Journal of Rangeland
Year:2018 | Volume:12 | Issue:2 |Papers Count:13

This study aimed to compare the ecological amplitudes of Trifolium repens and Phlomis cancellata using HOF function along some environmental gradients in rangelands of Glandrood watershed – Mazandaran province. A randomized-systematic approach was used to collect frequency of Trifolium repens and Phlomis cancellata in 153 plots of 1m2 along the elevation gradient. Soil samples were collected from 0-20 cm in each plot and their pH, N, EC, organic matter, organic carbon and soil texture were measured. HOF function was used with binomial distribution function to provide response curves of the species and identify their optimum ecological condition. The data were analyzed using R ver. 3. 0. 2 software. The results indicated that the two species had different ecological amplitude. Trifolium repens occurs in elevation range of 2125-2975 m and its optimum elevation was 2125 m. Phlomis cancellata appeared from 2184 to 2975 m but its optimum elevation was 2246 m. The response curve of Phlomis cancellata to the elevation was unimodal and asymmetric but it had monotonically decreasing trend for Trifolium repens.

Saline lands around Urmia Lake with an area of 353150 hectares located in the West Azerbaijan and East Azerbaijan provinces. In this study, the vegetation types of salt marshes around Urmia Lake were studied using the Braun-Blanquet method. Phyto-sociological data were analyzed using Factorielle des Correspondances Analyse (AFC) and Classification Ascendant Hierarchique (CAH) methods, using the Anaphyto software. In general, 16 plant associations were identified in this area. The results revealed that during the 21 years from 1995 to 2015 about 67. 3 percent of plant associations were replaced by other plant associations compared to 1995. The study of canopy cover percentage showed that canopy cover decreased at least 10. 4 percent in the Halanthietum rarifolii association and a maximum of 73. 3 percent in the Iridetum musulmanicae association compared to 1998.

Evaluating patch dynamics in response to various grazing management and environmental condition in arid and semi-arid regions are important for assessing rangeland condition. This study aimed to study the changes in patch types and sizes in four years period under three grazing intensities in Semirom semi-arid rangeland. Length, width, height, and distance between plants patches were measured along the established transects in three sites with low, moderate and high grazing pressure. The plant patch dynamic was calculated based on the Riemann mathematical approach and simulated using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) method in Matlab software. The results showed that the patch attributes were significantly different between various sites with different grazing intensities (p <0. 05). The plant patches dynamic along the grazing gradient reduced from high grazing pressure site to low grazing pressure site. Assessing the rangeland condition and trend over 10 years in this area also confirms these results.

Satellite images and calculated vegetation indices can be used to increase the accuracy of vegetation cover percentage mapping and reduce the time of sampling. This study was conducted to compare the results of line transect, quadrat and step-point methods with remote sensing indices in Abbas Abad (Tarikdarreh) rangelands in Hamedan province. Landsat OLI images of the study area dated on 3rd May 2015 were processed. Different vegetation indices such as NDVI, SAVI, TNDVI, RVI, SQRT, and DVI were calculated using red and near-infrared bands in five vegetation types. Vegetation cover percentage was measured using three sampling methods including line transect, quadrat, and step-point. The correlations of the ground data and remote sensing vegetation indices were measured using correlation and regression techniques. NDVI values were used to produce regression models for predicting vegetation cover percentage of the three different sampling methods because this index had higher correlation with ground data. In the next step, vegetation cover percentage maps were produced. The accuracy of the maps was calculated using the kappa coefficient. Results indicated that the accuracy of the maps created based on field data of the transect method was 90% and higher than the two other methods. Additionally, the percentage cover of the five vegetation types had a higher correlation with NDVI in the transect method compard to quadrat and step-point methods.

Severe grazing may lead to degradation of rangeland ecosystems. Grazing exclusion cannot be considered as an appropriate management practice in all rangeland ecosystems because of its social consequences. This study aimed to evaluate rangeland suitability for livestock grazing using a multi-criteria approach. We selected and weighted various criteria including climate, topography, soil, resources, conservational parameters, and accessibility using Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP). The proposed model was tested in summer rangelands of Jahan-Nama protected area in Golestan Province. Available forage, distance to water resources and accessibility were identified as the most to least important factors to specify appropriate places for grazing respectively. According to the results, Astragalus-Stipa-Onobrychis and Artemisia-Bromus-Cousinia vegetation types had the highest and smallest “ high suitability” class for grazing respectively. Results indicated that 62. 22% of Artemisia-Stipa-Festuca vegetation type had “ unsuitable” class for grazing. The result also showed that 2053 ha of the study area had “ high-suitability” class and 4741 ha fell in “ unsuitable-class” for grazing purposes. This method has good potential to locate appropriate places for grazing and can be used for sustainable utilization planning in rangelands.

