Original Article
Amin Gharanjik; Jafar Kambouzia; Saeed Soufizadeh
Abstract
Introduction: Plants show different morphological and phonological responses to ecological conditions within their tolerable range, which are in fact part of their heredity. These changes have a key role in species survival and ecosystems sustainability. Agricultural ecosystems are very fragile due ...
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Introduction: Plants show different morphological and phonological responses to ecological conditions within their tolerable range, which are in fact part of their heredity. These changes have a key role in species survival and ecosystems sustainability. Agricultural ecosystems are very fragile due to the severe limitations of genetic diversity and biodiversity. In an agro-ecological approach, unlike current agriculture, careful consideration of the livelihood stages and other living organisms in the ecosystem is of interest, and so it is attempted to manage production as well as the optimal use of agricultural inputs. Material and methods: In order to study the phonological changes in four bread wheat genotypes (Gonbad, Karim, Koohdasht, Morvarid), at different levels of urea fertilizer application (0, 66, 200 kg/ha), a factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications in two crop years of 2014 and 2015 at Agricultural Research Station of Gonbad-e-kavoos. Results and discussion: The results of this study showed that the length of vegetative and reproductive stages in these two years are different, and the effect of urea content on these stages is not the same in different ecological conditions. Therefore, it was concluded that under different temperature and humidity conditions. it is possible to apply fertilizer management, without having a significant effect on the length of the phonological periods. Observations of this experiment showed that the stalking stage is more stable compared to the previous steps, so that the length of this stage was only 0.63 day in two years, and changes in different levels of fertilizer application did not show any significant difference in two years. It seems that the length of this period is less influenced by environmental factors than the other stages of wheat growth and in other words. it is expected to have a higher inheritance. Changes in the pregnancy stage are also relatively similar to the stalking stage. Even though the consumption of 200 kg/ha urea fertilizer slightly increased the change of the slope, in such a way that 68% slope the increase of the span of the period from the treatment until 66 kg/ha, urea fertilizer is changed into 111.9%, but the amount of this increase is only 0.75 day. It can be concluded that although the length of this stage of plant growth is more affected by environmental factors over the pregnancy stage, in general, the amount of this impact is not high. Observations of this study showed that the studied wheat cultivars (whether they are introduced for dry conditions or supplementary irrigation) during the course of their growth reached the stages of emergence of spike, flowering, and seedling 7.5 to 8.5 days later in the second year (pluvious) than the first year (lower rainfall). So that the difference between these two years for the emergence of the spike on average was 8.33 day, for flowering stage 7.72 day, and for the processing stage 7.56 day. Changes in fertilizer use in these three steps were similar in both years. Conclusion: This study is important in management and controlling the population of non-cultivated plant species, pathogens (fungi and bacteria), insects and other species in the amount and sustainability of crop production.
Original Article
Aynaz Holakoyi; Omid Ramezani; Hossein Kermanian; Faranak Mohammad Kazemi
Abstract
Introduction: Due to the hydrophilic nature of cellulose, nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) is supplied in low solid content and high viscosity. As a cost saving strategy, increasing the possible highest solid content is preferred, which is hardly feasible owing to the irreversible hydrogen bonding formation ...
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Introduction: Due to the hydrophilic nature of cellulose, nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) is supplied in low solid content and high viscosity. As a cost saving strategy, increasing the possible highest solid content is preferred, which is hardly feasible owing to the irreversible hydrogen bonding formation during drying. This phenomenon known as Hornification prevents the cellulose nanofibrils to be readily dispersed in water after being dried. This research assessed an environmentally friendly procedure for the production of water-dispersible nanofibrillated cellulose powder based on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) absorption. Material and methods: The absorption of varying amounts of CMC (0, 20 and 40 ml to constant 100 ml NFC) on cellulose nanofibrils in different temperatures of 22 °C (ambient) and 121 °C (autoclave) was investigated using conductometric titration. As the innovative part of the project, hydrodynamic properties of the dispersed NFC suspension including viscosity, turbidity, hydrodynamic specific volume, and water uptake were explored. Besides, the size of powder particles was probed by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). Results and discussion: The results indicated that in the highest addition level of CMC (40 ml) and autoclaving at 121 °C for 25 min, the highest absorption was observed, which yielded maximum results in all hydrodynamic properties compared to the control and other treated samples. On the contrary, data recorded for DLS signified that Poly Dispersity Index and the hydrodynamic diameter of the treated samples were bigger than untreated NFC, which was ascribed to the aggregation and agglomeration of cellulose particles in aqueous media. Conclusion: Based on the method presented in this research, NFC powders with suitable dispersibility were obtained after oven-drying. It is concluded that the addition of adequate CMC to NFC results in increased dispersion and waster absorption capacity. The achievements of this novel method facilitates the production, handling, and storage of NFC in industrial applications.
