Environmental Areas Research Articles

Feathers and faith: Sacred groves of semi-arid landscapes hold distinct avian richness and composition in Udaipur district, Rajasthan, India

Sacred groves have long been recognised for their critical role in biodiversity conservation, but research on their importance in avian conservation is limited. We conducted a comprehensive assessment of bird diversity, richness, and abundance within sacred groves and their surrounding areas in the semi-arid landscape of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. We made 120 point counts (60 sacred groves and 60 random points) to record birds from March 2023 to July 2023. Our results revealed a greater number of bird species (n = 114) within sacred groves than random points (n = 100), including several species of global conservation concern. The species diversity remained consistent, while variations in species richness and abundance was observed. Moreover, we found that the overall composition of birds’ feeding guilds was similar in both groups. We observed noteworthy differences in the abundance of frugivores, granivores, insectivores, and omnivores. Species and guild-level abundance exhibited an even distribution. Species richness in both type of sites predominantly attributed to species turnover. Feeding guilds and bird species had varying associations to environmental variables. Our findings recommend the immediate protection of these sacred areas for bird conservation.

Hear Wave Velocity Analysis Based on Two Rock Layers Modeling Using Microtremor Data of Gresik and Surrounding Areas

The lithology on the surface in the current condition is often found to be not a fresh rocks, but all materials, be it alluvial, soil, backfill soil, or rocks with a very high degree of weathering. Therefore, this study was conducted to estimate the type of layer on the surface and its underlying layer based on the analysis of Vs (shear wave velocity) values in the surface lithological media and the underlying layer through the modeling of two rock layers. To complete this research, microtremor array data was collected by the Geological Survey Center in the Gresik area which was then processed using the SPAC (Spatial Autocorrelation) method. Based on the results of the study, the Gresik area has a surface Vs value that still shows soft soil values in the range of 65 - 170 m/s and its basement Vs already shows fresh rocks to older lithologies in the alluvial area in the range of 150 - 435 m/s, so it can be seen that some areas that should consist of a fairly hard lithology in the Gresik area have changed with a fairly high level of weathering.

Utilization of Sentinel-1 Imagery for Mapping the Distribution of Floods in the Putussibau Kota Subdistrict and Surrounding Areas

Floods are a disaster that often occurs in the Putussibau Kota sub-district, West Kalimantan, because of its location where the Kapuas River passes. However, flood disaster mitigation efforts in this area are often hampered by the lack of information on flood distribution maps and impact predictions. This research utilizes the change detection and thresholding (CDAT) method applied to Sentinel-1 SAR data to map the distribution of floods in the Putussibau Kota sub-district and its surroundings, as well as analyze its impact on infrastructure and population. Next, the impact of the flood is calculated using an overlay technique between the flood map and the exposure map. The research results show that the flood distribution map for the August 2021 event had an accuracy of 0.76 and a kappa coefficient of 0.52. Next, the results of the flood impact evaluation showed that 37 km of roads, 2,700 buildings, and 11,700 people were affected by this incident. This analysis can be used to assist local governments in future flood mitigation efforts.

Flood Prediction Using Support Vector Regression (Case Study of Floodgates in Jakarta)

Flood can be interpreted as an event that occurs suddenly and quickly enough where the water discharge in the drainage channel cannot be accommodated, so that the blocked area causes the water discharge in the drainage channel in several surrounding areas to overflow and is one of the natural disasters that occurs at an unexpected time and cannot be prevented, because of this, a prediction must be made to detect floods for the next day. Flood prediction is a crucial aspect of disaster management and mitigation, particularly in flood-prone areas such as Jakarta, Indonesia. This study aims to leverage Support Vector Regression (SVR) to predict flood events by analyzing various environmental and hydrological factors that influence flooding. The primary data sources include historical wheater data, river water levels, floodgate positions in Jakarta. The data preprocessing involved cleaning, handling missing values, and normalizing the datasets to ensure compatibility with the SVR model. Feature selection was conducted to identify the most relevant predictors of flooding, such as wheater data, and river water levels. The dataset was then split into training and testing sets, maintaining an 80-20 ratio to ensure robust model validation. An SVR model with a radial basis function (RBF) kernel was trained on the standardized training data. The model's performance was evaluated using Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) as the primary metric. The RMSE produced in this study was 0.112 with an R Square accuracy of 0.977. The results indicated that the SVR model could effectively predict flood events with a reasonable degree of accuracy, demonstrating its potential as a valuable tool in flood forecasting.

