• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.31-40
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• 2022

Background: Plant vegetation appears in heterogeneous and patchy forms in arid and semi-arid regions. In these regions, underneath the plant patches and the empty spaces between them are covered by biological soil crusts (moss, lichen, cyanobacteria, and fungi). Biological soil crusts lead to the formation and development of fertile islands in between vegetation patches via nitrogen and carbon fixation and the permeation of runoff water and nutrients in the soil. Results: The present study has investigated the association of biological soil crusts, the development of fertile islands, and the formation of plant patches in part of the Takht-e Soltan protected area, located in Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran. Three sites were randomly selected as the working units and differentiated based on their geomorphological characteristics to the alluvial fan, hillslope, and fluvial terrace landforms. Two-step systematic random sampling was conducted along a 100-meter transect using a 5 m² plot at a 0-5 cm depth in three repetitions. Fifteen samplings were carried out at each site with a total of 45 samples taken. The results showed that the difference in altitude has a significant relationship with species diversity and decreases with decreasing altitude. Results have revealed that the moisture content of the site, with biocrust has had a considerable increase compared to the other sites, helping to form vegetation patterns and fertile islands. Conclusions: The findings indicated that biological crusts had impacted the allocation of soil parameters. They affect the formation of plant patches by increasing the soil's organic carbon, nitrogen, moisture and nutrient content provide a suitable space for plant growth by increasing the soil fertility in the inter-patch space.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.117-134
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• 2020

Over recent years, the interest for vegetables and fruits in all seasons and places has much increased, from where diverse countries have directed to the commercial production in greenhouse. In this article, we propose an algorithm based on wireless sensor network technologies that monitor the microclimate inside a greenhouse and linear equations model for optimization plant production and material cost. Moreover, we also suggest a novel design of an intelligent greenhouse. We validate our algorithms with simulations on a benchmark based on experimental data made at lNRA of Montfavet in France. Finally, we calculate the statistical estimators RMSE, TSSE, MAPE, EF and R². The results obtained are promising, which shows the efficiency of our proposed system.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.425-440
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• 2020

The study area is located in the southern part of the M'aider Paleozoic basin in the Moroccan Eastern Anti-Atlas. It is an arid region, characterized by minimal vegetation cover, which can provide an ideal environment to apply remote sensing. In this study, remote sensing and field investigations were integrated for lithological and structural lineaments mapping. The Landsat 8 OLI data were processed in order to understand the role of lithology and geological structures in the distribution of mineral deposits in the study area. To achieve this purpose, the Color Composite (CC), the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Band Rationing transformation (BR) tests were performed. The results of remote sensing techniques coupled with field investigations have shown that the zones of high lineaments densities are highly correlated with the occurrences of barite mineralization. These findings depict a spatial relationship between structural lineaments and the mineralization distribution zones. Therefore, the barite and Iron oxides mineralization veins, which occur mainly in the Ras Kammouna district, seem to have a structural control. The methodological approach used in this study examining lithological mapping and lineament extractions can be used to explore mineral deposits in arid regions to a high degree of efficiency.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.265-276
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• 2000

Crop-animal systems which form the backbone of agriculture in the tropics are discussed with reference to their characteristics, economic importance of animals, genesis and types of crop-animal systems, relevance and potential importance, and priorities for research and development. These production systems are found across all agroecological zones: rain-fed temperate and highland systems, semi-arid and arid tropics, and sub-humid and humid tropics: the last four are priority areas in Asia. The potential importance of these systems in Asia is reflected in their advantages, synergism and complimentarity, economic benefits and contribution to sustainability. Illustrative case studies are cited which are appropriate to the two broad types of mixed farming systems: systems combining animals and annual cropping, and systems combining animals with perennial cropping with reference to Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, China and Nigeria. Priorities for research and development should address more complete use of the animal genetic resources, intensive utilisation of the feed resources, development-oriented utilisation of research results, minimizing animal diseases, and implementation of appropriate institutional and policy issues.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.82-94
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to investigate the cause of increasing dry zones through analyzing relationships between land cover and Vegetation Temperature Condition Index(VTCI) using Landsat 4-5 TM satellite images in Central Dry Zones of Myanmar. As a result of land cover classifications, while vegetation areas gradually decrease, residential area and cropland were increased. VTCI analysis shows that region (a) showed a gradual decrease in the area of severely arid, and increase in the area of moderate dry and wet, which sums up to a slight decrease in aridity. Region (b) also showed to increase in dry areas and severe aridity. The result of relational analysis between VTCI and land cover change showed high ratio of land cover change, from severe arid area to forest and residential farmland. The average VTCI decreased in the changed land covers, which indicates the relationship between aridity and land cover change and a gradual increase in the arid area was identified.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.199-205
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• 2004

With the main objective to know the feasibility of exploitation of F$_1$ hybrids in semi arid and arid climatic conditions of India, the present study was carried out by utilising RD$_1$ as female parent and six bivoltine silkworm breeds viz., CSR$_2$, CSR$_4$, CSR$_{5}$, CSR$_{17}$, CSR$_{18}$ and CSR$_{19}$ along with NB$_4$D$_2$ as male parents. Different hybrids exhibited their superiority for various economic characters during different seasons. Among F$_1$ hybrids, RD$_1$${\times}$CSR$_{5}$ was adjudicated as the best hybrid in terms of expression of significant positive hybrid vigour over mid parental value for five economic characters namely hatching %, cocoon yield, cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight and filament size, highest multiple trait average evaluation index value of 56.77 and comparatively uniform cocoon size with coefficient of variation (CV%) of 3.80 and Standard Deviation (SD) of 7.99 during September - October 2003. Results of the present study revealed that the F$_1$ hybrid RD$_1$${\times}$CSR$_{5}$ can be successfully exploited on commercial in semi arid and arid climatic conditions in India. India.dia.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.296-300
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• 2005

