Environment and Interdisciplinary Development

Abstract Introduction: Significant changes occur in land cover, infrastructure and population density, due to urban growth and urbanization, leading to modifications in local weather patterns and climate. This phenomenon, known as the urban heat island effect, primarily contributes to urban warming. Individual urban residents have a substantial impact on mitigating and addressing the urban heat island effect. This study aims to investigate the adaptive behaviors of the citizens of Isfahan City in facing to the hot season temperature in two parts: mitigating and adapting behaviors.
Materials and Methods: To collect data from citizens, a random-probability method was used and 100 individuals from the city of Isfahan were selected for this study. Participants were asked to provide information about their perception of climate change, their access to urban infrastructure and their individual coping strategies for high summer temperatures. The level of proximity to urban infrastructure, especially the urban transportation network and green parks, and the rank of adopting two categories of mitigating and adapting behaviors to temperature were collected on a Likert scale. After collecting questionnaire data and ensuring its validity and reliability, descriptive statistics were used to better interpret the results. A linear regression model was used to investigate the relationship between the temporal distance of individuals from urban infrastructure and the rank of adopting behaviors corresponding to it.
Results: The results showed that the largest number of individuals (29 people) were between the ages of 38 and 48. The average travel time to the first bus and subway station for the individuals was 21.65 minutes and to the first city park was 20.35 minutes. Among the obtained ratings, disconnecting electrical appliances that are not in use with an average of 2.83 had the highest average rank among the temperature-reducing factors in the 10 questions in this field. Also, the use of temperature-adaptive clothing such as hats, wearing temperature-adaptive clothes, and staying at home during the very hot hours of the day were also among the factors that were assigned the highest ranks of temperature-adaptive factors. The results of the linear regression showed that proximity to infrastructure significantly affects the ratings given by citizens to adaptive behaviors.   
Discussion: According to the results of this study, optimal human performance and improved adoption of heat coping strategies in the summer require a multifaceted approach that encompasses individual actions, home design, and urban infrastructure. Isfahan is one of the dry and semi-arid cities in the center of Iran, which in recent years has faced many environmental problems, especially the lack of water and the increase in temperature in hot seasons. This has led to numerous efforts to increase temperature adaptation by social and managerial groups, from urban planning to citizens. If proper activities are carried out regarding the adaptation to the increased temperature of the city, it is anticipated that the adaptation to the rising temperatures in the coming years will be achieved with the minimal environmental footprint. However, without paying attention to the citizens' perception and understanding of this phenomenon and the lack of effort to improve it, this is very difficult. 

Abstract Introduction: Due to its large population, lack of green spaces, inappropriate urban structure, and traffic congestion, Tehran is considered one of the most polluted cities in the world. Air pollution in Tehran is one of the basic health and environmental challenges that can have serious consequences for the health of citizens and their social costs. In the meantime, city buses, as one of the main means of public transportation, play an important role in the movement of passengers, but at the same time, due to fossil fuels and old technologies, they are responsible for a major contribution to the emission of pollutants. This release of pollution in turn leads to negative consequences and high costs for society. Therefore, in the present study, while determining the value of environmental damage caused by the emission of pollutants in the terminals of inner-city buses in Tehran in 2020 based on the information obtained from the transportation and urban traffic organization of Tehran municipality, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats of inner-city buses in the emission of environmental pollutants with the use of the SWOT model have been discussed.
Materials and Methods: The current research is based on an analytical-descriptive approach using field research and library studies. Based on this, the evaluation of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the system and the presentation of pollution reduction solutions have been carried out in the form of strategic SWOT analysis. For this purpose, the required information has been collected by interviewing and completing 60 questionnaires by experts, experts and drivers of six main systems in Tehran Bus Company. Validity of questionnaires was confirmed by 10 experts and its reliability was approved by Cronbach alpha (α=0.93).
