Developing drought resilience in irrigated agriculture in the face of increasing water scarcity

Regional Environmental Change - In many countries, drought is the natural hazard that causes the greatest agronomic impacts. After recurrent droughts, farmers typically learn from experience and...     

Hotel water consumption at a seasonal mass tourist destination. The case of the island of Mallorca

While it is true that tourism is one of the main driving forces behind economic growth in several world regions, it is also true that tourism can have serious negative environmental impacts, especially with regard to water resources. The tourist water demand can generate big problems of sustainability, mainly in those regions where water is scarce, as occurs in most coastal and small island destinations where a large part of world tourism is concentrated. Given the shortage of literature on the subject, further research into the tourist water demand is required, with particular attention to the hotel sector, since hotels are the most popular option for tourists, displaying higher levels of water consumption. The main purpose of this study is to develop a model to analyse hotel water consumption at a mature sun and sand destination with a strong seasonal pattern and scarcity of water; characteristics shared by some of the world's main tourist destinations. Our model includes a set of different hotel variables associated with physical, seasonal and management-related factors and it improves on the capacity to explain water consumption at such destinations. Following a hierarchical regression methodology, the model is empirically tested through a survey distributed to managers of a representative sample of hotels on the island of Mallorca. From the obtained results, interesting recommendations can be made for both hotel managers and policy makers. Among these, it should be highlighted that the strategic move contemplated by many mature destinations towards a higher quality, low-season model could have significant negative effects in terms of the sustainability of water resources. Our results also conclude that managerial decisions, like the system of accommodation that is offered (i.e. the proliferation of the "all-inclusive" formula, both at mature and new destinations), could give rise to the same negative effect. Development of water saving initiatives (usually introduced in response to demand-based factors), also reveals significant effects over water consumption. Finally, other key factor in explaining hotel water consumption is the management system under which the hotel is run.     

Detection of Jarcho–Levin syndrome at 12 weeks' gestation by nuchal translucency screening and three-dimensional ultrasound

Jarcho–Levin syndrome (JLS) or spondylothoracic dysotosis causes early newborn death from respiratory insufficiency. Prenatal diagnosis is possible using fetal ultrasound, but requires a high level of suspicion and definitive diagnosis may be delayed well into the second trimester. We present a case in which a combination of three-dimensional ultrasound and measurement of nuchal translucency thickness allowed successful detection of recurrent JLS at 12 weeks' gestation. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evolution of the landscape as a response of a demographic change. A case study in the Duero riverside,Spain

The Arribes del Duero area, in western Spain, at the border with Portugal, is suffering a drastic change in the landscape, as a response of the diminution of population. Traditional tasks related to agriculture have been abandoned, and heavy sheep farming on the area is provoking the impoverishment of soils. The effect derived from these actions is the disintegration of the terraces, which are one of the major attractions for tourists visiting the region. We propose that incentives for local people could help to develop those traditional labours to recover the landscape, together with the promotion of immigration of families with school-age children, could bring back the economy to the area.     

Persistence of Lymphocystis Disease Virus (LCDV) in Seawater

Lymphocystis disease virus (LCDV), the causative agent of lymphocystis disease (LCD), is a waterborne pathogen that uses the external surfaces, including the gills, as portals to gain access to fish host. However, there are no data on LCDV persistence in the aquatic environment. In this study, the persistence of LCDV in natural (raw), treated (autoclaved and filtered) and synthetic seawater held at 22 and 18 °C has been evaluated. The estimated T₉₉ values for LCDV in seawater ranged from 2.7 to 242 days depending on seawater type and temperature, with the highest value recorded at 22 °C in autoclaved seawater. Microbiota and temperature seem to be the main factors affecting the persistence of LCDV in seawater. The results indicated that LCDV is more stable in treated seawater than most of the fish pathogenic viruses studied so far, supporting the relevance of this medium for the prevalence of LCD in fish farms.

     

A global evaluation of metabolic theory as an explanation for terrestrial species richness gradients

We compiled 46 broadscale data sets of species richness for a wide range of terrestrial plant, invertebrate, and ectothermic vertebrate groups in all parts of the world to test the ability of metabolic theory to account for observed diversity gradients. The theory makes two related predictions: (1) In-transformed richness is linearly associated with a linear, inverse transformation of annual temperature, and (2) the slope of the relationship is near -0.65. Of the 46 data sets, 14 had no significant relationship; of the remaining 32, nine were linear, meeting prediction 1. Model I (ordinary least squares, OLS) and model II (reduced major axis, RMA) regressions then tested the linear slopes against prediction 2. In the 23 data sets having nonlinear relationships between richness and temperature, split-line regression divided the data into linear components, and regressions were done on each component to test prediction 2 for subsets of the data. Of the 46 data sets analyzed in their entirety using OLS regression, one was consistent with metabolic theory (meeting both predictions), and one was possibly consistent. Using RMA regression, no data sets were consistent. Of 67 analyses of prediction 2 using OLS regression on all linear data sets and subsets, two were consistent with the prediction, and four were possibly consistent. Using RMA regression, one was consistent (albeit weakly), and four were possibly consistent. We also found that the relationship between richness and temperature is both taxonomically and geographically conditional, and there is no evidence for a universal response of diversity to temperature. Meta-analyses confirmed significant heterogeneity in slopes among data sets, and the combined slopes across studies were significantly lower than the range of slopes predicted by metabolic theory based on both OLS and RMA regressions. We conclude that metabolic theory, as currently formulated, is a poor predictor of observed diversity gradients in most terrestrial systems.     

Polarographic determination of the stability constant of the ternary complex formed between cocaine and cobalt thiocyanate

The interactions between cocaine -- Co(II) and thiocyanate (or dimethylglyoxime) have been studied by electrochemical means, assuming the existence of a ternary complex with the stoichiometry [(H₂O)₃Co(SCN)(C₁₇H₂₁NO₄)]⁺ and the absence of similar ternary species containing dimethylglyoxime. The formation constant of the complex has been evaluated by polarographic titrations because of the irreversibility of electrochemical processes. This relatively small value of 2.37 × 10⁵ is in agreement with the experimental conditions at which Scott's method is typically carried out to detect cocaine in solid samples by reaction with Co(II) thiocyanate.     

Intercomparison exercise for gases emitted by a cement industry in Spain: a functional data approach

This paper describes the results of an intercomparison exercise referring to the measurement of atmospheric pollutants emitted by cement plants. The research was conducted in 2008 in Catalonia, Spain. Thirteen Spanish companies accredited to make pollutant measurements and with suitably approved equipment and trained staff participated in the research. The aim of the research was to evaluate the technical competence of the accredited companies in conducting tests in situ. The results obtained from the application of the methodology described in international standards--on the basis of conventional statistical analyses--were compared with those obtained using functional data analysis. On comparing the two methods, it was concluded that the functional method, although more complex, has advantages over the conventional statistical method. This is because the functional approach compares curves rather than mean values. Furthermore, it does not presuppose a normal distribution of the data.