Aras River Research Articles

Entomoneis parikhani sp.nov., Aras Nehri (İran)’nden yeni bir diatom (Entomoneidaceae, Bacillariophyta)

The diatom Entomoneis has a series of unique features such as connecting lines with different shapes, sigmoid raphe on the bilobate keel, different curtains, and multiple girdle bands. Most species belonging to this genus are found in marine and saline habitats. In fact, the genus Entomoneis is an epipelic diatom that is found in streams with high salinity and high electrolyte concentration. To date, no specific type of freshwater has been identified for this species. In this study, a new species of freshwater diatom, Entomoneis parikhani, is described based on detailed morphological observations using a scanning electron microscope. The samples were collected the Aras River near Oltan village of Parsabad city in the northwest Iran. A special feature of Entomoneis parikhani is its triple valve. The genus Entomoneis comprises of diatoms with sigmoidal raphe canals and girdle bands. This taxon is similar to Entomoneis annagodhei and Entomoneis tenera, as shown by LM and SEM observations, and there are sufficient morphological differences to separate Entomoneis parikhani. This new species had very small cells, delicate frustules without valve lines, and wide lanceolate valves. In this study, the wide distribution of this taxon in the Aras River has been evaluated.

Water quality management of the Aras River in Iran using two modeling methods: canonical correlation analysis and principal component analysis

Water quality management of the Aras River in Iran using two modeling methods: canonical correlation analysis and principal component analysis

REVIEW OF THE IRANIAN AZERBAIJAN IN THE SOVIET PRESS IN THE 1940S

The article presents an overview on the “21 Azer” (December 12, 1945) movement in Iranian Azerbaijan1 , its national and cultural issues, including literature, based on the publications of the Soviet press. It especially focuses on the articles, published in the 1940s in the newspaper “Communist”, printed under the ideological control and run by the Communist Party of the Soviet Azerbaijan. The Soviet media publications of the time, expressing a condemnatory attitude towards the Pahlavi government, contains an analysis and critique of socio-political, economic and cultural processes, samples of the contemporary intellectuals’ pieces. They also reflected the activities of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party (ADP), national and ideological issues of the movement. Moreover, the subtext of these publications shows how the Soviet government exploited the fraternal feelings of Azerbaijanis on both sides of the Aras River. For a comprehensive exposition of the topic, this research paper considers diverse sources and scholarly literature that shed light on the historical context of the period.

Notes on the distribution, food plants and morphology of Chlorophanus C. R. Sahlberg, 1823 species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Turkey

Chlorophanus vittatus Schoenherr, 1832, known from the Caucasus and northern Iran, is here newly reported from eastern Turkey. Salix L., Populus L., Tamarix L. and Glycyrrhiza glabra L. are revealed as host plants of adults in Turkey. Feeding and mating behavior of adults were observed on leaves of G. glabra during the summer period in the Aras River valley. The lectotype of Ch. vittatus is designated, description and digital photographs of the genitalia are presented based on newly collected material. Distributional data for Ch. vittatus, Ch. excisus (Fabricius, 1801) and Ch. pollinosus (Fabricius, 1792) in Turkey are reported, the latter species is also recorded from Turkey for the first time. Chlorophanus flavescens (Fabricius, 1787) is deleted from the list of the Iranian fauna, and Ch. excisus, from the list of the Russian fauna. Characteristic ecological and distributional features of the genus Chlorophanus C. R. Sahlberg, 1823 are discussed, and notes on the riparian habitats in Turkey are given to attract attention to the necessity of their preservation. As a fragile member of the riparian insect species complex, a weevil, Corimalia aliena (Faust, 1890), formerly known only from Central Palaearctic, is reported for the first time from Turkey where it was found on Myricaria sp. in Erzurum Province. Chlorophanus excisus co-occurs with Ch. vittatus in eastern Turkey and western Iran, or at least their ranges overlap there. These two species contribute to the maximum local Chlorophanus diversity in Erzincan and Erzurum provinces. Chlorophanus micans is recorded in Crimean Mountains and Southern Bug River valley indicating a potential current contact between Ch. micans and Ch. pollinosus in Podolian Upland.

