مجله پژوهشهای محیط زیست
سال چهارم شماره 8 (پاییز و زمستان 1392)

Iran has limited freshwater resources and on the other hand it is currently facing a growing water demand for different usages. So dam building has been increased during the last 30 years in Iran. Nowadays, awareness about the impacts of water resource development projects on river's natural flow regimes and river ecosystems has been increased. Meanwhile, a component of environment is known as a legitimate user of water and estimation of environmental water requirement is assigned as one of the most essential parts of the environmental impact assessment and water resource planning reports of dams in Iran. Hence, in 6th commission of water and environment (2005) in Iran this issue is determined as an enactment and terms of reference for assessing EFR, but as a result of lack of acquaintance regarding EFR assessment methods and incongruity with Iran’s environmental and managerial condition, it has not been implemented completely yet. As at the present time, some simple hydrological methodologies generally have been used for EWRA. Therefore, the most important aim of this study is to identify firstly the features, advantages and disadvantages of environmental flow assessment methodologies (EFAM) which are used in the world; and secondly finding about the fact that whether these methods are adaptable to the conditions of EFA in downstream of dams in Iran. Accordingly, after reconnaissance of different EFA methodologies, the 26 methods among the most applicable and important ones were selected. Then, each of these methods was evaluated in accordance with the adoptability to 45 comparative criteria. Finally the suitability and priority of these methods for application in Iran was designated by using TOPSIS technique. The result of comparison demonstrates that Holistic approach especially DRIFT method has the most conformity with the situation of environmental water requirement assessment of rivers in Iran. Thus, this method has been selected as the proposed approach.

In the present study, a spatial model has been developed, which couples artificial neural networks (ANN) with a geographical information system and remote sensing to evaluate the impact of land-use and land-cover change on groundwater quality. Input parameters for running ANN model were land use, distance from roads, built-up areas and rivers, population density and cultivated land, underground water table for the years 1992, 2002 and 2008, and soil and geology. The output parameter was the observed groundwater quality properties in the sampled wells that included TDS, SO4-2, NO3-, and Cl-. For NO3-, the model was run with data from the years 2002 and 2008 and for TDS, SO4-2 and Cl-, the model was run with data from the years 1992 and 2008. The results indicate that the density of cultivated land and geological structures of the region have a large impact on the quality of underground water supplies. Also, the effect of built-up areas, population density and distance from rivers demonstrate increases through time. Spatial distribution maps of various pollution parameters were prepared that demarcate the geographic distribution of water pollutants in a comprehensive manner and help in suggesting groundwater pollution control and remedial measures in a holistic way.

The regional sustainable development is a kind of development that has the greatest economic efficiency and the least social and environmental damages. However, sustainable growth is a kind of development that its main purpose is to enhance the level of economic efficiency. In sustainable growth it seems that environmental and social factors are next priorities and those can be set aside in favor of economic factors. Exploring the kind of dominant development in Urmia lake project is main question of present study. To answer study question, integrated Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method and for scoring selected variables the Delphi method is used. The findings of study show that the Urmia Lake project has been done on the basis of the principles of sustainable growth and it has been paid less attention to environmental and social issues (rate of the choice of sustainable growth about 79% and rate of the choice of sustainable development 21% was reported). It means that the Urmia Lake Project has sacrificed economic growth factors more than environmental and social factors. This neglect can be lead to disturbance of ecological proportions of region in the near future. Also it is predicted that this project will lead the change of role of west Azerbaijan province from agricultural to industry.

