علمی - پژوهشی
Marzieh Hajjarian; Omid Hosseinzadeh; Farangiz Khalledi
Volume 14, Issue 3 , October 2016, Pages 1-12
Abstract
Introduction: The phenomenon of deforestation is considered seriously by researchers as one of the most important issues in forest management. So far, many efforts have been made to identify the causes of deforestation and effective solutions have been proposed to reduce it. This study aimed to identify ...
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Introduction: The phenomenon of deforestation is considered seriously by researchers as one of the most important issues in forest management. So far, many efforts have been made to identify the causes of deforestation and effective solutions have been proposed to reduce it. This study aimed to identify and prioritize the causes of deforestation of the Hyrcanian forests in northern Iran. The results of this research can provide a basis for understanding the conditions facing Hyrcanian forest management and help managers to make more detailed plans. Material and methods: In this research, group decision making was used to identify and rank the causes of deforestation. For this purpose, two types of questionnaires were designed. The first questionnaire was used to identify causes of deforestation of Hyrcanian forest while the second questionnaire was developed with the aim of Pairwise comparisons. The data obtained from the second questionnaire was used to rank the causes of deforestation in the Hyrcanian forests using the AHP, TOPSIS, ELECTRE III and SAW methods. Finally, to achieve accurate ranking, the final ranking was done using integration methods. Results and discussion: The results showed that the weight of anthropogenic deforestation causes is much greater than the weight of natural deforestation causes; the weight of anthropogenic destruction factors was much more than natural factors. This shows that a large percentage of forest destruction in Hyrcanian forest is result of mismanagement of this forest and many human destruction factors can be stopped or modified and, while the natural factors are lower and under control, those effects can also be modified. Among the human causes of deforestation, illegal timber harvesting, invasion of forests, livestock grazing in forests and timber harvesting were the most important causes of deforestation according to forestry projects. After these factors, harvesting of wood for fuel, arson or spontaneous fires, early replacement of management and non-systematic exploitation of forests and construction development activities (road construction) were the main causes of deforestation in Hyrcanian forests. The most important of these deforestation causes were pests and spontaneous fires, respectively. In all four ranking methods (AHP, TOPSIS, ELECTRE III and SAW) ranked first to fourth respectively invasion of forested areas, The presence of livestock in the forest, illegally harvesting of wood from the forest and harvest wood as fuel, respectively. This indicates that these factors’ ranks have high stability and the total weight of each of these factors is high compared to the next factor, which means the impact of these factors on the destruction of the Hyrcanian forest is important. Conclusion: The results showed that success in the Hyrcanian forest protection plans depends on the cooperation of local and indigenous communities; because many of the environmental threats that cause destruction of the forests are the result of human activities, the success in most natural resource-related and the environmental projects depends on economic and social situations associated with the local and indigenous community living in the region.
علمی - پژوهشی
Khatereh Feyzbakhsh Vaghef; Seyed Mohammad Shobeiri; Mohammad Rezvani
Volume 14, Issue 3 , October 2016, Pages 13-26
Abstract
Introduction: Natural resources are basic resources that play a fundamental role in the economy of any country and are considered among the important tools for sustainable development. Excessive exploitation of resources introduces substantial quantities of waste into the environment. Studies show that ...
