Environment In Iran Research Articles

Genotype x environment interaction for durum wheat grain yield and selection for drought tolerance in irrigated and droughted environments in Iran

Durum wheat is grown in the Mediterranean region under stressful and variable environmental conditions. In a 4-year-long experiment, 14 genotypes [including 11 durum breeding lines, two durum (Zardak) and bread (Sardari) wheat landraces, and one durum (Saji) newly released variety] were evaluated under rainfed and irrigated conditions in Iran. Several selection indices [i.e. stress tolerance index (STI), drought tolerance efficiency (DTE), and irrigation efficiency (IE)] were used to characterize genotypic differences in response to drought. The GGE biplot methodology was applied to analyze a three-way genotype-environment-trait data. Combined ANOVA showed that the year effect was a predominant source of variation. The genotypes differed significantly (P < 0.01) in grain yield in the both rainfed and irrigated conditions. Graphic analysis of the relationship among the selection indices indicated that they are not correlated in ranking of genotypes. The two wheat landraces and the durum-improved variety with high DTE had minimum yield reduction under drought-stressed environments. According to STI, which combines yield potential and drought tolerance, the “Saji” cultivar followed by some breeding lines (G11, G8, and G4) performed better than the two landraces and were found to be stable and high-yielding genotypes in drought-prone rainfed environments. The breeding lines G8, G6, G4, and G9 were the efficient genotypes responding to irrigation utilization. In conclusion, the identification of the durum genotypes (G12, G11, and G4) with high yield and stability performance under unpredictable environments and high tolerance to drought stress conditions can help breeding programs and eventually contribute to increasing and sustainability of durum production in the unpredictable conditions of Iran.

Conversion of Isoeugenol to Vanillin by Psychrobacter sp. Strain CSW4

To screen strains of halotolerant or halophile bacteria which are able to convert isoeugenol to vanillin, 36 different strains of bacteria isolated from the salty environments in Iran were investigated. During growth on isoeugenol, a moderately halotolerant Gram-negative coccobacil showed capability of converting isoeugenol to vanillin. Based on morphological, physiological, and phylogenetic studies, strain CSW4 was classified as a bacterium belonging to the genus Psychrobacter. The bioconversion products were confirmed by thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, and spectral data obtained from UV/Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, and mass-spectroscopy. Using growing cells, vanillin reached its maximum level of 88.18mgL(-1) after 24h of reaction time in the presence of 1gL(-1) isoeugenol, resulting in a molar yield of 10.2%. The use of resting cells led to the optimal yield of vanillin (16.4%) which was obtained after 18-h reaction using 1 g L(-1) isoeugenol and 3.1 g of dry weight of cells per liter harvested at the end of the exponential growth phase. To improve vanillin yield, the effect of substrate concentration on vanillin production under resting cells conditions was also investigated. Using 10gL(-1) isoeugenol, the maximal vanillin concentration (1.28gL(-1)) was achieved after a 48-h reaction, without further optimization. The present study brings the first evidence for biotransformation of isoeugenol to vanillin in the genus Psychrobacter.

English

Artificial neural network (ANN) models have found wide applications, including prediction, classification, system modeling and image processing. Image analysis based on texture, morphology and color features of grains is essential for various applications as wheat grain industry and cultivation. In order to classify the rain fed wheat cultivars using artificial neural network with different neurons number of hidden layers, this study was done in Islamic Azad University, Shahr-e-Rey Branch, during 2010 on 6 main rain fed wheat cultivars grown in different environments of Iran. Firstly, data on 6 colors, 11 morphological features and 4 shape factors were extracted, then these candidated features fed Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) neural network. The topological structure of this MLP model consisted of 21 neurons in the input layer, 6 neurons (Sardari, Sardari 39, Zardak, Azar 2, ABR1 and Ohadi) in the output layer and two hidden layers with different neurons number (21-30-10-6, 21-30-20-6 and 21-30-30-6). Finally, accuracy average for classification of rain fed wheat grains cultivars computed 86.48% and after feature selection application with UTA algorithm increased to 87.22% in 21-30-20-6 structure. The results indicate that the combination of ANN, image analysis and the optimum model architecture 21-30-20-6 had excellent potential for cultivars classification. Key words: Rain fed wheat, grain, artificial neural networks (ANNs), multilayer perceptron (MLP), feature selection.

