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University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003
- Agriculture, Water quality, Watershed Hydrology, Water resources, Modeling, Institutional Economics, and 19 moreClimate Change, Ecological Economics, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Environmental Conservation, Environmental Sustainability, Earth Sciences, Hydrology, Environmental Policy and Governance, Land-use planning, Environment and natural resources conservation, Groundwater, Adaptation to Climate Change, Sustainable Development, Environmental Planning and Design, Environmental Planning, Pollution, Hydrologic Modeling, Sustainable Developments, and Geocomputationedit
Salt stress is a major issue in agriculture and crop production that influences global food security. Mitigation options to address salt stress through agronomic practices can help manage this issue. Experiments were performed in two... more
Salt stress is a major issue in agriculture and crop production that influences global food security. Mitigation options to address salt stress through agronomic practices can help manage this issue. Experiments were performed in two summer seasons in an experimental farm to test the impact of three salinity levels (S): 300 (control), 1000, 2000, and 3000 ppm, and two salicylic acid (SA) levels, including 1.0 and 1.50 mM, and their interaction on growth and yield of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) hybrid Suma. The results showed that increasing S levels up to 3000 ppm reduced plant and fruit physical characteristics, as well as leaf and fruit chemical characteristics, especially leaf total chlorophyll, carotenoids, relative water, fruit nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents, which led to a reduction in total yield per plant. However, an insignificant effect was observed in the control level and 1000 ppm saline water in leaf area, fruit length, leaf total chlorophyll content, ...
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Plant diseases are biotic stresses that restrict crop plants’ ability to develop and produce. Numerous foliar diseases, such as chocolate spots, can cause significant production losses in Vicia faba plants. Certain chemical inducers,... more
Plant diseases are biotic stresses that restrict crop plants’ ability to develop and produce. Numerous foliar diseases, such as chocolate spots, can cause significant production losses in Vicia faba plants. Certain chemical inducers, including salicylic acid (SA), oxalic acid (OA), nicotinic acid (NA), and benzoic acid (BA), were used in this study to assess efficacy in controlling these diseases. A foliar spray of these phenolic acids was used to manage the impacts of the biotic stress resulting from disease incidence. All tested chemical inducers resulted in a significant decrease in disease severity. They also enhanced the defense system of treated plants through increasing antioxidant enzyme activity (Peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, β-1, 3-glucanase, and chitinase) compared to the corresponding control. Healthy leaves of faba plants recorded the lowest (p < 0.05) values of all antioxidant activities compared to those plants infected by Botrytis fabae. Moreover, the separation...
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Hydropower projects involve enormous investments that require an efficient cost–benefit framework and optimization model for proper development. Dams and hydropower plants have many impacts on the environment. These environmental impacts... more
Hydropower projects involve enormous investments that require an efficient cost–benefit framework and optimization model for proper development. Dams and hydropower plants have many impacts on the environment. These environmental impacts are often not included in the economic calculations and planning of the projects, which leads to the loss of natural resources. The primary purpose of this research is to incorporate environmental impacts into optimization and decision-making. A comprehensive simulation–optimization model is developed to optimize hydropower decisions. The positive and negative values of environmental impacts are incorporated into an economic objective function under different scenarios, and optimal design was done for each scenario. The results show that considering environmental economics affects the multipurpose hydropower project's NPV and decision outcomes. Considering environmental impacts compared to not considering them has reduced NPV of the project by 1...
