Water footprint and economic water productivity assessment of eight dairy cattle farms based on field measurement

Water scarcity prevailing in the drylands is threatening the sustainability of livestock production systems. The water footprint (WF) indicator was proposed as a metric of water use. This study aimed to determine the WF and the economic water productivity (EWP) of 1 kg of fat and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) in eight dairy farms (n = 8; animals = 117 ± 62; area = 198 ± 127; 95% confidence level) in northern Tunisia. Then, to assess the effects of three simulation scenarios targeting the reduction of the WF of milk production (scenario A: using triticale silage to replace, on DM basis, the silage of maize, sorghum or ray-grass; scenario B: reducing by 56% the wastage of water devoted to milking, cooling, cleaning and servicing; scenario C: using concentrate feeds imported from Brazil and Argentina instead of that imported from France). A year-round monitoring of on-farm practices was performed using water-meters and recording equipment installed in key locations in the target dairy farms: (i) water used for feed production, (ii) cow watering, (iii) servicing water, (v) crop and forage production and (iv) economic and production performance were controlled by water source (green and blue). Over the eight farms evaluated, milk production consumed on average 1.36 ± 0.41 m³/kg FPCM, of which 0.93 ± 0.40 m³/kg FPCM was green water and 0.42 ± 0.30 m³/kg FPCM was blue water. However, virtual water of 1 kg FPCM averaged 43% ± 14.3%. Water used for feed production for lactating cows represents approximately 87% ± 6% of the total WF of milk production. However, drinking and servicing water contributed by 3.75% ± 2% and 9% ± 5% to the total WF of milk, respectively. The EWP assessment revealed that the selected dairy farms had a relatively small gross margin per m³ of water averaging US$ 0.05 ± 0.04. The variation in WF of milk was mainly associated with diets’ ingredients, which affected milk productivity and water consumption. Scenario analysis indicated that using feed with less water requirements or importing feeds from countries where its water consumption is low could reduce consumptive water use for milk production by up to 16%. The efficient use of servicing water could reduce blue WF of milk by up to 4%. The implementation of these measures would lead to potential total water savings in the Tunisian dairy sector of 646 million m³ per year (30%).     

基于农牧业产品和生活用水的京津冀地区水足迹时空特征研究

水足迹将实体水消费和虚拟水消费联系起来,能真实地反映水资源利用的空间差异状况。运用自下而上的方法,分别计算了京津冀地区市级、区县尺度2000—2014年水足迹与人均水足迹,并分析其时空变化特征。结果表明:(1)市级尺度上,北京市水足迹、人均水足迹最高,天津市次之。石家庄市水足迹、人均水足迹相对较高,衡水市水足迹、人均水足迹均相对较低。京津冀市级平均水足迹由2000年的35.88亿m~3增长到2014年的50.82亿m~3,天津市、北京市增长幅度最大。(2)区县尺度上,北京市主城六区水足迹、人均水足迹最高,北京市其他市辖区和天津市主城六区、滨海新区水足迹、人均水足迹次之,石家庄市主城区水足迹、人均水足迹也相对较高。北部燕山山区、西部太行山区及衡水市所辖区县水足迹、人均水足迹最低。京津冀区县平均水足迹由2000年的2.30亿m~3增长为2014年的3.16亿m~3。北京市市辖区水足迹增长幅度最大,天津市市辖区次之。(3)水足迹的构成比例从大到小依次是消费虚拟水量、生活用水量和生态环境用水量,消费虚拟水量约占水足迹的90%。京津冀生态环境用水所占水足迹比例总体呈现增加的趋势,北京市生态环境用水所占水足迹的比例高于天津市和河北省。本文对京津冀地区水足迹的计算与时空变化特征分析,以期为研究京津冀地区城镇化对水资源量的胁迫效应提供参考与依据。     

Seasonal and interannual variation of bacterial production in lowland rivers of the Orinoco basin

