JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

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As unit hydrograph is an important item in flood estimation of the rivers and since flood hydrograph and simultaneous rainfall hyetograph is needed to derive a unit hydrograph, hydrologists recommend synthetic unit hydrographs for areas lacking these hydrometeorological data. A research was conducted in the Zayandehrud-dam watershed (Pelasjan sub-basin) to test the efficiency of synthetic unit hydrographs (Snyder, SCS, and Triangular methods) in hydrological evaluations. For the purposes of this study, natural and synthetic unit hydrographs were determined and compared, using all morphologic, hydrometric and rainfall data. The results showed that Triangular and SCS methods fit natural unit hydrographs better than Snyder method does, but peak instantaneous flow is estimated to be higher than the observed flow. So, the constant 2.083 in peak flow equation is recommended to be changed to 1.74 in this watershed. The Snyder method predicts good peak flows, compared with the other two methods. Generally, it is concluded that Triangular, SCS, and Snyder methods are ranked 1 to 3 for determination of synthetic unit hydrographs in this watershed.

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Using a deterministic model for dairy herd according to milk pricing system in Iran, the economic weights of milk production, fat percentage, protein percentage and herd life with minimized cost were identified, while restricted total input and total costs were variable in animal unit. By data simulation and the data obtained from 3 different dairy herds in Iran, the sensitivity of economic values with the assumption of 20% change in forage and concentrate price, forage to concentrate ratio, feed-cost, non-feed cost, base price of milk, free-market price of milk, average milk production, fat percentage, protein percentage and herd life were estimated. In the base condition, the economic weights of milk production, fat and protein percentage and herd life in three herds were -0.55, -0.24, -0.54 -34, -20, -11 -34, -37, -33 -0.37, 0.67, -0.39, respectively. The effect of change in different factors of production system on economic weights of three farms was variable. The economic weights of milk production, fat percentage, protein percentage and herd life had the most sensitivity to change in the average milk productoin, base price of milk and herd life, respectively.

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The model in this research was created based on the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and calibrated in the Sefid-rood dam basin (excluding Khazar zone). This research was done by gathering and selecting peak flows of hydrographs from 12 sub basins, the concentration time of which was equal to or less than 24 hours and was caused only by rainfall. From all the selected sub basins, totally 661 hydrographs were prepared and their peak flows data wes used to make prediction model. The input variables of the model consisted of the depth of daily flooding rainfalls, and so the five days before rainfall of every peak flow, the area of sub basins, the main stream length, the slope of 10-85 percent of main stream, the median height of sub basins, the area of geological formations and rock units, classified at three hydrological groups of I, II, III, the base flow, and output variable was only peak flow. By using Feed Forward Artificial Neural Network with training method of back propagation error the function approximation of inputs to output was created by passing the three processes of training (learning), testing and validation. So based on that data and variables, the Multivariable Linear Regression model was created. The comparison of observed peak flows, based on validation data package, showed that the statistical parameters of (R²) coefficient and Fisher’s test parameter coefficient (F) for ANN model and MLR respectively were 0.84, 33.66 and 0.33, 3.60, indicating the superiority of ANN to traditional methods.

