• Title/Summary/Keyword: Arid-Areas

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Modeling the potential climate change-induced impacts on future genus Rhipicephalus (Acari: Ixodidae) tick distribution in semi-arid areas of Raya Azebo district, Northern Ethiopia

  • Hadgu, Meseret;Menghistu, Habtamu Taddele;Girma, Atkilt;Abrha, Haftu;Hagos, Haftom
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.43 no.4
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    • pp.427-437
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    • 2019
  • Background: Climate change is believed to be continuously affecting ticks by influencing their habitat suitability. However, we attempted to model the climate change-induced impacts on future genus Rhipicephalus distribution considering the major environmental factors that would influence the tick. Therefore, 50 tick occuance points were taken to model the potential distribution using maximum entropy (MaxEnt) software and 19 climatic variables, taking into account the ability for future climatic change under representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5, were used. Results: MaxEnt model performance was tested and found with the AUC value of 0.99 which indicates excellent goodness-of-fit and predictive accuracy. Current models predict increased temperatures, both in the mid and end terms together with possible changes of other climatic factors like precipitation which may lead to higher tick-borne disease risks associated with expansion of the range of the targeted tick distribution. Distribution maps were constructed for the current, 2050, and 2070 for the two greenhouse gas scenarios and the most dramatic scenario; RCP 8.5 produced the highest increase probable distribution range. Conclusions: The future potential distribution of the genus Rhipicephalus show potential expansion to the new areas due to the future climatic suitability increase. These results indicate that the genus population of the targeted tick could emerge in areas in which they are currently lacking; increased incidence of tick-borne diseases poses further risk which can affect cattle production and productivity, thereby affecting the livelihood of smallholding farmers. Therefore, it is recommended to implement climate change adaptation practices to minimize the impacts.

A Study on Conservation of the Natural Environment in Chosun-Dynasty, Korea (조선시대 자연환경보전에 관한 연구)

  • 오승봉;안동만
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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    • v.23 no.1
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    • pp.51-65
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    • 1995
  • Conservation of the natural environiment In chosun-Dynasty, Korea, is analysed on the basis of the of official records of the king's offices(Chosun-wangjo-sillok). In the popular ideologies of the dynasty, Seongleehak(philosophy of humanity arid natural laws) and Pungsu (geomancy) , the naturnal enviroment is defined as an entity con-sisting of Cheon (heaven) , San(mnountains) , Su (water), Geumsu (animals)and Chomok (plants) .the notion of Tacksi-Tackmul(being careful to take natural resources at the right time) was one of the Cheonmyung (eavenly decrees) . It was believed that violation of this principle resulted in natural disasters. Sasan(four mountains surrounding Hansungbu-, the capital city, now Seoul) , were strictly preserved according to geomancy practices. In areas other than the capital city, Sanlimcheontack (mountains, forests, rivers and ponds) were con-served for sustained production of building materials especially pinetrees for ship building, foods, firewoods, horses, and orter useful natural resources. Various conservation policy insturuments were adopted. Prunning trees was permitted only in October. Capturing fishes was allowed only after the spawning period. Protection areas were designated in Sasan, Seongjoesiplee (surroundings of the capital city) , Geumsan(protected mountains), Kangmujang(hunting and army training grounds), Sijang(firewood areas), Mokmajang(horse ranches) and Neungyuk(royal tombs) . Activities prohibited for conservation purposes included cutting timbers, burning, building houses or tombs, dumping wastes, farming and breaking up fresh land, grazing, hunting and trespassing. Positive actions for conservation were rituals to Heaven ennoblement of natural elements such as mountians or rivers, planting trees, Boto (supplementing soil on low ridges) , Josan (mounding) and making ponds. Boto, Josan and making ponds were to make ideal terrains for geomancy. Many government bodies and civil servants were engaged in the conservation activities. For example, Sanjik(forest keeper) was a special position with responsibility for forest management.

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Quantitative Comparison of Diversity and Conformity in Nitrogen Recycling of Ruminants

  • Obitsu, T.;Taniguchi, K.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.22 no.3
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    • pp.440-447
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    • 2009
  • Domestic ruminant animals are reared in diverse production systems, ranging from extensive systems under semi-arid and tropical conditions with poor feed resources to intensive systems in temperate and cold areas with high quality feed. Nitrogen (N) recycling between the body and gut of ruminants plays a key role in the adaptation to such diverse nutritional conditions. Ammonia and microbial protein produced in the gut and urea synthesized in the liver are major players in N-recycling transactions. In this review, we focus on the physiological factors affecting urea production and recycling. Sheep and buffalo probably have higher abilities to reabsorb urea from the kidney compared with cattle. This affects the degree of urea-N recycling between the body and gut at both low and high N intakes. The synthesis and gut entry of urea also differs between cattle bred for either dairy or beef production. Lactating dairy cows show a higher gut entry of urea compared with growing cattle. The synthesis and recycling of urea dramatically increases after weaning, so that the functional development of the rumen exerts an essential role in N transactions. Furthermore, high ambient temperature increases urea production but reduces urea gut entry. An increase in total urea flux, caused by the return to the ornithine cycle from the gut entry, is considered to serve as a labile N pool in the whole body to permit metabolic plasticity under a variety of physiological, environmental and nutritional conditions.

