فصلنامه محیط زیست جانوری
سال پانزدهم شماره 2 (تابستان 1402)

The main objective of the present simulation study was to determine the most appropriate relative nucleus size and transfer rate of the replacement ewes from the base commercial flocks to the nucleus in an open nucleus group breeding scheme for improvement of six-month weight of Kermani sheep. Modeling the structure of the breeding pyramid including flocks in nucleus and base tiers including 5000 ewes and 143 rams with overlapping generations, 6 ewe age groups and 3 ram age groups in both nucleus and base tiers, the birth of first progeny at 2 years old, selection of replacements by the method of "progeny selection" for 6-month weight, transfer of replacements between two tiers in 5 and 6 selection paths, provision of all replacement rams in two tiers from nucleus, without- and with the transferring of ewes from nucleus was carried out, and it was simulated using a deterministic approach with account of the selection effect on the genetic variance and progress. Eight relative nucleus size considered at intervals of 0.02, from 0.04 to 0.18, for each of which the optimal transfer rate from the base to the nucleus was obtained. The annual genetic progress and the genetic lag of base flocks with optimal ewe transfer rate to nucleus calculated for each relative nucleus size and the most suitable relative nucleus size was determined. The best relative nucleus size was 0.12, but the most appropriate economic relative nucleus size was 0.08, 400 ewes in nucleus and 4600 in base flocks with 64 young ewes to be transferred to nucleus and 3.51 years genetic lag for base compared to nucleus predicted. When reducing the relative nucleus size to 0.08, 33% of relative nucleus size reduced and 5% was added to the base relative size. The increase in number of young ewes for transferring to nucleus was 3 heads. The genetic lag of base flocks increased by 0.36 years. The advantage of selection in the open nucleus scheme at the relative nucleus size of 0.12 in comparison to selection in all community flocks without a nucleus investigated. Deterministic simulation was quite effective for determining the most suitable nucleus size leading to genetic improvement of six-month weight quite close to optimal state, reducing costs of scheme and including as many sheep as possible in base.

Urbanization is considered the most important extinction driver of various fauna and flora species in the present century due to the degradation of habitat quality and its fragmentation. Therefore, investigation of changes in the land use land cover mosaic can provide useful information about the alteration of ecological processes, especially changes in bird diversity in urban landscapes. Bird survey was carried out from April to May 1400 between 8 and 11 am with three repetitions at 55 points located on 11 transects (5 points per transect). Transects and points were selected by examining land use and land cover changes on the rural-urban gradient. Then, 10 variables related to the area, mean distance and density of green cover, road network and habitat were computed in 4 circular buffers with radii of 750, 1500, 2250 and 3000 at each point of bird observation to assess their relationship with the Shannon diversity index using the multiple linear regression model. 2085 birds belonging to 46 bird species were observed. The domestic sparrow was found as the most abundant bird species with 1381 individuals. Among the independent parameters, percentage of green cover in buffer 1500 m, percentage of road cover in buffer 750 m, area of the nearest green cover, distance to the nearest green cover and mean distance to the nearest green cover in buffer 2250 m as variables were entered in the regression model (r2 = 0.64) as predictors of diversity Shannon. The findings of this study showed that the area of small green spaces, their long distance from each other and the high density of the road network are the most important factors in reducing the presence and diversity of bird species in the urban environment. Although areas close to the urban physical border showed higher bird diversity, their sharp decline toward the city center could be offset by accurate locating of urban green parks and reduction of traffic effects in nearby areas.

