Journal of Environmental Studies
Year:2015 | Volume:41 | Issue:1 (73)|Papers Count:22

Introduction: Groundwater resources in arid-semiarid zones universally suffer from problems of over-abstraction and declining water tables. In addition to the issues related to quantity, degradation of groundwater quality now assumes major importance in the arid and semiarid regions. In such areas, natural factors such as the low precipitation, combined with high evapotranspiration, result in higher in groundwater composition. Besides the natural factors, a range of human related factors might influence the chemical quality of groundwater For this reason, hydrochemical evaluation of groundwater resources, particularly in arid and semiarid regions is of great importance. Ravar plain located in Kerman province is a typical arid region with high evaporation rate and low annual rainfall. Another important feature of this area is abundant of evaporative rock units which are important in terms of quality of groundwater. Groundwater is the only source of water for drinking and irrigation purposes in the Ravar plain. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the environmental and hydrochemical properties of these resources and to determine the natural or anthropogenic factors influencing on groundwater quality.

Introduction: Climate affects, more than any other factors, the type and form of human life, so that many cities that have made or developed regardless of climatic information are suffering from weather-related problems such as air pollution, water supply and flooding etc. By using the meteorological information in designing new cities as well as developing old cities can reduce the mentioned problems. Human comfort condition, based on the definition, is a thermal condition that is comfortable for at least 80% of people. Regarding the high impact of climate on human comfort, the humankind has been always looking for a suitable usage of the local climate. It was investigated the effective bioclimatic indices over human comfort in Shiraz city and their results showed that Shiraz with having a various bioclimatic condition holds a warm to very cold climatic conditions throughout the year. Attempt was made to study the climatic comfort index in Boushehr city. His findings from THI index indicated that the months of April, May, November, December, January, February and March are appropriate in terms of climate comfort for human. Investigation on the thermal comfort was made in Shahrud-Semnan from military viewpoint. In addition, the effect of climate on the architecture of Qom city was carried out by attempted to classify the climate based on effective parameters on life quality in Markazi province. Therefore, considering the high impact of climate on the human comfort as well as the spread of urbanization, in this research this subject is studied in the megalopolis city of Tehran.

Membrane bioreactor (MBR) is an effective technology for wastewater treatment and water reuse which is becoming increasingly popular due to its numerous applications and advantages over conventional activated sludge process. This novel technology have advantages of small footprint, high concentration of mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS), high removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD), less production of excess sludge and to be reliable and simple to operate. Membrane fouling and its consequences, regarding plant maintenance and operating costs, has gained attention in recent years as a major obstacle for development of this technology. Various methods have been used to reduce membrane fouling and new solutions are frequently proposed and used.

The pollution of the aquatic environment with heavy metals and trace elements has become a worldwide problem during recent years, because they are indestructible and most of them have toxic effects on organisms. Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) added to an aquatic system by anthropogenic and natural sources are distributed during their transport between different compartments of aquatic ecosystems, such as water, sediment and biota. The main goals of present study are: 1) determine concentrations of As, Cd, Ni and Cr in water and sediment as well as their accumulation in fish, 2) Evaluating contamination and toxicological factor in the river and lake dam sediments and 3) calculate monthly fish consumption limits for carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic health.

Introduction: In the present days, there are more concerns about using Irregular use or misusing pesticides and its effects on environment and human health and this concern is to some extent that needs the programs for decreasing to use pesticides as a part of the agricultural major strategy and the other uses. The lack of basic information about pesticides in environment is a limitation for determining standard values, so according it setting up the programs for decreasing to use pesticides is possible.

Introduction: Despite the limited anthropogenic activity in Arctic regions, the levels of heavy metals are of concern and the Arctic is considered as an important global sink for mercury depletion. Mercury is not readily available to the food Web in its natural form. However, inorganic mercury are converted to organic mercury compounds by microbial processes of anaerobic organisms. MeHg is more lipophilic, highly bioaccumulative and the most toxic form of mercury. The Stablishment of industrial in the coastal zone resulted in producing and realsiay of various types of contanius in to the marine Enviromental the neighbor hoad of khormusa to Bandar Mahshar petrochemical complex could be poteutialy harm ful for marine ecosystem interms of Hg pollution. Birds are often the most numerous representatives of vertebrates in polar and subpolar regions making them ideal bioindicators of pollution. Marine birds are exposed to a wide range of trophic levels, and those at the top of the food chain are susceptible to bioaccumulation of pollutants.