Mapping Fault Distribution Using Lineation and Fault Fracture Density Methods in the Palu Basin and Surrounding Areas

Introduction: Research has been carried out with the title "Mapping Fault Distribution Using Lineation and Fault Fracture Density Methods in the Palu Valley and Surrounding Areas" with the aim of determining the direction of fault distribution and analyzing fault density based on lineation data. Methods: This research uses the lineation method with a total of 40 grids. Data processing uses Global Mapper 18, rockwork 17, PCI Geomatica 2014, and Arcgis 10.8 software. Result and Discussion: The results obtained show that the lineation data from the dominant rose diagram has a relatively east-west direction. Areas that have high fault density are in Lindu District, Palolo District, Nokilalaki District, Gumbasa District, Dolo District, Sigi Biromaru District, and Mantikulore District with fault density values of 5,945 - 18,950/km2. Conclusion: The direction of lineation obtained tectonically is influenced by the Palu-Koro fault which tends relatively north-south, the Graben Palolo A and Graben Palolo B faults which trend relatively southeast-northwest, and the Lore Lindu fault zone. Areas with high density are weak zones that are vulnerable to natural disasters and potential ground movements.

Microscopic Characterization of Individual Aerosol Particles in a Typical Industrial City and Its Surrounding Rural Areas in China.

Transmission electron microscopy was used to analyze individual aerosol particles collected in Lanzhou (urban site) and its surrounding areas (rural site) in early 2023. The results revealed that from the pre-Spring Festival period to the Spring Festival period, the main pollutants at the urban site decreased significantly, while the PM2.5 and SO2 concentrations increased at the rural site. During the entire sampling period, the main particles at the urban site were organic matter (OM), secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA), and OM-SIA particles, while those at the rural site were OM, SIA, and soot particles. The degree of external mixing of single particles in both sites increased from the pre-Spring Festival period to the Spring Festival period. The proportion of the OM particles increased by 11% at the urban site, and the proportion of SIA particles increased by 24% at the rural site. During the Spring Festival, the aging of the soot particles was enhanced at the urban site and weakened at the rural site. At the urban site, the SIA particle size was more strongly correlated with the thickness of the OM coating during the pre-Spring Festival period, while the correlation was stronger at the rural site during the Spring Festival.

The cost of being qualified: Current barriers faced by graduate students in forensic anthropology.

When considering the best ethical practices in forensic anthropology, one must consider how accessible the field is to new students that are responsible for driving the future of research, pedagogy, and the field as a whole. While there is no denying that there are multiple barriers to accessing academia (e.g., racism, sexism, xenophobia, etc.) the cost of a graduate education is a key factor that affects the diversity of people that are able to enter the field. Here, the cost of 24 universities prominent in the education of forensic anthropologists are considered in tandem with the opportunities for funding offered by these institutions and average costs of living for the respective surrounding areas. Demographic data for the universities at the graduate and undergraduate level was additionally compared with the demographics of the cities surrounding the universities. Funding, excluding loans, was shown to be greatly below cost of living in university cities, and often did not match the costs of attendance estimated by institutions. Including the cost of living, the average graduate degree costs over $60,000 per year while the average stipend for graduate students is below $14,000 necessitating the need for loans or out-of-institute support. White individuals were overrepresented in graduate enrollment when compared with surrounding area demographics, even when university demographics were similar to those of the surrounding area. Overall, findings highlight the inaccessibility of pursuing higher education for minority groups and demonstrate the need for institutions to develop funding programs to promote diversity in higher education.

