Showing 27 results for jafari
R. Zolfaghari, P. Fayyaz, A. Jafari, M. R. Mirzaee, S. M. Zamani,
Volume 1, Issue 2 (3-2013)
Abstract
Regarding high economic and conservative values of Zagros forests, and livelihood dependency of local people these recourses, determination of sites with higher conservation index can help us to maintain biodiversity of these forests more efficiently. Therefore, 49 plots with 450 m2 in area accompanied by 1, 10 and 45 m2 subplots were taken as systematic random design in research forests of Yasouj University. The number of species in each plot and subplot was recorded. The conservation values for different physiographic regions of forest were calculated using integrative parameters such as the number of species per plot, number of rare species per plot, number of tree species per plot, Jaccards similarity coefficient and slope of species-log(area). Comparing the conservation index in different physiographic sites revealed that the areas located in the north, hills and lower altitudes can be considered for in situ conservation due to higher number of trees, rare species and total plant species, species-log (area) slope and lower amount of Jaccard similarity coefficient. But, vegetative sites located in lower slopes and south, because of lower conservation index, can be used for other multipurpose forestry activities. Using this index for different forest areas can be potentially conducted for better conservation and management of Zagros forests.
F. Hadian, R. Jafari, H. Bashari, N. Ramezani,
Volume 2, Issue 4 (12-2013)
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Hana’s dam (constructed in 1996) on land use and cover changes using Landsat satellite images. Three images over 35 years (taken in 1976, 1998, and 2011) were obtained and geometric, atmospheric and topographic corrections were applied. The dam’s affected area was selected based on the interpretation of satellite imagery and local expert knowledge. Maximum likelihood and post-classification techniques were used to detect land use/ cover changes and their accuracy then was assessed using field works. The overall classification accuracy and Kappa statistics for all the maps were more than 83% and 79%, respectively. The classification map of year 1998 indicated that about 703 hectares of rangelands and agricultural lands were destroyed due to Hanna dam construction. In year 1998, the agricultural irrigated lands increased about100% due to Hanna dam construction in 1996 but in 2011 their extent decreased up to 69% and 36% in comparison with year 1998 and 1976, respectively. There was also a decrease about 10 percent in rangeland land use from 1976 (195906 ha) to 2011 (176827ha). The results of 2011 classified map revealed that 425 hectares of the water reservoir has changed to bare land because of severe drought conditions and over-exploitation in recent years. Overall, the results confirmed that in a short period of time after dam construction, the extent of agricultural irrigated lands has been increased, but a sharp decline was observed in agricultural areas after 15 years which can be as a result of population growth and water consumption in residential, commercial and industrial sectors in the region.
A. Sheikh, A. Jafari, A. Jafari, A. Setoodeh,
Volume 2, Issue 5 (3-2014)
Abstract
It is now certain that to ensure a long term sustainable development, protected areas, the favored destinations for ecotourism, required a well written planning management. Each destination however has limited capability which is called “carrying capacity” to invite visitors. Physical, real (ecological) and effective (manageable) are different kinds of carrying capacity. The current study presented these varieties of carrying capacities for Gheisary protected area, stretched over 10,000 ha in Cheharmahal- & Bakhtiary province. The physical carrying capacity was measured using an ecotourism-based zoning followed by imposing periodic, pedologic, climatic and vegetative limitations, based on the minimum area needed for each person. Real carrying capacity was then calculated according to the physical carrying capacity. The results showed that the intensive recreation zone with surface of 1,292 ha had the annual physical carrying capacity of 2,079,227 and real carrying capacity of 18,465 people. The values for the extensive recreation zone with surface of 2,378 ha were 2,478,832 and 1,215 respectively. The study has also speculated the embedded management strength and recreation convenience of the area and concluded that effective carrying capacity can only enjoy 10% of the real carrying capacity, which were 1,968 people.