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Introduction: Natural resources are basic resources that play a fundamental role in the economy of any country and are considered among the important tools for sustainable development. Excessive exploitation of resources introduces substantial quantities of waste into the environment. Studies show that unmanaged waste disposal is the main cause of environmental problems. Any effective management programme for controlling waste includes reduced waste production, reuse, and recycling (the ‘3Rs’). In this relation, children have a constructive role to play through participating in such management programmes because they are responsible for protecting the Earth. Education is a vital element for increasing children’s participation in environmental protection. This applied research was conducted to determine the role played by non-formal education in increasing children’s awareness concerning less waste production, reuse, and waste recycling. Materials and methods: This was an applied research study in which the quasi-experimental research method was employed and it was carried out using a pre-test/post-test design involving control and experimental groups. The statistical population consisted of girls and boys in the sixth grade of two elementary schools, and a prepared questionnaire was employed as the tool for measuring the students’ information and awareness concerning the methods for producing less waste, reuse, and recycling before and after the educational programme. Validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by relevant experts and its reliability by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.8. The students were taught topics on resources available in the world, the scarcity of these resources, and the methods for less waste production, reuse, and recycling. The obtained data was analyzed for the independent groups using Levene’s test and T-test. Results and discussion: Results indicated that there is a significant difference in the girls’ mean awareness concerning less use and less waste production before and after the educational programme. Before the educational programme, the level of awareness in the pre-test group was 1.71 but, after training, it became 2.30 in the post-test group. For the boys, their level awareness in this regard also increased, from 2 in the pre-test group to 2.88 in the post-test group. Concerning reuse, the awareness level of the girls increased from 2.63 in the pre-test group to 3.59 in the post-test group and the awareness level of the boys also increased from 2.45 in the pre-test group to 3.45 in the post-test group. The results about waste recycling show that the awareness levels of the girls rose from 0.52 in the pre-test group to 0.79 in the post-test group and, with regard to the boys, results indicated that their awareness level in this regard in the pre-test group was 0.41 while, after the educational programme it became 0.82. Overall, awareness levels of the girls and boys concerning the subjects taught increased after the educational programme. However, the awareness level of the boys in this regard increased more compared to that of the girls. In addition, the awareness levels of all the students (girls and boys) concerning the subject of reuse, increased more compared to that of the other subjects, namely less use, less waste production and waste recycling. Conclusion: According to the results, the researchers suggest that geographical conditions in the various cities of Iran be considered in teaching the 3Rs to students, and information related to this management strategy be provided to students through showing films related to the subject and by using cartoons, posters, competitive games, and through teaching in the natural environment. In fact, these materials must be prepared as an amusement for the children in order to arouse their interest.
علمی - پژوهشی
Sajjad Rahimi Moghaddam; Jafar Kambouzia; Reza Deihimfard
Volume 14, Issue 3 , October 2016, Pages 27-40
Abstract
Introduction: Iran is located in an arid and semiarid region that is vulnerable to environmental changes. So, it would appear that the occurrence of climate change in this region would have a significant impact on agricultural production systems (Eyshi Rezaie and Bannayan, 2012). Climate change might ...
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Introduction: Iran is located in an arid and semiarid region that is vulnerable to environmental changes. So, it would appear that the occurrence of climate change in this region would have a significant impact on agricultural production systems (Eyshi Rezaie and Bannayan, 2012). Climate change might affect the water available for agriculture and, consequently, lead to drought occurring in semiarid areas (Koocheki et al., 2006). Evaluating adaptation strategies, such as changing the planting of dates, can help to increase maize water use efficiency under climate change conditions (Ramprasad et al., 2016). One of the cheapest ways to measure the effects of climate change on agricultural production is through a modelling approach and application of simulation models (Manschadi et al., 2010). Materials and methods: This study aims at investigating the sowing date as a strategy for maize adaptation and improving its water use efficiency under climate change conditions in Khuzestan Province. For this purpose, six locations in Khuzestan Province were selected (Ahwaz, Behbahan, Dezful, Izeh, Ramhormoz and Shushtar). Daily long-term climatic data including minimum and maximum temperatures, rainfall and global radiation in a baseline period (1980-2010) were collected for these locations from their meteorological stations. Then, daily long-term climatic data were generated for the future period of 2040-2069 in these locations by using a method proposed by AgMIP under two climate scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). In this study, the SC704 cultivar was used. Taking into account three sowing dates (4 February, 19 February [a common sowing date] and 5h March), six locations, and two climate scenarios over 30 years, a total of 1620 simulation experiments were carried out in this study. In order to simulate the growth and yield of maize under different sowing dates, the APSIM model was applied.Results and discussion: Results indicated that early sowing date (4 February) with 10117.1 kg ha-1 had a higher economical grain yield compared to 19 February (10061.3 kg ha-1 ) and 5 March (7194.6 kg ha-1 ). Also, in the future period, the reduction percentage in economical grain yield at the different sowing dates compared to the baseline common planting date (19 February) showed that the early sowing date of 4 February recorded less reduction (-3.3 and -4.5 percent under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively) than 19 February (-6.5 and -6.7 percent under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively) and 5st March (-31.1 and -23.2 percent under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively). On average in Khuzestan Province, an early sowing date indicated higher water use efficiency (WUE) )11.8 kg ha-1 mm-1 ) compared to 19 February (10.7 kg ha-1 mm-1 ) and 5 March (7.6 kg ha-1 mm-1 ) in the baseline period. However, under climate change conditions, reduction of WUE in different planting dates compared to the baseline common sowing date (19 February) revealed that 4 February (2.8 and 3.3 percent under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively) was superior compared with 19 February (-12 and -11 percent under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively) and 5 March (- 40.1 and -32.5 percent under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively) in term of WUE in Khuzestan Province. Conclusion: In general, according to the results found the common sowing date of maize in Khuzestan is not optimal for maize in terms of water use efficiency and economical grain yield. Accordingly, to increase economical grain yield and water use efficiency in both the future and baseline periods at Khuzestan Province, farmers should choose the early sowing date (4 February) compared to the common and late ones.