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Forecasting the groundwater level is crucial to managing water resources supply sustainably. In this study, a simulation–optimization hybrid model was developed to forecast groundwater levels in aquifers. The model uses the PSO (Particle... more
Forecasting the groundwater level is crucial to managing water resources supply sustainably. In this study, a simulation–optimization hybrid model was developed to forecast groundwater levels in aquifers. The model uses the PSO (Particle Swarm Optimization) algorithm to optimize SVR (Support Vector Regression) parameters to predict groundwater levels. The groundwater level of the Zanjan aquifer in Iran was forecasted and compared to the results of Bayesian and SVR models. In the first approach, the aquifers hydrograph was extracted using the Thiessen method, and then the time series of the hydrograph was used in training and testing the model. In the second approach, the time series data from each well was trained and tested separately. In other words, for 35 observation wells, 35 predictions were made. Aquifer’s hydrograph was evaluated using the forecasted groundwater level in the wells. The results showed that the SVR-PSO hybrid model performed better than other models in terms of Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R2\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${R}^{2}$$\end{document}) in both approaches. In the first approach, the SVR-PSO hybrid model forecasted the groundwater level in the next month with a training RMSE of 0.118 m and testing RMSE of 0.221 m. In the second approach, using the SVR-PSO hybrid model, the RMSE error was reduced in 88.57% of the wells compared to other models, and more reliable results were achieved. Based on the performance, the SVR-PSO hybrid model can be used as a tool for decision support and management of similar aquifers.
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Natural and anthropogenic complex processes release salts into the environment. These change the balances of natural systems in the watersheds. Models can assist study of salinity processes throughout watersheds. This study proposes a... more
Natural and anthropogenic complex processes release salts into the environment. These change the balances of natural systems in the watersheds. Models can assist study of salinity processes throughout watersheds. This study proposes a flexible water and soil salinity module for the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) that can profitably incorporate expert scientific judgments into a deterministic salinity framework to adapt predicted salinity processes to actual salinity processes watershed-scale. The proposed flexible salinity model (SWAT-SF) was developed using new equations for salinity assessment and then successfully applied to the Dehram River Basin located south of Iran that endangers natural and anthropogenic salinity problems. The SWAT-SF model uses a general framework that can be utilized with/without the direct guidance of experts for the determination of salinity processes, the extent of the salinity, identification and investigation of the saline site, assessment and management of the salinity, and evaluation of salinity economics throughout the world.
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Improving the groundwater governance structure can help reduce groundwater decline and improve the state of an aquifer. This study develops an approach to modify groundwater governance based on a participatory, water-food-energy (WFE)... more
Improving the groundwater governance structure can help reduce groundwater decline and improve the state of an aquifer. This study develops an approach to modify groundwater governance based on a participatory, water-food-energy (WFE) nexus. Given the need for the participation of actors in the decision-making for the WFE nexus, we identified and selected some powerful nexus actors. Using the actor’s viewpoints, factors that led to excessive withdrawal of groundwater resources in each sector were identified as governance challenges. Using the DPSIR (Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response) approach, the actors assessed the cause-and-effect relationships of the groundwater governance challenges and proposed modification in the groundwater governance. Thirteen groundwater governance scenarios were defined. Then, the impact of scenarios on WFE sectors was evaluated by the participation of nexus actors and the nexus assessment ranking of the scenarios. The results show that, out of the 13 groundwater governance scenarios, only seven scenarios had positive effects in all three sectors (WFE). The scenario of developing and enforcing region-specific cropping patterns and value-chain management has the highest rank. This paper highlights the need for the participation of actors in decision-making and the use of WFE nexus in modifying the groundwater governance system.
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The types and intensification of land use in the watershed affect the living organisms in aquatic ecosystems differently; this impact will also vary according to temporal and spatial scales. Understanding these interactions is crucial in... more
The types and intensification of land use in the watershed affect the living organisms in aquatic ecosystems differently; this impact will also vary according to temporal and spatial scales. Understanding these interactions is crucial in the design of biomonitoring programs to detect the effect of different pollutants in freshwater ecosystems and improve watershed management and conservation strategies. Therefore, this paper qualitatively reviews biomonitoring studies in freshwater ecosystems to evaluate the impact of different land use types on multiple scales in watersheds. The paper is organized into four sections. The first section presents biomonitoring in different freshwater systems (streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs). In the second section, we describe the biomonitoring characteristics of the main land use types. In the third section, we explain how spatial and temporal scales affect biomonitoring. Finally, in the fourth section, we focus on biomonitoring planning and f...