Results: According to the results, the social cost of pollution during an annual period caused by the consumption of diesel fuel is estimated at 829.43 billion rials, which is imposed on the environment every day. The mentioned figure is based on the shadow price equivalent of CO₂ pollutant and based on the price of 2020. Also, the results showed that the most important weaknesses of public transport pollution in the metropolis of Tehran are the adverse effects of high traffic congestion during peak hours on the performance of public and private transport systems, as well as the high use of private cars, especially single-passenger cars. Carrying out intra-city trips is reserved. In addition, according to the results, the most important threats include the multi-nuclear structure of Tehran metropolis and the large size of the urban area, the geographical location of Tehran and climate changes caused by fine dust. It should be mentioned the final scores obtained from the analysis of the internal factor matrix (IFE) and external matrix (EFE) were calculated as 2.75 and 2.59, respectively.
Discussion: Based on this, the situation of the desired solutions to reduce pollution is in an aggressive position, based on which it is necessary to get the maximum benefit from the existing capabilities and potentials and the combination of strengths and upcoming opportunities. According to the results of the construction and rapid development of metro lines, the multiplicity of highway networks in the city, and the priority of urban management to build and expand BRT lines in different areas of the city, the most important strengths and also the potential of producing parts related to the bus fleet for its development inside the country The high impact of the media in changing the citizens' traffic perspective and the possibility of more technical monitoring for more efficient use of fuel and reducing its consumption are the most important opportunities in reducing pollution by the public fleet.

Abstract Introduction: Polychaeta worms from the family Nereididae are widely used as live food to expedite sexual maturation and produce high-quality reproductive gonads in shrimp. This live feed, due to its high content of long-chain unsaturated fatty acids compared to commercial feeds, significantly impacts the gametogenesis process of marine shrimps, leading to increased production and hatching rates. The cultivation of native species presents a suitable solution for sustainable polychaete worm production. This type of production can meet various needs. Materials and Methods: This study aimed to identify and report species from the family Nereididae in the Persian Gulf within the coastal waters of Bushehr province over a period of one year. Polychaete samples were collected at each station using a Van Veen grab sampler. At each station, three sediment samples were taken for the separation and identification of polychaetes, which were immediately rinsed with sea water using a 500-micron sieve installed on board. To identify the species, larger organisms were initially separated using an unarmed eye and magnifying glass. The isolated samples were photographed using a stereomicroscope equipped with a camera and identified using relevant keys. Results: According to the results obtained in this study, 6 species including Perinereis heterodonta, P. nuntia, Perinereis sp., Ceratonereis sp.1, Ceratonereis sp.2 and Nicon sp. belonging to three genera—Perinereis, Ceratonereis, and Nicon—from the family Nereididae were identified in the Persian Gulf. Discussion: Given the vital role of polychaete worms in shrimp reproduction, identifying and utilizing native species from this family can enhance the performance of breeding centers and lead to sustainable development of the aquaculture industry.

Abstract Introduction: Landscapes and urban green spaces are considered the most important urban spaces and can play a significant role in improving the environmental conditions of cities. Components in urban green spaces such as plants can play this important role in adapting the conditions of cities for the life of citizens. Based on this, the aim of this research is to analyze and identify the effects of using native plants in urban green spaces.
Materials and Methods: In order to achieve the goal of the research, library resources were used to write the introduction and interview experts in two stages to identify the effects of native plants, and the statistical population consisted of 27 experts. In the first interview, the indicators were obtained, then in the second interview, by forming the actor-target matrix, the experts were asked to give points from -4 to 4, where the number 0 is no comment, the number 4 is the highest score, and the number -4 Shows the lowest score. After collecting the given answers, the points assigned to each of the indicators were averaged by experts with a specialized field and entered into the actor-target matrix of Mactor software. This process was done for all six participating specialties (landscape architects, green space engineers, horticultural engineers, environmental engineers, plant medicine engineers and botanists) in the research until the final actor-goal matrix was completely completed. Next, the necessary analyzes were performed on the obtained matrix in Mactor software and the final results were obtained. Also, the texts obtained from the conducted interviews were examined word by word and line by line and the relationship between the codes in them was discovered, then these texts were entered into the TI Atlas software and the desired quotations and codings done and the relationship between the extracted codes was defined through the tools available in the software and finally these relationships were extracted from the software in the form of a final model.