The liver is a major organ that processes mycotoxins, detoxifies them and protects the body against their toxic effects. AFB1 can cause unbalanced fat metabolism, increase lipid deposition in the liver, and suppress the activity of antioxidant enzymes and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Kambucha can have liver protective effects due to its antioxidant compounds, yeasts and acid-producing bacteria. 320 male Ross-308 broilers to evaluate the effect of Kambucha on reducing the degree of aflatoxin toxicity in 2 4 4 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design using 8 treatments, four replications and 10 broilers Used in each replication. The first factor was the amount of aflatoxin in the diet at two levels of zero and 2.5 mg/kg of diet and the second factor was kambucha at four levels of zero, 5, 10 and 15 ml per 100 ml of drinking water. Aflatoxin significantly reduced daily weight gain, feed intake and production efficiency index during the initial, growth, final and overall periods (P˂0.05). During the growth and final period of level 10, kambucha had more daily weight gain compared to other treatments. The use of levels 5, 10 and 15 of kambucha compared to level zero showed a significant decrease in feed consumption (P˂0.05). The use of kombucha, aflatoxins and their interaction had no significant effect on feed conversion ratio (P˃0.05). Kambucha had no significant effect on production efficiency index (P˃0.05). Aflatoxin caused a significant increase in liver weight and fat percentage in broilers (P˂0.05). Kambucha had no significant effect on liver weight and fat percentage (P˃0.05). Aflatoxin significantly increased aspartate-aminotransferase levels and decreased serum alkaline phosphatase (P˂0.05) but had no effect on alanine-aminotransferase levels. Although the use of 15 kambucha had the lowest level of alanine-aminotransferase, it was not significantly different from the level of zero. The use of aflatoxin in the diet significantly increased the level of glutathione-peroxidase and different levels of kambucha significantly reduced the level of serum glutathione-peroxidase (P˂0.05). According to the results, the use of Kambucha at levels of 5, 10 and ml per 100 ml of drinking water can be effective in reducing the negative effects of aflatoxin in the diet.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of using different levels of molasses with sodium polystyrene sulfonate on the nutrition of broiler chickens. This experiment was performed on 480 male broiler Ross 308 chicks in two periods of 11-24 days and 25-42 days in a completely randomized design with a 3 × 4 factorial arrangement with 12 treatments including three molasses levels (zero, 7.5 And 15% of diet) and four levels of sodium polystyrene sulfonate resin (zero, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 g / kg body weight) with four replications and 10 chickens per replication. In 11-24 days, the treatment with 15% molasses compared to treatments with 7.5% and no molasses had a significant increase in body weight and feed consumption (P<0.05) But no significant difference was observed in 25-42 days and the whole experimental period. There was no significant difference between treatments in feed conversion ratio. The effect of different levels of sodium polystyrene sulfonate on performance was not significant. The effect of molasses and sodium polystyrene sulfonate levels on pure carcass percentage, breast percentage and thigh percentage was not significant. In examining the effects of treatments on liver weight percentage, pancreas weight percentage, gizzard weight percentage, heart weight percentage, intestine weight percentage, small intestine weight percentage, small intestine length, small intestine weight percentage to gizzard weight and abdominal fat percentage, there was no significant difference observed between the treatments. In study of different levels of molasses effect on waste moisture, The treatment containing 15% molasses had the highest amount of waste moisture compared to the treatments containing 7.5% and without molasses (P<0.05). The level of one gram per kilogram of body weight of sodium polystyrene sulfonate compared to other levels had the greatest effect on reducing the moisture content of waste (P<0.05). According to the results, addition of different levels of sodium polystyrene sulfonate had no effect on other items examined in this experiment, except for the reduction of waste moisture. In this experiment, the recommendable level of sodium polystyrene sulfonate, one gram per kilogram of body weight, determined in terms of waste moisture.

In order to improve fertility, selenium supplementation serves as an important consideration in animals' diets. The impacts of selenium supplementation depend on the source and quantity of selenium in the diet, so this study was performed to evaluate the effects of different selenium sources on sperm quality parameters in aged broiler breeder roosters (BBR). The study took place over a 40-day period; for the first two weeks, all birds received the same basal diet, and then for the next 40 days, the roosters were fed the experimental diets containing different sources (i.e., sodium selenite, organic selenium, and selenium nano-bio-chelate) and levels of selenium (i.e., 0, 0.15, 0.30, and 0.45 mg/kg). Every ten days, sperm was collected from the BBR by the belly rub method. The collected sperm was evaluated for several qualitative parameters such as volume, concentration, viability, and plasma membrane function. Each parameter was assessed using the General Linear Model (GLM) procedure of SAS 9.4 software. The results of the present study showed that supplementing the diet with selenium at a level of 0.30 mg/kg, regardless of its source, led to an increase in the concentration and motility percentage of sperm, as well as a decrease in the percentage of abnormal sperm. Furthermore, the plasma membrane function of sperm was also enhanced following the addition of selenium to the diet. These findings suggest that selenium supplementation, particularly at a level of 0.30 mg/kg, may improve sperm quality parameters and promote fertility in aged BBR. The present study indicated that the dietary supplementation of selenium, particularly at a level of 0.30 mg/kg, has a positive impact on the reproductive performance of old roosters. The results revealed that the organic form of selenium, such as Selmax and selenium nano-bio-chelate were more effective than sodium selenite, a popular inorganic form of selenium, in enhancing the fertility of the roosters.

Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are one of the seven remaining species of sea turtles in the world that are classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List due to their long-term use. Nest site selection is one of the most important behaviors in reproductive females. Because the environment around the nest affects the survival of the hatchlings. Sands were collected from eight nesting beaches in the Persian Gulf from three depths. After drying the samples in the open air, 100 gr of the dried sample was weighed separately for each depth. ASTM standard sieves (No.: 4-200) were used to determine the particle size distribution. Finally, the contents of each sieve were collected and the statistical parameters were calculated using the GRADISTAT program. The sand texture in Hormoz and Ommolkaram Islands was Gravelly and in other areas it was Slightly Gravelly. Particle size in all important points of nesting areas was less than 1000 μm with an average of 581.6±171.4. The lowest particle diameter in Nayband Bay was 284.9 μm and the highest in Ommolkaram Island was 856.4 μm. Based on the results of the present study, the grain size and origin of sand particles in the Persian Gulf islands, including oyster shells, coral and gravel, indicate high diversity in the structure of nesting hawksbill turtle populations in Iran. In the Persian Gulf hawksbill turtle, the size of particles as a feature does not have a significant effect on the tendency to dig nests.

Streptococciosis is one of the most common bacterial diseases in cold water fish farms in Iran that causes a lot of losses to these farms every year and vaccination can be very effective in controlling this disease. In this study, the effectiveness of streptococcus/lactococcus vaccine was evaluated in both injection and bath methods in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fingerling. For this purpose, four treatment groups include one-step vaccinated using the bath method group, two-step vaccinated using the bath method group, hyperosmotic fish group+two-step vaccine using the bath method, the group of fish vaccinated with the injection method, and a control group considered. In this regard, 350 fish with a weight of 4.2±0.36 were divided into 10 tanks (two replicates for each group). The fish were reared and tested for two months. In this study, 5 experimental groups including the control group, the group of one-stage bath vaccination fish, the two-step bath vaccination group, the group of fishes vaccinated with hyperosmotic environment+two-step bath vaccination, and the group of vaccination via injection method. Based on the results, total serum protein levels in all vaccinated fish were higher than those in the control group, and based on statistical analysis, the highest level was recorded in the fish vaccinated by injection and the two-stage hyperosmotic+vaccine bath method. Glucose values were also measured in both groups of two-step vaccinated fish and the injection method was higher than in other fish. The ALP, ALT, and AST levels in the injected fish group were higher than those of the other groups. Finally, the serum antibody levels for both Streptococcus iniae and Lactococcus garvieae bacteria was higher for the fish in the injection group and the two two-stage bath groups than the one-stage vaccinated fish. At the same time, no antibody was observed in the control group. Based on the results, the two bath steps vaccination more and less produces the same levels of serum antibody titer as the injection method in fish, at the same time, the bath method caused less injuries compared to the injection method in fish. So in situations where fish are under stress, bath vaccination with reminder doses can be critical and more effective.

At present, many cold water fish farms in the country use reused water to produce fish, but the effects of its using on fish muscle quality are not well known. The aim of the present study was to compare the muscle quality of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) raised in two open and partial reuse water systems. For this purpose, young trout with a stocking density of 20 kg/m3 and a loading density of 1 L/min/kg of fish was studied in two an open system (100% make-up water) and a designed partial water reuse system (with a reduction of 80% make-up water and its replacement with the reused water) for 45 days. Four times of water recirculation caused an increase of 6.7 and 6.5 times in the amount of water total ammonia and total phosphorus compared to an open treatment, respectively. Crude protein, crude fat, pH and moisture percentage showed significant differences between two treatments. In contrast, there were no significant differences in water holding capacity, cooking loss, texture analysis (hardness, adhesiveness, resilience, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess and chewiness) and color indices of L*, a* and b* between two treatments. Consequently, the reuse of water to the same extent as the present designed protocol does not have very obvious changes on many studied muscle quality factors of fish.