علمی - پژوهشی
Seyedeh Fahimeh Malekhosseini; Soolmaz Dashti
Volume 14, Issue 3 , October 2016, Pages 41-56
Abstract
Introduction: Protected areas have long been considered an important tool in maintaining the integrity of habitat and species diversity. A proper understanding of the risk factors and the importance of protected areas and their effects can provide a better grounded context for preventing and dealing ...
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Introduction: Protected areas have long been considered an important tool in maintaining the integrity of habitat and species diversity. A proper understanding of the risk factors and the importance of protected areas and their effects can provide a better grounded context for preventing and dealing with these factors as well as plan and managed protected areas. Methods and materials: This study was conducted in 2015 for the environmental risk evaluation of Dena Protected Area in Sisakht county, on the basis of multi-criteria decision-making (TOPSIS) methods. Dena Protected Area, which is located in Kohgiluyeh and Boyerahmad province, is one of the richest areas in the country in terms of biodiversity and covers an area of about 93,780 hectares. In order to identify risks in the region, according to reports, field visits, interviews with experts and environmentalists and the basic information about the area, the primary risks were identified and, with the help of the Delphi questionnaire technique based on the Likert scale, the final risks facing the region were identified. Then the TOPSIS method was used to analyze and prioritize the risks identified. Using the TOPSIS method, the risks were prioritized based on three criteria (severity, probability and sensitivity of the receptors). According to the concept of ALARP, the studied risks were divided into high risk, medium risk and low risk levels. In this study, due to the number and length of categories, the risks under study were classified under five levels of risk, namely intolerable, significant, intermediate, tolerable and inconsiderable risks. Results and discussion: In the first phase, 26 risks were identified and, finally, based on the Delphi method 18 riskswere identified in the two groups of natural disasters and environmental risks (physical, biological, socio-economic and cultural risks). Analysis and prioritizing of the identified risks showed that illegal hunting was the first priority with a Proximity Coefficient of 0.905 and release of waste resulting from the presence of tourists was the least priority with a Proximity Coefficient 0.212. Based on the ranking of risks in Dena Protected Area, 11.11 percent of risks were placed in the unbearable category, 27.8 percent risks in the significant category, 16.7 percent risks in the average category, 22.2 percent and 22.2 percent risks in the category of tolerable risks were minor in this category. The main risks in the environmental sector, which covers physical, biological, socio-economic and cultural sectors, which posed the highest threat to Dena protected area were: illegal hunting under the socio-economic sector; eradication of drug crops and pasture in the biological sector; lack of support from the rangers in the country's judicial system in the cultural sector; and impacts of destructive agricultural practices of local farmers in the physical sector. Also, in the natural environmental risk sector, erosion was identified as the most important risk. Finally, management strategies to control and reduce the risks were presented. Conclusion: Results showed that the study area is not in a good condition as the result of the current management plan. It seems the best option to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem integrity is an ecosystem-based approach to integrated management and human society; if education and an explanation of these objectives be provided for the residents of the region, this can reach its goals more quickly.
