scholarly journals Assessment of the Quality of Soil and Groundwater of the Agricultural Area of Sidi Yahya Region, Morocco

2020 ◽  
Vol 150 ◽  
pp. 01001
Author(s):  
M. Lahmar ◽  
N. El Khodrani ◽  
S. Omrania ◽  
H. Dakak ◽  
R. Moussadek ◽  
...  

The Gharb plain is the largest agricultural area in Morocco. It is characterized by fertile soils and the availability of water either from surface or groundwater which allowed intensive agriculture. The aim of this research work is to study the impact of this land management on the quality of water and soil. The study was done for the irrigated perimeter of Sidi Yahya belonging to the province of Sidi Slimane, Gharb (Morocco). Depth of water table and water pH were measured in situ while water and soil samples were collected and brought to the laboratory for their physico-chemical analyses. Sampling of 33water wells and soil samples, from six different zones, was done between May and October 2018. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to check if mean water and soil parameters differed between zones. The results showed that the minimal and maximal water table depth were 6 and 96 m, respectively. Also, slightly more than half of the wells (51.5%) were inadequate for irrigation since they were either highly or extremely saline. Furthermore, soils were poor to moderately poor in organic matter but very rich in potassium and the phosphorus content was highly variable. Based on the statistical analysis, it is clear that the six zones had significantly different means for CaCO3, pH, OM, and exchangeable sodium percentage. Soil degradation like pollution and salinization may occur in this region if poor quality water is used for irrigation and if land is mismanaged. This research work can be considered as a first step towards a program for monitoring the quality of soil and water for adapting the land management with the final objective of securing high productivity and sustainable use of soil and water resources.

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-257

The subject of this article is the estimation of quantitative (hydrological) and qualitative parameters in the catchment of Ronnea (1800 Km2, located in south western Sweden) through the application of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). SWAT is a river basin model that was developed for the U.S.D.A. Agricultural Research Service, by the Blackland Research Center in Texas. The SWAT model is a widely known tool that has been used in several cases world-wide. It has the ability to predict the impact of land management practices on water, sediment and agricultural chemical yield in large complex watersheds. The present work investigates certain capabilities of the SWAT model which have not identified up to now. More in specific, the main targets of the work carried out are the following: • Identification of the existing hydrological and qualitative conditions • Preparation - Processing of data required to be used as input data of the model • Hydrological calibration - validation of the model, in 7 subbasins of the Catchment of Ronnea • Estimation and evaluation of the simulated qualitative parameters of the model All available data were offered by the relevant Institutes of Sweden, in the framework of the European program EUROHARP. The existing conditions in the catchment of Ronnea, are described in detail including topography, land uses, soil types, pollution sources, agricultural management practices, precipitation, temperature, wind speed, humidity, solar radiation as well as observed discharges and Nitrogen and Phosphorus substances concentrations. Most of the above data were used as input data for the application of SWAT model. Adequate methods were also used to complete missing values in time series and estimate additional parameters (such as soil parameters) required by the model. Hydrological calibration and validation took place for each outlet of the 7 subbasins of Ronnea catchment in an annual, monthly and daily step. The calibration was achieved by estimating parameters related to ground water movement and evaluating convergence between simulated and observed discharges by using mainly the Nash & Sutcliffe coefficient (NTD). Through the sensitivity analysis, main parameters of the hydrological simulation, were detected. According to the outputs of the SWAT model, the water balance of Ronnea catchment was also estimated. Hydrological calibration and validation is generally considered sufficient in an annual and monthly step. Hydrological calibration – validation in daily step, generally does not lead to high values of the NTD indicator. However, when compared to results obtained by the use of SWAT in Greece, a relatively high value of NTD is achieved in one subbasin. Finally, a comparison between the simulated and observed concentrations of total Phosphorus and Nitrogen was carried out.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (18) ◽  
pp. 6265
Author(s):  
Vasiliki Kamperidou ◽  
Efstratios Aidinidis ◽  
Ioannis Barboutis

The surface roughness constitutes one of the most critical properties of wood and wood veneers for their extended utilization, affecting the bonding ability of the veneers with one another in the manufacturing of wood composites, the finishing, coating and preservation processes, and the appearance and texture of the material surface. In this research work, logs of five significant European hardwood species (oak, chestnut, ash, poplar, cherry) of Balkan origin were sliced into decorative veneers. Their surface roughness was examined by applying a stylus tracing method, on typical wood structure areas of each wood species, as well as around the areas of wood defects (knots, decay, annual rings irregularities, etc.), to compare them and assess the impact of the defects on the surface quality of veneers. The chestnut veneers presented the smoothest surfaces, while ash veneers, despite the higher density, recorded the highest roughness. In most of the cases, the roughness was found to be significantly lower around the defects, compared to the typical structure surfaces, probably due to lower porosity, higher density and the presence of tensile wood. The results reveal that the presence of defects does not affect the roughness of the veneers and increases neither the processing requirements of the veneer sheets before finishing, nor the respective production cost of veneers and the veneer-based wood panels. The high utilization prospects of the examined wood species in veneer production, even those bearing various defects, is highlighted.


