Sustainable rangeland management using a multi-fuzzy model: how to deal with heterogeneous experts' knowledge

While fuzzy specialists commonly use homogeneous experts' knowledge to construct fuzzy models, it is much more difficult to deal with knowledge elicited from a heterogeneous group of experts. This issue is exemplified in the area of sustainable rangeland management (SRM). One way to deal with the diversity of opinions is to develop a fuzzy system for all experts and to combine all these, the so-called primary systems, into one multi-fuzzy model. To derive each of the primary fuzzy systems, several semi-structured interviews were held in three different areas of the Fars province in Southwest Iran using the knowledge of a group of administrative experts. To obtain the final output of the multi-fuzzy model, we applied different 'voting' methods. The first method simply uses the arithmetic average of the primary outputs as the final output of the multi-fuzzy model. This final output represents an estimation of the right rate of stocking (RRS). We also propose other (un)supervised voting methods. Most importantly, by harmonising the primary outputs such that outliers get less emphasis, we introduce an unsupervised voting method for calculating a weighted estimate of the RRS. This harmonising method is expected to provide a new useful tool for policymakers dealing with heterogenity in experts' opinions: it is especially useful where limited field data are available and one is forced to rely on experts' knowledge only. By constructing the three fuzzy models based on the elicitation of heterogeneous experts' knowledge, our study shows the multidimensional vaguenesses that exist in SRM. Finally, by comparing the final RRS with its common values, this study strongly points to the existence of overgrazing in pastures in the three regions of the Fars province in Southwest Iran.     

Sustainable multi-trip periodic redesign-routing model for municipal solid waste collection network: the case study of Tehran

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Daily transportation of wastes due to its environmental, financial, and social aspects has been considered a challenging issue in developing...     

Estimation of greenhouse gas emission flux from agricultural lands of Khuzestan province in Iran

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment - No studies have been carried out on the benthic harmful algal blooms (BHABs) along the Strait of Gibraltar in the Mediterranean, and little is known about...     

Temporospatial variation and health risk assessment of trihalomethanes (THMs) in drinking water (northwest Iran)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Trihalomethanes (THMs) are one of the most common classes of disinfection by-products. In this study, the temporospatial trends and health risks due...     

Improvement of the photostability of selected substances in aqueous medium

The photodegradation of some pesticides in water has been investigated. The kinetics of the photochemical processes is discussed and the photolytic half‐life is calculated. The objective of this paper is to present some of the recent results on the kinetics and on the products of sunlight‐induced reactions of Parathion, Gardona, Diazinon, Atrazine and Phenmediphame at low concentrations in distilled water and fresh water. The quantum yield, measured at 263 nm for Phenmediphame in aerated water at 5 × 10^‐4 M and 30°C, was 1.4 × 10^‐2, and for Parathion, measured at 300 nm in aqueous solution at 3.42 M at pH 6.4 and 25 °C, was 1.5 × 10^‐3. The measured absorption spectra and the variable light intensity were used to estimate the environental phototransformation process and the persistence of these compounds in water.     

Spider management in agroecosystems: Habitat manipulation

Based on the literature and on work conducted in Israel, the management of spider populations through habitat manipulation was found to be very helpful in controlling pest insects in various crops. Spiders were found to be reduced or eliminated by non-selective insecticides, although some resistance has been noted     

Significant work events and counterproductive work behavior: The role of fairness,emotions, and emotion regulation

In this diary study, we investigated multi‐level predictors of daily counterproductive work behavior (CWB) relying on the theoretical frameworks of affective events theory and the emotion‐centered model of CWB. We assessed significant work events, event‐based fairness perceptions, negative emotional reactions to work events, and employee CWB over a 10‐day period. We tested within‐person relations predicting CWB, and cross‐level moderating effects of two emotion regulation strategies (suppression and reappraisal). Results from a multi‐level path analysis revealed that significant work events had both direct and indirect effects on negative emotional reactions. Further, negative emotional reactions in turn mediated the relationships between significant work events and all forms of daily CWB as well as the relationship between event‐based fairness perceptions and daily CWB‐O. Results also supported the moderating role of reappraisal emotion regulation strategy on relations between significant work events and negative emotional reactions. Less support, however, was found for the moderating influence of suppression on the link between negative emotional reactions and CWB. Among the broad work event categories we identified, our supplemental analyses revealed that negative work events involving interactions with supervisors elicited the highest levels of employee negative emotional reactions. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Climate change and agricultural vulnerability: a case study of rain-fed wheat in Kairouan,Central Tunisia

In the Maghreb and North African regions, the interannual climate variability causes severe impacts on agriculture through long drought episodes. Impacts are expected to increase due to projected climate change. Decreasing water availability will have a direct impact on the agriculture sector and could endanger the socioeconomic development and social stability in Tunisia where rain-fed agriculture represents the main occupancy and means of subsistence for the large rural population.