scholarly journals Runoff Harvesting Site Suitability Analysis for Wildlife in Sub-Desert Regions

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1944
Author(s):  
Jafari Shalamzari ◽  
Zhang ◽  
Gholami ◽  
Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Direct Method ◽  
Combination Method ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Exceedance Probability ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Water Harvesting ◽  
Volume Data ◽  
Site Suitability ◽  
Acinonyx Jubatus ◽  
Wildlife Species

Site selection for runoff harvesting at large scales is a very complex task. It requires inclusion and spatial analysis of a multitude of accurately measured parameters in a time-efficient manner. Compared with direct measurements of runoff, which is time consuming and costly, a combination of a Geographic Information System (GIS) and multi-criteria techniques have proven feasible to address this challenge. Although the accuracy of this new approach is lower than the direct method, conducting in-situ measurements over large scales is not feasible due to its financial issues, a lack of sufficient human resources, and time limitations. To achieve this purpose, climatic, topographic, and soil parameters were used to estimate a runoff coefficient and volume for a single event with the 33%-exceedance probability of maximum daily rainfall in the Kavir National Park of Iran. The main challenges ahead of this research have been a) the large area of the park and the inability to directly evaluate site suitability for runoff harvesting, b) the need for a quick and reliable site evaluation to implement water harvesting measures to address water scarcity, and c) the lack of discharge volume data from water streams (as there are no permanent water streams in the site) and the necessity of reliably estimating runoff in different parts of the park to design water harvesting structures which have been addressed by using GIS and a rainfall-runoff model (Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN)). Site suitability was evaluated for the natural territory of two important wildlife species of the park, namely Gazella dorcas and Ovis orientalis, as the main important food sources of an endangered species named Acinonyx jubatus, commonly known as Persian Cheetah. Saving Persian Cheetah from extinction is currently the top priority for the park managers, which is the main factor behind the species chosen for this research. The Analytic Hierarchical Process (AHP) and fuzzy membership functions were employed to assign weights and standardized thematic layers, respectively. The layers were then integrated using the weighted linear combination method (WLC) to obtain the final suitability map. Accordingly, 38% of the area (846 km2) is suitable or highly suitable for runoff harvesting, while 62% (2623 km2) has a very low potential for this purpose. Afterward, 11 suitable locations were identified to collect runoff. The results indicated that suitable catchments are mainly located on the southern slopes of the Mount Siahkouh as the only major elevation in the area. The storage capacity of the earth embankment in each catchment was estimated based on the upstream area of the catchment and runoff volume. Based on the population of the intended wildlife species and their average water requirement, there is a need for 6500 m3 of drinking water annually. In the best-case scenario and under the circumstance of receiving five rainstorm events a year, only 257 m3 is collectible from all runoff harvesting structures, which is only 4% of the total water demand.

scholarly journals Estimating CPT Parameters at Unsampled Locations Based on Kriging Interpolation Method

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (23) ◽  
pp. 11264
Author(s):  
Jinhao Liu ◽  
Jinming Liu ◽  
Zhongwei Li ◽  
Xiaoyu Hou ◽  
Guoliang Dai
Keyword(s):  
Bearing Capacity ◽  
Direct Method ◽  
Precast Concrete ◽  
Kriging Interpolation ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Engineering Practice ◽  
Kriging Method ◽  
True Value ◽  
Kriging Interpolation Method ◽  
Geotechnical Investigations

The cone penetrometer test (CPT) has been widely used in geotechnical investigations. However, how to use the limited CPT data to reasonably predict the soil parameters of the unsampled regions remains a challenge. In the present study, we adopted the Kriging method to obtain the CPT data of an unsampled location in Adelaide, South Australia, based on the collected CPT data from six soundings around this location. Interpolation results showed that the trend of the estimated parameters is consistent with the trend of parameters of the surrounding points. From the Kriging interpolation result, we further carried out axial bearing capacity calculation of a precast concrete pile using the CPT-based direct method to verify the reliability of the method. The calculated bearing capacity of the pile is 99.6 kN which is very close to the true value of 102.8 kN. Our results demonstrated the effectiveness of the Kriging method in considering the soil spatial variability and predicting soil parameters, which is quite suitable for the application in engineering practice.

