioritizes personal hygiene and laundry activities whereas the elderly exhibit lower such requirements. (2) Water consumption varies significantly by age, with the elderly group consumes the least, averaging 62.26 litres per capita per day (Lpcd), followed by the middle-aged group at 73.95 Lpcd, and the youth at the highest consumption rate of 84.60 Lpcd. (3) Influential factors on water conservation behavior differ substantially by age: Among the youth, water conservation behavior is strongly influenced by attitude in this domain (standardized path coefficient [SPC] = 0.32). The middle-aged group is influenced by subjective norms (SPC=0.27) and attitudes toward water conservation (SPC=0.27). Conversely, the elder group's behavior is dominated by knowledge (SPC=0.35) and perceived control (SPC=0.32). Given such distinct perceptions and behaviors of household water consumption, tailored water conservation strategies are essential of water conservation education through social media for youth, tiered pricing for the middle-aged, and water-saving subsidies to the elderly in the case areas.

Evaluation of Newly Bred Zinc and Iron Enriched Rice Genotypes for Cultivation Under Aerobic Condition Using Genetic Parameters: Implication on Drought Management

This research focused on the evaluation of twelve newly bred rice genotypes with diverse morphological traits under aerobic cultivation to develop strategies for water conservation while maintaining grain productivity and quality. The experiment was conducted during the summer season of 2016, employing a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with wetland cultivation as a control. For analysis, various vegetative and reproductive traits namely, Plant height, Number of Tillers, Shoot Weight, Days to 50% flowering, Days to Maturity, Number of Productive Tillers, Panicle Length, Grain Weight, Length of the seed, Breadth of the seed, Ratio of Length and Breadth of the Seed, and Test weight of 100 seeds were recorded. Data on analysis of variance revealed the significant difference for days to flowering, maturity, plant height, panicle length, test weight, and grain yield under aerobic and wetland cultivation methods during the summer season, 2016, suggesting these traits are under high genetic control. Genetic parameters such as percentage of GCV, PCV, Heritability, and GAM were estimated across 13 parameters comprising vegetative and reproductive characters. The findings suggest a considerable amount of genetic variability for most traits, providing a foundation for the potential implementation of an effective selection procedure in breeding new rice varieties within the selected genotypes.

Hydrochemical characterisation of a landslide prone area, South Western Ghats, India

ABSTRACT This study focuses on the Manimala River Basin (MMRB) situated in the Western Ghats region of Kerala, which has been significantly affected by landslides. The water quality in the MMRB is likely to be impacted by heavy rainfall and the resulting debris flows. A comprehensive analysis was conducted for 157 water samples collected from the MMRB, with an objective to evaluate the hydrogeological conditions and estimation of 23 physico-chemical parameters to determine the water quality. Pearson’s correlation matrix for geochemical data was performed to investigate the relationships among physical and chemical parameters, and various ions in the MMRB. The present study also aimed to identify the dominant geochemical facies present in the water samples and determine the geochemical processes responsible for modifying the hydrochemistry. The results revealed that elevated concentrations of Ca2+ and SO4 2- ions, which exert influence on the hydrochemistry of the region. Moreover, we utilized a fuzzy logic tool to categorize the water samples based on a water quality index, which indicated that approximately 92% of the MMRB samples are suitable for human consumption. This study offers valuable insights into the interplay of geochemical factors and water quality assessment, contributing to effective strategies for water resource management and conservation.

Self-Financing Strategy for Water Conservation Through Payment of Environmental Services for Domestic Water Users in the Upper Areas of Renggung Watershed

Self-Financing Strategy for Water Conservation Through Payment of Environmental Services for Domestic Water Users in the Upper Areas of Renggung Watershed

Re-negotiating the Cauvery River Water Dispute in Changing Geopolitics and Ecological Era

For hundreds of years, conflicts in water sharing have existed all around the globe. Cauvery River, in the southern part of India, has been in the midst of such conflict for the last 130 years. The Cauvery conflict between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka resurfaces whenever there's a shortfall in the Southwest Monsoon in the region. Historically, the conflict has been about the right to use water and the states/provinces in conflict have used the water from the river for agricultural purposes. Due to industrialization in the late 1980s and increasing population, water availability in the region has become stressed. The paper is an attempt to analyse the history and recent issue of Cauvery river water dispute. The paper also highlight the climate change that exacerbated the region’s water availability issues. Faltering rainfall has caused unrest in the region, and the traditional methods of water sharing are dwindling under political pressure. The purpose of this paper is to suggest the solution to Cauvery river dispute lies in effective water conservation strategy. Without a climate change strategy, the governments of these states will never be able to solve this complex issue at hand.  Here's an in-depth study of historical, political and ecological aspects of this dispute.

