Volume 21 (2021): Edizione 1 (March 2021)

Due to the importance of mangrove forests to the ecological system, environment, climate change adaptation, mitigation and ecosystem services, it is necessary to understand the status of the mangroves in Egypt (ecology and physiology). The present study aimed to obtain the basic information needed to evaluate the photosynthetic pigments and proline mechanisms of Avicennia marina and Rhizophora mucronata mangrove to the ambient salinity. The results reached that the free proline accumulated appreciably in leaves. The functional role of proline accumulation appears to be as a cytoplasmic osmoticum to lower cell water potential, provide hydration to bipolymer and serve as an energy source under high salinity environmental conditions. Mangroves showed variations in proline content between the two species. The highest value of proline was recorded 23.56 mg/g dry wt for R. mucronata and the minimum value was recorded 17 mg/g dry wt for A. marina. In addition, the mean value of proline was recorded 18.57 mg/g dry wt for A. marina and 23.98 mg/g dry wt for R. mucronata. The contents of chlorophyll-a in different analyzed mangroves was ranged from 4.46 to 6.05 mg/gf.wt. for A. marina, and from 3.69 to 4.29 mg/gf.wt. for R. mucronata. In addition, the chlorophyll-b content was ranged from 1.46 to 1.83 mg/gf.wt. for A. marina, and from 1.27 to 1.65 mg/gf.wt. for R. mucronata. The carotenoids contents in mangroves ranged from 2.94 to 2.29 mg/gf.wt for A. marina and from 2.04 to 2.09 mg/gf.wt for R. mucronata. In the present study, A. marina was relatively more tolerant and adapted to salinity, low rainfall and extreme temperature conditions than R. mucronata. This explains the more significant local distribution of A. marina in Egypt compared to R. mucronata.

The industrialization of the agricultural sector increases the use of pesticides, which are composed of chemical substances, such as herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, acaricides, nematicides, and rodenticides, that are adapted to the control of undesirable plants and animals. All these phytosanitary products have varying degrees of toxicity, which risks human life. This study aimed to make an inventory of the pesticides used in the irrigated perimeter of Beni Moussa and Beni Aamir in the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region. The data collection through questionnaires took place between January and February 2016 and covered all the study areas. The questionnaires are focused on the mode of packaging management, sale and purchase of pesticides. The results demonstrated the existence of different pesticides and active substances used for crop protection in the region. Among 63 molecules, 14 active substances were detected, where the active substances are not approved by the world health organization, which considers it as carcinogenic substances. During phytosanitary treatments by farmers, these active substances come into direct contact with the soil, presenting a permanent risk to the environmental compartments, including groundwaters.

The conditions of wind waves influence on the ground upper soil slopes of retaining structures and natural shores that are fixed in the form of reinforced concrete fastening with deformations are considered. The results of modeling the regime of intra-water currents and field surveys of artificial water bodies are shown. A criterion for assessing the stability of ground slopes and coastal slopes with reinforced concrete fastening with a broken structure is proposed and the conditions for its applicability are determined. Measures for engineering protection of the reservoir shores are proposed via using a criterion for the stability of fixed slopes П_к. It is assumed that at П_к ≥ 1 the slope profile with fastening plates deformed during operation acquires the contour of the dynamic equilibrium profile adopted for the calculated type of soil as a result of the destruction of the slope by waves.

The article aims to present the methodology of estimating the atmospheric water exchange components in the lake. In the absence of direct precipitation and evaporation measurements, these water balance elements need to be estimated. However, the inadequate selection of precipitation and evaporation estimation methods causes the incorrect determination of the hydrological function of the lake and the effect it has on the formation of river drainage. Determination of the evaporation from the lake’s surface was based on the Davidov formula, which considered the monthly average surface temperature of a given lake. The saturated water vapour pressure under the lake’s monthly mean surface water temperature (TWP) was calculated according to ISO 13788 standard. The interpolation method, which is the inverse-distance deterministic method (IDW), was used to calculate precipitation reaching the lake surface. The calculations were made for three hydrological years diverse in terms of humidity and thermal conditions. The methodology for estimating the components of atmospheric water exchange was presented on a small river-lake system of the upper Gościcina River catchment, an example of a postglacial lake district area. The lake elements of this system are lobelia lakes, poorly known in terms of water circulation. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, unjustified activities regarding assessing the water circulation conditions in this river-lake system led to changes in water relations, causing environmental, financial and social losses.

The carnivorous snail Clea (Anentome) helena (von dem Busch, 1847) (Gastropoda: Nassariidae), commonly called as the “assassin snail” is sold worldwide including India for aesthetics and the ability to kill pest snails in aquaria. Assuming invasion as a fair possibility, the predation potential of C. helena on seven native freshwater snails was assessed. The exotic predator consumed all the native snail species provided in the experiment and prey consumption varied with the prey species identity, the prey density and the prey size class. Future colonization and establishment of C. helena in Indian freshwater ecosystems may reduce the abundance of the native gastropod snails, in absence of suitable intervention.

The main aim of this study was to assess what range of downstream low flow changes is caused by dam construction directly. An investigation was based on the assumption that the difference in change ratio of flow between gauging cross-sections located downstream and upstream position of dammed reservoir identifies the scope of changes determined by dam construction. Three dammed reservoirs located on Polish rivers were selected for analysis. They were different in size, hydrological regime and water management purposes. For each reservoir pair of water, gauges were selected. The input data were daily discharge series collected by the Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management. For each time series 20-year period before and after dam construction was established. Comparison of annual minimum flow ratios for these peri-ods as well as analysis of low flow dynamics and inertia allowed to identify range and direction of changes caused by investigated reservoirs.