JOURNAL OF WETLAND ECOBIOLOGY
Year:2009 | Volume:1 | Issue:1|Papers Count:9

In this study, the surrounding area of Anzali wetland, the region between Rasht- Kaurchal road and the Caspian sea were divided into two the urban and the agricultural zones. The complexity of road network by forming the matrix of connectivity in each zones were determined and the relationship between the complexity of road network and land degradation were also survived. By the connectivity matrix of roads the values of g, b, %a, m parameters were calculated in the urban and the agricultural zones. The values g, b, %a, m were 0.37, 1.1 1.1%, 66 in urban zone and 0.4, 1.1, 2%, 60 in agricultural zone. The a %and μ showed that intersections, connectivity and availability in the urban zone were more than the agricultural zone. The g and b in agricultural zone were more than in the urban zone that according to the lesser amount of availability those can regarded as the sign of short and dense local connection of roads to the agricultural zone which can considered as the local accessing ways. Although these ways are very short but their high density may cause land scape degradation in the urban zone.

To determine the species diversity of the wintering water and shore birds within the following wetlands: Alagol, Almagol, Ajigol and Gomishan in the Golestan Province, the bird census data that were collected by the Department of Environment of the Golestan Province , were analyzed. The abundance, species richness and diversity of different groups of birds in each wetland were calculated and compared between the wetlands. Gomishan and Ajigol wetlands encompassed the highest (141858 birds in 87 species) and the lowest (486 birds in 34 species) number of birds, respectively. In all the four studied wetlands the abundance of water birds were higher than the shore birds. The highest rarified species richness and species diversity (Shannon-Wiener index) were found in Gomishan wetland, while Ajigol wetland showed a higher evenness (based on Camargo and Simpson indices) and Simpson's dominance index. Bird density were the highest in Almagol wetland. Alagol and Gomishan were the most similar wetlands with regard to their bird species composition, while Almagol and Ajigol wetlands showed the least similarity.

This survey conducted in order to determine the level of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Fe, Pb, Cr, Cd and Hg ) and the level of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) of three following station in Anzali harbor: the anchoring site of commercial ships, transporting ways of boats and marine ships. The heavy metal sepration had been done through the liquid-liquid extraction method and the concentration of heavy metal were determined by atomic absorption. The extraction of TPH from water samples were conducted according to ROPME and the level of (TPH) were determined using infrared (IR) spectrometry. The mean concentration of TPH were 2.94 mg/l and the highest level of TPH with 20.1 mg/l were recorded in spring and in the  shanbehbazar station which exceed the world standard limits the lowest level of TPH were 0.01 mg/l record in autumn. The monthly mean concentration of the following  heavy metals: Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cr, Fe and Hg were 0.751, 0.058, 0.011, 0.379, 0.007, 0.155 and 0.019 mg/l respectively. The shanbehbazar station due to entering of urban waste water, Anzali Wetland discharge, transportation of  boats and kika vessels showed the highest level of pollutant. The result showed that all heavy metal were less than permissible level except mercury Urban.

The reprodutive biology of Gammarus pulex was studied in Komehr spring, in Komehr village Fars province, South of Iran. Specimens were collected using a net with 1 mm mesh size. Water temperature, DO, PH, No2, No, Po4, Ec, K, Mg, Total hardens and TDS were measured. Biological parameters including length and wet weight of males and females, number of female having eggs, number of eggs presented in moraspum sac of female, sex ratio, egg size, fecundity and reproductive effort were studied. Maximum length was recorded in atutumn (0.9823±0.203cm and 1.42±0.24cm, male and female respectively) and reached to the Minimum length in winter and spring (for male 0.92±0.278 and 0.9±0.144 cm and for female 0.944±0.142 cm and 0.85±0.145 cm respectively). The average value of lenghth in both sex and wet weight in male increased in autumn, decreased in spring and increased again in summer. The Maximum of reproductive effort and Fecundity index were measured in summer (0.0112±0.0064 and 0.391±0.254) respectively. The number of eggs in marsopium sac, female’s wet weight, fecundity, and reproductive effort increased from autumn toward summer and egg volume increased in autumn and winter and reduced a little with increasing in egg’s number in spring and summer. All reproductive factors showed significant differences throughout the year.

