Evaluation and Prediction of Groundwater Quality in the Municipality of Za-Kpota (South Benin) Using Machine Learning and Remote Sensing

Accessing drinking water is a global issue. This study aims to contribute to the assessment of groundwater quality in the municipality of Za-Kpota (southern Benin) using remote sensing and Machine Learning. The methodological approach used consisted in linking groundwater physico-chemical parameter data collected in the field and in the laboratory using AFNOR 1994 standardized methods to satellite data (Landsat) in order to sketch out a groundwater quality prediction model. The data was processed using QGis (Semi-Automatic Plugin: SCP) and Python (Jupyter Netebook: Prediction) softwares. The results of water analysis from the sampled wells and boreholes indicated that most of the water is acidic (pH varying between 5.59 and 7.83). The water was moderately mineralized, with conductivity values of less than 1500 μs/cm overall (59 µS/cm to 1344 µS/cm), with high concentrations of nitrates and phosphates in places. The dynamics of groundwater quality in the municipality of Za-Kpota between 2008 and 2022 are also marked by a regression in land use units (a regression in vegetation and marshland formation in favor of built-up areas, bare soil, crops and fallow land) revealed by the diachronic analysis of satellite images from 2008, 2013, 2018 and 2022. Surveys of local residents revealed the use of herbicides and pesticides in agricultural fields, which are the main drivers contributing to the groundwater quality deterioration observed in the study area. Field surveys revealed the use of herbicides and pesticides in agricultural fields, which are factors contributing to the deterioration in groundwater quality observed in the study area. The results of the groundwater quality prediction models (ANN, RF and LR) developed led to the conclusion that the model based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANN: R2 = 0.97 and RMSE = 0) is the best for groundwater quality changes modelling in the Za-Kpota municipality.

Balanced Fertilization and the Effect of Fertilization on Water Use Efficiency of Upland Winter Wheat in Western Henan, China

A study on balanced fertilization was conducted by means of long-term field experiments, and a convenient table for balanced fertilization was compiled. The experimental results about the effect of fertilization on water use efficiency of upland wheat showed that the input of inorganic fertilizer should be reduced in dry years.

General Nexus Between Water and Electricity Use and Its Implication for Urban Agricultural Sustainability:A Case Study of Shenzhen, South China

Although water and energy resources are well-recognized concerns regarding economic and social development sustainability, little specific research has focused on both water and energy problems at the same time. This study analyzed the water and electricity-use patterns in Shenzhen, South China during 2001-2009. A curve regression method was used to examine the relationship between water and electricity use per gross domestic product （GDP） in Shenzhen and its three sectors, i.e., agriculture, industry ＆ construction, and residential life ＆ services. Results showed that agriculture only covered less than 10% of water and electricity use in Shenzhen, while industry ＆ construction and residential life ＆ services accounted for more than 90% of water and electricity use in Shenzhen, which coincided with the city＇s industrial structure. The water and electricity use per GDP in agriculture was the biggest among three sectors in Shenzhen during 2001-2009, which means inefficiency of water and electricity use in agriculture. Due to transitioning to advanced materials and manufacturing, both water and electricity use per GDP their utilization efficiencies gradually increased over time. in industry ＆ construction decreased during 2001-2009 and The same held true for those in residential life ＆ services transformed toward modern business, creative culture, finance services, etc. Derived from the survival of the fittest in competing for limited water and electricity resources, agriculture in Shenzhen has been gradually substituted by industry ＆ construction and residential life ＆ services, with much higher efficiencies of water and electricity use. And traditional agriculture will not be sustainable in the process of urbanization and industrialization, except high-tech intensive agriculture with low water and energy cost. Furthermore, by means of curve regression, we found that there was a significant quadratic relationship between water use per GDP and electricity use per GDP in the entire city and its three sectors. Suitable industrial transformation and advancement was a very effective way to save water and energy for modern cities. This can provide some reference for systematic planning and design of water and electricity allocation and use in agriculture, industry ＆ construction and residential life ＆ services in a city.

