Ebrahim Karimi Sangchini; Iman Islami
Abstract
Evaluations of the threatening factors to wetlands are necessary to sustain these ecosystems and improving them. The main goal was to identify and prioritize the factors threatening the Choghakhor wetland watershed. This research has been consisted of a cohort of 315 participants in an exploratory mixed ...
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Evaluations of the threatening factors to wetlands are necessary to sustain these ecosystems and improving them. The main goal was to identify and prioritize the factors threatening the Choghakhor wetland watershed. This research has been consisted of a cohort of 315 participants in an exploratory mixed method. Data analysis was performed by One-Sample T-Test and non-parametric Friedman Test. Factors threatening were evaluated and prioritized in four areas including: natural disasters, and biological, cultural and socio-economic threats. Living in the area, threats to this wetland are in an undesirable and unacceptable state. Likewise, the greatest impact is associated with the cultural threats and the biological threats obtaining the lowest priorities. In the field of cultural threats, a lack of coordination between government agencies in matters relating to the wetland with a mean score of 2.35. In the field of socio-economic threats, inter-basin water transfer from the Mount Sabzkouh to Choghakhor wetland with a mean score of 11.69; in terms of natural disasters, climate change and the melting of mountain glaciers with a mean score of 6.04; and, in the field of biological disasters, unauthorized grazing (over the production capacity of rangelands) have been recognized as the first priorities with a mean score of 2.29. As the final statements, it appears that cultural, followed by socio-economic threats are the most significant factors contributing to the destruction of this ecosystem. In the perspective of the participants, cultural and educational-based management could be the ideal solution for the current condition of the wetland.
Morteza Saberi; vahid karimian
Abstract
The studies of functional features of patches of rangelands will help effectively in the detection the healthiness of arid and semi-arid rangelands, the improvement of soil conditions as well as the recognition of the effects of managerial and natural changes of rangelands. In order to investigate the ...
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The studies of functional features of patches of rangelands will help effectively in the detection the healthiness of arid and semi-arid rangelands, the improvement of soil conditions as well as the recognition of the effects of managerial and natural changes of rangelands. In order to investigate the function of landscape, sampling from Niatak region of Sistan was conducted in the same condition that had some native plant species such as Alhagi camelorum and Salsola rigida and two planted species namely Tamarix ramosissima and Haloxylon persicum. Effect of these plant pots was investigated on characteristics of ecosystem function. 4 transect with 150 meters long was established and 11 soil surface indices was determined by using of three characteristics of stability, infiltration and cycling of nutrient from LFA method. The results indicated that two planted plant species had higher function rather than native plant species and differences were significant. Tamarix ramosissima had the highest function among the native and established plant species. In general, high function in planted patches ecological could be suggested to select suitable species in restorations of similar rangeland.
Reza Yari; Esfandiar Jahantab; Gholam Ali Heshmati
Abstract
Given the importance of having data on vegetation and soil in different geographical aspect, the aim of this study is the assessment the geographical aspect's impact on Functional Potential and soil surface indicators in Chhar-Bagh Summer Rangeland, Golestan province. For the study used the method Landscape ...
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Given the importance of having data on vegetation and soil in different geographical aspect, the aim of this study is the assessment the geographical aspect's impact on Functional Potential and soil surface indicators in Chhar-Bagh Summer Rangeland, Golestan province. For the study used the method Landscape Function Analysis (LFA) and main Geographical aspect. For this purpose, in the four main geographical aspect, three transects 100,m were established and along the transects type, length and width patches and interpatches were measured. To calculate the Functional Potential (Soil Stability, Infiltration and Nutrient Cycling and and Vegetation Organization Index). To investigate the functional significance potential of SAS Software and ANOVA, for mean potential functional classification of Duncan Test used. To investigate the soil surface along each transect, 5 plots and 11 indicators way quality and using the scoring tables and to check the normality of the data, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used. To investigate the significance Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test and classification of soil surface indicators grouped Duncan test was used. The results showed a significant difference between the functional potential in different geographical aspects (P> 0.05), So that the highest percentage of functional potential to the north and lowest in the East was estimated. Vegetation organization index for geographical aspects North, South, East and west were respectively 0.53, 0.43, 0.38 and 0.51. The results showed that except cryptogam cover and Micro-topography indexes, all indicators were significant in different geographical aspects (P> 0.05).
