Science and Management of Intermittent Rivers and Ephemeral Streams (SMIRES)

More than half of the global river network is composed of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES), which are expanding in response to climate change and increasing water demands. After years of obscurity, the science of IRES has bloomed recently and it is being recognised that IRES support a unique and high biodiversity, provide essential ecosystem services and are functionally part of river networks and groundwater systems. However, they still lack protective and adequate management, thereby jeopardizing water resources at the global scale. This Action brings together hydrologists, biogeochemists, ecologists, modellers, environmental economists, social researchers and stakeholders from 14 different countries to develop a research network for synthesising the fragmented, recent knowledge on IRES, improving our understanding of IRES and translating this into a science-based, sustainable management of river networks. Deliverables will be provided through i) research workshops synthesising and addressing key challenges in IRES science, supporting research exchange and educating young researchers, and ii) researcher-stakeholder workshops translating improved knowledge into tangible tools and guidelines for protecting IRES and raising awareness of their importance and value in societal and decision-maker spheres. This Action is organized within six Working Groups to address: (i) the occurrence, distribution and hydrological trends of IRES; (ii) the effects of flow alterations on IRES functions and services; (iii) the interaction of aquatic and terrestrial biogeochemical processes at catchment scale; (iv) the biomonitoring of the ecological status of IRES; (v) synergies in IRES research at the European scale, data assemblage and sharing; (vi) IRES management and advocacy training

Development of a national pain management competency profile to guide entry-level physiotherapy education in Canada

Background: National strategies from North America call for substantive improvements in entry-level pain management education to help reduce the burden of chronic pain. Past work has generated a valuable set of interprofessional pain management competencies to guide the education of future health professionals. However, there has been very limited work that has explored the development of such competencies for individual professions in different regions. Developing profession-specific competencies tailored to the local context is a necessary first step to integrate them within local regulatory systems. Our group is working toward this goal within the context of entry-level physiotherapy (PT) programs across Canada. Aims: This study aimed to create a consensus-based competency profile for pain management, specific to the Canadian PT contextMethods: A modified Delphi was used to achieve consensus across Canadian university-based and clinical pain educators. Results: Representatives from 14 entry-level PT programs (93% of Canadian programs) and six clinical educators were recruited. After two rounds, a total of 15 competencies reached the pre-determined endorsement threshold (75%). Most participants (85%) reported being "very satisfied" with the process. Conclusions: This process achieved consensus on a novel pain management competency profile specific to the Canadian PT context. The resulting profile delineates the necessary abilities required by physiotherapists to manage pain upon entry-to-practice. Participants were very satisfied with the process. This study also contributes to the emerging literature on integrated research in pain management by profiling research methodology that can be used to inform related work in other health professions and regions

Valorisation par des vaches laitières de deux variétés de maïs de digestibilité différente

International audienc

Aménager des zones humides pour épurer les eaux agricoles : quels enseignements tirer de l'existant ?

