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Habitat degradation and hunting are among the most important causes of population decline for Alectoris chukar and Phasianus colchicus, two of the most threatened game species in the Golestan Province of Iran. Limited data on distribution and location of high–quality habitats for the two species make conservation efforts more difficult in the province. We used multi–criteria evaluation (MCE) as a coarse–filter approach to refine the general distribution areas into habitat suitability maps for the species. We then used these maps as input to simulated annealing as a heuristic algorithm through Marxan in order to prioritize areas for conservation of the two species. To find the optimal solution, we tested various boundary length modifier (BLM) values in the simulated annealing process. Our results showed that the MCE approach was useful to refine general habitat maps. Assessment of the selected reserves confirmed the suitability of the selected areas (mainly neighboring the current reserves) making their management easier and more feasible. The total area of the selected reserves was about 476 km2. As current reserves of the Golestan Province represent only 23 % of the optimal area, further protected areas should be considered to efficiently conserve these two species.

Introduction In recent years, one of the most significant environmental crises has been the phenomenon of wind erosion and dust emission. Wind erosion is considered one of the effective factors in desertification and land degradation in dry regions. The process of wind erosion, due to the transport of soil nutrients along with fine particles, is recognized as one of the limiting factors for soil fertility in many parts of the world. Evaluating this type of erosion and estimating the soil loss requires the installation of various measuring stations. Establishing and equipping these stations and providing the necessary equipment require large costs and a long time. In addition to direct measurement methods in wind erosion, the use of modeling results, especially in combination with remote sensing techniques, to study and predict environmental effects, trends, and risk assessment has greatly contributed to research in the last two decades. Therefore, this study aims to monitor and investigate the warning zones of wind erosion in northwest Golestan Province using the wind erosion hazard index (WEHI) model. Materials and Methods To assess wind erosion in the western part of Golestan Province, the WEHI model was implemented. This model predicts the sensitivity of the landscape to wind erosion by considering a set of surface and climatic thresholds and using a geographic information system (GIS). In this model, wind erosion severity is determined in three classes: low, moderate, and severe, by multiplying wind speed by the percentage of bare soil and dividing it by the percentage of soil moisture percentage. To monitor wind erosion, the normalized difference moisture index (NDMI) was used to evaluate soil moisture, and the modified bare soil index (MBI) was used to assess bare soil. For validation, these indices were compared to field data and plots in each working unit. Additionally, three statistical parameters, Pearson correlation coefficient, coefficient of determination (R2), and root mean square error (RMSE), were employed to calculate the correlation between these indices and ground data. Furthermore, a Markov chain model was used to examine changes in wind erosion classes. Finally, after monitoring wind erosion and considering a threshold value for this model, the area of warning zones during the statistical period was investigated. Results and Discussion The results obtained from the WEHI model indicate severe wind erosion intensity in the working units of Atark floodplain deposits, saline lands, longitudinal dunes, Barchan dunes, bare lands, and margins area of wetlands. According to the WEHI model, the region was divided into three classes: low (54% frequency), moderate (21% frequency), and severe (25% frequency). The model classified the northern regions into severe and moderate classes, while the southern areas of the region fell into the low wind erosion class. High correlation coefficients between the WEHI model indices based on remote sensing and field data demonstrate the model's ability to monitor wind erosion over time and at different scales. Wind erosion monitoring results showed that the high wind erosion class increased from 59,940.88 ha to 71,698.3 ha, indicating an increase of 11,757.43 ha. Spatial analysis of wind erosion classes indicated that most changes occurred in central areas, with most areas around the Sangartappeh playa and central regions changed to severe wind erosion class, while western, eastern, and central areas changed to the low wind erosion class. Finally, monitoring the warning zones revealed an increase of 41,000 hectares in the areas under warning, in the western, northwestern, and central regions. Conclusion In this study, the performance of the WEHI model in assessing wind erosion risk in the western part of Golestan Province was confirmed. Although factors such as roughness, soil structure, and organic matter content are not directly considered in the model, they are indirectly incorporated in scoring the percentage of bare soil. To control wind erosion in these areas, planting salt-tolerant species and implementing soil fertility enhancement strategies, such as soil mulching in heavy-textured areas, are recommended. Finally, mechanical operations and the establishment of windbreak networks are suggested for controlling wind erosion in abandoned land units. This research can serve as a useful approach for planning and managing vulnerable areas to wind erosion in northwest Golestan Province.

