Iranian Journal of Range and Desert Research
Year:2023 | Volume:30 | Issue:1|Papers Count:10

The presentation of management models in the natural area is of great importance due to the large extent and inaccessibility of the whole surface. In this regard, Imam Kandi mountain rangelands were targeted for presenting a spatial-ecological model. Homogeneous ecological units were prepared by incorporating layers of elevation, slope, geographical orientation and plant types. Considering the ecological and environmental characteristics of each homogeneous ecological unit and considering the criteria and index for evaluating rangeland utilization, we evaluated the power and suitability of using rangelands. According to the range condition and trend of the rangeland, the rangeland method and grazing systems were presented for each of the classes. Based on the results of 23 homogeneous ecological units, it was identified that many of them belong to rangeland lands with grades 1 to 3. Accordingly, equilibrium range management was considered in 26.9% (244.4 ha) of rangelands with good condition and class 1 power. In 37.4% (346.4 hectares) with moderate condition and class 2 power, natural range management was recommended. Artificial range management or range improvement were recommended for 35.7% (329.9 ha) of poor and class 3 land. In order to prevent erosion and increase forage production, artificial range management was recommended for abandoned fields. The results indicate that application of spatial-ecological model and consequently identification of ecological homogeneous zones as management and planning units at macro level as a cost-effective method, in addition to assessing rangelands power, can enable rangeland management in proposing the rangeland method and grazing systems and assist in localization of range improvement operations.

One of the problems in the field of biological restoration of the wetlands of deserts is the lack of diversity of species compatible with existing conditions and how establishment. Natural potential of moist margin of salt lake in Kashan during a research project entitled "Geochemistry and vegetation cover characteristics of Iranian wetland margins for their biological recovery (identification of habitat potential)" were identified and were zoned areas with different salinity and groundwater levels. Using the information of the above design, in order to enrich the species diversity and biological regeneration of the wet margin of salt lake, the establishment of 6 species of Suaeda fruticosa, Halostachys caspica, Atriplex halimus, Salsola imbricata, Halocnemum strobilaceum, Aeluropus littoralis, based on Complete randomized blocks were studied under species in 3 replicates. In this regard, after collecting the seeds of above mentioned species and determining the genus, they cultivate at the arid and desert areas research station of Kashan, and then cultivate according to the plan of the project implementation. The main trait was evaluated for survival percentage, but traits such as height and diameter of the canopy were also measured during the 5 years of the project. The results were analyzed in SPSS environment and it was determined that H.strobilaceum, S.fruticosa, H.caspica, S.imbricata were 5.67, 5.11, 5.56 and 4.9, each with the highest survival has been implementing the plan for the last 5 years. Considering the high nutritional value and favorable palatability for the camel, it is recommended to cultivate in the wet margin of the salt lake for prevent wind erosion and dust.

Forage production is the main product of rangeland and a valuable tangible commodity whose economic valuation in rehabilitated rangelands, due to its direct use for grazing and livestock production, can play an important role in management planning. In this regard, the present study was conducted with the aim of economic evaluation of forage production of regenerated rangelands in arid areas in Sarbisheh City in west Khorasan province. For this purpose, the plantation projects in the west of this city were selected as Hosseinabad, Nazdasht, and Jannatabad. Then, while determining the representative area in each project, three 300- meter transects at a distance of 10 meters were established in a random-systematic manner, and during each transect produced this year, the species used for livestock were harvested by cutting and weighing. After drying the plant samples and weighing each sample, taking into account the palatability and preference value, the allowable utilization limit was determined, and the amount of available forage was determined. The hedonic method was used for the economic evaluation of forage production. For this purpose, first, a regression relationship between livestock input prices and TDN was extracted. Then, by including the TDN of rangeland species in each project, using the metabolic energy data of the National Plan for Determining the Forage Quality of Rangeland Plants, the economic value of forage production was determined. The results showed that the price of each kilogram of fodder is 10466.5 Tomans. Based on this, the economic value of forage for each hectare of rehabilitated rangelands was 318223 Tomans, and the total economic value for the rehabilitated rangelands studied was estimated to be 1,386,498,185 Tomans. The results of this study can further reveal the role of investment in rangeland and even be used to provide new solutions for the financial participation of the government and farmers. Of course, in addition to the environmental economics of rangelands, it is necessary to pay attention to their performance and ecological potential to achieve the goal of both users and managers and experts of natural resources in the long run.

