Semi-arid Zone Research Articles

Crop–livestock systems transformation in the semiarid zones of North Africa over a decade: approach and case-study in Southern Tunisia

AbstractUnderstanding and representing the transformation of agricultural production systems has attracted increasing interest due to its importance for identifying drivers of changes and coping mechanisms in response to global challenges. These challenges are all the most pressing in North African countries exposed to a dramatic reduction in rainfall and increasing temperatures that affect sustainability in more than half of this semi-arid territory. This paper describes an improved way to understand such transformations through a cross-cutting analysis of crop–livestock system indicators over a period of 10 years in one community in Southern Tunisia. Our methodology is divided into four steps: (i) systems identification, (ii) indicator-based assessment of system crop–livestock sustainability, (iii) hierarchical clustering to identify sustainable intensification (SI)-based farm types and, finally, (iv) analysis of trajectories of these farm types. Results showed that the sustainability of the systems studied increasingly depends on diversification rather than intensification, which dominated in the 2000s. However, diversification has not necessarily improved socio-economic viability. Over the 10-year period, results revealed a dramatic increase of almost 50% in the population of small-scale farms whose viability depends on a range of on- and off-farm activities to meet the short-term needs that correspond to a buffer strategy. Additionally, the dominant SI processes were shown to be mostly based on diversification to livestock activities with both milking and fattening. Our holistic and timeline approach to system transformation makes it possible to account for sustainability between (systems) generations, which will be highly needed in future discussions about sustainability.

Growth attributes and wood properties of lesser-grown agroforestry tree species in the semi-arid zone for quality pulp and paper production

Growth traits, wood properties, fibre dimensions and fibre derived indices of five lesser-grown agroforestry tree species viz., Ailanthus excelsa, Eucalyptus tereticornis, Leucaena leucocephala, Melia dubia and Neolamarckia cadamba were studied to evaluate the suitability of these species for pulp and paper production in the semi-arid zone of Bundelkhand, India. The result showed that there was a significant variation for all the studied traits. The range of all the studied growth and wood traits among five pulpwood trees were recorded for tree height (5.2-5.9 m), GBH (20-24 cm), volume (0.017-0.027 m3), biomass (8.50-15.28 kg), wood basic density (509.6-584.4 kg/m3), fibre length (819.8-1416.0 μm), fibre diameter (14.6-37.9 μm), fibre lumen diameter (7.5-29.8 μm), fibre double cell wall thickness (4.8-9.7 μm), Runkel ratio (0.23-0.94), Rigidity coefficient (0.19-0.49), Flexibility coefficient (51.54-81.44), Slenderness ratio (31.68-62.74) and Luce’s shape factor (0.20-0.58). Kadamb performed better, however all five species were found to be suitable for making good quality pulp and paper on the basis of wood properties and fibre derived indices grown in such hot and dry conditions. Tree height and GBH traits were positively influenced on the wood physical and anatomical properties, therefore these traits can be used as indirect selection for further improvement of the species which shown high potentiality for promising pulpwood tree species under agroforestry. Further, tree improvement research work required to test the suitable harvesting period for high pulp yield and better paper quality to fulfil the fastest growing demand of pulpwood for paper industries in India.

Detecting drought events over Iran during 1983–2017 using satellite and ground-based precipitation observations

