List of Articles Desertification intensity

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  1 - Monitoring of spatio-temporal indices on desertification in arid regions of south of Khorasan Razavi province
  Soroor Davari Alireza Rashki Morteza Akbari Aliasghar Talebanfard
  Desertification is one of the most complex environmental threats with negative effects on the socioeconomic that play an increasing role in the severity of land degradation over the times. This study was carried out to monitoring the spatiotemporal variability of the cr More

  Desertification is one of the most complex environmental threats with negative effects on the socioeconomic that play an increasing role in the severity of land degradation over the times. This study was carried out to monitoring the spatiotemporal variability of the criteria and indices effective on desertification in an arid region in the south of Khorasan Razavi province. Primary data, such as climatic parameters, vegetation, geology, soil, groundwater and surface water, agriculture and socioeconomic data were collected and introduced into the GIS environment, and a geobiofacies unit map was prepared. Then, desertification intensity was calculated by using the Iranian Model for Desertification Potential Assessment (IMDPA). Evaluations of indices were done based on available data and maps, expert opinions and satellite imagery in a GIS environment. The results showed the desertification severity being in two classes of medium and severe with 77% and 22%, respectively. Periodic monitoring of the effective indices on desertification also showed that low precipitation over the past 25 years 1984-2009 has caused increasing drylands and droughts. Assessment of land use changes during 10 years 2001-2011 indicated decreasing 6% in rangelands and an increase in agriculture, which was mainly due to 1.5% population growth rate during the years 1986 to 2011. The excessive removal of groundwater aquifers also caused a 10% drop in the wells water levels, resulting in increased land salinity as well as an increase in wind erosion in more than 93% of the study area. Manuscript profile
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  2 - Evaluate the effect of climate and water criteria on desertification intensity in Abughover plain using IMDPA model
  Zahedeh Heidari Haji Karimi Abdolhossein Arami Farzad Azadnia
  Desertification is a global phenomenon that is the outcome of natural factors and improper human exploits. Therefore, classification and generation of desertification intensity map, as an efficient tool, plays a significant role in evaluation of the environmental capabi More

  Desertification is a global phenomenon that is the outcome of natural factors and improper human exploits. Therefore, classification and generation of desertification intensity map, as an efficient tool, plays a significant role in evaluation of the environmental capabilities, prevention of desertification, and restoration and rehabilitation of degraded areas. The present study aims to evaluate the desertification hazard and determine the effective criteria affecting desertification in Abu-Ghuyer Plain in Ilam Province, using the IMDPA model. To this end, different indices of climate and water criteria were used and a map was generated for each index according to assigned weights, such that the qualitative map of the desired criteria were obtained using the geometric mean of indicators. Then, through integration and determining the geometric mean of layers obtained from criteria and finally classification of the obtained maps, map of the current status of desertification in the studied area was prepared. The obtained results indicated. Also, among the evaluated indices, amount of annual rainfall in climate criterion and the electrical conductivity in water criterion had the highest impact, with weighted averages of 2.24 and 3.04, respectively. Also, the quantitative value of severity of desertification was calculated to be 1.78 for the entire area, which was in the medium class. Manuscript profile