Disintegration characteristics of sodic–saline loessial soil after freeze–thaw and wet–dry cycles

AbstractGeological hazards such as gully erosion, collapse and slope failure occur frequently in loess areas, which are closely related to the soil disintegration characteristics. Understanding the impact of freeze–thaw and wet–dry action on soil disintegration in the context of climate change is essential to establish effective soil and water conservation strategies and prevent engineering geological hazards in loess areas. In this study, sodic–saline loessial soils with different clay content were subjected to freeze–thaw and wet–dry cycles, followed by aggregate durability tests, direct shear tests and disintegration tests to investigate the effects of the two natural processes on soil disintegration characteristics. The results showed that the samples subjected to freeze–thaw cycles primarily exhibited rapid and stable disintegration, followed by slow disintegration, whereas the samples subjected to wet–dry cycles revealed weight gain, continuous slow disintegration and eventual sudden disintegration. Freeze–thaw action continuously deteriorated the disintegration resistance of soil, while wet–dry action improved the disintegration resistance of soil after the first cycle, and gradually weakened it in subsequent cycles. Statistical analysis showed that, for samples undergoing freeze–thaw cycles, the number of cycles and clay content were positively correlated with the disintegration rate, while the aggregate durability was negatively correlated with the disintegration rate. For samples undergoing wet–dry cycles, the number of cycles had a positive effect on the disintegration rate, while the clay content, shear strength and cohesion had a negative correlation with the disintegration rate. At a certain clay content, there was a positive correlation observed between the surface crack ratio, crack length and width with the disintegration rate of the wet–dry samples, while shear strength and cohesion had a negative correlation with the disintegration rate of both freeze–thaw and wet–dry samples. Furthermore, the study outlined the disintegration mechanism of loessial soils based on internal factors, driving factors, resistance factors and evolutionary factors. This study contributes to the in‐depth understanding of the catastrophic mechanism of geological hazards in cold and arid areas and provides experimental evidence for its control and management.

Erosion processes and sediment source tracing on heterogeneous slopes in the red soil region of southern China

AbstractUnderstanding erosion, sediment sources and the spatial distribution along heterogeneous slopes is essential for soil and water conservation. In this study, soils derived from nodular limestone, mud‐like limestone and limestone breccia (abbreviated as SMTL, SMDL and SLBC, respectively) were utilized to establish artificial homogeneous and heterogeneous slopes. The homogeneous slopes MTL, MDL and LBC represent SMTL‐, SMDL‐ and SLBC‐filled‐ slopes, respectively. The heterogeneous slopes were abbreviated as MTL/MDL, MDL/LBC and LBC/MTL. Rare earth elements (REEs; lanthanide, cerium and ytterbium) were used to tag soils on the upper and lower slope sections to track sediment transport and deposition. The results showed that for homogeneous slopes, the LBC slope was the most severely eroded, followed by the MDL and MTL slopes. For heterogeneous slopes, the order of erosion was LBC/MTL > MTL/MDL > MDL/LBC. Upslope sections contributed a sizable portion of the total sediment yield, ranging from 51% to 79%. Over time, the difference in the sediment contribution between the upslope and downslope regions decreased and reached equilibrium. Runoff rates on heterogeneous slopes demonstrated an inverse function (R2 > 0.75) in contrast to a logarithmic distribution (R2 > 0.87) on homogeneous slopes. Heterogeneous slopes displayed minimal intersegment variation and the absence of a consistent ordering of the magnitude of hydraulic parameters. Conversely, the hydraulic parameters of homogeneous slopes were consistently ordered across the slope sections. For sediment transport, all slopes exhibited suspension‐dominated flow with percentages greater than 89%. However, the particle size distribution of the sediment of heterogeneous slopes exhibited greater diversity and complexity because of the coexistence of distinct soils. These findings underscore the importance of customized strategies for soil and water conservation in environments characterized by diverse soil parent materials.

Maize multi-omics reveal leaf water status controlling of differential transcriptomes, proteomes and hormones as mechanisms of age-dependent osmotic stress response in leaves.

