South Mediterranean Region Research Articles

Salinity Properties Retrieval from Sentinel-2 Satellite Data and Machine Learning Algorithms

The accurate monitoring of soil salinization plays a key role in the ecological security and sustainable agricultural development of semiarid regions. The objective of this study was to achieve the best estimation of electrical conductivity variables from salt-affected soils in a south Mediterranean region using Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery. In order to realize this goal, a test was carried out using electrical conductivity (EC) data collected in central Tunisia. Soil electrical conductivity and leaf electrical conductivity were measured in an olive orchard over two growing seasons and under three irrigation treatments. Firstly, selected spectral salinity, chlorophyll, water, and vegetation indices were tested over the experimental area to estimate both soil and leaf EC using Sentinel-2 imagery on the Google Earth Engine platform. Subsequently, estimation models of soil and leaf EC were calibrated by employing machine learning (ML) techniques using 12 spectral bands of Sentinel-2 images. The prediction accuracy of the EC estimation was assessed by using k-fold cross-validation and computing statistical metrics. The results of the study revealed that machine learning algorithms, together with multispectral data, could advance the mapping and monitoring of soil and leaf electrical conductivity.

Design, commissioning and operation of a mini hybrid parabolic trough solar thermal power plant for direct steam generation

Parabolic Trough Collectors (PTCs) are the most mature, reliable and widespread among Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technologies for electricity generation. The conventional power plants relying on PTCs use synthetic oil as Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF) which has limited life span, has limited operation temperature, is expensive and harmful to the environment. In the present research work, a new perspective has been developed to directly generate steam in the collectors, eliminating the need for HTF in the solar field and avoiding auxiliary heat exchangers. A mini hybrid Direct Steam Generation PTC power plant having a boiler as a backup that can be operated with biogas or natural gas is installed at Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Tunis (ENIT) within the framework of REELCOOP project (Renewable ELectricity COOPeration). The description, commissioning and operation of the solar plant are presented in this paper. The plant is designed and tested under real-life operating conditions in the south Mediterranean region. The feasibility of the DSG process in horizontal parabolic trough collectors has been confirmed and an important know how has been acquired regarding the operation of DSG solar plant. The main instructions for the operation of the solar plant have been presented including start-up and shutdown procedures of the plant, as well as the safety measures to be considered.The development of this plant is aimed to address the challenge of coupling intermittent solar radiation and the presence of a two-phase fluid in the absorber tubes. An important know how has been acquired regarding the operation of DSG solar plants in solar only mode and in hybrid mode which allowed to balance strengths and weaknesses of solar and biogas/natural gas technologies. By combining both systems, we have tackled the problem of the controllability of the energy supply while exploiting as much as possible renewable sources.

Diversity of flies (Diptera: Brachycera) in breeding farms in the Kabylia region (North-central Algeria), and identification of some myiaseginic species

Abstract. Ourrad O, Ahmed DSA, Sadou SA, Bouzrarf K, Belqat B. 2022. Diversity of flies (Diptera: Brachycera) in breeding farms in the Kabylia region (North-central Algeria), and identification of some myiaseginic species. Biodiversitas 23: 2276-2284. This work provides the first checklist of the flies (Insecta: Diptera) present in breeding farms located in the south Mediterranean region of Kabylia, Algeria. A new inventory of 26 species (631 individuals) of flies belonging to 15 genera and 8 families was presented from five sites with different altitudes (245 m - 1041 m) in the Kabylia region. Of them, eight species (Calliphora vicina, C. vomitoria, Lucilia sericata, L. ampullacea, Sarcophaga africa, S. carnaria, Musca domestica, and Fannia canicularis) are epidemiological, pathogenic agents of various animal and human myiasis. The fly fauna was found at varying frequencies in the five sites located at different altitudes. Besides, a negative correlation was observed between the altitude of the farms and fly distribution. The results of the PCA and FCA analysis offered better discrimination of the fly species according to the variation of the environmental parameters.