Results: The results showed that the effects of improving the functions of urban green spaces and reducing water consumption were the most repeated by experts, and the effects of familiarizing citizens with native plants and better flood control showed the lowest number of repetitions. The same results in the section of repetition, importance and convergence (net distance) of the effects of using native plants are observed significantly with other sections, which shows the continuity of the results and its reliability. In the following, we can point out the convergence between environmental engineers and botanists, who have had the most convergence, which shows the alignment of the two specialties related to plants and the environment, and doubles the importance of the results of the effects of using native plants.
Discussion: In general, it can be stated that urban planners and designers should pay special attention to the effects of growing native plants mentioned in this research, so that by creating a desirable urban landscape and green space, they can gain the satisfaction of the citizens and benefit from the potential of the region to be used effectively like native plants.

Abstract Introduction: The use of natural adsorbents in wastewater treatment is one of the efficient methods that, due to the availability of raw materials, the cost of the process is significantly reduced. Various natural organic and inorganic compounds can be used as adsorbents in this field. Contamination of water resources with aromatic compounds is one of the environmental problems that has attracted the attention of researchers. In general, phenolic compounds and their derivatives have harmful effects on living organisms even in low concentrations because the nitro aromatic componds have toxicity and mutagenic nature. According to the studies conducted in this field, the adsorption method using biochar can be a suitable method for removing aromatic compounds from the aqueous media.
Materials and Methods: In this study, due to the production of a large amount of biomass in Iran, the use of these compounds in the preparation of biochar as an adsorbent and its application to remove nitro phenol from water have been investigated. For this purpose, straw and stubble of pirozi garden of Tehran has been used as biomass. A laboratory system that is designed and constructed for this purpose, was used to prepare biochar. Biochar was prepared at a temperature of 350 °C and was used as an adsorbent after washing and drying. In order to assesse the general characteristics of the prepared biochar, surface morphology was performed by SEM analysis, surface chemical characteristics was assessed by FTIR analysis, heavy metal content was investigated by MOOPAM method using atomic absorption spectroscopy, and specific surface area of the produced biochar was checked by BET analysis. Also, the process has been modeled and optimized statistically using the CCD method.
Results: Examining the characteristics of the prepared biochar showed that the prepared biochar has nano structure, which will lead to an increase in the surface area. Based on the results, specific surface area was 0.42 m²/g, the porosity volume was 0.04 cm³/g, and the average diameter of the holes was 361.76 nm. Also, the analysis of heavy metals in the produced biochar showed that the measured metal values are less than the allowable range of presence of heavy metals in biochar based on the IBI standard. After designing the experiment and performing the relevant experiments, statistical analysis was performed on the results. The results of statistical analysis showed that the process is well fitted with a quadratic model and has good accuracy. According to the prediction of the model, after 60 minutes of the process, this adsorbent can remove about 84.8% of nitrophenol with an initial concentration of 16.2 ppm, at pH = 4.2, using 47.12 mg of adsorbent per 100 ml of solution. In order to confirm the correct performance of the model, the process was experimentally checked under optimal conditions, and the average removal efficiency was 82.7%.
Discussion: According to the obtained results, biochar as a natural material can be used as an adsorbent to remove nitroaromatic compounds. Also, the use of biochar, in addition to wastewater treatment, it leads to biomass waste management.

Abstract Introduction: According to the statistics of the World Bank, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions in Iran has grown by 210.65% in the last thirty years. In such a situation, this unfavorable situation should be changed in line with environmental standards, which naturally requires the identification of important factors affecting pollution. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the factors that seem to affect pollution according to the background. As economic complexity improves, higher knowledge and technological progress can lead to less polluting activities. Reducing economic risk and consequently increasing investment, if it is followed by efficient use of inputs and the use of environmental technology, can reduce pollution by overcoming the effect of scale. Higher energy prices, energy-efficient technologies and low energy prices have imposed technologies with a higher share of energy input on companies, which has an impact on the environment. The impact of trade expansion on pollution depends on the results of scale, combination and technical effects. ICT can change the efficiency of energy consumption by moving the economy towards a knowledge-based structure, by substituting information for energy, and thus affect pollution. Urban density can reduce energy consumption by creating economies of scale for public urban infrastructure, while the absence of proper urban infrastructure has the opposite effect. FDI increases relative advantage in which production sector affects pollution. Also, the advanced technology that comes with FDI affects the environment.