Original Article
Parichehr Najafi; Masoud Fehresti-Sani; Mohammad Reza Nazari; Akram Neshat
Abstract
Introduction: Considering the high transportation costs of sugar market (produced by sugar beet), the logistic management of its supply chain is of particular importance, which can reduce costs as well as air pollutants, and help with locating facilities, on-time delivery of services and customer satisfaction. ...
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Introduction: Considering the high transportation costs of sugar market (produced by sugar beet), the logistic management of its supply chain is of particular importance, which can reduce costs as well as air pollutants, and help with locating facilities, on-time delivery of services and customer satisfaction. Up until now, few studies have been conducted on the optimization of the distribution network of agricultural products in the supply chain, taking into account the economic and environmental impacts. Therefore, the present study aimed to optimize the sugar beet’s distribution network from production areas to refineries in Iran’s sugar supply chain and determine its economic and environmental impacts. In this study, in addition to comparing transport costs in the current and optimal distribution situation, changes in fuel consumption per shift in sugar beet’s distribution, reduced emissions due to the reform of the transportation network and its economic benefits in the country were also evaluated. Material and methods: The present study was carried out using data obtained from Iran's statistics center in 2014 for 10 provinces producing sugar beet’s sugar, including Western Azerbaijan, Kermanshah, Khuzestan, Fars, Yasuj, Lorestan, Semnan, Qazvin, Khorasan Razavi, and northern Khorasan and 24 demand centers. This study used a linear programming model to consider the simple transport model to analyze the data using GAMS software. Results and discussion: The implementation results of optimal transportation plan showed that the implementation of the proposed program decreased the costs of about 4.5 billion USD, equivalent to 3.84%. Also, the implementation results of the optimal transportation plan considering the environmental impacts indicated two million and 177 thousand liters reduction of gasoline and 5.7 billion rials increase in environmental benefits. Conclusion: It can be concluded that implementing an optimal transportation plan may reduce transportation costs as well as environmental pollution. Therefore, implementation of an optimal plan resulted in the reduction of transportation costs and consequently, on the final price of sugar. Based on results, it is suggested that, during transportation planning in the sugar supply chain, the proposed model in this study should be used for sugar beet transport.
Original Article
Hamidreza Kamyab; Nasim Shabani
Abstract
Introduction: Ecosystems provide a wide range of services that vary in quantity and quality depending on the type of ecosystems and their status. Estimating the ecosystem services value (ESV) is very important to support land use planning processes. Ecosystem services are under great pressure due to ...
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Introduction: Ecosystems provide a wide range of services that vary in quantity and quality depending on the type of ecosystems and their status. Estimating the ecosystem services value (ESV) is very important to support land use planning processes. Ecosystem services are under great pressure due to urban growth and its effects. The human activities that reduce ecosystem services include land use/land cover (LU/LC) change driven by agricultural activities and urban growth. In this paper, we assessed LU/LC dynamics in Golestan Province using change detection and Markov chain as inputs for ESV of different land use types to estimate the amount of services. We also used sensitivity analysis to explore the robustness of results by 50% adjustment of value coefficients. Material and methods: Golestan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran, located in the south of the Caspian Sea. In this study, multi-temporal data of LU/LC were produced from multispectral Landsat imagery acquired on two separate years (1984 and 2015). We also analyzed ecosystem service values for 2035. Markov chain was used for quantity forecasting. Markov Chain Analysis is a convenient tool for modeling land use change, when changes and processes in the landscape are difficult to describe. LU/LC data were analyzed using Ecosystem Services Value (ESV) for different biomes. Results and discussion: Land cover classification indicated that settlements were the most increased land cover over the study period. From 1984 to 2014, ecosystem service values of forests decreased from 1722 to 952 million dollars. Annual value of 22 ecosystem services was estimated. In terms of the estimated ESV, food production, raw materials, climate regulation, nutrient cycling, biological control, genetic diversity and recreation were reduced while the rest of ESVs were increased/decreased. The effect of using different coefficients to evaluate the total ESV in Golestan Province was evaluated. The coefficient of sensitivity (CS) of these analyses was less than one in all cases. Our results of analyses indicated that the total ecosystem values estimated for Golestan Province were relatively inelastic, which also suggests that our ecosystem value evaluation is reasonable. According to the LU/LC within the landscape, our results indicate that rangelands and forests provide a higher level of ecosystem service than others due to the relatively larger area coverage and higher value coefficients and hence a reduction in this particular component of the ecosystem hampers a balanced flow of services from the landscape. Conclusion: Ecosystem service value estimation based on LU/LC analysis is very important to indicate the changes in the amount of services through urban growth on spatial and temporal scales. Such estimations in local, regional and global scales are important in influencing land use planning processes through modifying national accounting systems to reflect the true values of ecosystem services so that it will be ultimately used as a basis for sustainable development. Another benefit could be related to land use optimization projects to increase ecosystem services.
