The water footprint assessment manual: setting the global standard

This book contains the global standard for \u27water footprint assessment\u27 as developed and maintained by the Water Footprint Network (WFN). It covers a comprehensive set of definitions and methods for water footprint accounting. It shows how water footprints are calculated for individual processes and products, as well as for consumers, nations and businesses. It also includes methods for water footprint sustainability assessment and a library of water footprint response options. A shared standard on definitions and calculation methods is crucial given the rapidly growing interest in companies and governments to use water footprint accounts as a basis for formulating sustainable water strategies and policies

Airglow observations and modeling of F region depletion zonal velocities over Christmas Island

We report image measurements of plasma depletions in the equatorial F region ionosphere over Christmas Island (2.1°N, 157.4°W; dip latitude 2.8°N) in the central Pacific Ocean. The observations were made during the equinox period, September‐October 1995, using a Utah State University CCD imaging system filtered to observe thermospheric O I (630.0 nm) airglow emissions centered at ∼280 km altitude. Well‐defined magnetic field‐aligned depletions were observed on 18 nights during the campaign, including strong postmidnight fossilized structures, enabling detailed measurements of their morphology and dynamics. The number of depletions was influenced by their initial onset times and their persistence. The separations between adjacent depletions ranged from ∼150 to ∼250 km in good agreement with prior observations from other sites. However, measurements of their eastward zonal drift speeds indicated normal behavior peaking around 90–100 m/s prior to local midnight, with exceptionally high velocities, ∼80 m/s during the postmidnight period that persisted until dawn. These results differ markedly from optical measurements at similar equatorial latitudes but at different longitude sectors, suggesting that the zonal drift velocities can have a significant longitudinal dependence. Model drift velocities calculated using a simple electric field model with winds defined by the horizontal wind model (HWM‐07) produced an eastward drift throughout the night, but their postmidnight magnitudes were much smaller than observed. Using a modified HWM‐07 wind field, a basic nighttime trend similar to the Christmas Island trend was successfully obtained

Presence and mobility of arsenic in estuarine wetland soils of the Scheldt estuary (Belgium)

We aimed to assess the presence and availability of arsenic (As) in intertidal marshes of the Scheldt estuary. Arsenic content was determined in soils sampled at 4 sampling depths in 11 marshes, together with other physicochemical characteristics. Subsequently, a greenhouse experiment was set up in which pore water arsenic (As) concentrations were measured 4 times in a 298-day period in 4 marsh soils at different sampling depths (10, 30, 60 and 90 cm) upon adjusting the water table level to 0, 40 and 80 cm below the surface of these soils. The As content in the soil varied significantly with sampling depth and location. Clay and organic matter seem to promote As accumulation in the upper soil layer (0–20 cm below the surface), whereas sulfide precipitation plays a significant role at higher sampling depths (20– 100 cm below the surface). The As concentrations in the pore water of the greenhouse experiment often significantly exceeded the Flemish soil sanitation thresholds for groundwater. There were indications that As release is not only affected by the reductive dissolution of Fe/Mn oxides, but also by e.g. a direct reduction of As(V) to As(III). Below the water table, sulfide precipitation seems to lower As mobility when reducing conditions have been sufficiently established. Above the water table, sulfates and bicarbonates induce As release from the solid soil phase to the pore water

Quantifying the regional water footprint of biofuel production by incorporating hydrologic modeling

A spatially explicit life cycle water analysis framework is proposed, in which a standardized water footprint methodology is coupled with hydrologic modeling to assess blue water, green water (rainfall), and agricultural grey water discharge in the production of biofuel feedstock at county-level resolution. Grey water is simulated via SWAT, a watershed model. Evapotranspiration (ET) estimates generated with the Penman-Monteith equation and crop parameters were verified by using remote sensing results, a satellite-imagery-derived data set, and other field measurements. Crop irrigation survey data are used to corroborate the estimate of irrigation ET. An application of the concept is presented in a case study for corn-stover-based ethanol grown in Iowa (United States) within the Upper Mississippi River basin. Results show vast spatial variations in the water footprint of stover ethanol from county to county. Producing 1 L of ethanol from corn stover growing in the Iowa counties studied requires from 4.6 to 13.1 L of blue water (with an average of 5.4 L), a majority (86%) of which is consumed in the biorefinery. The county-level green water (rainfall) footprint ranges from 760 to 1000 L L-1. The grey water footprint varies considerably, ranging from 44 to 1579 L, a 35-fold difference, with a county average of 518 L. This framework can be a useful tool for watershed-or county-level biofuel sustainability metric analysis to address the heterogeneity of the water footprint for biofuels

