Assessment of visual landscape quality using IKONOS imagery

The assessment of visual landscape quality is of importance to the management of urban woodlands. Satellite remote sensing may be used for this purpose as a substitute for traditional survey techniques that are both labour-intensive and time-consuming. This study examines the association between the quality of the perceived visual landscape in urban woodlands and texture measures extracted from IKONOS satellite data, which features 4-m spatial resolution and four spectral bands. The study was conducted in the woodlands of Istanbul (the most important element of urban mosaic) lying along both shores of the Bosporus Strait. The visual quality assessment applied in this study is based on the perceptual approach and was performed via a survey of expressed preferences. For this purpose, representative photographs of real scenery were used to elicit observers’ preferences. A slide show comprising 33 images was presented to a group of 153 volunteers (all undergraduate students), and they were asked to rate the visual quality of each on a 10-point scale (1 for very low visual quality, 10 for very high). Average visual quality scores were calculated for landscape. Texture measures were acquired using the two methods: pixel-based and object-based. Pixel-based texture measures were extracted from the first principle component (PC1) image. Object-based texture measures were extracted by using the original four bands. The association between image texture measures and perceived visual landscape quality was tested via Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The analysis found a strong linear association between image texture measures and visual quality. The highest correlation coefficient was calculated between standard deviation of gray levels (SDGL) (one of the pixel-based texture measures) and visual quality (r?=?0.82, P?<?0.05). The results showed that perceived visual quality of urban woodland landscapes can be estimated by using texture measures extracted from satellite data in combination with appropriate modelling techniques.     

Interactions between metals accumulated in the narrow-clawed crayfish Astacus leptodactylus (Eschscholtz, 1823) in Dikilitaş Lake,Turkey

The accumulations of Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn in the exoskeleton, gills, hepatopancreas and abdominal muscles of crayfish Astacus leptodactylus (Eschscholtz, 1823) were determined. The strongest correlation observed was between Cr and Ni in the gills (r?=?0.904); moderate to strong correlations between Al, Cr, Fe, Ni and Cu were also observed in gill tissue. Disregarding the gills, the strongest correlation was found between Cu and Zn in the hepatopancreas (r?=?0.808); the correlation between these two metals might have been a result of metallothionein activity. The accumulation of Pb was found to correlate with that of Cd in the exoskeleton, Cd and Zn in the gills, Zn and Cu in the hepatopancreas and Cu in the abdominal muscle. None of these correlations were present in lakewater and sediment samples, suggesting that the crayfish metabolism may be responsible for the co-accumulation of metal–metal pairs. As all correlations in non-gill tissues are observed between divalent metals, a shared transporter such as divalent metal transporter 1 might be involved in the accumulation of these metals.     

Nutrient dynamics between sediment and overlying water in the inner part of Izmir Bay, Eastern Aegean

In this article a concept is described in order to predict and map the occurrence of benthic communities within and near the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the North Sea. The approach consists of two work steps: (1) geostatistical analysis of abiotic measurement data and (2) calculation of benthic provinces by means of Classification and Regression Trees (CART) and GIS-techniques. From bottom water measurements on salinity, temperature, silicate and nutrients as well as from punctual data on grain size ranges (0–20, 20–63, 63–2,000 μ) raster maps were calculated by use of geostatistical methods. At first the autocorrelation structure was examined and modelled with help of variogram analysis. The resulting variogram models were then used to calculate raster maps by applying ordinary kriging procedures. After intersecting these raster maps with punctual data on eight benthic communities a decision tree was derived to predict the occurrence of these communities within the study area. Since such a CART tree corresponds to a hierarchically ordered set of decision rules it was applied to the geostatistically estimated raster data to predict benthic habitats within and near the EEZ.     

Comparison of chemical composition of the essential oil of Laurus nobilis L. leaves and fruits from different regions of Hatay, Turkey

The essential oils of the leaves and fruits from bay (Laurus nobilis L.) grown in Antakya, Yayladagi and Samandagi were isolated by solvent extraction and analysed by capillary gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS). In Antakya, Yayladagi and Samandagi the chemical compositions of the fruits and leaves were similar according to qualitative and quantitative analysis. Although in both fruits and leaves the major component was found to be 1.8-Cineole a concentration of about 50% compared with essential oils. The composition of the essential oil from the leaves has high content of 1.8-Cineole, Sabinene and alpha-Terpinyl acetate, but a low content of a-Pinene, alpha-Phellandrene and trans-/beta-osimen. 1.8-Cineole was found major component of the leaves essential oil collected from Samandagi (59.94%) which is sea coast of region. Interestingly alpha-Pinene, beta-Pinene, alpha-Phellandrene, 1.8-Cineole and trans-beta-osimen were found the major components of fruits of Laurus nobilis L. harvested from Antakya, Yayladagi and Samandagi Trans-beta-osimen was detected as the major component of fruits essential oil collected again from Samandagi (28.35%)     