scholarly journals ANALYTICAL HIERARCHY PROCESS FOR IDENTIFICATION OF SUITABLE WATER HARVESTING SITE IN GEOSPATIAL ENVIRONMENT

2018 ◽  
Vol IV-5 ◽  
pp. 189-196
Author(s):  
B. N. Shashikumar ◽  
V. Garg ◽  
B. R. Nikam
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Water Harvesting ◽  
Check Dam ◽  
Suitability Analysis ◽  
Site Suitability ◽  
Suitable Site ◽  
Hierarchy Process ◽  
Water Harvesting Structures

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Water is the prime requirement for agriculture, domestic uses and industrial production. In India the per capita available of water is decreasing at a higher rate due to impact of climate change and ever-increasing population. Rainwater harvesting is the technique which is being used in effective storing of surface runoff. There are various types of water harvesting structures namely check dam, farm pond, percolation tank, etc. However, identification of potential site for the construction of the particular water harvesting structure is bit difficult as it depends upon numerous parameters such as soil type, slope, water availability, land use and land cover of the site and the surrounding, etc. The guidelines such as Food and Agriculture Organization; Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development are available for selecting suitable site for water harvesting structures. As the site suitability analysis involves multiple parameters for decision making, in the present study, the selection of suitable site for check dam is made through analytical hierarchy process (AHP) in geospatial domain for Hatni watershed, Madhya Pradesh, India. As location for check dam construction is influenced by soil texture, slope of the terrain, land use land cover, stream order and water availability; these parameters were derived from remote sensing data and analysed. The slope and stream network layers were generated from the digital elevation model (DEM). Further, the influence of soil and water availability in identifying the suitable sites was studied through soil texture and curve number. Different parameters influence the site suitability analysis, therefore, in the present study, IMSD guidelines were used to assign weights to each parameter under consideration. The layers were assigned weights by AHP technique based on pairwise comparison. The layers were reclassified according to the weights, then overlay analysis has been done to get the final site suitability map. As remote sensing provides the synoptic coverage of the earth, it has been further utilised to study the impact of water harvesting structure on its surrounding. The land use land cover map of before and after the construction of water harvesting structure was analysed for change in vegetation condition. It was observed that the vegetative cover has increased after implementation of the water conservation measures. It may be concluded that the geospatial technology has immense potential in site suitability studies for water harvesting structures.</p>

scholarly journals Free-ranging dogs as a potential threat to Iranian mammals

Oryx ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Danial Nayeri ◽  
Alireza Mohammadi ◽  
Ali T. Qashqaei ◽  
Abi Tamim Vanak ◽  
Matthew E. Gompper
Keyword(s):  
Lynx Lynx ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Eurasian Lynx ◽  
Acinonyx Jubatus ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
News Websites ◽  
Media Reports ◽  
Policy Guidance ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Free-ranging domestic dogs Canis familiaris threaten wildlife species through predation, hybridization, competition for resources, and by contributing to the transmission of pathogens. The impacts of predation may be problematic, but in many regions the interactions of free-ranging dogs and wildlife are poorly studied. To determine the extent of the impacts of attacks by free-ranging dogs on Iranian mammals, we reviewed nearly 2 decades of social and traditional media reports and the scientific literature to gather data from across the country. We identified 160 free-ranging dog attacks (79 from academic articles, 14 from social media, and 67 from a variety of news websites) from 22 of the country's 31 provinces. Attacks by dogs were reported on 17 species, including nine Carnivora, six Artiodactyla, one Rodentia, and one Lagomorpha species. Most of the reported attacks on carnivores were on felids, including the Asiatic cheetah Acinonyx jubatus (n = 19), Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx (n = 18), caracal Caracal caracal (n = 10) and Pallas's cat Otocolobus manul (n = 8). Attacks on Artiodactyla were primarily reported for goitered gazelle Gazella subgutturosa (n = 47). Most of these attacks occurred within or adjacent to protected areas (n = 116, 73%), suggesting that free-ranging dogs are one of the most important human-associated threats to wildlife species even in protected landscapes. The impact of free-ranging dogs may be hampering conservation, and therefore we suggest some practical policy guidance for managing the impacts of free-ranging dogs on threatened species.