1991 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 87-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Pulido Bosch ◽  
F. Navarrete ◽  
L. Molina ◽  
J. L. Martinez-Vidal

The Campo de Dalías is the most economically important agricultural area in the whole of the Province of Almeria. A benign climate combined with the expertise of the market gardeners and their intensive cultivation in plastic hot-houses of out-of-season fruit and vegetables has turned a stony wasteland into an area of great productivity. The main water supply comes from a series of wells drilled into the subterranean aquifers running through the local rocks, a geometrically complex succession of Triassic limestones and dolomites, Miocene conglomerates and calcareous sandstones, Pliocene calcarenites and Quaternary gravels, sands and silts. The annual influx into the aquifers has been calculated as being around 50 Hm3, while at the present day more than 100 Hm3 are being taken out during the same period. This over exploitation of the resources is causing an inexorable descent in the water table, which is leading to marine intrusion in those aquifers nearest the sea. The main aquifer-bearing units are Balanegra and Aguadulce, composed essentially of Triassic, Alpujarride carbonates, and the Balerma-Las Marinas unit, made, up of Pliocene calcarenites. In the water from some of the wells in the Aguadulce unit more than 10,000 microS/cm have been measured at some distance from the coast, while in the Balanegra unit there are a large number of conoids below sea level, although marine intrusion is at present limited to a fairly narrow coastal strip.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommaso Trentin ◽  
Giulia Mazzarotto ◽  
Paolo Salandin

<p>This work describes a project that aims to assess and forecast the groundwater balance and the spatiotemporal behavior of fluxes in a regional aquifer located in the middle-high venetian plain between rivers Brenta and Piave (Italy) to analyze the impact of future irrigation policies and to define at regional scale the risk of contamination.</p><p>The area is widely exploited for agricultural purposes and over time many wells (owned by Water Service Companies and private bodies) have been drilled for the supply of drinking water. A dense network of ditches, that still guarantee most agricultural requirements by border irrigation, is replaced year by year with pressurized systems (sprinkler and drip). This change shows positive effects, reducing the amount of diverted water from rivers helping the Ecological Flows (Eflows) requirements (EU Guidance Document No. 31 2015). On the other hand, it actually reduces the infiltrated volumes (acting as artificial recharge) that sustain the groundwater reserve since centuries ago. Together with the growing number of active and potential sources of pollution, all this jeopardizes the water supply from wells intended for human consumption.</p><p>This situation requires proper knowledge and tools to anticipate consequences of a changing environment and to suggest policies for an appropriate management and sustainable use of groundwater.</p><p>The study area develops north to south from the Prealps to the middle of the plain, between Brenta River (west) and Piave River (east). Evidences from geological surveys show a sand and gravel aquifer extending from uplands in the north piedmont region to the southern one where a layered system of nine aquifers can be recognized. The hypothetical separation takes place along alluvial springs that origin the river Sile, that acts as a drain for the upper aquifer of the whole area.</p><p>A numerical model of the aquifer is under development using Feflow® by DHI, a finite element software able to reproduce the subsurface flow field and transport phenomena. Geological description and vertical stratigraphy of boreholes were used to build the geo-structural model, whose spatial extent was also chosen on the availability of data – water table, piezometric levels and/or fluxes – to be imposed on the boundaries. Rainfall, irrigation, evapotranspiration and water withdrawal artificially from wells or naturally from springs, as well as the flow interchange across the section of rivers, are the external forcing varying in time and controlling the water table and piezometric levels behaviors.</p><p>Water table and piezometric level information are fundamental in the calibration of the subsurface hydraulic parameters. The actual monitoring network, that considers sensors in wells property of Regional Environmental Agency and different Water Service Companies, has been improved to mitigate its non-uniform spatial distribution instrumenting 25 new positions to reach in the whole area (about 900 km<sup>2</sup>) a total number of 84 monitored wells (density of about 1 sensor every 10 km²).</p><p>Information about historical evolution of different irrigation techniques have been gathered from the three Land Reclamation Authorities managing the investigated area to reproduce the present situation and forecast future different scenarios.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 453-468
Author(s):  
Abdelkader T. Ahmed

Abstract This research work aimed to investigate the degree of quality of tap and bottled waters available in Al-Madinah city through an experimental program comprising chemical, physical and biological tests. The study included examining the quality of the water supply network components such as taps, underground storage tanks and feeding pipes of the network. Filtration influence on the tap water was investigated by testing different water samples before and after the filtration process at different locations. The experiments also examined various bottled water brands sold in Al-Madinah. In addition, the impact of using the dispenser on the water quality of large bottled waters was studied. The water quality of two types of waters was compared by estimating water quality index (WQI). Results of this study revealed that the overall quality of the tap water is within standard values; however, deterioration occurs for the water through its journey in the water supply system. Results revealed that hardness and fluoride concentrations in bottled waters exhibited high values close to or more than allowable values of the standards. Furthermore, results confirmed that using the filter and dispenser decreased the water quality degree in the long run. Bottled waters showed a higher grade of WQI than tap water.