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Fennel fruits (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) represent one of the plant-based natural spices. This study aims to improve the fruit yield and essential oil (EO) quality by reducing the undesirable component, estragole, under different... more
Fennel fruits (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) represent one of the plant-based natural spices. This study aims to improve the fruit yield and essential oil (EO) quality by reducing the undesirable component, estragole, under different fertilizer treatments. The fertilizers included chemical nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK), and also the organic additive, rabbit manure (RM). For bio-fertilization, plants were inoculated with a mixture of N-fixing bacteria, and P- and K-solubilizing bacteria with/without vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The results showed that fruit and EO yield parameters, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and DPPH scavenging activity of fruit extracts were enhanced by fertilizer treatments in both growing seasons. NPK at 150% of the recommended dose (NPK150) and RM at 60 m3/fed (RM60) recorded the highest values of plant height, umbel number/plant, 100-fruit weight, fruit yield, chlorophyll, carbohydrates, N and P content, EO co...
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This dataset contains seven normalized indicators and an index for Latin American University patents in the period 1997-2016
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AbstractThis study aims at identifying suitable sites for underground or subsurface dams using a spatial multicriteria evaluation (SMCE) for water supplies in an arid watershed in southwestern Iran...
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ABSTRACT
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A Accounting &amp;amp; Marketing Addiction Research &amp;amp; Therapy Advances in Automobile Engineering Advances in Crop Science and Technology Advances in Dairy Research Advancements in Genetic Engineering Advances in... more
A Accounting &amp;amp; Marketing Addiction Research &amp;amp; Therapy Advances in Automobile Engineering Advances in Crop Science and Technology Advances in Dairy Research Advancements in Genetic Engineering Advances in Pharmacoepidemiology &amp;amp; Drug Safety Advances in Robotics &amp;amp; Automation Advance Research in Meteorological Sciences Advanced Techniques in Biology &amp;amp; Medicine Aeronautics &amp;amp; Aerospace Engineering Aging Science Agrotechnology AIDS &amp;amp; Clinical Research Allergy &amp;amp; Therapy Alternative &amp;amp; Integrative Medicine Air &amp;amp; Water ...
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The kapok (Ceiba pentandra) tree is widely planted in Asia for its food, fodder and fibre. Requiring little attention, but yielding profitable returns, this tree is becoming an increasingly popular component of agroforestry in Tamil Nadu,... more
The kapok (Ceiba pentandra) tree is widely planted in Asia for its food, fodder and fibre. Requiring little attention, but yielding profitable returns, this tree is becoming an increasingly popular component of agroforestry in Tamil Nadu, India. This study represents an economic analysis of kapok cultivation in terms of cost of cultivation, fruit yield and economic returns. Data are derived from a sample of 10 farmers in the irrigated Mettupalayam taluk of Coimbatore district. Results show that the combination of kapok ...
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The changes in energy balance resulting from land-use change may significantly affect the amount and timing of water loss to the atmosphere as evapotranspiration (ET). Also, these will impact water fluxes in the watershed system,... more
The changes in energy balance resulting from land-use change may significantly affect the amount and timing of water loss to the atmosphere as evapotranspiration (ET). Also, these will impact water fluxes in the watershed system, influencing runoff rate, flow volume, intensity, and frequency of floods. During the past century, land-use change in the SuAsCo (Sudbury-Assabet and Concord) watershed has altered basin hydrology, sediment, and nutrient load that is detrimental to water resources in SuAsCo. This study uses an integrated physically-based model Hydrological Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF), along with Land Transformation Model (LTM), to assess predicted temporal and spatial changes in water, nutrient, and sediment yields for future land-use scenarios of 2035, 2065, and 2100. Results showed that a 75% increase in effective impervious area and a 50% decrease in forest area in 2100 (from 2005 baseline levels) are projected to cause a 3% increase in annual streamflow and a 69% ...