S. Zarekia, M. Fayaz, P. Gholami, M. Goudarzi, F. Jafari ,
Volume 2, Issue 6 (3-2014)
Abstract
Livestock grazing is a common human-induced activity with direct and indirect effects even on the ecosystems of protected areas. The present study analyzed the effects of different grazing management methods on species diversity and richness in the steppe rangelands of Saveh, Iran. Data were collected from sixty 2×2 m plots within the areas of three, four-years protected range management projects. Margalef’s and Menhinick's indices, Simpson and Shannon-Weiner indices, and Pielou's index were used to evaluate plant species richness, diversity, and evenness, respectively. All data analyses were performed in PAST and SPSS. According to the mean values obtained for Shannon-Weiner index, Nemati rangeland (with rest-rotation grazing system and moderate grazing intensity) and Shirali Baglou rangeland (with continuous grazing throughout the year and high grazing intensity) had high species diversity with no significant differences among them. However, Chagneh rangeland (with continuous grazing for six months and fairly high grazing intensity) had the lowest diversity. Low values of diversity indices indicated low species diversity in steppe rangelands. Moreover, Shirali Baglou rangeland had the highest species richness compared to the other sites. In the other three rangelands, both species richness and diversity decreased with increasing the grazing intensity. Despite poor range conditions in Shirali Baglou rangeland, intensive livestock grazing and the consequent rise in invasive species increased species abundance and hence, resulting in species richness and diversity in the area. Although over-grazing throughout the year can promote plant species richness through increasing annual species, consequent soil degradation and instability of rangeland ecosystem can be expected.
S. Shamshiri, R. Jafari, S. Soltani, N. Ramezani,
Volume 3, Issue 8 (9-2014)
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the status of dust storms in Kermanshah province, Iran, using climatic and remote sensing data. Dusty days recorded at 12 meteorological stations were obtained and analyzed at monthly and yearly scales from 1990 to 2011 and then the relationship of visibility data (<1000m) with other climatic parameters including temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, maximum wind speed and direction were evaluated using multivariable linear regression. Also, two important dust events on 15/9/2008 and 5/7/2009 were selected and then MODIS level 1B satellite data was converted to brightness temperature data with MODIS conversion Toolkit and then three main dust indices including Ackerman, Miller and TDI were used to map dust distribution in the study area. Results showed that the number of dusty days with a visibility less than 1000 m reached 71, 53 and 112 days in Kermanshah, Islamabadgharb and Sarepolezahab stations, respectively. The maximum dusty days (20 days/year) occurred in Somar station in the west of the Kermanshah province, which is the nearest station to Iraq. According to the regression analysis, the visibility data had the highest relationship (R2>0.77) with rainfall, wind direction and speed parameters. The results of MODIS dust mapping showed that the performance of dust indices differs from one event to another. According to dust classified maps and visibility data, the Ackerman index performed best, followed by TDI and Miller indices.
F. Jafari, H. Bashari, R. Jafari,
Volume 3, Issue 10 (3-2015)
Abstract
Rangeland condition assessment plays an important role in determining range health and applying appropriate management programs. This study aimed to evaluate the structure and function of a semi-steppe rangeland using Landscape Function Analysis technique (LFA) in different land conditions in western Isfahan province, Iran. For this purpose, 4, 3 and 7 sites in different rangeland condition classes including very poor, poor, and moderate were selected respectively. In each site, a 30-meter transect was established and all kinds of patches and inter patches were identified and their lengths and widths were recorded. Also, in each ecological patch, 11 indicators of soil surface characteristics with three replications were measured, and their status was scored according to LFA method. The functionality indices of all the sites including soil stability, infiltration and nutrient cycling were measured. According to the statistical analysis results, most of the structural characteristics (number of patches, patch length, patch area index, landscape organization index) and functional indices (infiltration, stability and nutrient cycling status) varied significantly (α= 5%) between rangeland sites with moderate and very poor condition. The changes of these structural and functional characteristics were not significant between range sites with moderate and poor, and also poor and very poor range conditions. According to the findings of this study, patch types' functionalities did not vary significantly in both rangeland sites with moderate and very poor conditions. The nutrient cycling index in patches formed by ‘forb, shrub and grass’ with poor range condition was significantly more than ‘forb’ and ‘grass’ patches. The study of range site functionality can assist managers in identifying possible ecological thresholds and prioritizing the sub-catchments and vegetation types for implementing range improvement practices.