1. We examined the influence of hydrologic seasonality on temporal variation of planktonic bacterial production (BP) in relatively undisturbed lowland rivers of the middle Orinoco basin, Venezuela. We sampled two clearwater and two blackwater rivers over 2 years for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), chlorophyll, phosphorus and bacterial abundance to determine their relationship to temporal variation in BP. 2. Dissolved organic carbon concentration was greater in blackwater (543–664 μm ) than in clearwater rivers (184–240 μm ), and was generally higher during periods of rising and high water compared with low water. Chlorophyll concentration peaked (3 μg L^?1) during the first year of study when discharge was lowest, particularly in blackwater rivers. Soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) was very low in the study rivers (<3.8 μg L^?1) and concentration increased during low water. 3. Average BP was higher in clearwater (0.20–0.26 μg C L^?1 h^?1) than in blackwater rivers (0.14–0.17 μg C L^?1 h^?1), although mean bacterial abundance was similar among rivers (0.6–0.8 × 10⁶ cells mL^?1). 4. Periods of higher chlorophyll a concentration (low water) or flushing of terrestrial organic material (rising water) were accompanied by higher BP, while low BP was observed during the period of high water. 5. Interannual variation in BP was influenced by variations in discharge related to El Niño Southern Oscillation events. 6. Seasonal variation in BP in the study rivers and other tropical systems was relatively small compared with seasonal variation in temperate rivers and lakes. In addition to the low seasonal variation of temperature in the tropics, low overall human disturbance could result in less variation in the inputs of nutrients and carbon to the study rivers compared with more disturbed temperate systems.     

Microcella flavibacter sp. nov., isolated from marine sediment,and reclassification of Chryseoglobus frigidaquae,Chryseoglobus indicus,and Yonghaparkia alkaliphila as Microcella frigidaquae comb. nov., Microcella indica nom. nov., and Microcella alkalica nom. nov.

A novel Gram-staining positive, aerobic, rod-shaped, non-motile and yellow-pigmented actinobacterium, designated strain WY83^T, was isolated from a marine sediment of Indian Ocean. Strain WY83^T grew optimally at 30–35 °C, pH 7–8 and with 0–3% (w/v) NaCl. The predominant menaquinones were MK-10, MK-11 and MK-12, and the major fatty acids were C_19:1 ω9c/C19:1 ω11c, anteiso-C_15:0, C_17:0 3OH, and iso-C_16:0. The polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and one unidentified glycolipid. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained lysine as a diamino acid. The DNA G?+?C content was 72.3 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and ninety-two bacterial core genes indicated that strain WY83^T formed an evolutionary lineage with Chryseoglobus frigidaquae JCM 14730^T, Chryseoglobus indicus CTD02-10-2^T, Yonghaparkia alkaliphila JCM 15138^T, Microcella alkaliphila DSM 18851^T and Microcella putealis DSM 19627^T within the radiation enclosing members of the family Microbacteriaceae. All pairwise percentage of conserved proteins between strain WY83^T and the closely related phylogenetic neighbors were greater than 65%. The average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA–DNA hybridization values were both below the thresholds used for the delineation of a new species. On the basis of the evidence presented, strains WY83^T, Y. alkaliphila JCM 15138^T, C. frigidaquae JCM 14730^T, M. alkaliphila DSM 18851^T and M. putealis DSM 19627^T should belong to different species of the same genus. Strain WY83^T represents a novel species of the genus Microcella, for which the name Microcella flavibacter sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is WY83^T (=?KCTC 39637^T?=?MCCC 1A07099^T). Furthermore, Chryseoglobus frigidaquae, Chryseoglobus indicus, and Yonghaparkia alkaliphila were reclassified as Microcella frigidaquae comb. nov., Microcella indica nom. nov., and Microcella alkalica nom. nov., respectively.

     

Aromatic dipeptide Trp–Ala can be transported by Arabidopsis peptide transporters AtPTR1 and AtPTR5

Dipeptides with an aromatic residue at the N–terminal position induced lower inward currents or blocked leak currents in Xenopus oocytes expressing the proton-coupled peptide transporter AtPTR1 or AtPTR5 of Arabidopsis thaliana compared with dipeptides with an aromatic residue at the C–terminal position. Here, AtPTR1 and AtPTR5 were expressed in a yeast mutant of peptide transporter (ptr2) with tryptophan auxotrophy. Growth assays showed that Trp–Ala could be transported by both AtPTR1 and AtPTR5 as efficiently as Ala–Trp. Our data suggested that the previous finding in Xenopus oocytes might be an artifact of heterologous expression, and that AtPTR1 and AtPTR5 expressed in yeast could transport dipeptides with an aromatic residue at the N–terminal position.     