Iran is highly vulnerable to climate change, particularly evident in shifting precipitation and temperature patterns, especially in its southern coastal region. With these changing climate conditions, there is an urgent need for practical and adaptive management of water resources and energy supply to address the challenges posed by future climate change. Over the next two to three decades, the effects of climate change, such as precipitation and temperature, are expected to worsen, posing greater risks to water resources, agriculture, and infrastructure stability. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the alterations in mean daily temperature (Tmean) and total daily rainfall (rrr24) utilizing climate change scenarios from both phases 5 and 6 of the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP5 and CMIP6, respectively) in the southern coastal regions of Iran (Hormozgan province), specifically north of the Strait of Hormuz. The predictions were generated using the Statistical Downscaling Model (SDSM) and National Centre for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) predictors, incorporating climate change scenarios from CMIP5 with Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 2.6, 4.5, and 8.5 and CMIP6 with Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) 1, 2, and 5. The analysis was conducted for three distinct time periods: the early 21st century (2021–2045), middle 21st century (2046–2071), and late 21st century (2071–2095). The results indicated that the CMIP5 model outperformed the CMIP6 model in simulating and predicting Tmean and rrr24. In addition, a significant increase in Tmean was observed across all the scenarios and time periods, with the most pronounced trend occurring in the middle and late 21st century future periods. This increase was already evident during the base period of 2021–2045 across all scenarios. Moreover, the fluctuations in precipitation throughout the region and across all scenarios were significant in the three examined future periods. The results indicated that among CMIP5 scenarios, RCP8.5 had highest changes of Tmean (+1.22 °C) in Bandar Lengeh station in 2071–2095 period. The lowest change magnitude of Tmean among CMIP5 scenarios was found in RCP4.5 (−1.94 °C) in Ch station in 2046–2070 period. The results indicated that among CMIP5 scenarios, RCP8.5 had highest changes of rrr24 (+150.2 mm) in Chabahar station in 2071–2095 period. The lowest change magnitude of rrr24 among CMIP5 scenarios was found in RCP8.5 (−25.8 mm) in Bandar Abbas station in 2046–2070 period. In conclusion, the study reveals that the coastal area of Hormozgan province will experience rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns in the future. These changes may lead to challenges such as increased water and energy consumption, heightened risks of droughts or floods, and potential damage to agriculture and infrastructure. These findings offer valuable insights for implementing local mitigation policies and strategies and adapting to emerging climate changes in Hormozgan's coastal areas. For example, utilizing water harvesting technologies, implementing watershed management practices, and adopting new irrigation systems can address challenges like water consumption, agricultural impacts, and infrastructure vulnerability. Future research should accurately assess the effect of these changes in precipitation and temperature on water resources, forest ecosystems, agriculture, and other infrastructures in the study area to implement effective management measures.

Abstract This study investigated the Zarrin-Gol River ecosystem in Iran to trace organic matter in the food web and evaluate the impact of aquaculture farm effluent using stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C). Using a previously-developed model (Islam 2005), we estimated that a trout farm in the vicinity released 1.4 tons of nitrogen into the river. This was comparable to an estimated total nutrient load of 2.1 tons of nitrogen for the six-month fish-rearing period based on a web-based constituent load estimator (LOADEST). A model estimate of river nitrogen concentration at the time of minimum river discharge (100 L/s) was 2.74 mg/L. Despite relatively high nitrogen loading from the farm, isotope data showed typical food web structure. Several biological groups had elevated δ13C or δ15N values, but there was limited evidence for the entry of organic matter from the trout farm into the food web, with sites above and below trout farms having inconsistent patterns in 15N enrichment. By coupling nitrogen load modeling with stable isotope analysis we showed that stable isotopes might not be effective tracers of organic matter into food webs, depending on surrounding land use and other point sources of nutrients. The Zarrin-Gol River ecosystem, like other basins with high human population density, remains vulnerable to eutrophication in part due to trout farm effluent.