Modelling categorical data to identify factors influencing concern for the natural environment in Iran

Loglinear modelling techniques were used to identify the interactions and interrelationships underlying categorical environmental concern data collected from 9062 respondents in Iran. After fitting various loglinear models to the data, the most parsimonious model highlighted that a combination of interacting factors, namely educational attainment, age, gender, and residential location were responsible for influencing personal concern for the environment. Although high educational attainment had a close correspondence with high concern for the environment the loglinear results, when visualized with a geographical information system, demonstrated wide spatial variations in educational attainment and concern for the environment. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents were not highly educated, and were therefore not highly concerned for the environment. The finding that both rural and urban male and female respondents in the 15-24 years age category, with 10-12 years of education, had the strongest interaction with personal concern for the environment could be beneficial for policy planners to utilize education as the primary instrument to enhance environmental governance and prospects for sustainable development.

Portfolio design for investment companies through scenario planning

PurposeScenario planning has significant applications in the field of strategic management and facilitating decision making under uncertainty, and hence this study aims to integrate scenario planning and the preference ranking organisation method for enrichment evaluations (PROMETHEE) method to propose a new methodology to design a portfolio.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology has been designed in two stages, the first of which identifies the investment environment in Iran and defines possible scenarios for the future based upon the opinion of experts and uncertainties established in the identified environment. In the second stage, the views of experts are elicited on business area performance within each scenario. The business areas are subsequently ranked based on their final performance scores in each scenario area using the PROMETHEE method. Through use of a linear programming model, the percentage of investment in each business area is then determined according to the net flow of the area (i.e. the priority of a certain area relative to others).FindingsThe portfolio design in an Iranian investment company has been considered as a case study. The building industry and cement industry have been selected as preferable strategic business areas based on hypothetical scenarios for investment environment in Iran over five years (2008‐2012) and the strategies of the investment company.Originality/valueThe integration of scenario planning and multi‐criteria decision analysis (MCDA) holds great potential for strategic decision support due to the complementary nature of these two approaches. In this article, the authors provide a methodology to apply scenario planning alongside other MCDA methods to portfolio design, focusing on an innovative use of the PROMETHEE method with scenario planning.

A New Pharmaceutical Environment in Iran: Marketing Impacts

For nearly 25 years, Iranian Pharmaceutical market has been a closed and centrally controlled one. Although some initiatives have been introduced during the last decade, yet the system is characterized as a closed one and lacks real competition. The current situation of drug in Iran may be characterized as: Intense price control by the Drug Authority i.e. Ministry of Health Ban of drug import when an item is manufactured in the country Compulsory production policy Currency allocation by the government in reduced rate for drug production and importation Subsidization of many items by the government Irrational use of drugs However, this centrally controlled system has produced some successes as well as: Guaranteed low and affordable prices of drugs for all patients Local production of more than 95% of the drug consumption of the country Now the authorities have decided to apply market mechanisms in the drug sector. All regulations restricting competition in drug sector are being modified to allow competition in the drug market. There will be no more bans on drug import, if the item is produced internally. The only limiting factor is high custom duties. In this new environment, many challenges lie ahead. The pharmaceutical industry is expected to expand rapidly, benefiting from new open market policies. Regulatory controls on development and marketing are going to be negligible and as the economy prospers, health care and drug expenditure are expected to increase. When the market opens up for different competitors, be it local or big pharmaceutical companies from overseas, to secure a high market share, new marketing strategies and approaches are required. It is well known that the final consumer (i.e. the patient) has little or no say in the choice of drug and treatment. Specialists and general practitioners are the customers of the pharmaceutical companies, because they are ultimately responsible for purchasing decisions. Therefore, it is expected that marketing efforts target medical practitioners and specialists, building on individual representatives that will alert practitioners of new products through one-to-one sessions at the practitioner’s office. This sales approach, known as muscle marketing, is proven to be a successful approach for a fragmented customer base, while increasing the number and spread of sales representatives is an effective way to overcome challenges poised by high mobility of specialists, cramped appointment schedules and general practitioners’ geographic expected. We are already noticing this impact. There is a noticeable shortage of pharmacist in the country. The second impact is expected to be on the concept, a generic product is a drug bioequivalent to the brand item, manufactured by another pharmaceutical company and usually sold at a cheaper price. Generics are identical in virtually every respect to the original and their prices are normally at the bottom of the market. Generics are neither developed nor manufactured by the original company and as such, are not backed by the manufacturer’s quality control and medical information department. To a lot of medical practitioners, difference is irrelevant, whereas for others the difference is important thus an opportunity to have branded opens up. Branded generics are products offering small advantage, of being sold at a price above the lowest-priced generics. The immediate effect of legislation allowing generics and proprietary products is that pharmaceutical companies start to develop better products by investing in research and development activities. This may have some impacts on drug prices; however, quality improvements are real consequences. Pharmaceutical investments in R & D, quality control and quality assurance activities are going to increase significantly. Even clinical trials and bioequivalency studies are to increase markedly. We therefore expect to see an increased demand for pharmacy graduates in this sector as well. Therefore small but highly advanced and scientific pharmaceutical companies specialized in R & D and marketing activities should be established to provide services for drug manufacturing companies. I think pharmacy schools are not prepared for these changes. We need to take these emerging challenges into consideration and be prepared to meet the requirements of the new environment.

