ECOPERSIA
Volume:13 Issue: 1, Winter 2025

The environmental crisis in today's world is one of the biggest challenges facing modern man, which requires urgent attention. With the power of wide influence and in-depth analysis, the media can play an important role in raising awareness and shaping the public attitude and behavior about this crisis.. This research aims to represent the relationship between modern humans and the environment in cinema.

By reviewing the Iranian films related to the environment, the film “So Far, So Close" was examined as a case study. In this research, Roland Barthes' semiotics method has been used to analyze the complexity and depth of hidden meaning in the film.

Two types of relationship between humans and environment can be considered. In the first type, the relationship should be depicted through the display of scenes where humans are enchanted by technology and only look at nature as a source of profit and pleasure. In the second type, the relationship is through the display of scenes where humans understand the weaknesses of technology against the power of nature. Human salvation should be depicted in harmonious and sustainable interactions with nature. The film effectively shows the importance of the relationship with nature, while nature is represented as a source that gives meaning to his life.

Knowledge and technology, the two tools of modern human dominance, are powerless against the power of nature. Therefore, an effective relationship with environment can be salvific for both.

This study assesses the impacts of natural and human factors on fire occurrences, identifies key contributors to fire susceptibility maps, and employs machine learning algorithms (MLAs) to enhance the spatiotemporal patterns of fire susceptibility maps.

Data were collected from 110 fire locations and 110 non-fire points spanning from 2001 to 2022 at annual scale. Various auxiliary variables, including climate data, terrain features, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and distance to roads, were analyzed to model fire susceptibility. The study employed multiple MLAs, including Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Gradient Boosting Decision Trees (GBDT), to generate the fire susceptibility maps.

About 70% of fires occurred within 2 km of roads, indicating significant human influence. Grasslands had the highest fire rates, with over 25% of fires from 2001-2022 due to flammable fuels. The RF and mean models identified 0.4% and 1.31% of the area as very high susceptibility (38,800 km² and 12,600 km²), while the GBDT and SVM models identified 2.42% and 1.86% (234,700 km² and 180,000 km²). The very high susceptibility class, though small in percentage, covers large areas.

This research highlights the importance of integrating environmental and human factors for predicting fire events in arid regions and developing comprehensive fire susceptibility maps, critical for protecting vulnerable ecosystems. These outcomes provide valuable tools for fire management and mitigation strategies within vulnerable ecosystems. Moreover, developing targeted fire management strategies focused on high-risk areas, such as juniper and broadleaf forests must be a priority.

Datura stramonium L. is a medicinal plant known for its alkaloid compounds. Limited research has explored the impact of fertilizers like solopotas and fulvic acid on its growth and structural traits. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of these fertilizers on the growth rate and biomass of D. stramonium.

Solopotas and fulvic acid were applied as foliar sprays at concentrations of 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%, with five applications at 5-day intervals. Growth parameters such as plant height, leaf length, stem length, root length, leaf number, flower and fruit counts, and shoot weight were measured at maturity and compared with control plants treated with distilled water.

The fertilizer treatments significantly affected leaf traits, flower and fruit numbers, plant height, and shoot weight (p<0.05), but not root length. The 2% fulvic acid treatment resulted in the tallest plants (45.75 cm), compared to 31.25 cm in the control. The 4% fulvic acid treatment had the most leaves (39.5), while the control had the lowest (19). The 2% solopotas treatment produced the longest leaves (14.15 cm), while the 8% solopotas had the shortest (8.17 cm). The 2% fulvic acid also resulted in the heaviest shoots (13.5 g), compared to 3.5 g in the control.

Application of 2% fulvic acid and 2% solopotas significantly improved growth and biomass of D. stramonium, particularly in plant height, leaf number, and leaf length. These findings suggest these fertilizers can enhance the commercial potential of D. stramonium.

Fire is one of the most important causes of forest degradation, especially in semiarid forest ecosystems. The increase in annual fire occurrence and the complexity of environmental factors affecting fire occurrence in the Zagros vegetation zone have increased the importance of modeling factors affecting fire occurrence in this region. Therefore, forecasting fire-prone areas and practical factors can help forest managers to prevent destructive fires. This study aims to modulate the fire-sensitive areas using machine learning methods, including support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and generalized linear model (GLM).

Fire-effective factors were categorized into four classes (physiographic, biological, climatic, and anthropogenic factors) and 16 raster-based variables. The fire susceptibility maps were validated using the area under the curve (AUC) values extracted from the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. In addition, the RF model was used to determine the relative importance of each variable.

Results showed that fires happened in the middle elevation (300-2000m), lower slopes (<20%), and in the west and southwest slope aspects. More fires were also in agricultural and residential areas. The validation of fire susceptibility maps showed that the RF model (AUC=0.911) has higher accuracy than the SVM (AUC=0.864) and GLM models (AUC=0.824). Based on the RF model, high and very high-risk had low areas (9.48 and 5.97%, respectively). The most effective factors on fire occurrence were anthropogenic (distance from residential, distance from agricultural lands, and distance from roads) and climatic factors (relative air humidity, wind speed, and slope aspect), and the least important factors were distance from rivers and slope aspect.

