@article{ author = {Ildoromi, Alireza and SafariShad, Mahtab}, title = {Land Use Change Prediction using a Hybrid (CA-Markov) Model}, abstract ={Landsat data for 1992, 2000, and 2013 land use changes for Ekbatan Dam watershed was simulated through CA-Markov” model. Two classification methods were initially used, viz. the maximum likelihood (MAL) and support vector machine (SVM). Although both methods showed high overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient, visually MAL failed in separating land uses, particularly built up and dry lands.Therefore, the results of SVM were used for Markov Chain Model and “CA” filter to predict land use map for 2034. In order to assess the ability of “CA Markov” model, simulation for 2013was performed. Results showed that simulated map was in agreement with the existing map for2013 at 84% level. The land use map prediction showed that built up area of 0.8298 km2 in 2013 will increase to 1.02113 km2 in 2034. In contrast, irrigated agriculture will decrease from 17.33 km2 to 17.16 km2, and rain fed agriculture from 45.07 km2 to 44.49 km2. Results of this research proved the application of “CA Markov” model in simulating the land use changes.}, Keywords = {Cellular Automata model,MAL,SVM}, volume = {5}, Number = {1}, pages = {1631-1640}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-4308-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-4308-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {DahmardehGhaleno, Mohammad Reza and Sadoddin, Amir and Sheikh, Vahedberdi and SabouhiSabouni, Mahmoo}, title = {Optimal Utilization of the Chahnimeh Water Reservoirs in Sistan Region of Iran using Goal Programming Method}, abstract ={The optimal allocation of the Chahnimeh water resources among different sectors, viz. domestic, agricultural and environmental consumptions, was determined using the goal programming method in GAMS, based on the present condition in the area. Results showed an increase of 15.4, 44.5 and 230% in allocation of water to domestic, agriculture and environment sectors, respectively, in this method as compared to the present allocation. Besides, implementation of the second water transferring line to Zahedan city would resultin a 66% increase in the water transferring rate to this city without any change in water supply for domestic sector in Zabol city and the surrounding villages. The scenario of 20% reduction in water per capita consumption led to about 5.9 million cubic meters saving in water supply from Chahnimeh reservoirs to the domestic sector. According to the projected population growth for 2025 in the study area, water consumption in domestic sector will increase by 15.9%. Results showed that the goal programming can be applied as a useful tool to analyze the effect of different scenarios on water demand and supply management and, hence, to allocate water for different sectors in a most appropriate way.}, Keywords = {Chahnimeh water reservoirs,Goal programming,Optimal allocation,Sistan region}, volume = {5}, Number = {1}, pages = {1641-1654}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-4598-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-4598-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Javidfar, Abdolreza and Rouhi-Moghaddam, Einollah and Ebrahimi, Mahdieh}, title = {Some Ecological Conditions of Amygdalus scoparia Spach in Nehbandan, Eastern Iran}, abstract ={The effect of soil and topographic features on distribution of Amygdalus scoparia in Nehbandan (Iran) was investigated. Slope, aspect and altitudinal maps were overlaid to prepare a working map unit. Quantitative and qualitative traits, including height, number, collar diameter of sprout with the highest diameter, crown diameter and trunk health were recorded in 1000 m2 plots (27 plots). In each plot, soil was sampled at depth 0-30 cm. The regression model of the traits with topographical and edaphic factors showed that 70% of variations of A.scoparia sprout height was explained with calcium carbonate, 50% variations of the number of sprouts was explained with clay, and 77% variations of the crown diameter was explained with calcium carbonate. Correlation results revealed that some soil properties such as clay, potassium, organic matter, sand, acidity and lime accounted for A.scoparia distribution. Future work on other indicating factors will help us to determine the optimum range of these factors for this plant species.}, Keywords = {Amygdalus,distribution,Environmental features,Growth parameters,Nehbandan}, volume = {5}, Number = {1}, pages = {1655-1667}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-8237-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-8237-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Parsakhoo, Aidin and Ezzati, Sattar}, title = {Determining Minimum Radius Length of Circle Horizontal Curves According to Pavement Damages}, abstract ={Finding a minimum allowable radius length of a circle horizontal curve is essential to reduce earthwork cost or damage to the forest ecosystem, as well as make driving more comfortable. The present study is conducted i) to analyze different radius lengths of circle horizontal curves using an integrated approach consists of a Civil3D in concert with the field surveys, and ii) to propose a set of geometric design criteria which are more consistent with the existing condition of forest road network in Hyrcanian forest, north of Iran. Depth of the rutting (i.e., machine footprint) and soil mechanical properties are examined for a total of 36 existing horizontal curves with different radius lengths. Further, technical characteristics (i.e., stopping sight distance, horizontal sight line offset and turning speed) and a few parameters on pavement damage are included and incorporated into the research objective. No-statistical differences between radius lengths of the horizontal curve for classes of 10-15 and 16-20 m may associate with dissimilarity in the soil mechanical properties and in the dimension of the rut depth. These findings confirmed that it is therefore possible to shorten allowable radius length of a circle horizontal curve to at least 12 m under a longitudinal slope of 5% for forest road network in the north of Iran.