Potential Efficiency of Earth Observation for Optimum Fishing Zone Detection of the Pelagic Sardinella aurita Species along the Mediterranean Coast of Egypt

This research utilizes the efficiency of remotely sensed data and advanced digital image processing techniques to assist in monitoring for the management of marine fisheries in Egypt (south Mediterranean Sea region). A newly developed model is applied to the Sardinella aurita fisheries to determine optimal fishing zones, and is then applied to monitor and detect the potentially optimal fishing zones for other locally important and economic fish species. This approach depends on chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and sea-surface temperature (SST) characteristics that are that known to control this species communities. The ranges and distribution of SST and Chl-a were obtained from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aqua as well as Sentinel-3 satellites during the period from 2018 to 2020. The results revealed that there is a strong link between Sardinella abundance and both the SST and the Chl-a concentration. The suitable months for the abundance of this pelagic fish species were defined to be from May to November, producing 75% of the catch (nearly 42 K tons). Low abundances were recorded during the months from December to April, below the suitable harvest levels for this species. This research highlighted the importance of using satellite data as a tool to help scientists to develop appropriate management strategies for the sustainable management of fisheries resources worldwide.

Irrigation Amounts and Timing Retrieval through Data Assimilation of Surface Soil Moisture into the FAO-56 Approach in the South Mediterranean Region

Agricultural water use represents more than 70% of the world’s freshwater through irrigation water inputs that are poorly known at the field scale. Irrigation monitoring is thus an important issue for optimizing water use in particular with regards to the water scarcity that the semi-arid regions are already facing. In this context, the aim of this study is to develop and evaluate a new approach to predict seasonal to daily irrigation timing and amounts at the field scale. The method is based on surface soil moisture (SSM) data assimilated into a simple land surface (FAO-56) model through a particle filter technique based on an ensemble of irrigation scenarios. The approach is implemented in three steps. First, synthetic experiments are designed to assess the impact of the frequency of observation, the errors on SSM and the a priori constraints on the irrigation scenarios for different irrigation techniques (flooding and drip). In a second step, the method is evaluated using in situ SSM measurements with different revisit times (3, 6 and 12 days) to mimic the available SSM product derived from remote sensing observation. Finally, SSM estimates from Sentinel-1 are used. Data are collected on different wheat fields grown in Morocco, for both flood and drip irrigation techniques in addition to rainfed fields used for an indirect evaluation of the method performance. Using in situ data, accurate results are obtained. With an observation every 6 days to mimic the Sentinel-1 revisit time, the seasonal amounts are retrieved with R > 0.98, RMSE < 32 mm and bias < 2.5 mm. Likewise, a good agreement is observed at the daily scale for flood irrigation as more than 70% of the detected irrigation events have a time difference from actual irrigation events shorter than 4 days. Over the drip irrigated fields, the statistical metrics are R = 0.74, RMSE = 24.8 mm and bias = 2.3 mm for irrigation amounts cumulated over 15 days. When using SSM products derived from Sentinel-1 data, the statistical metrics on 15-day cumulated amounts slightly dropped to R = 0.64, RMSE = 28.7 mm and bias = 1.9 mm. The metrics on the seasonal amount retrievals are close to assimilating in situ observations with R = 0.99, RMSE = 33.5 mm and bias = −18.8 mm. Finally, among four rainfed seasons, only one false event was detected. This study opens perspectives for the regional retrieval of irrigation amounts and timing at the field scale and for mapping irrigated/non irrigated areas.

Review: The World Community and the Arab Spring, edited by Cenap Kakmak and Ali Onur Ozcelik

Review: The World Community and the Arab Spring, edited by Cenap Kakmak and Ali Onur Ozcelik