Materials and Methods: Explanatory variables of the model are economic complexity, interrelationship between economic risk and investment, interrelationship between energy price and energy intensity, trade liberalization, internet users, capital per capita, foreign direct investment and urbanization rate and the dependent variable of carbon dioxide emissions. The information of the variables was obtained from the World Bank, the MIT University website, and the International Country Risk Guide (ICRG) database and the energy balance sheet. The investigated period was during 2000-2022 and the ARDL method and EViews 9 software were used in the estimation.
Results: With the increase of economic complexity variables, energy price-energy intensity interrelationship, internet users and foreign direct investment, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions decreases in both short-term and long-term periods. The variables of mutual effects of economic risk-investment and capital per capita on pollution did not have a significant effect in both time periods. Commercial liberalization and urbanization have created a significant negative impact on the quality of the environment in the short and long term.   
Discussion: The improvement of economic complexity has led to the dominance of technical and structural effect over scale effect and has reduced pollution. The increase in investment in the country, along with the reduction of economic risk, has not yet reached a level that can reduce pollution through the channel of economic growth. With the increase in energy prices, incentives have been placed in the direction of increasing energy efficiency, as a result of which pollution is reduced. As a result of the increase in exports due to trade liberalization, the use of resources and energy has been inappropriate, and in this regard, environmental laws and standards have also been ignored. The expansion of urbanization has increased the pollution with the expansion of economic activities, and in this regard, it has not been able to reduce the intensity of energy and pollution for public urban infrastructures through the creation of economies of scale. Foreign direct investment reduces pollution with the possibility of improving energy efficiency through technology spillover from foreign companies to domestic companies.

Abstract Introduction: Rational use and protection of natural grasslands within legal frameworks to regulate rangeland management and prevent land degradation, especially in countries with extensive grasslands, are crucial. Land-use change from grasslands to hand-planted forests can negatively affect soil properties and biodiversity. This change may lead to a decrease in soil organic carbon reserves, an increase in apparent density, and a change in soil pH. It also has significant impacts on soil macroinvertebrates, leading to changes in their communities' structure and subsequent ecosystem functioning. Given the substantial role of soil macroinvertebrates in ecosystem performance, preserving biodiversity and food webs through their diverse ecological services, including pollination, pest suppression, and energy cycling, is essential. The reduction of soil macroinvertebrates can have negative effects on soil structure, decomposition processes, infiltration, and gas exchange, potentially resulting in land degradation and a decline in the quality of ecological services. Therefore, the preservation and enhancement of soil macroinvertebrates are of paramount importance and play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem balance and stability. They are also sensitive to human disturbances and are used as biological indicators for such interference with soil components. The overall aim of this study is to investigate the effects of land-use change on soil macroinvertebrates. Therefore, in this research, soil macroinvertebrates and their community structures were examined between rangelands and artificially planted forests.
Materials and Methods: Sampling was conducted from the Lavizan Forest Park and its surrounding rangelands in Tehran during the spring season using the quadrat sampling method. Two sites were selected for each reigon. Each site was examined using six quadrats (0.5 m × 0.5 m). In each quadrat, soil macroinvertebrates were collected from the soil surface and depth (0-10 cm). A total of 446 samples were collected and classified into 51 morphOTUs in the planted forest and 68 morphOTUs in the rangeland based on morphological characteristics. To compare the diversity between the planted and rangeland areas, richness and diversity indices (Shannon-Wiener, Margalef, and Evenness) were calculated. Soil physicochemical properties, including soil texture (sand, silt and clay), magnesium, calcium, organic carbon, total nitrogen, biomass, and pH, were evaluated to investigate their relationship with soil macroinvertebrates.
