جلیل علوی

The vast land of Iran, with its diverse climate and geographical location, is known as a suitable habitat for different types of thyme. Thyme (Thymus spp.), a plant of great nutritional and medicinal value, holds a special place among pasture plants. Consequently, investigating the factors that threaten the survival of this plant is important. Two species of thyme, T. kotschyanus (Boiss. & Hohen) and T. pubescens (Boiss. & Kotschy ex Čelak) have significant habitats in the pastures of Alborz province. In this research, pests and diseases of these two species were investigated in 14 different stations in Alborz province. The samples were collected at three time points (May, July and September) and the collected insects were taken to the laboratory for identification. The results indicated the presence of six types of pests on thyme species: Aphis serpylli, Haplothrips reuteri, Tetranychus urticae, Aeolothrips mongolicus, a mite of the genus Bryobia, and also Cuscuta spp. as a parasitic plant. Alternaria leaf spot was also detected on thyme leaves. The results of this research are reported for the first time It can be used by regional managers and stakeholders and help in the protection of Thymus species in the rangelands of Alborz province.

One new species Aeolothrips kishensis sp. n. is described. Thrips diversity in Iran is briefly discussed and a list of 45 species and nine genera described and recorded during 2018 to 2024 is prepared. Diagnostic characters and illustrations for the new species are provided.

Protection of forests, rangelands and other natural ecosystems in Iran is facing challenges and currently the natural areas of the country are not in favorable conditions. Some of the problems and mega global challenges that affect various natural areas in the world. This group of challenges include climate change, desertification, land degradation, global warming, deficiency of fresh water and increasing demand for energy. The second group of challenges that are specific to Iran at the national level and have affected the natural environments include lakes drying up, land subsidence, salinity and alkalinity of underground water, desertification and consequently the particulate matter air pollution. Also, the breakdown of the natural hydrology systems of the watersheds and changes in the usage of the natural areas are two man-made super challenges affecting the natural environments of Iran. In this article, the major challenges related to Iran's natural areas and the relevant national and regional challenges at the level of natural ecosystems are discussed. Finally, in order to deal with the challenges raised, the necessary solutions to protect and support Iran's natural areas as better as possible are presented. This includes paying attention to these challenges as one of the basic requirements for applying and implementing ecosystem-based management in the natural areas.

Low-cost physical methods were evaluated in oilseed rape farms of Golestan and North Khorasan provinces. Experiments were conducted in 400 m2 plots using Completely Randomized Block Design with three replications. Treatments were consisted of: 1. Spanish tape, (EcoBirdNex), 2. Large white plastic bags, 3. white nylon tape, 4. Nylon thread with white yoonolit pieces, 5. Plastic tube, 6. Control (no treatment). In autumn 2019 and 2020, samplings were conducted using ten quadrates of 1×1 m2, 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after treatments. Total number of damaged and undamaged plants were registered and the percentage of damaged plants was calculated accordingly. Treatments showed significant difference with control and effects of treatments was significant in North Khorasan and in Golestan (P<0.05). Effects of weeks was significant in Golestan in both years, and in North Khorasan in 2019 (P<0.05). In view of preparation of treatments and economic costs, treatments of plastic bags and Spanish tape were effective and applicable with two functions of physical sight barrier and making nuisance simultaneously, with no harm on the environment.

Human demand for food and energy has led to major changes in the level of active nitrogen (N) released to the atmosphere. N addition experiments are a reliable way for investigating the effect of extra N deposition on target ecosystems. The present study was carried out to investigate in the effects of an artificial N deposition on the soil biochemical properties of a 20-year-old oak (Pinus radiata) plantation in Hyrcanian forests in the north of Iran. Twelve plots of (20 m × 10 m) were established in the study area. Four N treatments were considered: zero (control), 50 (low), 100 (medium) and 150 (high) kg N ha−1 year−1. N in the form of NH4NO3 solution was manually sprayed onto the plots monthly for one year. Analysis of variance showed that soil characteristics at nitrogen treatment and different seasons and interaction of season and treatment had significant differences (P value <0.01). In this regard and at the end of the simulation period, the lowest soil pH was observed in high treatment (6±0.3) and highest in control treatment (6.8±0.3). The highest amount of total nitrogen was observed at high N treatment (0.55±0.02). But in relation to K and P concentrations, the control treatment (368±2.7) (12±1.6) had highest and high N treatment (266±3) (6.6±0.7) had lowest concentration of P and K, respectively. In this study, due to the increase in nitrate content obtained by adding ammonium nitrate in the nitrogen simulation process, nitrate becomes saturated in the soil and mobile in the soil, and then leaching with base cations and decreasing soil pH.

