Stable isotope composition of δ2H and δ18O was investigated in the water resources of the Shwan sub-Basin northeast of Iraq. The study objects conceived the possible factors that affect the stable isotopes’ composition in precipitation additionally to achieve information concerning recharge processes and estimate the groundwater recharge sources. In this study, four precipitation samples were collected at the study area for the 2020–2021 hydrological year. Thirty-two groundwater samples and one surface water sample from Lesser Zab River (LZR) were collected during the same period for two sampling seasons. The results of observed meteorological data show a very small amount of precipitation for the sampling year. This year is considered a dry hydrological year with total annual precipitation of 100.62 mm compared with the previous 40 hydrological years with total annual precipitation of 325.43 mm. The isotopic composition in precipitation was highly varied as it primarily depends on environmental conditions. The depleted values are recognized with the increasing precipitation amount, whereas the enriched values were the most affected by evaporation. Back trajectory analysis revealed that stable isotopes in precipitation are primarily influenced by air masses and moisture sources. The sources of the trajectory that came from the Mediterranean Sea, Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea would lead to variations in the values of precipitation stable isotope. Stable isotope values in groundwater showed that the samples for both periods are located between the East Mediterranean water line (EMWL) and global meteoric water line (GMWL) close to the local meteoric water line (LMWL) indicating that the groundwater recharge is mainly through precipitation. Groundwater recharges by an indirect recharge mechanism from the LZR, based on stable isotope similarity between depleted stable isotopes in groundwater and river water. The estimated groundwater recharge based on weighted oxygen isotopes is about 9.2% of annual rainfall infers that the recharge during the sampling year was very low. The low recharge value experiences dry weather conditions from low precipitation amounts besides increasing evaporation during the current study.
Twelve species of Tubuliferous thrips, of the family Phlaeothripidae had been reported from Iraq. Two of these were reported previously, Haplothrips cerealis Priesner, by El-Haidari and Daoud 1971 and Haplothrips tritici kurdjumov by Al-Ali 1977 and the rest were recorded for the first time: these are Haplothrips hukkineni Priesner; Haplothrips subtilissimus (Haliday); Haplothrips reuteri Karny; Haplothrips jasonis Priesner; Haplothrips sallloumensis Priesner; Haplothrips pharao Priesner; Phlaeothrips sycomri Priesner; Karnyothrips flavipus (Jones); Karnyothrips melaleucus (Bagnall); Dolicholepta micrurus (Bagnall). Number of insec
... Show MoreA study of non-diatom algal species composition in twelve sites from Greater Zab River path within
Erbil Province, was carried out from April 2021 to January 2022 with monthly sample collection in twelve studied sites. Among them site 4,5,6,7 and 9 are the first for algal study in this area. The 112 different species of algae belong to 33 genera, 25 families, 13 orders and 4 divisions have been identified. The predominant genera included Spirogyra and Cosmarium 17, 8 taxa respectively. 13 taxa were new recorded to Iraqi
Kurdistan algal flora and 9 of them were new recorded to Iraqi algal flora: Botryosphaerella sudetica, Muriella magna, Gloeotaenium loitlesbergianum, Apiocystis brauniana, Anabaena oscillarioides, C. distentum
First record of Myxobolus insignis Eiras, Malta, Varella, Pavanelli, 2005 (Myxozoa: Myxobolidae) in Iraq from gills of the common carp Cyprinus carpio
Different frequency distributions models were fitted to the monthly data of raw water Turbidity at water treatment plants (WTPs) along Tigris River in Baghdad. Eight water treatment plants in Baghdad were selected, with raw water turbidity data for the period (2008-2014). The frequency distribution models used in this study are the Normal, Log-normal, Weibull, Exponential and two parameters Gamma type. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to evaluate the goodness of fit. The data for years (2008-2011) were used for building the models. The best fitted distributions were Log-Normal (LN) for Al-Karkh, Al-Wathbah, Al-Qadisiya, Al- Dawrah and, Al-Rashid WTPs. Gamma distribution fitted well for East Tigris and Al-Karamah WTPs. As for Al-
... Show MoreThe occurrence of two species of the genus Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) for the first time in Iraq from freshwater fishes.
The monogenean Gyrodactylus bychowskianus Bogolepova, 1950 is recorded in the present study for the first time in Iraq from the gills of the cyprinid fish Arabibarbus grypus (Heckel, 1843); which was collected from the Tigris River at Al-Taji Beach north of Baghdad Province during the period from July until November 2018.
Different frequency distributions models were fitted to the monthly data of raw water Turbidity at water treatment plants (WTPs) along Tigris River in Baghdad. Eight water treatment plants in Baghdad were selected, with raw water turbidity data for the period (2008-2014). The frequency distribution models used in this study are the Normal, Log-normal, Weibull, Exponential and two parameters Gamma type. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to evaluate the goodness of fit. The data for years (2008-2011) were used for building the models. The best fitted distributions were Log-Normal (LN) for Al-Karkh, Al-Wathbah, Al-Qadisiya, Al-Dawrah and, Al-Rashid WTPs. Gamma distribution fitted well for East Tigris and Al-Karamah
... Show MoreThe Eurasian marsh frog Pelophylax ridibundus is a widespread species in Iraq. Examination of intestine of 25 marsh frogs collected in Al-Diwaniya city, middle of Iraq during the period from September to November 2014 revealed the presence of Nematotaenia dispar (Cestoda), Cosmocerca commutata and Cosmocercoides variabilis (Nematoda). Infection rates and intensity have been presented in this paper.