In the third millennium, environmental sciences and IT, are the main topics of sciences. Environmental sciences like the environment itself, is a combination of phenomena, and vectors of action and reaction between nature, economics, industry, culture, and politics. This has brought about a complexity, which makes analysis, studies, and researches in environment time consuming and expensive. Description and analytical review of environment of the country, as well as, environmental sciences, reveal some strength, threats, opportunities, and weaknesses. Number of students and environmental fields of studies show a marked increase, whereas, the low number of academic staff in environmental sciences in comparison with the number of students indicate a weakness. However, this weakness may be compensated with recent increases in the scientific journals, and NGO's of Iran. But in the lack of a national comprehensive plan on education, the future goals of 2025 plan seems unattainable. Countrie's operational environmental index have dropped markedly in 2012. Several incidences in recent years have also been responsible for this status drop. Eradication of major wetlands, decreases in areas of forests and pastur lands, threats imposed on biodiversity and wildlife, increases in pollutants, particularly air pollution and dusts in major cities, increases in wastes, dysfunction of water tables, shortage of water, and water misuse in agricultural practices, all are causing the environmental crisis in the country, which is in par with economic crisis.

This study aims to explore the diffusion patterns of information based on ontology. Methodology was survey- descriptive. Data was collected by questionnaire. Population was the experts of department of environment (DOE), that 178 persons using systematic random sampling method. Findings showed that concepts of ontology, environmental impacts and pollution are the main information flowing in sections of DOE, and finally, general subject about environmental condition. Regarding the ontology of diffusion process and patterns, findings also revealed that one step and two steps patterns are used to transform environmental information, and among the network patterns, models of the vector with side branches, the network and the tree are applied to flow environmental information. About the ontology of knowledge objectives and methods, results also showed that respondents used internet web (email and search of information), workshop, news website, article and proceedings of conferences and seminars as methods and tools of local and global to obtain and diffuse environmental information. Finally, based on the results and in framework-driven ontology engineering processes, developing an environmental social web network was recommended to facilitate information flow for environmental protection.

The concern over soil compaction, displacement, visual disturbance, and long-term site productivity has intensified in recent years. The use of mechanized equipment to extract timber in harvesting operations influences soil conditions. This study investigated soil disturbance from an integrated forest harvesting/ traditional logging system operation on a mixed broadleaved stand in compartment No. 223 in Namkhaneh district in Kheyrud forest. The objective of this study was to assess soil disturbance from an integrated forest harvesting and traditional logging system operations. Statistically significant changes in penetration resistance at various depths below the soil surface and changes in penetration resistance related to visual soil disturbance. The level of penetration resistance at five levels of soil visual disturbance and four soil depths (5, 10, 15, 20cm) were measured. Results indicate that the logging operation contributed to statistically significant soil disturbances. The main effect of soil disturbance and depth classes were statistically significant. This result implies that penetration resistance changes as depth below the soil surface increases. The interaction effect between disturbance class and depth class was statistically significant. This implies that the differences in penetration resistance values between visual disturbance classes depend on depth below the soil surface. Penetration resistance values within each of the five analyzed disturbance classes tend to increase with increasing depth below the soil surface. Based on these results, we concluded that soil disturbance classifications were statistically significant for predicting penetration resistance.

The purpose of this study falls into two main categories; First, to identify a variety of contaminants, including water pollution and accumulated trash in water reservoir collecting the surface water in Tehran (Saleh-Abad, 600000m3 Tank) in the neighborhood of Sizdah-Aban in Shahr-e-Rey; and Second, to design an Environmental Management System (EMS) to improve the performance of the reservoir and reduce the negative effects of reservoir. To identify the effects of reservoir performance, Check List and Matrix of Environmental Impact Assessment are used and then the EIA results helped classify the issues and design the goals and actual programs to decrease the negative environmental effects of Saleh-Abad reservoir. Finally, the EMS for continuous improvement in reservoir’s function and quality at the operating phase is introduced. Another set of results for this research is a modified EIA and EMS techniques to be applied in urban neighborhood scale.

In order to achieve environmental management objectives, this project has been using the Six Sigma by focusing on maintaining the highest quality products and minimal damage to the environment, for environmental management of Tires company factories. Iran Yasa Company has been chosen as a case study in this research. In order to reach the main goal of research, in the first step, a questionnaire distributed among domestic and foreign staff to compile basic data, to indentify existing conditions and environment under its effects. The production processes in full details were studied by using DMAIC, the model to approach Six Sigma. Finally, for data analysis using Minitab software was used. The result suggests that the highest percentage of lesion were related to Air and finally considering the ways to reduce waste has, the pattern of environmental management were presented.

