he objective was to characterize the water quality in a section of the Grijalva River and in some of its tributaries on the border between the States of Chiapas and Tabasco, in the rainy and dry seasons. Twenty-three physical, chemical and microbiological parameters as well as contaminants were determined. The values obtained were compared with the maximum permissible limits (MPLs) for water use and human consumption set out in O cial Mexican standard NOM-127-SSA1-1994, and with the water quality classi cation scale of the Comisión Nacional del Agua (CONAGUA). The water quality in the studied section of the Grijalva River decreases as it descends to more populated areas of the State of Tabasco. Water turbidity and E. coli coliform levels increase, both in the river channels and in sources destined for human consumption. For the other variables evaluated, there are acceptable water quality characteristics, mainly in the dry season, except for mercury, which occurs at levels higher than those recommended. Further studies on the presence of mercury in the Grijalva River basin are recommended.

Stream water quality is controlled by the interaction of natural and anthropogenic factors over a range of temporal and spatial scales. Among these anthropogenic factors, land cover changes at catchment scale can affect stream water quality. This work aims to evaluate the influence of land use and seasonality on stream water quality in a representative tropical headwater catchment named as Córrego Água Limpa (Sao Paulo, Brasil), which is highly influenced by intensive agricultural activities and urban areas. Two systematic sampling approach campaigns were implemented with six sampling points along the stream of the headwater catchment to evaluate water quality during the rainy and dry seasons. Three replicates were collected at each sampling point in 2011. Electrical conductivity, nitrates, nitrites, sodium superoxide, Chemical Oxygen Demand (DQO), colour, turbidity, suspended solids, soluble solids and total solids were measured. Water quality parameters differed among sampling points, being lower at the headwater sampling point (0m above sea level), and then progressively higher until the last downstream sampling point (2500m above sea level). For the dry season, the mean discharge was 39.5ls⁻¹ (from April to September) whereas 113.0ls⁻¹ were averaged during the rainy season (from October to March). In addition, significant temporal and spatial differences were observed (P<0.05) for the fourteen parameters during the rainy and dry period. The study enhance significant relationships among land use and water quality and its temporal effect, showing seasonal differences between the land use and water quality connection, highlighting the importance of multiple spatial and temporal scales for understanding the impacts of human activities on catchment ecosystem services.

Nitrogen (N) pollution in shallow groundwater within the Jianghan Plain—a depositional basin along the Yangtze River in China—is a serious issue affecting the local water supply. There is little concern regarding temporal variation patterns of groundwater N in regions with intensive groundwater/surface-water interactions thus far. In this study, a 2-year field monitoring program and a set of incubation experiments were jointly applied to characterize the seasonal variation mechanisms of groundwater N. Groundwater monitoring suggested that temporal N variations in monitoring wells of 25 and 10-m depth were correlated with fluctuations in water levels, with lower NH₄-N and higher NO₃⁻-N concentrations corresponding to groundwater discharge during the dry season, and with higher NH₄-N and lower NO₃⁻-N concentrations corresponding to groundwater recharge during the wet season. Batch sediment incubation experiments showed that buried organic carbon in sediments from the field site could not promote NH₄-N release, but exogenous organic carbon and oxidant input could catalyze organic N mineralization, resulting in NH₄-N release. Nevertheless, NO₃⁻-N release was limited in all incubations. Thus, the temporal variation patterns could be divided into (1) groundwater N in type-1 wells (25 and 10 m), controlled by the annual reversal of groundwater flow gradient, which determined whether there was input of exogenous organic carbon or oxidants, ultimately affecting organic N mineralization, denitrification and other transformation processes, and (2) groundwater N in type-2 wells (<4 m depth), which showed no significant seasonal variation, implying the process is mainly controlled by surface inputs in the shallower subsurface.

The small islands in the Mediterranean Sea suffer water shortages, aggravated by pressure from tourism during the dry season. Many are affected by the intense and increasing human water demand and the harsh climatic and geographic nature of the island terrain. The present study, carried out on the island of Favignana, Egadi Archipelago (southern Italy), evaluates the regime of recharge to the subsurface, and hypothesizes a solution for identifying the areas where groundwater is most abundant, as well as the best management options for human use. By means of hydrological measurements and chemical analyses, a specific location has been identified in the eastern sector of the island where groundwater has optimal quality and the water table is at a depth of only a few metres. In other areas of the island the groundwater is more saline, due to seawater intrusion, and it is present only at greater depths. The residents of the island have in the past lived harmoniously with the climatic and hydrological regime of the island, and have shown good ability to manage the groundwater resources, fed by the limited precipitation that comes in winter, using it as a supplement to the drinking water supply that comes from Trapani (mainland Sicily) by a submarine pipeline and by tanker. Optimized management of the groundwater resources could reduce the volume of freshwater transferred from the mainland.