علمی - پژوهشی
Hamid Reza Tohidi Moghadam; Behzad Sani; Hossein-Ali Sheybani; Seyed Ali Mohamad Modarres Sanavy
Volume 14, Issue 3 , October 2016, Pages 57-72
Abstract
Introduction: Drought, UV radiation and increased carbon dioxide concentrations are the most important abiotic stress factors threatening human food security. In the recent decades, several studies have been carried out for understanding the individual effect of each of these factors on crop growth and ...
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Introduction: Drought, UV radiation and increased carbon dioxide concentrations are the most important abiotic stress factors threatening human food security. In the recent decades, several studies have been carried out for understanding the individual effect of each of these factors on crop growth and production. However, there is no comprehensive study encompassing the interaction between these factors on qualitative and quantitative traits of canola. Accordingly, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the role of irrigation levels, CO2 concentration levels and ultraviolet levels on two autumn cultivars of canola. Material and methods: the experiment was carried out as a Randomized Complete Block Design with a Factorial arrangement with three replications in 2013. The factors in this study included the two cultivars ‘Okapi’ and ‘Talaye’ and the irrigation strategy had two levels: normal irrigation as the control and drought stress from the flowering stage to physiological maturity (irrigation on base 60 percent of field capacity). CO2 concentration was allotted at two levels, namely ambient (400 µmol mol-1 ) and enriched (900 µmol mol-1 ) carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and ultraviolet radiation at three levels as follows: ultraviolet-A radiation (18µWcm-2 intensity), ultraviolet-B radiation (25µWcm-2 intensity) and ultraviolet-C radiation (40µWcm-2 intensity) respectively. In this study, the number of pods per plant, number of grains per pod, one thousand grain weight, grain yield and oil yield, flavonoid pigment, anthocyanin pigment and fluorescence were all determined. Results and discussion: The results showed that irrigation strategy significantly affected all the studied traits except for oil yield. Water stress significantly decreased the number of siliques per plant, number of seeds per silique, 1000-seed weight, the final yield and fluorescence but increased flavonoid and anthocyanin pigments. An increase in the CO2 level was not significant on silique number per plant, flavonoid and anthocyanin content but it significantly increased seed weight, final yield, oil yield and fluorescence in plants. The effect of UV radiation was significant on all studied traits, and UV radiation decreased all of the traits in this experiment except for flavonoid and anthocyanin pigments. Triple interaction between experimental factors was significant on seed yield and oil yield at 0.01 and 0.05 probability levels, respectively. Comparison of means indicated that either under full irrigation conditions or water stress conditions the maximum seed yield was related to 900 ppm CO2 and UVA treatment.Conclusion: Overall, elevated CO2 could ameliorate the adverse effects of UV radiation in 1000-seed weight, the final yield, oil yield and fluorescence and improve these traits.
علمی - پژوهشی
Samira Afshari; Heydar Gholizadeh; Rohollah Rezaei; Hossein Shabanali Fami
Volume 14, Issue 3 , October 2016, Pages 73-88
Abstract
Introduction: Given the increasing crisis of water resource constraints, the proper management of water resources is indispensable for increasing water use efficiency, especially in the agricultural sector which has the highest water consumption (Perez-Blanco and Gomez, 2014). In fact, water resource ...