Pharmacological PPARα Activation Markedly Alters Plasma Turnover of the Amino Acids Glycine,Serine and Arginine in the Rat

The current study extends previously reported PPARα agonist WY 14,643 (30 µmol/kg/day for 4 weeks) effects on circulating amino acid concentrations in rats fed a 48% saturated fat diet. Steady-state tracer experiments were used to examine in vivo kinetic mechanisms underlying altered plasma serine, glycine and arginine levels. Urinary urea and creatinine excretion were measured to assess whole-body amino acid catabolism. WY 14,643 treated animals demonstrated reduced efficiency to convert food consumed to body weight gain while liver weight was increased compared to controls. WY 14,643 raised total amino acid concentration (38%), largely explained by glycine, serine and threonine increases. ³H-glycine, ¹⁴C-serine and ¹⁴C-arginine tracer studies revealed elevated rates of appearance (R_a) for glycine (45.5±5.8 versus 17.4±2.7 µmol/kg/min) and serine (21.0±1.4 versus 12.0±1.0) in WY 14,643 versus control. Arginine was substantially decreased (−62%) in plasma with estimated R_a reduced from 3.1±0.3 to 1.2±0.2 µmol/kg/min in control versus WY 14,643. Nitrogen excretion over 24 hours was unaltered. Hepatic arginase activity was substantially decreased by WY 14,643 treatment. In conclusion, PPARα agonism potently alters metabolism of several specific amino acids in the rat. The changes in circulating levels of serine, glycine and arginine reflected altered fluxes into the plasma rather than changes in clearance or catabolism. This suggests that PPARα has an important role in modulating serine, glycine and arginine de novo synthesis.     

Dipeptide interactions with Zn(II)–cyclen artificial model for molecular recognition

The Zn(II)–cyclen–dipeptide ternary systems (where cyclen is abbreviated as L and dipeptide is glycylglycine (HL¹) or glycyl‐(S)‐alanine (HL²)) were investigated by potentiometry applying both “out‐of‐cell” and direct titrations and by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Especially, the ¹H NMR study was found to be very efficient to estimate speciation in the systems. The results obtained under full equilibria indicated two main species, [Zn(L)(HL^1,2)]²⁺ and [Zn(L)(L^1,2)]⁺, in both the systems. In the [Zn(L)(HL^1,2)]²⁺ complex, presence of carbonyl‐carboxylate chelate was confirmed, and in the [Zn(L)(L^1,2)]⁺ species, the peptide coordination is re‐organized to carbonyl‐amine chelate or only terminal amino group is coordinated. Equilibrium constants describing [Zn(L)]²⁺–dipeptide interaction are relatively low, log K = 3.4 for Gly‐Gly and 4.1 for Gly‐(S)‐Ala, respectively. Nevertheless, the values are slightly higher than stability constants for interaction of Zn(II) with the dipeptides (i.e. [Zn(L^1,2)]⁺ species) where a chelate formation is expected. It indicates that interaction between Zn(II) ion in [Zn(L)]²⁺ and the dipeptides should be supported by some additional interactions. Potentiometry carried out under non‐equilibrum condition showed different species where these additional stabilizing forces play more important role. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Water and electrolyte contents and extracellular space of rabbit kidneys after perfusion and storage for 24 hr at 4 °C