Introduction: More than 90% of drinking water in cities around the world and about 40% of the agricultural water supply from groundwater resources., Thus, groundwater quality consideration issue is inevitable. One of the most important parameter which can show the quality of drinking water is nitrate concentration. Nitrate enters the groundwater and surface water through the decomposition of human and livestock wastes, industrial outputs and agricultural fertilizers leaching. Typically, the concentration of nitrate is higher in shallow groundwater and decreases with increasing depth and toward downstream due to the diffusion process, mixing and dilution with low nitrate groundwater.

Introduction: The Ardabil plain aquifer, with area about 900 km2, has high concentration amounts of nitrate in some parts. Nowadays, nitrate pollution in groundwater due to the widespread application of fertilizers and increasing of drinking water demand, has encountered consumers with problem. The adverse health effects of high nitrate levels in drinking water have been well documented.

Introduction: Public transportation system is the perfect solution to organize transportation in the city. This system reduces the demand for private car or taxi area provides economic savings. Public transport will not only reduce the use of private vehicles, but it will reduce traffic and air pollution. The public transportation system of buses to be Extremist as one of the most efficient public transportation systems mentioned. Bus terminals play an important role in the regulation of urban transportation. However, these terminals have the potential to become sources of air pollution.

Introduction: Under the principles of international law, no State has the right to use or permit the use of its territory in such a manner as to cause damage to the environment of other States. Spatial econometrics provides a powerful tool to assess the influence of the pollution of neighboring countries on a country's pollution level. Spatial spillover effects play a significant role in assessing the impact of economic growth on environmental quality, because some environmental phenomena are inherently spatial; flowing of pollution water, atmospheric pollution and the spread of epidemic phenomena causing spatial autocorrelation in Analysis of spatial econometrics. Moreover, countries can interact strongly with each other through channels such as trade, technological diffusion, capital inflows, and common political, economic and environmental policies. The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis assumes an inverted-U-shaped relationship between emissions and per capita income; In other words emissions increases up to a certain level as income goes up; after turning point, it decreases. Some studies have suggested that the shape of the EKC is a consequence of high-income countries in effect exporting their pollution to lower-income countries through international trade. In such cases, externalities can spillover the limits among countries, contributing in the explanation of environmental effects of economic growth. According to the empirical studies ignoring spatial autocorrelation and spatial heterogeneity in econometrics analysis will lead to false statistical inference. Also in new conception of common environment, planet earth composed inseparable environment which all the elements are correlated together and therefore damage to the environment and State responsibility in this regard should not be strictly limited to national borders and territories under them. The collapse of the USSR and the emergence of new states in the Caspian coastal area caused this unique sea are affected by various pollutants. Sensitive and fragile environment of the Caspian Sea for being closed sea and accumulation of pollutants have confronted this sea by ecological crisis.

Introduction: Air pollution is one of the major environmental issues in industrial cities such as Tehran, in such a way that in a certain time, this city was announced as the second polluted city in the world after New Delhi. Geographical location of this city produces a situation that air pollution does not find a way for dilution. Therefore air pollution and its reduction to an acceptable level is a very important and complicated issue in Tehran, in which several factors play different roles. Thus, in order to obtain a better identification and management of factors affecting this phenomenon, a holistic and integrated method is needed. Cause- effect models with systemic structures are suitable for studying environmental issues as well as the interactions between different parts of the environmental systems which help the environmental planners and decision makers to get to an appropriate solution. Driving force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework is a system approach for identifying key interactions between human and environment and can be used to relate the environmental issues with political levels. This tool integrates socio- economic and natural factors in one framework and makes a basis for more detail analysis. Its main goal is to introduce policy options and evaluate the efficiency of suggested measures for solving environmental problems. This research is a part of the second State of Environment (SoE) report for city of Tehran (Air pollution section). In this study, using the (DPSIR) framework, different components of air pollution in Tehran are analyzed and then proper responses are suggested.

