The ability of PLANT communities in natural ecosystems to modify temperature has become increasingly important due to the profound impacts of global climate change, particularly in arid regions. However, previous studies have provided limited information on the long-term temperature feedback of these PLANT communities and the biotic drivers behind these changes. This study aimed to determine the functional traits and types of PLANT communities as biotic drivers of land surface temperature (LST) at the PLANT COMMUNITY scale, with a focus on identifying co-functioning communities in the Sirjan region of Kerman Province. To achieve this, we utilized the MODIS-LST 8-day composite product at the PLANT COMMUNITY scale and measured functional traits of dominant species through field operations. The results revealed that leaf dry matter content (LDMC), maximum height (MH), and leaf width (LW) traits significantly reduce LST. Additionally, cluster analysis indicated that the PLANT communities in the study area can be classified into five functional groups, which fall into two co-function categories. The S-strategized co-function (e.g., 26 communities), characterized by high LDMC values and a combination of abrupt and trend feedback in LST, was found to be more effective than the R-strategized co-function (e.g., 13 communities), which exhibited only trend feedback. Therefore, it can be argued that extreme temperatures, as a global concern, can be mitigated through careful selection of vegetation based on functional traits and strategies. This approach, particularly through rangeland improvement practices using species such as Astragalus spachianus, Cornulaca monacantha, and Launaea acanthodes, could play a significant role in addressing this challenge.

Phytoremediation of lead using PLANTs in lead-contaminated soils is a new and safe environmental technology. By adding chelators and increasing PLANT extraction, the efficiency of this technology can be increased. In this regard, we evaluated the effect of adding EDTA chelates to lead-contaminated soils to investigate the amount of lead accumulation in a medicinal PLANT, Calendula officinalis. We designed a factorial experiment in the form of a completely randomized, with three replicates in pots and two factors including EDTA at two levels (0, 50 mg kg-1) and lead at four levels (0, 30, 90, and 270 mg kg-1). In this PLANT, the accumulation of lead was accompanied by an increase in the amount of lead in the soil due to the addition of EDTA to the soil. The results showed that EDTA significantly increased the lead translocation of lead from roots to the aerial part of the PLANT.Total Chl. and shoot dry weight decrease significantly in EDTA treatment than control specific at a high level of Pb in the soil. Also, the results showed that EDTA increased lead removal from soil to soil solution and increased lead translocation from roots to the aerial part of the PLANT of Calendula officinalis. In general, the results of this research showed that with the careful management and EDTA use in lead extraction, it has provided a cost-effective and safe environmentally strategy.

Rangeland ploughing and cultivation using dry land farming crops may be a major reason for the destruction of natural resources in the semiarid and sub-humid regions which may significantly change the composition and reduce the stability of the affected communities. In present research, an abandoned ploughed site was compared with a nearby reference site in the semiarid rangelands of Baharkish, Quchan, Iran in spring and summer of 2010. Frequency and canopy cover of all PLANT species were recorded within 40 quadrates of 1m2 area. Simpson, Shannon-Weiner, Hill and Macintosh indices for biodiversity, Margalof and Menhening for richness and Camargo, Simpson, Modified Nee, Smith and Wilson for evenness were used. Floristic composition, PLANT life forms, and important value of major PLANT species were compared with respect to the sites. Land ploughing and subsequent abandonment had increased total number of PLANT species (richness) but decreased the species heterogeneity (evenness). It resulted to non-significant differences in species diversity between the ploughed and reference sites. Ploughing had increased (8%) the important values of respruting PLANT species. Therefore, patchy distribution of clonal PLANTs had reduced species evenness within the abandoned site.Furthermore, there were some increases in number of therophytes (100%) but hemicryptophytes (24%), chamaephyte (33%) and phanerophyte (100%) species were reduced in the abandoned site. In conclusion, lower evenness and high proportion of annual PLANTs should make the abandoned site more fragile and sensitive against the future environmental fluctuations.

Iran is not rich in forest land and only 7.5 per cent of country is covered by forest. Therefore Iran has to import wood based panel annually. It is estimated that 100.000.000 Date Palms trees covered an area at about 770.000 hectares around world, and Iran has got 220.000 ha. Because of several reasons Date palm trees should be pruned and each tree produce 10-20 kg residues annually. In this study, for making boards Date Palm pruning residues as raw material and employed UF resin as the binder. Steaming time (5 and 8 Min.), steaming temperature (135 and 145oC) and press time (1, 2 and 3 Min.) were used as variable factors and three boards were made in Pilot PLANT scale for each combination of variables. Samples of all made boards were tested by the methods of EN to obtain mean values of bending strength, and internal bond strength (I.B). In addition samples of each type of board were tested for thickness swelling after soaking in water for 2 hours and 24 hours respectively.The results of this study show clearly that boards have higher mechanical properties than the MDF property requirements which are recommended by EN standard.