Rabbit kidneys were perfused with 50 ml of various solutions at 4 °C and then stored in the same solution at 4 °C for 24 hr. The solutions studied were as follows: WF1 was a balanced electrolyte solution resembling extracellular fluid; in WF2, sufficient glucose was added to raise the osmolality to 400 mosmol/kg; in WF3, one half (70 mmol) of the NaCl was omitted, but in this and in all subsequent solutions the total osmolality was maintained at 400 mosmol/kg by the inclusion of an appropriate amount of glucose; in WF4, 70 meq of Na⁺ was replaced by K⁺, in WF5, 70 meq of Na⁺ was replaced by Mg²⁺.After storage, cortical slices were cut from each kidney, and the extracellular space was measured with ⁵¹Cr-EDTA, water content by drying to constant weight, and total Na⁺ and K⁺ by flame photometry. Intracellular Na⁺ and K⁺ concentrations were calculated.It was found that the water content of all the perfused kidneys was increased but was lowest when the osmolality had been raised to 400 mosmol/kg with glucose, and the ionic strength was normal; the kidneys perfused with WF5 had the lowest water content. Gained water was generally distributed equally between the intracellular and the extracellular space, but cell swelling was prevented by the WF5 solution. All kidneys gained Na⁺ and all except those perfused with WF4 (the high-K⁺ solution) lost K⁺, but the loss was least with WF5.Overall, the changes during storage were least in the kidneys perfused with the highosmolality, high-Mg²⁺ solution, WF5. It is suggested that this solution may be useful as a washout fluid for short-term renal preservation.     

A comparative study of complex formation in the reactions of gold(III) with Gly-Gly, Gly-l-Ala and Gly-l-His dipeptides

Proton NMR spectroscopy was applied to study the reactions of the dipeptides glycyl-glycine (Gly-Gly) and glycyl-l-alanine (Gly-l-Ala) with hydrogen tetrachloridoaurate(III) (H[AuCl₄]). All reactions were performed at pH 2.0 and 3.0 and at 40 °C. The final products in these reactions were [Au(Gly-Gly-κ³N_G1,N_G2,O_G2)Cl] and [Au(Gly-l-Ala-κ³N_G,N_A,O_A)Cl] complexes. Tridentate coordination of the corresponding dipeptides and square-planar geometry of these Au(III) complexes was confirmed by NMR (¹H and ¹³C) spectroscopy. This study showed that at pH < 3.0 the Au(III) ion was able to deprotonate the amide nitrogen atom. However this displacement reaction was very slow and the total concentration of the corresponding Au(III)-peptide complex formed after 5 days was less than 60% for the Gly-l-Ala or 70% for the Gly-Gly dipeptide. The kinetic data of the reactions between the Gly-Gly and Gly-l-Ala dipeptides and [AuCl₄]⁻ were compared with those for the histidine-containing Gly-l-His dipeptide. The differences in the reactivity of these three dipeptides with the Au(III) ion are discussed.     

Successful cardiac allografts in syngeneic radiation chimeras

Summary Successful cardiac allografts were accomplished across the major histocompatibility complex of rats. LEW and F344 (Ag-B ²) rats were lethally irradiated and grafted with WF (Ag-B ¹) hearts on day 0. Either on day 0 or day 2, the hosts were repopulated with syngeneic hemopoietic cells. The best results were obtained (86%) when a mixture of 3.0 × 10⁷ non-adherent syngeneic bone marrow and thymus cells were used to repopulate the recipients. In contrast, all of the WF to LEW heart grafts were rejected within 30 days if syngeneic thoracic duct and bone marrow cells were used to repopulate the host.Supported by Grant HL18186 from the National Institutes of HealthRecipient of a Research Career Development Award CA70879 from the National Institutes of Health     

Exciton–tryptophan coupling pulse behaviour along with corona formation,binding analysis,and interaction study of ZnO nanorod–serum albumin protein bioconjugate

The bioconjugate of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs) is investigated to explore the behaviour of the tryptophan (Trp)–exciton coupling and corona formation. The pulse like nature of the coupled system between Trp of BSA and exciton of ZnO NRs has been observed after analysis of the optical parameters such as refractive index, susceptibility, and optical dielectric constant. The time constant for tryptophan, exciton surface binding (t₁) and reorganization (t₂) are found to be (t₁) 8 min, 7 min and (t₂) 150 min, 114.5 min, respectively. The close proximity binding of BSA with ZnO NRs via tryptophan as well as exciton is responsible for bioconjugate formation. The aggregated structure of BSA is observed from small-angle X-ray scattering study in interaction with ZnO NRs. The change in secondary structure and tertiary deformation of the serum protein have been studied from Fourier transform infrared and emission quenching analyses. The number of binding sites (n) signified to the enhancement of the cooperative binding. The binding has been found to be endothermic and favoured using unfavourable positive enthalpy with a favourable entropy change from the result of the isothermal titration calorimetry.     