[Departement_IRSTEA]RE [TR1_IRSTEA]RIE / PHYLEAULes travaux des précédentes phases du PIREN ont mis en évidence l'importance du rôle joué par l'agriculture dans la dégradation de la qualité des eaux superficielles dans le bassin de la Seine. Pour permettre le retour au bon état écologique des eaux de surface prôné par la DCE pour 2015, trois types d'actions complémentaires peuvent être envisagées : la diminution des intrants dans les parcelles, l’adaptation des stratégies d’application pour limiter les exportations et l’implantation de petits aménagements limitant les transferts de la parcelle vers le réseau hydrographique. C’est ainsi qu’ont été imaginés des systèmes compensatoires, ou systèmes tampons, situés entre les parcelles et les cours d’eau et capables d’amorcer l’épuration de ces eaux agricoles. L'exemple le plus courant est la bande enherbée, imposée par l'écoconditionnalité des aides de la PAC depuis 2005. Cependant, dans certains contextes comme celui des parcelles drainées artificiellement, ces dispositifs n’ont pas l’impact attendu, car les eaux de drainage court-circuitent les bandes enherbées et sont directement rejetées dans le réseau hydrographique. Dans ce cas, une solution possible serait d'aménager des zones humides recueillant les eaux de drainage et d'en optimiser la fonction épuratrice. Plus généralement, ce type d'ouvrage est envisageable sur des bassins agricoles aux écoulements majoritairement superficiels (ruissellement ou drainage). Or, le bassin de la Seine compte d’ores et déjà bon nombre de zones humides "artificielles" (dans le sens aménagées par l'homme), plus communément appelées mares ou étangs. L'analyse de leurs caractéristiques physiques (hydrologiques, écologiques, éventuellement bio-géochimiques) et de leur fonctionnement (gestion, usage) constitue une première base de réflexion pour proposer l'aménagement de nouveaux dispositifs. En particulier, certains de ces ouvrages ont été justement construits dans un objectif d'épuration de l'eau autre qu'agricole (urbaine, industrielle…). Ils seront donc plus spécifiquement étudiés. Cette étude a donc pour objectif de synthétiser les informations sur les zones humides artificielles du bassin de la Seine et d'en tirer des enseignements pour l'aménagement de zones tampons humides à vocation d’épuration des eaux agricoles. Après avoir rappelé les principes de fonctionnement de ces zones tampons, nous présentons les premiers résultats, issus pour l'essentiel de la bibliographie, sur les zones artificielles existantes

Evaluer les impacts d'une stratégie de réduction des pertes sur les ressources en eau : Bilan quantitatif des prélèvements et des rejets d'eau d'un système d'alimentation en eau potable

International audienceThe impact of Water Supply Systems (WSSs) water losses on water resources can vary greatly from one area to another because a part of the lost volume finds its way back into the water bodies from which it was initially abstracted. To enable this question to be taken into account, Irstea developed a method to generate a Water Abstraction and Discharge Balance (WADB) for WSSs.L'impact des pertes en eau des Systèmes d'Alimentation en Eau Potable (SAEP) sur les ressources en eau dépend du contexte puisqu'une partie des volumes perdus peut rejoindre les masses d'eau prélevées. Pour prendre en compte cet aspect, Irstea a développé et expérimenté une méthode pour dresser un Bilan Quantitatif des Prélèvements et des Rejets d'eau (BQPR) d'un SAEP

Mécanismes de genèse du ruissellement sur sol drainé sensible à la battance : un cas d'étude.

International audienceArtificial drainage has been subject to widespread criticism because of its impact on water quality and because there is suspicion that it may have detrimental effects on flood genesis. The present work aims at a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling infiltration and surface runoff genesis, particularly in soils with artificial drainage and affected by surface crusting. A field experiment was conducted during one drainage season (November 2003-March 2004) in the Brie region (80 km east of Paris, France) on a subsurface drained silty soil. Water table elevation and surface runoff were monitored above the drain and at midpoint between drains. Soil water pressure head was measured at various depths and locations between the midpoint and the drain. Soil surface characteristics (microtopography and degree of structural and sedimentary crust development) were recorded regularly on the experimental site and on other plots of various drainage intensities. The results show that the first surface runoff events were induced by high water table. However, runoff was higher at midpoint between the drains because water table reached the soil surface at that point, thus considerably reducing infiltration capacity compared to that above the drain. Comparing different plots, the area with older drainage installation (1948) yielded the most surface runoff. Wider drain spacing, smaller dr ain depth and possible plugging may have led to a greater area of saturated soil between drains. During the winter period, the impact of raindrops induced the formation of a structural crust on the soil surface. Furthermore, the development of the sedimentary crust, which was favored by water actually flowing on the soil surface during the high water table periods could be correlated with surface runoff volume. The formation of this crust had a significant impact on runoff occurrence at the end of the winter. Therefore, poorly drained fields presented more favorable conditions for both Horton type runoff and saturation excess runoff. Drainage effectively reduces surface runoff occurrences not only by lowering the water table in winter but also by limiting soil surface sealing

Supplementation of maize silage or mixed forage (maize and grass silage) based rations with rumen protected methionine for dairy cows

International audienc

Politiques de préservation de la biodiversité et Agriculture: Quelles attentes vis-à-vis de la recherche ?

