Carbon dioxide، methane and nitrous oxide are the most important greenhouse gases. The changes of these gases are mainly affected by the variability of carbon and nitrogen ecophysiology indices. In order to study the effect of deforestation and land use change on ecophysiology indices of soil carbon and nitrogen، three land uses including forest area (a less-destroyed stand covered by hornbeam and Persian iron tree species)، rangeland area (bare area covered by sparse herbaceous cover) and agricultural lands (cultivated by rice) were considered. Soil sampling was carried out as random systematic method (ten samples for each land use) from 0-10 and 10-20 cm depths. Soil bulk density، texture، moisture، pH، organic carbon، total nitrogen and ecophysiology indices (microbial respiration، carbon and nitrogen microbial biomass، metabolic quotient) were measured and calculated at the laboratory. The result of ANOVA indicated that the greater amounts of soil microbial respiration، carbon and nitrogen microbial biomass were found in first (1. 22، 665. 66 and 71. 32 mg/kg) and second (1. 10، 508. 44 and 56. 72 mg/kg) soil depths of forest area. The most values of metabolic quotient were devoted to first and second (4. 11 and 6. 23 μg CO2-C mg-1 MBC day-1) soil depths of agricultural area. The findings of this study cleared the effects of different land use on biological indices of soil quality. Following the forest land use change to other land uses، the soil biological qualities decreased.

Nowadays, nanoparticles (NPs) have a great potential application in different industries. Titanium dioxide NPs cause the biggest eco-toxicological and eco-physiological concerns due to the increase of anthropogenic input into the aquatic ecosystems, compared with other NPs. In this study, the impact of yeast enriched with titanium dioxide NPs on the growth, survival, digestive enzyme activity and lipid metabolism in Artemia urmiana (AU) and Artemia franciscana (AF) is investigated. The experiment was designed in two treatments (control and enriched yeast with titanium dioxide NPs) and each with four replicates for both Artemia species. The investigation indicated that titanium dioxide nanoparticles did not affect the Artemia species growth but increased AF survival significantly. However, No significant difference was observed in AU survival. Also, the results showed that NPs decreased AU digestive enzyme activity significantly and the reverse pattern was observed for AF. The impact of NPs on the body lipid content was investigated in Artemia species and the results revealed that using this NPs decrease this parameter in AU but did not affect on AF lipid body content. The results obtained in this experiment suggest that the eco-physiological effects of titanium dioxide NPs differ in Artemia urmiana and Artemia franciscana.

To understand the Eco physiological adaptation mechanisms of Fagus orientalis Lipesk to altitude changes, the activities of Peroxidase (POD), Catalase (CAT), and Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in leaves of Fagus orientalis in different altitudes (A1: 700 m, A2: 1200 m, A3: 1700 m above sea level) Was studied in the forests of Guilan. The sampling of leaves was collected from southern and northern parts of the crown of healthy and mature trees. The results of analysis variance showed that there was a significant difference between and within the population for the activity of catalase and peroxidase enzymes at the probability level of 0.05 and with increasing altitude, the activity of catalase and peroxidase were increased but the activity of Ascorbate peroxidase enzyme was initially increased and its level of activity decreased from the middle altitude with increasing altitude. Also, the results showed that the enzymatic activity of peroxidase and catalase in the northern leaves was more than the southern leaves that collected in crown of the trees.

A factorial experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design with four replications in order to investigate of the effect of reduced dosages of imazethapyr at various growth stages of soybean on cocklebur at Mahdasht، Karaj during 2009-10. The evaluated experimental factors were included five levels of imazethapyr dosage (0، 25، 50، 75 and 100 g a. i. ha-1) and soybean phenological growth stage in three stages (two، three and four-leaved stage). The Fitting of experimental data by the logistic equations showed that the imazethapyr application at two-leaved stage of soybean had the highest effect on the reduction of shoot dry weight، height، number of axillary branch and seed dry weight of cocklebur. Using 9. 89 g a. i. ha-1 imazethapyr at two-leaved stage of soybean led to a 50% reduction in dry weight of cocklebur. This reduction amount at 3 and 4-leaved stages of soybean were obtained by imazethapyr application in the dosages of 42. 84 and 61. 67 g a. i. ha-1، respectively. Moreover، the results showed that any significant difference was observed between 75 and 100 g ai. ha-1 of for imazethapyr in the cocklebur control. Therefore، the application of reduced dose of 75 g a. i. ha-1 can suitably control cocklebur at two-leaved stage of soybean. The highest yield of soybean (3327 kg ha-1) was also achieved by imazethapyr application during the two-leaved growth stage.

The present study carried out to assess the effects of Benzo-α-Pyren (BaP), as an important Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) on the plasma levels of cortisol and triiodothyronine (T3) hormones in male Seabream, Acanthopagrus latus (Sparidea). To assess the acute effects of BaP on the endocrine system, a group of fish was injected with dissolved BaP in sunflower oil (50mg/kg BaP in 2μg/l oil according to the body weight). Other fishes were injected with 2μg/l body weight as controls. Blood samples from both groups were collected 3 hours after injection. In another protocol, the chronic effects of BaP on the plasma levels of cortisol and T3 were assessed. Another group of fish was implanted with 50mg/kg BaP in 10μl/g coconut oil in respect to fish body weight. A control group was implanted with the same amount of oil without the BaP. Blood samples were collected from both implanted groups (treatment and control) after 72 hours. Plasma levels of cortisol in yellowfin Seabream increased during both short time and long time exposure but T3 levels in the plasma decreased during the chronic stress of BaP exposure. It seems that the cortisol levels are elevated to meet the increased energy requirement under the acute and chronic stress conditions by direct effect on glyconeogenesis and fast blood sugar level to be consumed by cells. T3 levels may be affected by inhibitory effect of Aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AhRs) which decreased it during long term exposure.