Identifying the critical phosphorus balance for optimizing phosphorus input and regulating soil phosphorus effectiveness in a typical winter wheat-summer maize rotation system in North China

Phosphorus(P)is a nonrenewable resource and a critical element for plant growth that plays an important role in improving crop yield.Excessive P fertilizer application is widespread in agricultural production,which not only wastes phosphate resources but also causes P accumulation and groundwater pollution.Here,we hypothesized that the apparent P balance of a crop system could be used as an indicator for identifying the critical P input in order to obtain a high yield with high phosphorus use efficiency(PUE).A 12-year field experiment with P fertilization rates of 0,45,90,135,180,and 225 kg P_(2)O_(5)ha^(-1)was conducted to determine the crop yield,PUE,and soil Olsen-P value response to P balance,and to optimize the P input.Annual yield stagnation occurred when the P fertilizer application exceeded a certain level,and high yield and PUE levels were achieved with annual P fertilizer application rates of 90-135 kg P_(2)O_(5)ha^(-1).A critical P balance range of 2.15-4.45 kg P ha^(-1)was recommended to achieve optimum yield with minimal environmental risk.The critical P input range estimated from the P balance was 95.7-101 kg P_(2)O_(5)ha^(-1),which improved relative yield(>90%)and PUE(90.0-94.9%).In addition,the P input-output balance helps in assessing future changes in Olsen-P values,which increased by 4.07 mg kg^(-1)of P for every 100 kg of P surplus.Overall,the P balance can be used as a critical indicator for P management in agriculture,providing a robust reference for limiting P excess and developing a more productive,efficient and environmentally friendly P fertilizer management strategy.

Modeling of the Earth’s Planetary Heat Balance with Electrical Circuit Analogy

The integral heat model for the system of the Earth’s surface—the atmosphere—the open space based on the electrical circuit analogy is presented. Mathematical models of the heat balance for this system are proposed. Heat circuit which is analog of the electrical circuit for investigating the temperature dependencies on the key parameters in the clear form is presented.

Assessing the Impacts of Land Use and Land Cover Changes on Hydrology of the Mbarali River Sub-Catchment. The Case of Upper Great Ruaha Sub-Basin, Tanzania

Intensification of agricultural land use and population growth from 1990-2017 has caused changes in land cover and land use of the Mbarali River sub-catchment which is located in the Upper Great Ruaha Sub basin, Tanzania. This has affected the magnitude of the surface runoff, total water yield and the groundwater flow. This study assesses the impacts of the land cover and land use changes on the stream flows and hydrological water balance components (surface runoff, water yield, percolation and actual evapotranspiration). The land use and land cover (LULC) maps for three window period snapshots, 1990, 2006 and 2017 were created from Landsat TM and OLI_TIRS with the help of QGIS version 2.6. Supervised classification was used to generate LULC maps using the Maximum Likelihood Algorithm and Kappa statistics for assessment of accuracy. SWAT was set up and run to simulate stream flows and hydrological water balance components. The assessment of the impacts of land use and land cover changes on stream flows and hydrological water balance component was performed by comparing hydrological parameters simulated by SWAT using land use scenarios of 2006 and 2017 against the baseline land use scenario of 1990. Accuracy of LULC classification was good with Kappa statistics ranging between 0.9 and 0.99. There was a drastic increase in areal coverage of cultivated land, for periods 1990-2006 (5.84%) and 2006-2017 (12.05%) compared to other LULC. During 2006 and 2017 surface runoff increased by 4% and 9% respectively;however, water yield increased by only 0.5% compared to 1990 baseline period. This was attributed to increased proportion of cultivated land in the sub-catchment which has a high curve number (59.60) that indicates a higher runoff response and low infiltration rate.