Impact of Türkiye’s Dam Construction on the Water Resources of the Transboundary Aras River Basin in Iran

Abstract The Aras River Basin, a significant transboundary river basin in the Caucasus region, is shared among four riparian countries, including Türkiye, Armenia, Iran, and Azerbaijan. Although positive measures have been taken to enhance water cooperation in this river basin, the Eastern Anatolia Project (DAP) and the hydraulic mission of Türkiye remain the primary factors that could potentially reverse the cooperative atmosphere of the basin and lead to conflict. In recent decades, Türkiye has utilised transboundary water resources to bolster its economic power, advance political strategies, and establish hydro-hegemony. Despite the significant Mega-Project and hydraulic mission of the upstream in the Aras River Basin, they have not received adequate attention in hydro politics studies. This study employs secondary sources to investigate Türkiye’s actions in the region. It discusses the implications of Türkiye’s projects on downstream riparian states in general and Iran’s water resources, including dam construction.

Türkiye’nin Sınıraşan Akarsularından Kura-Aras Nehir Havzaları Su Kalitesinin Bazı Biyotik İndekslere Göre Değerlendirilmesi

This study aimed in the Kura-Aras river basin, which is the transbourdary system of Türkiye, to determine water quality by using some physicochemical parameters and macroinvertebrates. In the spring and autumn periods, benthic macroinvertebrates were collected by standard D-Frame Net and Ekman grab from stations. A total of 30 stations were selected along the basin. In this study, following BMWP (Biological Monitoring Working(Biological Monitoring Working Party), ASPT (Average Score Per Taxon), Simpson Diversity Index, Shannon-Weaver Diversity Index, Margalef Diversity Index. It was determined that the most dominant group was Insecta and the rarest group was Oligochaeta in the Kura- Aras River basin. As a result of the evaluation of the selected stations in the basin in terms of physicochemical parameters, it was determined that they showed 2nd and 3rd class water characteristics in terms of PO4-P and NH4–N. According to BMWP and ASPT biotic indexes, it has been determined that it has 3rd and 4th class properties.

Using Algal Indices to Assess the Ecological Condition of the Aras River, Northwestern Iran

This work is the first in a series, and its purpose is the comprehensive assessment of the ecological state of the Aras River using biological indicators of water quality by diatoms based on species’ ecological preferences, pollution indices, statistics, and ecological mapping. Samples of diatoms and soft algae and measurements of water quality were analyzed at sixteen sampling sites (between 2020 and 2022) along the Aras River. The impact of anthropological activity on the river was monitored concerning water quality, river health, and ecosystem function. The physical and chemical characteristics of the water were measured. The biological properties of the algal periphyton communities, including species composition, were also measured. Based on the studies conducted in this research, 280 species were identified. The most prosperous species were Diatoma vulgaris, Amphora ovalis, Cocconeis placentula, Rhoicosphenia abbre-viatae, Cymbella helvetica, Brevisira arentii, Navicula tripunctata, Nitzschia linearis, Microcystis botrys, Microcystis aeruginosa, Pseudanabaena limnetica, Scenedesmus obliquus, and Pleurosira laevis (a pollution-resistant and salinity-resistant species first found in aquatic habitats in the Aras River). As a result, the empirical data and algal indices showed the river’s lower reaches to be in poor condition. Exploration of the algal assemblage and water chemistry data using computationally unconstrained ordination techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated two strong gradients in the data sets. The results support that water body classification is a function of water chemistry and biological and hydrological characteristics, as it is necessary to include pollutant effects on biota since the nature of the receiving waters influences the river’s water quality.

First report of filarial nematodes in the genus Onchocerca infecting black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Iran

