1 2476-3128 233 General Energy Efficiency Evaluation and Economical Analysis of Onion(Allium Cepa L.) Production in Khorasan Razavi Province of Iran Hassanzadeh Aval F. b Rezvani Moghaddam P. c b Dept. of Agron., College of Agric., Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. c Dept. of Agron., College of Agric., Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. 1 7 2013 2 3 1 11 07 07 2013 15 12 2013 Current conventional agricultural systems using intensive energy have to be revitalized through new integrated approaches relying on renewable energy resources, which can allow farmers to stop dependence on fossil resources. The aim of this study was determining the amount of input–output energy used in onion (Allium cepa L.) production in Khorasan Razavi province. For this purpose, the data was collected from 55 onion farm workers in Khorasan Razavi. Inquiries were conducted in face-to-face interviews in April-May 2011. Farm workers were selected based on random sampling method. The results indicated that total energy input was 98479 MJ.ha-1. The share of electricity and nitrogen fertilizer was 50.9 and 14.7%, respectively out of total energy input. The average onion yield under normal conditions was 73227 kg.ha-1 on irrigated farms. The net energy and energy productivity values were estimated to be 18684 MJ.ha-1 and 0.74 kg.MJ-1, respectively, and the ratio of energy output to energy input was found to be 1.19. This indicated an intensive use of input in onion production, which is not parallel to the increase in the final yield. Approximately 77.3% of the total energy input used in onion production was non-renewable (machinery, diesel, fertilizers, chemicals and electricity) and only 22.7% was renewable energy form (human labor, manure, water for irrigation, seeds). Cost analysis revealed that total cost of onion production for one hectare was 79262908 Rials. Benefit–cost ratio was calculated as 1.65. Although energy efficiency of onion production in Khorasan Razavi province is low, it is economically justified.
234 General Investigation of Different Forest Type’s Structure with Applying Nearest Neighbor Indices (Case Study: Gorazon District, Kheyrud Forest) Alijani V. d Feghhi J. e Zobeiri M. f Marvi Mohadjer M.R. g d Dept. of Forestry and Forest Econ. College of Agric. and Natur. Resour., The Univ. of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. e Dept. of Forestry and Forest Econ. College of Agric. and Natur. Resour., The Univ. of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. f Dept. of Forestry and Forest Econ. College of Agric. and Natur. Resour., The Univ. of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. g Dept. of Forestry and Forest Econ. College of Agric. and Natur. Resour., The Univ. of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. 1 7 2013 2 3 13 24 07 07 2013 15 12 2013 To implement correct management of forest ecosystems, enough information in relation to the structures of tree species is necessary. In this study, the structures of trees species in Fagus, Fagus-Carpinus, Carpinus-Fagus and Carpinus-Quercus types were investigated and compared in Hyrcanian forest. The data used in this study was collected from 239 plots with an area of 1000 m2 in Gorazbon district of Kheyrud forest, and Crancod (ver. 1.3) software was employed to calculate the uniform angle (Wi), Mingling (DMi), DBH dominance (TDi) and Height dominance (THi) indices. The result of uniform angle index showed a random positioning for the trees in the studied types. Also, the result of mingling index showed a low mixture for four studied types. The result of this index indicated an intra-specific competition for Fagus orientalis and Carpinus betulus and an inter-specific competition for other species. The average value of DBH and Height dominance indices showed a relative similarity among the studied types. The result of these indices showed that some species such as Acer velutinum,، Tilia begonifolia and Alnus subcordata are dominant and species including Ulmus glabra and Diospyros lotus are dominated. The comparing of similar species structure showed a non significant difference for positioning, DBH and height dominance features in different types. Also, this comparison showed a significant difference in mingling feature of Carpinus betulus, Fagus orientalis, Acer velutinum, Tilia begonifolia, and also deadwoods in the studied types. The utilized indices in this study had a high ability in the description of forest types' structures and also the ecological features of trees species. 235 General Effects of Substrate Type on Benthic Diatom Assemblages of a Masooleh Rud River – Guilan Sharifinia M. h Imanpour Namin J. i Ramezanpour Z. j h Dept. of Fisheries, College of Natur. Resour., The Univ. of Guilan, Sowmesara. i Dept. of Fisheries, College of Natur. Resour., The Univ. of Guilan, Sowmesara. j Internation Sturgeon Research Institute. 