Note: Intro -- Preface -- Contents -- Part IIntroduction -- 1 Introduction to "Environmental Remote Sensing and GIS in Tunisia" -- 1.1 Background -- 1.2 Themes of the Book -- 1.3 Chapters' Summary -- 1.3.1 Remote Sensing and GIS for Urban and Rural Applications -- 1.3.2 Remote Sensing and GIS for Mapping and Modeling -- 1.3.3 Remote Sensing and GIS for Natural Risks Applications -- 1.3.4 Soil Degradation and Drought -- 1.3.5 Remote Sensing and GIS to Assess and Monitor Dry, Arid and Wetlands -- References -- Part IIRS and GIS for Urban and Rural Applications -- 2 Approaching the Tunisian Human Environment by Using RS and the Dasymetric Method -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Portraying the Density of Population: An Overview of the Methods in Use -- 2.3 The Dasymetric Method -- 2.4 Related Cartographic Literature -- 2.5 Advantages of the Dasymetric Method Applied to the Tunisian Territory -- 2.6 Methodology and Methods Implementation -- 2.7 Results and Discussion -- 2.8 Conclusion -- 2.9 Recommendations -- References -- 3 The Role of GIS as a Planning Tool in a Tunisian Urban Landscape, Sfax City -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 GIS and Planning of Green Spaces -- 3.3 GIS Assessement of Natural Space Planning in Sfax City -- 3.3.1 GIS Assessement of Urban Sprawl and Consumption of Agricultural Spaces in Sfax City -- 3.3.2 GIS Assessment of Green Space Consideration in the Sustainable Development Context -- 3.4 Green Spaces Issues in the Actors' Discourses -- 3.4.1 Complicated Mission of Local Authorities -- 3.4.2 An Active and Influential Civil Society -- 3.5 Conclusion -- 3.6 Recommandations -- References -- 4 Spatio-Temporal Monitoring of the Meskat System Distribution in the Tunisian Sahel Region Using TM Landsat Images -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Meskat System. , 4.3 Recognition of the Meskat System Processing in Tunisian Sahel Region: Thematic Focus and Methodology -- 4.3.1 Study Area -- 4.3.2 Exploitation of Satellite Images -- 4.3.3 Methodology -- 4.4 Results and Discussion -- 4.4.1 Land Use Mapping -- 4.4.2 Spatio-Temporal Evolution of the Meskat System -- 4.4.3 Rate of Change of the Meskat System -- 4.5 Conclusion -- 4.6 Recommendations -- References -- 5 Spatial Distribution of Solanum elaeagnifolium in the Tunisian Arid Region Using GIS Tools -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Introducing Concepts and Terms -- 5.2.1 Definitions -- 5.2.2 Biological Invasion Process -- 5.3 Mapping Is an Effective Approach to Manage Invasive Alien Plants -- 5.4 Solanum elaeagnifolium Mapping Using GIS -- 5.4.1 Methodological Approach -- 5.5 Results and Discussion -- 5.5.1 EL Alam Land Cover Mapping in 2014-2015 -- 5.5.2 Solanum elaeagnifolium Spatial Distribution -- 5.6 Conclusions -- 5.7 Recommendations -- References -- 6 PROMETHEE and Geospatial Analysis to Rank Suitable Sites for Grombalia Aquifer Recharge with Reclaimed Water -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Method -- 6.2.1 Description of the Study Area -- 6.2.2 Methodology -- 6.2.3 Calculation of Surface Needed for Aquifer Recharge -- 6.3 Results and Discussions -- 6.3.1 Spatial Datasets Used -- 6.3.2 Constraints Layer -- 6.3.3 Suitable Sites Ranking -- 6.4 Conclusions and Recommendations -- References -- Part IIIRS and GIS for Mapping and Modeling -- 7 Using RS and GIS to Mapping Land Cover of the Cap Bon (Tunisia) -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Objectives of the Present Study -- 7.3 Methodology -- 7.4 Documents Used -- 7.5 The Cap Bon as an Application Field -- 7.5.1 Overview of the Study Area -- 7.5.2 Model Space for a Better Understanding -- 7.5.3 The Conceptual, Logical and Physical Data Model -- 7.6 Creation of the Geodatabase -- 7.6.1 The Structure of the Geodatabase. , 7.6.2 The Image