In the state of Mato Grosso, the area planted with cotton is mainly concentrated in the plains, where the climate Aw determines an alternation between a rainy and a dry season, and where the soil is predominant Red-Yellow Latosol and Red Latosol (Oxisol). One of the factors that determine success in cultivation of this species is just the prior knowledge of the hydraulic properties of soils which, for various reasons, are not variables of extensive knowledge in the areas of production. This study aimed to verify the adequacy of pedotransfer functions to evaluate the soil water retention capacity in the cotton regions in Mato Grosso, taking into account the bulk density and content of clay, silt and sand soil. For this, soil samples were collected in 21 plots of commercial production of cotton in the state of Mato Grosso to determinate the particle size distribution, bulk density, and water retention curve in soil. In the region of cotton production in Mato Grosso, the pedotransfer functions, 0,334 - 0,0003 Ar and 0,247 - 0,0003 Ar, for estimating the water content in the tensions of 0.033 and 1.5 MPa, respectively, are suitable to evaluate the water retention capacity of the soils of the cotton production plots in this state. = No estado de Mato Grosso, a área de plantio com o algodão está concentrada principalmente nos chapadões, onde o clima Aw determina uma alternância entre um período chuvoso e outro seco, e onde os solos LatossoloVermelho-Amarelo e Latossolo Vermelho são predominantes. Um dos fatores que determinam o sucesso no cultivo dessa espécie é justamente o conhecimento prévio das propriedades hidráulicas dos solos que, por diferentes razões não são variáveis de amplo conhecimento nas áreas de produção. Neste trabalho objetivou-se verificar a adequação de funções de pedotransferência para avaliar a capacidade de retenção de água dos solos de regiões produtoras de algodão em Mato Grosso, levando-se em consideração a densidade aparente e conteúdo de argila, silte e areia do solo. Para isso, foram coletadas amostras de solo em 21 talhões de produção de algodão do Mato Grosso, para determinação da distribuição do tamanho de partículas, da densidade aparente e da curva de retenção de água no solo. Na região de produção de algodão em Mato Grosso, as funções de pedotransferência, 0,334- 0,0003 Ar e 0,247-0,0003 Ar, para estimativas dos conteúdos de água nas tensões de 0,033 e 1,5 MPa, respectivamente, são adequadas para avaliar a capacidade de retenção de água dos solos dos talhões de cultivo de algodão nesse Estado.

Since the end of the Cambodian Civil War in 1998, the population of the Oddar Meanchey province has drastically increased despite the lack of adequate infrastructure, including basic amenities such as drinking-water supply. To improve the access to drinking water, governmental and aid agencies have focussed on drilling shallow boreholes. The use of groundwater for irrigation is also a growing concern to cope with the occasional late arrival of the rainy season or to produce food during the dry season. Since the groundwater resource in the province has not been documented, a 4-year study was undertaken (2011–2014), aiming to estimate the capability of groundwater to supply domestic needs and supplementary irrigation for rice production. Aquifer properties were estimated by combined use of hydrogeological techniques with the geophysical magnetic resonance sounding method. Groundwater storage and recharge were estimated based on new developments in the application of the geophysical method for quantifying specific yield. The median groundwater storage of the targeted sandstone aquifer is 173 mm, the recharge is diffuse and annually ranges from 10 to 70 mm, and the transmissivity is low to medium. Simulations of pumping indicate that the aquifer can easily supply 100 L of drinking water per capita daily, even considering the estimated population in 2030. However, the shallow aquifer can generally not deliver enough water to irrigate paddy fields of several hectares during a 2-month delay in the onset of the monsoon.

Avaliou-se o desenvolvimento vegetativo e produtivo da cultura Pimenta-de-macaco (Piper aduncum) em função de diferentes tensões da água no solo irrigada por gotejamento. Foi utilizado o delineamento de blocos ao acaso com cinco tratamentos (tensões de 20; 40; 60 e 100 kPa e Sem Irrigação) e quatro repetições. Realizou-se dois cortes da parte aérea da cultura para quantificação da biomassa e extração do óleo essencial. O 1º corte foi realizado aos dez meses de cultivo e o 2º corte, seis meses após. No primeiro corte em condições irrigadas nos últimos quatro meses, apenas a variável diâmetro da copa não apresentou diferença significativa entre os tratamentos avaliados. No 2º corte, apenas as variáveis rendimento de óleo essencial e teor de dilapiol no óleo essencial não foram influenciadas pelos tratamentos. A Pimenta-de-macaco apresenta tolerância moderada ao déficit hídrico e a faixa de tensão da água no solo para definir o momento de iniciar a irrigação na cultura é de 20 a 60 kPa. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of soil water tensions on vegetative and productive development for Pimenta-de-macaco (Piper aduncum) irrigated by drip system. The experimental design of randomized blocks, with five treatments (tensions 20; 40; 60 and 100 kPa and also with no irrigation) and four replications was used. Two harvests were made to quantify biomass and, consequently, essential oil extraction. The first harvest was performed when the culture reached ten months of cultivation and the second harvest after six months. In the first harvest in irrigated conditions in the last four months, only the crown diameter variable showed no significant difference among the treatments evaluated. In the second harvest, only the essential oil yield and dillapiole content in the essential oil were not influenced by the treatments. Pimenta-de-macaco has moderate tolerance to water deficit and the soil water tension recommends to initiate irrigation from 20 to 60 kPa.