Introduction: Cities and neighborhoods in Iran couldn’t adjust themselves to quick changes of the recent decades and have lost their quality in many aspects. due to poor planning and governance at the regional and urban design on physical function, rapid growth of large-scale migrations and inefficient policies and procedures in dealing with urban neighborhoods neglected urban neighborhoods as well as constructive role in promoting social identity, economic, physical of urban, neighborhoods problems are somehow unprecedented appearance. Vision of neighborhood sustainable development strengthened new approach of urban problems that return to concept that imagined neighborhoods as cells if urban living. Following, one of the approaches that emerged from increasing urbanization is environmental quality: as an approach that seeking “urban favorable living”. Present research based on share point of two topic: “neighborhood sustainable development” and “environment quality”. Because of deep study this research according residents satisfaction and non-satisfaction of residents’ neighborhood quality. Finally in edition of producing criteria to neighborhood sustainably assessment, proposed the process to the decision makers and managers to priorities action for improving environment quality consistent of sustainable development process. This paper intends to promote the environmental quality and people satisfaction of living in neighborhood by recognizing and prioritizing the main environmental quality factors which have effect on satisfaction of living in neighborhood.

The significance of spatial heterogeneity in understanding ecological processes has been recognized long ago. One of the earliest expressions of this recognition is the habitat heterogeneity hypothesis that links spatial heterogeneity to niche vegetation patterns formation and species coexistence. Yet, an important if not crucial aspect of landscape heterogeneity has escaped deep consideration, that is, the possible occurrence of spatial instabilities leading to self-organized heterogeneity. Self-organized heterogeneity or pattern formation, is ubiquitous in the nature. In theory, spatial patterns may provide more powerful leading indicators, as they contain more information than a single data point in a time-series. For systems that have self-organized patterns formation, there are specific signals. However, these signals tend to be specific to the particular mechanism involved and cannot be generalized to other systems. The interaction between vegetation and hydrologic processes is particularly tight in water-limited environments where a positive feedback links water redistribution and vegetation. The vegetation of these systems is commonly patterned, that is, arranged in a two phase mosaic composed of patches with high biomass cover interspersed within a low-cover or bare soil component. These patterns are strongly linked to the redistribution of runoff and resources from source areas (bare patches) to sink areas (vegetation patches) and play an important role in controlling erosion (runoff-run-on mechanism). Disturbances of such as overgrazing or aridity, can alter the structure of vegetation patterns reducing its density and or size which leads to a “leaky” system. A leaky system is less efficient at trapping runoff and sediments and loses valuable water and nutrient resources, inducing a positive-feedback loop that reinforces the degradation process. The most common vegetation pattern found in arid and semi-arid ecosystems is usually referred to as spotted or stippled and consists of dense vegetation clusters that are irregular in shape and surrounded by bare soil. Another common pattern is banded vegetation, also known as “tiger bush”, in which the dense biomass patches form bands, stripes or arcs. Banded vegetation is usually aligned along contour lines and is effective in limiting hillslope erosion. Banded patterns commonly act as closed hydrological systems, with little net outflow and sediment coming out of the system. The effect of spotted vegetation on erosion is more complex and depends on the connectivity of the bare soil areas. Depending on the spatial mechanisms that dominate in arid ecosystems, particular changes in spatial patterns may signal whether vegetation is close to collapsing into bare ground. In during the past few decades have used from mathematical countinume models for evaluation tend of vegetation pattern as, an early warning singnal for predicting desertification transitions in the arid ecosystems. In present paper, describes interaction between vegetations nonlinear dynamics, environmental disturbances and different vegetation patterns according to countinume model of GILAD. Analysis of vegetation patterns can be helpful in understanding desertification.

Introduction: Forest ecosystems have continuously downgraded due to every environmental pressure including climate change, aerosols deposits, industrial pollutions and other degradation factors. The output soon or late would be a different forest. Forest monitoring is a well-regulated and usually long running procedure, which has the ability to detect these phenomena and reactions based on aims it perceives and principals it pursues. In international agreements, the ecological forest monitoring programs, which scheduled in twenty-first agenda of biodiversity convention, titled “continuous monitoring”. As a result, countries have to commence initial studies as a duty toward international obligations.

Introduction: The phenomenon of climate change is one of the most important challenges in sustainable development, which has a negative impact on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. This will change rainfall patterns the power to increase hurricane and the risk of drought, flood and will strengthen pressure on water resources. Therefore, in order to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas content balance, Atmospheric carbon should be absorbed and sequestration in various form. Our country pastures options for research on carbon sequestration projects are. Because on the one hand, many pastures in arid and semi -arid region is located which covers an area of about 90 million hectares to be included. On the other hand, according to the UNDP, the areas capable of storing approximately one billion tons of organic carbon. In recent years, the role of grasslands as a basis for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide and carbon sequestration more important than ever given, but far more important is not a lot of research on the effects of grazing management on carbon sequestration. The present study examined the effect of management grazing and enclosure of the A. peristerus carbon sequestration.