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Integrated biofertilizers such as Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPRs), cyanobacteria, and yeast can considerably improve the growth, integrity, and overall health of crops, including cowpea. In this study, we assess the benefits... more
Integrated biofertilizers such as Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPRs), cyanobacteria, and yeast can considerably improve the growth, integrity, and overall health of crops, including cowpea. In this study, we assess the benefits of applying microbial fertilizers as an eco-friendly approach to partially substitute chemical fertilizers while maintaining growth and yield characteristics in cowpea plants. We investigated the role of the three microorganisms, Bacillus amyloliquefacien (B), Nostoc mucorum (C), and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Y), individually and in four possible combinations (B + C, B + Y, C + Y, and B + C + Y) as integrated bio-fertilizers on the microbial enzyme activities, plant growth parameters, and yield characteristics of cowpea. Plants inoculated with B + C + Y mixture resulted in significant improvement in dehydrogenase enzyme activity by 390%, chlorophyll by 180%, plant dry weight by 130%, and in the pod length and dry weight by 68% and 190%, respectively...
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The verification of taxonomic identities is of the highest significance in the field of biological study and categorization. Morpho-molecular characterization can clarify uncertainties in distinguishing between taxonomic groups. In this... more
The verification of taxonomic identities is of the highest significance in the field of biological study and categorization. Morpho-molecular characterization can clarify uncertainties in distinguishing between taxonomic groups. In this study, we characterized five local taxa of the genus Cichorium using morphological and molecular markers for taxonomic authentication and probably future genetic improvement. The five Cichorium taxa grown under the Mediterranean climate using morphological traits and molecular markers showed variations. The examined taxa showed a widespread range of variations in leaf characteristics, i.e., shape, type, texture, margin, and apex and cypsela characteristics i.e., shape, color, and surface pattern. The phylogenetic tree categorized the Cichorium intybus var. intybus and C. intybus var. foliosum in a single group, whereas C. endivia var. endivia was grouped separately. However, C. endivia var. crispum and C. endivia subsp. pumilum were classified as a c...
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Abstract It is vital to identify factors that affect the overwintering of waterbirds for conservation purposes. In this study, during the winter of 2018–2019, we documented 177,414 individuals of 74 species of waterbirds in the Jiangsu... more
Abstract It is vital to identify factors that affect the overwintering of waterbirds for conservation purposes. In this study, during the winter of 2018–2019, we documented 177,414 individuals of 74 species of waterbirds in the Jiangsu coastal area, an important but poorly known overwintering location. Of the species observed, 12 were listed as threatened. We found that natural wetlands loss is a significant contributor to population declines among overwintering waterbird species in the Jiangsu coastal area, greater than anthropogenic disturbance. This loss has forced waterbirds to choose artificial wetlands, where a total of 47 species were detected. Sorted by key zones for overwintering waterbirds, 16 surveying zones were identified in the area, and most are not fully protected. Thus, conservation efforts aimed at waterbirds should focus on at least 12 conservation gaps in diversity hotspots, emphasizing the management of artificial wetlands in the Jiangsu coastal area.
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Naing, Hla, Fuller, Todd K., Sievert, Paul R., Randhir, Timothy O., Po, Saw Htoo Tha, Maung, Myint, Lynam, Antony J., Htun, Saw, Thaw, Win Naing, Myint, Than (2015): Assessing large mammal and bird richness from camera-trap records in the... more
Naing, Hla, Fuller, Todd K., Sievert, Paul R., Randhir, Timothy O., Po, Saw Htoo Tha, Maung, Myint, Lynam, Antony J., Htun, Saw, Thaw, Win Naing, Myint, Than (2015): Assessing large mammal and bird richness from camera-trap records in the Hukaung Valley of Northern Myanmar. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 63: 376-388
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Fig. 3. Trend lines, correlations and p-values for the relationship between number of camera trap nights per season per area (effort) versus number of species photographed (diversity) in the Core study area (solid line & solid circle) and... more
Fig. 3. Trend lines, correlations and p-values for the relationship between number of camera trap nights per season per area (effort) versus number of species photographed (diversity) in the Core study area (solid line & solid circle) and at and near camera trap locations Outside the Core area (dash line & hollow circle) in the Hukaung Valley, Myanmar (season [= year] data from Naing 2015).
Fig. 1. Location of Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuary and Core study area (hatched) in Northern Myanmar.