Distribution Characteristics and Source Analysis of Carbonaceous Aerosols Before and After the Spring Festival in the Guanzhong Plain

The spatio-temporal variation characteristics and potential sources of carbonaceous aerosols in the Guanzhong Plain during the Spring Festival in 2023 were analyzed using inverse distance weighting spatial interpolation （IDW）, secondary organic carbon （SOC） estimation, and potential source contribution factor analysis （PSCF）, with the OC and EC in the PM2.5 of five cities： Xi'an, Baoji, Xianyang, Weinan, and Tongchuan as the research objects. The results showed that in terms of time distribution, ρ（OC） was as follows： after the Spring Festival [（18.6 ±11.0） μg·m-3] &gt; during the Spring Festival [（16.2 ±15.1） μg·m-3] &gt; before the Spring Festival [（10.0 ±8.3） μg·m-3], and ρ（EC） was as follows： after the Spring Festival [（2.2 ±1.2） μg·m-3] &gt; during the Spring Festival [（1.7 ±1.5） μg·m-3] &gt; before the Spring Festival [（1.4 ±1.1） μg·m-3], which indicated that OC and EC concentrations were the most severe after the Spring Festival. In terms of spatial distribution, ρ（OC） was as follows： Xianyang [（21.4 ±17.3） μg·m-3] &gt; Baoji [（15.8 ±12.8） μg·m-3] &gt; Xi'an [（13.6 ±11.3） μg·m-3] &gt; Weinan [（11.6 ±9.1） μg·m-3] &gt; Tongchuan [（10.0 ±8.3） μg·m-3], and ρ（EC） was as follows： Xianyang [（2.1 ±1.4） μg·m-3] &gt; Weinan [（1.8 ±1.4） μg·m-3] &gt; Xi'an [（1.8 ±1.2） μg·m-3] &gt; Tongchuan [（1.6 ±1.4） μg·m-3] &gt; Baoji [（1.2 ±0.9） μg·m-3]. Overall, Xianyang had the most severe PM2.5 and carbon aerosol pollution, whereas Tongchuan had the least pollution. IDW results showed that the high-value center of OC and EC concentration [ρ（OC） &gt; 27.3 μg·m-3, ρ（EC） &gt; 2.9 μg·m-3] was in the middle of the plain, the low-value center of OC and EC concentration [ρ（OC） <7.0 μg·m-3, ρ（EC） < 1.0 μg·m-3] was in the northern plain, and the distribution of OC was higher in the west and lower in the east, whereas the distribution of EC was higher in the east and lower in the west. The proportion of SOC in OC was as follows： after the Spring Festival （51.7%） &gt; during the Spring Festival （41.1%） &gt; before the Spring Festival （36.8%）. The SOC/OC values of each city and the contribution rate of SOC of each city to the Guanzhong Plain indicated that Tongchuan, Baoji, and Xianyang were greatly affected by the secondary conversion of organic carbon. The correlation of OC and EC before, during, and after the Spring Festival （r = 0.85, r = 0.98, and r = 0.94, respectively） indicated a high degree of homology between them. Carbonaceous aerosols had a certain correlation with humidity and wind speed before and during the Spring Festival but had a weak correlation with meteorological factors after the Spring Festival. Carbonaceous aerosols generally were strongly correlated with CO and NO2, and the correlation was strongest after the Spring Festival, whereas the correlation with SO2 was strongest during the Spring Festival. The potential source areas of carbonaceous aerosols in the five cities were mainly concentrated in the local and surrounding areas of southern Gansu, northern Shaanxi, and southern Shaanxi. They were also affected by long-distance transportation from the northwest before the Spring Festival.

Application of remote sensing to understand the role of Galician feral horses in the biomass reduction of a shrub-grassland-dominated landscape