This study investigated the microbial COMMUNITY in a full scale anaerobic baffled reactor and sequencing batch reactor system for oil-produced water treatment in summer and winter. The COMMUNITY structures of fungi and bacteria were analyzed through polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and Illumina highthroughput sequencing, respectively. Chemical oxygen demand effluent concentration achieved lower than 50 mg/L level after the system in both summer and winter, however, chemical oxygen demand removal rates after anaerobic baffled reactor treatment system were significant higher in summer than that in winter, which conformed to the microbial COMMUNITY diversity. Saccharomycotina, Fusarium, and Aspergillus were detected in both anaerobic baffled reactor and sequencing batch reactor during summer and winter. The fungal communities in anaerobic baffled reactor and sequencing batch reactor were shaped by seasons and treatment units, while there was no correlation between abundance of fungi and chemical oxygen demand removal rates. Compared to summer, the total amount of the dominant hydrocarbon degrading bacteria decreased by 10.2% in anaerobic baffled reactor, resulting in only around 23% of chemical oxygen demand was removed in winter. Although microbial COMMUNITY significantly varied in the three parallel sulfide reducing bacteria, the performance of these bioreactors had no significant difference between summer and winter.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of animal grazing on PLANT COMMUNITY composition and diversity. Some diversity indices in three grazing treatments (exclosure, moderate grazing and high grazing pressure were compared in steppic rangelands of Borojen, Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari province. Random-systematic sampling method was used and PLANT species cover were estimated. The a, b, Chanon and Simpson indices of all studied sites were calculated and then compared using one-way analysis of variance. Moreover, the Non metric-multidimensional scaling and Multi-Response Permutation Procedures were used to reveal changes occurred by animal grazing treatments in PLANT COMMUNITY composition. The results revealed that, although livestock grazing decreased the numerical values of Chanon, Simpson andα diversity, b diversity increased under heavy grazing. A higher b diversity in heavy grazing may be interpreted as providing favorable condition for unpalatable PLANT species growth which provides more heterogeneity for PLANT COMMUNITY. Furthermore, results showed that grazing was the main factor responsible for changes in PLANT COMMUNITY composition. The results indicated that though the exclosure may be an ideal management option, the short-time exclosure (moderate grazing pressure) is also likely to restore PLANT COMMUNITY composition and diversity.

To investigate the response of corn to combined application of chemical fertilizers with rhizobacteria PLANT growth promoting, an experiment was conducted in 2017 at Research farm of Agricultural and Natural Resources Campus of Tehran University, Karaj, Iran, in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Four nutritional treatments including T1 (Control treatment without applying fertilizer), T2 (Just PGPRs), T3 (Use chemical fertilizers based on soil test) and T4 (T3 + PGPRs) were considered. According to the results, the highest total dry weight (3.9 kg/m2), crop growth rate (79.8 g.m-2.day-1), net assimilation rate (15.3 g.m-2.day-1) and grain yield (18.2 ton.ha-1) were observed in T4 treatment and T2 treatment produced the highest  leaf area index (5.3), leaf area duration (205.2) and specific leaf weight (78.5 g.m-2) . Also, the lowest value of all traits was observed in in T1 (control) treatment. The results showed that the presence of rhizobacteria PLANT growth promotioninduction in the corn nutrition program increased the growth and growth indices of the PLANT. Combined application of chemical fertilizers with rhizobacteria PLANT growth promoting resulted in the highest growth and final grain yield of corn.

Background and Objectives: he occurrence and characteristics of Extended Spectrum-and AmpC-β-lactamase producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-PE and AmpC-PE) in an urban wastewater treatment PLANT (WWTP) were investigated. Materials and Methods: A total of 30 wastewater samples were collected from all sections of WWTP. Enterobacterales were isolated and identified using standard microbiological tests. The antibiotic resistance profile was determined by the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. Phenotypic screening for ESBL-PE and AmpC-PE isolates was performed by double-disk synergy and boronic acid disk potentiation tests, respectively. The isolates were examined for AmpC-and ESBL-encoding genes by PCR and sequencing methods. Results: Among 146 Enterobacterales isolates, 8. 9% (n=13) [ESBL-only,5. 48% (n=8) and ESBL + AmpC,3. 42% (n=5)] were ESBL-producers and 15. 75% (n=23) [AmpC-only,12. 33% (n=18) and ESBL + AmpC,3. 42% (n=5)] AmpC-producers. Hafnia spp. with 33. 33% (n=1/3) and E. coli with 20. 58% (n=7/34) [ESBL-only,17. 64% (n=6/34) and ESBL + AmpC,2. 94% (n=1/34)] were the most common ESBL-producing bacteria. Enterobacter spp. with 37. 50% (n=6/16) of isolates were the most common AmpC-producing organisms. ESBL-and/or AmpC-producing isolates were identified in all parts of the WWTP including 80% (n=8/10) of samples taken from effluent. Among ESBL-producing isolates, blaCTX-M, blaTEM, and blaSHV ESBL-encoding genes were found in 61. 5% (n=8), 15. 3% (n=2), and 7. 7% (n=1) of isolates, respectively. All CTX-M-type enzymes belonged to the CTX-M-1 group and CTX-M-15 subgroup. blaTEM and blaSHV type genes belonged to blaTEM-20 and blaHSV-12 subtypes, respectively. blaDHA with 73. 9% (n=17/23), and blaCIT and blaFOX with 30. 4% (n=7/23) each, were the most common AmpC-encoding genes among AmpC-producing isolates. Overall, 75% of ESBL-producing and 55. 5% of AmpC-producing isolates exhibited multi-drug resistance phenotypes. The organisms were most resistant against ampicillin (82. 2%) nalidixic acid (43. 8%) and cephalexin (41. 1%). Conclusion: ESBL-and AmpC-producing Enterobacterales spp. with diverse genetic resistance backgrounds in WWTP effluent poses a significant risk to public health.