Black flies are blood-sucking insects of public health importance, and they are effective vectors of pathogens and parasites, such as filarial nematodes of the genus Onchocerca. Our previous surveys have shown that individuals of Simulium turgaicum are annoying pests of humans and livestock in the Aras River Basin of Iran. In the present study, adult black flies of S. turgaicum were trapped from different ecotopes of five villages in Khoda-Afarin County, Iran. By using a sensitive nested PCR assay and targeting the nuclear 18S rDNA-ITS1 marker, filarial infections were found in 38 (1.89%) of 2005 black flies. Homology exploration of 360 bp of the sequences indicated that the filarial worms are members of the family Onchocercidae, with maximum alignment scores of 93–95%. Phylogenetic analysis showed that two Iranian Onchocerca isolates were clustered in the O. fasciata–O. volvulus lineage and were well separated from other filarial nematodes. Both the entomological evidence (empty abdomen of the specimens) and climatologic data (adequate accumulated degree days for development) suggest that the filarial DNA was probably that of infective larvae of vertebrates. This is the first report of an infection by Onchocerca species in S. turgaicum and the first record of onchocercids in black flies in Iran; however, more research is required to demonstrate transmission of these filarial worms by black flies in nature.

Contribution to the knowledge of jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) of the Aras River valley, Northеastern Turkey

Check list of seventy-eight species of jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) belonging to 21 genera of 12 tribes in five subfamilies, recorded from the Turkish part of Aras River valley is presented. Compared with the fauna of adjacent areas of Armenia and Nakhichevan (Azerbaijan), the diversity of jewel beetles is significantly impoverished what is resulted from strong anthropogenic impact. Aras valley jewel beetles are rather poorly known and that may also explain a relatively small number of species in the area. The core of the buprestid fauna of the Turkish part of Aras valley is mainly formed by Irano-Turanian (including nine endemic or subendemic Kuro-Araxian species), Irano-Turanian–East-Mediterranean, and European-Mediterranean elements with insignificant participation of Transpalaearctic, West Palaearctic and European elements. Based on the distributional patterns of buprestid species, it can be concluded that the border between Kura-Araxian and Front-Asian provinces of Irano-Turanian subregion in the Aras valley passes between the town of Kağızman and Karakurt village in Kars province, up to 1400–1500 m altitude. Some unique habitats, such as the Calligonum polygonoides L. dominated sandy desert at the foot of the Ağrı Dağı Mts in the vicinity of Aralık town, should be taken under state protection.

Growth Response of Poplar (Populus Alba), Russian Olive (Elaeagnus Angustifolia), Tamarisks (Tamarix sp) Species to Climate Factors and River Discharge in Aras river Riparian Forest

Growth Response of Poplar (Populus Alba), Russian Olive (Elaeagnus Angustifolia), Tamarisks (Tamarix sp) Species to Climate Factors and River Discharge in Aras river Riparian Forest

ANALYSIS OF THE FLASH FLOOD EVENT AND RAINFALL DISTRIBUTION PATTERN ON RELAU RIVER BASIN DEVELOPMENT, PENANG, MALAYSIA

Typical disaster flooding and flash floods in Malaysia. Floods occur especially during the wet season within the geographical region area which is especially influenced by the northeast monsoon. So the sampling study was conducted in March 2019 in normal season. Cross-sectional measurements involving the measurement of river width, river depth and velocity were conducted at both sampling times. The main objective of this study was to identify the pattern of rainfall distribution and river discharge rate in the River Basin Relative when the flash flood event occurred. The average seasonal discharge value in the normal Relau River (Upstream) is 0.04 m3s-1, Relau River (Midstream) is 0.57 m3s-1, Relau River (Downstream) is 0.35 m3s-1. Whereas for Ara River (Midstream) is 0.78 m3s-1, Ara River (Downstream) is 0.19 m3s-1) and Kluang River (Upstream) is 0.18 m3s-1. The estimated value for flash flood shows that total water and sewer capacity that occurred during the flash floods was to increase the water level by five meters from the normal season water level with an estimated water velocity of m3s-1for this area. The reading shows the Relau River (Upstream) reading 5.18 m3s-1, the Relau River (Midstream) is m3s-1 the Relau River (Downstream) is 18.20 m3s-1. While for Ara River (Midstream) is 24.53 m3s-1, Ara River (Downstream) is 25.35 m3s-1) and Kluang River (Upstream) is 26.22 m3s-1.