In this study, helmintic parasites in Alburnus hohenackeri, Blicca bjoerkna and Hemiculter leucisculus of Anzali wetland were examined. Seasonal sampling (spring to winter 2019), was performed using beach net and Fyke net of micro-springs (8-12 mm) from 3 stations of Shijan, Pirbazar and Pasikhan located in the eastern basin of Anzali wetland. After transferring the fish samples to the laboratory, biometry, sex identification and age determination were performed and examined for parasitic infection. Valid diagnostic keys were used to identify the observed parasites. ،he Highest mean weight and length belonged to H. leucisculus (7.39 ± 7.37189 g and 9.27 ± 3.109437 cm) and the lowest belonged to A. hohenackeri (5.86 ± 2.901398 g and 8.05 ± 1.092695 cm). As a result of this study, 6 species of parasities include: Gyrodactylus sp., Dactylogyrus sphyrna, Dactylogyrus sp., Diplostomum spathaceum, Rhabdochona denudata and Ligula intestinalis were identify and isolated. B. bjoerkna were infected with 4 species and other fish were infected with 3 species of observed parasites. Contamination of B. bjoerkna to Gyrodactylus sp., A. hohenackeri to L. intestinalis and also Contamination of this species and B. bjoerkna to R. denudata is reported for the first time from Anzali Wetland. Accorrding to the chi-square test between various infections and parameters of sex, age, weight, length, seasons and the various stations, there was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05). Similar to recent research, despite the diversity of identified parasites, the average intensity and frequency of most parasites in the studied fish in Anzali wetland was very low and negligible. Among the identified parasites, D. spathaceum eye parasite was the most common infection and Monogenes with 2 genera and 3 species had the highest species abundance. B. bjoerkna was the most infected fish in Anzali wetland compared to other species studied. According to the research background, a report of contamination of B. bjoerkna with Gyrodactylus sp. And R. denudata as well as contamination of A. hohenackeri with L. intestinalis and R. denudata were not recorded in Anzali wetland before this study. If the fish of Anzali wetland enter the fish ponds around it, there is a possibility of transferring parasites to farmed fish and a negative impact on production efficiency. Installation of suitable filters in the ponds water inlet as a preventive method should be seriously considered by fish breeders.

Echinops tenuisectus from Sarpol-e Zahab and E. polygamous from Saveh are two plants on which the insect Larinus makes cocoons (manna trehala) with medicinal properties. Larinus growth and metamorphosis stages on two plants from March 2016 to October 2017 later in a range of five thousand meters in two areas was studied. The antimicrobial effect of three concentrations of shoots and manna trehala methanolic extracts on bacteria was studied by disk method. Adult Larinus in both regions, with warming air and formation of plant shoots, emerge from the soil and feed on plant foliage. With the formation of the inflorescence of the plant in May, the Larinuses mating and lay eggs in the inflorescence florets. From the end of May, Larinus larvae hatch from eggs and florets and feed from flowers and shoots. From early July to early September, the larvae make cocoons, and in September and October, the metamorphosis of the larvae ends, and the adult insect emerges by piercing the cocoon. Methanolic extract of both plants had antibacterial effect in all concentrations, but manna extract had a stimulating effect on bacterial growth. Larinus insects feed from Echinops and put their metamorphic stages in a cocoon (Manna trehala). Manna methanolic extract had a stimulant effect, but the extract of shoot E. tenuisectus and E. polygamous shoots had high antibacterial activity. The value of the two plants for selection by Larinus, manna formation and antimicrobial effect was similar.

Methionine is an essential amino acid for fish, which deficiency of it reduces the growth and efficiency of the food. Methionine is usually the first essential limiting amino acid in many diets, especially those with high levels of plant proteins. This study aimed to investigate the effect of increasing the Methionine on growth, and body composition in juvenile of stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) during 8 weeks. A total of 200 fish were randomly distributed in 10 tanks. Fish were fed with diets containing different levels of the amino acid Methionine (0.5, 1.5, 2.5 percent and control diet). Growth and nutrition indices, including condition factor, body weight increasing, specific growth rate, food conversion ratio, body weight index, visceral index and carcass composition were evaluated. Based on the results, there was no significant difference in growth parameters between the experimental treatments, except for the feed conversion ratio, which had a significant difference (P <0.05). Accordingly, the highest performance of growth indices in the treatment contained 2.5 percent and the feed conversion ratio was related to the treatment of 1.5 percent methionine and the lowest was different in different treatments. On the other hand, the results showed that the presence of Methionine in the diet increases the amount of protein and fat in the treatment of 0.5 and 2.5 percent compared to the treatment of 1.5 percent. Therefore, it can be stated that the addition of the 2.5 percent Methionine in the diet of stellate sturgeon juvenile will improve growth performance.