Original Article
Ali Abolhasani Soorki; Mahnaz Mazaheri Assadi; Seyed Omid Ranaei Siadat
Abstract
Introduction: Oil pollution can cause serious and long-term damage to the environment and the health of human communities. Hydrocarbon compounds can remain in nature for a long period and become environmental pollutants. The elimination of hydrocarbon contamination is still a challenge for researchers ...
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Introduction: Oil pollution can cause serious and long-term damage to the environment and the health of human communities. Hydrocarbon compounds can remain in nature for a long period and become environmental pollutants. The elimination of hydrocarbon contamination is still a challenge for researchers of different disciplines. Bioremediation is a branch of biotechnology that can be used to eliminate these contaminants. However, most findings on the evaluation of factors affecting oil bioremediation are obtained from laboratory studies, and research in this area is very limited in pilot or field scale studies. Studies show that bioremediation agents that are effective in vitro may be significantly less effective on a large scale because laboratory studies cannot always simulate the real world's conditions due to spatial heterogeneity, biological interactions, weather effects, and restrictions on access to mineral nutrients. In this study, the performance and effectiveness of a consortium of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria were evaluated under natural conditions in a pilot scale. Material and methods: To conduct this research, a bacterial consortium of five strains of bacteria including Alcanivorax dieselolei, Thalassospira xianheensis, Rhodococcus ruber, Gracilibacillus dipsosauristrain and a Microbacterium sp. were proliferated in a 500-liters semi-industrial fermenter. Then, the microbial cells were dried by the spray-drying method after sedimentation in the fermenter and formulated on the diatomaceous powder as a stabilizing bed. By blending this microbial powder with appropriate nutrient supplements, the final formulation of the oil-degrading microbial powder was produced. A field test was conducted to evaluate the performance of this microbial powder on crude oil contaminated soils in Kharg Island. For this purpose, soils contaminated by heavy crude oil resulting from oil pipeline leakage were examined for 14 days in two separate blocks, including a control block and a bioaugmentation block treated by the petroleum-degrading microbial powder. Reduction of total petroleum hydrocarbons concentration and soil temperature changes were measured during the test period. Results and discussion: The mean of TPH in the first day was 341 mg per gram soil. In the control block, the reduction of petroleum hydrocarbons after 14 days of the experiment was 14.2%, which could be due to the activity of the population of native soil bacteria or due to physico-chemical processes such as evaporation and photo-oxidation. In contrast, in the soil treated with the petroleum-degrading microbial powder, the concentration of hydrocarbons at the end of the test period was reduced by 70.6% to 99 mg per gram soil. These results indicate the very rapid performance of this microbial consortium in the decomposition of hydrocarbons. Also, due to the increased activity of bacteria and degradation of hydrocarbons, soil temperature was increased about 11 degrees Celsius in the block treated with microbial powder. Increasing the temperature of the soil as a result of the activity of bacteria, especially in cold regions or in the cold seasons, can lead to the further increase of soil microbial population’s metabolism and increase the biodegradation efficiency. This is especially important in the case of oil pollution in Polar regions. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the use of a microbial consortium for the biological treatment of contaminated soils with very high concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons, such as crude oil spill from oil pipelines, could be beneficial. Also, the use of powdered products is an effective solution due to the ease of operation and independency from complex and expensive equipment. In addition, due to the high level of early population of bacteria that can degrade the oil, the addition of a microbial consortium can increase the temperature of the soil and increase the activity of native soil populations.
Original Article
Sadegh Partani; Seyed Mohammad Reza Madany; Mir Hassan Seyed Seraji
Abstract
Introduction: Due to the development of cities and increasing water consumption per day, a large amount of wastewater is being daily produced. The use of refined sewage in irrigating the green space prevents environmental pollution. This research was carried out to investigate the effects of refined ...
