a. alijanpour

Various measures are considered to stabilize the erodible beds such as planting. Environmental variables in the canopy cover of plants, including soil temperature and moisture, are readily indicators of planting projects success evaluation. Therefore, this study was planned to evaluate the success of Tamarix (Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb.) plantation in modulating modifying soil temperature and moisture indices in the dried-up beds of Lake Urmia. To this endFor this purpose, 15 stands of seven-year-old Tamarix shrubs were randomly systematically selected and their heights and canopy area were measured. Additionally, in four cardinal directions, the top-soil temperature and humidity were also measured in the inside and outside of the under of canopy zones (120 points in total) following the prevailing erosive winds. Afterward, tThe results were then statistically analyzed. Two-way analysis of variance showed significant differences (p<0.01) for soil temperature and humidity among the sampling points (inside and outside of the microclimate zones) and significant differences (p<0.01) for soil temperature among the cardinal directions of sampling. The mean temperature and moisture content of the soil surface in the inside and outside of the Tamarix shrubs canopy were 23.77 and 34.78 °C, and 2.95 and 1.82%, respectively. So that, a significant decrease (p<0.01; 45%) in the soil temperature and a significant increase (p<0.01; 62%) in the soil moisture content were recorded in the inside of the canopy zones in comparison to the outside zones. The findings showed that the selection of Tamarix shrubs with larger canopy and planting with higher density should be considered to improve the environmental conditions in erosion-prone deserts management programs.

Knowing the habitat conditions of forest species is one of the primary principles for understanding forest ecosystems. This research aims to study the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of wild cherry (Cerasus avium L.) in ‎different aspects and elevations, and determine the most important ecological factors affecting ‎these characteristics. The study area is Kalibar Chay and Ilgenhe Chai of Arasbaran forests in ‎Kalibar county. According to the physiographic conditions of these regions in two elevation classes, ‎‎1000-1500 and 1500-2000 m.a.s.l., and in three main geographical aspects (north, east and west), 30 ‎circle sample plots with 500 m2 were selected in wild cherry habitats. Characteristics of wild cherry such ‎as physiographic features, diameter at breast height (DBH), origin, trunk quality and canopy diameter with a diameter ‎of more than 6 cm were recorded in each sample plot. Also, soil samples were taken ‎to determine some soil properties. Results showed that the DBH of trees in the altitude range of ‎‎1000-1500 m.a.s.l. is significantly higher than the altitude range of 1500-2000 ‎m.a.s.l. It can be concluded ‎that wild cherry stems have higher growth potential in terms of elevation class at low altitudes ‎and in terms of soil conditions in deep soils and high drainage with medium moisture retention ‎capacity. It was also found that the mean of both DBH and crown diameter and the density of wild cherry in the northern ‎and eastern aspects are higher than in the western aspect. Generally, wild cherry in this region prefers the northern and eastern slopes.‎Analysis of Relevance and Redundancy (RDA), Arasbaran, elevation, geographical aspect.

Among different methods for classification, clustering is commonly used methods. Flexible-Beta clustering is successful hierarchical agglomerative clustering which is employed by ecologists as effective clustering method. The aim of the research was to detect the suitable value of beta for flexible-clustering methods. For this purpose, two different forest regions from Hyrcanian and Zagros Oak regions were selected. The clustering algorithms included Flexible-beta algorithms with five value of beta (-0.1, -0.25-, -0.4, -0.6 and -0.8). Five evaluators (Silhouette, MRPP, PARATNA, Phi coefficient) were employed on each cluster solution to evaluate different clustering algorithms. Algorithms were ranked from best to worst on each clustering evaluator for each data set. The results showed that Flexible-beta clustering with beta value -0.1 had best performance and Flexible-beta clustering with beta value -0.25 and -0.4 were proper performance in Hyrcanian regions. Flexible-beta clustering with beta value -0.25 was superior to others and Flexible-beta clustering with beta value -0.1 had the second rank. Since, choosing the most suitable clustering method is critical for achieving maximally ecological interpretable results, therefore, we suggested using flexible beta clustering with beta value equal to -0.1 and -0.25 in the studies area.

