مجله پژوهشهای جانوری (زیست شناسی ایران)
سال سی و چهارم شماره 1 (بهار 1400)

The swan mussel, Anodonta cygnea, is a large species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusc known as the river mussels. In this study, six sampling sites were selected from different parts of the Anzali wetland to examine the habitat suitability of A. cygnea. At each site, a set of variables in relation to water qualitative characteristics and environmental morphology were simultaneously and monthly sampled with 36 presence and 36 absence of individuals during one year study period (2017-2018). According to the results of the Mann-Whitney test, there was a significant difference between the presence and absence of A. cygnea and the most variables (p < 0.05 for orthophosphate and total suspended solids, and p < 0.01 for others). The only exception was for the variables of air and water temperature, of which there was no significant difference between the presence and absence of A. cygnea and the given variables (p > 0.05). Based on the results of generalized linear model (GLM), the increase in the values of water depth, flow velocity, water turbidity, electric conductivity, orthophosphate and nitrate may decrease the probability of presence occurrence of A. cygnea (p <0.01). While increase in dissolved oxygen concentration and total hardness may increase the probability of the presence of A. cygnea in the wetland (p < 0.01). Based on the results of generalized linear model, there was no any statistically significant difference between presence of absence of A. cygnea and water temperature.

By releasing a large amount of planktonic larvae, barnacles are among the important constituent of marine food webs. Like other animals, anatomy of costal barnacles are also affected by environmental conditions such as wave exposure. This work aims to study effect of wave exposure on shell strength of the common intertidal barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite in the city of Bandar Abbas. Specimens were collected from sheltered and exposed sides of two breakwaters in the city of Bandar Abbas. In addition to shell density, penetration force was calculated in scutum and rostrum using a penetrometer. Calcium concentration also was measured in the shells of specimens from both sides. Present results showed that barnacles in the sheltered side have higher calcium concentration (average = 191.5 milligram/liter), heavier (the average density = 1.81) and stronger (the average force to penetrate rostrum = 2.49 kilogram) shells compared to those of exposed side (the average of calcium concentration = 182.3 milligram/liter; the average density = 1.48; the average force to penetrate rostrum = 1.34 kilogram). It seems that this strength comes from the slower growth and denser calcification in the specimens of the sheltered area compared to the ones in the exposed side.

Multiple sclerosis, as well as toxins such as ethidium bromide, can damage the myelin of neurons. The antioxidant properties of Bacopa monnieri have been reported in previous studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction of Bacopa monnieri and ethidium bromide on spatial memory and lipid peroxidation in the hippocampal formation. This study was performed on eight groups of seven-member male rats. Three days after injection of ethidium bromide or Bacopa monnieri, and also combination of these drugs in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, Morris Water Maze test was employed to measure spatial memory parameters. Then the lipid peroxidation parameter was measured in this region. bromide into the CA1 region Injection 3 μL of ethidium bromide 1% reduced the parameters related to spatial memory (P

Generally, oligochaetes as a well-known group of earthworm invertebrates with global distribution have been considered from two Ecological and taxonomical point of view. Species diversity of oligochaetes was investigated in Jajrood River, Caspian Southern basin, Iran. This research began in autumn and winter and specimens were collected from 7 collecting stations using a kick sampling approach across the river. Today, the use of modern methods, including genetic markers, provides a more accurate understanding of the species To evaluate the diversity and facilitate identification of the oligochaete species, both DNA barcoding, using the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), and morphological identification keys were utilized. As a result, five species including Tubifex tubifex, Tubifex sp., Eiseniella tetraedra, Eisenia fetida, and Eisenia sp. belonging to the families Lumbricidae and Naididae were identified. The results showed E. tetraedra to be the most abundant species, which consists of four divergent lineages in this river system.

Relationships between plants, herbivores and natural enemies can help the understanding the interaction between three-levels of integrated pest management programs. The interaction of the food chain prey (the two-spotted spider mite and western flower thrips) and predator (Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae)) and the host plants (strawberry cultivars: Marak, Yalova, Aliso, Gaviota, Sequoia, Camarosa and Chandler) were investigated. The predation rate and the presence frequency of the predatory mite on the pair of patches connected with a wax interface were compared. The type of prey did not effect on the presence frequency. In spite of the presence frequency on thrips patches, the predation rate of the predatory mite on nymph of thrips was less than two-spotted spider mite eggs. The presence frequency of the predatory mite on strawberry cultivars patches was different due to different special volatiles of strawberry cultivars. The predation rate of N. californicus between pair patches was showed significant difference, while, the number of the presence frequency among different strawberry cultivars has been differed in 61% of cases and the predation rate of the predatory mite has been differed in 52% of the cases. The presence frequency of the predatory mite on host patches were not affected by type of prey, however, the predation rate of N. californicus on preferred prey (two-spotted spider mite) was more than it on non- preferred prey (nymph of the thrips). The host plant and the prey species have an effect on the patch selection of the predatory mite and the predation rate.

Conservation of biodiversity under changing environment is a real challenge for conservation biologists. Previous studies have shown that climate change will have negative impacts on bat species. However very little is known about the potential impacts of climate change on bats of Iran. Pipistrellus pipistrellus is a small insectivore bat which live in vast area in Iran. Despite being widespread, the species ecology remains unknown. In the present study we predicted the impacts of climate change on the species distribution, identified future climate refugia for the species and assessed protected areas effectiveness in covering the species suitable habitats. We applied an ensemble approach using four distribution modeling methods (Generalized Linear Models, Generalized Additive Models, Maximum Entropy Modelling and Random Forest). then projected the ensemble model in to the future. We found that the species will lose 118551 km2 of its suitable habitats while gaining 59303 km2 new climatically suitable habitats. Results showed that 7.1 percent of the species suitable habitats covered by protected areas under current climatic condition but in the future suitable habitats will decrease to 6.7 and 6.2 percent under RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 respectively. Climatically stable habitats identified in this study can play important role in species survival under climate change thus they have high priority for conservation.