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Introduction: Due to the development of cities and increasing water consumption per day, a large amount of wastewater is being daily produced. The use of refined sewage in irrigating the green space prevents environmental pollution. This research was carried out to investigate the effects of refined sewage treatment on plant growth and its effects on physical and chemical properties of soil. Material and methods: After studying the research carried out inside and outside the country, a certain geographic area, facilities and equipment were evaluated. Then, with coordination with the related organizations, this study was carried out in Shahid Bagheri highway in Tehran. Irrigation of the plants as treatments were done as a completely randomized block design (CRD) under through two treatments (100% wastewater and 0% wastewater (well water which is current irrigation system)). Considering the irrigations as treatments for green space plants, characteristics of the applied sewage which was provided from wastewater Ekbatan treatment plant the effects of midterm period use of effluent (in one-year) physical and chemical properties of soil was carried out.the effect of irrigation with treated wastewater on the vegetative characteristics of selected species of green space (donut) by clay meter was recorded every three days regarding to the curved parts of the plant. Due to the limited amount of wastewater parameters and in order to verify and evaluate the results, the quality of the waste water was measured monthly in Ekbatan's WWTP laboratory and was compared to the standard of the Iranian Environment Organization. Results and discussion: By studying the role of wastewater on the growth and maintenance of urban green spaces in the form of a pilot study, the possibility of reuse of the wastewater from the sewage treatment plant of Ekbatan town was assessed. The aim of this study was to identify sustainable water sources in order to maximize of the wastewater recycling for the implementation of human ecology goals for sustainable development. The results showed that the effluent was in the permitted range for irrigation of green space. On the other hand, to investigate the effect of treated wastewater on the soil before and after the experiment, 18 soil samples were randomly selected, nine of which were sampled from 0 to 30 cm depth and nine others from the depths of 30 to 60 cm. All samples were mixed and transferred to the laboratory. The physico-chemical properties of the soil were measured at both depth ranges. The concentration of each element was within the standard limits, which is a proof of the non-contamination of the soil. In other words, the use of wastewater for irrigation does not lead to soil contamination and irrigation with wastewater causes an increase in the nutrition and fertility of the soil. Also, the growth rate of the organs as a function of the treatment conditions during the experiment had a significant difference. Conclusion: In general, the results of this study showed that the amount of physiological parameters of plants irrigated with wastewater was greater than that of well water. Therefore, it can be concluded that the use of wastewater for irrigation of green space is possible and has no negative effect on soil.
Original Article
Abolfazl Nasseri; Ramin Nikanfar
Abstract
Introduction: In all countries, agricultural production is dependent on energy, especially fossil fuels. About 10 to 20 percent of the total energy used in developed countries is consumed in food production. Efficient use of energy in the agricultural sector is one of the fundamental necessities for ...
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Introduction: In all countries, agricultural production is dependent on energy, especially fossil fuels. About 10 to 20 percent of the total energy used in developed countries is consumed in food production. Efficient use of energy in the agricultural sector is one of the fundamental necessities for sustainable agriculture development, because increasing energy efficiency will save fossil fuels and reduce air pollution. In addition, the global energy crisis and the need for targeted energy consumption in agricultural production make the research on energy efficiency analysis in wheat production necessary. Energy efficiency values in wheat production in the east of Urmia Lake have not been assessed so far. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of evaluating future research of energy indices, including net energy, energy efficiency, specific energy, and energy productivity as well as providing suitable and applicable solutions for improving energy indices in wheat production. Material and methods: In this research, energy productivity in two conservational and conventional tillage systems in wheat production in the east of Urmia Lake was evaluated for two years by measuring and collecting data. Energy indices such as net energy, energy efficiency, specific energy, and energy efficiency were determined in wheat production. According to the current conditions of Lake Urmia, water resources were limited and, therefore, the value of irrigation water was significant from the environmental and economic point of view. Consequently, in order to rebuild future conditions of energy consumption in wheat production, irrigation scenarios were applied as a future study strategy. Irrigation management scenarios included three conditions of full, deficit and excessive irrigation in wheat farms. Results and discussion: Energy productivity from conservational and conventional tillage systems were 210 and 170 g MJ-1, respectively. Future study scenarios were comprised of three conditions of full, deficit and over-irrigation in wheat farms. The energy consumed to produce wheat with the first (full and over-irrigation) and second (deficit irrigation) scenarios were 18.5 and 17.7 GJ ha-1, respectively. The energy produced of wheat grains by the first and second group scenarios was respectively 67.5 and 31.8 GJ ha-1. The average energy efficiency in grain production with first and second groups was 3.7 and 1.8 and energy productivity was 253 and 125 g MJ-1, respectively. The effective strategies for increasing energy productivity in wheat production in the northwest of the country may include the application of light-weighted machinery, selection of the appropriate amount of seeds, and enhancement of fertilizer and water use efficiency. Conclusion: Results revealed that in terms of energy indices, the application of the conservational tillage system is preferable over conventional tillage in wheat grain production. However, the energy indices by two tillage systems were not statistically different in wheat production. It seems that the appropriate practices of conservation tillage by appropriate selection of equipment would improve the energy indices in wheat production.
Original Article
Asadollah Akram; Majid Khanali; Mahdieh Mohammadnia Galeshklamei; Homa Hosseinzadeh-Bandbafha
Abstract
Introduction: Sustainable development necessitates the supply of energy resources in a sustainable manner, with a reasonable cost and with minimum negative social and environmental impacts. Thus the optimization of energy consumption, and as a result, the reduction of environmental emissions is of particular ...