Timely and accurate detection of drought events using reliable data with continuous spatial coverage is of great importance to adapt efficient mitigation strategies. Despite several studies that have been carried out to validate satellite precipitation products in Iran, the performance of satellite precipitation products in precipitation amount estimation and drought events detection has not been assessed yet simultaneously. It is unclear if good estimates of mean precipitation values by satellites can also provide good performance in detecting drought events. Here, we used a comprehensive framework to evaluate the accuracy of the satellite-based precipitation and their performance in detecting drought events against ground-based data. We evaluated three satellite precipitation products, namely, TRMM TMPA 3B43 v7, CHIRPS, and PERSIANN-CDR using multiple evaluation metrics, and three different drought indices (Standardized Precipitation Index-SPI, Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index-SPEI, and Multivariate Standardized Precipitation Index-MSPI) over different climate zones of Iran during 1983–2017. Our results indicated that TRMM and PERSIANN-CDR had mainly overestimation while CHIRPS had mostly underestimation in precipitation over the different climates of Iran. The precipitation overestimation (underestimation) in TRMM, PERSIANN-CDR, and CHIRPS were observed in 80.0% (20.0%), 71.4% (28.6%), and 45.7% (54.3%) of stations, respectively. The most overestimation in satellite products was found to be in the arid-related climate regions, while the most underestimation was detected in humid-related climate regions. The average correlation coefficient values of PERSIANN-CDR (0.6) and TRMM (0.6) products against ground observations were higher than CHIRPS (0.4) dataset. Further, we found a lower correlation coefficient (0.3) between monthly satellite-based and ground-based precipitation in arid-related regions (with Root Mean Square Error, RMSE, ~ 10 mm per month) of the country but a high correlation coefficient (0.6) in humid-related climates (with RMSE ~100 mm per month). The results of the drought assessment indicated that the most severe meteorological drought events identified by SPI, SPEI, and MSPI were in 1998–2001, 2008–2009, 2010–2012, and 2016–2017 in all climate zones. The most intense drought events were in arid and semi-arid climate zones. Overall, in terms of the statistical metrics at multiple timescales, TRMM and PERSIANN-CDR outperformed CHIRPS, when compared against ground-based observations, for drought events detection. Also, TRMM and PERSIANN-CDR with higher scores for Probability of Detection (POD) and Critical Success Index (CSI) and lower scores for False Alarm Ratio (FAR) showed a good ability to detect drought events in arid and semi-arid climates compared to other climate zones. Although the CHIRPS estimated precipitation with acceptable accuracy, it did not detect drought events as the TRMM and PERSIANN-CDR did.

PERFORMANCE AND HEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF LOMAN BROWN HEN AS INFLUENCED BY Balsomina mamodica SUBSTITUTING LASOTA VACCINE IN SEMI-ARID ZONE OF NIGERIA

The study was carried out at University Research Farm of the Department of Animal Science, Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil, to evaluate the growth performance and hematological parameters of Loman Brown hen as influenced by inclusion levels of Balsomina mamodica substituting lasota vaccine in semi-arid zone of Nigeria. The birds were randomly allotted into four treatment in a completely randomized design with fifty (50) birds per treatment. Treatment 1 was given lasota vaccine (NCDV) at first, third, seven and seventeen weeks respectively. Treatment 2 was given Garafuni 0.5g per litre for six days in the week whereas Treatment 3, 1.0g per litre and Treatment 4, 1.5g per litre of Garafuni for four and two days in the week respectively. At the end of the study, blood samples were collected from five (5) birds from each treatment for hematological studies. The result shows that, intake and performance of Lohman Brown Hen administered Balsomina mamordica substituting Lasota vaccine at laying phase is shown in Table 1. The result indicated that no significant (P>0.05) difference was shown with respect to initial body weight (IBWT), final body weight (FBWT), weight gain (WT), average weight gain (AWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and metabolic mass.T4 recorded the highest mean value (600.0) whereas animals in T2 (0.5g garahuni) had the least mean value (525.00). Data on haematological parameters of Loman brown hen are presented on Table 2. The result showed non- significant differences among the treatments means. Haemogloblins, packed cell. Highest mean

Raptors observed (1983–2016) in National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary: semi-arid biogeographic region suggestions for parametric studies on ecological continuity in Khathiar-Gir Ecoregion, India

The birds of prey or raptors in the National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS) assume importance as they are among the top predators of the region, predating on small crocodilians, turtles, and birds. Our checklist of 30 species of raptors is developed from observations made during winter surveys conducted between 1983 and 2016. The study area covered the course of river Chambal including its confluence with river Kuno that leads from Palpur-Kuno Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. The raptors which use the steep and inaccessible mud cliffs of the Chambal landscape include Bonelli’s Eagle Aquila fasciata, Laggar Falcon Falco jugger, Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus, White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis, Spotted Owlet Athene brama, and the Indian Eagle-Owl or Rock Eagle Owl Bubo bengalensis. Most of the other raptors noted in NCS appear to visit from and around the adjoining wildlife areas of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. According to two methods of classification the study comes in the semi-arid biogeographic zone or Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forest ecoregion. The list of raptors from NCS-Kuno has been compared with previous reports and the list available for Sariska Tiger Reserve and Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan. The present work is the outcome of a long-term ecological monitoring that primarily focused on the Gharial Gavialis gangeticus and its ecological associates in water and the riverine shores. The birds of prey demanded time and attention for looking above and away from the water surface or the shorelines. Yet, our meticulous records maintained over 34 years have generated a basal profile that is expected to inspire focused studies on parameters that sustain ecological association of raptors of NCS adjoining forest habitats and wildlife sanctuaries in the ecoregion.