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Introduction: Given the increasing crisis of water resource constraints, the proper management of water resources is indispensable for increasing water use efficiency, especially in the agricultural sector which has the highest water consumption (Perez-Blanco and Gomez, 2014). In fact, water resource management considers the main core of strategies to conserve water resources (Hu et al., 2014). Due to the importance of this issue, various studies have been undertaken in this respect such as those by Shahsavari (2014), Nori et al. (2014), Amirkhani et al. (2011), Mohammadi et al. (2009), Rezadoost and Allahyari (2014), Kulmatov (2014), Khalili (2012) and Panahi and Malekmohammadi (2010). Accordingly, the purpose of this research was to study the factors affecting the implementation of actions related to sustainable management of water resources among farmers in Komijan County, Markazi Province. Materials and methods: The statistical population for the research consisted of all agricultural households in the rural areas of Komijan County, of which a sample size of 300 was selected using a multiple stage sampling technique. Data was collected using a research-made questionnaire. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts and the construct validity and reliability of the research instrument were confirmed through examining model fit at the three levels of the measurement model, structural model and overall model. The Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) multivariate technique (Partial Least Squares) was used to analyze data and for this purpose, and SPSS and Smart PLS software were applied.Results and discussion: In this study, after confirming the fit of the measurement model, the structural model for research was fitted based on two indices, R2 (representing the effect of exogenous latent variables on endogenous) and Q2 (indicating the predictive power of the model). The results indicated that the values of the two indices R2 and Q2 were at appropriate levels for the second order endogenous latent variable (namely, implementation of actions related to sustainable water resource management) as well as five first order endogenous latent variables (that is, technical actions, farming actions, technological actions, control actions and reconstruction actions); this showed that the structural model had a suitable fit. Accordingly, the research hypotheses were tested based on that model. The results of the descriptive statistics showed that the mean age and farming experience of the farmers surveyed were at high levels (54.21 and 28.9 years, respectively) and, in contrast, their educational level was low (81.7 percent less than diploma). The main water resources of the farmers were semi-deep wells, aqueducts and deep wells with a frequency of 43, 28.3 and 21 percent, respectively; 7.6 percent of them used a combination of an aqueduct with at least one other source. The majority of farmers (89.3 percent) used the flood irrigation system and a small number of farmers used new irrigation methods. The results showed that the majority of farmers (90.4 percent) implemented actions related to the sustainable management of water resources at medium and low levels. The results also revealed that the variables for extension related factors (p-value=0.01, β=0.203), educational factors (p-value=0.01, β=0.229), participatory factors (p-value=0.01, β=0.223) and supportive factors (p-value=0.01, β=0.220) all had a positive and significant effect on the dependent variable. In general, these four variables explained about 41.1 percent of variances in implementation of actions related to sustainable management of water resources among farmers. Conclusion: According to the results, we could note that the sustainable management of agricultural water resources requires a multifaceted approach and it consists of a series of technical actions, farming actions, technological actions, control actions and reconstruction actions. Taking a one-dimensional look at the question and the lack of systematic approach can significantly lead to a reduction in the effectiveness of agricultural water resource management programmes.
علمی - پژوهشی
Mahdiye Rezaei; seyyed Mohammad Shobeiri; Mohammad reza Sarmadi; Maryam Larijani
Volume 14, Issue 3 , October 2016, Pages 89-106
Abstract
Introduction: The growth of social networks has led to new applications in education including formal, informal and implicit (visual, auditory and written) training that has to be defined for these tools. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of using Instagram on promoting the environmental ...
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Introduction: The growth of social networks has led to new applications in education including formal, informal and implicit (visual, auditory and written) training that has to be defined for these tools. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of using Instagram on promoting the environmental literacy of students. Given that environmental literacy has broad dimensions and ranges, to limit the issue only the main aspects of environmental literacy that include knowledge, attitude and environmental behaviour have been studied in this research. The importance of this research is that it familiarizes policymakers in environmental education with the impact of Instagram as among the ICT-based social networks for environmental education and promotion of the environmental literacy of the students who form an influential stratum of society. It also can be the basis for similar investigations in future studies aimed at examining the effects of social networks and different media, and their results can be used to optimize the future planning of this filed. Materials and methods: In terms of its purpose, this research is practical while, in terms of the data collection method, it is quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test and control groups. The study sample included 40 students from Payam e Noor University of Markazi Province selected by the covariance sampling method and randomly assigned into the study and control groups. At first, both groups took the pre-test. Afterwards, the necessary training based on the United Nations Environment Programme (2015) and the situation and culture of the country was provided in the form of video posts on the specially created Instagram page, along with the written descriptions in the period of 4 December h to 4 February 2015. After 3 months, in order to measure the effect of the environmental training sessions provided through Instagram, the students took the post-test. The data have been analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and SPSS software.Results and discussion: According to the results of the covariance analysis test and with respect to the fact that the significance level of the test in all the three variables of knowledge, attitude and environmental behaviour was 0.001 which is lower than 0.05, it can be concluded that there is a significant difference between the three variables in the pre- and post-tests; it indicates the impact of environmental education with the help of Instagram on these three dimensions and on the promotion of the students' environmental literacy. The mean comparison of the pre- and posttest results has shown that the mean variable of the post-test compared to that of the pre-test was higher in all the three variables. Also, the results of the post hoc test have shown that the mean of the Instagram group was higher than the mean of the control group for all three variables. The effect of training through Instagram for the variables of knowledge, attitude and environmental behaviour of the study group were, respectively, 0.474, 0.660 and 0.391. Conclusion: Environmental education through Instagram has a positive and significant effect on all the three dimensions of students' environmental literacy. Respectively, about 4%, 66% and 40% of the variance of knowledge, attitude and environmental behaviour of the study group can be explained exclusively by applying the training method (environmental education via Instagram).