The issue of salinity stress caused by oil extraction has been one of the major environmental issues of the country in the last decade. Biological agents in oil-contaminated areas can be considered the most efficient methods. The aim of this study was to reduce salinity by cyanobacteria isolated from oil contaminated areas. Soil cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. FS 76 were collected from oil polluted areas of southern Iran (Khuzestan province) and were studied ecophysiologically for acclimation ability at combination of different salinities (up to 1%) and extremely limited irradiances (2 μmol quanta.m-2S-1) at laboratory conditions. Samples were collected from oil polluted soils at different stations of Khuzestan province (Khark) for one year. Anabaena sp.FS 76 showed common strain and was selected for next steps after preliminary identification. Salinity treatments included Salt-free medium and BG011 medium with 0.25, 0. 5, 0.75, and 1% sodium chloride which were applied before and after limited irradiance treatments. Analysis involved growth analysis, Pigments (phycocyanin, allophycocyanin, phycoerythrin) and protein and sugar content assays. Results showed that the maximum growth rate may be observed at 1% salinity. At this range of salinity. 1% NaCl not only may not decrease total sugar and protein content but also cause significant increase. In vivo absorption spectra support the presence of central and rod sections of phycobilisome. This strain has salinity amelioration ability at the laboratory conditions. This potentiality reaches to highest degrees of salinity especially at 1% probability level. The results showed examples of environmental physiology and biotechnology powerful is for future studies.

Possibility of the growth, biomass and photosynthetic pigment content fluctuations were surveyed in the soil cyanobacterium Calothrix sp. FS 65 via the combinations of two parameters means different concentration of salinity (17 , 80 and 160 mM) and time (24 and 96 hours). After purification, axenic culture of the cyanobacterium was pretreated with 24 and 96 hours in 17, 80, and 160 mM NaCl and then moved to usual culture media without extra salinity. Analysis included survivality and growth, in vivo pigment (phycocyanin, allophycocyanin, phycoerythrin and chlorophylls) and comparison of the combination of time and salinity on photosystem ratios. Results showed that the 24 hours pretreatments cause the complete deletion of the lag phase of the growth curve of such a strain. This may be an outstanding result regarding the role of lag phase on the acclimation processes and essential compartments of the nitrogenase and meanwhile intelligent outer layers envelopes. The main components of phycobilisomes means phycocyanin, phycoerythrin and allophycocyanin increase more than sixty percent after 96 hours pretreatment in 160 mM salinity. The phosystems ratio reached to the maximum at 24 hours after 17 mM salinity and then decreased significantly at the 96 mM at 96 hours after inoculation. The difference between the intercalary times and treatments seems insignificance despite that there was obvious difference. Collectively, using pretreatments may have considerable effects on the energy transfer in photosystems and the production of the energy and reductans which seem the great advantageous for the large scale cultivation technology.

Tamarisk is a drought-resistant tree that is important environmentally and has industrial applications in some countries. The aim of this study was to compare different populations of this species in terms of diameter growth rate (growth ring width), physiological adaptability (vascular characteristics) and wood application characteristics (fiber biometry). The study was conducted on ten-year-old saplings of six tamarisk populations that had previously been collected from different regions of Iran (Qom, Kashan, Khash, Zabol, Garmsar and Yazd) and planted in Garmsar. The results showed that Garmsar population has the largest diameter and radial growth among populations. This population chose the best strategy for adapting to cold and dry climates by keeping the vessels small and significantly increase their number, instead. This has been the reason for its better radial growth. Although the biometric properties of fibers and paper ratios showed significant statistical differences between populations, these differences were not so great as to have a significant impact on the quality of the resulting paper in practice. Therefore, although the population of Yazd was of better quality in terms of paper parameters, the selection of the best population for industry should not be only based on fiber biometry and other features such as production volume, adaptability to habitat and survival rate of seedlings should be given more importance. The positive correlation between the width of the growth rings and the length of the fibers from the perspective of wood cultivation is very favorable because the treatments that increase the growth rate will also improve the fiber properties. In general, it can be concluded that Garmsar population is the best option for planting and cultivating tamarisk in terms of adaptability to environment and wood farming.

Growth season rain pulses affect biological and physiological activities of wild plants in arid and semi-arid regions. Despite of numerous reports on the effects of rain pulses on plant physiological indices, there is little information on how rain pulses may affect secondary metabolites of medicinal plants. Caper (Capparis spinosa L.) plays a critical role on soil conservation and economy of arid and sub-tropical inhabitants. Accordingly, present research was conducted to investigate the physiological and phytochemical responses of caper to a growth season rainfall in its natural habitat in Mazdavand, Sarakhs, Iran. Leaf samples (4 replicates) were taken 2, 4, 7 and 10 days after a natural rain event (10 mm) in 17 May 2018. Results showed increase of antioxidant enzymes (catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activity by 77 and 34 %, respectively) and decrease (23%) in proline content by the day after the rain pulse, whereas, photosynthetic pigments were not affected by soil moisture changes. Total alkaloid content was higher (16%) in vegetative than reproductive phase. From the secondary metabolites and 14 major phytochemical compounds detected in leaf extract, phenol content was reduced whereas alkaloid content increased by decreasing soil moisture during the days after rainfall. In conclusions, the phytochemical compounds showed contrasting (increase or decrease) responses to the soil moisture pulse and inter-pulse conditions. These results indicate the best time of leaf harvest to achieve highest concentrations of specific secondary metabolites after the growth season rain pulses.