Characterization of 4T Engine Oil Degrading Indigenous Bacteria Isolated From Semi Arid Zone of Rajasthan (Churu)

The biodegradation potential of petroleum hydrocarbons such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and n-branched alkanes etc. of 4T engine oil were evaluated in aqueous media using bacterial strain isolated from petroleum contaminated soil of semi Arid region (Churu) of Rajasthan (India). Out of 12 petroleum hydrocarbons degrading bacterial strain one of the most growing bacteria was identified as Achromobacter xylosoxidans M66 by morphological, physiological, biochemical and partial sequencing of 16s rDNA. This strain was capable to degrade 68 ± 2% of n-alkanes, 28 ± 4% PAHs, and the abiotic loss was 20 ± 2% during 28 days incubation period. 64 ± 3% of n-alkanes and 26 ± 3% PAHs were biodegraded and abiotic loss during this period was 21 ± 3% in 35 days of incubation. As expected abiotic losses were decreases with increasing long chain alkanes and PAH’s concentration. Correlation between cell number and biodegradation rate showed that as the number of cell increased the degradation rate is also increased. The hydrocarbon contents were measured by Gas chromatography Mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) QP-2010 plus Shimadzu) carriedColumn-Rtx-5 MS, 30-meter X 0.25 mm i.d. X 0.25 μm film thickness, 1 ml/min; pressure 72.6 kPa and split ratio 10%. The initial temperature was 60ºC kept for 6 minutes and final temperature for 260ºC was kept for 20 minutes with total running time of 50 minutes.

Machine learning-based modeling of saturated hydraulic conductivity in soils of tropical semi-arid zone of India

Machine learning-based modeling of saturated hydraulic conductivity in soils of tropical semi-arid zone of India

Application of geostatistical models to identify spatial distribution of groundwater quality parameters.

Groundwater quality management is a priority in arid and semi-arid zones where water is scarce. Leachate from open dumping of municipal solid wastes may threaten groundwater quality. This research aimed at assessing groundwater quality of the aquifer of Shur river basin in Tehran province, Iran. The pollution potential of leachate from a landfill, located at the center of the basin, was estimated to assess its impact on the aquifer. Samples from 38 wells and 2 leachate ponds around the landfill were analyzed for their physico-chemical parameters and heavy metals. Leachate Pollution Index (LPI) and Water Quality Index (WQI) were calculated and multivariate statistical techniques were employed through geostatistical models to predict the spatial variability of groundwater quality and assess its contamination sources. The groundwater quality map was developed by GIS Interface. LPI indicated that leachate from the closed cell (LPI = 36) was more contaminating than that of the active site (LPI = 25). Kriging and cokriging geostatistical interpolation methods were applied to groundwater quality parameters. The best interpolation model was then identified through cross-validation with RMSE and GSD criteria. Cokriging yielded more accurate results than kriging. Spatial distribution maps showed high groundwater contamination and degraded water quality mainly in the central part of the basin, where the landfill was. Also, 293.7ha of the study area possessed poor and very poor water quality, unsuitable for drinking. This study implicated multiple approaches for groundwater quality assessment and estimated its spatial structure as an effort toward effective groundwater quality management in Shur river basin.

Effect of soil mulching on agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in China: A meta-analysis.

Human demand for food has been increasing as population grows around the world. Meanwhile, global temperature has been rising with the increase of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Although soil mulching (SM) is an effective method to increase crop yield because it could conserve soil moisture and temperature, it is also an important factor affecting GHG productions and emissions. At present, research results in terms of the impact of SM on agricultural GHG emissions are still inconsistent. Therefore, a meta-analysis was used to quantitatively analyze the impact of SM on crop yield and GHG emissions in China. Overall, SM significantly enhanced not only crop yield, but also GHG emissions. Compared with no soil mulching (NSM), SM improved crop yield by 21.84%, while increased global warming potential (GWP) by 11.38%. To minimize the negative impact of SM on GHG, for maize and wheat in arid, semi-arid and semi-humid zones, it is recommended to use flat full mulching with grave or straw plus drip irrigation under neutral or weakly alkaline soil with bulk density <1.3g cm-3. For rice in humid regions, it is advisable to apply SM to minimize GHG emissions by significantly decreasing CH4 emissions.

