Phytoplankton assemblage in relation to physical and chemical characteristics of water in Al-Auda marsh of Maysan province southern Iraq was assessed from November 2012 to July 2013. Six sampling sites were chosen to examine all phytoplankton species in the study area. A total of 246 species and seventy-five genera have been recognized belonging to twelve phytoplankton classes as follows: Bacillariophyceae (106 taxa), Chlorophyceae (34 taxa), Euglenophyceae (29 taxa), Cyanophyceae (29 taxa), Conjugatophyceae (19 taxa), Mediophyceae (10 taxa), Cryptophyceas (5 taxa), Coscinodiscophyceae (4 taxa), Chrysophyceae (4 taxa), Dinophyceae (3 taxa), Trebouxiophyceae (2 taxa) whereas Compsopogonophyceae recorded only (one taxon).The finding showed class Bacillariophyceae dominated with (43.09%), followed by Chlorophyceae of (13.82%), then (11.79%) for each of Cyanophycean and Euglenophyceae. Mean ± standard deviation for water temperature was ranged between (14.3±1.6°C) during winter to (35.6±1.81°C) during summer, electrical Conductivity (2020±186μ.s/cm) during autumn to (6390±875μ.s/cm) during summer, total Phosphate 0.01±0.0 µg/l during winter to 0.3±0.08 µg/l during spring, and total nitrogen varied from 1.8±0.8 µg/l during winter to 6.9±0.5 µg/l during autumn. Seasonal distribution indicated that phytoplankton flourished predominantly during the summer and spring. The diversity index (H) recorded the highest value in spring and lowest value in autumn, Richness (D) and Evenness (E) indices achieved the highest values in spring, the lowest values in autumn. The Jaccard index (Ss%) recorded the highest similarity between autumn and winter, the lowest similarity was between autumn and spring. The results revealed Al-Auda marsh is mesotrophic according to phytoplankton composition.
The abdominal nerve cord of some species of Iraq Carabids has been studied to evaluate
the variation in the number of the abdominal ganglia among the species and to find out
relation of these variations with the classical taxonomy of the family Carabidae into tribes.
The Mauddud Formation was one of the important and widespread Lower Cretaceous period formations in Iraq. It has been studied in three wells (EB. 55, EB. 58, and EB. 59) within the East Baghdad Oil Field, Baghdad, central Iraq. 280 thin sections were studied by microscope to determine fauna, the formation composed of limestone and dolomitized limestone in some parts which tends to be marl in some parts, forty species and genus of benthic foraminifera have been identified beside algae and other fossils, three biozones have been identified in the range which is: Orbitolina qatarica range zone (Late Albian), Orbitolina sefini range zone (Late Albian – Early Cenomanian) and Orbitolina concava range zone (Early Cenomanian), The age of
... Show MoreTwo specie's of terrnitls are described as new to science from Iraq Amitermes corpnlentus sp. n. and Anacanthotermes savvensis sp. n., with two figures.
A mounted specimen of a mustelid animal deposited in the Kurdistan Museum of Natural History, Salahaddin University, Erbil proved to be Mustela erminea (Linnaeus, 1758) and represents a new record for the mammalian fauna of Iraq. Its measurements and some biological noted are provided. Also, two passerine birds; the Red-headed bunting, Emberiza bruniceps Brandt, 1841(Family, Emberizidae) and the Variable wheatear, Oenanthe picata (Blyth, 1847) (Family, Muscicapidae) were recorded for the first time in Iraq. Furthermore, the tree frog Hyla savignyi Audouin, 1829 was found in two locations north east of Iraq with spotted dorsum and having interesting behavior in having the capabil
... Show MoreBasrah province is situated at the extreme south of Iraq, it has an interesting reptile fauna (Squamata and Serpentes) and represents a land bridge between three different zoogeographical regions ( Oriental, Palaearctic and Ethiopian).
This situation gave Basrah province a topographic specific opportunity for raising its own faunal diversity including reptiles; in this study Basrah province was divided into four main zones: the cities and orchards, marshes and wetlands (sabkha), the true dessert, the seashore and Shat Al-Arab.
Forty nine reptile species were recorded including snakes, sea and fresh water turtles, and Lizards; brief notes and descriptions for the rare
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