Screening of superior chickpea genotypes for various environments of Iran using genotype plus genotype environment (GGE) biplot analysis

Superior crop cultivars must be identified through multi-environment trials (MET) and on the basis of multiple traits. The objective of this study was to explore the effect of genotype (G) and genotype × environment interaction (GE) on grain yield of 17 chickpea genotypes (Cicer arietinum L.) in six different research stations of Iran. GGE (G plus GE) biplot methodology was used to evaluate phenotypic stability in genotypes. A site regression (SREG) analysis to assess G × E interactions and to identify stable genotypes of chickpea was undertaken. These genotypes were developed by various breeders at different research institutes/stations of Iran and International Center for Agricultural Research in DrayAreas (ICARDA). Results indicated that the first two principal components explained 95% of the total GGE variation, with PC1 and PC2 explaining 73 and 22%, respectively. Genotypes Flip 93-93, Flip 94-123C and S 96002 had the highest mean yield and genotype Bivanij had the poorest mean yield. Thus the performance of genotype ILC 6142 was highly variable, whereas genotypes S 96003, Flip 93-48C and S 96027 were highly stable. Collective analysis of the biplots suggests four chickpea mega-environments in Iran. The first mega-environment contained locations Kermanshah, Gorgan and Ghachsaran, with genotype Flip 93-93 being the winner. Genotype Flip 85-57 × 12-071-1005 gave the highest performance in location Ilam and genotypes S 96032 and Bivanij gave the highest performance in locations Urmia. The Lorestan made up the other mega-environment with ILC 6142 as the winner. Key words: Cicer arietinum L., genotype × environment interaction, site regression analysis, GGEBiplot.

Study on the Status of SO2 in the Tehran- Iran

An air quality analysis for Tehran, the capital city of Iran, is conducted for SO2, with the measurements taken from 1995 to 2002. Measurements were taken from the seven main monitoring stations in different locations of the city. These stations are controlled by Department of Environment of Iran. As a first step; annual, seasonal and diurnal variations were studied. The yearly variation does not show any specific trend initially but in the recent years it seems there is a little upward trend. The pick of concentration of SO2 can be seen during 6-12 hour and during the winter season especially in January. The main purpose of this study is to see the effect of the meteorological parameters on the concentration of pollutant. For this purpose, the wind velocity, relative humidity, temperature, dew point, wind direction and rainfall are considered as independent variables. The relation between concentration of pollutant and meteorological parameters can be expressed by one linear regression equation. It is obvious from the equation that the wind speed, daily temperature and humidity have reverse effect on the concentration of SO2. To plan and execute air pollution control programs, one must predict the ambient air concentrations that will result from any planned set of emissions. For this purpose, a two-dimensional atmospheric diffusion model for ambient air concentration of SO2 was considered. Geostrophic winds, surface roughness, mixing height of the atmosphere, emission rate of the pollutant sources and background pollutant concentration have been taken as the input parameters. The airspace over the city to the mixing height was divided into multiple cells. Conservation of mass equations for each cell were solved for slightly stable and highly stable atmospheric conditions of city. The results of this equation were adjusted by the actual data (taken from monitoring stations).Then the modified dispersion equation for concentration of SO2 in Tehran has been suggested. @JASEM

Isolation and Characterization of Medically Important Aerobic Actinomycetes in Soil of Iran (2006 - 2007)

