The Level of Quality of Life among Individuals who Stutter in Jordan and Its Relationship with Some Demographic Variables

The current study aimed to identify the level of quality of life among Individuals who Stutter in Jordan and its relationship to some demographic variables using the correlative descriptive approach. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, the researchers used the quality of life scale-BRIEF-WHOQQL, prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO), on a sample (N=32) males and females Stutters.The results of the study showed that the level of quality of life among individual who stutters in Jordan was low, as the physical health field ranked first with the lowest level in the quality of life followed by the field of social relations and then the mental health and finally the field of environment. They also showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the level of quality of life among Individuals who Stutter in Jordan attributed to the variables of age, gender, marital status, family income and the degree of stuttering severity. The study concluded with a set of research and educational recommendations. Keywords: Demographic variables, Individuals who stutter, Quality of life. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-26-08 Publication date:September 30th 202

Tight coupling of leaf area index to canopy nitrogen and phosphorus across heterogeneous tallgrass prairie communities

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are limiting nutrients for many plant communities worldwide. Foliar N and P along with leaf area are among the most important controls on photosynthesis and hence productivity. However, foliar N and P are typically assessed as species level traits, whereas productivity is often measured at the community scale. Here, we compared the community-level traits of leaf area index (LAI) to total foliar nitrogen (TFN) and total foliar phosphorus (TFP) across nearly three orders of magnitude LAI in grazed and ungrazed tallgrass prairie in north-eastern Kansas, USA. LAI was strongly correlated with both TFN and TFP across communities, and also within plant functional types (grass, forb, woody, and sedge) and grazing treatments (bison or cattle, and ungrazed). Across almost the entire range of LAI values and contrasting communities, TFN:TFP ratios indicated co-limitation by N and P in almost all communities; this may further indicate a community scale trend of an optimal N and P allocation per unit leaf area for growth. Previously, results from the arctic showed similar tight relationships between LAI:TFN, suggesting N is supplied to canopies to maximize photosynthesis per unit leaf area. This tight coupling between LAI, N, and P in tallgrass prairie suggests a process of optimal allocation of N and P, wherein LAI remains similarly constrained by N and P despite differences in species composition, grazing, and canopy density

Synthesis Paper: Targeted Livestock Grazing: Prescription for Healthy Rangelands

Targeted livestock grazing is a proven tool for manipulating rangeland vegetation, and current knowledge about targeted livestock grazing is extensive and expanding rapidly. Targeted grazing prescriptions optimize the timing, frequency, intensity, and selectivity of grazing (or browsing) in combinations that purposely exert grazing/browsing pressure on specific plant species or portions of the landscape. Targeted grazing differs from traditional grazing management in that the goal of targeted grazing is to apply defoliation or trampling to achieve specific vegetation management objectives, whereas the goal of traditional livestock grazing management is generally the production of livestock commodities. A shared aim of targeted livestock grazing and traditional grazing management is to sustain healthy soils, flora, fauna, and water resources that, in turn, can sustain natural ecological processes (e.g., nutrient cycle, water cycle, energy flow). Targeted grazing prescriptions integrate knowledge of plant ecology, livestock nutrition, and livestock foraging behavior. Livestock can be focused on target areas through fencing, herding, or supplement placement. Although practices can be developed to minimize the impact of toxins contained in target plants, the welfare of the animals used in targeted grazing must be a priority. Monitoring is needed to determine if targeted grazing is successful and to refine techniques to improve efficacy and efficiency. Examples of previous research studies and approaches are presented to highlight the ecological benefits that can be achieved when targeted grazing is applied properly. These cases include ways to suppress invasive plants and ways to enhance wildlife habitat and biodiversity. Future research should address the potential to select more adapted and effective livestock for targeted grazing and the associated animal welfare concerns with this practice. Targeted livestock grazing provides land managers a viable alternative to mechanical, chemical, and prescribed fire treatments to manipulate rangeland vegetation

Temporal variations in coral reef health at a coastal industrial site on the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea

A detailed ecological study was conducted for three years (2001–03) on a 5 km stretch of well-developed coral reef facing an industrial site in the southernmost section of the Jordanian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea. The degree of modification associated with the prevailing ecological factors was assessed with respect to species diversity and abundance of the major groups of the macrobenthic community: corals, bivalves, hydrozoans, echinoderms, sponges and macroalgae. Three locations of two depths each – 6 and 12 m – were selected and surveyed using the visual census point-intercept method. The actual area of the survey covered about 2250 m2. Macrobenthic communities occurring close to the industrial jetty were characterized by low diversity and the obvious dominance of soft coral (16–30% cover). In the deep transects (12 m) hard coral cover was higher than that in the shallow transects (30–55%). Correlation analyses indicated that species richness increased with increasing distance from the industrial jetty. Species richness of other macrobenthos was also higher as depth increased. The results revealed that the distribution and abundance of coral, echinoderms, hydrozoans and macroalgae were correlated with the relative importance of bottom modification within the various locations in the entire study area. However, no distinct influence of location or depth on the identities of most macrobenthic species was indicated

Reptiles and Amphibians in Dibbeen Nature Reserve, Jordan

Twenty-one species of reptiles and amphibians belonging to nine families were recorded in this survey. These species included one amphibian, one tortoise, 12 lizards, and seven snakes. The present study is the fi rst attempt to compare between opportunistic and systematic survey methods in Jordan for reptiles and amphibians. The opportunistic survey is the method of choice when conducting a survey to assess the presence or absence of reptilian species regardless of their abundance. On the other hand, the systematic survey proved to be an excellent method to evaluate the abundance of species, expressed in the total number of observations. Ophisops elegans was by far the most frequently observed species and accounted for 28.94 % and 61.03 % of all observations when employing opportunistic and systematic surveys respectively. Additionally, this lizard was found in all types of habitats studied within the reserve