S. Jabbari, S. J. Khajeddin, R. Jafari, S. Soltani,
Volume 3, Issue 10 (3-2015)
Abstract
The objective of the present study was to investigate the pasture vegetation changes using satellite data in Semirom, Isfahan province. This study was conducted in 2004 as a wet year and 2009 as a dry year. The WiFS and AWiFS satellite images were acquired and used for the year 2004 and 2009, respectively. First, the vegetation percentage was simultaneously measured in the two years. Then, considering the environmental factors such as elevation, slope, and slope direction, climatic factors and vegetation indices were derived from the above satellite data and multiple regression equations were prepared using step-wise regression analysis. The intended regression model for each year was used to produce percentage of vegetation cover of the study area. For a suitable pasture vegetation map interpretation, the reclassification technique was used to separate the rangeland use from other land uses, and then the density slicing method was applied. Using suitable thresholds, the rangeland vegetation cover classes including 0-20, 20-30 and 30-40 percent canopy covers were determined. Results showed that the changes in vegetation classes were related to each other and by increasing the area of one class the other one decreased. It was found that the 30-40% and 20-30% classes changed most, and the maximum increase was observed in the 0-20% vegetation cover class due to the area degradation in the other two classes.
N. Abbasi, S. Soltani, R. Jafari ,
Volume 3, Issue 10 (3-2015)
Abstract
Drought is one of the main and significant factors that increase the potential risk of fire in forests and rangelands. This study was conducted to assess the potential of a soil-moisture index called Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) for mapping fire risk in the forests and rangelands of Isfahan province using daily climate data in 2006- 2010 period. KBDI is a drought/fire index that ranges from 0 to 800, with 0 being no moisture deficiency and low fire risk and 800 being the maximum possible moisture deficiency and high fire risk. Results showed that western parts of the province and Semirom weather station in the south of Isfahan had the minimum risk of fire. According to the climatic classification, the humidity of these regions was higher and mainly included semi-humid and semi-arid classes. Because of high density of vegetation cover in these parts of Isfahan, the potential risk of fire can be higher in drought conditions. In the Khansar, Semirom, Fereydoonshahr and Daran stations, the lowest KBDI values were observed. Overall, the results indicated that KBDI was not a suitable fire risk mapping technique in arid and semi-arid environments of Isfahan, but it can be recommended for the grasslands of semi-arid and semi- humid climate regions.
A. Jafari, R. Mirzaei, R. Zamani-Ahmadmahmoodi,
Volume 5, Issue 15 (5-2016)
Abstract
This study employs the maximum entropy modelling technique to investigate the geographic distribution pattern of wild sheep (Ovis Orientalis) on Tangeh Sayyad Proteced Area. A set of eight environmental predictors is employed together with presence-only records of wild sheep. Two methods has been used to improve the performance of modeling: density-based occurrence thinning and performance-based predictor selection. Using the four different thresholds (Fixed cumulative value 10, 10 Percentile training presence, Minimum training presence, Equal training sensitivity and specificity), potential distribution of species was estimated. Results were evaluated using the threshold-dependent Statistics (Sensivity, Specifity, Kappa, TSS), a binomial test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Area Under Curve (AUC). Relative variable importance was assessed using Maxent’s built-in Jacknife functionality. The results showed that the distributions fitted the provided occurrence data very well (at least AUCs = 0.77 for predictors with randomly selected spots and at most AUC=0.82 for random predictors with random sampling) and threshold-dependent Statistics results showed that prediction success for wild sheep were acceptable. Slope and distance to village were found to be the most important predictors. Generally, results showed that the model performance markedly improved by appropriate predictor selection and occurrence thinning.
Z. Jafarian, M. Kargar,
Volume 6, Issue 1 (6-2017)
Abstract
For this study, Polour rangelands were chosen with an area of about 2017 ha in Mazandaran province. The purpose of this study was prediction of dominant species of the rangeland using random forest (RF) and boosting regression trees (BRT) models in the study area. Equal random sampling of vegetation and soil was carried out. 12 work units were obtained in the region that climatic, topography and soil factors were measured at each sampling unit. Five dominant species in the area were Astragalus ochrodeucus, Ferula gumosa, Thymus kotschyanus, Onobrychis cornata and Agropyron repens. The Ten-fold method was used to evaluate the models in the package (caret). Also the statistical coefficients AUC, Kappa and TSS were used for evaluating the model prediction.The results showed that in the RF model of variables K and CaCO3, the presence of the plant species had the highest importance. Also in BRT model, the silt and aspect had the most importance in the model. The results of the function of the models RF and BRT showed that the highest AUC in the BRT model was related to the species Agropyron repens for 0.76 and in the RF model, it was related to the species Onobrychis cornata. The proposed models RF and BRT can be used for introduction of suitable species in range improvement programs.