}, Keywords = {Civil3D,Horizontal curve,Hyrcanian forests,Road network,Soil mechanics}, volume = {5}, Number = {1}, pages = {1669-1682}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-6021-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-6021-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Farajollahi, Asghar and Asgari, Hamid Reza and Ownagh, Majid and Mahboubi, Mohammad Reza and SalmanMahini, Abdolrasoul}, title = {Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Land Use Changes in Maraveh Tappeh Region, Iran}, abstract ={The socio-economic factors affecting land use changes in the Maraveh Tappeh region was determined from the viewpoint of beneficiaries and experts. The items of questionnaires designed as rating scale based on the five options Likert. Reliability of questionnaires was determined by Cronbach's alpha. Two sets of questionnaires were designed for beneficiaries and experts. Reliability of beneficiaries and experts questionnaires obtained 0.75 and 0.80, respectively. A total of 310 beneficiaries and 42 experts responded to the questionnaires. Mann-Whitney non-parametric test was used to compare the mean between the experts and beneficiaries. The reality amount of significant difference was obtained from the effect size. Rating average was used for each item and its priority. In ten items, significant difference at the 0.01 level between the viewpoints of beneficiaries and experts was observed. The high cost of living, low income of rural families and unemployment in rural areas were the top three priorities from the viewpoint of beneficiaries. The low income of rural household, the high cost of living and increasing the price of farmland were the most effective factors from the viewpoint of experts. Economic factors were the key priorities of land use change in viewpoint of both beneficiaries and experts, indicating that experts had the necessary experience and understanding of beneficiaries’ condition and were positive and important notes for policy making and management issues.}, Keywords = {Human factors,Land use management,Rural household,Villages}, volume = {5}, Number = {1}, pages = {1683-1697}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-10900-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-10900-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Parvizi, Yahya and Heshmati, Mosayeb and Gheituri, Mohamm}, title = {Intelligent Approaches to Analysing the Importance of Land Use Management in Soil Carbon Stock in a Semiarid Ecosystem, West of Iran}, abstract ={The effects of different climatic, soil, geometric, and management factors on soil organic carbon (SOC) degradation and sequestration potential was evaluated in the semi-arid zone of Mereg watershed, west of Iran. Two nonparametric methods, viz. Classification and Regression Tree (CART) and feed forward back propagation Artificial Neural Network (ANN) were compared with parametric Multivariate Linear Regression (MLR) in estimation of SOC content. Soil sampling was conducted using randomized systematic method in work unit map by overlying soil, aspect and slope maps. Results indicated that linear models had higher prediction errors. The CART with all variables (physical and management) and the ANN with 31-2-1 topology carried the highest predictive capability, explaining 81% and 76% of SOC variability, respectively. ANN models overestimated SOC content and showed a higher capability to detect the effects of management factors on SOC variations. In all the methods, management factors dominantly controlled SOC stock sequestration or degradation in different land use.}, Keywords = {CART,MLR,Neural Networks,Semi arid environment,Soil organic carbon}, volume = {5}, Number = {1}, pages = {1699-1709}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-970-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-970-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {SalehpourJam, Amin and Tabatabaei, Mahmoudreza and Sarreshtehdari, Amir}, title = {Pedological Criterion Affecting Desertification in Alluvial Fans Using AHP-ELECTRE I Technique (Case Study: Southeast of Rude-Shoor Watershed Area)}, abstract ={Pedological criterion affecting desertification in alluvial fans was investigated, for which the map of units was prepared by crossing maps of land use, geology, slope classes and grid layer created by the extension of ET Geo-Wizards in ArcGIS 10.3. Three indices of salinity, erodibility, and permeability of soil were considered and classified. Weights of criteria and consistency ratio were calculated by the AHP method and ELECTRE I method was used to prioritize the options. After creating the weighted super matrix and calculating the concordance and discordance matrix, the difference between dominance and defeat values were calculated. The results showed that the difference in values obtained from AHP-ELECTRE I technique varied from -15 to 16. The alluvial fans were classified into three classes of I, III, and IV from the viewpoint of pedological criterion affecting desertification by using AHP-ELECTRE I technique. Results showed that 71.99% of the area was in the low desertification potential, while 2.19% and 25.82% were in the high and very high desertification potential, respectively.}, Keywords = {Erodibility,MCDM,Permeability,Priority,Salinity}, volume = {5}, Number = {1}, pages = {1711-1729}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-10094-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-10094-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Motiee, Homayoon and McBean, Edwar}, title = {Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Groundwater Recharge for Different Soil Types-Guelph Region in Grand River Basin, Canada}, abstract ={Background: Global warming and climate change are widely indicated as important phenomena in the 21st century that cause serious impacts on the global water resources. Changes in temperature, precipitation and evaporation are occurring in regions throughout the world, resulting in changes including, runoff, streamflow and groundwater regimes, reduced water quantity and quality. Materials and Methods: Relying upon thirty years of base data (1965–1994), three global circulation models (GCM), namely GISS, GFDM and CCC, are utilized to assess impact of climate change to groundwater recharge rates between years 2010 to 2050 for the Guelph region of the Grand River Basin in Canada. The resulting groundwater recharge rates for alternative soil layers are used to assess water balance conditions, and ultimately, the percolation rate to the groundwater using the Visual-HELP model. Results: While the climate change impact assessment indicates that evaporation will increase and percolation will decrease during summer, increased percolation is indicated in winter due to additional freeze/thaw dimensions of climate change. The net effect is that the impact of climate change, based upon use of GCM models, is expected to increase groundwater recharge rate by 10% on average (7% for CCC, 10.6% for GISS and 12% for GFDM) in future.                                   Discussion and Conclusions: According to the results of this research in the Guelph region, the monthly average percolation rate is higher with climate change; (i) the percolation rate is increased during winter due to freeze/thaw effects, while (ii) it is decreased during summer due to higher evaporation rate.