scholarly journals Wildlife species diversity indices and seasonal distribution assessment in road-side markets of South-west Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-70
Author(s):  
M. O. Mustafa ◽  
O. A. Lawal ◽  
O. O. Fafioye ◽  
A. A. Aladesida ◽  
F. B. Olowoyo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Direct Method ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Seasonal Distribution ◽  
Systematic Random Sampling ◽  
The Public ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
South West ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Species Diversity Indices ◽  
Mean Differences

Wildlife species are under serious exploitation by the rural populace in Nigeria because hu­man beings have understood their ecology. The need to update the existing knowledge of wildlife population is therefore essential. Twenty-three games markets along five Roads in South-west Nigeria were visited to document the wildlife displayed for sale. Two hundred and fifty copies of structured questionnaire were administered using systematic random sampling (odd) method for wildlife species information from market stakeholders. Direct method was counting for species and their numbers. Data generated were analysed through Species Diver­sity Indices Assessment. All emergent species were compared with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) abundance rating. Road seasonal distribution of the marketed wildlife was determined by percentages, standard deviation, standard error of mean, mean differences, t-test, and tests of significance and Diversity Indices. Results revealed that 69,398 wild animals were displayed. Also more wildlife were sold during rainy than dry seasons. Appropriate recommendations of government sensitization of rural and urban settlers against over-utilization of wildlife resources, encouragement of the public towards animal domesti­cation and others were made.

scholarly journals Species-specific differences in Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Besnoitia besnoiti seroprevalence in Namibian wildlife

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Seltmann ◽  
Gereon Schares ◽  
Ortwin H. K. Aschenborn ◽  
Sonja K. Heinrich ◽  
Susanne Thalwitzer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Neospora Caninum ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Parasitic Infections ◽  
Besnoitia Besnoiti ◽  
Acinonyx Jubatus ◽  
Apicomplexan Parasites ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
African Lions

Abstract Background Knowledge about parasitic infections is crucial information for animal health, particularly of free-ranging species that might come into contact with livestock and humans. Methods We investigated the seroprevalence of three tissue-cyst-forming apicomplexan parasites (Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum and Besnoitia besnoiti) in 506 individuals of 12 wildlife species in Namibia using in-house enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (indirect ELISAs applying purified antigens) for screening and immunoblots as confirmatory tests. We included six species of the suborder Feliformia, four species of the suborder Caniformia and two species of the suborder Ruminantia. For the two species for which we had most samples and life-history information, i.e. cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus, n = 250) and leopards (Panthera pardus, n = 58), we investigated T. gondii seroprevalence in relation to age class, sex, sociality (solitary, mother-offspring group, independent sibling group, coalition group) and site (natural habitat vs farmland). Results All but one carnivore species (bat-eared fox Otocyon megalotis, n = 4) were seropositive to T. gondii, with a seroprevalence ranging from 52.4% (131/250) in cheetahs to 93.2% (55/59) in African lions (Panthera leo). We also detected antibodies to T. gondii in 10.0% (2/20) of blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus). Adult cheetahs and leopards were more likely to be seropositive to T. gondii than subadult conspecifics, whereas seroprevalence did not vary with sex, sociality and site. Furthermore, we measured antibodies to N. caninum in 15.4% (2/13) of brown hyenas (Hyaena brunnea) and 2.6% (1/39) of black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas). Antibodies to B. besnoiti were detected in 3.4% (2/59) of African lions and 20.0% (4/20) of blue wildebeest. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that Namibian wildlife species were exposed to apicomplexan parasites at different prevalences, depending on parasite and host species. In addition to serological work, molecular work is also needed to better understand the sylvatic cycle and the clear role of wildlife in the epidemiology of these parasites in southern Africa.