Relating genotype and phenotype for tryptophan synthesis in an aphid–bacterial symbiosis

The symbiotic bacteria Buchnera provide their aphid hosts with tryptophan and other essential amino acids. Tryptophan production by Buchnera varied among 12 parthenogenetic clones of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), as determined from both the incorporation of radioactivity from ¹⁴C‐anthranilate into tryptophan and the protein‐tryptophan growth rate of larval aphids on tryptophan‐free diet. The values of tryptophan production obtained for the two methods were correlated significantly with each other but not with the level of amplification of the Buchnera genes trpEG, which code for anthranilate synthase, a key enzyme in tryptophan biosynthetic pathway. This study provides the first direct demonstration of interclonal variation in production of any nutrient in an aphid–Buchnera symbiosis and indicates that a key aspect of Buchnera phenotype (tryptophan production) does not vary in a simple fashion with Buchnera genotype.     

Apparent differences in tryptophan hydroxylation by cockroach (periplaneta americana) nervous tissue and rat brain

Tryptophan hydroxylation in cockroach (Periplaneta americana) nervous tissue was measured and compared to the hydroxylation of tryptophan in rat brain. Tryptophan hydroxylation in both tissues requires a pterine cofactor, and is inhibited by p-chlorophenylalanine. The molecular weight of the protein responsible for hydroxylation of tryptophan in cockroach nervous tissue obtained from gel filtration was estimated to be 54,000.The pH optima and enzyme kinetics differed greatly between the two hydroxylases. Hydroxylation of tryptophan by the enzyme obtained from cockroach tissues incubated with dimethyltetrahydropterine had a pH optimum of about 5.8–5.9 and a K_m in crude enzyme preparations of 2.6 × 10⁻⁶ M and is activity was substrate inhibited above 10⁻⁴ M tryptophan. Hydroxylation of tryptophan by the enzyme obtained from rat brain incubated with dimethyltetrahydropterine had a pH optimum of about 6.5–7.0, a K_m of about 6.7 × 10⁻⁴ M and exhibited no substrate inhibition at tryptophan concentrations up to 2 × 10⁻³ M.When incubated with biopterin, the presumed natural cofactor, the hydroxylase from cockroach tissues had a K_m of about 6.8 × 10⁻⁵ M and no substrate inhibition occurred at tryptophan concentrations up to 2 × 10⁻³ M. Under the same conditions rat hydroxylase had a K_m of 1.1 × 10⁻⁵M and substrate inhibition occurred above 10⁻⁴ M tryptophan.Unlike the mammalian situation, administration of tryptophan peripherally did not change the 5-hydroxytryptamine concentration in cockroach nervous tissue, but did increase tryptophan levels. The low V_max values of the cockroach hydroxylase and the inability of administered tryptophan to elevate 5-hydroxytryptamine levels suggest that in the cockroach hydroxylation of tryptophan itself may be the limiting factor in the biosynthesis of 5-hydroxytryptamine.     

Identification of a brevianamide F reverse prenyltransferase BrePT from Aspergillus versicolor with a broad substrate specificity towards tryptophan-containing cyclic dipeptides