In order to reduce the destructive effects of urban life on landscape’s ecological function, it is necessary to harmonize human activities with the function of landscape’s natural elements. For achieving this goal, environmental sustainable development, through combining concepts of sustainability and ecology, has been recognized as a scientific tool. Systemic sustainable approach does not only aim for the conservation of ecological processes, but it also acknowledges the eco-socio profitability of constructing urban environments. The most important natural elements of Tehran’s urban landscape are Alborz Mountains’ river-valleys, running from the north to south, which have seen intense construction processes during the past five decades. Principles of landscape ecology highlight the importance of landscape’s natural elements and managing their organizational features through the process of planning landscape. In order to improve the quality of urban development plan, it is necessary to monitor landscape’s river-valleys’ hierarchy of ecological function: structural balanceof landscape’s ecological corridors; functional sustainability of landscape’s ecological networks; and living advancement of landscape’s ecological-anthropological network. To introduce the subject at hand, this research has aimed to evaluateTehran’s Darake River-valley’s hierarchy of ecological function. In this relation, major evaluating aspects are introduced and then based on analyzing the informations recieved by reports and observations some strategies are proposed.

In order to minimize visual impacts and to achieve sustainable development in urban river valleys, ecological and aesthetic criteria should be considered. To achieve this goal, uses of analytical hierarchy process for pair wise comparison of alternatives and quantifying the quality jurisdiction was proposed. This research was undertaken for part of Kaan River- valley in Tehran as case study. At first, ecological and aesthetic criteria that affect the continuity of ecological functions of urban river valley were identified. Data related to these criteria were gathered or in some cases produced. In order to determine the relative importance of these criteria in visual assessment, environmental designers and landscape architects and urban designer's views collected from a questionnaire that was designed for this aim. These views were used in pair wise comparison method to determine weight of these criteria. On the other hand, three options considered in related to the case study include: maintain the status quo, proposed plan of Tehran municipality and proposed plan by researcher based on ecological and aesthetic criteria. In order to determine the best option, expert's views collected from questionnaire analytical hierarchy process was used to determine optimum option in comparison with others. Results indicated that the proposed plan by researcher which was designed using ecological and aesthetic criteria is more environmentally sound than the others. According to result of this investigation, applying AHP method in visual impact assessment is recommended to quantify the quality criteria.

Today, parallel with the rapid increases in population, waste production is also increasing that together with decreasing availability of proper land for landfill sites has created a complex management issue despite the progresses in science and technology. Composting is a useful way of waste management that has many environmental and economic benefits, but compost plants can also have significant impacts on the environment. Hence, selection of suitable locations for landfill and compost plants is one of the important issues in waste management program. Mathematical matrices in association with geographic information system (GIS) are used as a strong approach to EIA of compost sites and their selection. In mathematical matrices, important criteria for site selection of compost plants are studied. Then, effects are assessed in GIS and their significances are determined. In mathematical matrices, impacts significance are calculated using 7 factors including magnitude, extent, duration, synergistic effects, accumulative effects, controversy and mitigation measures, based on which appropriate site for compost plant is selected. In the present study, Golpayegan City in Isfahan Province was selected to perform compost plant site selection. The map overlay method was used to generally and qualitatively assess the impacts and the mathematical matrices method was used for impatcs quatification. Three alternatives sites were studied. According to the results, alternative 3 was the best. The second preference was alternative 2 and the third was alternative1. This approach has flexibility through inclusion of compensation criterion and controversy which help in bringing about consensus among proponents and EIA assessors and therefore, will create more comprehensive results.