Background::Cancer is one of the problems facing societies today and despite new advances in chemotherapy and cancer treatment, there are still many cancers that do not respond to today’s treatments. Tarragon with the scientific name of Artemisia dracunculus L. has various flavonoid and polyphenolic compounds and many therapeutic effects. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the cytotoxicity of this plant on different categories of cancer cels. Methodes: After collecting the shoots of tarragon and extracting them by the maceration method, the weight of the extract with a yield of 22.25% was 12.9 g. After examining the presence of flavonoids and total phenol, the extract’s antioxidant activity was examined using DPPH and FRAP methods. Finally, MTT tests on three cancer cell lines, MCF-7, HT-29, and MKN45, were done using different concentrations of tarragon extract (100, 200, 500, and 1000 μg/mL). Results: Total flavonoids were detected at 24±1.18 mg of quercetin per gram of extract, and total phenols were detected at 59±2.21 mg of gallic acid per gram of extract. Examining the inhibitory effect of DPPH compared to vitamin C, it was found that the hydroalcoholic extract of tarragon has a 50% inhibitory effect. According to the standard curve, the amount of iron reduced by tarragon hydroalcoholic extract is equal to 405±0.11 μg/ml. The cytotoxic effect of tarragon hydroalcoholic extract on MCF7, MKN45, and HT-29 cell lines was investigated, and their IC50 values were 1065.669, 881.19, and 743.870 μg/mL, respectively. The A. dracunculus L extract inhibits the growth of cancer cells in various cell lines. Conclusion: According to antioxidant tests, it can be said that the anti-cancer effects of tarragon are based on its antioxidant power and phenolic and flavonoid compounds.

Pedestrian streets is a tool related to social health, urban lifestyle, urban economy, environmental quality. In recent decades, these urban spaces have been highly regarded by urban planning experts for various reasons, including the creation of human scale, increasing dynamism and social interactions, environmental issues, personal and social health, creating freshness and attracting tourism. In the Mashhad metropolis, due to issues such as tourism, the increase number of cars 4.5 times in the last decade, the increase amount of environmental pollutants caused by transportation, the increase number of sedentary and overweight citizens and in general the unsuitability of livability of this metropolis the need to support clean and human-centered transportation has felt. Creating a desirable and environmentally friendly pedestrian axis can play an important role in improving pedestrian streets. What can play an effective role in planning these spaces and to cover the mentioned goals of urban planners, is to propose a solution that can be adapted to the material and spiritual needs of citizens. For this purpose, using the questionnaire and methods of analysis AHP and SAW, we have examined the sights and expectations of the urban community of an optimal pedestrian axis that effective in a new urban lifestyle. The ratio of increased daily activity of citizens after the addition of greenways to the urban transportation system is more than 3 times. In addition the results show that greenways can be a platform for change in urban lifestyle and the tendency to walk and daily activities and increase the economic value of the land by 23%. In addition, the use of vegetation, the allocation of a special bicycle lane and the consideration of crowded places in the planning of pedestrian spaces can play an important role in increasing the desire of citizens to be present in these spaces on foot.

Introduction: Desertification involves processes that are both the product of natural factors and the mismanagement of human beings. Adafic parameters and processes affecting soil condition, climate, groundwater, vegetation and management are the most important factors affecting the phenomenon of desertification in many arid and semi-arid regions. These parameters are investigated using different models in different regions.Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the desertification intensity based on groundwater and soil criteria in the west of Golestan province.Material and methods: To determine the work unit map, topographic, geological, aerial photo interpretation, panchromatic band and multispectral Landsat satellite images and field visits were used. In this study, the Madalus method was used to prepare a map and evaluate the desertification situation. The geostatistical methods used in this research include kriging method, local estimator method (GPI), radial function method (RBF) and distance distance method (IDW). in Madalus model, 6 criteria and 20 indicators were used to evaluate the intensity of desertification. The scoring of each of the indicators was determined at the unit level in the region. The map of each criterion is also obtained through the geometric mean relationship between the indicators. To evaluate the accuracy of the model results, the desertification class in each of the work units according to the field evidence, observational and visual evaluation was performed and then the statistical comparison of the model desertification class with an expert opinion was performed. SPSS software and Mann-Whitney non-parametric test were used to validate the model results.Results and discussion: In this study, according to the histogram of the data, the normality of the parameters was investigated. The mean square squared error (RMSE) was used to determine the most appropriate interpolation method. The weighted average score of desertification intensity of area 135 was obtained, which indicates the middle class. In terms of zoning of desertification intensity, the region was classified into three classes: low and insignificant with a frequency of 27 and medium with a frequency of 60 and severe with a frequency of 13. Among the criteria of desertification, the criterion of management and policy with an average weight of 148 points is the dominant and effective criterion of desertification, followed by the criterion of vegetation (145), the criterion of soil (141), the criterion of erosion (138), the criterion of climate. (122) and groundwater criteria (121) were in the next rank of effective desertification criteria in the region. Also, the most important indicators of desertification are the indicators of drought resistance, conservation operations and soil salinity, respectively. These indicators have increased the trend of desertification in the work units of abandoned lands, saline and wetland lands and saline lands located in the northeastern parts of the region.Based on the spatial distribution of classes with low and insignificant desertification intensity in the southern and eastern part of the region, the middle class in the western, central and northern parts and finally the severe desertification class are located in the northeastern parts of the region.Conclusion: According to the obtained results, which indicate high evapotranspiration of the region, expansion of land salinity, unprincipled road construction and incomplete drainage.it seems that the management of desertification in the west of Golestan province, as one of the agricultural hubs, should be in the managerial priority of the officials and experts of the executive departments.Accordingly, it is proposed in order to control the process of desertification and achieve sustainable development in the region .treatment of industrial and domestic effluents for reuse for various purposes, Use of modern irrigation systems for agricultural lands, Placing low-yield crops in terms of water consumption in the region's crop rotation and As well as the necessary training to justify farmers to use pesticides and chemical fertilizers in the area.