1 7 2013 2 3 25 35 07 07 2013 15 12 2013 The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of some physical and chemical parameters of water e. g. pH, temperature, electron conductivity (EC), Fe, silicate, orthophosphate, Nitrate on diversity and abundance of periphyton diatoms in a tributary of the Masooleh River (located 37o 22’ to 37o 23’ northern latitude and 49o17’- 49o19’ eastern longitude in Guilan Province, north of Iran) in summer, autumn and winter, 2011. The study area was 15 km in area, and 5 sites were chosen for diatom sampling. The average depth of the river was 0.5 m with temperature ranging from 14 to 31 0C. Elevation from the sea level and all parameters mentioned above were measured for each sampling site. The samples were collected from surface layer of Epilithon, Epidendron, Epipssamon and Epipelon as natural substrates. The results showed the following ranges: EC: 617-1370 S.cm.-1 pH: 7.82- 8.81 and nutrients: PO43-: 0.02- 0.21mg.l-1, NO3: 1.2- 3.5 mg.l-1, SiO2: 0.02- 6.5 mg.l-1and Fe2+ < 0.02- 0.1 mg.l-1 as an indicator of trophic status of the river. The collected samples were processed and slides were prepared for LM examination. In this study, 23 genera of diatoms were identified. The least and most abundant diatoms were observed on muddy (12.52) and stony (30.86) substrates, respectively. Comparison of mean abundance of diatom population on different substrates (muddy: 23.95± 4.08, gravel: 15.52± 0.97, woody: 17.71± 0.62 and stony: 23.95± 4.08) revealed statistically significant differences between stony, gravel, muddy, and woody substrates (P<0.05). The distribution of diatoms on coarser substrates (wood, stone and gravel) was higher than on softer ones (muddy). Based on the obtained results, woody and stony substrates seem to be more suitable for ecological monitoring of streams than muddy and gravel substrates. 236 General Abundance Estimation and Habitat associations of Persian wild ass in Qatruyieh National Park Momeni M. k Hemami M. R. l Malekian M. m k Dept. of Environ. Sci., College of Natur. Resour., Isf. Univ. Technol., Isfahan, Iran. l Dept. of Environ. Sci., College of Natur. Resour., Isf. Univ. Technol., Isfahan, Iran. m Dept. of Environ. Sci., College of Natur. Resour., Isf. Univ. Technol., Isfahan, Iran. 1 7 2013 2 3 37 48 07 07 2013 15 12 2013 Persian wild ass, Equus hemionus onager, is a rare subspecies of Asiatic wild ass endemic to Iran, which was historically widespread in arid and semi-arid steppes of central and southeastern Iran. Today only two natural populations have remained. This subspecies is listed as Critically Endangered in the Red List of the International :::union::: for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Knowledge on habitat use and population densities of this taxon is necessary for its successful conservation. We studied population density and habitat selection by Persian wild ass in Qatruiyeh National Park (QNP). Seasonal habitat use by onagers was studied using clearance transects and standing crop pellet group counts. Line transect distance sampling was used to estimate the abundance of onager in the two main vegetation communities of the park. Onager use of vegetation communities was not significantly different in autumn, winter and spring, but in summer onagers used Artemisia sieberi community significantly more than the Zygophillum-Artemisia community. The most sensible relationships, resulting from multiple regressions, were negative effects of Zygophyllum eurypterum and trough distance. Negative relationship to trough distance showed importance of water resources for onager presence. Population density of onager, estimated through distance sampling, was higher in Artemisia sieberi community (3 onagers per km2 95% confidence interval 1.58–5.7) compared with the Zygophillum-Artemisia community (0.45 onagers per 1 km2 95% confidence interval 028–0.73). The mean density of onager in the national park was about 1.0 onager per km2. Complete protection and suitable distribution of adequate water resources are the main contributing factors to the high density of onagers in QNP. 237 General Seed Dispersal by Domestic Herbivores in Rangeland Ecosystems of the Central Zagros Region Eghbali A. n Iravani M. o Bassiri M. p Tarkesh Esfahani M. Mohajeri A. R. n Dept. of Rang and Watershed Manage., College of Natur. Resour., Isf. Univ. Technol., Isfahan, Iran. o Dept. of Rang and Watershed Manage., College of Natur. Resour., Isf. Univ. Technol., Isfahan, Iran. p Dept. of Rang and Watershed Manage., College of Natur. Resour., Isf. Univ. Technol., Isfahan, Iran. Dept. of Rang and Watershed Manage., College of Natur. Resour., Isf. Univ. Technol., Isfahan, Iran. Natural Resources Department of Isfahan Province 1 7 2013 2 3 49 64 07 07 2013 15 12 2013 To assess seed dispersal by domestic herbivores (sheep and goat) in Central Zagros region, 12 different rangeland sites, located 200 km west of Isfahan city, were studied. For each site, a pooled dung sample of 10 freshly pellet groups from domestic herbivores was collected in four different periods (mid June, July, August and September) during grazing season (in total, 48 pooled dung samples). Dung samples were dried in a dark room by exposing to open air, and then from each a 150 gram sample was kept for two months in the refrigerator at 3ْc as cold