Mohammad Ali Zanganeh Asadi; Mahnaz Naemi tabar; Mokhtar karami
Abstract
Desertification is a problem that is currently affecting many countries in the world, including Iran. This problem is seen not only in arid and semi-arid areas, but also parts of semi-humid areas. The purpose of this study is to investigate and zoning the intensity of desertification using the modified ...
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Desertification is a problem that is currently affecting many countries in the world, including Iran. This problem is seen not only in arid and semi-arid areas, but also parts of semi-humid areas. The purpose of this study is to investigate and zoning the intensity of desertification using the modified Medalus Model and hierarchical clustering method in the Baqous Plain of Sabzevar. For this purpose, effective criteria in desertification including climate, vegetation, soil, erosion, and selection management, and the geometric mean of the indicators were calculated. Data layers indicators related to each criterion were prepared using the GIS system. This information was scored based on the Medalus method and from the geometric mean of the indicators of each criterion, the final map of the status of each criterion was prepared and from the geometric mean of the criteria, the current map of the desertification of the region was prepared. Results showed that the criteria of vegetation, climate, and erosion were more effective than other factors in desertification of the region and high sensitivity and critical type was matched with the poverty of vegetation and the dryness of the climate, and work units 1 and 2 have the largest area of desertification types with high intensity. The results also showed that 21% of the study area is in the high sensitivity zone, 28% in the high and critical sensitivity zone, 17% in the low sensitivity zone, 28% in the low and critical sensitivity zone, and 6% in low sensitivity zone to erosion. 55.6% of the results of modified Modalus Model were obtained by significant clustering methods. According to the spatial distribution map of desertification intensity extracted from the model, it can be used as an auxiliary tool against desertification and prevent excessive destruction of the region in the future.
Ramin Papi; Saeid Hamzeh; Masoud Soleimani
Abstract
The climate change over the past few decades, and consequently decrease in the precipitation, along with the population growth in different regions in Iran have led to an increase in demand for water for domestic agricultural, industrial, etc. consumption. This has led to uncontrolled exploitation of ...
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The climate change over the past few decades, and consequently decrease in the precipitation, along with the population growth in different regions in Iran have led to an increase in demand for water for domestic agricultural, industrial, etc. consumption. This has led to uncontrolled exploitation of groundwater resources, causing severe decrease in the groundwater level. Artificial recharge technique is one of the methods to compensate for the groundwater deficit, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Selection of suitable sites before artificial recharge can help improve the efficiency of the project and ensure its success. Having in mind the problems related to decrease in groundwater resources in Tehran due to the increasing population and the expansion of industry and agriculture. This study aims to identify and zoning of regions that are suitable for artificial recharge of groundwater in Tehran Province. The GIS can help determine such regions more precisely, faster, and with better results. For this purpose, the present study integrated GIS and Fuzzy AHP to weigh and combine factors that play a positive role in artificial recharge, such as the depth and changes in the groundwater level, precipitation, drainage density, elevation and land slope, distance from fault, distance from river, geological properties, and land use. After investigating the views of experts about the binary comparison of the criteria, and prioritizing them using AHP, it was found that the hydrological properties were the most effective criteria for the subject under study. Results indicated that 6.2% and 15.75% of the entire area of the region under study are very suitable and suitable for artificial recharge of groundwater, respectively. Very suitable regions are mostly located in the east of the province, with suitable geologic formations, short distance from river, and predominant rangeland and agricultural land use. They also, have a very low and decreasing groundwater level.
Alireza Arabameri; Mohammad hossein Ramshet; Khalil Rezaei; Masoud Sohrabi
Abstract
Nowadays, desertification as a great problem affects most of the countries in the world, especially developing countries. Desertification phenomenon that occurs in arid, semi-arid and dry semi-wet regions, will reduce the land potential. In this study MEDALUS model was applied for quantitative assessment ...
