Assessment of ecological integrity in a landscape context using the miankale peninsula of northern Iran

Identification of rapid degradation of ecological resources requires effective environmental monitoring including ecological integrity assessment .Our first aim is to analyze ecological integrity in a landscape context while developing a method to assess integrity in spite of a dearth of historical data. We used a Spatial-Temporal Reference Framework for land cover maps for assessing ecological integrity change, emphasizing changes in patch types and configuration. Land cover is used as a surrogate for habitat. Habitat condition is the main point of this research in assessing ecological integrity. Our second aim is to recognize, through a case study of the above, the ecological integrity of the Miankale peninsula of Miankale Biosphere Reserve on Iran's Caspian Sea coast in the east latitude of 53, 24,50 and north altitude of 36,56,45. Land cover data were obtained from Landsat TM5 of 1985 and compared with current condition images from LandsatTM5 of 2010. Landscape metrics show that Minakale's natural semi-dense shrub lands are fragmented; with the number of patches increasing and average patch area decreasing. This implies a fall in habitat available to its dependent bird species. In conclusion, considering birds' habitat and its aggregation as a measure of integrity, landscape metrics show ecological integrity of Miankale has decreased and signals of habitat loss have appeared in study area. More detailed analysis in ecosystem scale is suggested as the complementary research to find the best indicator for assessing the integrity of the ecosystem

Evaluation of anthropogenic impacts on soil and regolith materials based on BCR sequential extraction analysis

This study was conducted in Assaluyeh region, southwest of Iran to show utilization and efficiency of sequential extraction analysis in environmental impact studies using soil and related regolith materials as sample media. In order to investigate distribution of heavy metals, optimized BCR [Community Bureau of Reference] sequential extraction analysis method was used. In this case eight representative samples which state all types of different regolith materials in the area were investigated. Total concentration and chemical partitioning of a number of elements [Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr, Mn and Fe] were studied to cover all spectral from typical anthropogenic elements, lead and copper, elements of assumed mixed origin, chromium and zinc, to mostly lithogenic elements, iron and manganese. Results stated that the concentrations of each chemical phase extracted from samples are below the total concentration of each element.The results could be used to establish best media indicators for environmental studies with dependence on type of elements determined in regolith material. Using sequential extraction analysis, the association of particular elements with geochemical phases in soils and related materials was investigated as well as the importance of particular phases in the scavenging of heavy metals. Results showed that the organic and sulphide phase was less important in scavenging mechanism -in spite of industrial and petrochemical activities in the study area- than exchangeable and carbonate fraction, which showed to be most important phase with respect to metal scavenging capacity

Reduction of environmental pollution through optimization of energy use in cement industries

Industrial development has lead to higher energy consumption, emission of greenhouse gases, as well as air pollutants. Cement factories play an important role in over all greenhouse emissions. This study aims to investigate the role of Iranian cement industries and their contribution of greenhouse gases contribution. The measured emission factors for oil and fuel gas shows that carbon dioxide contribution from fuel oil based cement industries is almost 2.7 times higher than gas based cement factories. The strength, weakness, opportunity and threat technique analysis showed that the best strategy to combat greenhouse gases from Iranian cement factory is to implement energy efficiency measures. Further, strategic position and action evaluation matrix analysis indicates that Iranian cement industries fall within invasive category. Therefore, exploitation of opportunities must carefully be used. One of these opportunities is the utilization of financial assistance provided by clean development mechanism. The results show that replacement of ball mills with vertical roller mill can reduce the electricity consumption from 44.6 to 28 kWh/ton. As a result of such substitution about 720 million kWh/y of electricity would be saved [almost a power plant of 125 MW capacities]. Though implementation of new mills may not be economic for the cement industries' owner, but the overall gain for the government of Iran will be about US$ 304 million. If the duration of such efficiency measure is considered as about 12 y, then the overall CO2 reduction/phase-out would be around 4.3 million tons

spatial valuation pattern of Co2 absorption function in caspian forests of Iran

Ecosystems provide goods and services that contribute to human welfare, and provide an environment in which ecological process take place. Economic theories predict that ecosystem goods and services for which there are inefficient markets, trend to be underrepresented in management decisions and their supply will be sub-optimal. Ecosystem Degradation not only has many negative impacts on economic condition, but also has many negative effects on future sustainable economic growth. One of the most important reasons for this degradation is lack of market for ecological goods and services. On the other hand, estimating the real value of these functions is an essential need for achieving the appropriate allocation of natural resources. Valuation can be effective in obtaining the social decisions, in the assessment of cost and benefit, accept or reject of the project, or determine appropriate and acceptable level of damages to the environment. Also in national income calculations in macro level, awareness of the value is required, because usually in the process of economic development ecosystem goods and services are not entered in the calculations and often results in wrong patient to provide statistics such as GDP indices. Knowing the values plays an effective role in people's and policy makers' attention to the environment. In fact, the fundamental point is that the value of ecosystem service is not the solely aim but it is a [decision support tool] to a better decision making in environmental filed. Forests as one of the most important terrestrial ecosystems provide the highest number of ecosystem services and there is no market to present their values. Among these non market services, gas regulation is the most important issue. Forests are carbon stores, and they are carbon dioxide sinks because plants absorb co[2] and use it in photosynthesis process. This process, in addition to producing plant biomass and releasing O[2], has an effective role in reducing the greenhouse effect. In the recent years there are a lot of concerns with this phenomena and it causes global warming with a lot of significant effects. Amongst the world forests, tropical forest stands the highest in carbon absorption. There is not a spatial similarity in co[2] absorption because of the difference in plant concentration, tropical situation, kinds of specious and the amount of plant annual growth per hectare. Therefore, spatial valuation can distinguish between these differences and shows the heterogeneity in these areas. In this study we introduce a pattern to achieve spatial distribution of co[2] absorption with geographical information system in a part of Caspian forests of Iran

Water quality trading using tradable discharge permit in a river and assessment of its cost-effectiveness

Localizing water resource management with optimum waste allocation approach in rivers is one of the strategies for reducing the pollution. In this regard, a water quality trading program among pollution sources can fulfill this issue. This program is achieved through a tradable discharge permits system which is based on the river self purification capacity and creates an economical incentive to reduce the pollutants. Water quality trading emerges from the concept of hydrology and economy based on the transfer coefficient which is the fraction of pollution load that is transferred from the upstream to the downstream. Transfer coefficient is obtained from the water quality model. In this paper, execution of a tradable discharge permit program for the index pollutants has been assessed. Finally the results are analyzed for evaluating the cost effectiveness