}, Keywords = {Climate change,GCM models,Grand River Basin,Groundwater,Guelph,Visual-HELP}, volume = {5}, Number = {2}, pages = {1731-1744}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-9195-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-9195-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Masoudi, Masoud and jahantigh, hamidreza and Jokar, Parviz}, title = {Land Use Planning Using a Quantitative Model and Geographic Information System (GIS) In Sistan Region, Iran}, abstract ={Background: Land use planning is a science that determines the type of land use through studying the ecological and socio-economic characteristics of the land. Materials and Methods: A systematic method known as the Makhdoom Model was used for the analysis of maps to evaluate the land use and natural resources for future sustainable land planning of an area in Sistan region, using GIS as a tool. For this purpose, the ecological capability maps of different land uses, including forest and range, agriculture, ecotourism, rural and urban development were initially prepared by overlaying geographical maps in GIS for the study area. Then, the prioritization of land uses was assessed using a quantitative model by considering the ecological and socio-economic characteristics of the study area. Results: The results indicated that the maximum area of the proposed uses (28.7%) was related to conservation, showing this land use had high potential in the study area. Also, the minimum area of proposed uses was related to dry farming. Discussion and Conclusions: This research proved that quantitative methods can be more useful than classic methods (qualitative).}, Keywords = {Land use planning,Modified,GIS,Sistan region}, volume = {5}, Number = {2}, pages = {1745-1759}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-9055-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-9055-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Mortazavi, Samar and Saberinasab, Faezeh}, title = {Heavy Metals Assessment of Surface Sediments in Mighan Wetland Using the Sediment Quality Index}, abstract ={Background: Sediments are integral part of wetlands providing a valuable key to recognize heavy metal fluctuations in the past. Materials and Methods: The surface sediment samples were taken from thirteen sites, then prepared and digested with percholoric acid and nitric acid at 1:4 ratio, followed by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry analysis. Results: The average of total metal concentration in 13 sites were found to be 9.182, 9.514, 45.351 and 43.456 µg g-1 for Pb, Zn, Cu and Ni, respectively. Also, comparison of sediment quality indices, including contamination factor (Cf), contamination degree (Cd), and modified contamination degree (mCd)) showed that Cu contamination was significantly different from the other heavy metals, while Ni contamination was average, and Pb and Zn contaminations were low.                                   Discussion and Conclusions: This research confirms that the Mighan wetland is polluted with heavy metals and their excessive accumulation in sediments.}, Keywords = {Hakanson index,Mighan wetland,Sediment index}, volume = {5}, Number = {2}, pages = {1761-1770}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-9773-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-9773-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Mousavi, Seyedeh Zohreh and Habibnejad, Mahmood and Kavian, Ataollah and Solaimani, Karim and Khormali, Farh}, title = {Digital Mapping of Topsoil Salinity Using Remote Sensing Indices in Agh-Ghala Plain, Iran}, abstract ={Background: Soil salinization is a world-wide land degradation process in arid and semi-arid regions that leads to sever economic and social consequences. Materials and Methods: We analyzed soil salinity by two statistical linear (multiple linear regression) and non-linear (artificial neural network) models using Landsat OLI data in Agh-Ghala plain located in north east of Iran. In situ soil electrical conductivity (EC) of 156 topsoil samples (depth of 0-15cm) was also determined. A Pearson correlation between 26 spectral indices derived from Landsat OLI data and in situ measured ECs was used to apply efficient indices in assessing soil salinity. The best correlated indices such as blue, green and red bands, intensity indices (Int1, Int2), soil salinity indices (Si1, Si2, Si3, Si11, Aster-Si), vegetation Indices (NDVI, DVI, RVI, SAVI), greenness and wetness indices were used to develop two models. Results: Comparison between two estimation models showed that the performance of ANN model (R2=0.964 and RMSE=2.237) was more reliable than that of MLR model (R2=0.506 and RMSE=9.674) in monitoring and predicting soil salinity. Out of the total area, 66% and 55.8% was identified as non-saline, slightly and very slightly saline for ANN and MLR models, respectively. Conclusions: This shows that remote sensing data can be effectively used to model and map spatial variations of soil salinity. }, Keywords = {Artificial Neural Network,Electrical conductivity,Landsat OLI data,Multiple linear regression,Iran}, volume = {5}, Number = {2}, pages = {1771-1786}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-9565-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-9565-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Zeneli, Gazmend and Loca, Semiha and Diku, Abdulla and Lila, Alb}, title = {On-Site and Off-Site Effects of Land Degradation in Albania}, abstract ={Background: This paper is devoted to preliminary assessment of the economic cost of land degradation in Albania resulting from unsustainable land use, based on comparing the costs of action for dealing with land degradation versus the costs of inaction. Materials and Methods: The causes of land degradation are divided into proximate and underlying ones, which interact with each other to result in different levels of land degradation. The economic impacts of land degradation on soil uses are valued according to their typology and their different impacts have been classified spatially into on-site and off-site effects, distinguished according to the economic values that are affected. Results: The results showed that the on-site costs of soil degradation are significant, but are not be a major concern in the short run. However, on the local scale, impacts will be more substantial for the affected areas. The off-site costs of soil degradation are substantial, however. In some cases, they may exceed the on-site costs, despite the fact that a large part of the off-site costs could not be quantified. Discussion and Conclusions: Some of these issues, especially the conservation of water resources and their sustainable management to reduce sedimentation in rivers and dams, and flood risk reduction, call for immediate conservation measures.