The effects of endosulfan on the great ramshorn snail Planorbarius corneus (Gastropoda, Pulmonata): a histopathological study

In this study the great ramshorn snail (Planorbarius corneus), one of the most abundant gastropod of Turkish limnic systems, was investigated to determine the histopathological effects of endosulfan on the digestive gland, foot and mantle under laboratory conditions. Samples were collected from small artificial pools in Karaot at Gelendost-Isparta (southwest of Turkey), where agricultural activities are widespread. The snails were exposed to two sublethal concentrations of endosulfan (0.4 and 0.8 mg/l) for periods of 10, 20 and 30 days. Fifteen snails were kept in 2.5 l glass jars containing dechlorinated tap water and exposed under semi-static test (daily exchange of test water). All the testing was carried out on adult specimens, and snails were maintained on a photothermal period with 16 light hours at 22 +/- 2 degrees C. The histopathological examinations revealed the following changes: amoebocytes infiltration, dilatation in hemolymphatic spaces between the tubules, degeneration of cells, abnormal lumen, necrosis of cells and atrophy in the connective tissue of digestive gland; desquamation of the epithelium cells, changes in the number of mucocytes and protein gland cells, lipid vacuolus and atrophy of the columnar muscle fibers of the foot and mantle tissues. Pycnotic state of cells was also seen in the mantle tissues. Endosulfan caused significant histopathological alterations in the digestive gland, foot and mantle tissues of the snail, irrespective of concentrations of the pesticide and its exposure periods. The results are discussed, particularly in comparison to those of other aquatic organisms.     

Life cycle assessment of solid waste management options for Eskisehir, Turkey

Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was used to determine the optimum municipal solid waste (MSW) management strategy for Eskisehir city. Eskisehir is one of the developing cities of Turkey where a total of approximately 750tons/day of waste is generated. An effective MSW management system is needed in this city since the generated MSW is dumped in an unregulated dumping site that has no liner, no biogas capture, etc. Therefore, five different scenarios were developed as alternatives to the current waste management system. Collection and transportation of waste, a material recovery facility (MRF), recycling, composting, incineration and landfilling processes were considered in these scenarios. SimaPro7 libraries were used to obtain background data for the life cycle inventory. One ton of municipal solid waste of Eskisehir was selected as the functional unit. The alternative scenarios were compared through the CML 2000 method and these comparisons were carried out from the abiotic depletion, global warming, human toxicity, acidification, eutrophication and photochemical ozone depletion points of view. According to the comparisons and sensitivity analysis, composting scenario, S3, is the more environmentally preferable alternative. In this study waste management alternatives were investigated only on an environmental point of view. For that reason, it might be supported with other decision-making tools that consider the economic and social effects of solid waste management.     

Examination of reactive phosphate fluxes in an eutrophicated coastal area

Reactive phosphate (RP) fluxes over sediment in an eutrophic bay were obtained under different conditions. The results were assessed together with water column, sediment solid, and liquid-phase parameters. The RP fluxes ranged from 0 to 1,300 μgatP × m^-2d^-1 day depending on the sediment site and other variables. At stations with relatively high net RP fluxes, the clay fraction was >3% and disproportionate with salinity, which explained why the RP effluxes decreased by inhibition of the organic coating on particulate matter with increased SO₄ ⁻² ions and good competition of RP anions with SO₄ ⁻². The RP flux in Fe/RP ratios >2 in surface water decreased to approach a minimum asymptotically, which was thus defined with a hyperbolic curve to determine the maximum rate of the RP flux (J_RP). The [RP_porewater]_initial/[RP_ambient] _initial ratios were suggested to govern the net RP flux regionally, so the critical value where the RP flux turns positive could indicate eutrophication with Chl-a values <500 μg/g. So, this study investigated the phosphate fluxes between sediment and water column and determined the factors influencing the RP fluxes in the inner bay of Izmir.     

Strength properties of concrete incorporating coal bottom ash and granulated blast furnace slag

Coal bottom ash (CBA) and fly ash (FA) are by-products of thermal power plants. Granulated blast-furnace slag (GBFS) is developed during iron production in iron and steel plants. This research was conducted to evaluate the compressive strength property and some durability characteristics of concrete incorporating FA, CBA, and GBFS. FA is used as an effective partial cement replacement; CBA and GBFS are used as partial replacement for fine aggregate without grinding. Water absorption capacity, unit weight and compressive strengths in 7, 28, and 90-day ages were assessed experimentally. For these experiments, concrete specimens were produced in the laboratory in appropriate shapes. The samples are divided into two main categories: M1, which incorporated CBA and GBFS; and M2, which incorporated FA, CBA, and GBFS. Remarkable decreases are observed in compressive strength and water absorption capacity of the concrete; bulk density of the concrete is also decreased. It can be concluded that if the content of CBA and GBFS is limited to a reasonable amount, the small decreases in strength can be accepted for low strength concrete works.