Water footprint of milk production systems in semi-arid plains of North Africa

Water resources are becoming scarce and must be preserved. The significant use of water is linked to agriculture in general and to livestock in particular. Very little research in semi-arid regions has been devoted to assessing the contribution of ruminants to water scarcity. This contribution explores the relationships between dairy farming and the various water resources available in an ecosystem with climatic constraints. To meet future food demand while sustainably managing the available land and water resources, dairy farm systems in semi-arid regions must adapt in response to climate and socio-economic change. In this study, we focus on the south Mediterranean region to analyze the key factors influencing water productivity in dairy farming, especially in context characterized by water scarcity. In order to characterize the relationship between dairy cattle breeding and water resources, a monitoring of 40 dairy cattle stables has been carried out in a semi-arid region. The technical and economic parameters of each farm were evaluated: the use of water according to their origins to the production of fodder by source, the contribution of virtual water off the farm, the total fodder biomass, feeding system practiced on the farms and the performances achieved. Analysis of the data indicates that productivity of fodder in dry matter differ between the two systems with values of the order of 12520 to 17188 kg/ha (p<0.05) respectively for type extensive and intensive systems. The milk yield per cow did not exceed an average value of 3680 kg (rang 3240 to 4120 kg. The mean gross margin per kilogram of milk was low, not exceeding 0.13?. A significant effect (p<0.05) of the value of the water footprint between the two dairy farm systems with an average of around 2.05m3/kg of milk (range 1.96 to 2.15 respectively for intensive and extensive farms). The contribution of rainfall is estimated at 57% and the rest is represented by the participation of irrigation and virtual water with 18% and 25% respectively. Necessary actions must be taken along the milk production process in order to improve the productivity of water for forage production and the milk which depends in large part on annual rainfall and to a lesser extent on groundwater.

Messinian Lago-Mare ostracods from Tunisia

Micropalaeontological analyses were performed on two stratigraphical sections sampled in upper Messinian deposits outcropping in eastern Tunisia, allowing us to identify some sedimentary levels with high concentrations of fresh or brackish water ostracods, which can be referred to the Lago-Mare fauna. Some of these species can be considered Paratethysian, or rather as species that spread in the Mediterranean area starting from the Paratethys areas, while others show Paratethysian affinity. The Lago-Mare fauna is little known in the south Mediterranean regions and the present article provides new data on its geographic distribution. Of the two sections sampled, the first one, the Wadi El Kebir section, is located in the south eastern part of the Cape Bon Peninsula and shows horizons dominated by Cyprideis agrigentina and Cyprideis ex C. torosa group; the second one, the Salakta section, is located in the Sahel region and shows a level with a very rich Lago-Mare ostracod fauna consisting essentially of Amnicythere propinqua, Mediocytherideis punctata, and Ilyocypris gibba.

Intraspecific Variations in Functional and Molecular Traits of Near-Endemic Onopordum alexandrinum Boiss. in Natural and Anthropogenic Habitats along the Western Mediterranean Coast of Egypt: Implications for Conservation.

Onopordum alexandrinum is a near-endemic to Egypt and neighboring countries. Its habitats are designated as priority sites for conservation in the south and east Mediterranean regions. We hypothesize that variation in morphological, reproductive, and molecular traits could provide a survival strategy that allows the species to occupy landscapes including anthropogenic habitats (barley and abandoned fields) and natural habitats (sand dunes and desert plateau) with different soil resources along the western Mediterranean coast of Egypt. The results indicated that plant functional traits associated with high rates of resource acquisition and growth (e.g., high values of vegetative height and specific leaf area, and low values of leaf dry matter content) occurred in populations located in abandoned fields with high soil resources. The genetic diversity analyses indicated similarity in genetic diversity of the present populations of O. alexandrinum in barley and abandoned fields with those of sand dunes. However, the genetic structures of these populations were different from those of natural desert plateau, which suggests reduced rates of gene flow. In this framework, it is essential to monitor and reduce the anthropogenic activity which will not only support the conservation of genetic diversity within populations but will also help ensure the resilience of O. alexandrinum in the face of environmental and climatic changes.

Spatio-temporal formation of the genetic diversity in the Mediterranean dwelling lichen during the Neogene and Quaternary epochs

