نشریه علوم محیطی
سال دهم شماره 2 (پیاپی 38، زمستان 1391)

Investigation of Marigold Allelopathic Effect on Insect Diversity and Diseases of Tomato in an Intercropping System Alireza Koocheki,1* Ghorban-Ali Asadi1 and Elham Azizi2 1- Professor, Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. 2- Assistant Professor, Department of Agronomy, Payam Noor University, Iran. Abstract In order to investigate of Marigold (Tagetes erecta) allelopathic effects on insect diversity and diseasesof tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), an experiment was conducted as a split plot based on complete randomized block design with 3 replications at the Agricultural Research Station, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, during 2010 and 2011. Treatments included three tomato varieties (Jina, Flat and strain hitack tork) and five cropping patterns (tomato monoculture and marigold-tomato intercropping) with ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4. Results indicated that the highest percentage of predator populations was observed in tomato and marigold intercropping at a 1:2 ratio. The lowest percentage of predator populations was obtained in tomato and marigold intercropping at a 1:1 ratio. The highest Margalof and Simpson diversity indices of insect was obtained in marigold and tomato intercropping. In total harvestings, the highest relative frequency of healthy fruits was in tomato and marigold intercropping at a 1:2 ratio. Amongtomatovarieties, Hitak-strain Tork and Jina had the highest relative frequency of healthy fruits. The highest relative frequency of healthy fruits and the lowest relative frequency of unhealthy fruits were observed in the Jina variety (0.28 and 0.63 respectively). The positive significant regression relationship was obtained between Shannon and Margalof index with the relative yield of healthy fruits per unit area.

The sources of air pollution may be classified into stationary and mobile sources. Industrial units, production factories along with commercial and household sources are among the main instances of stationary sources of air pollution. While, stationary sources play an important role in air pollution, the Iranian legal system has neglected to pay adequate attention to them. This article, through a comparative study, seeks to show the challenges and shortcomings of the Iranian laws and regulations on the one side and suggest guiding standards for the upcoming legal amendments on the other. In this regard, the article places an emphasis on controlling standards as the main mechanisms in the Iranian legal system for tackling the problem of air pollution.

Sediments are as a sink of various pollutants, especially heavy metals in aquatic ecosystems; that is, they are the potential source of toxic chemicals. The purpose of this investigation is the study of pollution intensity and source of heavy metals in sediments from Anzali Wetland. Sediment samples were selected from six sites in Anzali wetland in summer 2009. The determination of sediments contamination by heavy metals was performed using a sequential extraction process in four stages. The results showed that levels of cadmium and copper were higher in comparison with the values of the Earth’s crust and of global sediments. In all the stations, the levels for the individual concentration factor for Cd and Cu was more than one. So these elements can be a danger for the health of the wetland because of high bioavailability. The ICF value for the studied metals in the six stations was following: Pb< Cd< Cu In fact, it should be noted that the release of heavy metals from sediments are inthe strong acidic conditions while stations, sediment have a neutral pH.

The relational quality of the human and living environment, which is called Livability, is one of the most fundamental qualities of the environment. The term livability means the degree to which the environment supports living process of residents. Review of policy plans and several agendas shows that the quest for livability is currently a key urban issue throughout the world. It is an ensemble concept whose factors include or relate to a number of other complex characteristics or states, including, quality of both life and place which is referred to the ability of a place or a community to meet the needs of its citizens. Although the definition of livability varies from community to community, a given community’s goals can be approached, and community planning for livability can be achieved, using community-derived indicators. At the same time, community efforts were launched across the country to identify indicators of livability. This article aims to review of the agendas for developing these measures. The task presented to this committee was broad, encompassing identification of the data and measures needed to make local and regional public decisions on transportation, land use planning, and economic development that aim to enhance livability. Through the review of livability agenda in the three areas - the United States of America, United Kingdom and Australia – it became clear that, in the late 1980s, livability emerged as a key concept in USA with an emphasis on economic dimension. In the UK through the definition of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, livability was at the core of urban neighborhood planning. It is important for a neighborhood to provide a quality and good environment which is clean, safe and green. The Western Australian Planning Commission in Australia also defines that Liveable Neighbourhoods has been prepared to implement the objectives of the state planning strategy which aims to guide the sustainable development of communities. Whilst we believe that there are specific differences between scales of livability agenda in these areas, nevertheless, the similarities are much greater.

The distribution of plant communities is based on the tolerance range of plant species to various environmental factors. Thus, recognition of the environmental factors affecting the establishment and distribution of vegetation is efficient for the introduction of native species and using them in the process of restoration of rangeland. Such studies are done using several statistical methods. This research had the goal of investigation using logistic regression in the extraction of relationships between vegetation and environmental factors and was performed in a semiarid region (in Plour rangeland). Environmental factors including 15 edaphic factors, 3 topographic factors and 6 climatic factors were measured. The sampling method was randomized-systematic and 3 vegetation types were recognized in the study area. Logistic regression technique was used to determine effective factors on each plant type and model of plant types. The results showed that the vegetation distribution is mainly related to soil characteristics such as Caco3, WC and climate factors such as mrhs, mmps and and topographic factors such as elevation.

In this research, an environmental investigation of Sangrood coal mine was conducted according to the studies of mine waste of mines number one, two, three, five, and the waste left from the processing plant. The environmental hazards of abandoned solid waste left mainly in a confined space adjacent to the margins of openings tunnel and transfer associated with the seasonal runoff and, finally, deposit in the downstream estuary of Shahrood River and the lake of Sefidrood dam were studied. To resolve this problem the possibility of using waste in the manufacturing of construction materials was studied. It was found that the best product of homogeneous composition could be brick. Through the construction of laboratory brick samples and tests conducted on their physical and mechanical properties it was determined that the bricks produced have acceptable quality standards. Finally, By using the " Extra investment" method in order to undertake economic analysis, the economic feasibility of using coal gangue as raw material for the production of bricks, was demonstrated. Finally, it was determined that the profit per ton of bricks produced is equal to 3100 Rials.

Nowadays a basis for designing national parks in Iran is based on the principle of conservation, and the user selection criteria for conservation are not properly prioritized or utilized. This issue poses a serious threat to the unity and integrity of the ecosystem. Moreover, the assessment criteria for conservation areas have also been designed solely in terms of susceptibility zoning standards, especially in coastal and marine areas. It is therefore necessary to set specific criteria for conservation areas, especially in national parks. This study is the first attempt to select quantitative and qualitative criteria for the various usages of and also determined by the priority of four capabilities of national parks. To this end, after analyzing conservation criteria using the Delphi method, the related criteria are ranked according to importance and the related criteria are selected. At the questionnaire stage, a number of criteria for each user are removed because experts believe they are less important than the others. Then by applying the AHP (Analytical hierarchy process) method using Expert choice software we compared a paired comparison between user conservation criteria whose percentage and degree of importance are greater than second rate of what is expected. In order to determine the importance factor and users’ acceptance based on coefficients obtained, the acceptable criteria are prioritized. Finally, those that have obtained an acceptable level of conservation result in criteria for threatened species that have the highest rank of preference. These are recommended according to the proposed priority in the line with integrated management in Khojeer Park.