The aerobic actinomycetes are a large group of soil-inhabiting bacteria that occur worldwide. Some of them are the main cause of two important diseases, nocardiosis and actinomycetoma. To identify the prevalence and geographic distribution of aerobic actinomycetes in soil of Qazvin province, a study was carried out during 2006-2007. In this study, the incidence and diversity of medically important aerobic actinomycetes was determined in 300 soil samples of different parts of Qazvin. The suspensions of superficial soil samples were prepared by adding of normal saline, streptomycin and chloramphenicol and the supernatants were cultured on brain-heart infusion agar and Sabouraud's dextrose agar contain cycloheximide. The isolated microorganisms were examined by Gram and acid-fast stains and were identified biochemically and morphologically. Of 96 aerobic actinomycetes isolates identified, Actinomadura madurae and Streptomyces somaliensis were the most frequently isolated species each representing 19.8% of isolates, followed by Nocardia asteroides (15.6%), N. otitidiscaviarum (9.4%), N. brasiliensis (7.3%), A. peletieri, S. griseus, and Nocardia spp. (each 5.2%), and N. transvalensis, Nocardiopsis dassonvillei, Actinomadura spp. and Streptomyces spp. (each 3.1%). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on epidemiological investigation of medically important aerobic actinomycetes in soil samples from Iran. In recent years, mycetoma and nocardiosis have been increasingly reported in Iran. The results showed that medically important actinomycetes occur in the environment of Iran and soil could be potential source of actinomycotic infections.

Transmission of Vancomycin Resistance E. faecium Between Patients and the Environment in Iran

Transmission of Vancomycin Resistance E. faecium Between Patients and the Environment in Iran

Designing an Optimum Model for Protection and Improvement of Sustainability of Natural Resources and Environment in Iran

More than 100 million hectares of land in Iran is unsustainable, based on available data. Human activity is the most important reason for the destruction of natural resources and ecological unsustainability. These activities lead to negative consequences, including the destruction of plant coverage (43%), misuse of the ecological potential of water and soil resources (23%), lack of balance between livestock and range (22%), and lack of enforcement of erosion and pollution controls (12%). Achievement of sustainable natural resources and environment is not feasible unless numerous factors that influence these processes are considered. To do this we must seek an optimized model that pays attention to these factors. On the other hand, the components of this model include (1) the culture and values of the community, (2) programs and policies, (3) the research system, (4) the extension system, (5) the farmers' organization, and (6) the indigenous knowledge of the community. The methodology of this article is descriptive-analytical, and its main purpose is designing an optimum model for the protection and improvement of sustainability of the natural resources and the environment in Iran.

Estimation, interrelationships and repeatability of genetic variability parameters in spring safflower using multi-environment trial data

The present investigation was carried out to estimate the interrelationships and repeatabilities of various variability parameters, i.e., genotypic (σ2g) and phenotypic (σ2p) variances, genotypic (GCV) and phenotypic (PCV) coefficients of variation, broad-sense heritability (h b 2 ), genetic advance (GA), and genetic gain (GG), using data derived from a number of plant characters [seed yield (SY), days to heading (DH) and maturity (DM), plant height (PH), and thousand kernel weight (TKW)] of 17 spring safflower genotypes grown in 27 environments in Iran during 2003–2005. The analysis of variance for the five characters revealed significant differences among the genotypes in most of the environments, indicating a very high variability within the genotype. High genotypic and phenotypic variances in the quantitative traits, particularly for SY, were markers of increased success. A close correlation between GCV and PCV was observed for all the traits, indicating that all of the characters were less influenced by the environment and that the variability which exists in these characters is under genetic influence; however, the relatively higher values of PCV indicate the predominant role of environment. High expected genetic advances were observed for SY, but this trait showed large fluctuations in different environments (97.4%). High and low mean values of heritability were observed for DH (74.3%) and SY (59.7%), respectively, whereas high and low mean values of genetic gain were found for SY (60.3%) and DM (4.2%), respectively. High heritability coupled with low GA as a percentage of the mean was observed for DH and MD, whereas moderate heritability with moderate GA as a percentage of the mean was exhibited for SY. Analysis of correlation among the parameters showed that they were strongly and constantly correlated with each other, but none of them were consistently well correlated with the heritability parameter (h b 2 ). Based on estimates of the genetic variability parameters within each trial, the ranking of genotypes in the low-performance subset for all traits differed from that in the high-performance subset. This result indicates poor repeatability for the genetic variability parameters. The estimates of the parameters in the multi-year trials were almost constant and repeatable, whereas the responses over years showed poor repeatability.