Galician forests in northwestern Spain are subject to frequent wildfires with high environmental and economic costs. In addition, due to the consequences of climate change, these fires are becoming more virulent, occurring throughout the year, and taking place in populated areas, in some cases involving the loss of human life. Therefore, forest fire prevention is even more relevant than mitigating its consequences. Given the costs involved in forestry work, alternative measures to reduce fuel load and create vegetation gaps are needed. One involves grazing by an endemic species of feral horses (Equus ferus atlanticus) that feed on thicket-forming gorse (Ulex europaeus). In a 100-ha forest fenced study area stocked with 11 horses, four 50 m2 enclosed plots prevented the access of these wild animals to the vegetation, with the aim of manipulating their impact on the reduction of forest biomass. The measurement of biomass volumes is an important method that can describe the assessment of wildfire risks, unfortunately, high-resolution data collection at the regional scale is very time-consuming. The best result can be using drones (unmanned aerial vehicles - UAVs) as a method of collecting remotely sensed data at low cost. From September 2018 to November 2020, we collected information about aboveground biomass from these four enclosed plots and their surrounding areas available for horses to forage, via UAV. These data, together with environmental variables from the study site, were used as input for a fire model to assess the differences in the surface rate of spread (SROS) among grazed and ungrazed areas. Our results indicated a consistent but small reduction in the SROS between 0.55 and 3.10 m/min in the ungrazed enclosured plots in comparison to their grazed surrounding areas (which have an SROS between 15 and 25 m/min). The research showed that radar remote sensing (UAV) can be used to map forest aboveground biomass, and emphasized the importance and role of feral horses in Galicia as a prevention tool against wildfires in gorse-dominated landscapes.

Clonal integration facilitates the expansion of Hydrocotyle vulgaris from a limited space to a larger area

AbstractClonal integration is an important ecological advantage of clonal plants. To ask whether clonal integration can help invasive plants escape space limitations, we tested the hypothesis that it can promote the growth of apical ramets when their connected basal ramets grow in limited space. We conducted a greenhouse experiment on the common perennial herb Hydrocotyle vulgaris. Clonal fragments consisting of pairs of connected ramets grew with basal ramets in three different sizes of pots (small, medium, and large) and apical ramets in large pots, and the connection between ramets was either severed or left intact. Pot size significantly affected the growth of basal ramets such that the biomass, number of leaves and flowers, and stolon length were in general greater in medium pots than in large and small pots when stolons were intact and were greater in medium and large pots than in small pots when stolons were severed. Furthermore, pot size interacted with severance to affect the performance of H. vulgaris. When the basal ramets grew in small pots, the intact stolon resulted in a significant promotion of apical ramet growth, but such positive effect was not found when the basal ramets grew in medium and large pots. Our results suggest that H. vulgaris is able to promote the growth of apical ramets to occupy the surrounding areas through clonal integration when the space where basal ramets grow is limited.

Preliminary Conceptual Model of Hydrogeological System in The Pandanduri Dam and its Surrounding Area on the Lombok Island

Abstract the availability of water resources is increasingly limited and even tends to be increasingly scarce; an in-depth study of geological-hydrogeological analysis of springs and groundwater is needed to support various community activities. This research was conducted to determine the hydrogeological system in the Pandanduri Dam area and its surroundings. Geological conditions and geomorphology determine the hydrogeological system and groundwater flow direction patterns. Geological conditions were obtained by conducting field investigations, and groundwater level data was obtained by measuring dug wells from 36 points and measuring 13 points of spring locations. Volcanic sedimentary rocks and volcanic breccia dominate the study area. Three (3) rock units can be distinguished, namely (1) the Andesite tuff breccia – pumice unit is located in the southern part of the study area, precisely in the reservoir area, and (2) the Andesite tuff breccia unit dominates located in the southern part of the study area. The study area’s eastern, western, and northern parts and (3) alluvial deposit units located in the study area covered the andesite volcanic breccia. The aquifer consists of volcanic sedimentary rock and volcanic breccia with a sandy bottom. The 2D interpretation of the dam area shows that the sandy volcanic breccia unit has a resistivity value between 5 ohms - 25 ohms in the form of lapilli tuff sand interspersed with fine tuff, located at a depth of 8 meters below the surface. The pattern of the direction of groundwater flow indicates that the movement of groundwater follows the shape of the topography that flows from the hilly area west-northwest of Santong Village to the southeastern river valley of Pandanduri Village; geological and geomorphological conditions affect this groundwater flow pattern.