treatment. Seed content of dung samples was assessed in a greenhouse germination experiment over a period of 8 months. In total, 2039 seedlings from 50 different plant species (16 families and 48 genera) were germinated from dung samples. Seed content of dung samples was mostly composed of palatable herbaceous species with no dispersal mechanism or adaptation except for the production of many small-sized seeds. The highest and the least number of germinated seeds was observed in July and June samples, respectively. Also, the highest and the least number of seed species was recorded in September and June samples, respectively. However, only a significant difference in seed species composition was observed between dung samples of September and June. Given that most of the plant species recorded in the region’s vegetation were regenerate by seed, seed dispersal via domestic herbivore dungs may have significant role in natural regeneration of the vegetation, if other environmental and management conditions are met. The results of the present research can be especially applied to reclamation of the country’s rangeland ecosystems. 238 General Distribution, Abundance and Biodiversity of Phytoplankton from Hanna Dam Lake, Isfahan, Iran Farhadian O. Heidari S. Sedaghat R. Mahboobi Soofiani N. Ebrahimi E. Asdollah S. Motaghi E. 1 7 2013 2 3 65 79 07 07 2013 15 12 2013 Phytoplankton are the base of production in aquatic ecosystems and have a major importance in the freshwater environment both in terms of fundamental ecology and in relation to human use of natural resources. The purpose of this research was to determine distribution, abundance and biodiversity of phytoplankton community in Hanna Dam Lake, located in Isfahan province. The sampling was carried out in mid-season from 6 fixed stations during one-year period. Abundance ranges of diatoms, Chlorophyceae, Desmids, Dinophyceae, and Cyanophyceae were estimated 405-2395, 786-6778, 0-14, and 0-70 cells/mL in spring 1281-3879, 1987-4518, 13-173, 0-157, and 0-85 cells/mL in summer 593-1265, 1926-4980, 0-14, 0-51, and 0-37 cells/mL in autumn 48-264, 116-624, 0-13, 0-51, and 0-131 cells/mL in winter, respectively. Cyclotella, Cocconeis and Surirella from diatoms Chlorella, Oocystis , and Tetraedron from Chlorophyceae were dominant in spring. In summer, Cyclotella and Surirella from diatoms Mougeotia, Chlorella and Scenedesmus from Chlorophyceae Closterium from Desmids Prorocentrum from Dinophyceae and Chroococcus from Cyanophyceae were dominant. In autumn, the dominant genera were Cyclotella and Surirella from diatoms Mougeotia andChlorella from Chlorophyceae Closterium from desmids Ceratium from Dinophyceae Chroococcus from Cyanophyceae while in winter Cocconeis and Amphora from diatoms Chlorella and Tetraedron from Chlorophyceae Closterium from desmids Ceratium from Dinophyceae Tolypothrix from Cyanophyceae were dominant. The diversity indices of Simpson, Shannon-Wiener, and Margalef were obtained at ranges of 0.40-0.72, 1.23-2.29, and 0.95-1.59 in spring 0.59-0.77, 1.97-2.73, and 2.13-2.80 in summer 0.50-0.71, 1.56-2.31, and 0.96-1.82 in autumn 0.13-0.63, 0.27-1.42, and 0.10-0.97 in winter, respectively. The highest biodiversity was obtained during spring and summer. Our results showed that this lake could be classified as eutrophic lake based on water quality, abundance, composition and biodiversity of phytoplankton. 239 General Investigation on Habitat Preferences and Group Sizes of Chinkara (Gazella bennettii) in Dareh-Anjeer Wildlife Refuge, Yazd province Akbari H. Habibipoor A. Mousavi J. Dept. of Environ. Sci., Agric. Sci. and Natur. Resour. Univ. of Gorgan. Yazd Provincial Office of Department of Environment. Darreh Anjir Wildlife Refuge. 1 7 2013 2 3 81 90 07 07 2013 15 12 2013 Chinkara is classified as a vulnerable species (IUCN, 2009). Yet, there is a little information on its biological characteristics and habitat in Iran. This study focuses on the habitat preference and social pattern of this species in Dareh-Anjeer wildlife refuge in 2010-2011. We first determined habitat boundaries of Chinkara in the area. During the survey, 15 transects were located within different habitat types and each transect was observed ~10 times annually. We used landform parameters and plant structure for the habitat type layers in Arc GIS software. Then, we mapped the habitat preference of Chinkara using Jacob’s selectivity index. The group size and sex ratio was obtained by the analysis of field notes. Results of the study showed that Chinkara preferred foothills and hilly plains (Jacob’s selectivity index for foothills was estimated 0.31 and for flat plains 0.03). The foothill habitat type covering 25 percent of the Chinkara habitats in the area provides better resources such as cover and water than the other habitat types. Our results suggest that the Chinkara’s activity in summer and autumn is greatest in the early morning. The mean group size of Chinkara in the area is 2.07±0.32 (n=53, SE=1.17), sex ratio (male/female) is 0.52±0.179, and there is no significant difference between the numbers of males and females in the population.