Production of an extracellular thermohalophilic lipase from a moderately halophilic bacterium, Salinivibrio sp. strain SA‐2

Fifty strains of moderately halophilic bacteria were isolated from various salty environments in Iran. A strain designated as SA-2 was shown to be the best producer of extracellular lipase and was selected for further studies. Biochemical and physiological characterization along with 16S rDNA sequence analysis placed SA-2 in the genus Salinivibrio. The optimum salt, pH, temperature and aeration for enzyme production were 0.1 M KCl, pH 8, 35 degrees C and 150 rpm, respectively. The enzyme production was synchronized bacterial growth and reached a maximum level during the early-stationary phase in the basal medium containing 1 M NaCl. Triacylglycerols enhanced lipase production, while carbohydrates had inhibitory effects on it. The maximum lipase activity was obtained at pH 7.5, 50 degrees C and CaCl(2) concentration of 0.01 M. The enzyme was stable at pH range of 7.5-8 and retained 90% of its activity at 80 degrees C for 30 min. Different concentrations of NaNO(3), Na(2)SO(4), KCl and NaCl had no affect on lipase stability for 3 h. These results suggest that the lipase secreted by Salinivibrio sp. strain SA-2 is industrially important from the perspective of its tolerance to a broad temperature range, its moderate thermoactivity and its high tolerance to a wide range of salt concentrations (0-3 M NaCl).

Graphic Analysis of Genotype by Environment Interaction for Lentil Yield in Iran

Selection of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) cultivars with wide adaptability across diverse farming environments is important, before recommending them to achieve a high rate of cultivar adoption. Seed yield of 11 lentil genotypes, tested in a randomized complete‐block design with four replicates across 20 environments in Iran, was analyzed using site regression (SREG) stability model. The biplot technique facilitates a visual evaluation of superior genotypes, which is useful for cultivar recommendation and megaenvironment identification. A substantial amount of genotype × environment (GE) interaction for lentil grain yield was detected. Location (L) and genotype × location (GL) variabilities were the predominant components of total yield variation. The first two principal components (PC1 and PC2) of the SREG model accounted for 76% of the total GE interaction. There were four winning genotypes and three megaenvironments according to the SREG model. The best genotype in one location was not always so in other test locations. According to the ideal‐genotype biplot, genotype G5 was better than all other genotypes; G5 exhibited both high mean yield and high stability of performance across environments. According to G + GE sources of variations, the genotypes (G4, G7, G9, and G10) were the most suitable varieties for the lentil‐producing regions in Iran.

Nurse Caring and Patient Satisfaction in Iran

Intense staff shortages and heavy workloads are common characteristics of Tehran educational hospitals. This may contribute to changes in patients’ perceptions of nurse caring and satisfaction with healthcare services. The time that nurses previously allotted to direct care has been reduced, possibly restricting the effects of nursing care. For this study, data were collected using the Persian versions of the revised Caring Behaviors Inventory and the Patient Satisfaction Instrument. Data were analyzed using SPSS for Windows. Findings support earlier western evidence that nurse caring is associated with patient satisfaction with nursing care. It is important to reflect on the impact of culture, religion, and current healthcare environment of Iran on nurse caring and patient satisfaction.

Estimation of genetic correlation between milk production and fat yield in different climates of Iran

Performance of one genotype in similar climates is approximately the same but if this genotype is introduced into a different climate, its performance will be affected, based on Nizamani and Berger (1996). The function that relates phenotype to environment is unique for each genotype. Hence, the response to changes in environment may vary from one genotype to the other, based on Mulder et al. (2004). Different selection responses between environments are generally attributed to two types of genotype by environment interaction. The first type occurs when the genetic correlation between performances in two environments is substantially less than 1.0, indicating a genetic difference basis for the trait in the two environments. The second type of genotype by environment interaction results from heterogeneous variances, based on Ojango and Pollott (2002). The goal of this study was to estimate genetic (co)variances, environmental variances, and genetic parameters of milk production and fat yield among different environments in Iran to determine variables that are useful indicators of genotype by environment interaction.

An Episode in the ‘Amili Migration to Safavid Iran: Husayn b. ‘Abd al-Samad al-‘Amili's Travel Account

After emigrating from Ottoman territory to Safavid Iran in the mid-sixteenth century, the Shiite scholar Husayn b. ‘Abd al-Samad al-‘Amili wrote an eloquent letter-cum-travel account describing his experiences to his teacher Zayn al-Din al-‘Amili who had remained in Jabal ‘Amil. A manuscript of this fascinating document has now come to light and been edited twice, in 2001 and 2003. An analysis of the undated letter shows that it was written in 961/1554 and describes a journey that occurred earlier that same year. Husayn's statements do not spell out the exact cause of his flight from Ottoman territory but suggest that he was wary of being denounced to the authorities and felt that his academic career was severely limited there. He evidently supported Safavid legitimacy wholeheartedly, though he harbored misgivings about the moral environment in Iran and had sharp criticisms for Persian religious officials.