Mangrove forests are always exposed to damages caused by various natural and anthropogenic hazards, so planning is necessary to provide appropriate tools to prevent or reduce the effects of these hazards. Therefore, in this study, natural and anthropogenic hazards to mangrove forests in Hormozgan province have been conducted with the aim of identifying and introducing them to management sections in order to reduce risk and prevention of risk factors. The initial list of threats was identified by reviewing internal and external sources and interviews with experts in the area and 34 threat factors were identified. Based on the identified threats, a questionnaire was prepared and its qualitative and quantitative validities were determined. According to relative validity method, 8 criteria (Lopping, reduction of basin environmental water right, oil leakage from vessels, development of ports and offshore structures, coastal erosion, grazing the wandering camels, Changes in precipitation pattern and water salinity pattern) had the least validity. The final list of threats was determined by Delphi method and the weighting of each was done by Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Prioritization of threats showed that lopping, oil leakage from vessels and coastal erosion are the most important threats to mangrove forests in Hormozgan Province.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of shrimp farming effluent on vegetative and reproductive characteristics of grey mangrove in Tiab region of Hormozgan province. For this purpose, two stands, control and another stands next to the shrimp farm as a contaminated to shrimp farming effluent were selected and a three-hectare stand was identified in each of these two sites and sampling was performed by line sampling method. In this way, three 300-meter transects were selected using a random- systematic method in each stand. Also three plots (10×10), 150 meter apart from each other, were selected along the transects and the vegetative and reproductive characteristics of Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh for trees higher than one were measured and analyzed using T-test. Results showed that, in the control site, vitality of trees, and the average quantity of tree height, crown length and the number of seedlings, with the amount of 2.57, 3.53 m, 3.53 m and 8.55 seedlings/m2 were significantly higher than those at the contaminated site. On the basis of the results, in the forest sediment of the contaminated site, the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen were significantly higher than those at the control site. Although more research is needed in order to confirm the factors reducing mangrove growth, this study can emphasize the need for more detailed and specialized studies for correct location selection and also licensing for these farms in order to guarantee and minimize the impact of shrimp farm outputs on mangrove ecosystems.

In this research, the desertification process is evaluated using 3 climate indicators and 4 groundwater indices in the form of a modal model in a period of 20 years (2008-2017) in the west of Golestan province with the aim of providing a desertification warning system.Then, by determining the threshold limits for the influential indicators in the desertification process of the region, the desertification early warning system was presented based on four indicators. The results of the index change the trend showed that drought indices, total soluble materials, electrical conductivity, and groundwater depth had the greatest impact on desertification in the region, respectively. Desertification warning maps have shown an increase in drought indicators, total solubility, and electrical conductivity from west to east. Also, the groundwater depth index in the central areas has the highest warning range. According to the results obtained from monitoring desertification indicators, the electrical conductivity index during the years 1999, 2001, 2004 to 2006 and 2009, the Total dissolved solids index in the years 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2007, Groundwater depth index of 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008 and 2014, Finally, the drought index is in the warning range during the years 1999 to 2003, 2006 to 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016. Irrigated lands, drylands and wetlands in the East region affected by desertification warning have been that on this basis is suggested for better management of the land, the threshold defined in this study as the basis for the work to be placed.