Omid Asadi Nalivan; Mohsen Mohseni Saravi; Ghavamodidn Zahedi Amiri; Ali Akbar Nazari Samani
Abstract
Sustainability is a concept that emphasizes substantially on investments conservation (natural, social and economic) toward intra-generation equity. When sustainable development is achieved an overlapping is created between ecological, economic and social classes. The goal of this study is to measure ...
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Sustainability is a concept that emphasizes substantially on investments conservation (natural, social and economic) toward intra-generation equity. When sustainable development is achieved an overlapping is created between ecological, economic and social classes. The goal of this study is to measure and evaluate watershed sustainability. In order to evaluate sustainability in Zidasht basin 1, an ecosystem approach has been used to create balance between three categories of economic, social and ecosystem. Selective variables were obtained by common assessment methods. The IUCN method was used to analysis and evaluate the sustainability of the study basin. By and large, two subjects of human welfare and ecosystem sustainability are dealt with within IUCN approach. Two criteria, six indices and 28 variables were measured in human welfare section and also four criteria and 10 indices and 35 variables were evaluated in ecosystem sustainability section. Above mentioned indices measurement using software Wellbeing Score has scored based on intervals 0-100.finall indices and criteria Arithmetic Mean method integration was completed and map was developed in GIS. Final scores for ecosystem and social and economic issues were derived equal to 51 and 49, respectively. Final results of this study based on the Barometer of Sustainability showed that sustainability of Zidasht 1 basin is moderate. This situation can be improved by ecosystem conservation and people life style quality enhancement.
Mansureh Kargar; Zeinab Jafarian; Mohadeseh Ehsani
Abstract
For the scientific and accurate management of rangeland ecosystems, having information about ecosystem as indicators of ecosystem health and function is needed. The aim of this research is to study the effects of grazing on soil surface indicators and rangeland functional properties by using Landscape ...
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For the scientific and accurate management of rangeland ecosystems, having information about ecosystem as indicators of ecosystem health and function is needed. The aim of this research is to study the effects of grazing on soil surface indicators and rangeland functional properties by using Landscape Functional Analysis (LFA) method. For this purpose, the present study was conducted in two regions, including the enclosure and outside the enclosure, Donna rangelands of Siah Bisheh watershed. Systematic sampling was carried out by three 100 m transects with 100 m interval. Along each transect, ten 1m2 plots with 10 m interval were placed. In order to compare triple indices including infiltration, stability and nutrient cycling in two regions of the enclosure and outside the enclosure, the independent T test was employed in this study. The results showed that there are significant differences among soil surface indicators except soil surface cover, perennial plants, trees and shrubs canopy, surface roughness and erosion type and severity (P < 0.05). Therefore, there are significant differences among three functional attributes of rangeland in these study regions.
ali azarnivand; Mohammad Ebrahim Banihabib
Abstract
Owing to the oncoming needs and increasing the population of Lake Urmia Watershed, providing equilibrium between water supply and demand seems quite challenging and the Lake cannot be successful in meeting its ecological demands in this critical condition. In this unfavorable situation, water resources ...
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Owing to the oncoming needs and increasing the population of Lake Urmia Watershed, providing equilibrium between water supply and demand seems quite challenging and the Lake cannot be successful in meeting its ecological demands in this critical condition. In this unfavorable situation, water resources must be managed through a sustainable context. With this knowledge in hand, a multi attributes framework was applied to investigate the preference of supply or conservation alternatives. Preference of sustainable development attributes was calculated in a pairwise hierarchical structure and instead of time-consuming conventional procedure, Absolute Measurement was used that compares qualitative scales instead of alternatives and can overcome the problem of rank reversal in pairwise comparison. Ranks of the Alternatives were evaluated by VIKOR method which can provide a set of compromise solutions instead of one solution. Due to sensitivity analysis performance, VIKOR was introduced as a robust model in ranking the water resources alternatives. With regards to the results of this two-stage hierarchical-compromising approach, dealing with Watershed crisis is depended on organized indigenous collaboration, water use optimization and protecting available natural resources. On the other hand, supplying water by structural development without sustainability consideration would not be effective.