Simultaneous observations of equatorial F-region plasma depletions over Brazil during the Spread-F Experiment (SpreadFEx)

From September to November 2005, the NASA Living with a Star program supported the Spread-F Experiment campaign (SpreadFEx) in Brazil to study the effects of convectively generated gravity waves on the ionosphere and their role in seeding Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities, and associated equatorial plasma bubbles. Several US and Brazilian institutes deployed a broad range of instruments (all-sky imagers, digisondes, photometers, meteor/VHF radars, GPS receivers) covering a large area of Brazil. The campaign was divided in two observational phases centered on the September and October new moon periods. During these periods, an Utah State University (USU) all-sky CCD imager operated at São João d'Aliança (14.8° S, 47.6° W), near Brasilia, and a Brazilian all-sky CCD imager located at Cariri (7.4° S, 36° W), observed simultaneously the evolution of the ionospheric bubbles in the OI (630 nm) emission and the mesospheric gravity wave field. The two sites had approximately the same magnetic latitude (9–10° S) but were separated in longitude by ~1500 km. <br><br> Plasma bubbles were observed on every clear night (17 from Brasilia and 19 from Cariri, with 8 coincident nights). These joint datasets provided important information for characterizing the ionospheric depletions during the campaign and to perform a novel longitudinal investigation of their variability. Measurements of the drift velocities at both sites are in good agreement with previous studies, however, the overlapping fields of view revealed significant differences in the occurrence and structure of the plasma bubbles, providing new evidence for localized generation. This paper summarizes the observed bubble characteristics important for related investigations of their seeding mechanisms associated with gravity wave activity

Analysis of the fecal microbiota of fast- and slow-growing rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Diverse microbial communities colonizing the intestine of fish contribute to their growth, digestion, nutrition, and immune function. We hypothesized that fecal samples representing the gut microbiota of rainbow trout could be associated with differential growth rates observed in fish breeding programs. If true, harnessing the functionality of this microbiota can improve the profitability of aquaculture. The first objective of this study was to test this hypothesis if gut microbiota is associated with fish growth rate (body weight). Four full-sibling families were stocked in the same tank and fed an identical diet. Two fast-growing and two slow-growing fish were selected from each family for 16S rRNA microbiota profiling.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-019-6175-

Analyzing Land Cover Change Using Remote Sensing and GIS: A Case Study of Gilgit River Basin, North Pakistan

Mountainous areas of northern Pakistan are rich in biodiversity, glaciers and key watershed of Indus Riversystem which provide ecosystem services for their inhabitants. These regions have experienced extensive deforestationand are presently vulnerable by rapid land cover changes, therefore an effective assessment and monitoring is essentialto capture such changes. The aim of this study is to analyze the observed changes in land cover over a period of thirtynine years, divided into three stages (1976-1999, 1999-2008 and 2008-2015). Four images from Landsat 2Multispectral Scanner System (MSS), Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper andLandsat 8 Operation Land Imager data were obtained to detect land cover change. This study used supervisedclassification-maximum likelihood algorithm in ERDAS imagine to identify land cover changes perceived in GilgitRiver Basin, Pakistan. The result showed that the range land, glaciers, water bodies, built-up/agricultural cover are themajor categories that have been altered by the natural and anthropogenic actions. In 1976, built up/agriculture, rangeland, water bodies and glacier cover was 1.13%, 45.3%, 0.66% and 13.2%, respectively. Whereas in 2015, builtup/agriculture, range land, water bodies and glacier cover was 3.25%, 12.7%, 0.91% and 8.2%, respectively. Thesesland cover shifts posed acute threat to watershed resources. Therefore, a comprehensive watershed resourcemanagement is essential or otherwise, these resources will deplete rapidly and no longer be capable of playing their rolein socioeconomic and sustainable environmental development of the are

Distinct microbial assemblages associated with genetic selection for high- and low- muscle yield in rainbow trout