Processing and Loading of Datasets -- 7.6.3 The Implementation of the Geodatabase -- 7.7 Multiscalar Mapping of Land Cover and Land Use -- 7.7.1 Level 1 Mapping of the Land Cover and Land Use: Across the Cap Bon -- 7.7.2 Mapping Level 2 of the Land Cover and Land Use: Across the Plain of Grombalia -- 7.7.3 Mapping Level 3 of the Land Cover and Land Use: Local Delegation of Soliman -- 7.8 Conclusion -- 7.9 Recommendations -- References -- 8 A GIS Based DRASTIC, Pesticide DRASTIC and SI Methods to Assess Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution: Case Study of Oued Laya (Central Tunisia) -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Assessment of Vulnerability of Shallow Aquifer to Pollution and Methodology -- 8.2.1 Study Area -- 8.2.2 Methodology -- 8.3 Results and Discussion -- 8.3.1 Thematic Maps Presentation -- 8.4 Standard DRASTIC Vulnerability Assessment -- 8.5 Pesticide DRASTIC Vulnerability Assessment -- 8.6 SI Vulnerability Assessment -- 8.7 Standard DRASTIC, Pesticide DRASTIC and SI Vulnerability Assessment -- 8.8 Conclusion -- 8.9 Recommendations -- References -- Part IVRS and GIS for Natural Risks Applications -- 9 Mapping Environmental Risk Degradation Under Climate Stress and Anthropogenic Pressure: Case Study of Abdeladim Watershed, Tunisia -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Methodological Framework -- 9.2.1 GIS: The Study's Relevance to Agricultural Productivity -- 9.2.2 The Steps of the Work -- 9.3 Conceptual and Methodological Framework -- 9.3.1 Sensitivity and Potential Sensitivity to Degradation: The Study's Interest in Preserving Agricultural Productivity -- 9.4 Abdeladim Watershed: A Fragile Natural Balanced Environment Undergoing Significant Anthropic Pressure -- 9.5 Trends in the Evolution of the River System/Hydrographic Network -- 9.5.1 Linear Erosion -- 9.5.2 Regressive Erosion -- 9.5.3 Lateral Erosion. , 9.6 Potential Sensitivity to Degradation -- 9.6.1 Potential Sensitivity to Agricultural Land Degradation to Soil Quality Degradation -- 9.6.2 Sensitivity of Sloping Agricultural Land to Degradation by Soil Loss -- 9.6.3 Sensitivity to Watercourse Erosion Degradation -- 9.7 Measures to Combat the  Degradation of Agricultural Lands -- 9.7.1 The Extension of Information -- 9.7.2 Control of Potential Soil Quality Degradation -- 9.7.3 Control of Potential Degradation by Loss of Soil -- 9.7.4 Control of Potential Degradation by Stormwater -- 9.8 Discussions -- 9.9 Conclusion -- 9.10 Recommendations -- References -- 10 Application of Remote Sensing and GIS for Risk Assessment in Monastir, Tunisia -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 Case Study: Monastir, Tunisia -- 10.3 Methodology -- 10.3.1 Conceptual Risk Framework -- 10.3.2 Workflow -- 10.3.3 Data Acquisition and Development of a Geodatabase -- 10.3.4 Land Use/Land Cover Analysis Based on the Urban Atlas Standard -- 10.3.5 Hazard Analysis -- 10.3.6 Exposure Analysis -- 10.3.7 Vulnerability and Integrated Risk Assessment -- 10.4 Results -- 10.4.1 Flash Floods and Coastal Erosion in Monastir -- 10.4.2 Exposure to Flash Floods -- 10.4.3 Social Vulnerability and Flash Flood Risk -- 10.4.4 Web-Based Information System -- 10.5 Discussion and Lessons Learned -- 10.6 Conclusions -- References -- Part VSoil Degradation and Drought -- 11 Monitoring of Land Use-Land Cover Changes and Assessment of Soil Degradation Using Landsat TM and OLI Data in Zarzis Arid Region -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Materials and Methods -- 11.2.1 Study Area -- 11.2.2 Land Degradation Constraints -- 11.2.3 Landsat Image Processing -- 11.3 Results and Discussion -- 11.3.1 ISOCLUST Classification -- 11.3.2 Land Use and Land Cover Maps of 2007 -- 11.3.3 Land Use and Land Cover of 2014 -- 11.3.4 Change Analysis Using the Land Change Modeler Tool. , 11.4 