Tarbiat Modares University (TMU) ECOPERSIA 2322-2700 14 2 2026 03 01 Spatial Analysis of Future Land-Use Impacts on Carbon Sequestration and Priority Area Identification in the Kojur Watershed using Hotspot and Moran's I Techniques 115 132 28276 10.48311/ecopersia.2026.116529.1004 EN Halime Joloro Ph.D. Student, Department of Rangeland Science and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran Province, Iran. Ghasem Ali Dianati Tilaki Associate Professor, Department of Range Management, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran Province, Iran. Hadi Memarian Associate Professor, Department of Watershed Management, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Birjand, Birjand, South Khorasan Province, Iran. Yahya Kooch Associate Professor, Department of Range Management, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran Province, Iran. Journal Article 2025 09 26 Aims: Land-use and land-cover (LULC) dynamics are central drivers of terrestrial Carbon fluxes. This study aimed to assess the spatial heterogeneity of Carbon storage in the Kojur Watershed and to determine how topographic factors influence Carbon sequestration across historical and projected timeframes. Materials & Methods: LULC maps for 2003, 2013, and 2023 were generated using satellite imagery and the Land Change Modeler (LCM). Future scenarios for 2035 and 2050 were simulated using the Cellular Automata Markov (Ca-Markov) model under a business-as-usual assumption, which projected historical land-use transitions and socio-economic trends forward. The InVEST Carbon module estimated Carbon storage in four pools: aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, litter, and soil. Spatial clustering was analyzed using Moran’s I and Getis-Ord Gi* statistics. Findings: Carbon storage showed a consistent, statistically significant clustered pattern across all years. Forests held the most Carbon (≈2.5-2.6 million tons), rangelands moderate (≈1.2-1.5 million tons), rainfed agriculture less (≈0.2-0.3 million tons), and residential areas minimal (<0.01 million tons). Moran’s I values (0.35-0.54) confirmed strong spatial dependence. Hotspot zones expanded from 28.93% in 2003 to 32.90% in 2050, while coldspots also grew slightly, indicating an increase in spatial polarization. Higher elevations and moderate slopes generally store more Carbon due to denser forest cover and reduced human activity. Conclusion: The Kojur Watershed exhibits a stable, clustered pattern of Carbon storage. Hotspot zones serve as vital Carbon reservoirs for climate mitigation. Preserving these areas and restoring low-Carbon zones offer a strategic path for sustainable resource management and enhanced ecosystem services.

https://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article_28276_711dccfb52e41f338d36458ca11cc876.pdf

Tarbiat Modares University (TMU) ECOPERSIA 2322-2700 14 2 2026 03 01 Population Structure of the Mudskipper Boleophthalmus dussumieri (Valenciennes, 1837) in the Northern Persian Gulf, Iran 133 143 28324 10.48311/ecopersia.2026.117410.82862 EN Behzad Moein Department of Marine Environmental Science, Faculty of Marine Natural Resource, Khorramshahr University of Marine Science And Technology, Iran Olyagholi Khalilipour Asistant Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Marine Natural Resource, Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology, Khorramshahr, Iran Hossein Zolgharnein Department of Marine Biotechnology, Faculty of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Khorramshahr University of Marine Science And Technology, Iran Journal Article 2025 11 06 Aims: This research examined the genetic structure of the Mudskipper Boleophthalmus dussumieri across three key intertidal zones in the north of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea, Iran. Materials & Methods: Genetic analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene in 28 samples (25 contemporary and 3 archived) from four regions evaluated diversity and structure using haplotype and nucleotide diversity indices, AMOVA, ΦST, and haplotype networks. Finding: A total of 21 haplotypes were identified from 28 individuals. Overall haplotype diversity was high (Hd = 0.942), and nucleotide diversity was moderate (π = 0.013). A hierarchical analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed significant genetic structuring among the three B. dussumieri populations surveyed. The analysis indicated that 27.87% of the total genetic variation was partitioned among populations, while the remaining 72.16% was found within populations. The overall fixation index (ΦST) was 0.72, a statistically significant value (p < 0.001), confirming high and definitive genetic differentiation across the sampling region. Conclusion: The results show a clear population-genetic pattern, marked by distinct differences between the Goban and Makran populations. In contrast, the Delvar and Khorabi populations form a single, genetically uniform cluster. These patterns align with a model of recent demographic expansion from a common ancestral source, followed by initial genetic divergence. This differentiation is influenced by current barriers to gene flow and the species’ limited dispersal ability.

https://ecopersia.modares.ac.ir/article_28324_8ade27a7849e2e133bc29dc386104bd5.pdf