Avaliou-se o desenvolvimento vegetativo e produtivo da cultura Pimenta-de-macaco (Piper aduncum) em função de diferentes tensões da água no solo irrigada por gotejamento. Foi utilizado o delineamento de blocos ao acaso com cinco tratamentos (tensões de 20; 40; 60 e 100 kPa e Sem Irrigação) e quatro repetições. Realizou-se dois cortes da parte aérea da cultura para quantificação da biomassa e extração do óleo essencial. O 1º corte foi realizado aos dez meses de cultivo e o 2º corte, seis meses após. No primeiro corte em condições irrigadas nos últimos quatro meses, apenas a variável diâmetro da copa não apresentou diferença significativa entre os tratamentos avaliados. No 2º corte, apenas as variáveis rendimento de óleo essencial e teor de dilapiol no óleo essencial não foram influenciadas pelos tratamentos. A Pimenta-de-macaco apresenta tolerância moderada ao déficit hídrico e a faixa de tensão da água no solo para definir o momento de iniciar a irrigação na cultura é de 20 a 60 kPa. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of soil water tensions on vegetative and productive development for Pimenta-de-macaco (Piper aduncum) irrigated by drip system. The experimental design of randomized blocks, with five treatments (tensions 20; 40; 60 and 100 kPa and also with no irrigation) and four replications was used. Two harvests were made to quantify biomass and, consequently, essential oil extraction. The first harvest was performed when the culture reached ten months of cultivation and the second harvest after six months. In the first harvest in irrigated conditions in the last four months, only the crown diameter variable showed no significant difference among the treatments evaluated. In the second harvest, only the essential oil yield and dillapiole content in the essential oil were not influenced by the treatments. Pimenta-de-macaco has moderate tolerance to water deficit and the soil water tension recommends to initiate irrigation from 20 to 60 kPa.

This study focusses on the hydrogeology of Urema Graben, especially possible interactions between surface water and groundwater around Lake Urema, in Gorongosa National Park (GNP). Lake Urema is the only permanent water source for wildlife inside GNP, and there are concerns that it will disappear due to interferences in surface-water/groundwater interactions as a result of changes in the hydraulic environment. As the lake is the only permanent water source, this would be a disaster for the ecosystem of the park. The sub-surface geology in Urema Graben was investigated by 20 km of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and three magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) surveys. The average depth penetration was 60 and 100 m, respectively. The location of the ERT lines was decided based on general rift morphology and therefore orientated perpendicular to Urema Graben, from the transitional areas of the margins of the Barue platform in the west to the Cheringoma plateau escarpments in the east. ERT and MRS both indicate a second aquifer, where Urema Lake is a window of the first upper semi-confined aquifer, while the lower aquifer is confined by a clay layer 30–40 m thick. The location and depth of this aquifer suggest that it is probably linked to the Pungwe River which could be a main source of recharge during the dry season. If a dam or any other infra-structure is constructed in Pungwe River upstream of GNP, the groundwater level will decrease which could lead to drying out of Urema Lake.

Monthly time series, from 2001 to 2016, of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from MOD13Q1 products were analyzed with Seasonal Trend Analysis (STA), assessing seasonal and long-term changes in the mangrove canopy of the Teacapan-Agua Brava lagoon system, the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Mexican Pacific coast. Profiles from both vegetation indices described similar phenological trends, but the EVI was more sensitive in detecting intra-annual changes. We identified a seasonal cycle dominated by Laguncularia racemosa and Rhizophora mangle mixed patches, with the more closed canopy occurring in the early autumn, and the maximum opening in the dry season. Mangrove patches dominated by Avicennia germinans displayed seasonal peaks in the winter. Curves fitted for the seasonal vegetation indices were better correlated with accumulated precipitation and solar radiation among the assessed climate variables (Pearson’s correlation coefficients, estimated for most of the variables, were r ≥ 0.58 p < 0.0001), driving seasonality for tidal basins with mangroves dominated by L. racemosa and R. mangle. For tidal basins dominated by A. germinans, the maximum and minimum temperatures and monthly precipitation fit better seasonally with the vegetation indices (r ≥ 0.58, p < 0.0001). Significant mangrove canopy reductions were identified in all the analyzed tidal basins (z values for the Mann-Kendall test ≤ −1.96), but positive change trends were recorded in four of the basins, while most of the mangrove canopy (approximately 87%) displayed only seasonal canopy changes or canopy recovery (z > −1.96). The most resilient mangrove forests were distributed in tidal basins dominated by L. racemosa and R. mangle (Mann-Kendal Tau t ≥ 0.4, p ≤ 0.03), while basins dominated by A. germinans showed the most evidence of disturbance.