Genetic patterns of lichenized fungi often display a mosaic-like and difficult to interpret structure blurring their evolutionary history. The genetic diversity and phylogeographic pattern of a mycobiont of the predominantly Mediterranean dwelling lichen Solenopsora candicans were investigated on the base of extensive sampling (361 individuals, 77 populations) across its entire distribution range. We tested whether the genetic pattern of S. candicans mirrors paleoclimatic and paleogeological events in the Mediterranean and adjacent regions. The divergence time estimates indicated a Tertiary origin for S. candicans, with formation of intraspecific diversity initiated in the Late Miocene. The distribution of the most divergent haplotypes, mostly of a pre-Pleistocene origin, was restricted to the eastern or western extremities of the Mediterranean exhibiting Kiermack disjunction. The population genetic diversity analyses indicated multiple diversity centres and refugia for S. candicans across the entire Mediterranean Basin. While the south Mediterranean regions harboured both the Tertiary and Quaternary born diversity, conforming to the ‘cumulative refugia’ paradigm, the Apennine and Balkan Peninsulas in the north hosted mostly younger Pleistocene haplotypes and lineages. The recent population expansion of S. candicans might have occurred in the middle Pleistocene with a population burst in the Apennine and Balkan peninsulas. The presence of unique haplotypes in Central Europe indicates the existence of extra-Mediterranean microrefugia. This study presents the first comprehensive lichen phylogeography from the Mediterranean region and simultaneously reports for the first time the glacial survival of a warm-adapted lichen in the temperate zone.

Using open education practices across the Mediterranean for intercultural curriculum development in higher education

ABSTRACT This multinational authored article presents the findings and recommendations of a three-year, European-funded project ‘OpenMed: Opening up education in South Mediterranean countries’, which brought together five higher education partners from Europe and nine from the South Mediterranean region. This was the first cross-European initiative to promote the adoption of Open Educational Practices (OEP) within higher education involving educational institutions in each of the countries. A three-phase project design included gathering and analyzing case studies of OEPs globally, and, in particular, in the South Mediterranean; the organization of regional forums to encourage priorities for change; and the multi-national design and pilot implementation of a ‘training of trainers’ course for academic capacity building in OEPs as part of curricula reform. We will discuss how the cultural approaches used among experts and project partners with different national, linguistic, and educational backgrounds have instigated change in policy and practice at a personal, institutional, and national level.

Main challenges in the control of zoonoses and related foodborne diseases in the South Mediterranean and Middle East region.

In the South Mediterranean and Middle East region, interactions between humans, animals, and the surrounding environment are frequently close. This fact is mainly manifested in traditional farming settings (by sedentary, semi-sedentary, and nomadic communities) as well as where livestock intensification has been introduced. A combination of complex factors in these settings (e.g. challenges in country infrastructures and cross-sectoral collaboration/ coordination, traditional habits, poor social information, etc.) contribute to the emergence and, occasionally, to the endemic pattern of zoonoses. The phenomenal growth of international travel and trade, population displacement, and unhygienic settlements has increased the speed and ease with which pathogens and vectors can cross continents and cause outbreaks and epidemics. Programmes for the prevention and control of zoonoses have been implemented in several countries in this region; however, the expected results have not always been realised. The conflicts and civil unrest affecting certain countries in this region during the last decade, together with the mass displacement of people seeking refuge, have resulted in serious epidemiological and social impacts. Zoonoses and related food-borne diseases are, indeed, a worldwide challenge, whose prevention and control mainly depend on the actions of national authorities. Once peace has been established in this region, authorities need to address the burden of these diseases through resource mobilisation, the implementation of international agencies’ technical guidance, and inter-country collaboration.

Production of Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa)in the Marginal Environments of South Mediterranean Region: Nile Delta, Egypt

Production of Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa)in the Marginal Environments of South Mediterranean Region: Nile Delta, Egypt

Population dynamics of Eichhornia crassipes (C. Mart.) Solms in the Nile Delta, Egypt