In arid and semiarid ecosystems, woody plants act as obstacles which reduce wind velocity, thereby cause the deposition of wind-blown sand. Deposition of sediments within and around the canopy of Capparis deciduas forms a land scape known as nebkha. This study investigated the environmental landscape impacts of C. decidua nebkha in the habitat of the plant in Jask area in Hormozgan Province. Sediment grain sizes especially for the particles less than 100 micron (dust) were determined using a sieve stack and GR graph Software. Physical and chemical properties of soil in nebkha and inter nebkha were measured. To determine the role of nebkha in sand trapping ability, nebkha in different sizes were randomly collected and nebkha volume was measured using Surfer 9 Software. To study the effects of nebkha on plant diversity, 4 plots were placed in each nebkha and inter nebkha. Then, species and their density were measured. Results showed that on average, 12.38± 3.5 percent of nebkha had the grain size of less than 100 Micron, grains which are called dust. Soil moisture and organic compounds in nebkha were significantly more than inter nebkha. Each tree was able to trap 13 m3 of sediment. Results also showed density and plant diversity increased where nebkha volume increased. It is concluded that nebkha improved plant diversity, sand accumulation and fixation of dust in arid areas. It is also concluded that determination of plants that are resistant to nebkha and sand burial would have positive impacts on environment.

Despite their high diversity and importance as top predators in many ecosystems, the ecology of many snakes remains poorly understood. Here, we describe macro- and microhabitat use by the Ladle snake (Naja naja oxiana) in Golestan National Park. Presence and absence of species and 13 micro- and macroenvironmental variables were detected in each of 101 sampling plots distributed throughout the study area. The 12×12 meter sampling plots were established two times in each presence plot. Therefore 53 presence and 53 absence plots in spring and also 48 presence and 48 absence plots in summer were sampled. Data analysis was conducted using binary logistic regression. The results showed that habitat parameters including slope, area covered by stone, and elevation were the most significant predictors affecting Ladle snake presence in spring. In summer, the slope, density of woody stems and elevation were the most significant predictors affecting Ladle snake presence. Due to the characteristics including low slope, low elevation, high value of area covered by stone and higher density of woody stems, steppe habitats in Golestan National Park have the capability of supporting Ladle snake.

Knowledge on geographical distributions and habitat selection of the threatened species are central to their conservation and management. The Lesser Kestrel, a colonial migratory falcon, listed as vulnerable by IUCN occurs in Golestan province. We performed ecological niche modelling using the MaxEnt software to predict geographical distributions of this species across the Golestan Province. Occurrence data were collected within the province and entered into the entropy algorithm in the form of geographical coordinates, and related to digitized maps of 28 environmental variables. The resulted model showed a good predictive ability and was significantly more powerful than the random model in predicting occurrences in test state (AUC=0.9, p < 0.001). Jackknife analysis indicated that the model was successful at predicting known species presences as suitable, and that distance to settlement areas, precipitation of warmest quarter, altitude, precipitation of wettest quarter, and slope were the most important predictors of Lesser Kestrel presence in Golestan Province.

Most studies of environmental phenomena are based on quantitative spatial data and modelling. The analysis and mapping of these quantitative variables have great importance, which affects result of the environmental models. It is therefore necessary to have a systematic method for determining spatial structure of quantitative data and their classification. Echelon analysis presents a method to investigate the structure of quantitative spatial data systematically and objectively. This methed considers spatial data as topographies and divides them into structural entities. Echelon displays the variable hierarchy of the quantitative data in landscape surface as a tree structure, and provides an effective method for interpreting patterns of concentration and connectivity. In this research, we apply the Echelon analysis to detect bird richness in Golestan Province. Results of the approach in two different scales of grids show that classification in the finer scale reveals spatial pattern that are not necessarily expected in the coarser scale. Therefore, finer scales analysis is necessary for determining possible location and networks of high species richness within a region. Also, the comparison between prioritization maps and protected areas shows zones with high priority that fall outside the protected area.