Conclusions -- 11.5 Recommendations -- References -- 12 Drought Assessment in Tunisia by Time-Series Satellite Images: An Ecohydrologic Approach -- 12.1 Introduction -- 12.2 Principles of the Ecohydrology -- 12.3 Remote Sensing Integration in Ecohydrological Approaches -- 12.3.1 Overview of Remote Sensing Principles -- 12.3.2 Concepts of Remote Sensing Uses in Ecohydrology -- 12.4 Humidity Canopy Assessment at the Ecoregion Level -- 12.5 Ecohydrology Equilibrium Assessment by Remote Sensing -- 12.5.1 Water Balance Modelling with Times-Series LAI-MODIS -- 12.5.2 Water Stress Index Effect on Ecohydrologic Equilibrium -- 12.6 Data Quality of MODIS -- 12.6.1 Calibration of LAI-MODIS -- 12.6.2 Quality Assessment of MODIS Time-Series Images -- 12.7 Conclusions and Perspectives -- References -- Part VIRS and GIS to Assess and Monitor Dry, Arid and Wetlands -- 13 Monitoring of Dryland Vulnerability by Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Processing: Case of Wadi Bouhamed Watershed (Southern Tunisia) -- 13.1 Introduction -- 13.2 Global Overview of Dryland Degradation -- 13.2.1 Erosion -- 13.2.2 Desertification -- 13.2.3 Factors Affecting Land Degradation -- 13.3 Modeling and Mapping Land Degradation -- 13.3.1 Image Transformations -- 13.3.2 Image Classifications -- 13.4 Study Area: The Wadi Bouhamed Watershed -- 13.4.1 Climate Context of the Studied Area -- 13.4.2 Vegetation Cover -- 13.4.3 Slope -- 13.4.4 Human Issues -- 13.4.5 Soil Conservation Management -- 13.5 Land Degradation Over the Watershed of Wadi Bouhamed -- 13.5.1 Methods and Multi-sources Data -- 13.5.2 Land Uses Changes in Wadi Bouhamed Watershed as Inferred by Image Classification -- 13.5.3 Vegetation Cover in Wadi Bouhamed Watershed as Inferred by NDVI -- 13.5.4 Soils Distribution in Wadi Bouhamed Watershed as Inferred by Brightness Index -- 13.6 Conclusions -- 13.7 Recommendations. , References.

Note: Intro -- Preface -- Contents -- About the Editors -- Part IIntroduction -- 1 Introduction to "Mitigating Environmental Stresses for Agricultural Sustainability in Egypt" -- 1.1 Background -- 1.2 Purpose of the Book -- 1.3 Themes of the Book and Contribution of the Chapters -- 1.3.1 Improve Crop Tolerance for Abiotic Stresses -- 1.3.2 Recent Approaches to Biotic Stress Tolerance -- 1.3.3 Advanced Procedures in Improving Crop Productivity -- 1.3.4 Sustainability of Environmental Resources from a Crop Production Perspective -- References -- Part IIImprove Crop Tolerance for Abiotic Stresses -- 2 Drought Tolerance in Some Field Crops: State of the Art Review -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Rice -- 2.2.1 Economic Importance -- 2.2.2 Mean Performance and Genetic Diversity -- 2.2.3 Related Traits to Drought Tolerance -- 2.2.4 Genetic Behavior -- 2.2.5 Breeding Efforts and Biotechnology -- 2.3 Maize -- 2.3.1 Economic Importance -- 2.3.2 Mean Performance and Genetic Diversity -- 2.3.3 Related Traits to Drought Tolerance -- 2.3.4 Genetic Behavior -- 2.3.5 Breeding Efforts and Biotechnology -- 2.4 Barley -- 2.4.1 Economic Importance -- 2.4.2 Mean Performance and Genetic Diversity -- 2.4.3 Related Traits to Drought Tolerance -- 2.4.4 Genetic Behavior -- 2.4.5 Breeding and Biotechnology Efforts -- 2.5 Sunflower -- 2.5.1 Economic Importance -- 2.5.2 Mean Performance and Genetic Diversity -- 2.5.3 Related Traits to Drought Tolerance -- 2.5.4 Genetic Behavior -- 2.5.5 Breeding Efforts and Biotechnology -- 2.6 Conclusions -- 2.7 Recommendations -- References -- 3 Performance and Genetic Diversity in Water Stress Tolerance and Relation to Wheat Productivity Under Rural Regions -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Concept of Water Stress and Its Impact on Wheat Plants -- 3.2.1 Impact of Water Stress on Wheat Plants. , 3.3 Importance of Coordination Between Plant Breeders and Specialists