Impacts of forestation on the annual and seasonal water balance of a tropical catchment under climate change

Background:This study aims to assess the effects of a forestation program and climate change on the annual and seasonal water balance of the Bogowonto catchment(597 km^(2))in Java,Indonesia.The catchment study is rare example in Indonesia where forestation has been applied at the catchment level.However,since the forestation program has been initiated,evaluations of the program only focus on the planting area targets,while the environmental success e.g.,impacts on the hydrological processes have never been assessed.This study used a calibrated Soil and Water Assessment Tool(SWAT)model to diagnose the isolated and combined effects of forestation and climate change on five water balance components,namely streamflow(Q),evapotranspiration(ET),surface runoff(Q_(s)),lateral flow(Q_(l))and base flow(Q_(b)).Results:The results show that from 2006 to 2019,forest cover has increased from 2.7% to 12.8% of the total area,while in the same period there was an increase in the mean annual and seasonal temperature,rainfall,and streamflow.Results of SWAT simulations show that changes in the mean annual and seasonal water balance under the forestation only scenario were relatively minor,while changes were more pronounced under the climate change only scenario.Based on the combined impacts scenario,it was observed that the effects of a larger forest area on the water balance were smaller than the effects of climate change.Conclusions:Although we found that forestation program has minor impacts compared to that of climate change on the hydrological processes in the Bogowonto catchment,seasonally,forestation activity has decreased the streamflow and surface runoff during the wet season which may reduce the risk of moderate floods.However,much attention should be paid to the way how forestation may result in severe drought events during the dry season.Finally,we urge the importance of accounting for the positive and negative effects in future forestation programs.

The Extent of Land Use Impact on Water Regime in the Vseminka Catchment

The paper deals with the impact of land use changes on water regime. An assessment was carried out in order to determine the extent to which the main components of the water balance on the experimental catchment Vseminka have been influenced by land use changes （region Vsetinske Hills, the Czech Republic）. For this reason, the water balance model WBCM-5 was implemented for the period of 30 years in a daily step, with particular focus on the simulation of the components of direct runoff and of subsurface water recharge. In the selected years of the period 1980-2009, major changes were made in land use and significant fluctuation of rainfall-runoff regimes were observed （e.g. dry year 1992, flood year 1997 and normal year 2009）. After WBCM-5 parameter calibration it was observed that some water balance components can change in relation to substantial land use changes, even up to dozens of percent in a balance-consideration, i.e. in daily, monthly and yearly or decadal values, specifically as far as the components of interception and also of direct runoff and of subsurface water recharge are concerned. However, a different situation appeared during the investigation of significant short-term rainfall-runoff processes. There were about seven real flood events during the same period on the same catchment which were analysed using the KINFIL-2 model （time step 0.5 hr）. Land use change, positive or negative scenarios, were also analysed during this period. As opposed to long-term water balance analyses, only a 10% difference in the hydrograph peak and volume was observed. In summary, the authors have shown that it is always important to distinguish a possible land use change impact on either long-term balance or short-term runoff. Otherwise, as often found in over simplified commentaries on flood events in the mass media, the actual impact of land use changes on water regime may be misunderstood.

Assessing the Potential Use of Solar Energy Source in Urban Areas Located in Natural Protected Sites

The main aim of this paper is to present an easy to use methodology for assessing the potential amount of electricity or thermal energy production in urban areas located in natural protected sites. The methodology is based on two different steps: a territorial analysis for the evaluation of solar radiation and usable surfaces for photovoltaic or solar thermal plant, and a plant analysis for highlighting those photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies which installation will not generate significant impacts in areas characterized by high environmental and landscaping value. The methodology was successfully applied in two case studies inside two different Italian natural protected areas. The obtained results were provided to local administrations and communities as a useful tool for sustainable energy planning.

The rehabilitation of a reservoir: A new methodological approach for calculating the sustainable useful storage capacity

Present work introduces the sustainable useful storage capacity as the minimum storage capacity able to satisfy the water demand for drinkable, industrial and irrigational purposes and necessary in order to overcome water deficit situations which, at least in Central Southern Italy, occur in the summer, when agricultural demand is really high. Sediment volumes to be removed from the reservoir bottom will be calculated as the difference between the current and the sustainable useful storage capacities of the reservoir in study. The calculation methodology of the useful sustainable storage capacity, based on the reservoir water balance between inflows at the reservoir and water demand, has been applied to the Camastra reservoir (Basilicata, Southern Italy), for which numerous reliable data including more than 40 years of inflows and water supplied volumes and data relative to 7 bathymetric surveys are available. Result analysis shows that this methodology, at least in the study case, enables sediment quantities to be removed more sustainably from a technical, economical and environmental point of view.