Drought-induced osmotic stress severely affects the growth and yield of maize. However, the mechanisms underlying the different responses of young and old maize leaves to osmotic stress remain unclear. To gain a systematic understanding of age-related stress responses, we compared osmotic-stress-induced changes in maize leaves of different ages using multi-omics approaches. After short-term osmotic stress, old leaves suffered more severe water deficits than young leaves. The adjustments of transcriptomes, proteomes, and hormones in response to osmotic stress were more dynamic in old leaves. Metabolic activities, stress signaling pathways, and hormones (especially abscisic acid) responded to osmotic stress in an age-dependent manner. We identified multiple functional clusters of genes and proteins with potential roles in stress adaptation. Old leaves significantly accumulated stress proteins such as dehydrin, aquaporin, and chaperones to cope with osmotic stress, accompanied by senescence-like cellular events, whereas young leaves exhibited an effective water conservation strategy mainly by hydrolyzing transitory starch and increasing proline production. The stress responses of individual leaves are primarily determined by their intracellular water status, resulting in differential transcriptomes, proteomes, and hormones. This study extends our understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant responses to osmotic stress.

Water-saving strategies at hotels: which are more effective?

ABSTRACT Water overconsumption by tourists is nowadays a major environmental challenge, raising concerns for both hospitality managers and policymakers, especially in regions facing water stress. Hotels have implemented various strategies for water conservation, yet there remains limited knowledge regarding the comparative effectiveness of technological investments in contrast to other alternatives, such as green nudges, consumer awareness programmes, or environmental training for staff. This paper investigates the effects of several water-saving strategies on the growth rates of water consumption at hotels. Using panel data for 361 hotels in Colombia, we show that consumer awareness programmes, environmental training for staff, and environmental research and development (R&D) do not achieve the goal of reducing hotel water consumption. Importantly, our findings indicate that investments in technologically efficient devices lead to increases in water consumption, a result that is compatible with time-use rebound effects.

WATER GOVERNANCE: URBAN WATER CONSERVATION AS A RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

This study aims to formulate recommendations for water conservation strategies through solving the causes of water scarcity. Through a qualitative approach, the study was conducted through a review of secondary data sourced from institutions related to the research topic, accompanied by an analysis review of relevant literatures. Secondary data obtained shows that the majority of urban communities choose boreholes/pumps and piped water as the main SAM for purposes other than drinking, while drinking is dominated by refill water. Among the strategies identified, NbS (Nature-based Solution) based on ecosystem strengthening and economic valuation through Payment for Ecosystem Service (PES) will support sustainable natural resource planning in urban areas by considering ecological aspects and community welfare. Sustainable water management in urban areas requires a synergy of driving factors such as policy formulation based on ecological sustainability, involvement of stakeholders with effective coordination, and community involvement in planning and management. Therefore, alignment of perceptions and goals between actors is required to achieve strategic steps and sustainable natural resource governance planning as an inevitable response to climate change.

Assessing the vulnerability of urban drinking water intakes to water scarcity under global change: A bottom-up approach

Drinking water intakes (DWIs) face significant pressure due to global changes, including urbanization and climate change. The common approach relies mainly on climate projections generated by global climate models to simulate large scale hydroclimatic conditions. However, it is crucial to discern the impact of global changes on water scarcity at the local level, including in regions where available data are limited. This paper proposes an approach that focuses on studying the vulnerability of surface DWIs to low water levels and water demand in current and future climates within a cold-climate region.Low flows at DWIs were simulated using historical water level data obtained from hydrometric stations situated along the studied river. After defining four scenarios for climate change and anthropogenic activities affecting raw water withdrawals at DWIs, the full potential range of level variations was simulated. This study employed a combined water scarcity index derived from two sub-indices based on water level and water demand. The resulting index ranges from 0 to 1, where a higher value indicates a greater vulnerability to water scarcity. The simulation results demonstrate the vulnerability of water scarcity in both current and future climates.The calculated index, selecting the current vulnerability to water scarcity for the five studied DWIs, ranged from 0.61 to 0.76. The results for the vulnerability of these DWIs under future climate conditions exhibited significant variability across the different scenarios representing possible maximum daily withdrawal. These scenarios were defined to encompass a spectrum of options related to the government's policy for drinking water conservation strategy implementation. While exploring the full range of potential risks, the study's results demonstrated that the DWIs were especially vulnerable to anthropogenic changes affecting water demand.The framework developed in this study can provide a decision-support basis for municipalities and water managers to adapt to global change and achieve greater water supply resilience.