A putative brevianamide F reverse prenyltransferase gene brePT was amplified from Aspergillus versicolor NRRL573 by using primers deduced from its orthologue notF in Aspergillus sp. MF297-2 and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The soluble His-tagged protein BrePT was purified to near homogeneity and assayed with tryptophan-containing cyclic dipeptides in the presence of dimethylallyl diphosphate. BrePT showed much higher flexibility towards its aromatic substrates than NotF and accepted all of the 14 tested tryptophan-containing cyclic dipeptides. Structure elucidation of the enzyme products by NMR and MS analyses proved unequivocally the highly regiospecific reverse prenylation at C2 of the indole nucleus. K _M values of BrePT were determined for its putative substrates brevianamide F and DMAPP at 32 and 98 μM, respectively. Average turnover number (k _cat) at 0.4 s^?1 was calculated from kinetic data of brevianamide F and DMAPP. K _M values in the range of 0.082–2.9 mM and k _cat values from 0.003 to 0.15 s^?1 were determined for other 11 cyclic dipeptides. Similar to known fungal indole prenyltransferases, BrePT did not accept geranyl or farnesyl diphosphate as prenyl donor for its prenylation.     

Tryptophan requirement of juvenile Asian sea bass Lates calcarifer

The dietary requirement of tryptophan for juvenile Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer Bloch) was studied. The juveniles (mean initial weight, 5.30 ± 0.06 g) were given semi‐purified test diets containing fish meal, gelatin, squid meal, and crystalline amino acids, for 12 weeks. Each set of isonitrogenous and isocaloric test diets contained graded levels of tryptophan. Fish (15 per tank) were reared in 250‐L fiberglass tanks provided with continuous flow‐through sea water at 26°C and salinity of 28 p.p.t. Fish were fed twice daily at a feeding rate of 8% of the body weight day^?1 for the first 4 weeks and at 3.5–2.5% of the body weight day^?1 from 5 to 12 weeks. The experiment was in a completely randomized design with two replicates per treatment. Mean percentage weight gains and feed efficiency ratios were significantly different in fish fed varying tryptophan levels. Survival was 100% in all treatments. On the basis of break‐point analysis of the growth response, the dietary tryptophan requirement of juvenile Asian sea bass is 0.41% of the dietary protein. This information will be useful in further refinement of practical feed formulations for the Asian sea bass.     

Fire regimes and forest changes in mid and upper montane forests of the southern Cascades, Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, U.S.A.

Aim Spatial and temporal variation in fire regime parameters and forest structure were assessed. Location A 2630‐ha area of mid‐ and upper montane forest in Lassen Volcanic National Park (LVNP). Methods Two hypotheses were tested concerned with fire‐vegetation relationships in southern Cascades forests: (1) fire regime parameters (return interval, season of burn, fire size, rotation period) vary by forest dominant, elevation and slope aspect; and (2) fire exclusion since 1905 has caused forest structural and compositional changes in both mid‐ and upper montane forests. The implications of the study for national park management are also discussed. Results Fire regime parameters varied by forest compositional group and elevation in LVNP. Median composite and point fire return intervals were shorter in low elevation Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi) (JP) (4–6 years, 16 years) and Jeffrey pine–white fir (Abies concolor) (JP‐WF) (5–10 years, 22 years) and longer in high elevation red fir (Abies magnifica)— western white pine (Pinus monticola) (RF‐WWP) forests (9–27 years, 70 years). Median fire return intervals were also shorter on east‐facing (6–9 years, 16.3 years) and longer on south‐ (11 years, 32.5 years) and west‐facing slopes (22–28 years, 54‐years) in all forests and in each forest composition group. Spatial patterns in fire rotation length were the same as those for fire return intervals. More growing season fires also occurred in JP (33.1%) and JP‐WF (17.5%) than in RF‐WWP (1.1%) forests. A dramatic decline in fire frequency occurred in all forests after 1905. Conclusions Changes in forest structure and composition occurred in both mid‐ and upper montane forests due to twentieth‐century fire exclusion. Forest density increased in JP and JP‐WF forests and white fir increased in JP‐WF forests and is now replacing Jeffrey pine. Forest density only increased in some RF‐WWP stands, but not others. Resource managers restoring fire to these now denser forests need to burn larger areas if fire is going to play its pre‐settlement role in montane forest dynamics.     