Results: The results showed that abundance was higher in rangelands than in hand-planted forests. Also, Shannon-Wiener and Evenness indices for soil macroinvertebrates in the rangelands were higher than in the hand-planted forests, indicating a significant difference between diversity and richness indices. Additionally, the results of beta diversity methods showed that turnover between the two regions occurred. The findings of the canonical correlation analysis between the main taxonomic groups and physicochemical properties showed that different variables in rangelands and hand-planted forests had an impact on macroinvertebrate communities.     
Discussion: The results of this study showed that land-use change from rangeland to planted forests can significantly affect the biodiversity and community structure of invertebrates. Many studies have demonstrated that land-use change can lead to changes in the density and species richness of invertebrates over time. In many cases, species sensitive to disturbance are lost and replaced by other species, resulting in a substitution between invertebrate communities. This study also found significant changes in the composition of macroinvertebrate communities following land-use change. In general, the conversion of rangeland to planted forest can lead to the restoration of biodiversity in macroinvertebrate communities over time. Despite the observed changes in community composition, forests that have been planted for many years have had enough time to recover. Given the significant increase in land-use change, especially in recent decades, comprehensive information on the impact of human disturbances on soil organisms is essential for addressing conservation issues.

Abstract Introduction: Drought can occur in all climatic regions, that's why its characteristics are different in different regions. The concept of drought is a temporary disturbance and is different from with dry, because dry spells is limited to areas with little precepitation and is a permanent state of the climate of a region. Drought also occurs in dry and wet areas and is a natural state of climate. So far, not presentation exact and universal definition of the phenomenon of drought that is accepted by everyone. This phenomenon can occur in all climate and diffrent regions, that's why its characteristics are different in different regions. Researchers consider drought to be the result of a lack of rainfall over an extended period of time. In most definitions, a drought refers to a continuous and sustained period when the amount of water available in an area decreases significantly.
Materials and Methods: To conduct this research, several methods were used in several stages. in First step, daily precipitation data for the synoptic station (411-precipitation), rain gauge (3303-precipitation) and climatology (546-precipitation) have been extracted during a long-term period of 51 years, from 1970 to 2020. for interpolation we used Kriging method in time period of data. Also, 4260×18628 grid or matrix was selected for each daily precipitation map. In this way, 18,628 daily maps were formed with 30,459 cells. After forming a database, SPEI has been used to calculate the drought index. Finally, by calculating the SPEI index, a matrix with dimensions of 51*30459 was formed. After extracting this index, Mann-Kendall's method was used to investigate the trend of drought severity, and spectrum analysis was used to investigate fluctuations of drought. for analysis trend period we use Mann-Kendall model.
Results: According to the findings of this research during the first period, the drought areas of Iran are scattered in different parts of the country. During this period (1970-1990), there has been moderate and severe drought in the country. In the often of area in country has faced drought. During this period, 39% of the country experienced moderate and severe drought. In this period (1991-2010), moderate and severe drought and moderate and severe drought have prevailed in different regions of the country. The level of areas with drought in this period has increased by about 7% compared to the first period. In this period a large part of the country experienced drought and drought areas are seen scattered in the northwest, northeast, central and western regions. In the fourth period (2000-2010), against the third period, the drought has advanced to large parts of the country. The central parts of the country such as Isfahan, Yazd and Semnan occur wet condition. In Third period (2001-2020), a large part of the country is suffering from drought. against the previous period, in this period severe drought is also seen in many parts of the country.
Discussion: Drought and its degree of occurrence are not related to a specific area of the country and every part of the country will be exposed to this random phenomenon. Therefore, droughts have been increasing all over the country. The lowest increasing trend can be seen in part of center and desert areas, part of the southern coast, west, northwest and also small areas in the northeast. The highest increasing trend of droughts is also seen in the southwest of the country in Khuzestan province.