Effects of heterogenous wettability on evaporation from a simulated soil pore: Stick-slip evaporative mode and contact line motion

The Ogallala Aquifer, a primary irrigation water source in the High Plains region of the United States, is declining, thereby necessitating new water conservation strategies. This paper investigates the impact of mixed wettability on the evaporation dynamics of a 10-µl sessile water droplet placed within simulated soil pores comprised of hydrophobic Teflon beads (CA ∼ 108°) and hydrophilic glass (CA ∼ 41°) beads with 2.38-mm diameters, where homogeneous and heterogenous (i.e., mixed hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity) wettability configurations were investigated. Experiments were performed in an environmental chamber where the relative humidity and temperature were 60% ± 0.1% RH and 20 ± 0.4 °C, respectively. Wettability influenced evaporation times, with homogeneous hydrophobic pores (i.e., three Teflon beads) and heterogenous one glass, two Teflon pores having the longest average evaporation times of 40 and 39 min, respectively. Homogeneous hydrophilic pores (i.e., three glass beads) and heterogenous two glass, one Teflon pores exhibited evaporation times of 34 min. Evaporation times for heterogenous combinations trended based on the predominant wettability. Contact angles and the projected length of contact were analyzed from videos to capture pinning and depinning during evaporation. For many cases including hydrophobicity, contact angles were less than 90°, and in some configurations, water would be pinned on a Teflon bead, whereas depinning (i.e., moving) on a glass bead. Stick-slip evaporation was observed, where the evaporating droplet switched between constant contact radius and constant contact area evaporative modes to minimize droplet surface energy. The results suggest wettability alterations in agricultural settings may reduce evaporation.

Monitoring soil quality of different land use systems: a case study in Suha watershed, northwestern highlands of Ethiopia

The problem of soil quality degradation has been becoming more severe in the highlands of Ethiopia due to soil erosion; land use and land cover change, and poor land management. The level of soil quality degradation was not well known and documented in the study area and the results of this study could provide new information to improve soil conditions. The present study was conducted to evaluate soil quality in terms of its physical and chemical fertility under different land use types in the Suha watershed, northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. A total of 27 composite surface soil samples (0–30 cm) were collected from adjacently located land-uses in three replications from two elevation gradients. Standard procedures were followed to analyze selected soil physical and chemical quality indicators. The differences in the mean values of the parameters were tested using a two-way analysis of variance. In addition, Soil Quality Degradation Index was evaluated to see the direction and magnitude of change in soil quality indicators. The analysis of variance results revealed that soil quality indicators such as index of soil aggregate stability, organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), and C:N ratio were significantly decreased in the cultivated land use system compared to other land use systems. On the other hand, the content of available Phosphorus was significantly higher in the cultivated land. Soil quality deterioration index values were highly negative for SOC (− 71.3%) and TN (− 67.7%) in the cultivated land, followed by grazing land (SOM = − 35.5% and TN = − 27.7%). Aggregated Soil Quality Index values also indicated that the status of soil quality under cultivated fields is rated as low, grazing land as optimal, and forest land as high. Generally, results indicated that land use and cover changes had adverse effects on soil quality indicators. Hence, soil management strategies, mainly Integrated Soil Fertility Management which integrates soil and water conservation strategies, are required to alleviate the problem of soil quality deterioration and improve agricultural productivity.

A Pilot Study on the Safety and Adequacy of a Novel Ecofriendly Hemodialysis Prescription–Green Nephrology

Hemodialysis (HD) units require large quantities of water. To reduce water consumption without compromising the adequacy and safety of dialysis, we studied a novel HD prescription with high temperature and low flow dialysate. This was a single-center nonrandomized open-label cross-over pilot trial in patients with end-stage kidney disease on maintenance HD. Each participant was subjected to 3 different dialysis prescriptions for 1 month each as follows: (i) normal temperature with normal flow dialysate (NTNF prescription), (ii) high temperature with normal flow dialysate (HTNF prescription), and (iii) high temperature with low flow dialysate (HTLF prescription). The primary outcome, assessed at the end of each dialysis session, was the delivery of "adequate" dialysis, as defined by a single-pool Kt/V (spKt/V)≥1.2. Outcomes were evaluated by comparing the NTNF and HTLF prescriptions. A total of 863 sessions of HD were performed in 30 patients over 3 months, with 287 to 288 sessions in each of the 3 dialysis prescriptions. The primary outcome was not significantly different between the NTNF prescription (202 sessions [70.14%]) and the HTLF prescription (198 sessions [68.75%]) (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 0.75 to 1.52; P= 0.45). The mean spKt/V and urea reduction ratio (URR) were not significantly different. Clinically evident hemodynamic instability occurred in only 1 dialysis session in the HTNF prescription. Increasing dialysate temperature while reducing dialysate flow rate (QD) can be used as a water conservation strategy without compromising the adequacy and safety of dialysis in young and hemodynamically stable patients. Reducing the QD from 500 ml/min to 300 ml/min reduces water consumption by 40%.