Mountain Permafrost Hydrology—A Practical Review Following Studies from the Andes

Climate change is expected to reduce water security in arid mountain regions around the world. Vulnerable water supplies in semi-arid zones, such as the Dry Andes, are projected to be further stressed through changes in air temperature, precipitation patterns, sublimation, and evapotranspiration. Together with glacier recession this will negatively impact water availability. While glacier hydrology has been the focus of scientific research for a long time, relatively little is known about the hydrology of mountain permafrost. In contrast to glaciers, where ice is at the surface and directly affected by atmospheric conditions, the behaviour of permafrost and ground ice is more complex, as other factors, such as variable surficial sediments, vegetation cover, or shallow groundwater flow, influence heat transfer and time scales over which changes occur. The effects of permafrost on water flow paths have been studied in lowland areas, with limited research in the mountains. An understanding of how permafrost degradation and associated melt of ground ice (where present) contribute to streamflow in mountain regions is still lacking. Mountain permafrost, particularly rock glaciers, is often conceptualized as a (frozen) water reservoir; however, rates of permafrost ground ice melt and the contribution to water budgets are rarely considered. Additionally, ground ice and permafrost are not directly visible at the surface; hence, uncertainties related to their three-dimensional extent are orders of magnitude higher than those for glaciers. Ground ice volume within permafrost must always be approximated, further complicating estimations of its response to climate change. This review summarizes current understanding of mountain permafrost hydrology, discusses challenges and limitations, and provides suggestions for areas of future research, using the Dry Andes as a basis.

Desert legume Prosopis cineraria as a novel source of antioxidant flavonoids / isoflavonoids: Biochemical characterization of edible pods for potential functional food development

Flavonoids and isoflavonoids in foods are attracting attention as they are significant antioxidant and phytoestrogenic compounds that are beneficial for human health. In this study, the edible pods of the underutilized desert legume Prosopis cineraria from Rajasthan, India were used to extract flavonoids. The pods from semi-arid zone showed the highest flavonoid content (432 mg Rutin hydrate/gm). UV spectrophotometric analysis was also done to characterize flavonoids. The flavonoids and isoflavonoids were further purified from semi-arid zone plants using column chromatography with Amberlite XAD7HP and Sephadex LH-20. LC-MS analysis revealed the presence of medicinally valuable antioxidant flavonoids and isoflavonoids in the pods, viz. vitexin, puerarin, phloridzin, and daidzein. It was seen that the flavonoids/isoflavonoids are present in the selected legume in different forms i.e. pure aglycone, C-glycoside as well as O-glycoside. This finding makes P. cineraria an attractive source candidate for extraction of these nutraceuticals with a potential for development into functional food.

Delayed juvenile behavioral development and prolonged dependence are adaptations to desert life in the grey falcon.

Rapid learning in the young of most endothermic animals can be expected to be favored by natural selection because early independence reduces the period of vulnerability. Cases of comparatively slow juvenile development continue, therefore, to attract scientific attention. In most species of birds, including raptors, the young depend on their parents for some time after fledging for the provisioning of food and for protection while they learn to become nutritionally and otherwise independent. Among raptors, post-fledging dependence periods that exceed 6 months are exclusive to the largest species and these have reproductive cycles that exceed 12 months. By contrast, young of the medium-sized grey falcon Falco hypoleucos have been reported in close company with their parents up to 12 months after fledging, that is, at a time when the adults are expected to breed again. We investigated the occurrence and characteristics of prolonged adult-juvenile association relative to other falcons and similar-sized raptors. We found that the behavioral development of grey falcon young is extremely delayed, and that they even depend nutritionally on their parents for up to 12 months after fledging. We suggest that these 2 distinctive features are, ultimately, adaptations of the grey falcon to its extreme environment, Australia's arid and semi-arid zone, one of the hottest environments in the world.

Assessment of the importance of increasing temperature and decreasing soil moisture on global ecosystem productivity using solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence.