Les enjeux de préservation de la biodiversité en milieu rural sont clairement identifiés et les liens entre des systèmes agricoles durables et le maintien d’infrastructures écologiques fonctionnelles sont aujourd’hui bien mis en avant. En se basant sur une échelle territoriale pertinente au plan écologique et socio-économique, la recherche doit éclairer les agriculteurs et les gestionnaires des territoires sur les liens entre pratiques agricoles et préservation de la biodiversité, avec des enjeux particuliers concernant les haies, bocages, prairies permanentes, zones humides, bassins versants…Dans cet ensemble, le sol est un compartiment majeur à mieux prendre en compte. Dans le souci permanent de proposer des conclusions opérationnelles, la recherche doit éclairer les acteurs pour donner les clefs de la préservation des milieux encore en bon état, pour identifier des marges de manœuvre possibles pour reconquérir la biodiversité tout en maintenant des activités agricoles rentables et donner des pistes pour la reconquête de sols jouant pleinement leurs rôles au plan agronomique et environnemental. Il apparait essentiel d’instiller plus systématiquement une composante biodiversité dans la recherche agronomique. Il est tout aussi important que ce domaine agriculture/biodiversité bénéficie de toutes les disciplines des sciences humaines et sociales compte tenu des enjeux sociétaux liés à ce pan important de la transition écologiqueCurrent challenges for biodiversity conservation in rural areas are now well recognized and the interconnections between the sustainability of agricultural systems and the maintenance of working ecological infrastructures are widely highlighted. Provided that it is based on relevant territorial scales, both in terms of ecological and socio-economical attributes, results of R&D activities should give perspectives for both farmers and land use planners to better understand the links between agricultural practices and the preservation of biodiversity, with a particular attention on the protection of hedges, wooded countryside, permanent grasslands, wetland areas, watersheds, …. In this context, soil is one environmental compartment that should be better accounted for. With a view of delivering workable solutions, research should provide field practitioners and other stakeholders with the necessary tools to help them preserve habitats and species, identify room for manoeuvre in recovering biodiversity while maintaining profitable agricultural activities, and find a way forward to restore soil functions and ecosystem services. In this respect, it is highly advisable to better account for biodiversity components in current agronomic research. A better integration of social sciences and humanities in that field of research is equally desirable considering the societal issues connected to this major part of the ecological transition

Réduction des pertes des réseaux d'eau : une nouvelle approche pour réellement économiser les ressources en eau et préserver environnement

International audienceWater scarcity is a harsh reality for many regions. As a result, reducing losses from Water Supply Systems (WSSs) is of great environmental importance around the world. In France, water suppliers are legally bound to reduce losses from their WSSs through Loss Reduction Action Plans (LRAPs). For these plans to work, they need to suit the area to which they are applied. Their impacts on water bodies and the environment also need to be taken into account. This paper explains an innovative approach to fulfil these objectives. It involves adding two elements to the design of LRAPs: calculation of a Water Abstraction and Discharge Balance (WADB) and Analysis of Environmental Effects (AEE) relating to loss reduction actions, based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The usefulness and the practicality of this approach are examined through two practical case studies. It is shown that the WADB allows LRAPs to be configured to optimise water savings in the most sensitive water bodies. AEE makes it possible to identify a loss reduction level above which the overall environmental balance becomes negative. While the LRAP design and the WADB calculation methods are ready to be used by WSS managers, the AEE still requires further improvement