Isolation, Identification and Molecular Characterization of Streptomyces Bacteria from Sediment Samples Taken from Certain Points of Aras River

Aras Nehri coğrafik ve ekolojik anlamda çok önemli bir yere sahiptir. Aras Nehrindeki Streptomyces çeşitliliğinin tespit edilmesi, izolasyonu, teşhisi ve karakterizasyonunun, mikrobiyolojik ve moleküler biyoloji ve genetik alanlarında bilim dünyasına katkı sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir. Streptomyces türleri bilim dünyası için çok önemli bir yere sahiptir, çünkü bu bakteri türlerinin ürettiği başta antibiyotikler olmak üzere birçok önemli madde bulunmaktadır. Aras Nehrinin geçtiği Erzurum Horasan, Kars Karakurt ve Iğdır Tuzluca bölgelerinden alınan numuneler Streptomyces çeşitliliği bakımından incelendi. Belirlenen lokalitelerden alınan sediment örneklerinin pH ve nem oranları tespit edildi. Bennet’s Agar ve M65 besiyerleri kullanılarak izolasyon, saflaştırma ve renk grubu belirleme çalışması yapıldı. Bu bakteri gruplarının teşhisi amacıyla biyokimyasal, fenotipik ve moleküler testler uygulandı. Renk grubuna göre belirlenen izolatların Spor zincir morfolojisi görüntülendi (SEM). Mikrobiyolojik olarak izole edilecek bakterilerin 16 S rDNA gen bölgelerinin sekans analizi gerçekleştirildi. Bu işlemin ardından elde edilen diziler Genbank verileri ile karşılaştırılarak izole edilen bakterilerin moleküler yakınlık ve benzerlik oranları elde edildi.

Poorly studied Black-headed Penduline Tit (Remiz macronyx) recorded for the first time in Turkey (Aves: Remizidae)

The first Black-headed Penduline Tit (Remiz macronyx) in Turkey was recorded in April 2022, where it was captured and ringed at the Aras River Ornithological Research Station. This is a poorly studied species with a disjunct range consisting of four subspecies. We provide an overview of how to identify, age, and sex individuals within this species in comparison to the similar Eurasian Penduline Tit (Remiz pendulinus), as well as insight into the age and sex of our bird, and summarize current knowledge on the taxonomic situation and challenges of identifying this species. This study brings awareness to a poorly known species and can be useful for others that may either be looking for or potentially encounter this species as a vagrant in the Caucasian region.

Investigation of Parasitic Helminthes Infections of Fish caught from Aras River

Investigation of Parasitic Helminthes Infections of Fish caught from Aras River

Recognition of Aras Bird Species From Their Voices With Deep Learning Methods

Bu çalışmada Iğdır Aras Nehri Kuş Cenneti'nde sıklıkla görülen kuş türlerinin seslerinden tanınması üzerinde durulmuştur. Bu amaçla derin öğrenme yöntemleri kullanılmıştır. Biyolojik çeşitliliğin incelenmesi ve analiz edilmesi için akustik gözetleme çalışmaları yapılmaktadır. Bu iş için pasif dinleyici/kaydedici adındaki aygıtlar kullanılmaktadır. Genel olarak bu kaydedici aygıtlarla toplanan ham ses kayıtlarının üzerinde çeşitli analizler gerçekleştirilir. Bu çalışmada, kuşlardan elde edilen ham ses kayıtları tarafımızca geliştirilen yöntemlerle işlenmiş ve daha sonra derin öğrenme mimarileriyle kuş türleri sınıflandırılmıştır. Sınıflandırma çalışmaları, Aras Kuş Cenneti’nde çokça görülen 22 kuş türü üzerinde yapılmıştır. Ses kayıtları 10 saniyelik klipler haline getirilmiş daha sonra bunlar birer saniyelik log mel spektrogramlara çevrilmiştir. Sınıflandırma yöntemi olarak derin öğrenme mimarilerinden Evrişimsel Sinir Ağları (CNN) ve Uzun Kısa-Dönemli Bellek Sinir Ağları (LSTM) kullanılmıştır. Ayrıca bu iki modelin yanında Öğrenme Aktarımı yöntemi de kullanılmıştır. Öğrenme aktarımı için kullanılan ön-eğitimli evrişimsel sinir ağlarından VGGish ve YAMNet modelleriyle seslerin yüksek seviyeli öznitelik vektörleri çıkarılmıştır. Çıkarılan bu vektörler sınıflandırıcıların giriş katmanlarını oluşturmuştur. Yapılan deneylerle dört farklı mimarinin ses kayıtları üzerindeki doğruluk oranları ve F1 skorları bulunmuştur. Buna göre en yüksek doğruluk oranı (acc) ve F1 skoru sırasıyla %94.2 ve %92.8 ile VGGish modelinin kullanıldığı sınıflandırıcıyla elde edilmiştir.