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Introduction: Sustainable development necessitates the supply of energy resources in a sustainable manner, with a reasonable cost and with minimum negative social and environmental impacts. Thus the optimization of energy consumption, and as a result, the reduction of environmental emissions is of particular importance. The purpose of this study was to assess the amounts of consumed energy and pollutant emissions, optimization of energy consumption, and reduction in environmental emissions in the cake production industry in Guilan Province using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and genetic algorithm (GA). Material and methods: The efficient and inefficient units considering energy consumption were identified using DEA models. The optimal energy consumption pattern based on efficient units was presented for other cake production units, and the environmental assessment was performed based on the optimal pattern. Finally, using the multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) and considering two objective functions aiming at increasing the yield and reducing the global warming (GW) index, the optimal energy consumption pattern in cake production units was presented. Results and discussion: The results of this study showed that 260532.25 MJ of energy was consumed for a daily production of 4157.14 kg of cake. The highest share of energy consumption was allocated to natural gas with 128582.1 MJ. Also, GW index was calculated 13099.49 kg CO2 eq. per ton of produced cake.According to DEA results, from a total of 21 cake production units, 17 units were recognized efficient based on variable returns to scale model. Based on DEA results, the total energy consumption for optimum consumption of inputs, the energy saving percentage, and the reduction of GW index were determined 254929.28 MJ day-1, 2.15%, and 550.18 kg CO2 eq. per ton of produced cake, respectively. Also, the energy use pattern proposed by the MOGA resulted in 36.3% reduction of energy consumption, in which the highest percentage of energy savings was associated with human labor. Based on the optimization results of MOGA, GW index for production of one ton of cake was calculated 10038.44 kg CO2 eq. Conclusion: MOGA optimization method in comparison to DEA, resulted in more reduction of energy consumption, GW index, production costs, and environmental burdens as well as higher income. Thus, the use of MOGA will pave the way for achieving sustainable development in cake production industry and staying in competition with other food industries.
Original Article
Maryam Hatami; Abdorreza Vaezihir; Mohammad Hasanpour Sedghi
Abstract
Introduction: In order to reduce environmental hazards, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a legal requirement for the construction of metal processing and production factories. The purpose of this study was to assess the environmental impacts of the establishment of Sungun cathode copper factory ...
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Introduction: In order to reduce environmental hazards, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a legal requirement for the construction of metal processing and production factories. The purpose of this study was to assess the environmental impacts of the establishment of Sungun cathode copper factory using flash furnace method and also its compatibility with the environment was studied in this research. Civil part of the factory is under construction in the north of East Azarbaijan Province and is adjacent to Sungun copper mine. The location of the project site is in the vicinity of the Arasbaran Protected Area and is therefore important in terms of environmental impact in the area. Material and methods: In this study, at first library studies were carried out and then, data and information on environmental impact assessment were collected by relevant experts, and eventually the Iranian version of the Leopold Matrix (modified Leopold) was selected as the evaluation method. Next, activities during the construction phase and environmental parameters in each of the physical, biological, and socio-economic and cultural aspects of the project were determined. Then, project activities and environmental parameters were placed in columns and rows of the matrix, respectively. This matrix was bearing cells containing two values of amplitude and magnitude of the impact. The numeric value for amplitude was 1-5 and for magnitud was 5+ to 5. With the production of two amplitude and magnitude, the final score was obtained for each cell with positive or negative scores. The mean scores for each row and column of the matrix were calculated, based on which conclusions were made for the matrix. Results and discussion: To decide on this matrix, there were five modes including confirmation or rejection of the project, confirmation only with correction options, confirmation only with refinement options, and approvals with both options. The results of the evaluations showed that in the control mode (without any environmental modifications), the average environmental impact classification in less than 50% of cases was less than -3.1 in both rows and columns. In two modes of relative and full environmental correction cases, the average ranking in 50% of the cases and only in rows was less than -3.1. In the main mode, the project was placed in the "Provision of Improvement Plans and Corrective Options" category, indicating that it is impossible to implement a copper cathode project without controlling environmental impacts. In the next step, validity of the project in two modes of relative modification and complete correction of environmental impacts was re-examined. In re-calculations of relative control of environmental impacts, the negative scores of pararmeters that led to the production of gas, waste and hazardous wastewater were not adjusted and remained negative. Conclusion: Environmental assessment of the construction of a cathode copper processing plant using Flash Furnace was rejected because of the large volume of contamination even after two environmental reforms. Therefore we propose that, the athouriteis of the factory examin the possibility of other methods to produce cathode copper including hydromeatalurogic methods and a new introduced technology named SKS.
Original Article
Najmolsadat mousavi; Maryam Sharifian Sani; Sanaz Sanaye Goldouz; Gholamreza Ghaedamini Harouni; Azar Darvishi; Fatemeh Ghamarzad Sheishvan
Abstract
Introduction: The bulk of the existing environmental problems are rooted in the lack of awareness and cultural weakness in the relationship between human and nature, and it is, in fact, a kind of cultural problem. Since the institutionalization of environmental culture and education begins in childhood, ...