2020 ◽  
pp. 71-81
Author(s):  
L. Karasyova

The article presents results of research work that allow to assess the likelihood of conflict in the work teams of inpatient departments, to assess the conflict resistance of nursing staff in the process of professional activity and to analyze the impact of elements of the quality of working life on the formation of conflict-generating issues.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 881-893
Author(s):  
Mbark Lahmar ◽  
Najib El Khodrani ◽  
Serine Omrania ◽  
Houria Dakak ◽  
Ahmed Douaik ◽  
...  

The study of soil quality in irrigated areas is necessary to evaluate the sustainability of the agricultural production system. Indeed, the assessment of this quality is based on the physicochemical and biological characterization of soil parameters, as well as the knowledge of their spatial distribution and their evolution over time. This work aims to make a diagnosis of the current situation of soil quality of SidiYahya in the Gharb plain, Morocco. For this, sampling was carried out from 33 sites distributed over the studied plain during 2019. In this study, different soil properties including specifically texture, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter (OM), phosphorus (P2O5), and potassium (K2O) were measured while exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) was calculated using the standard formula. Based on the observed soil properties a map was prepared by using a geographic information system (GIS), which was based specifically on the inverse distance weighted (IDW) spatial interpolation method. Data were processed using different statistical tools like descriptive statistics, correlation, and principal component analysis (PCA). Results of the study revealed that 70% of the soils have a heavy clayey texture with a predominance of vertisols (55%). Further, the study area soil is mainly alkaline (70%), poor in organic matter (61%) and phosphorus (52%), while very rich in potassium (70%), and non-saline (88%) contents. Soil pH was reported to be the least variable whereas sand, phosphorus, and salinity were the highest variable. IDW allowed mapping the soil properties by moving from punctual information to whole extent information. Furthermore, correlations were found between various soil properties by using PCA, 3 principal components (PCs) were able to extract 76% of the information from the 9 initial soil properties. Collected soil samples were grouped into 3 groups, based on their scores on the 3 PCs. Based on these two kinds of information, delineation of management zones can be established for a site-specific supply of agricultural inputs leading to better management of soil and water resources for securing their sustainable use.


Author(s):  
Sanjay Soni ◽  
B.K. Chorasia

In the present Research work an attempt has been made to compute quality of higher technical Institute by incorporating various important parameters such as faculty strength, Placement of students, faculty satisfaction, student's satisfaction etc. The impact of these factors on quality of higher technical education is studied by constructing a system dynamic model for policy planning for optimum quality in higher technical education system.


Author(s):  
R.W. Mcdowell ◽  
N. Mcgrouther ◽  
G. Morgan ◽  
M.S. Srinivasan ◽  
D.R. Stevens ◽  
...  

Research on the soil and water quality of deer farms is minimal. However, the perception is that many deer operations may be detrimental to soil and water quality. To address this problem two deer focus farms (DFF, 1 each in Otago and Southland) were established to showcase how productivity and environmental objectives can coincide. Managements implemented by the farmers included a sedimentation pond, fencing off waterways and retiring land under a QEII covenant. A detailed soil and water quality testing regime occurred for each farm: data were collected at the Southland DFF for three tributaries (one fenced off, one partially fenced and one unfenced) which fed into a stream and through a tussock covered area retired from grazing. Water quality in the unfenced and partially fenced tributaries was poor with no water quality parameters meeting ANZECC guidelines, whereas water quality in the fenced-off and planted tributary was better. Water exiting the retired area met ANZECC guidelines. Although water quality on parts of both deer farms did not meet ANZECC guidelines, when management practices such as fencing off and the creation of a pond were used water quality improved. More importantly, an area retired from grazing and further development on the Southland DFF showed that water quality could be significantly improved and could be better than that entering the farm. Keywords: fencing-off, QEII covenant, sedimentation pond, water quality


2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petruša Miholič ◽  
Primož Južnič

Linking a publication with scientific research results and the use of information resources is a key component of the collection, development and assessment of an academic library. Librarians often use quantitative data, but it is not easy to come by. Directly connecting library and information services to the impact they have can be quite difficult. Focusing on the 2010–2014 period, we have linked the quality and quantity of published papers to usage statistics for the newly acquired consortia access to scholarly journals in three international publisher databases: ScienceDirect, SpringerLink and WileyOnline. We found that the share of scholarly journals from the ScienceDirect, SpringerLink and WileyOnline consortia cited by University of Primorska researchers’ in their scholarly papers has gradually increased every year, ranging from 13.5% in 2010 up to 24.8% in 2014. The share of scholarly papers published by University of Primorska researchers’ in scholarly journals with the highest impact (measured in Web of Science and Scopus) has also increased substantially, from 18.03% in 2011 to 31.55% in 2014. Study shows that better access to quality information resources for scientific researchers lead to an increase in its use and results in higher quality research shown by the gradual increase of publications of research results in higher impact scholarly journals.


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