The accurate assessment of the global gross primary productivity (GPP) of vegetation is the key to estimating the global carbon cycle. Temperature (Ts) and soil moisture (SM) are essential for vegetation growth. It is acknowledged that the global Ts has shown an increasing trend, yet SM has shown a decreasing trend. However, the importance of SM and Ts changes on the productivity of global ecosystems remains unclear, as SM and Ts are strongly coupled through soil-atmosphere interactions. Using solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) as a proxy for GPP and by decoupling SM and Ts changes, our investigation shows Ts plays a more important role in SIF in 60% of the vegetation areas. Overall, increased Ts promotes SIF by mitigating the resistance from SM's reduction. However, the importance of SM and Ts varies, given different vegetation types. The results show that in the humid zone, the variation of Ts plays a more important role in SIF, but in the arid and semi-arid zones, the variation of SM plays a more important role; in the semi-humid zone, the disparity in the importance of SM and Ts is difficult to unravel. In addition, our results suggest that SIF is very sensitive to aridity gradients in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. By decoupling the intertwined SM-Ts impact on SIF, our study provides essential evidence that benefits future investigation on the factors the influence ecosystem productivity at regional or global scales.

Cultivated and wild pearl millet display contrasting patterns of abundance and co-occurrence in their root mycobiome

Fungal communities associated with roots play a key role in nutrient uptake and in mitigating the abiotic and biotic stress of their host. In this study, we characterized the roots mycobiome of wild and cultivated pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br., synonym: Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone] in three agro-ecological areas of Senegal following a rainfall gradient. We hypothesized that wild pearl millet could serve as a reservoir of endophytes for cultivated pearl millet. We therefore analyzed the soil factors influencing fungal community structure and whether cultivated and wild millet shared the same fungal communities. The fungal communities associated with pearl millet were significantly structured according to sites and plant type (wild vs cultivated). Besides, soil pH and phosphorus were the main factors influencing the fungal community structure. We observed a higher fungal diversity in cultivated compared to wild pearl millet. Interestingly, we detected higher relative abundance of putative pathotrophs, especially plant pathogen, in cultivated than in wild millet in semi-arid and semi-humid zones, and higher relative abundance of saprotrophs in wild millet in arid and semi-humid zones. A network analysis based on taxa co-occurrence patterns in the core mycobiome revealed that cultivated millet and wild relatives had dissimilar groups of hub taxa. The identification of the core mycobiome and hub taxa of cultivated and wild pearl millet could be an important step in developing microbiome engineering approaches for more sustainable management practices in pearl millet agroecosystems.

Agro-Fruit-Forest Systems Based on Argan Tree in Morocco: A Review of Recent Results.

The argan tree, Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels, is a horticultural forestry species characterized by its endemicity and adaptation to arid and semi-arid zones in the southwest of Morocco. Despite its limited geographical distribution, argan tree presents large genetic diversity, suggesting that improvement of argan is possible. This species plays important ecological, and socioeconomic roles in the sustainable development of the country. The integration of arganiculture into Moroccan agricultural policy has been implemented through a sector strategy, which is fully aligned with the conservation and regeneration of argan forest. A. spinosa is suitable for incorporation into different agroforestry productive systems under agro-fruit-forest model and its domestication will provide a powerful means of socio-economic and environmental management. Here, we provide an overview of the argan tree literature and highlight the specific aspects of argan stands, as agro-forest systems, with the aim of developing an adequate strategy of conservation and domestication of this species. We introduce promising programs and projects for argan plantations and arganiculture, which have been adopted to relieve anthropogenic pressure on the natural argan forest.

Act of phosphorus on cell hydraulic state, K+ use efficiency and induction of positive correlations between yield and vegetative traits in chickpea

ABSTRACT Salinity is one of the most severe factors that can affect agricultural productivity worldwide particularly in the arid and semi-arid agro-ecological zones. Chickpea seedlings were grown in the field and subjected to different NaCl concentrations (0, 50 and 150 mM) and P application (90 kg ha–1). The experimental design was based on a completely randomised design with three replications. Salinity has disturbed the physiological and ionic state of cells by increasing stomatal resistance and significantly decreased growth and yield parameters (−66%). Under salinity, plant growth traits presented a negative correlation with yield components. P application had positive effect on growth parameters and physiological responses of the plants. Our results suggest that the tolerance of chickpea at (NaCl × P) combination is closely associated with ionic homeostasis and physiological activities of the plants. Phosphorus application allowed salinity tolerance by increasing leaf hydraulic statute, improvement of KUE and consequently enhanced grain yield of chickpea. (P × salinity) combination induced a positive correlation between vegetative traits and yield parameters like unstressed treatment. These results suggest that the use of suitable amounts of phosphorus fertiliser (i. e. 90 kg ha–1) to saline soil is a beneficial starter for plant development, yield components and rehabilitation of degraded soils.