Human-induced soil salinity is becoming a major threat to agriculture across the world. This salinisation occurs in both irrigated and rain-fed agricultural zones with the highest proportions in the arid and semi-arid environments. Livestock can play an important role in the management and rehabilitation of this land. There are a range of plants that grow in saline soils and these have been used as animal feed. In many situations, animal production has been poor as a result of low edible biomass production, low nutritive value, depressed appetite, or a reduction in efficiency of energy use. Feeding systems are proposed that maximise the feeding value of plants growing on saline land and integrate their use with other feed resources available within mixed livestock and crop farming systems. Salt-tolerant pastures, particularly the chenopod shrubs, have moderate digestible energy and high crude protein. For this reason they represent a good supplement for poor quality pastures and crop residues. The use of salt-tolerant pasture systems not only provides feed for livestock but also may act as a bio-drain to lower saline water tables and improve the soil for growth of alternative less salt tolerant plants. In the longer term there are opportunities to identify and select more appropriate plants and animals for saline agriculture.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.41-51
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• 1990

This study was executed to investigate the vegetation structure and to propose the vegetation management proposals of the Sansung Nature Park at Cheonju City and the results were as fellows. 1. A damage of vegetation and soil surface around the Namgosa was taken place up to 100m by picnic 2. Pinus rigida forest covered 36.1% of the total area(152.6ha) and total afforested vegetation covered 43.5%, respectively. P. denstflora comm. covered 28.4% arid Carpinus laxiflora Comm. as a climax vegetation in temerate zone covered 0.3%, respectively. 3. 6, 7 and 8 of the degree of human disturbance of vegetation covered 45.3%, 26.6% and 21.4%, respectively and resulted in low quality of naturalness. 4. Physical and chemical properties of soil were pour at high elevation and were poor severely in and around the Namgosa due to human disturbance. 5. Plant community were under rapid succession and had unvalanced structure and heterogeneous composition of species. Rapid vegetational succession from Pinus densiflora and Pf. rigida to Carpinus laxifora, Quercus spp. and Robinina pseudo-acacia were taken place.6. The speeies of Raunkiaer's frequency class I as of high frequency class were Pinus dunsiflora, Carpinus alxiflora, Quercus mmongolica, Sorbus alnifolia, Prunrs sargintii, Rhododendron yedoense, Stephanandra incisa and Lespedeza maxinowiczii. 7. Vegetational management proposals were made for three vegetation zones ; Historic landscape restoration and preservation zone, Afforested vegetation zone, Native vegetation conservation zone and recommanded native species for landcape planting.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.251-273
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• 2020

Soil degradation has become a major worldwide environmental problem, particularly in arid and semi-arid climate zones due to irregular rainfall and the intensity of storms that frequently generate heavy flooding. The main objective of this study is the use of geographic information system and remote sensing techniques to quantify and to map the soil losses in the Wadi Saida watershed (624 ㎢) through the revised universal soil loss equation model and a proposed model based on the surface erosive runoff. The results Analysis revealed that the Wadi Saida watershed showed moderate to moderately high soil loss, between 0 and 1000 t/㎢/year. In the northern part of the basin in the region of Sidi Boubkeur and the mountains of Daia; which are characterized by steep slopes, values can reach up to 3000 t/㎢/year. The two models in comparison showed a good correlation with R = 0.95 and RMSE = 0.43; the use of the erosive surface runoff parameter is effective to estimate the rate of soil loss in the watersheds. The problem of soil erosion requires serious interventions, particularly in basins with disturbances and aggressive climatic parameters. Good agricultural practices and forest preservation areas play an important role in soil conservation.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.207-213
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• 2005

Cultural, morphological and pathogenic variation in Indian isolates of Ascochyta rabiei, the causal agent of blight of chickpea, was investigated. Fungal isolates representative of seven agroclimatic regions in north western plain zones (NWPZ) of India showed variation in colony colour as mouse gray with green hue, light mouse gray with slate gray centre and gray with dark brown centre, when grown on chickpea dextrose agar (CDA). Conidiomatal color of the isolates varied from brown to slate gray and black. The number of conidiomata and conidia formed on CDA ranged from 49.7 to 90.7 and $5.5\times10^4\;to\;3\times10^5cm^{-2}$, respectively. The size of conidiomata and conidia of A. rabiei isolates varied from $274\times232{\mu}m\;to\;156\times116{\mu}m$, and from $14.0\times6.2{\mu}m\;to\;10.7\times4.6{\mu}m$, respectively. Fourteen A. rabiei isolates from the seven agroclimatic regions of NWPZ were evaluated for their virulence on 180 chickpea genotypes in controlled environment. Cluster analysis based on the disease rating on a 1-9 scale indicated higher similarity coefficient (> 0.65) between isolates from different agroecological regions, while few isolates from the same region had less similarity. The 14 isolates were grouped into eight pathotypes at > 0.5 similarity coefficient. Sixteen genotypes were identified as probable differentials to distinguish A. rabiei isolates.