Determination of natural distribution areas and some agro-morphological characteristics with sexual dimorphism of wild asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) in Iğdır plain-Turkey

Globally, interest in wild plants has been on the rise in recent years. The potential of wild plants to be used in breeding for sustainable agriculture and people's preference for consumption attract research attentions. The study was aimed to investigate the natural distribution of Asparagus officinalis L. taxon, along the Iğdır plain, one of the largest micro-climate regions of Turkey and consumed by the people of the region. The research was also motivated to evaluate wild Asparagus species using some agro-morphological characteristics, including sexual dimorphism, for a two years study period. It has been identified that asparagus spreads along the Aras river forming the border of Armenia at altitudes of 800–1076 m in the region and most densely populated in Karakoyunlu district. The result of the present investigation revealed a wide range of variations for agro-morphological characteristics like days to fruit ripening (76–91 day), edible spear length (168.21–315.34 mm), diameter (6.30–10.86 mm), fresh weight (5.27–19.52 g), dry weight (0.38–1.55 g), number of spear (8–26 plant−1), number of fruit (61–2467 spear−1), fruit weight (8.0–258.3 g spear−1), male plant length (1116.9–2.163.7 mm), female plant length (1219.4–2110.2 mm), male pedicle length (3.72–4.17 mm) and female pedicle length (3.21–3.54 mm) were observed, which can be useful for breeding purposes. Cluster constellation analysis was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity of 31 asparagus genotypes. According to the agro-morphological properties, asparagus were divided into 2 main groups and 4 sub-groups (A; A1, A2 and B; B1, B2). Aralık district samples were mostly collected in the B1, Karakoyunlu district in the B2, Tuzluca district in the Al and A2, and Iğdır district mostly in the B2 cluster. As a result, Karakoyunlu were found superior with the highest asparagus density and edible spear yield as compared to other districts. In order protect the habitat of wild asparagus from excessive consumption and losses due to climate changes and land use, seeds should be collected from these areas to be used for cultivation and breeding purposes. In addition, it is advisable to keep seeds in gene banks for sustainable agriculture and protection of genetic diversity.

A Societal Metabolism Approach to Effectively Analyze the Water–Energy–Food Nexus in an Agricultural Transboundary River Basin

We implemented the semantically open conceptual framework ‘Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism’ (MuSIASEM) to deal with nexus challenges in agricultural production systems in transboundary river basins, using the Iranian Aras River Basin as a case study. The performance of the agricultural sector was characterized for relevant typologies of crop production using metabolic profiles, i.e., inputs and outputs per ton of crop produced, per hectare of land use, and per hour of labor. This analysis was contextualized across hierarchical levels of analysis, including the agronomic context at the regional level (rainfed versus irrigated cultivation), the socio-economic and political context at the national level (food sovereignty; urbanization), and the hydro-ecological context of the larger transboundary river basin (water constraints, GHG emissions). We found that the simultaneous use of two different interrelated logics of aggregation—the productivity of land and labor (relevant for the agronomic and socio-economic dimension) and the density of flows under different land uses (relevant for the hydrological and ecological dimension)—allowed for the identification of trade-offs in policy deliberations. In the case of Iran, it showed that striving for strategic autonomy will exacerbate the current water crisis; with the current cropping patterns, agronomic improvements will not suffice to avert a water crisis. It was concluded that the proposed approach fills an important gap in nexus research, but to effectively guide nexus governance in the region, a co-production of the analysis with social actors as well as more complete data sets at the river basin level would be essential.