Rangelands are ecosystems with various services and functions in addition to providing forage. Among the most important uses that can be made of rangeland are tourism, livestock grazing, and beekeeping. In this study, livestock grazing, tourism in customary systems, beekeeping, and exploitation of medicinal plants in the Lar Absar rangeland of Mazandaran were studied, and the suitability of the rangeland for each type of use was scored. Rangeland management methods and grazing systems were presented according to the condition and orientation of the rangeland and taking into account soil limiting factors. Then, the priority of using the rangelands was determined for each of them. Expenses, income, and net profit for each type of use were calculated based on market day conditions and the exchange rate in 1400 for 100 days. The results showed that livestock grazing is one of the appropriate exploitations in Lar Absar rangeland, and the best grazing livestock (according to vegetation and environmental factors) is sheep. Some types of plants can be well managed by using the natural grazing method and another part of the rangelands with the balanced grazing method and intermittent and delayed grazing systems in order to increase the level of productivity and improve the condition of the rangelands and with a plan for the productivity of the management. It is possible to properly and cheaply manage the rangelands of this system and improve its plant composition. The results showed that if livestock grazing is done in the rangelands, 42. 7 million Tomans of income will be grazed, and tourism, beekeeping, and extraction of medicinal plants will be implemented. Around 380 million Tomans (15200 $) will be added to the ranger income. This increase in income can improve the livelihood of the user. In rangeland, fencing, beekeeping, the use of hives, and medicinal use, the machine for harvesting medicinal plants is recommended.

With the multi-purpose use of rangelands, grazing pressure in rangelands can be reduced and an important step can be taken to preserve rangeland ecosystems and improve related ecosystem services. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the priority of multi-purpose use of vegetation in Koohrang mountain rangeland in terms of livestock grazing, beekeeping and exploitation of medicinal plants. For this purpose, the class of each plant species for different types of use was determined and by comparing different classes and considering the good species (class I and II plants) for livestock grazing; the priority of using any was determined. Finally, based on the share of types of use for the total number of plant species in the plant composition, it was decided on the type of multi-purpose use of vegetation. Based on the results, 178 plant species belonging to 32 families and 138 genera are distributed in the plant composition of the region. In terms of livestock grazing, respectively 11.79, 29.21, 48.31and 10.67 percent of the species have palatable class I, II, Ш grazable and Ш non-grazable. For beekeeping, attractive species for beekeeping include plants with good attractiveness (Class I), medium attractiveness (Class II), low attractiveness (Class III usable) and plants without attractiveness (Class III unused), respectively 11.79, 49.94, 4.44 and 38.76 percentage of species in plant composition. Oral and medicinal species, contain about 50% of the plant composition, which respectively 19.10, 16.85,12.92 and 50 percentage of species have usefulness classes I, II, Ш pharmaceutically usable and Ш non-pharmacologically useful. Meanwhile, 18.53% of medicinal plants can be grazed on livestock and are in class I and II in terms of livestock grazing. In total, 18.53percent of medicinal plants can be grazed and are in food grade I and II in terms of grazing. The results show that the use of medicinal plants is effective in the livelihood of beneficiaries and according to the phenology of plant species and rangeland segmentation, vegetation can be used in the context of multi-purpose use.

In order to determinating of the grazing behavior tali goat as dominant livestock, this investigation was done from 2007 for 4 years in Sirik rangeland of Hormozgan province. Parameters examined in this study included time arrival and departure of livestock from pastures, daily distance traveled by livestock, livestock path in the rangeland considering the slope, livestock speed (mean and maximum) and the time spent for livestock rest, grazing and movement per day. To determine the parameters, Garmin GPS was used on the back of a 4- year-old ewe using a special belt. After livestock exit from the fold, GPS was active and at the end of the day all recorded data were extracted by Mod-track in Ilwis software. The livestock path was determined by shepherd. The results of livestock grazing behavior in the months of the grazing season for the four years studied showed that there was a significant difference between average mileage and grazing time in different years and for the months of the grazing season, all behaviors except mileage. The average speed of livestock was 2.65 km / h, the distance traveled was 12.8 km and the grazing time was 4 hours and 49 minutes. Also, during the study years, 44 to 45% of the time when livestock was moving in the pasture was dedicated to grazing. It is worth mentioning that the information extracted from the correlation of GPS livestock route map with the slope map of the region showed that in all five months during the years under review, all distance traveled by livestock is in the slope class of 0-8%.

Fires occur as a threatening factor in natural resources on a large scale every year. This study aimed to determine the quantitative of fire effects on rangeland plants and determine the resistance of different rangeland species to fire to rehabilitate rangeland areas. This research was conducted in the rangeland site of Kaboudeh Olya village of Kermanshah province. This site was burned in 2016. A control rangeland with similar ecological characteristics and topography was selected in the adjacency of the burned site. Then, by determining the area of burn and control and using Random-Systematic Method, four 50-meter transects and 10 fixed 1×1 plots were established during three years (2017-2019). Statistics and evaluation of density, forage production, canopy cover, condition, and tendency of rangelands were done. Data were analyzed by SPSS software, and the means were compared with the Duncan test at a 5% level. The results showed a significant difference between control and fire treatments at 1%. Perennial grasses and herbaceous forbs in control and fire areas had a significant mean difference for density and canopy cover at 1%. Fire is affected perennial grasses and forbs by reducing the average canopy and production and indicates the sensitivity of this form to fire. The vegetative form of bushes had a significant difference at 1% for density and 5% for crown coverage in the two fields of control and fire. In the field of fire, the density, canopy, and production of bush plants had decreased. The fire had changed the species composition, removed or reduced the density and biomass of bushes and shrub plants. On the contrary, the fire caused an increase in the density, canopy cover, and production in annual grass and herbaceous plants. Fire-resistant species included perennial grass (Hordeum bulbosum and Elymus hispidus).