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Introduction: The bulk of the existing environmental problems are rooted in the lack of awareness and cultural weakness in the relationship between human and nature, and it is, in fact, a kind of cultural problem. Since the institutionalization of environmental culture and education begins in childhood, the pre-school period can be one of the most important periods of educational and cultural investment in the context of the environment. The goal of the present study was to assess and evaluate the impact of educational courses on the attitudes, and environmental knowledge and skills of students who are getting a major in Growth and Training of pre-school children in the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sci-ences, who teach pre-school children to protect the environment. Material and methods: To achieve the intended goal, 55 senior students of Growth and Training of pre-school children in the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences were selected by convenience sampling method. Three questionnaires were used to assess attitudes, knowledge, and skills about the environment and related issues. Data wereanalyzed using Paired-Sample T-Test in SPSS software. A 25% mathematical logic was used for categorizing final scores of each scale.
Results and discussion:
Validity of the used tools was investigated by content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio and their reliability were assessed by Cronbach’s alpha (internal consistency) and intra-class correlation coefficient (reliability during time). According to the results, all three tools had acceptable validity and reliability.Cronbach’s alpha values of attitude, knowledge, and skills were 0.702, 0.881, and 0.951, respectively. ICC of the three variables was cal-culated 0.665, 0.721, and 0.734, respectively. The results revealed that holding an educational course caused changes in the level of attitude (t=2.39, p=0.023, Eta2=15.2), increase in the knowledge level (t=13.31, p<0.001, Eta2=84.7) and increase in the skills of students (t=6.90, p<0.001, Eta2=59.8). According to descriptive results, it was revealed that before the intervention about 45.5% and after the intervention, 75.8% of subjects had positive attitudes towards the envi-ronment. It was also clear that before the intervention, 60.7% of the subjects had some and after the intervention 84.8% had high knowledge about the environment. It was also clear that before and after the intervention, 36.6% and 87.9% of the subjects, respectively,became highly skilled in environmental matters.
Conclusion:
According to the results, holding an educational course had the most impact on the increasing of environ-mental knowledge, then environmental skills, and finally, changing attitudes. The results of this study showed that holding environmental education courses can improve the attitude, knowledge, and skill of students.
Original Article
Asad Eyni; Mohsen Taban
Abstract
Introduction: Nowadays, cities are facing problems such as overheating caused by urban congestion, causing thermal islands and environmental problems, which make life difficult in some places. The wind flow in the urban environment is an important factor affecting the exchange of heat and moisture, particle ...
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Introduction: Nowadays, cities are facing problems such as overheating caused by urban congestion, causing thermal islands and environmental problems, which make life difficult in some places. The wind flow in the urban environment is an important factor affecting the exchange of heat and moisture, particle transport, and urban ventilation. Studies show that physical factors such as enclosure change, the elevation of buildings, and different orientations of passageways in urban texture affect the speed and direction of the wind flow. The purpose of this study was to analyze climate data related to wind flow in two urban areas of Dezful and investigate the effect of enclosure of passages on the wind flow. Material and methods: In order to carry out the study, two areas of Siah-Pushan and Gozare-Shahi in the range of historical texture of Dezful, with similar and different physical factors, were selected for the analysis of physical conditions by comparing climate data. Data on the intensity of the wind and the ambient temperature of both areas in five periods of 9 -11 am, 11am-1 pm, 2-4 pm, 4-6 pm, and 6-8 pm, and in two seasons, winter and summer, were selected. Then, the enclosure of the collected points was calculated and using the linear regression analysis, the relationship between enclosure and wind speed was assessed. Results and discussion: The results showed that the velocity of the southwest-northeast wind flow was more than other orientations. Also, surveys showed that increasing the specific enclosure can increase the wind speed by a certain magnitude. In Gozare-Shahi, the results of the regression diagrams in the winter indicated that a direct relationship exists between the enclosure of the cross-sections and the velocity of the wind. With the minimum enclosure (0.35) increasing 1.5 to 3 times, the initial velocity of wind increased up to 31- 121 percent. The results of the linear regression diagrams in Siah-Pushan indicated that with 2 to 6 times increase in the enclosure, the wind speed increases up to 1.1 to 1.8 times. The results obtained from the linear regression diagrams in Gozare-Shahi passage showed that the enclosure of passways and the velocity of the wind flow are directly correlated. With the minimum enclosure (0.35) increasing 1.5 to 3 fold, the initial velocity of the wind increased 10 to 40 percent. In Siah-Pushan range, the enclosure of transitions was directly correlated with the wind. Also, the results showed that by increasing the enclosure up to 2 to 6 times, the velocity of the wind increased 1.03 to 1.20 times. Conclusion: Increasing the velocity of the wind led to better ventilation in the urban environment. On the other hand, increasing the enclosure increased the velocity. Uniform buildings, as well as regular enclosures with the least changes, will increase the velocity of the wind stream, as well as less turbulence. Thus, increasing enclosure, as well as regular buildings, can ultimately lead to better urban environments.
Original Article
Azadeh Bakhshi; Bahman Khosravipour; Mansour Ghanian
Abstract
Introduction: Among numerous natural resources, the water accounts as an increasingly scarce resource in Iran. Especially, in South Khorasan, a province with low annual rainfall, groundwater is a vital resource for agricultural systems. In recent years, the frequent and prolonged droughts led to aquifer ...