The legacy of past droughts induces water-sparingly behaviour in Grüner Veltliner grapevines.

Drought is becoming more frequent and severe in numerous wine-growing regions. Nevertheless, limited research has examined the legacy of recurrent droughts, focusing on leaf physiology and anatomy over consecutive seasons. We investigated drought legacies (after 2 years of drought exposure) in potted grapevines, focusing on stomatal behaviour under well-watered conditions during the third year. Vines were subjected for two consecutive years to short- (SD) or long-term (LD) seasonal droughts, or well-watered conditions (WW). In the third year, all plants were grown without water limitation. Water potential and gas exchange were monitored throughout the three seasons, while leaf morpho-anatomical traits were measured at the end of the third year. During droughts (1st and 2nd year), stem water potential of SD and LD plants fell below -1.1 MPa, with a consequent 75% reduction in stomatal conductance (gs ) compared to WW. In the 3rd year, when all vines were daily irrigated to soil capacity (midday stem water potential ~ -0.3 MPa), 45% lower values of gs were observed in the ex-LD group compared to both ex-SD and ex-WW. Reduced midrib vessel diameter, lower leaf theoretical hydraulic conductivity, and smaller stomata were measured in ex-LD leaves compared to ex-SD and ex-WW, likely contributing to the reduced gas exchange. Our findings suggest that grapevines exposed to drought may adopt a more water-conserving strategy in subsequent seasons, irrespective of current soil water availability, with the degree of change influenced by the intensity and duration of past drought events.

Impacts of recent rainfall changes on agricultural productivity and water resources within the Southern Western Ghats of Kerala, India.

Significant changes in rainfall patterns are critical to agriculture, and the dependency of cropping systems on rainfall variability would engender appropriate farming practices and agriculture policies for a climate-resilient agriculture system. This study analyses the significance of rainfall variability on agriculture productivity in the Wayanad district of Kerala (India) using time series data on rainfall (1989-2019) and crop yield (2000-2019). The spatial variability of rainfall patterns reveals a dichotomy between the rain gauge stations in the northern and southern parts of the region. Despite the absence of statistically significant trends in the monthly, seasonal and annual rainfall, based on the Mann-Kendall trend analysis, an increase in the yield of many crops (e.g., winter paddy, banana) is evident, which emphasises the critical role of irrigation in driving the crop productivity. As an adaptation strategy to changing rainfall patterns, irrigation would meet the additional crop water requirement for sustainable agricultural production under the varying rainfall distributions. However, the increase in the area under irrigation in recent years has had significant implications for both surface water and groundwater resources. The conclusive findings suggest that the region requires climate-resilient agriculture, focusing on optimising irrigation and developing sustainable agriculture and water conservation strategies.

Thermal Tolerance and Vulnerability to Climate Change of a Threatened Freshwater Mussel

Freshwater pearl mussels (FPMs, Margaritifera margaritifera, Linnaeus, 1758) are endangered and particularly vulnerable to climate change. To create effective conservation strategies, we studied their thermal tolerance and the impact of elevated water temperatures on growth and survival. Our experiments included field mesocosm studies in five FPM-streams in the Vogtland region (Germany) (2016 to 2020), as well as laboratory experiments at temperatures ranging from 1 to 26 °C. Growth of juvenile FPMs increased significantly within a temperature gradient from 12 to 21 °C. In the streams, maximum growth was 8.9 µm/d in surface water and 6.5 µm/d in the interstitial. The upper thermal tolerance for the mussels ranged from 22.1 to 22.9 °C, resulting in low survival during hot summer periods in 2018 and 2019. Warming during winter (+5 °C) did not significantly affect growth and survival, but survival during winter increased with the pre-overwintering shell length. Exceeding a shell length of about 1100 µm in December indicating gill development corelated to 50% survival. Shell length in December is primarily controlled by growth depending on water temperatures during summer. These findings define the thermal niche of juvenile FPMs (average summer temperatures of 14.5–21 °C) and have implications for water management, conservation strategies, and site selection for releasing captive-breeding mussels.