}, Keywords = {Cost,Economic assessment,Environmental impact,Land use,Sustainability}, volume = {5}, Number = {2}, pages = {1787-1797}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-4753-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-4753-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Ghazavi, Reza and MoafiRabori, Ali and AhadnejadReveshty, Mohse}, title = {Effects of Rainfall Intensity-Duration-Frequency Curves Reformation on Urban Flood Characteristics in Semiarid Environment}, abstract ={Background: A design storm is a theoretical storm event based on rainfall intensities associated with frequency of occurrence and having a set duration. Estimating design storm via rainfall intensity–duration–frequency (IDF) curves is important for hydrological planning of urban areas. Material and Methods: The impact of changes in rainfall intensity–duration–frequency (IDF) curves on flood properties in an urban area of Zanjan city was investigated, using Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). For the IDF curve generation, Sherman and Ghahreman-Abkhezr methods were compared. Results: According to results, the estimated rainfall depth and, consequently the peak runoff rate for different return periods had decreased in the recent years, except for 2-year return period. Decrease in peak runoff rate was 30, 39, 41 and 42 percent for 5-10-20 and 50-year return periods, respectively. Based on the results, for peak runoff evaluated in 50-year return period using Sherman and Ghahreman-Abkhezr hyetograph, percent of flood that occurred before the peak runoff were 27 and 22 percent, respectively. Discussion and Conclusion: Design rainfall hyetograph showed that Sherman method gave larger rainfall intensity compared to Ghahreman-Abkhezr method. Estimated peak and total runoff volume follow trend of rainfall intensity. As Ghahreman-Abkhezr method use longer and newer rainfall data for creating IDF curves, we can conclude that climate change cause change in rainfall characteristics. The runoff modeling show that main urban drainage system had enough transfer capacity against the flood condition, but survey information indicated several inundations in some flat areas, curbs and gutters. Inappropriate design and obstruction of the runoff paths via urban garbage and sediments are some parameters that could lead to such local inundation.}, Keywords = {Design storm,Flood,Rainfall IDF curve,Storm water,SWMM}, volume = {5}, Number = {2}, pages = {1799-1813}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-6081-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-6081-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Sakizadeh, Mohamad and Ghorbani, Hadi}, title = {Selenium Bio-accumulation and Bio-concentration Factors in some Plant Species in an Arid Area in Central Part of Iran}, abstract ={Background: Concentrations of Se in seven plant species (white mulberry, apricot, spindle tree, pistachio, wheat, barley, chives), and the associated soil samples were investigated in Shahrood and Damghan, Iran. Materials and Methods: Soil samples were taken from the surface zone (0-5 cm) and plough zone (5-20 cm) in 13 sampling locations. The collected soil and plant samples were taken to the laboratory, then digested usin USEPA's method and analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy technique.  Results: Since there was a significant correlation (r=0.688, p<0.01) between Se concentration in the two soil's depths, it was turned out that agricultural practices, through tillage and plough, had probably moved Se to the deeper parts of the soil in area in which agricultural activity was prevalent. The highest accumulation of Se was recorded in the chives with the average value of 0.35mg kg-1. Except for apricot, the concentrations of Se in top parts of the plants (e.g. leaf, grain, fruit) were higher than stem/stalk, implying the easy translocation of this element in the considered plant species.                    Conclusions: The highest values of bio-concentration factors were recorded in chives followed by spindle tree and wheat, whereas the lowest level was detected in pistachio.}, Keywords = {Agricultural activity,Bio-concentration factor,Soil pollution}, volume = {5}, Number = {2}, pages = {1815-1827}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-106-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-106-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {NiknahadGharmakher, Hamid and Saberi, Morteza and Heshmati, Gholamali and Barani, Hossein and Shahriyari, Alirez}, title = {Effects of Different Drought and Salinity Levels on Seed Germination of Citrullus colocynthis}, abstract ={Background: Environmental stresses, especially salinity and drought, are effective on seed germination and growth. Materials and Methods: After breaking seed dormancy by simultaneous use of leaching (48 hours) and gibberllic acid (1000 ppm), germination characteristics and seedling growth of Citrullus colocynthis from two ecotypes of Sistan-Baluchestan with six  levels of drought (0, -0.3, -0.6, -0.9, -1.2, -1.5 Mpa) and salinity (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 mM) were studied. This experiment was carried out in two different factorial experiments using completely randomized design with four replications. Statistical analysis was performed using version 18 of SPSS software and Factorial analysis of variance (general linear model) and mean comparisons were done using Duncan's multiple range test. Results: The results demonstrated that there were significant differences among different levels of drought and salinity in all measured traits (P<0.01) and a significant decrease in seed germination and seedling growth were observed with increasing levels of drought and salinity (P<0.01). The results revealed that there were significant interactions effect between ecotype and different levels of drought as well as salinity (P<0.01), so seed vigor of Zabol’ ecotype was higher than that of Saravan. Discussion and Conclusions: This species has acceptable germination at -0.6 Mpa droughts and 50 mM salinity. These issues must be considered in its intense planting in Sistan-Baluchestan province and using of Zabol’ ecotype seed is recommended.