Animal movements and resource utilization are essential factors for effective environmental management, but they are difficult to quantify in extensive natural ecosystems such as the aquatic environment.Stable isotope analysis is an ecological tracer technique that reveals information about links between trophic levels, movement patterns of migratory species or geographical variations due to the different aquatic processes that influence them. The Caspian kutum is an important commercial endemic species on the southern coasts of the Caspian Sea and can be used as a proxy to gain information on how different spatiotemporal, environmental and biological—variables can influence ecological tracers such as stable isotopes at the sea basin level. Thus, the main objective of this study is to investigate how spatiotemporal, isotopic baseline and environmental factors influence the distribution of stable isotopes in the Caspian kutum.The results showed that although there are individual variations, there is an overall increasing trend in δ13C and a decreasing trend in δ15N from the western to the eastern regions. In addition, there is a decreasing trend in δ13C and an increasing trend in δ15N with increasing age. It seems that among other migration routes of this species from the northern part of the southern Caspian Sea to the southern coasts, one of the main migration routes of this fish on the coasts of Iran is west‐east mobility, which may affect the efficiency of sustainable management of the catch in various fishing areas.This was the first study to establish a migratory pattern of the Caspian kutum based on stable isotopes. We advocate the wider stable isotopes to effectively investigate fish migratory, as the results from this study provided important contributions to the development of valuable insights for the management and sustainability for this threatened and declining species fish populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil erosion and sedimentation processes can be considered as serious eco-environmentalproblems. This study aimed to estimate the basin-wide erosion using the Revised UniversalSoil Loss Equation (RUSLE). The soil erosion parameters included rainfall erosivity map generated from the rainfall data, soil erodibility extracted from the soil map, land cover andmanagement map produced from supervised classification of Landsat ETM+ data, and aDigital Elevation Model (DEM) to generate the slope length and steepness factor (LS)maps. Support practice map was assumed as 1 as there were no significant conservationpractices. Then, the six thematic layers were integrated based on RUSLE model in GISenvironment, and the spatial distribution of soil loss in the Gorganrud Basin was achieved.The distribution of erosion risk was 42.5% for low, 30.33% for moderate, and 27.17% forsevere classes. The highest amount of erosion occurred in the northwest to northeast andeastern regions with lithological units including loess, young terraces and alluvial depositsand agricultural use despite the fact that LS factors in these areas were less than 10. In thecentral and southern parts of the basin, in spite of the high values of LS factor (15–55),these areas depicted low to moderate erosion potential. This is supposed to be due to thedense forest coverage in the region that decreases the energy of rain droplets. The soilerosion risk map can be used for rapid assessment of the effects of environmental changesand watershed management interventions.

One of the most important and appealing subjects discussed and applied in manygeographical studies is compactness. This is a geometrical notion and has applications farbeyond the scope of its definition. Besides the importance of measuring compactness in asingle object, its study is significant in real-world applications, where the integration ofitems or objects in conjunction with each other is considered. Regionalization is the termcommonly used for this integrative perspective. Although there are several methods toquantify compactness, this study tries to illustrate the simple way for its calculation. Hence,this study is devised to apply with some modifications one of the methods that has beensuggested for calculating single object compactness in regionalization domain. We attemptto propose a clear definition and to evaluate the computer implementation of thecompactness in a land-use planning study. The ant colony algorithm as a heuristic approachwas applied to measure compactness in an innovative manner and to incorporate thisconcept into a land-use planning case. Results show that this method can be useful inachieving compactness in land-use planning.

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of environmental parameters onthe abundance of monkey goby Neogobius pallasi. A total of 526 and 163 individuals ofmonkey goby specimens were caught by electro-shocker in the Kaboodval and Shirabad Streams, respectively. The ranges of total length of the specimens in Kaboodval and Shirabad Streams were respectively 22-137.55 mm and 32.64-137.97 mm. All the specimens of both streams belonged to the 5th age group (0+-4+). The morphological, hydrological, biological and physicochemical parameters were investigated in both streams. The results showed that the hydrological parameters and vegetation coverage in the Kaboodval Stream and also, water velocity and depth in the Shirabad Stream had significant relationship with the monkey goby abundances (P