Samira Jafariazar, Gholam Reza Sabzghabaei, Mortaza Tavakoly, Soolmaz Dashti,
Volume 6, Issue 3 (12-2017)
Abstract
Wetland ecosystems have many economic and ecological functions and values, but today their security and existence have been heavily influenced by various natural and human factors. Therefore, the present study was conducted to identify, rank and assess environmental risks threatening Khur-e- Azini International wetland located in Hormozgan province. In order to identify risk factors, the Delphi method and the multi-criteria decision-making methods, AHP and TOPSIS were used for prioritizing risks. According to the results of the technique AHP, fuel smuggling, marine transportation and oil pollution were respectively ranked first to third. The results of TOPSIS technique based on the relative proximity (Cj +) indicate that the oil pollution (1) and the fuel smuggling (0.9154) are ranked first to second. In general, based on the ranking of risks, 8.6 percent of risks were placed in the unbearable category, 8.6 percent of risks were placed in the significant category, 26.08 percent of risks were placed in the average category, and 30.43 percent of risks were placed in the category of tolerable risks. According to the results, management priorities and planning should be considered seriously to minimize the risks and consequences that have irreversible effects on the environment and wetlands function.
M. Mirahsani, A. Salman Mahiny, A. Soffianian, R. Moddares, R. Jafari, J. Mohammadi,
Volume 6, Issue 4 (3-2018)
Abstract
Drought is one of the main factors of ecological potential stress due to the wide extension of the time scale and impact space. The performance of regional drought monitoring using the meteorological indicators is a challenge due to spatial distribution constraints. In present study, 168 time series images including NDVI and LST indices were used. Integrating these two indices, VSWI was used to assess near-real-time and spatial-temporal spatial drought monitoring in Gavkhoni basin during 2003 to 2014. The SPI was assigned as the basis and the feedback of satellite and meteorological indices was assessed using Pearson correlation test. The results of the study of the relationships between the mean annual values of the VSWI and SPI indices during the same period showed a value of 0.578. In order to study the significance of the indices correlation, a nonparametric Spearman correlation test was added to the study. In addition, the results of the spatio-temporal pattern of the annual VSWI, indicating a severe long-term drought in the southeastern parts of the Zayandehrud dam and the entire Gavkhoni wetland area. The adaptation of this map to the meteorological drought map indicates the efficiency of integrating NDVI and LST satellite indices in drought monitoring.
M. Saki, S. Soltani Koupaei, M. Tarkesh Esfahani, R. Jafari,
Volume 7, Issue 1 (7-2018)
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the spatial and temporal changes of NPP in different biomes of Isfahan province from 2000 to 2014 and their response to climatic factors. For this purpose, the NPP data of the MODIS satellite were collected and the map of climatic variables was produced using various interpolation methods. The investigation of the spatial and temporal variations of NPP was carried out by combining these data. The results indicated that the spatial distribution of annual NPP changed significantly, with higher NPP in the west and southwest and the lower NPP in the east of the province. The mean annual NPP values for rangeland, forest, desert, Haloxylon forest and agricultural lands were 16.7, 58.77, 1.66, 5.76 and 51.43 grCm-2yr-1, respectively. The temporal changes of the NPP annual average during 2000-2014 had no significant trend. In 82.14% of the total area, the slope of changes was less than zero and in 17.86%, the value of this index was more than zero. The highest and lowest changes in the slope were observed in the biomes of forest and desert, respectively. The amounts of NPP of biomes in rangeland, desert and Haloxylon forest were influenced by precipitation, while the temperature was the main controlling factor in the forest and agriculture biomes
Raoof Mostafazadeh, A. Jafari, F. Keivan-Behjou,
Volume 7, Issue 1 (7-2018)
Abstract
The aim of this research was to compare the rangelands structure and landscape degradation in Iril sub-watersheds, Ardabil province. Land use map and the Landscape Fragmentation Tool were used to determine 4 classes of patch, edge, perforated and core through 5, 10, 15 and 20m cell sizes. The landscape metrics of LPI, ED, cohesion, mesh, split, and AI were calculated using Fragstats software. Results showed that the low value cohesion and high values division metrics were in sub-watershed 5. Also, the LPI in 8 and 9 sub-watersheds were 89.30 and 84.12. The highest and lowest values of patch classes were attributed to 15×15m, and 5×5m cell size, respectively. The value of the edges, perforations and core does not change through different cell sizes. The inverse correlation between perforated index and cohesion (R2=-0.94) indicates a less-disturbed landscape in higher cohesion values. The positive correlation of split and perforated indices demonstrates a dis-connectivity and landscape fragmentation in high split index value. The landscape degradation are high in low patch and core area values and high edge amounts. High NP and more edge values indicate a reduction in landscape connectivity, while, the high values of core index specify the enhanced ecosystem connectivity.