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Introduction: Among numerous natural resources, the water accounts as an increasingly scarce resource in Iran. Especially, in South Khorasan, a province with low annual rainfall, groundwater is a vital resource for agricultural systems. In recent years, the frequent and prolonged droughts led to aquifer overexploitation by agricultural operators. Because human behavior is the most important issue in environmental challenges, changing operators’ behavior plays an important role in sustainable resource management. For this reason, the present study aimed to investigate agricultural operators’ sustainable behavior and its correlates in South Khorasan. Material and methods: The present study is practical in terms of its nature and objectives, a descriptive survey in terms of data collection, and a correlation study in terms of analyzing the data. The total statistical population was the agricultural operators from the wells in seven counties (N=49685). A Purposive-quota sampling method was used (n=381) and the total data were gathered via the use of a research-based questionnaire. In total, 273 filled questionnaires were obtained. For assessing sustainable behavior based on Tapia-Fonllem research, four dimensions named pro-ecological, equity, frugality, and altruism were assessed. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed by calculating Cronbach’s alpha coefficient which was obtained 0.70-0.88. The data were analyzed using SPSS v.22 and AMOS v.22. Results and discussion: According to descriptive analysis, 84% of respondents were the owner of the farms and around 80% were the owner of the wells. However, 92% of them had lower than 24 hours share of the well’s water. Also, 96% of farm systems were peasant. Both dependent and independent variables were analyzed via Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). However, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the goodness of the latent variables. According to the results, pro-environmental behavior, equity, frugality, and altruism initially showed fit-indices. In addition, the result of SEM showed that intention predicted 0.56 percent of variations in Sustainable groundwater behaviour (SGWB). Results of this study showed that attitudes towards drought had a positive and direct effect on the intention by 0.47 percent. In addition, environmental identity had a direct and positive effect on intention too. Subjective norm and personal obligation had a positive and indirect effect on intention variable. Also, intention and environmental behavior had a positive and direct effect on SGWB. Conclusion: It is necessary to do measures in order to conserve groundwater sustainability. Changing behavior is the most important factor to achieve this goal. According to the results of the present study, it could be concluded that if the operators of the wells have a clear attitude towards the drought and its effect, they can get a better decision on sustainable agricultural water management at farm level. In addition, if operators believe that their measures determine the sustainability of groundwater, they will try to improve their environmental identity and personal obligation. However, practical extension and education programs in environmental, social, and economic aspects can help to improve groundwater sustainable behavior among agricultural operators.
Original Article
Davood Mokhtari; Aliakbar Rasouli; Monire Moosabeigi
Abstract
Introduction: One of the most influential factors in the occurence of a flood in the spillway basins is proposed to be the unsuitable or exorbitanceuse use of lands. One of the flood management solutions is to optimize the land use allocation by considering multiple objectives and parameters. In this ...
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Introduction: One of the most influential factors in the occurence of a flood in the spillway basins is proposed to be the unsuitable or exorbitanceuse use of lands. One of the flood management solutions is to optimize the land use allocation by considering multiple objectives and parameters. In this regard, GIS capabilities could be applied as one of the novel scientific and technical methods along with taking the advantage of Artifcial intelligence capabilities, such as multi-objective genetic algorithm. This research aimed to model the land use allocation in GIS platform using NSGA-II algorithm to monitor flood crisis. Material and methods: In the designed model, using the interruptive method, land’s ecological capability was extracted and then using NSGA-II algorithm capabilities, optimal applications were obtained for various parts of the area in order to decrease the flood height as well as to increase the economic profit with the least difficult change of utilities. In the designed model, the curve number parameter (CN) was used to investigate the role of land use on the flood. Results and discussion: The results of the designed model are represented in several optimal patterns that have the same applicable value. Based on the present conditions of the studied region and the expert’s opinion, the optimal model could be executed. To evaluate the capability of the designed model, the Taleghan basin was selected which is located in Alborz Province; CN range of the study area was 83 in the searching space, while in designed output models, the lowest amount of CN, with 11% decrease compared to the current situation, was about 74.5%. Also, the economic profit growth was 52.19% in this land synthetic pattern. Conclusion: The results and achievements of this study include proposing a land use optimization model based on a multi-objective genetic algorithm for flood reduction, integrated river basin management, as well as programming in an expansive form to use in future studies.
Original Article
Mohsen Shaterian; Sedigheh Kiani Salmi; Seyede Zahra Mirdadashi Kari
Abstract
Introduction: Many believe that the occurrence of environmental problems depends on a variety of factors, including the level of awareness, and conditions and norms of the community. For this reason, it's important to know how people think about the environment, how much they know it, and how much they ...