Landslide Susceptibility Mapping Using Weight of Evidence Method in the Purwanegara District and Surrounding Areas, Banjarnegara Regency, Central Java Province, Indonesia

Abstract The research location is in the Purwanegara Subdistrict, Banjarnegara Regency, Province of Central Java. According to the Geological Agency of Indonesia, this location is a landslide-prone area, and many landslides occur yearly. Therefore, it needs a landslide susceptibility map is basic information for landslide mitigation in this area. The parameters used in this research are slope, lithology, distance from structural geology, distance from the river, land use, and rainfall. Using six parameters, the weight of evidence (WoE) method was used to develop a landslide susceptibility map. This research aims to make a zonation of landslide susceptibility in this area. The data were collected by field survey and visiting some related institutions. The landslide data used are 85 landslide events in the last three years. All data was then randomly divided into two groups: 70% as model data sets and 30% as validation data sets. The map of every parameter will be overlaid to create a landslide susceptibility zone. The Area Under Curve (AUC) method validated the final map. The result shows that landslide susceptibility zonation can be divided into four zones: very low susceptibility zone, low susceptibility zone, medium susceptibility zone, and high susceptibility zone. The very low susceptibility zone is mostly located in the north, the low susceptibility zone is mostly in the north and south, the moderate susceptibility zone is in the middle, and the high susceptibility zone is in the middle of the research’s location. The validation results of the success and prediction rates using the AUC method show an accuracy value of 0.86 and 0.82, respectively. According to the validation result, both can be classified as very good.

익산지역 마한문화의 성립과 변천

It is generally believed that Mahan was founded before the 2nd century BC. According to historical records, Mahan began with King Jun's migration and settlement in the Iksan area. Since there are not many cases that have been investigated in relation to the residential areas with living remains, few facts of them are known accurately. The tombs constructed include wooden coffin tombs with stone mound, pit tombs, and jar coffin tombs. Out of them, however, wooden coffin tombs with stone mound and pit tombs from an early period are sporadically identified, and the mainly excavated relics are bronze ware. Following the southward transfer of King Jun, a large group of tombs were constructed as in Madong, and the relics excavated are featuring both bronze and iron ware. In light of this, it can be said that the Mahan society in the Iksan region during the establishment period developed by actively accepting advanced civilization. Around the 1st century, the Mahan society in the Iksan region faced a period of stagnation, and villages began to be built in full swing after the 2nd century AD, reaching a peak in the 3rd to 4th centuries AD. Large-scale settlements appeared in places like Sadeok and Jangshin and small- and medium-sized villages were formed and organically connected to each other around the large-scale settlements in the center. As for tombs, mounded tombs with an encircling ditch began to be built in earnest, and it can be seen as the developing period of Mahan culture.. The Mahan culture in the Iksan area sustained even after Baekje territorialization. Such dwellings as four-pillar and non-four-pillar types of Mahan culture continued and, in some dwellings, fire pits made of plate stone and utensils which can be seen as Baekje elements appear and Baekje pottery is found in the sites of dwellings. Furthermore, dwelling sites with pillars used for walls related to the center of Baekje made an entrance. Tombs of the Mahan tradition also continued to be built even after Baekje territorialization. However, the stone chamber or stone-lined tomb related to the center of Baekje were employed for burial body and the grave goods changed to Baekje pottery, while Baekje pottery was excavated within the burial mound. In the areas of Ipjeom-ri and Ungpo-ri, the lower reaches of the Geumgang River, stone- built tombs of Baekje style were built in the mid-5th century, an evidence confirming that Baekje first took control of the lower Geumgang River, an important waterway transportation route and gateway. After the Gwangam-ri area in the middle of the Mangyeong River basin first became Baekje territory, Baekje central culture seemed to have entered the surrounding areas, too.

Estimated Impacts of Prescribed Fires on Air Quality and Premature Deaths in Georgia and Surrounding Areas in the US, 2015-2020.