علمی - پژوهشی
Mehrnoush Norouzi; Mostafa Bagheri Tavani; Ameneh Amirjanati; Shaghayegh Ghodrati
Volume 14, Issue 3 , October 2016, Pages 201-214
Abstract
Introduction: Heavy metal pollution of water is one of the most serious environmental problems in the world and the Caspian Sea, the largest lake in the world, is exposed to high levels of industrial, agricultural and oil pollutants. Fish species are the ultimate consumer in the food pyramid in aquatic ...
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Introduction: Heavy metal pollution of water is one of the most serious environmental problems in the world and the Caspian Sea, the largest lake in the world, is exposed to high levels of industrial, agricultural and oil pollutants. Fish species are the ultimate consumer in the food pyramid in aquatic ecosystems. Since the fish form a large part of the human diet, heavy metals enter the human body through contaminated fish. This study was conducted to measure the concentration of five heavy metals, including lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and chrome in the edible tissues (muscle) and non-edible tissue (liver and gill) of the gray mullet, Liza aurata and its seasons and living environment in the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. and also to compare their amounts with World Health Organization, Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, Food and Drug Administration standards. Materials and methods: A total of 100 adult golden gray mullet were caught from 10 sites (Including Astara, Talesh, Anzali, Rudsar, Tonekabon, Nowshahr, Fereydunkenar, Behshahr, Bandar-e Torkaman and Hojanepes) in various coastal areas near inflows of urban, agricultural and industrial waste water and along the waterfront and fishing areas. After biometry, metals were extracted from the tissue using a mixture of acid digestion and determination was conducted by graphite furnace atomic absorption system. Results and discussion: The results showed that the metal accumulation in tissue was different and significant, the concentration of the metals in the three tissues was as follows: liver>gill>muscle. Heavy metals choose their target organ based on its metabolic activity and this explains the reason why more metals accumulate in tissues such as the liver and gills compared to muscle tissue (with low metabolic activity). Liver tissue tends to be high in accumulation of heavy metals. The high concentration of metals in the context of the gills, is the first sign of contamination in the water. Mixing elements with gill mucus, full transposition of the lamella gill elements when preparing tissue for testing impossible to screw???. Metal concentrations in muscle are lower than those in liver because muscle is not the first storage place for these metals; heavy metals are first stored in the liver and then transferred to the muscle. Metal accumulation was as Pb> Cd> Cr> Hg> As. The study of heavy metals between stations, in muscle tissue was significantly different. This may be due to differences in pollutant sources in sampling areas. The accumulation of heavy metals increases from the southwest to the southeast coast. According to the Pearson test, there was the significant negative linear relationship between the Pb, Cd and As accumulation tissues by weight. Except for arsenic, there was no significant correlation between the metals with any total length. Moreover, there was a positive relationship (p<0.01) between the Pb, cd, Hg and As concentrations, with the exception of Cr. Conclusion: comparison of the data obtained for muscle tissue with the global standard level (WHO /NHMRC) showed that the concentration of the heavy metals Pb, Cr, Cd, Hg was higher than the global standard level, except for As. The least metal absorption and accumulation is in the muscle of mullet that is a source of human nutrition, followed by aquatic to the above elements. Since the concentration of the heavy metals tested above was higher than the global standard, this reflects the increasing water pollution of the Caspian Sea
