Ecosystems provide humans with services that include benefits from food, fresh water, climate regulation, and socio-economic assets. The Mesopotamian marshlands are among the largest wetlands in the Middle East and they provide various benefits. However, ecosystem services of the Marshlands are consistently undervalued in national economic analysis and decision making. This study focusses on the Central Marshes, the first National Park in Iraq, and is the first attempt at valuing a series of ecosystem services from a valuable natural ecosystem in Iraq. We adopted the Toolkit for Ecosystem Services Site-Based Assessment (TESSA) for the determination of biophysical and economic values of services at the site level. Data on key ecosystem services (as determined by 30 interviews with residents of the Marshes) included the trading of fish, harvested plants, water buffalo milk, and fodder were collected across six months in 2014. We valued the ecosystem services within the CM (40,000 ha) over a 6-month period to have a total value of 860,078.23 USD. This estimated total value was the sum of 86,637.25 USD from harvested plants, 551,334.80 USD from trading fish, 167, 303.70 USD from trading water buffalo milk, and 54,804.00 USD from trading fodder. The average income per individual in Iraq in 2014 was 6720 USD (World Bank data - https://data.worldbank.org/country/iraq): thus, the CM provided an average salary for 256 people. Our results provided greater understanding of the ecosystem services contributed by the Central Marshes and has highlighted the crucial role of nature in supporting sustainable well-being for humans living in the area. In addition, the results can be used to enhance local policy, to aid management plans of the National park, and to estimate lost and damage that could result from impact of climate change on the area.
This research deals with the effect of gallium oxide and cerium oxide as dopants on the structural and optical characteristics of tin oxide. Gallium and cerium oxide doped tin oxide was prepared with different doping concentrations (0, 0.03, 0.05 and 0.07) wt. pure and doped tin oxide thin films were prepared by the pulsed laser deposition technique. X-ray diffraction and UV-Visible spectrophotometer were employed to investigate both oxides doping effects. Results showed that all prepared samples have poly-crystalline structure with a preferred plane of crystal growth along (110), where the crystal size grew from 40.3 nm to 64.5 nm and to 43.5 nm for Ga2O3 and CeO2 doped tin oxide thin films, res
... Show MoreCZTS / CdS / ZnO / ITO solar cell was studied using Solar Cell Capacitance Simulato-1D (SCAPS-1D) program. We performed an improvement on the theoretical cell by increasing the doping and thickness of some layers. As a result, the efficiency was shifted from 2.18% to 6.17% and several back reflection layers (BSL) were introduced on the enhanced cell until. We obtained a highest conversion efficiency of 13.99%. The best reflection layer (CZTSSe) was combined with the best buffer layer (CdSe), with thickness of 0.9µm, on the enhanced cell. Thereby, we obtained a cell with a conversion efficiency of 16.53%. A second improvement was made to the best obtained cell, where the CZTSSe with thickness of 0.05µm and the CdSe with thickness
... Show MoreThe Topography, Physical and Optical properties of as-deposited copper oxide CuO absorption layer sprayed using homemade fully computerized CNC spray pyrolysis deposition technique at different deposition speed are reported. These layers are characterized by UV-Visible spectrophotometer, optical microscope, and thickness monitor studies. The optical transmittance study indicates that these layer exhibit high absorption coefficient in the visible range. The optical band gap is found to be at about at speeds (3,6 mm/s). Better homogeneity in CuO layer is found at the speed 5 mm/s. The film thickness lies within the 129-412 nm range.
This manuscript studied the effect of U-CFRP wrapped sheet anchorage on the flexural performance of unbonded post-tensioned PC members subjected to partial strand damage and strengthened using CFRP Near-Surface Mounting techniques. The program includes six girders as a control girder, a girder with strand damage of 14.2%, and four girders strengthened by CFRP laminates using the NSM technique with and without U-CFRP wrapped sheet anchorages. The testing results show that the strand damage of 14.2% has reduced the flexural strength of the girder by 5.71%. The NSM-CFRP laminate has a significant effect on flexural strength by 17.4%. On the other hand, the application of end U-CFRP wrapped sheet anchorages improves flexural
... Show MoreThe survey showed sample opinions of officials in the general company for vegetable oils industry, and the statement of the order of the effect of these dimensions depending on the degree of importance, the questionnaire was used as a key tool in collecting data and information of the sample consisted of 30 officials, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, percentages, Spearman correlation coefficient and the global statistical analysis as a statistical methods that based on statistical program (SPSS), The researcher came to several conclusions, most important that there is high agreement by the respondents of the importance of the dimensions of building a mental picture of the company and to attract the consumer's attention, Also research
... Show MoreAbstract
The research aimed to prepare an audit program focusing on the activities of municipal institutions related to the environmental dimension as one of the dimensions of sustainable development, and applying the program for the purpose of preparing an oversight report related to assessing the impact of the activities of municipal institutions on the environmental reality as the main channel through which municipal institutions contribute to achieving the part related to it. Among the requirements of sustainable development, the proposed program was prepared and applied to the institutions affiliated to the Directorate of Mu
... Show MoreBackground: Alginate impression material is the irreversible hydrocolloid material that is widely used in dentistry. The contact time between alginate and gypsum cast could have a detrimental effect on the properties of the gypsum cast. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of various contact time intervals of Alginate impressions & type III dental stone on surface properties of stone cast. Materials and Methods: Time intervals tested were 1hour, 6 hours and 9 hours. Surface properties of stone cast evaluated were surface detail reproduction, hardness and roughness. Surface detail reproduction was determined using cylindrical brass test block in accordance with ISO 1563. Surface roughness was measured by profilometer
... Show MoreThe interest in pre-service teacher training has become influential in teaching English as a foreign language, and the purpose of this training course is to prepare qualified teachers to teach effectively through the application of this technique by undergraduate students. This research aims to find out the effect of using the seven principles of good practice as a teaching technique on the fourth stage student-teachers’ performance at the College of Education for Women/University of Baghdad, during the academic year 2017-2018. The sample includes (60) students selected according to the stratified sampling method. The observational checklist used by the department to assess the student teachers’ performance during the practicum perio
... Show More