Nonparametric Methods for Interpreting Genotype × Environment Interaction of Lentil Genotypes

ABSTRACTAnalysis of multienvironment trials (METs) of crops for cultivar evaluation and recommendation is an important issue in plant breeding research. Evaluating both stability of performance and high yield is essential in MET analyses. The objective of this investigation was to compare 10 nonparametric stability methods and apply nonparametric tests (which do not require distributional assumptions) for genotype‐by‐environment (G × E) interaction to 11 lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) genotypes. Nine improved lentil genotypes and two local cultivars were grown in 20 semiarid environments in Iran from 2002 to 2004. Results of nonparametric tests of G × E interaction and a combined ANOVA across environments showed there were both crossover and noncrossover G × E interactions and genotypes varied significantly for yield. In this study, high values of TOP (proportion of environments in which a genotype ranked in the top third) and low values of rank‐sum (sum of ranks of mean yield and Shukla's stability variance) were associated with high mean yield, but the other nonparametric methods were not positively correlated with mean yield and instead characterized a static concept of stability. The results of principal component (PC) analysis and correlation analysis of nonparametric stability statistics and yield indicated that only rank‐sum and TOP methods would be useful for simultaneously selecting for high yield and stability. These methods recommended FLIP 92–12L as stable and FLIP96–6L as unstable genotypes. A biplot of the first two PCs also revealed that the nonparametric methods grouped as three distinct classes that corresponded to different agronomic and biological concepts of stability.

Jurassic plant macrofossils from the Hojedk Formation, Kerman area, east-central Iran

The Hojedk Formation is well exposed at Dasht-e-Khak, Hashooni mine and Pabdana in the Kerman area in east-central Iran. Thirty-nine species of plant macrofossils, belonging to 21 genera from different orders, are identified in this study. The new species Todites fakhri sp. nov. (Order Osmundales) and Klukia crenata sp. nov. (Order Filicales) are described. Phyllotheca equisetitoides and Czekanowskia rigida are reported for the first time from this region. On the basis of the stratigraphic ranges of species such as Nilssonia feriziensis, Elatides thomasii, Coniopteris hymenophylloides, Nilssonia macrophylla and Klukia exilis, a Bajocian-Bathonian (early Middle Jurassic) age is suggested for the Hojedk Formation in this region. This flora resembles the plant megafossil assemblages of the upper part of Shemshak Formation which occurs widely through the central and eastern Alborz region in the north of Iran, suggesting a uniform paleoclimate and environment in Iran at this time.

A Note on Ethnicity and Ethnic Groups in Iran

Even a brief review of the history of Iran clearly indicates that the country has always been the host of diverse ethnic groups during the past four millennia.' Hence, any generalisation concerning the Iranian society and culture is unsatisfactory unless the ethnicity is taken into consideration. Yet, surprisingly, the knowledge about the ethnicity and ethnic groups in Iran remains incomplete and demands clarification. There were no national censuses indicating the population types, geographical distribution, political, socio-economic, and linguistic situations in various ethnic environments in Iran. The lack of relevant information on the ethnic groups has led to incorrect assumptions about the nature of ethnicity and ethnic composition in Iran. For instance, while the total number of the Turkic-speaking groups in Iran, according to our estimations, does not exceed 9 millions,2 almost half of the population of the country (30 millions) are usually considered to be Turks. Furthermore, some scholars, mechanically identifying the speakers of Persian as a distinct ethnic unit (the 'Persians'), exclude those Iranians who speak dialects of Persian, or other Iranian dialects closely related to Persian.3 On the other hand, the Persian-speaking non-Iranian ethnic groups (such as, for instance, Arabs) are numbered as Persians. However, it is obvious that this approach to ethnicity in Iran is misleading, as historically all ethnic groups in Iran, including the 'Persians', irrespective of their origin, language, or religion were always referred to, collectively, as Iranians (Irani). Anyway, with the lack of precise demographical data, the groups of Iranian origin can be estimated around 85 percent of the population of Iran.