}, Keywords = {Citrullus colocynthis,Drought,Germination,Salinity,Sistan and Baluchestan}, volume = {5}, Number = {3}, pages = {903-1917}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-11809-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-11809-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Nasry, Maede and Ghorbani, Mehdi and Jafari, Mohammad and Rafiee, Hame}, title = {An Analysis of the Impact of Socio-Economic Variables upon Local Communities’ Participation in Rangeland Protection (Case study: Gomorgan Village-Malard County)}, abstract ={Background: The participation of local communities is considered as one of the major factors contributing to social and economic growth and development in rangeland management. Therefore, an analysis of variables affecting their participation contributes greatly to foreseeing the needs and fulfilling the shortages of a participation program. The present paper is an attempt to investigate the impact of socio- economic variables effecting local communities’ participation. Materials and Methods:The pilot area of the present study was Gomorgan village in Malard County (Tehran Province). Regression function was used for examining the impact of explanatory variables (socio-economic) upon participation of local communities to rangeland protection. Shazam 9 software was applied for logit regression function analysis. Results: It was found out that the variables such as age, education, bid and importance of rangelands as livestock production inputs had negative effects upon local communities’ participation in Malard’s rangeland protection, whileincome had positive effects. Conclusions: It can be concluded that enhancing the socio- economic condition of local community could be a useful tool to increase the success level of the conservation projects in rangeland management.}, Keywords = {Communities,Logit Model,Malard County,Rangelands,Socio-Economic Variables}, volume = {5}, Number = {3}, pages = {1829-1836}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-308-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-308-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Pazhouhan, Iman and Najafi, Akbar and KamkarRouhani, Abolghasem and Vahidi, Jav}, title = {Extraction of Individual Tree Parameters by Using Terrestrial Laser Scanner Data in Hyricanian Forest}, abstract ={Background: In this study for the first time terrestrial laser scanning survey was implemented on upland Hyrcanian forest, through which a and new method was applied to automatically extract DBH and tree position as a necessary step for height calculation and fitting the clustering as a circle. Materials and Methods: Tree height extracted by fixing a cylinder around the trees center. The accuracies of these methods were investigated by field measurement. Among 4 shapes fitting algorithm, Monte Carlo had more suitable result to fitting circle in each height above the ground. Results: Tree detection rates were 85% for Carpinus betulus and 87% for Diyospyrus lotus with respect to field measurement. R2 and RMSE for DBH measurement were 0.98, 2.06 cm for Carpinus betulus and 0.98, 1.26 cm for Diyospyrus lotus. Value of R2 and RMSE for height measurement were 0.96, 3.37 meters and 0.93, 3.02 meters for Carpinus betulus and Diyospyrus lotus, respectively.             Conclusions: The accuracy of DBH by TLS is very suitable, and about the height of trees we extracted underestimated value in comparison to field measurement and that we need to develop more effective algorithms in order to reach more accurate measurement of trees’ height in Hyrcanian forest.}, Keywords = {Breast height,DTM,Forest inventory,LIDAR,Point cloud}, volume = {5}, Number = {3}, pages = {1837-1847}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-4741-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-4741-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Aranyos, József Tibor and Makádi, Marianna and Orosz, Viktória and Tomócsik, Attila and Demeter, Ibolya and Mészáros, József and Blaskó, Lajos}, title = {Effect of a Long-Term Compost Treatment on the Water Management of Sandy Soil}, abstract ={Background: The large part of sandy soils in Hungary has unfavorable water management properties. Studies have shown that the sewage sludge compost, due to its high organic content, is suitable for improving structure and water management of these soils. The aim of our study was to determine the effects of the application of sewage sludge compost on physical properties of sandy soil. Materials and Methods: The experiment was established in 2003 at the Research Institute of Nyíregyháza of the University of Debrecen in Hungary to study the utilization of sewage sludge compost in agriculture. In this study, however, the changes of water retention and erodibility of soil were measured for three periods. The soil type of the experiment is Arenosol (Dystric Lamellic Arenosol). The applied compost contained sewage sludge of 40%, straw of 25%, bentonite of 5% and rhyolite of 30%. The compost is applied every 3rd year in the following amounts: 0, 9, 18 and 27 Mg ha-1 of dry matter. Results: The compost treatment had a beneficial effect on soil structure thereby reducing the runoff and sediment loss under high intensity rainfall (130 mm h-1). However, in the control plot there was significantly higher water erosion. The water retention of soil was slightly increased after compost application.                              Conclusions: The compost application improved the water management properties of sandy soil, which is connected with organic matter addition into soil. The compost treatment had a beneficial effect on soil structure thereby reducing the runoff and sediment loss.}, Keywords = {Erosion,Sandy Soil,Sewage Sludge Compost,Water management}, volume = {5}, Number = {3}, pages = {1849-1857}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-6070-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-6070-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Ebrahimy, Hamid and Rasuly, Aliakbar and Mokhtari, Davou}, title = {Development of a Web GIS System Based on the MaxEnt Approach for Wildfire Management: A Case Study of East Azerbaijan}, abstract ={Background:The online and efficient information about the spatial distribution of wildfire susceptibility and occurrence has a major role in improving of fire prevention activities. Materials and Methods: In this study a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) approach was used for modeling wildfire susceptibility in East Azerbaijan Province and a webGIS system called fire susceptibility webGIS system (FSWS) was developed to easily share and utilize data and facilities among local people and managers. The methodology was composed of three different phases. First, dependent and independent variables were produced by several methods includingimage processing technique, interpolation method and GIS analysis. Next, the wildfire susceptibility was analyzed by using a MaxEnt approach to predict the possibility of wildfire occurrence based on history of wildfire data and environmental variables (anthropogenic, topography, climate and vegetation datasets) during 2005–2015 and the model performs well in terms of accuracy, with an area under ROC curve (AUC) value of 0.909. Finally, the webGIS system was developed by up to date and proper information. Results: This webGIS system was provided from the spatial database of variables, wildfire susceptibility map, fire occurrence layers and base maps. FSWS was set up based on ArcGIS component and provided the facilities and capabilities of a web application that would be used by any user even without any prior knowledge of the GIS field. Conclusions: By FSWS, the environmental authorities will be able to design many operational plans to control the wildfires, supporting conservation managers in improving pre-fire management and raise the awareness among the local people.