April 2012

Overview on the ecological and geographical appraisal of important medicinal and aromatic plants: An endangered component in the flora of Saudi Arabia

  The geographical location of Saudi Arabia has provided an ideal environment for the growth and nourishment of various floristic elements including medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP) species. The country is gifted with diverse vegetation types occurring in the desert, semi-desert, and mountainous ecosystems. Furthermore, the country represents three phytogeographic regions: Saharo-Sindian, Somali-Masur and...

Author(s):   Hassan Sher and Ali Aldosari        

April 2012

Community perceptions on the impact of the recession of Lake Victoria waters on Nyando Wetlands

  Lake Victoria experienced drastic water level changes from October 2005 raising concerns about impact to the livelihood of the communities around the lake. The study investigated impacts of the water level decline on land use changes, wetland resource utilization, household food production, income generation, fish catches, water supply, quality and quantity and biodiversity changes within the Nyando...

Author(s):   Kevin O. Obiero, Philip O. Raburu, J. B. Okeyo-Owuor and Elizabeth A. Raburu        

April 2012

Automatic detection of urban areas using the Hierarchical Temporal Memory of Numenta®

  The aim of the study is to develop a new methodology for the identification of urbanized and not urbanized areas using high spatial resolution remote sensing data and adapting a new digital classification algorithm based on the functionality of the human Neocortex. We used multispectral Quickbird images for the classification of different urban areas in the Province of Cordoba (Spain). The...

Author(s):   Alberto J. Perea, José E. Meroño, Ricardo Crespo and María J. Aguilera      

April 2012

Acute toxicity and effects of sub-lethal malathion exposure on biochemical and haematological parameters of Oreochromis niloticus

  The specimens of Oreochromis niloticus were exposed to Malathion to determine the lethal concentration (LC50) value and effects of sub-lethal concentrations on haematological and biochemical parameters. The LC50 value was registered as 1.06 mg/l. Fishes exposed to sub-lethal concentrations (0.12, 0.23 and 0.46 mg/l) for 6 weeks revealed that the pesticide causes alterations in various blood...

Author(s):   Khalid Abdullah Al-Ghanim    

April 2012

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizas on P use efficiency for growth and N2 fixation in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

  This study assessed the tripartite symbiosis of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) with rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in hydroaeroponic culture under sufficient versus deficient P supplies (250 versus75 µmol P plant-1 week-1). The effects of three AMF species on the mycorrhizal root colonization, rhizobial nodulation, plant growth and...

Author(s):   Fatma Tajini, and Jean-Jacques Drevon