Fish gut microbial assemblages play a crucial role in the growth rate, metabolism, and immunity of the host. We hypothesized that the gut microbiota of rainbow trout was correlated with breeding program based genetic selection for muscle yield. To test this hypothesis, fecal samples from 19 fish representing an F2 high-muscle genetic line (ARS-FY-H) and 20 fish representing an F1 low-muscle yield genetic line (ARS-FY-L) were chosen for microbiota profiling using the 16S rRNA gene. Significant differences in microbial assemblages between these two genetic lines might represent the effect of host genetic selection in structuring the gut microbiota of the host. Tukey’s transformed inverse Simpson indices indicated that high muscle yield genetic line (ARS-FY-H) samples have higher microbial diversity compared to those of the low muscle yield genetic line (ARS-FY-L) (LMM, χ2(1) =14.11, p < 0.05). The fecal samples showed statistically distinct structure in microbial assemblages between the genetic lines (F1,36 = 4.7, p < 0.05, R2 = 11.9%). Functional profiling of bacterial operational taxonomic units predicted characteristic functional capabilities of the microbial communities in the high (ARS-FY-H) and low (ARS-FY-L) muscle yield genetic line samples. The significant differences of the microbial assemblages between high (ARS-FY-H) and low (ARS-FY-L) muscle yield genetic lines indicate a possible effect of genetic selection on the microbial diversity of the host. The functional composition of taxa demonstrates a correlation between bacteria and improving the muscle accretion in the host, probably, by producing various metabolites and enzymes that might aid in digestion. Further research is required to elucidate the mechanisms involved in shaping the microbial community through host genetic selection.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-020-07204-

Cysteine mutations in the ebolavirus matrix protein VP40 promote phosphatidylserine binding by increasing the flexibility of a lipid-binding loop

Ebolavirus (EBOV) is a negative-sense RNA virus that causes severe hemorrhagic fever in humans. The matrix protein VP40 facilitates viral budding by binding to lipids in the host cell plasma membrane and driving the formation of filamentous, pleomorphic virus particles. The C-terminal domain of VP40 contains two highly-conserved cysteine residues at positions 311 and 314, but their role in the viral life cycle is unknown. We therefore investigated the properties of VP40 mutants in which the conserved cysteine residues were replaced with alanine. The C311A mutation significantly increased the affinity of VP40 for membranes containing phosphatidylserine (PS), resulting in the assembly of longer virus-like particles (VLPs) compared to wild-type VP40. The C314A mutation also increased the affinity of VP40 for membranes containing PS, albeit to a lesser degree than C311A. The double mutant behaved in a similar manner to the individual mutants. Computer modeling revealed that both cysteine residues restrain a loop segment containing lysine residues that interact with the plasma membrane, but Cys311 has the dominant role. Accordingly, the C311A mutation increases the flexibility of this membrane-binding loop, changes the profile of hydrogen bonding within VP40 and therefore binds to PS with greater affinity. This is the first evidence that mutations in VP40 can increase its affinity for biological membranes and modify the length of Ebola VLPs. The Cys311 and Cys314 residues therefore play an important role in dynamic interactions at the plasma membrane by modulating the ability of VP40 to bind PS

Estimating the effects of fish quality and size on the economic value of fishing in Oklahoma streams and rivers: A revealed preference and contingent behavior approach

Fishing in Oklahoma's rivers and streams provides a unique experience for anglers in the state. Despite its popularity, information on total demand and economic benefits associated with stream fishing is limited in the state. Research on the role of site quality indicators, such as fish size and quantity, on recreational fishing has shown mixed results. Whether fish size or quantity plays an important role in determining fishing demand and economic value may have important management implications. We estimated the demand and economic value of fishing under varying scenarios by using anglers' responses to hypothetical behavioral questions related to fishing in Ozark Highland streams and rivers in Oklahoma. We asked how intended number of trips might change in the future given hypothetical increases in catch rates of fish, catch rates of trophy-sized fish, and catch rates of preferred fish species, in combination with anglers' trip-related data. Under current conditions, we estimated consumer surplus per person per trip to be $55 and aggregate value across all stream anglers in Oklahoma to be$68.51 million. Changes in marginal benefits varied among hypothetical scenarios of fish size and abundance but was maximized with a 25% increase in catch rates of trophy-sized fish. The study findings contribute to the understanding of the economic benefit of fishing in streams and suggest that fish size, rather than fish quantity, is more important to stream anglers in the area.Peer reviewedNatural Resource Ecology and ManagementIntegrative Biolog