Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 PhD Student, Department of Environment, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Environment, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Water Engineering, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran
Abstract
Abstract: Wetlands are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. They provide a unique and rich habitat for creature .they also perform a wide range of economic and service functions such as water conservation, runoff regulation, water quality treatment and recreational services. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ecosystem health of Meyghan Wetland of Arak based on different methods. To evaluate the Meyghan Wetland of Arak and also to evaluate the status of benthic organisms and other parameters, sampling of sediments of the wetland floor was performed. Sampling was performed at 10 points of the wetland and at 5 replications at each point. Several indicators were used to assess the health of Meyghan Wetland. Which included a biotic-index (BI) based on the work of Borja et al. (2000). In addition to the above, the main framework includes bio-indicators, heavy metal pollution index and water quality index, which have been considered in this study. The ecosystem health of Meyghan Wetland was evaluated based on the mentioned indicators and the map of ecosystem health of Meyghan Wetland was prepared. The results of this study showed that except for the nickel, zinc and lead as well as pH, for other elements (EC, Na, Cl, Mg, Ca, HCO3, SO4 and TDS), the lowest and highest values belong respectively To stations 3 and 6. The high amount of these elements in station 6 can be due to the activity of sodium sulfate factory in the northern part of the wetland, which causes changes in the wetland ecosystem by removing sediments from the wetland floor. In the case of copper, zinc and lead, the lowest concentration is seen in the northwestern part of the wetland and the highest concentration is seen in the western and southeastern parts of the wetland.
Keywords
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