Bulletin of the Iraq Natural History Museum

This work has been accomplished through a dense field work on the Sawa Lake. The aim of this work is to highlight on characteristics that are consistent with outstanding universal values to be a new Iraqi site belongs to the World Natural Heritage. This study sorted many unique characteristics might ensure that Sawa Lake as a world natural heritage sites. This study shows that the lake had met four natural criteria of the outstanding universal values: (1) the seventh criterion which states to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. (2) The eighth criterion which stated to be outstanding example representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features. (3) The ninth criterion which stated to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals. (4) The tenth criterion which state to contain most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.

This study was carried out from February to October 2012 in six semi salty ponds in Gwer sub-district which is the first work in the area. A total of 32 species and 2 genera of algae where reported as the new records. Mostly the non diatoms are belonging to Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta, Euglenophyta, Cryptophyta, Chrysophyceae, while diatoms or Bacilariophyceae are belong to pennals- order.

A total of 215 sheep and 87 goats were carefully searched for ixodid ticks from January to December 2015 at different regions of the middle and south of Iraq. The detached ticks count 1533 ticks from sheep with intensity of 8.4 and count 332 ticks from goats with intensity of 6.8. Tick species recovered from sheep and their incidence rates were: Rhipicephalus turanicus (39%), Hyalomma anatolicum (28%), R. (Boophilus) annulatus (11%), Hyalomma sp. (9%), H. turanicum (6%), H. excavatum (6%) and R. leporis (1%) while the tick species recovered from goats and their incidence rates were: R. turanicus (64%), H. anatolicum (24%), H. turanicum (6%), and Hyalomma sp. (6%). The results were discussed with the pertinent literature.

Based on collections made during March to September 2012. A totals of 58 species belong to 33 genera were identified from extra north to extra south of Erbil governorate, among them 30 species are registered as a new record to flora of Iraq. Most attention was paid to the most common and abundant lichens that present almost in most locations, which were Collema cristatum, Diploschistes scruposus, Lecanora dispersa, Lecanora murales, Pertusaria flavicunda, Placidium lacinulatum, Thelomma californicum and Verrucaria Maura.
Keywords: Common, Erbil, Iraq, Kurdistan, Lichens, New records.

The objective of this work was to determine and compare the physiological changes in some: blood components (packed cell volume and hemoglobin) and plasma biochemical parameters (glucose, total protein, albumin, cholesterol and triglycerides) under 3 day of different types of stress: water deprivation, starvation, overcrowding and handling stress. Twenty five male Wister rats weighted 100-120 gm, were divided randomly into five groups: control, water deprivation, starvation, overcrowding and handling stress. On the third day of stress the animals anesthetized for blood collection; the results of blood component revealed a significant increase in PCV and a significant decrease in Hb of water deprivation group and starvation group respectively. The biochemical changes showed a significant elevation in glucose concentration of starved rats; also there was a significant increase in total proteins of starved rats and overcrowding group, beside there was a significant increase in albumin concentration of water deprivation group, finally the cholesterol and triglycerides showed a significant increase in starved rats. In conclusion the starved rats showed more changes in blood and biochemical parameters followed by water deprivation group, overcrowded and handling stress respectively.

Land forms are a result from interaction between lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. Lithosphere composed of lithologic units and the main units of the study area are: limestone, marl, marley limestone, sandstone, pebbly sandstone, mudstone, claystone and secondary gypsum in addition to Quaternary sediments. Landforms of the study area can be subdivided according to their origin into many units: 1- Structural- denudational: plateau, mesas, hills, cliffs and wadis; 2- Denudational: desert pavement and mushroom rock; 3-Mass movements; 4- Solution: lake, salt marsh, piping caves; 5- Springs; 6- Fluvial: terraces, alluvial fan, infilled wadi, flood plain; 7- Drainage units; 8-Evaporational: sabkha, secondary gypsum; 9- Aeolian: sand dune and sand sheets; 10- Biogenic: Agamidae caves, wasp nest and termite nest; and 11- anthropogenic origin.

This study included isolation and identification of the fungi associated with Aloe vera (L.)
in nurseries and plant gardens. The results showed that the fungi Alternaria alternata,
Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, Nigrospora oryzae, Cladosporium herbarum,
Stemphylium botryosum, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp. were isolated from the diseased
leaves of Aloe vera showing spots and blight symptoms. The percentages of disease incidence
in March, Jun and August were found to be 5, 50 and 60 %, respectively. Pathogenicity test of
Alternaria alternata, Fusarium oxysporum, Nigrospora oryzae and Cladosporium herbarum
showed that disease index were 50, 25,25and 12.5 %, respectively. The fungi isolated on Aloe
vera in this study have not been published previously in Iraq.