The use of permanent magnet motor for Tesla electric vehicle stimulates the demand for rare earth Nd

On March 13th,Reuters reported that the long run version of Tesla Model 3 will use permanent magnet motors.One of the materials for this type of motor is rare earth metal neodymium,which will further increase the supply pressure of neodymium.Governments around the world are committed to reducing the harmful emissions produced by fossil fuel cars,pushing up demand for electric vehicles

Effects of Slow-release Fertilizer and Balanced Fertilization on Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium Uptake in Peppers

Field plot experiment was conducted to study the effects of two slow-re- lease fertilizers and balanced fertilization on dry matter accumulation, yield, fertilizer use efficiency, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium uptake of peppers at Jiangna Town, Yanshan County, Yunnan Province in 2011. The results showed that the dry matter accumulation in dried pepper plant, pepper yield, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium uptake in peppers were significantly increased in all the fertilizer treat- ments, compared with those in control （no fertilizer）. Compared with conventional fertilization, balanced fertilization, slow-release compound fertilizer and slow-release urea fertilizer significantly increased dried pepper economic output by 20.94%, 17.5% and 14.54%, nitrogen uptake in dried peppers by 21.53%,18.46% and 13.19%, phosphorus uptake in dried peppers by 14.08%, 15.76% and 10.44%, potassium uptake in dried peppers by 22.66%, 15.73% and 16.28%; they also in- creased nitrogen and potassium use efficiency, but reduced potassium use efficiency due to the increased potassium addition. In treatments with balanced fertilization, slow-release compound fertilizer and slow-release urea fertilizer, the nitrogen utiliza- tion was 5.84%, 7.14% and 8.33% higher and the phosphorus utilization was 3.32%, 3.27% and 2.47% higher than those in treatment with conventional fertiliza- tion. In addition, the nitrogen application could be reduced by 20%-50% by bal- anced fertilization and the two slow-release fertilizers, thereby reducing environmen- tal pollution. Slow-release fertilizers could also reduce the frequency of fertilization and labor costs.

Postponed and reduced basal nitrogen application improves nitrogen use efficiency and plant growth of winter wheat

Excessive nitrogen(N) fertilization with a high basal N ratio in wheat can result in lower N use efficiency(NUE) and has led to environmental problems in the Yangtze River Basin, China. However, wheat requires less N fertilizer at seedling growth stage, and its basal N fertilizer utilization efficiency is relatively low; therefore, reducing the N application rate at the seedling stage and postponing the N fertilization period may be effective for reducing N application and increasing wheat yield and NUE. A 4-year field experiment was conducted with two cultivars under four N rates(240 kg N ha–1(N240), 180 kg N ha–1(N180), 150 kg N ha–1(N150), and 0 kg N ha–1(N0)) and three basal N application stages(seeding(L0), fourleaf stage(L4), and six-leaf stage(L6)) to investigate the effects of reducing the basal N application rate and postponing the basal N fertilization period on grain yield, NUE, and N balance in a soil-wheat system. There was no significant difference in grain yield between the N180 L4 and N240 L0(control) treatments, and the maximum N recovery efficiency and N agronomy efficiency were observed in the N180 L4 treatment. Grain yield and NUE were the highest in the L4 treatment. The leaf area index, flag leaf photosynthesis rate, flag leaf nitrate reductase and glutamine synthase activities, dry matter accumulation, and N uptake post-jointing under N180 L4 did not differ significantly from those under N240 L0. Reduced N application decreased the inorganic N content in the 0–60-cm soil layer, and the inorganic N content of the L6 treatment was higher than those of the L0 and L4 treatments at the same N level. Surplus N was low under the reduced N rates and delayed basal N application treatments. Therefore, postponing and reducing basal N fertilization could maintain a high yield and improve NUE by improving the photosynthetic production capacity, promoting N uptake and assimilation, and reducing surplus N in soil-wheat systems.