Smoke from wildfires poses a substantial threat to health in communities near and far. To mitigate the extent and potential damage of wildfires, prescribed burning techniques are commonly employed as land management tools; however, they introduce their own smoke-related risks. This study investigates the impact of prescribed fires on daily average PM2.5 and maximum daily 8-h averaged O3 (MDA8-O3) concentrations and estimates premature deaths associated with short-term exposure to prescribed fire PM2.5 and MDA8-O3 in Georgia and surrounding areas of the Southeastern US from 2015 to 2020. Our findings indicate that over the study domain, prescribed fire contributes to average daily PM2.5 by 0.94 ± 1.45 μg/m3 (mean ± standard deviation), accounting for 14.0% of year-round ambient PM2.5. Higher average daily contributions were predicted during the extensive burning season (January-April): 1.43 ± 1.97 μg/m3 (20.0% of ambient PM2.5). Additionally, prescribed burning is also responsible for an annual average increase of 0.36 ± 0.61 ppb in MDA8-O3 (approximately 0.8% of ambient MDA8-O3) and 1.3% (0.62 ± 0.88 ppb) during the extensive burning season. We estimate that short-term exposure to prescribed fire PM2.5 and MDA8-O3 could have caused 2665 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2249-3080) and 233 (95% CI: 148-317) excess deaths, respectively. These results suggest that smoke from prescribed burns increases the mortality. However, refraining from such burns may escalate the risk of wildfires; therefore, the trade-offs between the health impacts of wildfires and prescribed fires, including morbidity, need to be taken into consideration in future studies.

Understanding the Synergistic Effects of Walking Accessibility and the Built Environment on Street Vitality in High-Speed Railway Station Areas

The high-speed railway (HSR) has profoundly influenced individuals’ lifestyles and travel behaviors. The development of HSR stations and their surrounding areas plays a critical role in urban growth, enhancing both transport efficiency and urban functionality. This study investigates the development of HSR station areas, with a particular focus on Shanghai Hongqiao station, emphasizing the enhancement of street vitality as essential for integrated urban development. Street vitality in station areas is closely associated with individuals’ activities and travel behaviors, influenced by walking accessibility and the built environment. Understanding these factors is crucial for improving the efficiency and attractiveness of HSR station areas. Although extensive research has examined the separate impacts of the built environment and walking accessibility on street vitality, a significant gap remains in comprehending their synergistic effects. This study employs GPS and point-of-interest (POI) data to analyze the stay time of HSR passengers in station areas. Utilizing machine learning algorithms and geographic information system (GIS) tools, this research models the impact of walking accessibility and the built environment on passengers’ stay time. The results indicate that passengers are more inclined to remain within areas accessible by a 7 min walk from the station. Furthermore, the synergistic effects of walking accessibility and the built environment can inform the spatial planning of various functions. These findings provide valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers aiming to enhance the development and efficiency of HSR station areas.

Change Detection Using Multispectral Satellite Images for Sustainable Development in Regions of Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf, Iraq

The change detection in urban and surrounding areas, such as vegetation and bare, is a significant achievement for sustainable development, especially nowadays. The research conducted a supervisor classification of two images representing two time periods (1973 and 2023) using the method of land cover and land use (LCLU) using the ArcGIS 10.8.2 program. The classified pixels were converted into digital data to compare using the land cover method and land use change (LCLUG). The results showed a significant expansion in the urban areas of Najaf and Kufa districts, 5.72 km2 to 134.95 km2, with a decrease in the area of green areas, 17.26 km2 to 15.16 km2, and the absence of water areas, in addition to the transformation of most of the barren areas to urban areas 215.64 km2 to 88.51 km2, The study concluded that there was a significant decrease in the area of green areas in the study area and the absence of water bodies in urban areas, and these two indicators - along with the increase in urban areas - harm the environment of the region and the quality of environmental influences on the lives of the people who live in it. Which negatively affects its sustainable development plans.

Risk-Targeted Seismic Design Maps with Aleatory and Epistemic Uncertainty in Tehran and Surrounding Areas

ABSTRACT This study aims to introduce a risk-targeted probabilistic model that facilitates seismic design hazard mapping. Here, we investigate how to incorporate hazard regional variations and different structural fragility typologies so as to achieve a uniform target risk across the map. This paper takes Tehran, the capital city, and its surrounding area as a case study and explores the highly digitized hazard curves conditioned on the time-dependent occurrence of an earthquake at a 50-year exposure time. We introduce a new set of parameterized quantile functions for Risk-targeted design Intensity Measure (IMR) as the seismic design hazard. A group of IMR maps is subsequently prepared based on a 1% collapse probability during the next 50-year lifetime. Furthermore, the quantile function corresponding to each fragility type is able to show the aleatory uncertainty at each site on the region map. The uncertainty maps illustrate relatively less inherent variability than what exists in the hazard curves themselves. Then, we tackle the source of uncertainty arising from percentile hazard curves into IMR, known as epistemic uncertainty, by deriving a new closed-form expression, which allows for a sampling-free estimation of the epistemic uncertainty. The risk-targeted seismic design hazard with its accompanying uncertainties can lead to a promising seismic design hazard with potential applications for the insurance industry, urban planners, and risk-aware building owners.

