:::::::Global Advanced Research Journals of Agricultural Science! Welcome::::::GARJAS>Aydogdu et al: Study on Structure of duekoué and scio protected forests under anthropogenic activities in southwestern côte d’ivoire.

Geologic and fertilizer N negatively impact the groundwater in the Gareh Bygone Plain (GBP) in southeastern I.R. Iran. Moreover, the floodwater used since 1983 for the artificial recharge of groundwater (ARG) to alleviate the water crisis in the GBP contains 60.30 ± 21.60 mg L^-1 geologic NO₃ˉ on average. This has the potential to intensify the contamination. As the Agha Jari Formation, which supplies the NO₃ˉcontaminated runoff, covers 27680 km² in the southern I.R. Iran, an untold number of people will be affected with nitrate poisoning where such waters are inevitably used for the ARG. Dissolved NO₃ˉ concentrations were monitored monthly for a year in 30 shallow wells in a sandy-gravelly aquifer in the GBP to quantify the effects of different landuse and Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. on nitrogen retention. A laboratory experiment was also conducted to verify the potential nitrate absorption of the eucalyptus and NO₃ˉ surface adsorption potential of the calcareous sand. Our results suggest that landuse and management practices significantly impacted groundwater NO₃ˉ (P<0.05), EC (P<0.01), and its pH (P<0.05) in the GBP. Floodwater NO₃ˉ was highly reduced when passed through the vadose zone where NO₃ˉ was absorbed by the eucalyptus roots and adsorbed by the free CaCO₃in the calcareous alluvium. The amount of NO₃ˉ retained by the roots was 770 fold the amount retained by the free CaCO₃ particleson the surface area basis_. Therefore, establishing forested filter zones within the ARG systems using more efficient and native plant species supplies safer drinking water for rural inhabitants and desert-dwellers.

Keywords: Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh, NO₃ˉ Concentration in Groundwater.