In this study, the ecotourism potentials and the bioclimatic comfort of Anzali wetland were evaluated by Biker method.According to the Biker index during 6 following month: April, June, September, October, November and December due to sunny days, Anzali wetland was comfort and during 2 months July and Aguest, Anzali wetland had bioclimatic comfort in the shadow. In winter because of high precitipation, low tempreature and strong wind, Anazli wetland had undesirale condition. According to ecotourism potentials Anzali wetland had tourism potential during 8 months of year and by proper planning, suitable economical advantages were afforded.

In this study that has been done from Autumn 2007 until summer 2008 , to identify fish species composition and their abundance , seasonal sampling had been done on the fishes of Agh-Gol and Pir-Salman wetlands and the wetlands areas of Haram-Abad and Gamasiab rivers by electroschoker, cast net and beach seine. According to the results of studying on the 2983 caught fish specimens, 23 species of 4 following families were identified : Minnows (Cyprinidae), River Loaches (Balitoridae), Spiny loaches (Cobitidae) and Mosquito fishes (Poeciliidae) which had 17, 4, 1 and 1 species in the studied region , respectively. In Agh-Gol and Pir-Salman wetlands and in the wetlands areas of Haram-Abad and Gamasiab Rivers, 8, 10, 17 and 19 fish species were identified , respectively. Also 19 species of native and 4 following exotic species were identified :Carassius auratus sspp. , Cyprinus carpio , Pseudorasbora parva and Gambusia holbrooki. In Agh-Gol wetland C. auratus with 82.6%, in Pir-Salman wetland Seminemacheilus sp  with  26.9% and Alburnus mossulensis in Haram-Abad and Gamasiab Rivers (wetland areas) respectively with 32.5% and 31.8 % had the maximum abundancy. In all the studied wetlands in this project, A. mossulensis with 28.0%, C. auratus with 12.5% and Capoeta aculeata with 11.7% were the dominant fishes. Among families, Cyprinidae and Balitoridae  had constitued 78.4% and 16.8% of the total fish population of Hamedan wet lands respectively . Exotic fishes (4 species) had constituted 16.9% of the total identified specimens. Among identified specimens, Capoeta buhsei , Barbatula kermanshahensis, Squalius lepidus, Acanthobrama marmid, Seminemacheilus sp. and Oxynoemacheilus sp. had the most ecological importance. The results showed that the fish diversity in the main wetlands of  the Hamadan Province were  average.

In this study, the aquatic and semi-aquatic plants of Parishan wetland were studied during 2008 to 2009. In this area 54 species belonging to 48 genera and 28 families were identified. Najas marina and Ceratophyllum demersum were the most dominant submerged species that constituted vast populations in the waters of this area. Phragmites australis, Typha laxmanni and Scirpus wardianus were also the most frequent helophytic species that form vast and attractive populations in the margins of the area. The other dominant t helophytic and semi-aquatic species of the coasts of this wetland were Lycopus europaeus, Carex pachystylis, Cyperus pygmaeus, Juncus maritimus‚ J. rigidus and Mentha longifoli. Asteraceae (with 6 species), Papilionaceae (with 6 species), Scrophulariaceae (with 4 species) and Poaceae (with 4 species) were the largest families respectively. Juncus (with 3 species) was also the largest genus in this area. Chorologically, 50% of species were Iran-Turanin, 12/96% were Iran-Turanin and Sahara-Syndian, 7/40% were Iran–Turanin and Mediterranean and 14/81% were Cosmopolites. The biotic spectrum of this area consisted of Therophytes, Cryptophytes, Hemicryptophytes, Chamaephytes and Phanerophytes (59/25%, 33/33%, 3/70%, 1/85% and 1/85% respectively).

In this research, to study the effect of the Caspian sea water level fluctuations and upper lands seasonal floods on the Anzali wetland and its surrounding  areas, the PAN-IRS satellite image of the region, in August 2006 were provided from remote sensing center of Iran. The geocoding was done by geo control point then the thematic elevation model was created by PCI Geomatica software. By Arc map software and according to its extension and programming capability, the created thematic elevation model, the Anzali wetland borderline in 2006 and the future Anzali wetland borderlines due to the Caspian Sea water level increasing were defined. The calculated area of Anzali wetland, based on the satellite images were 16779 he. If the Anzali water level increases to 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2 m the wetland area will be 25262, 29479 and 32440 he respectively and the area of submerged agricultural lands will be 2319, 5196 and 6723 he respectively. The direct economic damage to the agriculture in this region in the situation which was predicted before,  was estimated around 38.2, 59.4 and 76.9 billion rials respectively.