Monitoring and Modeling of Saline-Sodic Vertisol Reclamation by Echinochloa stagnina

Soil salinity due to irrigation is a major constraint to agriculture, particularly in arid and semi-arid zones, due to water scarcity and high evaporation rates. Reducing salinity is a fundamental objective for protecting the soil and supporting agricultural production. The present study aimed to empirically measure and simulate with a model, the reduction in soil salinity in a Vertisol by the cultivation and irrigation of Echinochloa stagnina. Laboratory soil column experiments were conducted to test three treatments: (i) ponded bare soil without crops, (ii) ponded soil cultivated with E. stagnina in two successive cropping seasons and (iii) ponded soil permanently cultivated with E. stagnina with a staggered harvest. After 11 months of E. stagnina growth, the electrical conductivity of soil saturated paste (ECe) decreased by 79–88% in the topsoil layer (0–8 cm) in both soils cultivated with E. stagnina and in bare soil. In contrast, in the deepest soil layer (18–25 cm), the ECe decreased more in soil cultivated with E. stagnina (41–83%) than in bare soil (32–58%). Salt stocks, which were initially similar in the columns, decreased more in soil cultivated with E. stagnina (65–87%) than in bare soil (34–45%). The simulation model Hydrus-1D was used to predict the general trends in soil salinity and compare them to measurements. Both the measurements and model predictions highlighted the contrast between the two cropping seasons: soil salinity decreased slowly during the first cropping season and rapidly during the second cropping season following the intercropping season. Our results also suggested that planting E. stagnina was a promising option for controlling the salinity of saline-sodic Vertisols.

Socio-Environmental Determinants and Human Health Exposures in Arid and Semi-Arid Zones of Iran-Narrative Review.

Lifestyle is different in arid and semi-arid zones. However, where people are born and live have a lasting influence on their social and environmental exposure. This review focuses on the, various dimensions of environmental health imbalance inequality especially in significant environmental sources such as (ie, air, water, soil) among provinces that creates a big health gap in the center, East and the Southeast of Iran. Thus, the population of the arid and semi-arid zones of Iran is facing respiratory, cardiovascular, cancer and infection diseases linked to environmental problems such as chemical and microbial pollution due to air pollution and unsafe water sources, respectively. The prevalence of certain types of cancer such as skin, stomach, bladder, prostate and colorectal cancer together with some respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in arid and semiarid zones such as Kerman, Yazd, etc., has been reported in comparison with other provinces frequently. These impacts have effects on multiple levels of health security in those zones. Based on these concerns, we propose key questions that should guide research in the context of the socio environmental science to support science-based management actions in Iran and other similar semi-arid areas worldwide.

Statistical Analysis of Groundwater sample of Sirohi village of Neemkathana block of Sikar (Rajasthan) India

In this study, the statistical analysis of groundwater of Sirohi village of Neemkathana block, Sikar (India) has been presented. Groundwater samples were taken from the se-lected sites strictly as per BIS norms. The TDS level of Sirohi village was found to be more than the acceptable limit of 500 mg/L. The higher TDS will affect human health. Neemkathana block in Rajasthan is a semi-arid zone, due to a continuous decrease in the value of rainfall, the rate of recharge of the water aquifer is imbalanced by yield. The average discharge from wells in alluvium ranges from 40m3/day to 90m3/day. Such kind of situation makes contamination to be at the extreme.

Influence of Age, Parity, and Fetuses’ Number on Blood Parameters in RembiEwes during Late Pregnancy in Semi-Arid zone, Algeria

Several nutritional problems can be observed in ewes with advanced pregnancy when energy demands related to fetal development increase, then can hurt ewes and their lambs during this period. The aim of our study was the assessment of hematological and some biochemical parameters changes in ewes during late pregnancy and the influence of age, parity, and fetuses number on the latter. In this study blood samples were collected from forty ewes of the Rembi breed during the end of pregnancy, housed