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Introduction: Many believe that the occurrence of environmental problems depends on a variety of factors, including the level of awareness, and conditions and norms of the community. For this reason, it's important to know how people think about the environment, how much they know it, and how much they are concerned about nature and the environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of knowledge, attitude and environmental values of tourists on their environmentally friendly behavior in the city of Qom. Material and methods: This research is a descriptive-analytical study. The statistical population of the study were tourists visiting the city of Qom. The sample size was estimated 386 individuals based on Cochran formula. In total, 200 and 186 questionnaires were randomly distributed among domestic and foreign tourists, respectively. This research was conducted during spring and summer of 2017. The research instrument was a questionnaire and its validity was confirmed by the formal method and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.762). For descriptive analyzes, one-sample T-test and Spearman correlation coefficient were used with SPSS software and for structural equation modeling, AMOS software was used. Results and discussion: Worsening of the environmental problems from national to global level and from short to long term, makes it more important to pay attention to the factors affecting the environment-friendly behaviours. Experiences have shown that there are numerous environmental and social problems in areas where tourism has been developed without a framework, planning and strategy, and in the long run, tourism has created more problems than benefits. The emergence of such problems has led to the formation of environmental movements. The emergence of the idea of protecting the environment further emphasizes on the need for attention to environmental values and behaviors. Obviously, in the process of shaping behavior, many factors and variables are involved. For this reason, it is necessary to move towards a greater understanding of the complexities of the values, attitudes, and personality factors that influence particular behaviors. In the current study, the results of Spearman correlation test with a significant level of 0.776 showed that there was no relationship between the duration of stay of tourists and their environmental behavior. The results of the one-sample T-test indicated that religious tourists are satisfied and are loyal to Qom. Existence of factor loadings of 0.37, 0.41 and 0.41 for the hidden variables of knowledge, attitude and environmental valueof tourists, respectively, showed that these variables had a positive effect on the environmental behaviors of tourists at 95% confidence level. Conclusion: It should be noted that among the factors affecting the environmentally friendly behaviors, environmental attitudes of tourists have had a greater effect on their environment-frinedly behaviors. The environmental values were the second most influential factor, and the environmental values of tourists was the least influential factor on the environment-frinedly behaviors. In addition, the duration of stay was not related to the environmentally friendly behaviors of tourists.
Original Article
Elham Yusefiroobiat; Fatemeh Jahanishakib
Abstract
Introduction: Nowadays, detection and modeling land use changes using satellite imagery is a useful tool for understanding future environmental changes associated with human activities. Monitoring these changes will help us understand the development process in the past and future patterns. Land-cover ...
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Introduction: Nowadays, detection and modeling land use changes using satellite imagery is a useful tool for understanding future environmental changes associated with human activities. Monitoring these changes will help us understand the development process in the past and future patterns. Land-cover change models are important tools for analyzing the causes and consequences of shaping and expanding land uses for a better understanding of the performance of land cover systems and management and identifying sensitive areas. But applying the predicted patterns requires validation and correction of cases that the model can’t predict. In this research, using satellite imagery processing and Cellular Automated Markov chain (CA-Markov) model, agriculture and urban land use changes of Birjand watershed were modeled and predicted in 1404. Material and methods: In the present study, first land use changes were revealed and modeled using Landsat 7 in 2000, and Landsat 8 in 2014. Then, using the CA-Markov Model, land use changes in 2014 were predicted and modeled. To validate the modeling method, the consistency and inconsistency between the predicted map and the classified map were estimated on different kappa (Kstandard, Kno, Klocation, and KlocationStrata) coefficients. Validation of the changes in 2024 was predicted with high relative validity. Finally, by identifying the main drivers of developments, four scenarios of development were developed. A probable scenario based on population growth and the required area was selected among them. Results and discussion: The results of this research showed the detection, validation, prediction and correction of the model by scenario analysis. The increase in agricultural and urban lands will be 0.525 and 18.9 km2, respectively. Validating with an accuracy of over 98%, the simulation allowed prediction of future land use changes in 2024. From different scenarios, the probable scenario with an occurrence probability of 70% of the forecasted changes (scenario 3) resulting from the CA-Markov was selected according to the documentations and experts' opinions. Also, a comparison of two maps in different units resulted in a trend that by increasing the comparison units and coarse grain, the amount of the disagreement would go further towards the agreement. It is noted here that the Klocation in the cell, KlocationStrata, and Kno had the same numbers, and different from the Kstandard. Conclusion: According to the results, the spatial dimension of urban development in the north of the city was correctly identified. At the same time, the level of agricultural and urban-rural changes was less predicted. In the case of agriculture land use, this lower prediction was due to the construction of urban sewage treatment and in the case of urban land use, this difference can also be attributed to different urban growth in different periods. Also, despite the credibility and accuracy of prediction, some of the main drivers of development have no predictability by the model in the future. Therefore, it is suggested that research in predicting changes, in addition to validating the modeling approach, not only satisfy the final results, but also modify the results of the model by taking into account development drivers.