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  In order to evaluate insecticidal potential of some botanical extracts, a factorial experiment of complete randomized design with three replications on Callosobruchus maculatus was adopted for a pilot experiment in the laboratory. Plant extracts were prepared from 22 plants with three solvents (Methanol, Acetone and N-Hexane) with 30% concentration. Experiments were carried out at 25˚C and 70 ± 5% RH under 16: 8 (D: L) conditions. Each unit of experiment was a petri dish covered with a filter paper and 1.5 ml of each treatment solution was poured in it and 25 insects were released. Mortality was recorded after 36 hours. In this experiment, each plant extract with more than 50% mortality on C. maculaus was selected for further laboratory screening. In this stage of experiment methanolic leaf extract of Teucrium polium (with 55.04 percent mortality), hexane extract of Sonchus oleraceus (with 54.64 percent mortality), acetonic leaf extract of Calotropis procera (with 53.6 percent mortality), methanolic extract of Fumaria parviflora (with 52.7 percent mortality), methanolic extract of Capsicum annuum (with 50.04 percent mortality), and acetonic extract of Thymus vulgaris (with 50 percent mortality) were selected. After carring out the pilot experiment, the effective extracts with five concentrations of 15, 22.4, 33.5, 50.2 and 75% and one control were evaluated on the C. maculaus. This experiment also was designed in the laboratory as a factorial experiment of complete randomized design with three replications and mortality was recorded after 36 hours. In the highest concentration (75%), extract of Fumaria parviflora and extract of Thymus vulgaris (with 88.3% mortality) and extract of Sonchus oleraceus (with 78.3%) had higher and lower percentage of mortality resectively. The LC₅₀ values of effective extracts were calculated for C. maculaus after 36 hours of treatment with plant extracts. The results showed that C. maculatus with LC₅₀ = 126.27 µl/ml has highest sensitivity against extract of Fumaria parviflora and has lower sensitivity against extract of Sonchus oleraceus with LC₅₀ = 370.09 µl/ml in comparison to other extracts. Amongst the tested concentrations of plant extracts, 5 plant extracts with the concentrations that had the higher mortality on C. maculaus, were selected for experiment on Laphigma exigua in greenhouse. This experiment was carried out with complete randomized design with four replications. The acetonic leaf extract of Calotropis procera (with 57.5 %) caused the highest mortality and acetonic extract of Thymus vulgaris (with 27.5 %) caused the lowest mortality on L. exigua in comparison to other extracts.

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One of our first activities in natural resources management and development programs is to acquire knowledge on Landslide Susceptible areas. The aim of this research is landslide hazard zonation in some part of Haraz watershed between Vana village and Emam zadeh Ali, using fuzzy membership functions and fuzzy operators. At first landslide points were recognized using arial photography and field studies. Afterwards, the inventory map of landslide was prepared. Then, each effective element in landslide such as: slope, aspect, elevation, lithology, landuse, distance of road, distance of drainage, distance of fault and precipitation map was prepared in GIS environment.These data were saved in raster and vector format in ILWIS software and used for analysis with theory of fuzzy sets. Fuzzy analysis was made by IDRISI software, after assigning value and fuzzy membership functions. In this research we used different fuzzy operators such as (And, Or, Sum, Product and Gamma). Results showed Gamma fuzzy operator had the best accuracy ( ) in making landslide susceptibility map in study area.

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Direct measurement of discharge in rivers is time-consuming and costly, and sometimes, impossible under flood conditions because of the high speed of water, its transitory nature, and the existence of different floaters along the water. Therefore, the discharge-stage relation, known as Discharge Rating Curve is used. Moreover, to design hydraulic constructions, the maximum flood discharge and its maximum height are required. Therefore, to calculate the flood discharges, one should extend the discharge rating curve by using appropriate methods. In this study, in order to determine the best method for the extension of discharge-stage curve, and to estimate the corresponding discharge with high stages, the logarithmic method, the Manning method, the Chezy method, and the Area-Velocity method in 13 hydrometric stations at the Karkheh watershed in Lorestan province were compared. Data measured at each station were gathered for a ten-year statistical period. Results of calculating the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and the Mean Bias Error (MBE) for each method showed that the logarithmic method was more accurate than other methods, and it was more appropriate for the extension of the curve at the low average discharge stations. The Area-Velocity method, after the logarithmic method, especially at the stations with higher average discharge showed good results. The Manning and Chezy methods showed the least accuracy.

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In recent years, surface water resources in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province have decreased and groundwater level has fallen down. Thus, groundwater must be strengthened by surface water resources. The objective of this search was identification of artificial recharge sites thorough Fuzzy Logic in Shahrekord Basin. Effective factors in ground water recharge such as slope, infiltration rate, thickness of unsaturated zone, surface water EC, land use and stream network were determined. They were classified, weighted in software packages Arc View 3.2a and Arc GIS 9.3 and they were integrated using multiplying operator in fuzzy model. The obtained results showed 4.79 % of all areas are suitable and 17.94 % are somewhat suitable in this method. To include the effect of land use parameter, it was overlaid on the final maps, showing a decrease in suitable areas up to 1/3. Generally about 30 points were introduced with priorities A, B, AB as having potential for artificial recharge.

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