Journal of Natural Environment
Year:2013 | Volume:66 | Issue:2|Papers Count:13

In recent years multiple roles of wetland ecosystem and their values for human have increasingly been known, but their environmental and human life importance are usually considered to be less than their actual value. Wetlands are one of the most important critical areas in the world. Due to unique biodiversity and having high volume production, wetlands have special place from controlling role of hydraulic systems and importance of multilateral tourism, recreation, scientific, point of views. Shadegan International Wetland as one of the interesting and valuable natural landscapes of Iran has local, national and international value. In this research by using data obtained from synoptic and climatology stations in Khuzestan province and the closest area to the wetland for a period of 55 years (1957-2011) in addition using climate comfort index for tourism and GIS software edit 3/9 for interpolation, generalizing data points to zone data and incorporating maps, the appropriate periods for presence of tourists in Shadegan International Wetland were determined. Subsequently a high volume of data using Excel software version 2010 were classified and processed. The results revealed thatin April, tourism climate comfort index in the northern part of the wetland is in a good condition, while in the central and southern parts it is excellent. In addition across the region has more favorable condition in March than other month of the year has the more favorable conditions, so that reception of tourists to the area is excellent.

Environmental pollution by various pollutants is one of the most important problems of this century. At least 20 elements, including chromium have been classified in toxic metals group, that half of them are released in the environment in excessive amounts of standards. Chromium is a toxic pollutant that is widely spread in the environment and exists in cement and concrete. The aim of this study is measurement of chromium concentrations in samples of surface soil area around and inside the cement plant. 26 random samples were collected and analyzed from the inner yard of cement plant and 29 samples from different directions and radii in the range from 520-3150 m around the plant with considering topography limitations, AC/AQ techniques and sampling size number. Soil samples were prepared for flame AAS analyzing by International Standard method (ISO 11466). The chromium concentration in soil samples around the plant is 29.06±3.53 mg/kg and inside the plant samples is 42.11±11.08 mg/kg that these values are lower than the standard set for chromium (100 mg/kg). Contamination levels were estimated based on the Igeo. The indices showed a level of contamination of the metal chromium is uncontaminated to moderately contaminated. ANOVA test results showed Cr concentration difference between inside and outside the factory was significant (p value = 0.05). This factory in terms of trace element chromium is not a pollutant.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between air, noise, light and landscape pollution on job stress of staff work in high schools of different districts (1, 2, 10 and 11) of Tehran. This stress can reduce the efficiency of the personnel. The number of people participated in this research was 250, selected by random from different schools of the districts. The questionnaires were Osipow’s job stress and a questionnaire designed for determination of people’s ideas about air, noise, light and landscape pollution (pollution description questionnaire). Statistical design for the research was correlation between descriptive variables in Crosstabulation. The applied statistical analyses were Chi-Square correlation coefficient to determine any relationship between different variable, air, noise, light and landscape pollution and job stress in personnel; and t-test to compare the averages of two distinctive groups (high schools’ staff of districts 1 and 2 with districts of 10 and 11). Significant correlations were found between job stress and physical environment of the workplace, residency location, the ideas of people on dangerous effects of air pollution in their districts, being upset from noise pollution, headaches from noise and air pollution, use of neurotic drugs and smoking. There were also significant correlation between the district of residency and the people’s knowledge of environment and their smoking rates. No significant correlations were found between stress and their opinions on light and landscape pollution.

We studied cu concentration on part of Aras Riparian vegetation. Cu was selected as an index metal due to polluting the Aras River through Agarak Copper Mines drainage. Results of cu concentration in indicator plant have been examined using spss16. Considering the situation of the copper mines as well as the habitat of the indicator plant, two stations before and after the exit of the industrial wastewater from the copper mines were determined for sampling. Cyperaceae are dominate in places which the quality of Aras River is suitable and Common reed (Phragmites australis) is dominant vegetation where effluents from the copper mine enters the river. This plant was selected as an indicator species and concentration of Copper was determined by Atomic Absorption and according to the standard method (APHA) in roots of the plant during growing season. Cu concentration in roots of Phragmites australis in station 2 (30.6 ppm) after entering pollutants from copper mine is higher than station1 (5.9 ppm).

One of the most struggling issues for conservationists and wildlife managers is the climate change. This can be the necessity to develop climate condition indicators. Due to the limited movements and special habitat conditions, Pikas can be considered as reliable climate indicators. In this study, the most important climatic factors defining the distribution of this species were investigated to develop its distributional model for climatic change studies purposes and predicting wildlife movements. The distribution records of Afghan Pika in Iran in combination with the presence/absence location data in 120 points, and climatic and elevation of those locations were analyzed using a binary logistic regression. The results depicted that the most important climatic factors that describe the presence of the Afghan Pika in Iran are the monthly mean of the daily average temperature, average relative humidity, number of days with maximum 0ºc, and number of days with minimum -4oC, and the altitude. The results suggest that this model can be used as the suitable habitats for this species.