Land Use Allocation Based on Interval Multi-objective Linear Programming Model: A Case Study of Pi County in Sichuan Province

Adjusting and optimizing land use structure is one of the essential approaches to solve the conflict between land supply and demand. In this study,an uncertain interval multi-objective linear programming model was established and applied to analyzing the suitability of land use structure in Pi County of Sichuan Province. An adjustment scheme for optimizing land use structure was proposed on the basis of development planning drawn up by the local government. The results are summarized as follows: 1) the optimal adjustment scope for cropland area ranges from 27 976.75 ha to 31 029.08 ha,and the current area is less than the lower limit of the scope; 2) the optimal adjustment scope for garden land area ranges from 4 736.49 ha to 12 967.11 ha,and the current area is less than the lower limit; 3) the optimal adjustment scope for construction land ranges from 7 761.95 ha to 10 393.18 ha,and the current area is greater than the upper limit; 4) the optimal adjustment scope for industry and mining land ranges from 557.29 ha to 693.54 ha,and the current area exceeds the upper limit; and 5) the areas of forest land,grassland and other agricultural land are within the optimal adjustment scope. In order to maximize comprehensive benefit with the limited resources and the demand of sustainable development,the areas of cropland and garden land are supposed to be expanded properly,while the construction land should be controlled and reduced gradually,and the forest land and other agricultural land can be maintained at the current level in short period.

A Distributed Monthly Water Balance Model for Analyzing Impacts of Land Cover Change on Flow Regimes

The Miyun Reservoir is the most important water source for Beijing Municipality, the capital of China with a population of more than 12 million. In recent decades, the inflow to the reservoir has shown a decreasing trend, which has seriously threatened water use in Beijing. In order to analyze the influents of land use and cover change (LUCC) upon inflow to Miyun Reservoir, terrain and land use information from remote sensing were utilized with a revised evapotranspiration estimation formula; a water loss model under conditions of human impacts was introduced; and a distributed monthly water balance model was established and applied to the Chaobai River Basin controlled by the Miyun Reservoir. The model simulation suggested that not only the impact of land cover change on evapotranspiration, but also the extra water loss caused by human activities, such as the water and soil conservation development projects should be considered. Although these development projects were of great benefit to human and ecological protection, they could reallocate water resources in time and space, and in a sense thereby influence the stream flow.

Impact of Land Use Change on Groundwater Recharge in Guishui River Basin,China

It is important to understand how land use change impacts groundwater recharge, especially for regions that are undergoing rapid urbanization and there is limited surface water. In this study, the hydrological processes and re- charge ability of various land use types in Guishui River Basin, China （in Beijing Municipality） were analyzed. The impact of land use change was investigated based on water balance modeling, WetSpass and GIS. The results indicate that groundwater recharge accounts for only 21.16% of the precipitation, while 72.54% is lost in the form of evapotranspiration. The annual-lumped groundwater recharge rate decreases in the order of cropland, grassland, urban land, and forest. Land use change has resulted in a decrease of 4 x 106 m3 of yearly groundwater recharge in the study area, with a spatially averaged rate of 100.48 mm/yr and 98.41 mm/yr in 1980 and 2005, respectively. This variation has primarily come from an increase of urban area and rural settlements, as well as a decrease of cropland.

California Simulation of Evapotranspiration of Applied Water and Agricultural Energy Use in California