Optimization of three small-scale solar membrane distillation desalination systems

  • Chang, Hsuan;Hung, Chen-Yu;Chang, Cheng-Liang;Cheng, Tung-Wen;Ho, Chii-Dong
    • Membrane and Water Treatment
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    • v.6 no.6
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    • pp.451-476
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    • 2015
  • Membrane distillation (MD), which can utilize low-grade thermal energy, has been extensively studied for desalination. By incorporating solar thermal energy, the solar membrane distillation desalination system (SMDDS) is a potential technology for resolving the energy and water resource problems. Small-scale SMDDS (s-SMDDS) is an attractive and viable option for the production of fresh water for small communities in remote arid areas. The minimum-cost design and operation of s-SMDDS are determined by a systematic method, which involves a pseudo steady state approach for equipment sizing and the dynamic optimization using overall system mathematical models. The s-SMDDS employing three MD configurations, including the air gap (AGMD), direct contact (DCMD) and vacuum (VMD) types, are optimized. The membrane area of each system is $11.5m^2$. The AGMD system operated for 500 kg/day water production rate gives the lowest unit cost of $5.92/m^3$. The performance ratio and recovery ratio are 0.85 and 4.07%, respectively. For the commercial membrane employed in this study, the increase of membrane mass transfer coefficient up to two times is beneficial for cost reduction and the reduction of membrane heat transfer coefficient only affects the cost of the DCMD system.

A Research on the Youth Facilities Management with Importance-Performance Analysis ((중요도-성취도)분석에 의한 청소년수련시설 운영실태 조사연구)

  • 구태익
    • Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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    • v.23 no.2
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    • pp.137-147
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    • 1995
  • This research is a preliminary study to improve the criteria of youth facilities which regulated in Youth Fundamental Act, with the method of Importance-Performance Analysis on youth facilities management. Evaluation inquiry had been made, and were collected from the youth facility managers who attended The Korean Youth Facility Managers' Seminar held on 24th Nov. 1994 at Pakdaljae Youth Center. The results are as follows; 1. Keep Up the Good Work : indoor facilities in community area, and outdoor facilities and accommodations in natural area are resulted in high in Importance and. Performance. They need to be operated constantly. 2. Concentrate Here : Counselling room, hobby room and outdoor meeting places in community area, and care room in natural area are perceived high in Importance but low in Performance. They need to provide proper leaders and equipment. 3. Low Priority : Care room, forest and outdoor facilities in community area, arid forest and folk playground in natural area are low in both Importance and Performance. So, it is considered that they are not necessary ones in both areas, but some outdoor facilities are so essential in natural area that they need to be provided properly. 4 Possible Overkill : Courtyard and library in community area, and outdoor facilities in natural area are low in Importance but high in Performance. They need to improve their importance through the development of applicable activity programs.

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Spatio temporal analysis of land subsidence due to declining groundwater levels in arid region of Pakistan using Sentinel-1 SAR imegery

  • Ahmad, Waqas;Kim, Dongkyun;Kim, Soohyun
    • Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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    • 2017.05a
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    • pp.192-192
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    • 2017
  • In this paper we showed the application of European Space Agency's C-band Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery to identify land subsidence in a heavily groundwater pumping area. We used the repeat pass satellite interferometry method in combination with persistent scattering (PS) interferometric technique to generate and analyze twenty-eight interferograms for the period October 2014 to November 2016. The interferometry results show that land subsidence is more pronounced in the urban areas. Excessive groundwater pumping in the study area is believed to be the main reason for land subsidence. The results are compared with the subsidence rate measured by GPS as reported in other studies and with the mean change in total water storage field of GRACE solutions provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) and the Center for Space Research (CSR). The comparison shows persistently decreasing trends during the period of study. A strong reliance of the trend of land subsidence on the temporal decline in total water storage proposes that much of the land subsidence can be attributed to heavy pumping of the groundwater.