Heavy metal (HMs) pollution of aquatic environment has become a great concern in recent years. Because of their toxicity and accumulative behavior of HMs, they can make different changes in aquatic environment. HMs can enter from contaminated water into fish body by different routes and accumulate in organisms. Since, commercial aquatic animals, such as fish, are highly consumed by human being and may accumulate large amounts of some metals from the water. It is important to determine the concentration of HMs in them in order to evaluate the possible risk of their consumption for human health. This study was conducted to determine the distribution of several types of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the muscle of Tiger-toothed croaker (Otolithes ruber) caught in Bandar-e Mahshahr which is located in the north western Persian Gulf Coast of Iran (N 33o 33’. 32”, E 49o 11' 53"). Heavy metal concentrations were analyzed by using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and results showed that with the exceptional Ni and Cd, the concentrations of other HMs analyzed in fish sampled are lower than the threshold values described in literature (i.e., WHO).

Fire destroys major area of forests and rangelands in the world. Izhe, located in Khozestan province, is one of these area that was changed by this natural phenomena. The aim of this study is to determine the most important climatic factors on forest fire and its development by regression model analysis. Numbers and area of the forest fire as well as weather data for a three years period (2009-2011) were applied for this value. The results of Spearman correlation test showed that minimum and maximum temperature had a positive correlation with the burn area of the forests. The minimum and Mean of relative moisture suggested a negative correlation with forest fires. Moreover, the maximum and medium of temperature had positive correlation with forest fires.

Biomonitoring is the main way to assess the pollution status in aquatic ecosystems where Biomarkers response is used at different levels of trace contaminants on the aquatic organisms. Recently, many investigations have been focused to the genotoxic biomarker in aquatic ecosystems owing to mutagen effects of the contaminant on such environment. However, one of the fundamental problems in this area is the lack of proper maintenance protocol for transferring of biological samples with minimum damage to the laboratory. For this purpose, it is required to use appropriate conditions evaluation and standardization to avoid any possible test error analysis of the habitat situation in this matter. In this study, the Comet assay as a new method in Biomarker studies at the molecular level that is based on measuring damages reflected as strand breakage, was established to investigate the effects of three storage solutions (FBS, L-15 and PBS) on DNA integrity in red blood cell of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) at different times after blood sampling (6, 12, 24 and 48 h). Cell viability as well as was determined by trypan blue dye exclusion in time intervals. The Results of Comet assay in blood samples which has been maintained in L-15 and FBS solutions, did not exhibit significant differences in DNA damage between different times, while samples preserved 24 h in PBS indicated the significant increase in the levels of DNA damage compared to time 0 as control (P<0.05). According to the results in this study, it is appeared that media osmolarity is the most important factor in maintaining viability of red blood cells during storage in different solutions. Overall, this result indicates that the blood samples from freshwater fish can be preserved up to 48 h in FBS or L-15 mediums at 4oC in the absence of light with no significant DNA damage.

Given the potential for carbon storage in plant tissues, this approach has a serious interest in recent decades. Therefore, the ability of carbon storage in Astragalus gossypinus and Astragalus parrowianus were examined in part of alpine pastures in Kermanshah Province. After determining the representative districts, according to 4 main aspect and 5 category elevation was determined representative area. Also in each representative area 3 transect parallel to of up slope to down was placed(total 60 transect) and interval 10 m was placed plots(total 300 plot) and aerial and underground biomass carbon values of those species were measured. Regarding to the results of mean compression SNK the least of carbon storage in category elevation (1900-2100) that was determined in north aspect. Also according to the results, Astragalus parrowianus Species has more carbon storage capacity than Astragalus gossypinus species. This ability is due to more vegetation percentage and more aerial and underground biomass of Astragalus parrowianus Species in compare with Astragalus gossypinus Species. These abilities cause to more organic carbon storage of Astragalus parrowianus Species.

Life cycle study of a product is an accepted method for determining the side effects of its production process on environment during its complete life cycle. In this research, the impacts of global warming, acidification, terrestrial eutrophication and fossil resources depletion per unit yield of wheat (ton) on environment were investigated using life cycle assessment method in Marvdasht region of Fars province, and then the contribution of these impacts were determined in the country environmental effects as per capita. Information and dada were obtained through interviews, questionnaires and Agricultural Organization of Marvdasht city, Agriculture and Regional Service Centers. In this research, urea as a nitrogen fertilizer and gas oil were considered as two main inputs of wheat production system which make environmental impact. Gas oil and nitrogen used for unit yield of wheat (ton) in Marvdasht area were calculated as 21 liter and 21.3 kg, respectively. Global warming, acidification, terrestrial eutrophication and fossil resources depletion of one ton wheat production were obtained 262.09 kg co2 eq, 7.35 kg SO2 eq, 19.42 kg NOx eq and 723.04 MJ using life cycle assessment method, respectively. Normalized indicator of global warming, acidification, terrestrial eutrophication and fossil resources depletion of one ton wheat production for Iran condition were obtained 0.032, 0.141, 0.308 and 0.018, respectively. In general, nitrogen component emission due to fertilizer consumption was recognized as the most effective factor on environmental impact of wheat production.