Evaluating the effectiveness of implemented range management plans is highly required to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the plans and improve their effectiveness. This study aimed to evaluate range management plans, conducted in summer rangelands of Sajadrud – Mazandaran province in 2016. This study was conducted based on quantitative and qualitative approaches in 6 range sites with and without a range management plan. The questionnaire was used for evaluating range management plans and their financial assessment based on ranchers point of views. We also evaluate the effects of these plans on forage production and vegetation cover in the sites. Results indicated that vegetation cover and forage production in the sites with range management plans increased 10. 9 and 26. 1 respectively compared to the sites with no plans. Average profit per livestock for ranchers in range sites with and without the project plans were 29470 and 22130 Rials respectively. Ranchers believed that range management plans increased their income considerably. Low awareness of the ranchers about the objectives of the plan, range sites with multiple users, lack of sufficient training before and after implementation of rangeland plans, and rancher’ s insufficient knowledge are among the reasons that the ranchers get disappointed from implementation and protection of the plan. The range management plans can only be successful if we give the managers the ability to use a holistic management approach with consideration of all rangeland potential.

Investigating the level of willingness to pay and assessing ecosystem services are among fundamental steps for achieving sustainable development. This study aimed to assess the local stakeholders’ willingness to pay for preserving and restoring of Rameh rangelands, Aradan district of Semnan province using the logit model. The number of questionnaires was determined 67 by using Michael and Carson's relationship, but to improve the results, 120 questionnaires were completed. We proposed 15, 000 Rials as an initial value for willingness to pay for the conservation and rehabilitation of rangelands by local stakeholders based on a pre-test. The final willingness to pay was 81530 Rials based on the conditional valuation method and the completion of a two-dimensional questionnaire. The logit model determined the factors that affect the probability of accepting the proposed amount. Results indicated that the size of proposed amount, age, gender, occupation, education, proposition (moralization or interest-seeking), the number of visitors and family’ s income could be effective on the probability of accepting the proposed amount for protecting the Ramah rangelands.

Patchy vegetation is the main characteristic of arid and semi-arid lands. Gaps between patches in some cases are covered with biological soil crust such as lichens and these crusts have important ecological roles such as influence on germination and plant survival. In this research, effects of lichens as an important biological crust on the germinations of some rangeland species were investigated in Golestan national parks. Seeds of 4 plant species including Stipa caucasica, Bromus tectorum, Melica ciliate, and Taeniatherum caput-medusae were collected and in a laboratory experiment effects of live lichen and removed lichen versus control were studied on germination percentage and speed (T50) of these species. Results showed that germination percentage of Stipa caucasica and B. tectorum had significant differences among treatments and mean germination percentage of B. tectorum, M. ciliata, S. caucasica and T. caput-medusae were 86. 4, 95. 47, 51. 2 and 94. 13 percent respectively. Germination speed of S. caucasica, M. ciliata and T. caput-medusae varied significantly and the mean germination speeds of B. tectorum, M. ciliata, S. caucasica and T. caput-medusae were 0. 57, 2. 62, 6. 06 and 2. 75 days.

Land degradation is known as an important global problem due to its influence on the sustainability of agricultural productions. This problem became more serious in developing countries due to their increasing population pressures on land and the patterns of resource use. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of agricultural activities on soil properties and land degradation in Khatam City, Yazd province. Soil, elevation and land use maps were produced using ArcGIS9. 3 and ENVI software. Four dominant land use classes in the study area were mono-culture irrigated land, multi-culture irrigated land, orchard lands and rangelands (control treatment). Soil samples were collected and their SAR, salinity and acidity in surface and sub-soil layers were measured. Evaluating the factors in a split plot design showed that there is significant differences between soil properties in various land uses. Results indicated that mono-culture and multi-culture agriculture lands were less disturbed compared to the other land uses due to their appropriate management condition. The soil properties of rangeland were in poor condition and may cause desertification in future.

Identifying the most appropriate method to assess the functional status of rangelands can assist managers to evaluate degradation and appropriately interpret changes in the ecosystems. This study aimed to determine the structure and function characteristics of range places with various range health classes using Landscape Function Analysis (LFA). A stratified random sampling method was used based on distance from villages and watering points to select four range places, including grazing excluded area (as reference) and three range places with various grazing intensities in Meidanak, Fereidoonshar, Isfahan. Range health status was assessed in the reference area and the variations of the 17 measured indicators in each range places from reference area condition were used to obtain three ecosystem function indices including soil and site stability, hydrologic function, and integrity of the biotic community of each range place in May 2015. Nine transects with 30 m length were established randomly in each range place along the overall slope. The length and width of all the ecological patch types and the length of inter-patch were measured along the established transects. Eleven soil surface indicators with three replications were measured in each patch and inter-patch areas to calculate the stability, infiltration and nutrient cycling of the range places. According to the results, range health conditions of range places with low, moderate and high grazing pressure were assessed as "healthy", “ at risk” and "unhealthy", respectively. Although most of the structural indices (patch length, total patch area, patch area index, cover percentage, and bare soil percentage) and functional indices (stability, infiltration and nutrient cycling) in "health" and "unhealthy" range places sites varied significantly (α = 5%), these indices did not differ significantly between "at risk" with "unhealthy" and "healthy" range places. The results of this study highlighted the influence of grazing management on soil surface function and range health status.