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Evapotranspiration Estimation Study Based on Coupled Water-energy Balance Theory in River Basin

  • Xue, Lijun;Kim, JooCheol;Li, Hongyan;Jung, Kwansue
    • Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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    • 2018.05a
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    • pp.146-146
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    • 2018
  • Basin evapotranspiration is the result of water balance and energy balance, which is affected by climate and underlying surface characteristics, the process is complex, and spatial and temporal variability is large, the evapotranspiration estimation of river basin is an important but difficult problem in the field of hydrology, over the years, many scholars devoted to the basin actual evapotranspiration estimation and achieved excellent results. We discuss Budyko coupled water-energy balance theory and evaporation paradox, then use the Fu's equation to estimate actual evapotranspiration yearly in different areas with different dryness. The result shows that Fu's equation has high precision for estimating evapotranspiration yearly in our selected study area, and the estimation result has higher precision in the area with high dryness. Then, we propose an improved formula which can be used to estimate actual evapotranspiration monthly. Furthermore, we found that the parameter in the formula reflects general conditions of underlying surface and it is affected by several factors, at last, we tried to propose the calculation formula. The study indicates that Fu's equation provides a reliable method for evapotranspiration estimation in dry regions as well as semi-humid and semi-arid regions, which has great significance for forecasting river basin water resources and inquiring into ecological water requirement.

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Selecting plant species for landfill revegetation: a test of 10 native species on reclaimed soils

  • Song, Uhram
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.42 no.4
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    • pp.259-264
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    • 2018
  • Background: Revegetating landfills can be a challenging task as the reclaimed soils are typically dry and have low nutrient content. Therefore, selecting suitable plant species is important for initial revegetation. The issue with current practices (in Korea) is that alien plant species have been typically selected for revegetation projects. In this context, this study selects and tests a set of native plant species for landfill revegetation, accompanied by the assessment of the landfill soils. Results: The soil of the landfill (landfill location) was in a very poor condition with high bulk density and low organic matter and nutrient contents. Among 10 tested species, only Brassica campestris showed high coverage and a sufficient number of individuals in study quadrats sown with seeds. Results suggest that plant species with heavy seeds are the only ones that can adapt to the environment of a typical landfill due to the site's aridity and low nutrient content. The reason is due to such species' superior wind resistance and the capacity to provide sufficient energy for the initial growth of the plants for survival in such landfill environment. Conclusions: This study recommends selecting plant species (1) with arid-adapted features and (2) whose seed weight is sufficiently heavy for survival at landfills or areas with a similar condition for future revegetation.

Estimation of radiostrontium, radiocesium and radiobarium transfer from arid soil to plant: A case study from Kuwait

  • Aba, Abdulaziz;Ismaeel, Anfal;Al-Boloushi, Omar
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.53 no.3
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    • pp.960-966
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    • 2021
  • A technical approach to design and carry out an experiment to determine the uptake of selected radionuclides in site-specific conditions in Kuwait was developed and successfully executed for developing a radioecological decision support system. The radionuclides from soil-to-plant transfer factors have been obtained for leafy and non-leafy vegetables, and root crops cultivated in Kuwait. Two types of vegetated soils were selected and spiked with high concentrations of three relatively short-lived selected radionuclides (85Sr, 134Cs, and 133Ba). The highest strontium and barium transfer factors were found in the order: leafy vegetables > root crops > non-leafy vegetables. The approximate range of radiocesium transfer factor was found to be low in all plant groups and was comparable to those reported elsewhere in different soil types of temperate and tropical environments. A strong negative correlation between the obtained transfer factors and the distribution coefficient of the radionuclide in soil was found. It is recommended to adopt the newly derived parameters for the sensitive areas in Kuwait and other Gulf countries instead of using the generic parameters, whenever dose calculation codes are used. This will help to more accurately assess and predict the end results of the committed effective dose equivalent through ingestion pathway.

Jewel of Thar Desert: Case study of a hidden wetland

  • Monali Sen
    • Journal of Wetlands Research
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    • v.25 no.1
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    • pp.26-34
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    • 2023
  • Wetlands are very critical for the conservation of aquatic ecosystems, while also serving as the breeding/ nesting/ resting grounds for water birds. Generally, wetlands support both resident and migratory birds, thus serving as connecting dots in the global flyways. The Rajasthan state of India has two Ramsar sites (Keoladeo National Park and Sambhar Lake) and many other water bodies/wetlands. However, most of these areas are segregated in the eastern, southeastern, southern, and northern parts. In the western part of Rajasthan, where lies the Great Indian or Thar desert, there are no such reported prominent wetlands drawing attention towards a substantial number of resident and migratory water birds. The author is an Indian Forest Service officer, who was posted in the Thar Desert region and during that time had identified a hidden wetland in the desert landscape. This study deliberates on the wetland location and its faunal diversity with prospects of developing the area as a proper wetland conservation zone. India is a signatory to the Central Asian Flyway of migratory species and serves as an important member in terms of having significant wetlands and reported migratory birds count. The need of preserving and bring the arid zone's hidden wetlands to the forefront can serve as an important tool to conserve water birds and comply with worldwide bird migration conservation efforts.