in Other Related Fields of Science -- 3.4 Critical Stages of Water Stress Impact on Wheat -- 3.5 Adaptation Mechanisms for Water Stress Conditions -- 3.6 Foundations of Wheat Crop Tolerance to Water Stress -- 3.6.1 Plant Characteristics and Their Genetic Behavior Relevant to Water Stress Tolerance -- 3.7 Yield Performance in Relation to Water Stress Tolerance -- 3.8 Genetic Diversity and Sources of Water Stress Tolerant Genotypes -- 3.9 Breeding Efforts -- 3.9.1 Breeding Strategies -- 3.9.2 Mutations -- 3.10 Role of Biotechnology in Improving Water Stress Tolerance -- 3.10.1 Molecular Markers -- 3.10.2 Gene Transfer Technology -- 3.11 Agricultural Procedures to Support Wheat Productivity Under Water Stress Conditions -- 3.11.1 Land Leveling -- 3.11.2 Raised Bed Method -- 3.11.3 Cultivate Tolerant Varieties -- 3.11.4 Sowing Date -- 3.11.5 Plant Density -- 3.11.6 Fertilization -- 3.11.7 Irrigation System -- 3.11.8 Humic and Amino Acids Treatment -- 3.12 Conclusions -- 3.13 Recommendations -- References -- 4 Heat Stress Tolerance, Challenges and Solutions -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Concepts Related to Heat Stress -- 4.2.1 Heat Stress -- 4.2.2 Vant Hoff Concept (Q10 Coefficient) -- 4.2.3 The Concept of Thermal Units -- 4.2.4 Daily Thermoperiodicity Concept -- 4.2.5 Seasonal Thermoperiodicity Concept -- 4.3 Heat Stress Impact on the Egyptian Agriculture Sector -- 4.4 Physiological and Biochemical Impacts of Heat Stress -- 4.5 Critical Periods of Crop Plants to Heat Stress -- 4.6 Nature of Resistance to Heat Stress -- 4.6.1 Heat Avoidance -- 4.6.2 Heat Tolerance (Thermotolerance) -- 4.7 Classification of Crop Plants According to Temperature -- 4.7.1 Cold Season Crops -- 4.7.2 Hot Season Crops. , 4.8 Is It Possible to Mitigate Extreme Heat Stress on Crop Plants? How Crop Plants Can Deal with Heat Stress? -- 4.8.1 Traits Relevant to Heat Stress Tolerance -- 4.8.2 Breeding Achievements -- 4.9 Biotechnology -- 4.9.1 Molecular Markers -- 4.9.2 Gene Transfer and Tissue Culture Technology -- 4.10 Agronomic Practices -- 4.10.1 Sowing Date -- 4.10.2 Fertigation -- 4.10.3 Intercropping -- 4.11 Conclusions -- 4.12 Recommendations -- References -- 5 Environmental Pollution Tolerance in Crop Plants -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Source of Pollutants -- 5.2.1 Natural Resources -- 5.2.2 An Unnatural Source -- 5.3 Tolerance to Air Pollutants -- 5.4 Tolerance to Heavy Metals Pollutants -- 5.5 Damage Mechanisms of Heavy Metals and Effects on Crop Plants -- 5.6 Water Pollution -- 5.7 Stress-Sensing in Plants -- 5.8 Resistance Mechanisms of Crop Pants to Environmental Pollutants -- 5.9 Morpho-Physiological and Biochemical Characters Related to Environmental Pollutants Tolerance -- 5.9.1 Morphological Characters -- 5.9.2 Physiological Characters -- 5.9.3 Biochemical Characters -- 5.10 Genetic System and Nature of Gene Action Controlling Inheritance of Environmental Pollutants Tolerance -- 5.11 Role of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology in the Development of Cultivars Tolerant to Environmental Pollutants -- 5.11.1 Breeding Methods -- 5.11.2 Biotechnology -- 5.12 Procedures for Pollution Control -- 5.12.1 Air Pollutants -- 5.12.2 Heavy Metals -- 5.13 Conclusions -- 5.14 Recommendations -- References -- 6 Rapid Screening Wheat Genotypes for Tolerance to Heavy Metals -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Materials and Methods -- 6.3 Results -- 6.3.1 Influence of Heavy Metals on Germination -- 6.3.2 Influence of Heavy Metals on Root Characteristics -- 6.3.3 Influence of Heavy Metals on Shoot Characteristics -- 6.3.4 Phytotoxicity Index -- 6.3.5 Tolerance Index -- 6.4 Conclusions. , 6.5 Recommendation -- References -- 7 Performance, Adaptability and Stability of Promising Bread Wheat Lines Across Different