Determinants of the accuracy of using carbon isotopes in estimating water use efficiency of selected cereal and legume crops: A global perspective

AbstractField assessments of crop water use efficiency (WUE) are resource‐consuming since they require simultaneous assessment of the total amount of water assimilated by crops for biomass and/or grain production. Alternative methods exist, such as estimating the carbon isotopic ratio (13C/12C) of the crop's leaf, aboveground biomass, or grain samples. There is limited information on the determinants of the accuracy of carbon isotopes in estimating water use efficiency between crop types and environments. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the extent to which the estimation of the 13C/12C ratio in crop parts constitutes an accurate proxy of WUE, globally. Data on observed WUE (WUEobs) were collated involving 518 experiments conducted worldwide on major cereals and legumes and compared with WUE estimates (WUEest) from carbon isotopes. The mean WUEobs among all experiments was 3.4 g L−1 and the mean absolute error (MAE) was 0.5 g L−1 or 14.7% of WUEobs, corresponding to accurate predictions at p < 0.05. However, the percentage mean absolute error of observed water use efficiency (%MAE) estimated from grains was 3.6 ± 11.5%, which was lower than the %MAE from aboveground biomass collected at harvest (3 ± 22.8%). In addition, the %MAE increased from 1.1 ± 5.1% for soybean, 1.6 ± 7.2% for maize, 1.2 ± 8.6% for rice, 1.8 ± 12.1% for groundnut, 2.1 ± 14.3% for cowpea, 2.3 ± 16.2% for bush bean, 1.8 ± 19.9% for wheat, 2.2 ± 21.4% for barley to 6.3 ± 39.3% for oat, with only the latter corresponding to significant errors. WUEest were, in all cases, unbiased but slightly overestimated from 0.8% (maize) to 15.4% (oat). The accuracy in estimating WUE significantly decreased with the increase in soil clay content, with sand, showing a positive correlation of 0.3 with %MAE, but negatively correlated with the silt content (r = −0.4). Furthermore, a multivariate analysis pointed out a tendency for prediction errors and bias to increase with the decrease in WUEobs and air temperature. Using carbon isotopes for estimating crop WUE thus appeared reliable for all crops and world environments, provided grain samples are considered. The technique tended to perform better under high WUE conditions, such as those generally found in maize and soybean cropping systems. The identified factors that affect the accuracy of using carbon isotopes in measuring WUE provide valuable insights for water resource management and sustainable crop production. These findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on water conservation strategies in agriculture, offering a basis for decision‐making in crop improvement programs. Implementing the recommended practices from this study can potentially improve yield gains and promote resilient and sustainable agricultural systems in the changing environmental circumstances. Further research should investigate the mechanisms that cause low accuracy of the isotopic technique using aboveground biomass and under arid and cool environments.

Local adaptation to climate inferred from intraspecific variation in plant functional traits along a latitudinal gradient.

Ascertaining the traits important for acclimation and adaptation is a critical first step to predicting the fate of populations and species facing rapid environmental change. One of the primary challenges in trait-based ecology is understanding the patterns and processes underpinning functional trait variation in plants. Studying intraspecific variation of functional traits across latitudinal gradients offers an excellent in situ approach to assess associations with environmental factors, which naturally covary along these spatial scales such as the local climate and soil profiles. Therefore, we examined how climatic and edaphic conditions varied across a ~160-km latitudinal gradient to understand how these conditions were associated with the physiological performance and morphological expression within five spatially distinct populations spanning the latitudinal distribution of a model species (Stylidium hispidum Lindl.). Northern populations had patterns of trait means reflecting water conservation strategies that included reduced gas exchange, rosette size and floral investment compared to the southern populations. Redundancy analysis, together with variance partitioning, showed that climate factors accounted for a significantly greater portion of the weighted variance in plant trait data (22.1%; adjusted R2= 0.192) than edaphic factors (9.3%; adjusted R2= 0.08). Disentangling such independent and interactive abiotic drivers of functional trait variation will deliver key insights into the mechanisms underpinning local adaptation and population-level responses to current and future climates.