A review on the indicator water footprint for the EU28

The water footprint (WF) is an indicator that accounts for both the direct (domestic water use) and indirect (water required to produce industrial and agricultural products) water use of a consumer or producer. This paper makes a review on the WF indicator and its applicability for EU28 (EU27 and Croatia) policy. More particularly the volumetric WF assessment approach of the Water Footprint Network (WFN) is reviewed. A synthesis of existing national WF accounting quantities results in an EU28 WF of production (WF_prod) of 3420 lcd (609 km³/yr) and a WF of consumption (WF_cons) of 4815 lcd (857 km³/yr). Of the latter 60% is internal and 40% is external to Europe. The EU28 is a net virtual water importer. The WF of agricultural products contributes by far the largest fraction of the total WF, i.e. 91% of the total WF_prod and 89% of the WF_cons. With traditional water use statistics, awareness campaigns and policy have always focused on increasing water efficiency in domestic and industrial water use. However, much more water can be saved in agricultural production processes, by reducing food waste and by a change in diet of the average EU consumer. Together with a comprehensive overview on possible ways to reduce WF, this paper provides a critical review on the WF methodology, showing that the development of the WF concept is still not complete. Practical complexities with data (availability of and inconsistencies in the underlying databases) are a concern. Some conceptual aspects need to be further developed and tested, not at least the indicators for sustainability assessment. The most important limitation is the fact that it is a partial tool to be used in combination with other analytical means or indicators when determining integrated policy options. Nevertheless, its main strength is the possibility to show the importance of consumption patterns and global dimensions in water governance.     

Changes in soil moisture drive soil methane uptake along a fire regeneration chronosequence in a eucalypt forest landscape

Disturbance associated with severe wildfires (WF) and WF simulating harvest operations can potentially alter soil methane (CH₄) oxidation in well‐aerated forest soils due to the effect on soil properties linked to diffusivity, methanotrophic activity or changes in methanotrophic bacterial community structure. However, changes in soil CH₄ flux related to such disturbances are still rarely studied even though WF frequency is predicted to increase as a consequence of global climate change. We measured in‐situ soil–atmosphere CH₄ exchange along a wet sclerophyll eucalypt forest regeneration chronosequence in Tasmania, Australia, where the time since the last severe fire or harvesting disturbance ranged from 9 to >200 years. On all sampling occasions, mean CH₄ uptake increased from most recently disturbed sites (9 year) to sites at stand ‘maturity’ (44 and 76 years). In stands >76 years since disturbance, we observed a decrease in soil CH₄ uptake. A similar age dependency of potential CH₄ oxidation for three soil layers (0.0–0.05, 0.05–0.10, 0.10–0.15 m) could be observed on incubated soils under controlled laboratory conditions. The differences in soil CH₄ uptake between forest stands of different age were predominantly driven by differences in soil moisture status, which affected the diffusion of atmospheric CH₄ into the soil. The observed soil moisture pattern was likely driven by changes in interception or evapotranspiration with forest age, which have been well described for similar eucalypt forest systems in south‐eastern Australia. Our results imply that there is a large amount of variability in CH₄ uptake at a landscape scale that can be attributed to stand age and soil moisture differences. An increase in severe WF frequency in response to climate change could potentially increase overall forest soil CH₄ sinks.     

An input–output structural decomposition analysis of changes in sectoral water footprint in China

Policy evolution in China has made great achievements in economic development, while its impact on water has also been significant. This study provides detailed insight into how diverse policy evolution affected the water footprint (WF) in China from 1997 to 2007 through input–output analysis and structural decomposition analysis. Input–output analysis was used to measure China's WF. The results indicate that the total WF in China decreased from 495.5 billion m³ in 1997 to 447.6 billion m³ in 2007. Structural decomposition analysis was applied to quantify the determinants of the changes in WF. The driving factors of the WF changes were decomposed into technology, sectoral connection, economic structure, gross economic scale and population. The results show that the sector with the most space to save water changed from agriculture to tertiary industry during the periods under study. Technology and economic structure effects always offset the WF increase, whereas gross economic scale effect always hindered water conservation. In 2002–2005, the sectoral connection effect abruptly changed from negative to positive, with the proportion of the total contribution rising to 60%. This phenomenon can be linked to market expansion, which led to a decrease in water utilization when China joined the WTO in 2001. To promote water conservation in China, macro-control policies should be formulated in coordination with self-readjustment policies.