Environments -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Materials and Methods -- 7.2.1 Plant Materials and Experimental Layout -- 7.2.2 Statistical Analysis -- 7.3 Results and Discussion -- 7.3.1 Analysis of Variance -- 7.3.2 Mean Performance of Wheat Genotypes Under Different Environments -- 7.3.3 Tolerance Index (TOL) -- 7.3.4 Phenotypic Stability Analysis -- 7.3.5 Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction Method (AMMI) -- 7.4 Conclusions -- 7.5 Recommendations -- References -- 8 Effect of Salt Stress on Physiological and Biochemical Parameters of African Locust Bean {Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) Benth.} Cell Suspension Culture -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Materials and Methods -- 8.2.1 Plant Material -- 8.2.2 Establishment of Cell Suspension Culture Under Salt Stress Conditions -- 8.2.3 Effect of Salt Stress on Ions Uptake of Parkia biglobosa Cell Suspension Culture -- 8.2.4 Effect of Salt Stress on Proline Content of Parkia biglobosa Cell Suspension Culture -- 8.2.5 Electrophoretic Analysis: (Biochemical Markers) -- 8.2.6 Chemical Analysis -- 8.2.7 Statistical Analysis -- 8.3 Results and Discussions -- 8.3.1 Establishment of Parkia biglobosa Cell Suspension Culture Under Salt Stress Conditions (NaCl) -- 8.3.2 Effect of Different Concentrations of NaCl on Ions Uptake (Na+, K+, Ca2+, P3+ and N3+) of P. biglobosa Cell Suspension Culture -- 8.3.3 Effect of Different Concentration of NaCl on Proline Content of Parkia biglobosa Cell Suspension Culture -- 8.3.4 Electrophoretic Analysis -- 8.3.5 Chemical Analysis -- 8.4 Conclusions -- 8.5 Recommendations -- 8.6 Acknowledgments -- References -- Part IIIRecent Approaches for Biotic Stress Tolerance -- 9 Varietal Differences and Their Relation to Brown Rot Disease Resistance in Potato. , 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Survey the Causal Organism of Potato Brown Rot Disease Ralstonia solanacearum in Weeds -- 9.3 Isolation of R. solanacearum from Different Potato, Weeds and Irrigation Water -- 9.4 Identification of R. solanacearum -- 9.4.1 Traditional Methods -- 9.4.2 Molecular Biology Techniques -- 9.4.3 Pathogenicity Test -- 9.5 Varietal Differences in Relation to Brown Rot Disease Resistance -- 9.6 Effect of Plant Extracts on R. solanacearum Growth in Vitro -- 9.7 Conclusions -- 9.8 Recommendations -- References -- 10 Effect of Soil Type and Crop Rotation on the Causal Agent of Potato Brown Rot Disease Under Egyptian Condition -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 Effect of Soil Type on Potato Brown Rot Disease Caused by Ralstonia solanacearum -- 10.3 Effect of Soil PH on Persistence of Potato Brown Rot Disease Caused by Ralstonia solanacearum -- 10.4 Effect of Crop Rotation on Potato Brown Rot Disease -- 10.5 Influence the Persistence of Ralstonia solanacearum by Different Plant Species and Habitats -- 10.6 Conclusions -- 10.7 Recommendations -- References -- 11 Advanced Methods in Controlling Late Blight Disease in Potatoes -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Backgrounds Economic -- 11.3 The Late Blight Disease -- 11.4 The Pathogen -- 11.5 Diagnose the Disease -- 11.5.1 Traditional Methods -- 11.5.2 DNA Markers -- 11.5.3 Diagnosis Remotely -- 11.5.4 Bioinformatics -- 11.6 Control Methods -- 11.6.1 Chemical Methods -- 11.6.2 Resistant Cultivars -- 11.6.3 Alternatives of Fungicides -- 11.7 Conclusions -- 11.8 Recommendations -- References -- 12 Developing Rust Resistance of Wheat Genotypes Under Egyptian Conditions -- 12.1 Introduction -- 12.2 Types of Wheat Rusts -- 12.3 Economic Importance -- 12.3.1 Losses in Yield and Grain Quality -- 12.4 Race Analyses -- 12.4.1 Yellow Rust -- 12.4.2 Leaf Rust -- 12.4.3 Stem Rust -- 12.5 Genetic Variability. , 12.6 Genetic System and Genes Responsible Resistance.