Journal of Rangeland
Year:2016 | Volume:10 | Issue:1|Papers Count:13

Various management practices have been used to enhance rangeland condition and trends. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of range reclamation plans on forage supply, range condition and trend in Khezel rangelands -Nahavand region in 2014. Forage supply, condition and trend changes of eight management units (samaneh orfi) under range management plans and four management units without such a plan were studied and compared using T-test analysis. Vegetation characteristics in each site were measured in 30 quadrates with one square meters plots along 50 meters transect parallel to the dominant slope. According to the results, all treated rangelands showed considerable positive changes in range condition but the measured characteristics in Goornasib and Sertezen sites did not differ significantly because no treatment applied. Forage supply of sites with range management plans increased significantly compared to control sites (p˂0.05) except Abolfath and Faresban sites. The forage production varied considerably between the sites.The maximum and minimum productions in the sites were observed in Siah-Dare with 560 kg/ha and Dolat-Abad with 240 Kg/ha respectively. Positive trends were observed in all the treated sites. This study indicated that implementing range management plans can enhance forage production, range condition and trend therfore it can conserve rangeland sustainability in the long term.

It is essential to implement rangeland rehabilitation plans to enhance rangeland condition and to support the livelihoods of the land users, particularly rural livestock holders. This case study aimed to explore the factors affecting the imbalance of livestock numbers and rangeland carrying capacities and evaluate the impacts of rangeland management projects on forage production in the rural areas of the Mahneshan Township of the Zanjan Province. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews, participatory observations, rangelands document analysis. Finally data were analyzed using the coding, content analysis and sentences and phrases categorization techniques. Rangelands were utilized and managed communally and based on national rangeland allocation.Household livelihoods mostly depended on rangeland grazing and despite a small number of livestock per household capita, the average total number of livestock were 2.25 times more than the rangeland capacity. The rangeland management projects have not led to reduce livestock numbers in these rangelands. This can be explained by the high dependency of rural household livelihoods on livestock and rangeland utilization, lack of alternative livelihoods, lack of participatory approach in decision making process to select management policies and programmes. These projects can lead to a sustainable balance of livestock and rangeland capacity if these progarmes can be modified and adapted to recent range condition.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of livestock grazing and the invasion of Stachys byzantina as an increaser species on species composition, functional groups and species richness and diversity. The vegetation data were collected from critical area, key area and invaded grassland by S. byzantine in northern slopes of Alborz mountain range. Results showed that the plant richness in these sites varies in some extent and 55 species were identified in critical areas, 85 in key areas and 67 in the invaded areas. Multivariate analysis showed that species composition in critical and invaded areas were different from that in the key areas. Palatable species such as Dactylis glomerata, Trifolium repens and Sanguisorba minor were more frequent in the invaded sites. The perennial species functional groups had ssignificantly lower cover percentage in critical areas (p˂0.05) compared to other sites. Results indicated that forbs functional groups were more frequent in the invaded areas. Grass species were more frequent in the key areas. Although Simpson diversity index was higher in the invaded sites compared to other sites, there was no significant difference between the species richness of the studied sites. The infested grassland by S. byzanthina can be effectively restored as there are many palatable species in vegetation composition.

Saline areas and marginal rangelands of some playas in Iran have important role to supply forage for livestock. This study was conducted to compare forage quality of four native halophyte and salt tolerant species including: Atriplex verruciferum, Halocnemum strobilaceum, Haloxylon persicum and Nitraria schoberi, collected from Meighan saline rangelands near Arak (Markazi province). Edible parts of aerial biomass of the species were collected in three phonological stages (vegetative growth, full flowering and seed ripening). Forage quality indices such as Crude Protein (CP), Dry Matter Digestibility (DMD), Dry Matter Intake (DMI), Metabolizable Energy (ME), Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF), Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) and Phosphorus (P) contents of the plant samples were measured. The results showed that the forage quality were different significantly between the species and various phonological stages (p<0.01). According to Duncan mean separation test, the interaction effects of phonological stages and plant species on quality indices were also significant. In most of species, the CP, DMD and ME were decreased with progressing phonological stages while ADF and NDF increased. Nitraria schoberi had the highest CP (32.42%) in vegetative stage while Haloxylon persicum had the lowest CP (11.06%) in seed ripening stage. The Relative Feeding Values of Nitraria schoberi and Atriplex verruciferum were exhibited the highest and lowest values respectively (RFV=529.77 versus RFV=217.4). Overall results indicated that, although the forage qualities of these halophytes species are promising, supplementary feeding especially phosphorus is required for livestock feeding.

This study was conducted to investigate whether different livestock grazing intensities and exclusion could affect rangeland total carbon (C) storage in the Bijar protected area, Kurdistan. Carbon storage in above- and below-ground of samples collected from 1 m2 plots established along the 50 meters transects were measured. The results showed that the plant community composition has been gradually changed from perennial grasses (Festuca ovina and Bromus tomentellus) in exclusion to F. ovine and annual species (Vaccaria pyramidata) in low grazing pressure and Artemisia sieberi and Aegilops sp in heavily grazed sites. The biomass C storage was also decreased significantly under livestock grazing conditions (P<0.05). The total biomass C storages in moderate and heavy livestock grazing pressure were decreased by 45.6 and 75.5 percent compared to exclusion area. Result showed that organic carbon in grazing exclusion area was 189.1 ton/ha, in low grazing area 107.4 ton/ha and in heavily grazed sites 46.4 ton/ha. We also found that more than 98% of total C sequestration occurred in soil organic carbon content. The carbon content in below ground biomass was also greater than above ground biomass. Our results also suggest that 43-year continuous moderate and heavy livestock grazing result to 1.9 and 3.3 ton/ha decrease in organic carbon content per year.