Spatial distribution of microplastics pollution in sediments and surface waters of the Aras River and reservoir: An international river in Northwestern Iran

Microplastics (MPs) in freshwater environments have been recognized as one of the important sources of plastic contamination in marine ecosystems. Reducing the amount and spatial distribution of MPs reaching the sea through accumulation behind dams remains unclear. In this study we analyzed the spatial distribution of sediment and surface water MPs in the Aras Dam and from nineteen upstream and downstream locations of the Dam in the Aras River. The MPs abundance ranged from 32 to 528 items/kg dry weight (mean 217.8 ± 132.6) and 1 to 43 items/m3 (mean 12.8 ± 10.5) in the sediment and surface water stations, respectively. MPs abundance in surface waters collected within the Dam reservoir was significantly higher than those found either upstream or downstream (P < 0.05). For sediments, reservoir MPs concentration was generally higher than upstream and downstream, although their differences were not significant. High MPs concentration was observed in the vicinity of urban areas. Moreover, MPs abundance was positively correlated with total organic carbon (TOC) and clay content (P < 0.01). GAM analysis revealed that clay is the most important variable with lowest Akaike information criterion (AIC) and explained 61.3 % of deviance (R-sq.(adj) = 0.344) in MPs abundance. MP particles ranged from 0.1 to 5 mm in size and were dominated by fibers (53.5 %), black color (24 %) and PE polymer (36.6 %). Our results highlight the high MPs distribution in the Aras River and demonstrate that they accumulate in the surface waters behind the Dam. Consequently, the fate and effects of MPs in international rivers is one of the most politicized issues between countries with a common boundary and therefore needs joint management policies that help mitigate this insidious problem.

Evaluation of management practices on agricultural nonpoint source pollution discharges into the rivers under climate change effects

In recent years, agricultural non-point source pollution (ANPSP) has become the biggest threat to Aras River water quality by completing the Mughan irrigation and drainage network. Nutrient pollutants, including nitrate and phosphate, released into the river through drains have created a range of obstacles for locals living around the river. Agricultural activities are generally considered the largest source of non-point pollution. They have no complex and uniform impact along the river. Thus, the spatial distribution of ANPS and highly polluted areas should be identified to manage watershed management. This study proposes a simple framework for identifying pollutant-sensitive areas along the river and management strategies to improve water quality. To this aim, the main factors affecting ANPSP were identified, and the effectiveness of the scenarios selected to comply with water quality regulations for drinking and environment during 1993–2007 were simulated. Based on the sensitivity analysis, land use and fertilizer are the main factors affecting river ANPSP. Thus, their changes were modeled in different scenarios. Based on the results, the ANPSP load was higher downstream. The agricultural lands in region 3 were considered the main source of pollution. Comparing the management scenarios showed that the amount of nitrate and phosphate leaching into the river decreased to 18.1 and 8.35 %, respectively, by reducing the consumption of urea and phosphate fertilizers by 50 %. The results help watershed managers implement eco-friendly land use and nutrient management programs at specific locations during specific periods to control ANPSP along the rivers.

The trouts of the upper Kura and Aras rivers in Turkey, with description of three new species (Teleostei: Salmonidae).

The taxonomic status of the resident and anadromous trout species native to the Kura and Aras river drainages is evaluated, and three resident species are recognised in the upper reaches of Kura and Aras drainages in Turkey. Salmo murathani, new species, is described from slow flowing tributaries of the Aras River. It is distinguished by the general body color dark greyish in life; the numerous black spots on body, present on the back and on the middle and upper parts of the flank, and on the anterior part of the lower flank in males and females larger than about 230 mm SL; the number of black spots increases with size, in both males and females; and various meristic and morphometric characters. Salmo araxensis, new species, is described from fast flowing tributaries of the Aras River. It is distinguished by the general body color greyish to brownish in life; only few black spots on the body, restricted to the back and the upper part of the flank, their number not increasing with size in both sexes; and various meristic and morphometric characters. Salmo ardahanensis, new species, is described from head waters of the Kura River. It is distinguished by the general body color dark brownish in life; the roundish black spots on the body, scattered on the back, and the middle and upper parts of the flank in most specimens, rarely restricted to the back and the upper part of the flank; in females, the black spots are few, restricted to the back and the upper part of the flank; the number of black spots increases slightly with size in males; the adipose fin is large, almost reaching to caudal-fin base in males larger than about 170 mm SL; and various meristic and morphometric characters.