}, Keywords = {Data Sharing,Environmental Management,GIS,Iran,Wildfire Susceptibility}, volume = {5}, Number = {3}, pages = {1859-1873}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-1674-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-1674-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Ehsani, Mohadeseh and SheidaeKarkaj, Esmaeil and Aliloo, Fatemeh}, title = {Variation of Carbon Sequestration in Halocnemum strobilaceum and Soil under Livestock Grazing (Case Study: Salt Lands of Golestan Province, Iran)}, abstract ={Background: Grazing intensity has a major effect on soil and biomass organic carbon storage (C). Various plants and ecosytems with deiffernt charactristices have their unique responses to the grazing. Recognizing the effects of grazing intensity on C in various envrionments dominated by Halocnemum strobilaceum, such as Incheboron salt land of Golestan province, helps plannig the grazing startegies. Materials and Methods: Three grazing sites, viz. heavy grazing (in vicinity of resting point), moderate grazing (at a distance of 650 meters from resting point) and light grazing (at a distance of 2050 meters from resting point) were selceted. Sampling of soil and H. strobilaceum species was carried out with systematic-random method in Nov. 2012. In this regard, fifteen plants along the five 100 meters transects (with distance of 30m) were randomly selected and underground and abovegrond organs were extracted. The amount of biomass C was determined by combustion method. Also, soil sampling with five repetation was carried out in two depths (0-20 cm and 20-40 cm) and the amount of stored C was determined by Walkly and Black method. Results: The sum of underground and aboveground biomass C in light grazing site was more than the heavy and moderate grazing sites, which were about 1.17, 1.07 and 0.567 ton/hectare respectively. The amount of soil C for the mentioned sites were 162.56, 137,39 and 80.76 ton/hectare, respectively. Besides, the depth 0-20 cm in all sites had a higher C. The soil C comprised more than 99 percent of ecosystem total stored C (biomas and soil C) in each site. In terms of total ecosystem C, the heavy and moderate grazing site had about 84.37 and 32.20 ton/hectare less C compred to light grazing site. Conclusions: From a management perspective, it is concluded that light grazing intesity in saltalnd region can lead to maintenance of C in high level and grazing systems should avoid high stocking rates because it may adversely affect soil C. Heavy grazing has more negative effects on C compared to moderate grazing. Both soil and biomass respond similarly to different grazing intensities. The soil, especially first depth as the main resourcse of C, should be protected from detrioration to prevent C decling. In view point of C sequestration, it is suggested to plan grazing intesity in light level and protect the soil of rangelands.the five 100 meters transects (with distance of 30m) were selected and underground and abovegrond organs were extracted. The amount of biomass C was determined by combustion method. Also, soil sampling with five repetation was carried out on two depths (0-20 cm and 20-40 cm) and the amount of stored C was determined by Walkly and Black method. The results showed that the sum of underground and aboveground biomass C in light grazing site is more than the heavy and moderate grazing sites. This value is about 1.17, 1.07 and 0.567 ton/hectare for light, moderate and heavy grazing, respectively. The amount of soil C for the and soil C) in each of sites.}, Keywords = {Biomass,Carbon sequestration,Grazing intensive,Halocnemum strobilaceum,Soil}, volume = {5}, Number = {3}, pages = {1875-1883}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-6311-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-6311-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {GoliMokhtari, Leila and Ramesht, Mohammad Hossein and Momeni, Mehdi}, title = {Comparison among Allometric Relations of Some Morphometric Characteristics under Natural and Simulated Scales}, abstract ={Background: The concept of allometry states that the relative rate of change of a system unit is a constant fraction of the relative rate of change of the entire system, or of another part of the system.This concept is stated as a nonlinear relationship and has been verified in a variety of natural systems. Materials and Methods:The allometric relations in various phases of basin evolution in forms of static and dynamic models wasinvestigated.In order to study the dynamic allometry, a model consistingof two basins was developed.The evolution stages and the erosion changes caused by artificial rainfall and tectonic movements and also in static form (natural basins) were monitored. Results: The existence of allometricrelations in drainage basins that are progressing toward the equilibrium (natural basins and basins affected by erosion) are significant and verifiable.This kind of relations do not exist in tectonic affected basins that were moving away from the equilibrium. Conclusions:Allometric relations in drainage basins can define different states of system such as equilibrium. Moreover, any factor that causes the basin to move away from equilibrium needs to have an initial effect on basin relations to cause disorder in the system,and this change,in many cases,can be formulated or demonstrated by allometric model. Therefore the allometric equations could be considered an important tool in predicting the evolution of drainage basins and assessing their performance in the past and present.  }, Keywords = {Allometry,Drainage basin,Morphometric Characteristics Experimental basin,Tectonic movements}, volume = {5}, Number = {3}, pages = {1887-1901}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-427-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-427-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Tavousi, Taghi and Ghobadi, As}, title = {Evaluation of Frost Days Continuity Using Markov Chain Model: Case Study of Zabol city in Iran}, abstract ={Background: Extreme temperature events can impose serious impacts on environment and societies. Since the outbreak of cold and frost are one of the important factors of climate in many parts of Iran, utilization of a new model for predicting the continuity of these factors is necessary. Materials and Methods: This paper uses high-order categorical non-stationary Markov chains to study the occurrence of extreme cold temperature events by transition and probabilities matrixes in Zabol, southeast of Iran. The occurrence of frost days, homogeneity, continuity and spatial duration were analyzed for 30 years (April 1982- April 2012). The multivariate regression was used to modeling and mapping the statistical characteristics of frost and Kriging interpolation method in Arc/GIS was applied for its relationship. Results: The occurrence of frost days in Zabol was in conformity with Markov model characteristic that showed the continuation of frost days depended on the weather of preceding days. Discussion and Conclusions: Heavy frost in Zabol is expected to occur in Jan and Feb. Thus, frost-free day cycle duration was more than frost cycle and occurrences of frost in short term were more than long term in the studied period.