M. Safaei, R. Jafari, H. Bashari,
Volume 7, Issue 4 (3-2019)
Abstract
In the current study, conservation strategies were employed for the spatial analysis of forest fragmentation and field assessment approaches in a forest landscape of Central Zagros, in the western part of Isfahan province, Iran. Vegetation and soil properties were accordingly studied in 15 forest sites with various densities including dense, semi-sparse and sparse-forests with 839.2 km2. In the Landscape Function Analysis (LFA) method, 11soil surface indicators were assessed from each patch and inter-patch zones along the established transects to obtain three functional indices including soil-stability, infiltration and nutrient-cycling. In the health method, assessors rated 17 indicators to evaluate three functional attributes of ecosystems including soil and site-stability, biotic-integrity and hydrologic-function. Land use map of the study area was produced using Landsat OLI (2016) to measure the spatial distribution of fragmentation. The results of LFA showed that the stability and nutrient-cycling indices of the dense-forest sites were 72.4 and 57.9%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in other lands (p < 0.05). According to the health results, soil surface loss, invasive plants and soil surface resistance to erosion were the most important factors influencing the health of the sites. The values of normalized fragmentation in dense-forest and sparse-forest areas were 54% and 96.3%, respectively. According to the obtained results, the combined field-based and remotely-sensed approaches applied in this research could be used to assess the functionality of Zagros forests.
M. Amiri, M. Tarkesh, R. Jafari,
Volume 8, Issue 2 (9-2019)
Abstract
Changes in the geographical distribution of plants are one of the major impacts of the climate change. This study was aimed to predict the potential changes in the distribution of Artemisia aucheri Boiss in Isfahan rangelands. Therefore, six bioclimatic variables and two physiographic variables were used under the Generalized Linear Model (GLM), Flexible Denotative Analysis (FDA), Surface Range Envelope (SRE), Random Forest (RF), and Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline (MARS), as well as in an ensemble model framework. Among the environmental factors, the mean temperature of the coldest quarter and the mean annual precipitation played the most important role or exhibited relative importance in model fitting. Based on the model evaluation, the ensemble model and then MARS presented the most accurate prediction in the determination of the climatic habitat. There was also a significant difference between area under curve (AUC) of the SRE model with a good performance and other models with a high performance. The maximum presence of the species occurred at the 2000-3000 m elevation and the 100-250 mm annual precipitation. In both CCSM4 and MPI-ESM-LR climatic models, the highest amount of habitat displacement is likely to happen under the RCP8.5 scenario in 2070, while the lowest amount may happen under the RCP2.6 scenario in 2050. Also, the habitat of species will be displaced more in 2070 than in 2050. The results of this study can be used to prioritize conservation measures or species introduction into areas with similar ecological conditions.
Z. Jafari, H. Bashari, M. Borhani,
Volume 8, Issue 2 (9-2019)
Abstract
Selecting the appropriate rangeland improvement method is a challenging task for range managers because it requires consideration of various criteria. This study was aimed to evaluate various restoration and reclamation practices in the rangelands of Semirom-Isfahan using Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods. Grazing management, water point development, pit seeding, exclosure, water harvesting and planting almond, fertilization and direct cropping of forage were compared using various social, economic, managerial and environmental criteria. These criteria included cost, local conflict, response time, applicability of method, employment, forage production and their effectiveness. The criteria were weighted from 0 to 1 for all rangeland improvement alternatives based on the results obtained from 30 questionnaires from experts in universities, Isfahan Research and Education Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization of Isfahan. The criteria were ranked based on the Likert method and rangeland improvement alternatives were compared using the MDCM approach and the Facilitator software. According to the results, grazing management and pit seeding were identified as the best rangeland improvement alternatives, with favorability ranges of 0.54-0.98 and 0.6-0.95 respectively Water resource development had a lower risk of failure with the favorability ranges of 0.55-0.76, as compared to the other alternatives. The results, therefore, indicated that performing water harvesting along with planting almond in this area could be an inappropriate rangeland improvement alternative with the favorability of less than 0.5, so it should not be implemented in this area.