Nutrients in aboveground biomass return to soil through throughfall and litterfall. The present study was carried out to investigate the seasonal variation concentration and input of chemical throughfall and litterfall nutrients in oak (Quercus castaneifolia) and pine (Pinus radiata) plantations. For the sampling of canopy throughfall, 36 collectors were installed at fixed positions in the forest floor. Throughfall samples were measured seasonally (autumn, winter, spring, summer) for pH, EC, potassium, nitrate, phosphate and ammonium. Litterfall and the soil litter layer were analyzed seasonally (autumn, winter, spring, summer) for N, phosphorus, potassium and carbon. The highest amount of throughfall was in winter and the lowest were in summer. The concentrations of ammonium, potassium and phosphorus were generally higher in the growing season than in the dormant season (p < 0.05). The lower amount of these nutrients was in the winter. The concentration of nitrogen was significantly higher in throughfall of both stands in summer. In relation to the nutrient inputs by throughfall and litterfall in the oak was higher than the pine (p < 0.05). The results of this study showed that the type of tree species and changes of canopy cover and different seasons can change the chemical composition and amount of elemental inputs by throughfall and litterfall in forest ecosystem, and oak species show a greater tendency to return elements to the soil through throughfall and litterfall. This result could draw the attention of executive centers to the importance native species in the restoration and rebuilding of destroyed areas.

Soil surface rock fragment is considered as an important factor on runoff and soil erosion. However, few studies have been focused on quantitative evaluation of the effect of soil surface rock fragments on runoff components as an integral part of soil erosion process especially in natural conditions. The present study has been conducted to evaluate the effect of soil surface rock fragments on runoff components in field plots under rainfall simulation on a clay-loam soil generally less than 1 meter depth and the slope of 20%. Runoff components including runoff commencement time, volume, coefficient and end time were measured in 1×1 m field plots with 6 wide range of surface rock fragments (2±2, 10±2, 18±2, 26±2, 34±2 and 42±2 % of soil surface cover) with 3 replications under simulated rainfall with constant intensity of 40 mm h-1. The results showed that increasing surface rock fragments up to a specific soil surface cover (about 34%) led to increase infiltration and runoff commencement time, decrease runoff volume and coefficient and runoff end time. The trend of runoff components has been reversed in the range of 34 to 42% of soil surface rock fragments.

Introduction Analyzing the shape of the response curves is necessary to advance ecological theory. The purpose of present study was to investigate the most important environmental factors affecting on presence of Parapholis incurva by using the HOF function In the rangeland Inchehboroun from Golestan province.

Towards this attempt 200 quadrates of 4m2 along water point distance were taken. The sampling method was randomized-systematic. In the area sampled, presence of Parapholis incurva species, was recorded. In addition to identifying plant species, the presence and absence of any species in the region were mentioned. In the center of each plot, the soil was sampled from depths of 0 to 20 centimeters .Soil samples were transferred to the laboratory and experiments were carried out to measure pH, EC, soil texture (silt, clay and sand), organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. In this research pH, EC, soil texture, organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus were measured using pH meter, conductivity meter, hydrometric method and Olson method, respectively In order to study the shape of response curve in relation to the mentioned variables, HOF model was used with binomial distribution function.Huisman-Olff-Fresco (HOF) models The data were analysed by R ver.3.0.2 computer porgramme.

The results showed that the ecological amplitude and optimum along water point distance gradient for Parapholis incurva has been recorded 350-1000m and 765 m respectively . The results showed that the P. incurva has reached the maximum frequency in (765 m distance from the water source, , bulk density 0/9 g / cm3, EC 21.4 ds / cm, organic carbon 0.9%, sand 19.9% Clay 22.02%, and silt 46%,).