The present study aims to evaluate the growth and seasonal allocation of the biomass of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) under natural conditions in the south Mediterranean region (the Nile Delta, Egypt). In this study, the population characteristics (density, morphology and primary production) over a one‐growing‐season cycle were described. In the Nile Delta, the biomass of the shoot and root systems of E.crassipes was sampled monthly along three water courses from April 2014 to November 2014 using five quadrats (each of 0.5 m × 0.5 m) at each water course. The shoot system started to grow in April (121 g/DM/m2), reached a maximum biomass of 887 g/DM/m2 in July, and then decreased until reaching a minimum of 299 g/DM/m2 in November. The biomass of the root system increased from 75 g/DM/m2 in April to a maximum of 235 g/DM/m2 in August and decreased to a minimum of 100 g/DM/m2 in November. Water hyacinth allocated ca. 2% of its total biomass to stolons, 22% to laminae, 24% to roots and 52% to petioles. Peak density as high as 144 individual/m2 occurred in May, but it reduced to 33–50 individual/m2 during July to November. The average rate of change of biomass was maximum (17.3 g/DM/m2/day) during April and May and minimum (−8.9 g/DM/m2/day) during October and November. Relative growth rates were found to be lowest during the cooler months, October and November (−0.017 g/DM/g /day), whereas highest yields were recorded during the spring months, April and May (up to 0.044 g/DM/g/day). The correlation coefficients between the water characteristics and the first two canonical correspondence analysis axes indicated that the separation of the population parameters of water hyacinth along the first axis was negatively influenced by Zn. On the other hand, the second axis was positively correlated with electric conductivity, total N, total P, Mg, Na, K and Mn and negatively with pH.

Doğu Akdeniz Bölgesinde bir 3.basamak referans merkezinin kadın hastalıkları ve doğum polikliniğine başvuran hastalarda HPV aşısı farkındalığı ve kabul edilebilirliği

Doğu Akdeniz Bölgesinde bir 3.basamak referans merkezinin kadın hastalıkları ve doğum polikliniğine başvuran hastalarda HPV aşısı farkındalığı ve kabul edilebilirliği

Multimorbidity Patterns in Elderly Primary Health Care Patients in a South Mediterranean European Region: A Cluster Analysis

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to identify clusters of diagnoses in elderly patients with multimorbidity, attended in primary care.DesignCross-sectional study.Setting251 primary care centres in Catalonia, Spain.ParticipantsIndividuals older than 64 years registered with participating practices.Main outcome measuresMultimorbidity, defined as the coexistence of 2 or more ICD-10 disease categories in the electronic health record. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, multimorbidity clusters were identified by sex and age group (65–79 and ≥80 years).Results322,328 patients with multimorbidity were included in the analysis (mean age, 75.4 years [Standard deviation, SD: 7.4], 57.4% women; mean of 7.9 diagnoses [SD: 3.9]). For both men and women, the first cluster in both age groups included the same two diagnoses: Hypertensive diseases and Metabolic disorders. The second cluster contained three diagnoses of the musculoskeletal system in the 65- to 79-year-old group, and five diseases coincided in the ≥80 age group: varicose veins of the lower limbs, senile cataract, dorsalgia, functional intestinal disorders and shoulder lesions. The greatest overlap (54.5%) between the three most common diagnoses was observed in women aged 65–79 years.ConclusionThis cluster analysis of elderly primary care patients with multimorbidity, revealed a single cluster of circulatory-metabolic diseases that were the most prevalent in both age groups and sex, and a cluster of second-most prevalent diagnoses that included musculoskeletal diseases. Clusters unknown to date have been identified. The clusters identified should be considered when developing clinical guidance for this population.

Effects of feeding system and breed on lamb productive and carcass characteristics in the south Mediterranean region

Effects of feeding system and breed on lamb productive and carcass characteristics in the south Mediterranean region

Post-fire plant diversity and abundance in pine and eucalypt stands in Portugal: Effects of biogeography, topography, forest type and post-fire management

This study concerned the mid-term regeneration of the woody understory vegetation of pure and mixed stands of Pinus pinaster Ait. and Eucalyptus globulus Labill. in northern and central Portugal following wildfires in 2005 and 2006. Pine and eucalypt stands are the most widespread and most fire-prone forest types in Portugal. The main aim was to investigate the importance of biogeography, topography, forest type and post-fire management operations in explaining the patterns in shrub diversity (species richness) and abundance (cover). To this end, 284 study sites in four distinct biogeographic regions were sampled 5 to 7years following the last wildfire. At each site, the presence and cover of individual shrub species were estimated using 4 sub-plot of approximately 10m2 each. The entire data set was analyzed by means of GLM using a total of seven explanatory variables: biogeographic region, forest type, three types post-fire management operations (soil tillage, tree harvesting, and shrub clearance), and two topographic variables (slope angle and elevation). The GLM analysis was also done for the individual biogeographic regions.Biogeographic region and slope steepness were key factors explaining shrub species richness, albeit the role of slope angle was possibly linked to the intensity of past land use.Biogeographic region equally played a significant role in explaining the cover of all shrubs together as well as of the shrubs of Leguminosae and Cistaceae. All three types of post-fire management operations appeared to hamper the recovery of resprouters and Leguminosae, whereas just tree harvesting and shrub clearance (but not soil tillage) negatively affected the cover of seeder species. These impacts of post-fire management operations had a noticeable region-specific component, being more relevant in the less productive biogeographic regions.Also the role of forest type depended strongly on biogeographic region. It was only significant in the South Mediterranean region, where pine plantations had a higher total shrub cover as well as higher covers of seeders and Cistaceae. Possibly, however, this significant role of forest type could be due to the lower incidence of shrub clearance in the pine stands.