In recent years, the application of herbal compounds has replaced artificial supplements in the fisheries due to their benefits. This study was performed to investigate the effects of Mentha piperata and Mentha Pulegium extracts on some blood and biochemical parameters in Oncorhynchus mykiss. For this purpose, 320 fish were evaluated in a completely randomized design with six treatments and four replications in a farm around Kermanshah Province. Experimental groups included (1): control group (basic diet), (2): treatment containing 1% Pennyrile, (3): treatment containing 2% M. Pulegium, (4): treatment containing 1% M. piperata, (5) treatments contained 2% M. piperata and (6) combination treatments (1% of each extract). Blood parameters including white and red blood cells, globulin, hemoglobin, and biochemical parameters, including albumin, glucose, triglycerides, and the enzymes alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase were evaluated. According to the results, the combination of M. pulegium and M. piperata extracts resulted in more white blood cells, red blood cells, and hemoglobin compared to the individual levels of both mint extracts. 1% M. piperata extract had the greatest effect on blood globulin count. The most significant effect on albumin content was observed in 2% M. piperata extract group. The highest mean blood glucose and albumin were found in the fish received 2 percent of M. piperata. Also, the highest levels of and the lowest triglyceride were observed in the fish supplemented with M. piperata extract and the combination of M. piperata and M. pulegium extracts, respectively. Higher levels of both M. pulegium and M. piperita L extracts increased the levels of alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase enzymes. According to the results of the study, it seems that in physiological conditions, the use of M. pulegium and M. piperata extracts can improve the physiology of fish while improving the function of the immune system and some blood biochemical parameters.

Reuse of wastewater and sewage has been considered for many years. It is also necessary to reduce the burden of sewage pollution to be released into the environment in order to maintain the health of the environment and dependent organisms. In recent years, due to the advent of the Covid 19 epidemic and the increase in the production and use of alcohol, the effluent from alcohol production has increased significantly. On the other hand, due to drought and water shortage in the current century, the reuse of wastewater has become an effective way to reduce problems. Relying on the performance of the Bit Trap Filter, water treatment and recycling of effluent from alcohol production in two types of vinasse and stillage were studied. BOD, COD and pH factors are measured in two samples of stillage and vinasse wastewater. They are then exposed to pure oxygen nano-bubbling in a tank for three hours. After that, they enter the particle trap treatment system and at the output for ten days, a sample is randomly taken and measured every 24 hours. Each experiment was performed with three replications. BOD, COD and pH factors were obtained in vinasse wastewater at 37216.67 ± 4348.08, 78566.65 ± 3629.51 and 4.30 and in stillage wastewater at 43166.68 ± 3003.89, 91700.00 ± 9106.04 and 5.20. During the experimental stages and after ten days, the amount of these factors was reported in treated vinasse effluent 953.50 ± 32.36, 2437.33 ± 107.58 and 7.20 and in treated stillage effluent 1392.67 ± 93.66, 3953.34 ± 174.16 and 7.80. Based on the obtained results, the amount of BOD and COD factors in alcohol production wastewater of vinasse type decreased by 97.44% and 96.90%, respectively, and in alcohol production wastewater of extrusion type decreased by 96.77% and 95.69%. The pH of the vinasse wastewater increased by 40.28% and in the stillage by 33.33%. In this experiment, the efficiency of the Bit Trap Filter in both types of wastewaters is known and confirmed, but in the vinasse wastewater, better performance is shown. In both types of wastewaters, the BOD factor had the highest decrease and the lowest changes were numerically related to pH. Finally, due to the appropriate efficiency and low cost of construction, the particle trap system is proposed as an efficient and cost-effective system in the field of wastewater treatment in the alcohol industry.

The two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae is one of the cosmopolite pests, which attack many agricultural and greenhouse plants. Recognizing the distribution of harmful mite species using climate data, geographical diversity, and optimal habitat determination from an animal geographic perspective can be of great help in better pest management. Species distribution modeling is one of the most common methods for determining the range and potential territory of geographical distribution of plant and animal species and usually determining this distribution in order to determine the appropriate environmental conditions as well as the action of species to this condition is used. The MaxEnt software is based on the maximum- entropy approach for modeling species niches and distributions for presence- only species records. The MaxEnt model was used to potential distribution in 15 stations (orchards) of West Azerbaijan provinces in this study. Modeling the distribution of two-spotted spider mites using 6 environmental predictors and presence records including maximum temperature of the hottest month of the year, minimum temperature of the coldest month of the year, average temperature of the hottest season of the year, average temperature of the coldest season of the year, precipitation the warmest season of the year and the coldest rainy season of the year are among the 19 climatic variables. We used ROC curve analysis and the area below the AUC curve, which is a numerical indicator of the recognizing of the model's presence to evaluate the modeling result. The accuracy models were also evaluated by the area receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value in this study. According to the Jacknife test, variables of the temperature of the coldest season of the year, average temperature of the warmest season of the year and minimum temperature of the coldest month of the year were the most contributing in two-spotted spider mite distribution modeling in West Azerbaijan province that average temperature of the coldest season of the year was more important.