Introduction: Environmental changes can be monitored at many scales but the scale of landscape and region has more information in support of sustainable spatial planning. The availability of remote sensing imagery provides multi-scale observation with periodic repetitions over time. Landscape and regional scales are adequately covered by satellite images. Remote sensing images provide non-average and dis-aggregated data suitable for sustainable environmental planning. The spatial arrangement of elements impacts on horizontal flows and movements across land mosaics. Hence, modification of landscape directly affects ecological processes, flows and movement. Coarse-scale monitoring focuses on the structural composition and spatial configuration at the scale of landscape or region.

Introduction: Since 1980s, the Mnemiopsis leidyi (M. leidyi) was affected on the Black Sea ecosystems. This invasive species has a negative impact on many fish biomass of the Black Sea due to competition feeding on edible zooplankton and fish eggs and larvae of Anchovies. At the same time, the possibility of arriving was estimated into the sensitive ecosystems such as the Caspian Sea. Then this species was observed in the Caspian Sea during November in 1999. In the Black Sea, some details of impact of M. leidyi on communities, habitats and ecosystems and ultimately "biological pollution levels (Bio-Pollution Level, BPL) during arrival, establishment, expansion and adjustment process from1980 to 2000 were studies. In this assessment, impact of invasive species on communities, habitats and ecosystems were classified into five groups (no effect, weak, moderate, strong and extreme).In recent years, M. leidyi was causing problems such as reducing the amount of zooplankton, an increase nutrients at water column and snow bed (Eutrophication). However no quantitative estimation has been done for ranking the impact in the Iranian basin of Caspian Sea. Therefore, this study conducted to evaluate the impact of M. leidyi on habitat in term of environment parameters.

Introduction: The current environmental challenges one of the main concern of is humanity. The issue of when more Added concern has been associated with complications. Research suggests the environmental challenges are rooted in factors in the different levels of global, regional and local levels are considered. In this case although many studies have been In Different aspects of urban environment is done, But a new look Spatial and geographical view could be new dimension of factors and environmental impact it makes evident.

Introduction: Firstly, for exploring the basis of ecotourism, we should look for the basis of literature configuring of the tourism development and emersion of sustainability though in it. Tourism planning has progressed over this period after the WWII, with an detonation of economic and marketing ideas coming to prevailing tourism planning, so as it called “Boosterism” which we cannot consider it as a model of planning at all and model of “Mass tourism” with the belief of “the more is the better” was the best idea for its tourism development. Economic approach, with marketing techniques as its tolls is the next step in tourism development. During the 1970s, the results of tourism development proceeded, was an uneven distribution of benefits, and recognition of multitude of negative tourism’s impacts became more evident, so the question of development raised up as “growth paradigm” which referred “cautionary perspective” to this school of thought which this perspective might be considered as the physical/spatial planning tradition. The summery of evolution in the Think/Idea, Model and Tools in Tourism development after WWII are mentioned in Table 1.

Introduction: The increasing growth of urbanization in recent decade and occurring most of the economic and social activities of human being in urban environments cause that the city is considered as a place a citizen spends much time and it is one of the effective and important places in which the majority of memories, experiences, emotions are formed. Thus, cities play important role in cultural construction and formation of individual and social personality of human being. Public spaces of city as composed of two elements of street and square are considered as the most important part of cities in which most routine activities of people are occurred and they play the important role in formation of social personality of human being. As urban streets cover 75% of cities are raised as the cultural symbol and defining the economic, social and cultural structure of city. Sometimes, they are the civil life position of city and occurrence of social activities of citizens in urban life and they are of great importance. Thus, organized design and their development make the social and cultural life quality of people more enriched. Today, the role of urban streets is weakened as a place for social interactions, visits, contacts and the gathering place of citizens due to the development of motorized vehicles. This caused that streets are turned into vehicle-based streets and they play communicative space role. To evaluate the quality of urban streets, based on the effective factors from the view of urban planners and considerable studies in this regard and the views of experts, Delphi method is applied to collect their views, 4 indices and 16 components as the criterion of selection of components, their share components from the view of theorists are considered in this study. These indices and components are shown in Table 1.