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Nowadays, desertification as a great problem affects most of the countries in the world, especially developing countries. Desertification phenomenon that occurs in arid, semi-arid and dry semi-wet regions, will reduce the land potential. In this study MEDALUS model was applied for quantitative assessment of desertification risk with emphasis on five criterion in Shahroud-Bastam Basin, because of easy style and data accessibility and also compatible with the effective indices on land degradation. For this purpose, first, the study area was divided into five homogeneous units. Then, five criteria including soil quality, climate, vegetation, management, erosion and 13 indicators were used for quantitative evaluation of desertification in homogeneous units. Index layers for each criterion were prepared using GIS. These indices were ranked in accordance with Modified MEDALUS model. The geometric mean was then calculated and map was produced for each criterion. Land degradation map of each homogeneous unit was prepared using the geometric mean criteria. Finally, from their combination, desertification susceptibility map produced. According to the results, climatic and erosion criteria with an average weight of 1.607 and 1.467, had the most effectiveness on desertification and vegetation with average weight of 1.377 had the least effectiveness. As a results, from the total of study area, with area of 7737.71 km2, 40% (3096.311 km) is located in the C3 class or extreme critical erosion, that requiring more attention to implement desertification control programs. Result of this research is a managing tool available for decision-making regarding the selection of priority areas in the fight against desertification.
Majid Mahmoudabadi; Samira Zamani
Abstract
Wind erosion is one of the aspects of land degradation resulting in some problems especially for arid and semi-arid regions. Recognition of Sediment size Distribution (PSD) as well as transport mechanisms is important in modelling of wind erosion. In the present study, this topic was investigated on ...
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Wind erosion is one of the aspects of land degradation resulting in some problems especially for arid and semi-arid regions. Recognition of Sediment size Distribution (PSD) as well as transport mechanisms is important in modelling of wind erosion. In the present study, this topic was investigated on two soils taken from cropland and sand dune with different PSD, using wind tunnel. Results showed that compared to the original soil, the collected sediment had finer sizes, indicating a selective mechanism in transporting detachable particles. It was found that for cropland soil, increasing wind speed from 2 to 18 m/s at the height of 20 cm, the PSD of sediment approached to the original soil. This trend was reverse for sandy soil so that, for higher wind velocities, the frequency of fine particles was more than the original soil. The result of transport mechanisms indicated that compared to saltation as well as suspension, creeping was the least important mechanism. The contributing percentage of creeping for cropland and sandy soils was determined less than 10 and 1 %, respectively. For the cropland soil at wind speed of 2 m/s, suspension was the most important mechanism of transport and depends on soil's PSD, 61.1- 68.5 % of particles were transported. Increasing wind speed up to 18 m/s, saltation with 50.4- 53.8 % was found as the main transport mechanism. Reversely, in the sandy soil at low wind speed, most of sediment (59.3 %) was transported through saltation, whereas increasing the speed, suspension with 55.3 % became the dominant mechanism. The finding of this study brings up the important of soil PSD on the PSD of sediment as well as transport mechanisms.
Abdosaleh Rangavar; Gholamali Gezanchian; Hassan Angoshtari; Reza Ghafourian
Volume 1, Issue 4 , February 2010, , Pages 259-265
Abstract
The deposition of transported materials by flood water on soil surfaces in warm and arid region causes some changes in texture, structure, depth and fertility of the soil. According to the study of flood water spreading effect on physical and chemical characteristics of the soil, the study field of flood ...
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The deposition of transported materials by flood water on soil surfaces in warm and arid region causes some changes in texture, structure, depth and fertility of the soil. According to the study of flood water spreading effect on physical and chemical characteristics of the soil, the study field of flood water spreading of Jajarm in North Khorasan province was chosen. This area has located on alluvial fan with 0.75- 1% slop, 146.3 millimeter mean annual rainfall, arid and extra arid climate. For the period of 4 years (1995-1999), the soil samples were collected from recognizable A and C horizons and the depth of 0-30 centimeter (plow layer) from 7 profiles at three primary strips. The quantity of effective parameters on soil characteristics was determined in laboratory. This process was repeated after three times flood water spreading. Obtained data were analyzed: I) by t-student test to compare different properties of soil before and after flood spreading. II) by split plot procedure with three replicates to compare the whole effects at flood water spreading. The samples variance analysis showed that flood water spreading was effective on sand ratio, clay, organic matter, bicarbonate (p<0.05) and was effective too on Ca, Mg, Cl, Na, SAR and EC (p<0.01). There was a significant difference between the samples before and after spreading of flood water. Comparing the average mean of factors including soil salinity, Ca and Mg on A, C and plow layer before and after flood water spreading showed only different between plowing layers, also results showed that the sand to clay ratio and silt in a horizon were decreased. Flood water spreading had no more effect on the other soil characteristics.
