Breed risk status assessment methods are key components of country-based early warning and response systems. In this study, a multi-indicator method was developed to assess the risk status of livestock populations. Six indicators were used: (i) the current number of breeding females; (ii) the change in the number of breeding females over the last 5 years or generations (depending on the species); (iii) percentage of cross-breeding; (iv) effective population size; (v) breeders organization and technical support; and (vi) socio-economic context. To make these indicators comparable, observed values were converted into scores on a six-point scale (from 0 = no threat to 5 = maximum threat); a specific conversion method was used for each indicator. For each breed, the different scores were analysed graphically and an overall score was calculated by averaging the six separate indicator scores. This approach was applied to 178 French local breeds, belonging to ten different species: horse, donkey, goat, pig, chicken, turkey, goose and Pekin duck. A large percentage of local breeds were found to be at risk to be lost for farming, although the results were species dependent. All local equine and pig breeds, as well as almost all local poultry breeds appeared to be endangered. About 80 percent of local goat and cattle breeds, and half local sheep breeds were also found to be at risk. The usefulness of this method with regards to conservation strategies and public policy is discussed.

Introduction. Plant water stressindicators have become valuable for moving towards deficit irrigationstrategies and saving water. In this case evapotranspiration (ET)is below its maximum value for the crop and stage (ETc),and a stress coefficient (Ks) is applied to obtainactual ET (ETa). Predawn leaf waterpotential (Yp) can be related to relative transpiration(RT), the ratio between transpiration of a stressedplot (T) and transpiration of a well-irrigatedplot (Tm). Estimating RT fromYp allows calculating ETa fordetermination of irrigation amounts, if deficit irrigation practicesare used, as RT corresponds approximately to Ks. Materials and methods. RT and Yp were measuredwith the aim of establishing a relationship to estimate RT undermoderate water stress for irrigation scheduling, in a peach orchardin south Portugal. RT was calculated using sap flowmeasurements (heat balance method) in two plots, one well-irrigated(daily drip irrigation amounts calculated for Tm) andanother temporarily without irrigation. Results and discussion. Ahigh correlation was found between RT and Yp,allowing the estimation of RT for the studied conditions.Significant differences regarding the relationship RT-Yp obtained for another peach orchard in the sameregion and similar soil conditions were found for Yp inthe range between –0.11 and –0.45 MPa. The results suggest that thedifferences resulted from the different irrigation systems: dripand micro-sprinkling, as they determine different temporal and spatialwater distribution and therefore different geometry of root systems.A formerly proposed equation to estimate RT fromYp with a general form for different fruit treespecies was tested, proving to be adequate within some limits: when RT is lowered to 0.7, the error was below 9%. Thethreshold value RT = 0.7 was considered a minimumas it was successfully tested in deficit irrigation practices for peachorchards.

This paper presents a multidimensional indicator of institutional quality in Argentina for the period 1862-2008. Initially, it describes a set of variables that aim to measure issues related to the legal framework prevailing in Argentina and its implementation, such as changes in the Constitution and the provincial Constitutions, declarations of state of siege and federal interventions, freedom of press, central bank independence. The indicator is then constructed through the principal component analysis.

The results suggest that periods of high institutional quality in Argentina coincided with the most expansion and relative progress. In other words, poor institutional quality would not only be reflected in lower growth rates but also compromises the ability to follow those countries with the best performace.