}, Keywords = {Auxiliary variable methods,Daily temperature,Frost periods,Zabol}, volume = {5}, Number = {4}, pages = {1919-1932}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-12036-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-12036-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {KianiSadr, Maryam}, title = {Prediction of Airport Noise Using CadnaA Model and GIS: Case Study of IKIA Airport}, abstract ={Background: The issue of airport noise pollution is of paramount importance to communities in the vicinity of airports. Materials and Methods: The potential effects of aircraft noise at the Imam Khomeini International Airport (Iran) was investigated by employing remote sensing and the geographic information system (GIS) in conjunction with an optimization algorithm integrated with CadnaA software. CadnaA is a computer model used to develop noise exposure maps (NEMs) to determine how noise affects a specific area. The results of aircraft noise modeling with this software for three scenarios (in 2015, 2025 and 2035) are provided in the NEMs. A georeferenced GIS database was built in Envi software comprising topography and land use data, the results of the CadnaA model and project data. These maps were overlaid. Face-to-face interviews were carried out by canvassing door-to-door in the permitted survey sites near IKIA and by structural modeling of the questionnaire estimates using AMOS.7 software. Results: The results showed that the CadnaA model well simulated and predicted noise changes in different scenarios. The results of the map overlay indicate the compatibility of existing land use around the IKIA airport with noise levels and provided alerts against the development of residential areas in the near future. Conclusions: The results of the questionnaires indicate a high LDEN correlation coefficient and irritation levels from aircraft noise. Urban development around the airport as well as an increase in the number of flights and runways at IKIA should be carefully studied.}, Keywords = {Airport noise pollution,CadnaA,Geographic information system}, volume = {5}, Number = {4}, pages = {1933-1940}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-11536-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-11536-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Shayesteh, Kamran and Ghandali, Mojtab}, title = {Evaluation of the Carrying Capacity of Semnan Using Urban Carrying Capacity Load Number Model}, abstract ={Background: Along with rapid economic growth, many natural regions, meadows, farms, etc. have been converted into unbridled urban areas. Urban development converts natural areas into districts full of buildings leading to disrupted ecological balance of the ecosystem. The carrying capacity (CC) of urban ecosystems needs to be estimated because they require large amounts of materials and energy as well as the ability of pollutant absorption in a small location. The amount of material and energy used in cities may be more than of that provided by urban CC. High consumption rate is associated with high levels of contamination that transcends the UCC. Therefore, the CC of the urban environment and its population capacity must be evaluated for urban development planning. Materials and Methods: In this study, UCC load number within the pressure-state-impact-response (PSIR) framework and 20 indicators were used to evaluate the CC and pressure on the urban ecosystem of Semnan. Results: According to the results, the load number in the district 1 was equal to 180.05with a low to moderate pressure on the urban ecosystem. The load numbers in districts 2 and 3 were respectively 230.41 and 272.86 imposing a moderate to high pressure on urban ecosystem. Conclusions: Because of the greater population density in the District 3, materials and energy consumption and waste production was higher leading to a higher pressure on the urban ecosystem.}, Keywords = {Critical Pressure,Load Number,PSIR Framework,Urban Carrying Capacity}, volume = {5}, Number = {4}, pages = {1941-1953}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-1531-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-1531-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Samadzadeh, Behnaz and Kooch, Yahya and Hosseini, Seyed Mohse}, title = {Linkages of Litter and Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Stoichiometry in a Temperate Broad -Leaved Forest Stand}, abstract ={Background: Measures of nutrient availability such as concentrations of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are important indicators of terrestrial ecosystems productivity. Current research illustrates the C, N and P stoichiometry of litter and soil in a coastal mixed forest stand, northern Iran. Materials and Methods: To this, the Carpinus betulus (CB), Acer velutinum (AV), Pterocarya fraxinifolia (PF), Quercus castaneifolia (QC) species were considered; litter and soil (0-15cm depth) samples were taken under tree canopy cover. Results: Litter and soil C: N ratio differed among the tree species, showing the highest (61.08 and 31.44) and lowest (21.90 and 3.59) under the QC and CB tree species, respectively. The litter and soil C: P ratio varied among the study sites and ranked in order of QC (52.4 and 27227.04) > PF (30 and 1465.61) > AV (15.74 and 630.54) ≈ CB (13.42 and 566.28). The higher amounts of litter N: P ratio were significantly found under QC (0.86) > PF (0.73) > CB (0.61) ≈ AV (0.55), whereas soil N: P ratio were significantly higher under CB (177.69) > PF (123.53) ≈ AV (121.60) > QC (109.25), respectively. Conclusion: We found the species that differed in traits could influence C, N and P dynamics and its stoichiometry. The Q. castaneifolia species with different root traits that resulted in different vertical and horizontal distributions of C, N and P, reflecting differences in nutrient uptake by plants and microbial dynamics, drove the biggest changes in litter and soil C, N and P.