Z. Ahamdi, H. Matinkhah, Z. Jafari,
Volume 8, Issue 4 (1-2020)
Abstract
Since the amount of water in the arid and desert regions is limited, the existing water resources utilization methods as well as irrigation methods in these areas are different from other areas. For this purpose, an experiment was conducted as split plot in a completely randomized design with three replications in the Isfahan University of Technology. In this experiment, the amount of irrigation (5 and 10 liters) as the main factor, irrigation method (surface and subsurface irrigation) as the sub-factor, soil amendment (fertilizer 75% and 15% (control) and zeolite 25% and 15%) as the sub-sub factors, and plant height, basal area, relative chlorophyll index and stomata conductance of Melia azedarach as dependent variables were considered. The results showed that the highest height was obtained in 5 liters of subsurface irrigation with 25% zeolite, which was significantly different from the other treatment compounds (P<0.05). A 5-liter surface irrigation treatment with 25% zeolite could be recommended to achieve the maximum stomatal conductance (P<0.05). The 5-liter subsurface irrigation treatments with 15% zeolite and 15% fertilizer had the highest relative chlorophyll content, respectively. Therefore, it could be inferred that using zeolite provided the sufficient and continuous moisture for the plant, resulting in improved plant growth traits.
Sh. Nematollahi, S. Fakheran, A. Jafari, T. Raeisi, S. Pourmanafi5,
Volume 8, Issue 4 (1-2020)
Abstract
One of the primary goals of conservation portfolio selection approaches is to create a functional landscape or network of sites that can support all elements of biodiversity and minimize the environmental risk to critical habitats and species. As human activities, especially roads network development, can be regarded as one of the most important risk elements for the valuable habitats and species of the Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari Province, it is necessary to evaluate the habitat’s condition and ecosystem services for the purpose of conservation planning, as well as minimizing the negative impacts of the roads network on the ecosystem services and habitats. So, for this purpose, first, the habitat quality of Capra aegagrus was modeled using the InVEST module (Integrated Valuation of Environmental Services and Tradeoff). Then, the ecological impacts of roads network were assessed using the spatial landscape index. Finally, the degree of the protected areas was determined and some mitigation measures were introduced. The results of this study revealed that approximately 45 percent of Ch & B Province, including Tang-e-Syyad national park and and the Sabzkouh protected area, could be considered as the suitable habitats for the Wild goat. However, about 28 percent of this province is negatively affected by roads network, thereby highlighting the importance of identifying the priority areas for conservation and mitigation measures.
P. Maleki, R. Patimar, H. Jafariyan, A. Salman Mahiny, R. Ghorbani, M. Gholizadeh, M. Harsij,
Volume 9, Issue 1 (5-2020)
Abstract
The problem of pollution in the Caspian sea has attracted increasing scientific concerns in recent years, but still, there is limited data relevant to the Gorgan bay. The current study aimed to evaluate the organic pollution of the Gorgan Bay, using Palmer Algal Index. Sampling was conducted seasonally in triplicate from summer 2017 to spring 2018. Phytoplankton samples were collected from surface water (maximum depth of 50cm), using a one-liter sampling bottle and fixed in 2.5% formaldehyde buffer solution. A total of 23 stations were selected including, seven stations in the eastern areas, eight stations in the centre, and eight stations in the western part of the bay. The Palmer Index indicated that all parts of the bay are highly polluted, in the four seasons. Comparison of the index among the three parts of the bay indicated that the central areas are more polluted than other areas in the three seasons, from summer to winter, while only in the spring, the western area of the bay showed the highest value of the index. The predominance of the pollution resistant Phyto-genera such as Oscillatoria, Euglena, Cyclotella, Navicula, Nitzschia, and Synedra supports the classification of the bay as eutrophic. Generally, the results of the algal index revealed that the water quality of the bay has reached a critical level.