The California Simulation of Evapotranspiration of Applied Water （CaI-SIMETAW） model is a new tool developed by the California Department of Water Resources and the University of California, Davis to perform daily soil water balance and determine crop evapotranspiration （ETo）, evapotranspiration of applied water （ETaw）, and applied water （AW） for use in California water resources planning. ETaw is a seasonal estimate of the water needed to irrigate a crop assuming 100% irrigation efficiency. The model accounts for soils, crop coefficients, rooting depths, seepage, etc. that influence crop water balance. It provides spatial soil and climate information and it uses historical crop and land-use category information to provide seasonal water balance estimates by combinations of detailed analysis unit and county （DAU/County） over Califomia. The result is a large data base of ETc and ETaw that will be used to update information in the new California Water Plan （CWP）. The application uses the daily climate data, i.e., maximum （Tx） and minimum （Tn） temperature and precipitation （Pcp）, which were derived from monthly USDA-NRCS PRISM data （PRISM Group 2011） and daily US National Climate Data Center （NCDC） climate station data to cover California on a 4 kmx4 km change grid spacing. The application uses daily weather data to determine reference evapotranspiration （ETo）, using the Hargreaves-Samani （HS） equation （Hargreaves and Samani 1982, 1985）. Because the HS equation is based on temperature only, ETo from the HS equation were compared with CIMIS ETo at the same locations using available CIMIS data to determine correction factors to estimate CIMIS ETo from the HS ETo to account for spatial climate differences. CaI-SIMETAW also employs near real-time reference evapotranspiration （ETo） information from Spatial CIMIS, which is a model that combines weather station data and remote sensing to provide a grid of ETo information. A second database containing the available soil water holding capacity and soil depth information for all of California was also developed from the USDA-NRCS SSURGO database. The Cal-SIMETAW program also has the ability to generate daily weather data from monthly mean values for use in studying climate change scenarios and their possible impacts on water demand in the state. The key objective of this project is to improve the accuracy of water use estimates for the California Water Plan （CWP）, which provides a comprehensive report on water supply, demand, and management in California. In this paper, we will discuss the model and how it determines ETaw for use in water resources planning.

Soil quality and sustainable land use in urban-rural marginal area: a case study of Kaifeng

By using the basic theories of physical geography, land resources and ecology, this article analyzes the soil quality of the rural-urban marginal area in Kaifeng. Computer techniques, based on soil samples analysis, are used to study soil quality changes in the Kaifeng’s rural-urban marginal area. While focusing on nutrient circle key links of input and output in soil, relying on numerous practical survey data, this article reveals clearly the impact of land use change on soil quality.

Integrated application of February Orchid(Orychophragmus violaceus) as green manure with chemical fertilizer for improving grain yield and reducing nitrogen losses in spring maize system in northern China

The development of more efficient management systems is crucial to achieving high grain yields with high nitrogen use efficiency（NUE）. February Orchid-spring maize rotation system is a newly established planting system with the benefits of ground cover and potential wind erosion in northern China. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of integrated application of February Orchid as green manure with reduction of chemical fertilizers（INTEGRATED） on spring maize yield, N uptake, ammonium volatilization, and soil residual mineral N in northern China. Compared to farmers＇ traditional fertilization（CON）, integrated application of February Orchid as green manure with 30% reduction of nitrogen fertilizers（INTEGRATED） increased maize grain yield and biomass by 9.9 and 10.2%, respectively. The 0–100 cm soil residual Nmin at harvest was decreased by 58.5% and thus nitrogen use efficiency was increased significantly by 26.7%. The nitrogen balance calculation further demonstrated that the INTEGRATED approach performed better than CON with lower apparent nitrogen loss（decreased by 48.9%） which evidenced by the ammonium volatilization of top-dressing fertilizer was decreased by 31.1%, the N_（min） movement to the deeper soil layers was reduced, and the apparent nitrogen leaching loss nearly equal to 0 under the INTEGRATED treatment. Therefore, in northern China, integrated application of green manure and chemical fertilizers is an efficient management approach for improving maize yields and NUE simultaneously.

Heat balance simulation of drained aluminum reduction cell

Compared with a conventional Hall Heroult cell(H H cell), the interpolar distance of a drained cell can be reduced significantly and the cell voltage and heat produced in the electrolysis will decrease greatly as well, which makes it crucial to achieve a new heat balance in the drained cell. A half anode cathode slice model of a hypothetical drained cell retrofitted from a 160 kA currently used in H H cell was developed for the thermo electric calculation and simulation. The results were presented and analyzed and possible approaches for setting up a new heat balance in a drained cell were discussed.