}, Keywords = {Carbon,Ecological stoichiometry,Nitrogen,Phosphorus,Tree species}, volume = {5}, Number = {4}, pages = {1955-1967}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-11505-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-11505-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Javanmaer, Zeinab and TabariKouchaksaraei, Masou}, title = {Effect of Pre-Sowing Seed Treatments on Germination Traits and Early Seedling Growth of Eldar Pine}, abstract ={Background: Seed energy and seed vigour are the most important qualitative attributes influencing plant’s growth and establishment that can be improved by techniques generally known as seed priming, which enhances the percentage, speed and uniformity of germination. Effect of various priming techniques was conducted on seed germination and seedling’s early growth of elder pine (Pinus eldarica Medw.) in Seed Technology Lab of Natural Resources Faculty, Tarbiat Modares University, Iran. Materials and Methods: Seeds were treated through hydropriming with distilled water, halopriming with NaCl at -4 and -8 bar concentrations, osmopriming with polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG 6000) at -4 and -8 bar concentrations and hormonopriming with salicylic acid (SA) at 1 and 2 mM solutions for 48 h. Un-primed dry seeds were taken as control. The seeds were kept in germinator at 20 ± 0.5 °C, 65% relative humidity and 16.8 h light/dark photoperiod for 42 days. Results: The highest germination percentage (92%) and germination speed (5.13 seeds/day) were obtained with hydropriming. The best results to improve germination energy, time to 50% germination, seedling length, seedling dry weight and seedling vigour index were achieved with hydropriming and hormonalpriming 1 and 2 mM. Osmopriming and halopriming -8 bar compared to control in most mentioned traits showed poor performance. Conclusions: Hydropriming and hormonalpriming can be suitable techniques to support nursery practices of elder pine seed in order to improve germination percentage, emergence and early seedling growth.}, Keywords = {Pinus eldarica,Priming,Seed Germination,Vigour Index}, volume = {5}, Number = {4}, pages = {1969-1980}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-2472-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-2472-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Solgi, Eisa and ShahverdiNick, Mehdi and Solgi, Mous}, title = {Threat of Copper, Zinc, Lead, and Cadmium in Alfalfa (Medicago scutellata) as Livestock Forage and Medicinal Plant}, abstract ={Background: Concentrations of 4 toxic metals, viz. Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in the soil and alfalfa samples collected from Borujerd, Iran, was determined. The capability of alfalfa to accumulate heavy metals from soils was assessed in terms of Biological Concentration Factor. Materials and Methods: The alfalfa and soil samples were collected from 20 different farms, including 13 wastewater-irrigated and seven underground-irrigated farms. After acid digestion, the samples were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: The levels of Cd, Pb, and Zn in the soils of wastewater-irrigated farms were higher than those from the groundwater-irrigated farms. With the exception of Cu, concentrations of heavy metals in the alfalfa crop were higher in wastewater-irrigated farms compared to well water. Also, in the case of BCF, both Cd and Cu values decreased with increasing metal concentration in soil. The order of BCF of heavy metals in alfalfa was in order of Cu>Cd>Zn>Pb in well water-irrigated and Zn>Cd>Cu>Pb in wastewater –irrigated samples. Discussion and Conclusions: The findings remarked that the levels of Cu, Cd, and Pb in alfalfa were exceeding the permissible levels suggested by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. These outcomes propose that the consumption of alfalfa plants is potentially threatening both animal and human health.}, Keywords = {Alfalfa,BCF,Borujerd,Heavy metal (Cu Zn,Pb and Cd),Medicinal plants}, volume = {5}, Number = {4}, pages = {1981-1990}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-11547-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-11547-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} } @article{ author = {Alizamir, Meysam and AzhdaryMoghadam, Mehdi and HashemiMonfared, Arman and Shamsipour, Aliakbar}, title = {A Hybrid Artificial Neural Network and Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm for Statistical Downscaling of Precipitation in Arid Region}, abstract ={Background: Prediction of future climate change is based on output of global climate models (GCMs). However, because of coarse spatial resolution of GCMs (tens to hundreds of kilometers), there is a need to convert GCM outputs into local meteorological and hydrological variables using a downscaling approach. Downscaling technique is a method of converting the coarse spatial resolution of GCM outputs at the regional or local scale. This study proposed a novel hybrid downscaling method based on artificial neural network (ANN) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Materials and Methods: Downscaling technique is implemented to assess the effect of climate change on a basin. The current study aims to explore a hybrid model to downscale monthly precipitation in the Minab basin, Iran. The model was proposed to downscale large scale climatic variables, based on a feed-forward ANN optimized by PSO. This optimization algorithm was employed to decide the initial weights of the neural network. The National Center for Environmental Prediction and National Centre for Atmospheric Research reanalysis datasets were utilized to select the potential predictors. The performance of the artificial neural network-particle swarm optimization model was compared with artificial neural network model which is trained by Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) algorithm. The reliability of the models were evaluated by using root mean square error and coefficient of determination (R2). Results: The results showed the robustness and reliability of the ANN-PSO model for predicting the precipitation which it performed better than the ANN-LM. It was concluded that ANN-PSO is a better technique for statistically downscaling GCM outputs to monthly precipitation than ANN-LM. Discussion and Conclusions: This method can be employed effectively to downscale large-scale climatic variables to monthly precipitation at station scale.}, Keywords = {Artificial neural network (ANN),Climate change,Multi-layer perceptron,Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO),Statistical downscaling}, volume = {5}, Number = {4}, pages = {1991-2006}, publisher = {Tarbiat Modares University}, title_fa = {}, abstract_fa ={}, keywords_fa = {}, url = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-906-en.html}, eprint = {http://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article-24-906-en.pdf}, journal = {ECOPERSIA}, issn = {2322-2700}, eissn = {2538-2152}, year = {2017} }