Earth observation with MEO transmitters and UAS receivers: A potential utilization of Galileo constellation

Remote sensing application of Galileo upcoming constellation in the field of civil security is preliminarily analyzed, defining low resolution (25m) and high resolution (7.5m) working modes for a bistatic Synthetic Aperture Radar system utilizing Galileo satellites as transmitters and Unmanned Aerial Systems as receivers. Simulations offshore Somali coast and in a South Mediterranean Sea region showed that both low and high resolution acquisitions are feasible. For the low resolution mode a probability of successful image formation no matter the azimuth position of the receiving UAS has been estimated at nearly 100%. Whereas, for the high resolution mode it decreases to about 90%, which, if deemed unsatisfactory for the application, leads to the need for UAS to adapt its route to the actual Galileo satellite coverage.

Modeling growth dynamics of Typha domingensis (Pers.) Poir. ex Steud. in Lake Burullus, Egypt

Southern Cattail (Typha domingensis) occurs everywhere in ditches and marshy places in Egypt and is one of the major components of vegetation stands along the shores of Lake Burullus close to the Deltaic Mediterranean coast. In our study, we applied a published Typha model to describe the growth production among the various organs of Southern Cattail in Lake Burullus, one of the Mediterranean eutrophic lakes, in order to answer the following questions: (1) Is the Typha model, originally designed for T. angustifolia and T. latifolia, suited to simulate the growth of Southern Cattail in the south Mediterranean region? and (2) How is biomass production of Southern Cattail distributed among the various plant organs? Above- and below-ground biomass of Southern Cattail was sampled monthly from February 2010 to October 2010 at three sites of Lake Burullus using three randomly distributed quadrats (each of 0.5m×0.5m) at each sampling site. Shoots started to grow in February, reached the maximum biomass of 6327±441gDWm−2 in July, and then rapidly decreased in the fall when they went to senescence stage, thereafter their growth ceased before fully dying off in the winter. The total below-ground biomass reduced to 941±152gDWm−2 in March due to the upward translocation for the initial growth of shoots, gradually increased to a maximum biomass of 2184±366gDWm−2 in July by downward translocation from shoots, then decreased afterwards in the winter to reach 1193±64gDWm−2 in October. Southern Cattail allocated approximately 52% of its total biomass to non-flowering shoots, 19% to flowering shoots, 22.5% to rhizomes and 6.5% to roots. The total above-ground biomass was 2.6 times that of the total below-ground biomass. General trends for above-ground biomass, such as the slow initial growth rate followed by a high growth rate, the timing of peak biomass, and the decline of biomass due to senescence, were successfully reproduced by the model. Many characteristics typical for the below-ground biomass, such as the reduction of rhizome biomass during the early growing season, and the increase in the rhizome biomass during the later period of the season, because of the translocation of materials from current photosynthesis and shoot dry matter, were also reproduced. In general, there was good agreement between the calculated results and field data although simulated results were slightly different from observations for below-ground biomass. Respiration of the above- and below-ground organs consumes a considerable amount of net photosynthetic materials 39% and 7%, respectively. The upward translocation of rhizome resources to form new shoots in February showed 8% to the gross production and the downward translocation afterwards showed a 22% to the gross production. In conclusion, Typha model is well-suited to simulate the growth of Southern Cattail stands in the south Mediterranean region and could be used in wetland management activities to predict the potential growth of Southern Cattail in Egyptian wetlands.