scholarly journals Developing a Wine Grape Site Evaluation Decision Support System for the Inland Pacific Northwestern United States

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian-Huei Yau ◽  
Joan R. Davenport ◽  
Michelle M. Moyer
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Production Quality ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Wine Grape ◽  
Heat Accumulation ◽  
Site Suitability ◽  
Growing Season Length ◽  
Site Evaluation

Site selection is critical in wine grape (Vitis vinifera) production. The wine grape industry is expanding in the inland Pacific northwestern United States (IPNW) using traditional means of site evaluation including on physical examination of topography, geomorphology, soil characteristics, and analysis of long-term observations from weather stations. Through the use of modeled spatial data, we present a geographic information system (GIS) representing environmental features important for evaluating vineyard site suitability for the production of wine grapes. Elevation, slope, insolation, heat accumulation, growing season length, extreme minimum temperature and the soil parameters of drainage, available water-holding capacity (AWC), depth to restrictive layer, and pH combine to represent composite topographic, edaphic, and overall production suitability. Comparing modeled site suitability predictions with existing vineyards, we found modeled data on site properties aligned with vineyard manager perceptions of production quality in established vineyards. Although remote spatial evaluation will never replace physical site examination for addressing specific site conditions, it allows an efficient, spatially extensive, initial assessment of sites that can direct attention to potentially problematic or distinguishing environmental characteristics.

scholarly journals IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL SITES FOR WATER HARVESTING STRUCTURES USING GEOSPATIAL TECHNIQUES AND MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS

2018 ◽  
Vol XLII-5 ◽  
pp. 329-334
Author(s):  
A. Saha ◽  
M. Patil ◽  
S. Karwariya ◽  
S. M. Pingale ◽  
S. Azmi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Decision Analysis ◽  
Central India ◽  
Remote Sensing And Gis ◽  
Water Harvesting ◽  
Suitability Analysis ◽  
Site Suitability ◽  
Multi Criteria Decision Analysis ◽  
Suitable Site ◽  
Water Harvesting Structures

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Changing hydrological phenomenon and increase the water demand in all sectors create a huge problem of water scarcity. Precipitation is one and only major source to mitigate this problem. In Central India, the average annual precipitation is sufficient in most of the part but not capable to harvest and utilize during the summer season. Identification of suitable site for water harvesting structures plays a key role to enhance the water level for watershed management. In the present study, suitable sites have been demarcated to build up a water resource development plan in Mandri river watershed of Kanker district, Chhattisgarh using Remote Sensing and GIS techniques. Basic guidelines of Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development (IMSD) have been used for identifying the suitable sites for water harvesting structures. Remote Sensing and GIS are used for site suitability analysis of water harvesting structure to extract the information of various features such as lineament, land use/land cover, soil, slope, lithology, geomorphology, drainage order, rainfall etc. In order of importance, we have assigned weights to each feature. Slope and design discharge are key parameters in site suitability analysis, so that we assigned maximum weight to this parameters. A possible site suitability map for water harvesting/conservation structures was derived following an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). This work attempts to identify the probable zone for water harvesting structures such as boulder check/gabion, gully plug/bori bandhan, check dams and stop dams. Multi-criteria analysis is applied in GIS to assist the decision-makers in determining appropriate zones for water harvesting structures in view of external characteristics of the watershed. Further, using weighted overlay method, the catchment was grouped into categories of suitable or highly suitable.</p>

Investigation on Soil Parameters for Gray Water Harvesting

2019 ◽  
pp. 905-911
Author(s):  
S. L. Hake ◽  
R. M. Damgir ◽  
P. R. Awsarmal ◽  
V. U. Ashrit ◽  
J. N. Narote
Keyword(s):  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Water Harvesting ◽  
Gray Water
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document