Enhancing Tomato Production by Using Non-Conventional Water Resources within Integrated Sprinkler Irrigation Systems in Arid Regions

This research evaluated the importance of establishing an integrated sprinkler irrigation design connected to fish farm ponds in order to achieve environmental and financial benefits. To achieve the aim of the study, two field experiments were conducted at a private farm in the Nubaria area of Beheira Governorate during the 2022 and 2023 seasons to quantify all the benefits from using fish water effluent (FWE) in irrigation. The obtained results indicated that the effluent could represent a good source of irrigation and bio-fertilization. The yield of tomato was higher when using FWE for irrigation compared with using groundwater for irrigation (IW). This was due to the additional amounts of dissolved bio-nitrogen along with other nutrients present in the FWE. The proportion of dissolved nitrogen added by using FWE was 22.3 kg nitrogen per hectare in 2022 and 24.6 kg nitrogen per hectare in 2023, in addition to some other major elements such as phosphorus and potassium, which are also among the main nutrients needed by crops. It has also been noticed that the fertility of the sandy soil increased with the use of FWE for irrigation. One of the most important results was the possibility of reducing the addition of nitrogen mineral fertilizers by 25%, thus saving on N fertilizers when growing tomato. In addition to the vitality of the FWE and its macro- and microelements, algae, microorganisms, and other organic materials, the use of this type of water as an alternative source for irrigation, along with the reduction in the amount of added mineral fertilizers, will reduce the degree of groundwater contamination with mineral fertilizers and increase the income of farmers. It was also observed that the air temperature decreased during the growing season when compared with the temperature of uncultivated surrounding areas.

Spatiotemporal Pattern and Influencing Factors of Thermal Environment Based on SEM Model: A Case Study in Xi'an Metropolitan Area

The urban thermal environment is an important indicator for evaluating the ecological environment of a city. It directly affects the health of residents and the sustainable development of the urban economy. However, there is currently a lack of analysis on the impact pathways of the thermal environment considering both natural and human factors. Based on the MODIS MYD11A2 land surface temperature data, meteorological data, and human activity data of Xi'an metropolitan area in 2020, ArcGIS spatial geostatistical analysis was used to study the temporal and spatial distribution pattern of the thermal environment in different seasons, and redundancy analysis was utilized to select the main factors affecting the thermal environment. Then, structural equation modeling was used to quantify the direct and indirect effects of the dominant factors on the urban thermal environment. The results showed that:① The surface temperature in the Xi'an urban area showed a spatial pattern of higher temperatures in the north and lower temperatures in the south, with a decrease in temperature from the city center to the surrounding areas. The most severe heat environment pollution occurred in the summer. ② The redundancy analysis (RDA) results indicated that the main factors that affected the thermal environment were air temperature, impermeable surfaces, vegetation, and precipitation. ③ The results of the structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that meteorological, surface, and anthropogenic factors affected the urban thermal environment mainly through direct pathways, which were much more important than all indirect pathways. Factors such as temperature, impervious surfaces, and point of interest density had a significant positive effect on the thermal environment (0.10 and 0.33). On the other hand, factors such as water bodies, precipitation, and vegetation had a significant negative effect on the thermal environment (-0.29 and -0.25). Human activities had a greater direct impact on nocturnal surface temperatures than surface and meteorological factors. Increasing economic efficiency is beneficial for mitigating the urban heat island effect. The results of the study can provide a reference for studying local climate change in urban heat islands and for the construction of green and ecologically livable urban environments.

Modelling Air Pollution from Steel Plants and Determining the Safety Distance for the Surrounding Area in Phu My Town, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, Vietnam

Modelling Air Pollution from Steel Plants and Determining the Safety Distance for the Surrounding Area in Phu My Town, Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, Vietnam