Lathyrus is the largest genus in the economically important tribe Fabeae. It is used for many purposes in animal feed, planting in low-yield lands, cold resistance, water shortage, and increasing soil fertility. To evaluate the yield and morphological traits of 44 accessions of six species of the genus Lathyrus including one accession of L. aphaca var. aphaca, seven accessions of L. cassius, one accession of L. chloranthus, two accessions of L. cicera, 22 accessions of L. inconspicuus and nine accessions of L. sativus, were studied as a randomized complete block design with three replications at Alborz Research Station in Karaj. The results showed that there was a significant difference between L. cassius and L. inconspicuus accessions in morphological characteristics except for flowering time and seed maturity. The studied populations of L. sativus in addition to flowering time and seed maturity did not show diversity in plant dry weight, biomass production, and pod characteristics. The field potential of 44 accessions of the six studied species with different geographical origins under constant field conditions showed no relationship with their geographical origin. Thus, it can be stated that the similarity between the accessions is not due to their geographical origin, and the natural distribution of Lathyrus species has been separated by crop cultivars. However, the observed diversity suggests that genetic improvement is potentially possible through crossbreeding and selection. Then the simultaneous appearance of two traits of high biomass yield and taller plant height in an accession was recognized as a distinguishing feature, and accessions with the above characteristics can be used as parents.

The loss of vegetation and the prevalence of decay in Artemisia habitats due to climate change and management factors necessitate the need to focus on a conservation approach in the management of these ecosystems. In this regard, the effect of the conservation approach (exclosure with a history of 30 years) on the structural components of vegetation, soil characteristics, and values of numerical indicators of species diversity in the Artemisia habitats of the Dehno-Bardsir region was investigated. For this purpose, vegetation sampling was performed during the growing season of 2013 inside 45 two-square-meter plots located along three transects of 150 meters, inside and outside the enclosed area. Within each plot, the percentage of canopy cover of species was estimated and the number of their bases was counted based on the percentage of canopy cover of species, indices of species diversity were calculated. Along each of the transects, a composite soil sample was taken from a depth of 0-30, and their physical and chemical properties were measured. Based on the results, in terms of canopy cover percentage, only in the case of Stipa arabica, there was a significant difference between enclosed and non-enclosed areas. In terms of the number of bases per hectare, there was only a significant difference between Zygophyllum atriplicoides and Stipa arabica, and in terms of presence only between Artemisia sieberi, Stipa arabica, and Zygophyllum atriplicoides, there was a significant difference inside and outside the enclosure. In sum, the exclosure will cause Stipa arabica to dominate the area. There was no significant difference between soil properties (percentage of clay, silt, and sand, electrical conductivity, acidity of saturated mud, amount of lime, calcium, magnesium, and sodium) in the two places. The amount of species richness in the enclosure area (with 21 species) was higher than in the grazing area (with 16 species). The values of Simpson and Shannon-Weiner indices also indicate no difference between the two places for evenness and heterogeneity of vegetation. What is certain is that the results of three decades of exclosure showed that the process of vegetation change in the valleys of arid regions is slow. Applying a conservation approach in such ecosystems will be effective in the long run

One of the functions of rangeland ecosystems is to prevent soil erosion and increase nutrient retention capacity. The present study was conducted to highlight the effect of Rangelands degradation on the preservation of Mg, Ca, N, P, and K elements in the soil and emphasize the role of rangeland plants in preventing the wastage of these elements in the rangelands of the Salman watershed in Qom. For this purpose, a sample was taken from the soil of the habitat in each work unit, in the classes of poor and good rangeland conditions, representing degraded and non-degraded rangeland, respectively. Then, the amount of eroded soil was determined from each unit using the modified PSIAC (MPSIAC) model. In the following, the amount of loss of nutrients using the results of soil analysis and related relationships, was calculated and based on the replacement cost method; by estimating the alternative fertilizer, the monetary value of maintaining nutrients by the ecosystem was calculated. The results showed that the destruction of the rangeland ecosystems of the region causes erosion equivalent to 35.68 tons per hectare per year, which damages the functional services of the ecosystem at an annual cost of 11.6 billion rials (11606427781 rials) by reducing the nutrients of the soil. Also, each hectare of good rangelands in the region can prevent the loss of nutrients with an approximate value of 335.6 thousand rials. The results indicate the effective role of the rangeland ecosystem in controlling erosion and preventing the loss of soil nutrients. What is certain to emphasize more the role of rangeland ecosystems in soil erosion control; it is recommended that are also estimated the amount of soil erosion by other common methods, such as the global model of soil erosion (USLE), EPM, etc., and the results are compared with each other in future research.