In general, in the Inchehboroun rangeland the extent of the ecology and the probability of the presence of the P. incurva increased by taking the water point distant

Two species, Thrips golili sp. nov. and Thrips silybum sp. nov. are described from flowering plants of northeastern Iran. The color forms of T. golili sp. nov. are discussed. Thrips apicatus Priesner is reported for the first time from Kish Island in the Persian Gulf. Published record as of T. coloratus Schmutz and T. juniperinus Linnaeus from Iran are not confirmed and description of T. alavii Mirab-balou, Tong & Chen is considered doubtful here. The checklist of Iranian Thrips is updated to contain 37 species.

Information on aboveground carbon (AGC) is important for managing forests at local level, land management at regional levels, and carbon emissions reporting at national and international levels; therefore, there is a critical need for low-cost and time-saving approaches for quantifying of AGC. According to this, the estimation of aboveground carbon stock from remotely-sensed data has currently attracted a lot of attention. We assessed the capability of Landsat 8-derived spectral variables for AGC estimates in Zagros coppice oak forests by four non-parametric modeling including: random forest (RF), Cubist, Multivariate adaptive regression spline (MARS) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) The study was carried out in part of Zagros forest, in Kermanshah Province. The values of aboveground carbon (AGC) terrestrial references was determined using field measurement data collected in two sites, Gahvareh (very low degraded (LD) site) and SarfiruzAbad (highly degraded (HD) site). Totally, 124 plots (30×30 meters) surveyed in two studied sites by the systematically-gridded plot design and AGC was calculated by developed species-specific allometric equations for Brant oak trees. For modeling AGC using the remotely-sensed data, we used different Landsat 8 derived variables such as single raw bands, simple band ratios, vegetation indices, principle component analysis and tasseled cap as independent variables and calculated AGC values in plots as dependent variable. The assessment of accuracies of four used non-parametric modeling RF, Cubist, MARS and ANNs and was evaluated by “Leave-one-out” cross validation via criteria such as coefficient of variation (R2), root mean square error (RMSE) and bias. The results showed the accuracy of AGC estimates in LD site was better than HD site. The comparison of used modeling methods revealed that there are not significant difference in performances and accuracies of used non-parametric approaches. In additional, using the total plots from two test sites in one model caused the increase the results for HD site estimates. Results showed R2 and relative RMSE values of approximately 0.7 and 32% cross-validated (combined two studied sites) for modeling AGC using Landsat derived variables, which reveals the high potential of Landsat 8 images and non-parametric modeling methods for quantifying AGC in cost and time saving approach for Zagros forests.

Haplothrips zabolius sp. n. is described from two plant species, Cynodon dactylon (Poaceae) and Plantago lanceolata (Plantaginaceae) from the southeast of Iran. The new species is apparently close to some grass-living Haplothrips species: H. aculeatus (Fabricius), H. eragrostidis Priesner and H. hukkineni Priesner. Most specimens of the new species have only one sense cone on the antennal segment III, but it is unusual among Iranian members of the genus in having another sense cone on the antennal segment III in a few specimens.

Economic Injury Level (EIL) of cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera Hb. was evaluated onSahel variety in Gorgan, Iran during 1999-2000. Infestation levels of 0, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 neonate larvae per 100 reproductive organs were studied in three generations of the pest by releasing them on cotton plants in the field. Statistically significant differences between treatments were observed in all generations. In the first generation, infestation level of 8%, in the second and third gernerations, infestation levels of 4, 6 and 8% caused significant reduction in yield (p0.05). Reduction yields for infestation level of 8% in the first-generation was 13.94%, in the second generation the infestation levels of 4, 6 and 8% were 9.8, 16.77 and 22% respectively, and in the same infestation levels in thethird generation were 8.25, 14.85 and 19.17%. Linear regression between the cotton yield and pestdensity was obtained in different generations. Considering the total cost of chemical cont rol operations and cost of yield, the economic injury level of the pest for the first, second and third generations were 1.19, 0.66 and 0.79 neonate larvae per 100 reproductive organs respectively, which is equal to 22.25, 15.77 and 21.33 neonate larvae per 100 cotton plants, respectively.

During 1999-2001, a faunistic study was carried out in order to collect and identify the thrips species on soybean fields in Golestan province, northern Iran. A total of 14 species in 8 genera belonging to 3 families were identified. Thrips tabaci with 71% relative abundance and 45.5% relative frequency was the predominant species that is distributed in all of the soybean fields of Golestan province.