Wild sheep (Ovis Orientalis) as the most prominent mountain mammal in the Kuh-e-Bafgh protected area is considered as one of the main food sources for highly endangered species such as Iranian Cheetah (Critically Endangered) and Leopard (Endangered). Having knowledge on its habitat requirements is a fundamental prerequisite for appropriate conservation planning. Habitat suitability models using geographical information system and multivariate statistical analysis, investigate relationship between species presence and environmental variables. In this study, we used ecological niche factor analysis (ENFA) to compare ecological characteristics of the species presence with ecological characteristics of the study area and then, habitat suitability models for wild sheep in the Kuh-e-Bafgh Protected Area with an area of 88528 hectares. Results indicate that in different seasons, wild sheep habitat suitability is strongly influenced by distance to water resources, slope, altitude, vegetation, aspect and anthropogenic variables (distance to roads, inhabited villages and uninhabited villages). The models classified at least %17 of the protected area as suitable habitats for wild sheep. Marginality values ranging from 1.02 to 1.19 in different seasons indicated that wild sheep prefers environmental conditions higher than average of the study area. The values of specialization (2.82-3.60) showed species is dependent on limited range of environmental conditions and specialized on use of habitat resources.

The fact that the world is losing its biodiversity due to human activities has been widely known. One of the biggest threats to biodiversity is the edge effect, especially in isolated and fragmented habitats. Edge effect extends its impacts on the surrounding habitats, affecting birds living in natural environments. This study focuses on the different edges including natural and created edge (road networks) affecting abundance patterns, density, and diversity of birds. The results of this study showed that different edges affecting environmental variables in distinct biomes have unlike effects on various groups of birds. However, edge may increase density of some birds, abundance and diversity of predators but finally reduces richness, the number of understory birds, and breeding success of songbirds and influences the movement behavior of sensitive forest understory birds and increases the vulnerability of birds to nest predation and brood parasitism.

Main factor for Lake Urumia stability is the amount of water that causes survival of Fauna and Flora. Birds fauna is one of the most important indicators of expression of ecological condition of Lake Urumia, and for this reason, in this research, changes of number of species and population of breeding birds in Lake Urumia in 1981(in wet year) and in 2011(dry year, the two third of lake was dry) were compared. In 1981 at wet year the average depth of lake Urumia was 6 meter and was normal, at that time 41 species of waterfowl, 112 species of terresterial birds, 40 species of Waders and Wading birds have been recognized in 1981, but in 2011 when the average depth of lake reduced to 4 meters, only 20 species of waterfowl, 62 species of land birds, 10 species of waders and wadding birds were found. In 1981 in wet year 12 species of waterbirds had bred in Lake Urumia, but in 2011, in dry year, this number reduced to only 2 species of waterbirds. Population of five species of breeding bird in 1981 was considerable. The breeding population of 5 species were as follow: Phoenicopterus ruber 100000, Pelecanus onocrotalus 3500, Tadorna tadorna 1000, Larus genei 5000 and Larus argentatus 8000 pairs, but in 2011 only 2 species had bred. The larus argentatus were 100 and Tadorna tadorna were less than100 pairs. By reducing the depth of water and drying the two third of lake in 2011 the colonial breeding bird's population were disturbed. Drying of the lake caused reduction in the habitat of the lake for water and terresterial birds.

Margoon waterfall as one of the ecotourism attractions in Fars province is an important tourism area in Iran. Therefore, the study of ecotourism value can be effective in prediction of needs of lacks and development of tourism. The aim of this study is to estimatie ecotourism value of Margoon waterfall using Contingent Valuation Model. For estimating effective factors on individual WTP, qualitative model of Logit and double bounded approach were used. Required data via questionnaire and interview with 309 visitors from the region were collected. The results showed that 78 percents of visitors are willing to pay a fee for using Margoon waterfall. Also age, interest rates, monthly income and Bid price have significant effect on probability of individual WTP. Average individual WTP is estimated 3611.1 ($1.2) Rials as admission fee and annual ecotourism value is estimated 3.072835 billion Rials ($ 1.2 milion) for recreational use.