Given the role of anthropogenic factors in the occurrence of fires, it is suggested that nature-based education be increased and people’s dependence on these forest ecosystems be reduced. Given the lack of sufficient information on fires and the importance of research on forest fires, it is recommended that a database of past and ongoing fires in the forests of the study area using remote sensing and geographic information systems and a history of fires in these areas be prepared to evaluate fire occurrence models in future research.

Due to high toxicity, durability in natural conditions, and bioaccumulation in the food chain, potentially toxic elements are considered serious pollutants.

toxic elements (Al, As, Cr, Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, V, and Mn) in sediment samples from some coastal rivers flowing into the southern Caspian Sea (Tajan, Babolroud, and Shirood) were assessed. Single (Cf , EF, Igeo, Hq, PLI, and QoC) and integrated contamination indices (m-PEC-q, m-PEL-q, MERMQ, NPI, and CSI) were used to assess the ecotoxicological risk of the metals.

At all sites, the level of Cd was less than the detection limit (<5 mg.kg-1), indicating no significant source of pollution containing Cd. The mean concentration order of the metals in the rivers varied, suggesting that their contaminant sources significantly differed. The metal content of the Tajan River was substantially lower than that of the other rivers. EF values of Cu, Ni, and As showed partial enrichment, probably indicating their anthropogenic origin. According to the single indices of CF, Igeo, PLI, and Hq, the Babolrood and Shirood Rivers, sediment was significantly contaminated by As, Ni, and Zn. Based on NPI values, the Shirood River was extremely polluted by As. Integrated ecotoxicological risk indices of CSI, m-ERM-Q, and m-PEL-q suggest that metals pose medium to low levels of environmental toxicity in the Babolrood and Shirood Rivers.

This research demonstrated the necessity of using management and pollution control strategies such as improving wastewater treatment, promoting sustainable agriculture, and regulating industrial discharges.

The black grouse (BG) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) by the IUCN due to limited knowledge regarding their optimal habitat conditions. This lack of information has contributed to its inclusion in the endangered species list. The current research examines land-use changes in this species’ habitat within the Arasbaran forests of Iran and assesses how conservation efforts have impacted forest cover by quantifying land features.

This study analyzed land cover changes in the Arasbaran Region using cloud-free Landsat images from 1987, 2000, 2010, and 2022, obtained from the USGS. The data, preprocessed with Level-1 corrections, were enhanced using vegetation indices like NDVI, GNDVI, MS AVI, and EVI. Atmospheric corrections were applied using the FLAASH model, and areas above 1500 meters were delineated using DEM layers. Four land cover classes—forest, rangeland, agriculture, and bareland—were identified through field surveys and satellite imagery. Land-use maps were created using ENVI’s maximum likelihood classification algorithm and validated with accuracy metrics. Temporal changes in metrics from 1987 to 2022 were examined with ANOVA and Tukey’s test in SPSS, while PC A identified sensitive variables in C ANOCO.

The findings revealed that over the past 35 years, the forested area designated as black grouse habitat increased by 22%. Consequently, the forest patch area decreased from 5,243 hectares in 1987 to 3,658 hectares in 2022. The most significant change was in forest land, which expanded by approximately 8,907 hectares, mainly due to the conversion of 9,819 hectares from rangeland to forest. From 2000 to 2010, 24.12% of the region experienced changes, the most notable being an increase of 11,667 hectares in agricultural land, primarily from the conversion of 8,195 hectares of rangeland. This has led to a reduction in forest edges and an increase in habitat connectivity. Additionally, there has been a decline in rangeland, agricultural land, and barren land within the BG habitat.

The findings indicate that agricultural lands have transitioned into barren lands over the past 35 years, reflecting the success of protective measures. Furthermore, the results suggest that habitat conditions for the optimal distribution of the BG species in the study area are improving. However, more detailed investigations into population changes of this bird over the past 35 years are needed to fully understand the impact of land-use changes on its population dynamics.

Excessive water extraction, inefficient management, climate change, and population growth have created significant global water supply challenges, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions such as Iran. Rainwater Harvesting Systems (RWHS) have emerged as an effective water management strategy. This study investigates the role of rainwater harvesting in fulfilling the water needs of dairy cattle and broiler chicken units in Gorgan County, Golestan Province.

This research analyzes annual precipitation levels, roof surface areas, and water requirements of livestock and poultry. It also evaluates the compatibility of collected rainwater with physical, chemical, and microbiological standards recommended by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).

Rainwater harvesting can meet 87.07% of annual water requirements in broiler chicken facilities, equivalent to 214,711 m3. y-1, demonstrating significant potential to reduce dependency on alternative sources. In contrast, this percentage is only 1.05% for dairy cattle units, equivalent to 13,432 m3. y-1, due to their higher water consumption. The analysis of rainwater quality shows compliance with BMEL standards, indicating favorable water quality.

Rainwater harvesting effectively manages water resources in livestock and poultry farming, particularly in the poultry sector. These findings inform sustainable solutions for water scarcity challenges and highlight the potential of alternative water collection methods to alleviate resource pressures, especially in environmentally and agriculturally constrained regions. The study provides valuable insights for strategic water planning and sustainable agricultural development, emphasizing the varying efficiencies across farming sectors.