Flood spreading has been identified as an effective method to improve soil fertility, recharging groundwater, restoring vegetation condition and combating desertification. Identifying the rate of changes under this treatment has great value for restoration programs. The purpose of this study was to study the effects of flood irrigation on the soil properties in Band-E-Alikhan area in Varamin.The study area is located in south part of Varamin, north of Masileh Plain and Salt Lake coast in Qom. Mixed soil samples were collected from the first, middle and the last plots established along the five transects with 50 meters length in both treated and control sites. Soil samples were also collected and compared from under canopy and bare soils in flood spreading area. Results of T test showed that the average percentage of organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and saturated water content and silt were increased and electrical conductivity, soil bulk density and clay content were decreased in flood spreading area compared to control site. Results also indicated that electrical conductivity, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, saturated water content, sand and clay content were increased and silt percentage was decreased under plant canopy compared to the bare soil areas. Therefore, it can be stated that establishing flood spreading system in the region has gradually increased the soil fertility.

Rural communities and nomadic pastoralists in Iran manage their livestocks in cooperation with one another. This mutual cooperation or the mutual-help plays an important role among the pastoralists. Survey methods such as direct observation, participant observation and interviews were used to produce qualitative data. This study encompasses several aspects of traditional indigenous knowledge, including analysis of traditional cooperative mechanism of milk-mates management practices based on synergy and its associated local traditions and beliefs. This study emphasizes on the seasonal contribution of rangeland stakeholders which plays an important role on usage and management of sheep dairy and milk production. In the subject of herd management, various social roles are present in the form of a social institution called "Chakanah", which are traditionally named: Sarchakanah, Chakanah, Taraz and shepherds. There is a social institution for the distribution of cattle milk among individuals called "Shir-Rafigh". This organization of pastoralists strengthens social ties and dairy processing productivity in terms of both self-utilization and market.

Many studies in recent years have investigated biodiversity at the level of individuals or species and less attention has been paid to the relationships of species to higher taxonomic levels. New indicators of taxonomic diversity by considering the relationships between species distribution at different levels of relatedness relative to other more conventional indicators of biodiversity provide more information for ecologist on the higher level of taxa. In this study using new indices of taxonomic diversity, was conducted on the taxonomic diversity and distinctness of plant species in six rangeland sites around Tehran province in the six taxonomic levels. The results showed that Saveh and Salafchegan allocated the most (D=67.8,D* =71.3) and the least (D=61.4, D*=64.4) taxonomic diversity and taxonomic distinctness indices, respectively. This means that there are a lot of high path along the phylogenetic tree species in Saveh site. The average index of taxonomic distinctness shows there are fewer orders for entire families and species in Salafchegan (Δ+=65.2). Results indicated that Salafchegan, Alborz and Damavand sites compared with Saveh, Firouzkouh and Semnan sites had more relative speciation and heterogeneous evolutionary structures. In other words, large part of these sites often has gathered asymmetrical in small number of families. In general taxonomic diversity indices along with other species diversity indices can be used to assess more complete and more comprehensive view of biodiversity and ecosystem process particularly in rangelands community analyses.

Traditional knowledge is produced in interaction and coordination of local people (villagers, nomads and forest residents) with their environments. Local and native people achieve their traditional knowledge via controlling and fitting themselves with their surrounding environment. In this research, we evaluate the social structure and traditional ecological knowledge of Mohammad Soleimani's nomads Esfandagheh of Jiroft County. Special attentions were paid to evaluate the role of traditional knowledge to improve social and economic conditions of ranchers. A qualitative approach was used based on depth interviews and data collections about rangeland services. The concluding remarks of the interviews indicated that range mangers can determine sequential grazing parcells, manage livestock spatial distribution and herd path and determine the appropriate watering point. They can manage to utilize the rangeland uniformly by night grazing, adjusting rotation and halting grazing period. The results of this study showed that some individuals in a tribe have special role and perform specific tasks. Head of tribe, head of branch, head of ranch, rancher and rancher friend have specific roles in flock management.Their housing materials are made from local materials, such as Kapar, Kawar and black tent. It can be concluded that pastoralist's traditional ecological knowledge plays an important role in land sustainability and can be considered as a basis for development and sustainable livelihoods in the tribal areas.

Information about the characteristics and production fluctuations of plants with high nutritional value in grazing period are required for range management. The production and consumption of two important grasses were measured in the Semi-Steppe rangelands of Alamout mountain rangelands-Ghazvin. The same number of individuals from Agropyron trichophorum (Link) & Agropyron intermedium (Host) in enclosure and the grazed free area were selected and their production and consumption were measured during a four years period (from 1386 to 1389). The forage production and consumption of five plant individuals were measured inside and outside the enclosure in each month during the grazing season. The combined analysis of variance was used in a completely randomized design to analyze the data. According to the results, significant differences were observed between the monthly and yearly forage production and consumption (p˂0.05). The utilization ratio and peak consumption times of these species during the grazing season were also significantly different (p˂0.05).