BACKGROUND Germplasm identification is an essential connection linking the conservation and exploitation of crop genetic resources in several plant breeding programs. This study highlights the biochemical and molecular variations in a... more
BACKGROUND Germplasm identification is an essential connection linking the conservation and exploitation of crop genetic resources in several plant breeding programs. This study highlights the biochemical and molecular variations in a collection of pumpkin genotypes representing four climate zones. The information could help improve germplasm management and sustainable exploitation of the neglected genotypes. METHODS AND RESULTS Chemical characterization and genetic diversity among nine Egyptian landraces of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne) were estimated using Diode Array (DDA) Near Infra-Red (NIR) technology and the Inter simple Sequence Repeat markers (ISSR). Pumpkin seeds were collected from various geographical parts of Egypt. The spectroscopic properties of pumpkin seeds were used to quantify the fat, moisture, protein, ash, fiber, and total carbohydrate contents. The ten ISSR primers generated a total number of 46 genotype-specific bands, and the total polymorphism produced in the tested landraces was 63.58%. Based on the ISSR data, the polymorphism analysis divided the nine pumpkin landraces into two main groups, two subgroups, and four sub subgroups. The most diverse pumpkin landraces were Alexandria and Sohag, with a similarity percentage of 49.6%. However, the highest calculated similarity value was 88.3% between Matruh and Gharbia. The resultant genotype-specific bands can be used as markers for future genotypic characterization of pumpkins. CONCLUSIONS The study results could be helpful in the chemical phenotypic characterization and the parental selection and planning for future breeding programs for pumpkin improvement.
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Forecasting Urban Water Consumption (UWC) has a significant impress in efficient urban water management in rapidly growing cities in arid regions. Enhancing forecasting accuracy of UWC using novel models is a crucial requirement in order... more
Forecasting Urban Water Consumption (UWC) has a significant impress in efficient urban water management in rapidly growing cities in arid regions. Enhancing forecasting accuracy of UWC using novel models is a crucial requirement in order to the management of smart cities. In this study, Bayesian Networks (BN) is developed as a probabilistic model and compared to Gene Expression Programming (GEP) model as an evolutionary algorithm for forecasting UWC. The amount of current water consumption predicts future water consumption. The scenario with sunshine hours was added to the parameter set as the best scenario in both BN and GEP models based on comparison of Root Mean Square Error (0.11, 0.16), Mean Absolute Relative Error (0.02, 0.05), Max Root Error (0.26, 0.26), and Coefficient of determination (0.8, 0.7), respectively. The outcomes indicate that the BN model provided a more desirable efficiency compared to the GEP model. Furthermore, it can be concluded that the sunshine hour has a considerable influence on UWC, and the ability of the BN model is greatly enhanced by adding this predictor to forecast UWC in a city in an arid region with rapid population growth. BN and GEP models were developed for forecasting Urban Water Consumption. The BN model provided a more accurate and desirable performance than the GEP model. The forecasting of UWC was enhanced using new predictors comparing to former models.
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Abstract Faced with increasingly strict carbon surveillance from carbon-related laws and regulations, it has become urgent for high-emission enterprises to find effective methods by which to reduce carbon emissions and control carbon... more
Abstract Faced with increasingly strict carbon surveillance from carbon-related laws and regulations, it has become urgent for high-emission enterprises to find effective methods by which to reduce carbon emissions and control carbon emission costs. However, although carbon emission costs are closely related to the production process, current costing methods only pay more attention to the total cost amount rather than to the cost generation process. Therefore, this study aims to develop a carbon emission costing method based on carbon value flows analysis (CVFA) by tracing carbon element flow and accounting for carbon emission monetary value simultaneously. To verify the rationality and effectiveness of this method, this article also implements it in a case company. The results indicate that carbon emissions were reduced by 405,021.97 tons, and RMB 107,300,000 ($15,670,000) was saved through conducting optimized analysis. It is proved that the CVFA method is particularly suitable for process manufacturing enterprises. However, certain conditions are required to apply CVFA, such as the availability of compulsory carbon information disclosure regulations. Also, improving managers’ carbon resources investment decision-making capacity can reduce more carbon emissions and save more carbon emission costs.