Clustering task is optimized and summarized high dimensional vegetation datasets that indicator of environmental change and gathering to interpreting pattern form ecosystem. Variety clustering methods is available and the issue is chosen proper methods. The aim of the research was compared two non-hierarchical clustering as K-means and K-medoids in forest ecosystems. For this purpose, two real datasets from Hyrcanian and Zagros forests of Iran and six simulated datasets were applied. The Hellinger transformation was employed before calculating dissimilarity matrices. Euclidean distance, Manhattan distance and Bray-Curtis dissimilarity indices were then calculated on the transformed data sets. And three evaluators including silhouette width, phi coefficient and ISAMIC were chosen. The results show that combination of Bray-Curtis dissimilarity matrices and K-means and K-medoids have first and second ranks among other clustering methods. K-means clustering is more effective in heterogenous dataset as Zagros and simulated datasets. The weakest clustering algorithm was combination between Manhattan distance and K-medoids. Also results show that Hellinger data transformation cause to improve Euclidean distance matrix. Our results indicated that combination of Bray-Curtis dissimilarity with K-means is more significant and recommended.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the vegetative and soil characteristics of ‎natural and ‎plantation stands of Nitraria schoberi on the ‎western shore of Lake Urmia. In this study ‎in ‎natural stands of N. schoberi (Jabal Kandi region) 40 plants and in plantation stands of ‎N. ‎schoberi (Jabal Kandi and Seporghan regions) seven transects with unequal lengths (containing ‎‎15 ‎individuals) were randomly selected along the planting rows. The characteristics of total height, ‎collar ‎diameter, large and small diameter of the crown, and the health of seedlings were then measured. ‎In natural stands of N. schoberi, seven soil samples were randomly taken from ‎‎the vicinity of the seedlings. In plantations stands with sampling in each transect, adjacent to the ‎‎first, eighth (middle), and last seedlings of each sample line, soil samples were taken from 0-20 cm ‎‎depth, and after mixing these three soil samples, a sample was prepared, and soil physicochemical ‎‎properties were examined in the laboratory. Results showed that there was a significant difference ‎between the vegetative characteristics of total height (m) and the average crown diameter (cm) of N. ‎schoberi seedlings in Jabalkandi natural stand (7.1±3.0 m and 463.20±0.91 cm) with two other ‎plantation ‎stands, Jabalkandi (99.03±0.0 m and 287.5±87.37 cm) and Seporghan (50.01±0.0 m and ‎‎90.4±50.31 cm). Plantation ‎ and natural habitats of N. schoberi in Jabalkandi region had poor soil ‎fertility, high pH and lighter soil. The results of this study showed that in planting N. schoberi ‎species to control the wind erosion, it is very important to pay attention to the physical and chemical ‎properties of the stand soil, and this species reacts negatively to heavy texture and high amounts of ‎clay.

Recognizing the environmental factors affecting plants structural trials and biomass is important to conserve plants as well as their ecosystem function, and services. Onobrychis aurea is a valuable forage that is distributed in the marl lands and is considered as an endangered plant species in Iran. In the present study, the ecological characteristics (plant traits) of this species has been investigated in detail.

For this purpose, structural traits and biomass of O. aurea were investigated in 12 ecological units with different topographical and soil conditions. Three soil samples were taken to 15cm depth, (0-15cm) in each ecological unit. The relationship between structural traits and species biomass with environmental factors was tested by redundancy analysis (RDA) method in 2016.

The results indicated that the soil characteristics including clay, lime and silt content play a more important role in the structural and biomass traits of O. aurea evidence show. Spatial and topographical factors, especially elevation and geographical aspects, had a smaller contribution in structural traits and species biomass in comparison with soil factors. Higher structural values were recorded in heavy textured alkaline soils. The slope percentages also have no significant effect on plant characteristics.

The present study indicated that the soil and topographic factors are very important for management of O. aurea. In general, it should also be emphasized that having good knowledge related to plant ecology as well as environmental condition could help managers to conserve and rehabilitate endangered plants.

Awareness about the effects of banqueting and fire on the vegetation in rangeland ecosystems is necessary for appropriate management. Regarding the importance of sustainable rangelands management and the lack of studies about fire and banqueting, the aim of the current study is to investigate the effect of rangeland restoration practices (banqueting with seeding) and also fire on plant functional groups in semi-arid region of Atbatan Rangelands, Bostanabad.
Materials &

For this purpose, after choosing the treatments and control sites, via random-systematic method in each site, thirty 1-m2 plots were established along three 30-meter transects (there were 30 plots for each area and 240 plots in total). The canopy cover of plant species was recorded within the plots and categorized based on plant functional groups.

The results of statistical data analysis showed that the percentage of total cover in the north and south aspects of banqueting with 69.17% and 62.03% was significantly higher than the control sites with 52.53% and 48.03%, respectively. Fire in west aspect has reduced the percentage of vegetation (53.6%) compared to the control site (72.93%) whereas it did not have a significant effect in east aspect.

Generally, it can be stated that banqueting in the north aspect has more and increasing effect on plant functional groups but fire has a more complicated behavior in different topographic conditions (aspect) in relation to the banqueting and in west control site in term of the most studied parameters it has significantly more values than the other sites.

It is important to determine the suitability of rangelands for the utilization of medicinal plants. The purpose of this study was to introduce some of the criteria and indicators, influencing the rangelands suitability for medicinal plants exploitation and to investigate the differences between the results of using different approaches of suitability determination. To this end, the suitability of the Arshad Chaman rangeland was evaluated in terms of the utilization of medicinal plants. The results showed that according to the limiting factor method (a common method of determining the suitability of rangelands), 2, 6 and 77 percent of rangelands had respectively good, moderate and low suitability and 15 percent were not suitable for utilization. The mathematical method (using hierarchical analysis process) showed 4, 26, and 45 percent of the rangelands as good, moderate, and low suitability, respectively, and 25 percent as inappropriate for exploitation. The application of the theoretical method (MSMPE) also showed that 39 and 61 percent of the rangelands had respectively good and moderate suitability. In general, it was observed that there were no significant differences between the classes of suitability obtained by the limiting factor and the mathematical methods; however, there was a difference between the classes obtained by the limiting factor and MSMPE methods, and different classes of suitability were obtained for a given area of rangeland in these three methods. Therefore, it is recommended to test the accuracy of the findings of the present study to achieve a practical result in different years in terms of climatic events and other locations with different physical properties. Overall, based on the combined results of different approaches and in terms of physical and environmental constraints, the study area had low suitability for the exploitation of medicinal plants. Therefore, to reduce the livestock pressure on rangelands and increase the diversity of medicinal plants, more attention should be paid to the other aspects of rangeland use such as beekeeping and free tourism.

Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most prevalent procedures in general surgery. Several methods have been introduced for inguinal hernia repair that focus on the reduction of complications of surgery and lowering the recurrence of the hernia. However، controversies remain among surgeons about the preferred treatment method. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of repairing inguinal hernia with mesh and non-mesh methods.

All patients aged 18 years old and over that admitted for inguinal hernioraphy in Shahid Behesti hospital in Babol during March to September 2010 included in the study. Demographic data، characteristics of hernia، duration of returning to daily activities and the type of repair of each patient entered in the checklist. All patients followed up for one year in case of any complication and recurrence of hernia. Recurrence of hernia due to ascites or due to any increase in abdominal pressure and missed patients during the follow up period was excluded from the study.

Among all 132 cases 129 patients were male and 3 patients were female and the mean age of the patients was 53. 66±16. 89 years. Forty five (34. 1%) patients underwent hernioraphy with mesh and 87 (65. 9%) patients without mesh. The mean time for patients to return to daily activities was 25. 4±4. 7 days in the mesh group and 28. 53±7. 86 days in the non-mesh group (p=0. 048). Rate of recurrence of hernia during the follow up period was 8 cases (6. 1%) that 6 cases had been repaired with non-mesh method and 2 cases were repaired with mesh method (p>0. 05).

Simple inguinal hernias seem to be repaired better with mesh method than non-mesh method.

In order to assess the viability and growth rate of twelve specific coniferous species planted in Arasbaran forests in 1996, Heresar and Kalaleh regions have been studied here. The species studied here are as follows: Pinus pinea, Cupressus sempervirens var. horisontalis, Pinus nigra var. austrica, Pinus eldarica,Cedrus atlantica, Cupressus arizonica, Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, Pinus nigra var. pallasiana , Pinus nigra var. carmanica, Pinus brutia and Larix decidua. Statistical design of completely randomized block was employed in this study; that is, number of four replicates in Kalaleh altitudes and three replicates in Heresar with 36 individual saplings for each replicate were selected. All species were analyzed on the basis of height, collar diameter, viability percent, vigor, death (freeze) number, two branching and decline of saplings. Based on the analysis of variance, except for the vigor type 2 (with a modest decline and the damage between 10 to 25%), all 12 species demonstrated significant differences as far as the other characters were concerned. In total, the mean of viability percent, collar diameter and height were 88.88%, 13.56% and 5.44%, respectively. Type 1 vigor ( i.e. being healthy with the damage criteria below 10%) had the highest mean with 20.6% and represented the most significant difference as opposed to the other vigor types. Furthermore, amongst all 12 species, it was Pinus eldarica, Cupressus arizonica, Pinus nigra var. pallasina and Pinus brutia which had the greatest viability. By and large, the ecological condition of Kalaleh region (northern slope) proved to be more appropriate than that of Heresar region (southern slope) as far as all the characters studied here; the superiority which can be associated with its higher moisture level and less sunshine leading to a better superior balance. Such factors proved advantageous to the planted species and played a positive role in their success.

Selection of the suite subset of tracers, capable of discriminating sediment sources, is the first and the most important step in the sediment fingerprinting method. Selection of the suite subset is carried out by Discriminant function analysis. The presence of outliers affects the suite subset selection and prevents entering the important tracers into the model, hence reducing accurate classification percent of Discriminant function analysis. Therefore, the outliers must be detected and corrected or omitted, if enough evidences were present. In this study, different univariate and multivariate outlier detection methods were used to assess the presence of outliers in geochemical and organic elements and radionuclides of soil samples collected from Ghara aghaj watershed, Makoo township. According to four univariate outlier detection methods, no observations (samples) were outlier on a sufficient number of tracers. The [Median ± 3MAD] and box plot procedures showed better performance in outlier identification than the [Mean ± 3S] and Grubb's test methods. Also, based on multivariate outlier detection methods, namely squared Mahalanobis distance, separate box plots of squared Mahalanobis distance for each of sediment sources, principal component analysis and plot of the squared Mahalanobis distances against the quantiles of the chi-square distribution, no observations were detected as outlier. From perspectives of each of the two group methods, there was no sufficient information and demonstrable proof about true outlierness of any observation. The advantages of the approach adopted in this study are the simplicity and computability of the selected outlier detection methods with commonly used statistical softwares, and the condition that an observation is regarded as outlier if its uniqueness is confirmed with several methods.