Rangeland Science

Land use change as the most important destructive factor in natural ecosystems is a globally problem that changes soil properties. Therefore, correct management and recognition of change aspects on each component of the ecosystem is necessary. This process causes land destruction, ecosystem instability, soil erosion, and more biological threats. Due to increasing land use conversion from rangelands to dryland farming, the effect of this phenomenon was studied on soil chemical properties in three land uses such as protected rangeland, dryland farming and abandoned dryland in Kian rangelands in Lorestan province, Iran in 2016. Soil properties including Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), and lime were compared between three land uses in two depths of 0-20 cm and 20-50 cm. Results showed that land use changes significantly affect these soil properties. In dryland farming, SOC was reduced in comparison to rangeland by 42% and 52% in the first and second depths, ...

Rangeland ploughing and cultivation using dry land farming crops may be amajor reason for the destruction of natural resources in the semiarid and sub-humid regionswhich may significantly change the composition and reduce the stability of the affectedcommunities. In present research, an abandoned ploughed site was compared with a nearbyreference site in the semiarid rangelands of Baharkish, Quchan, Iran in spring and summerof 2010. Frequency and canopy cover of all plant species were recorded within 40quadrates of 1m2 area. Simpson, Shannon-Weiner, Hill and Macintosh indices forbiodiversity, Margalof and Menhening for richness and Camargo, Simpson, Modified Nee,Smith and Wilson for evenness were used. Floristic composition, plant life forms, andimportant value of major plant species were compared with respect to the sites. Landploughing and subsequent abandonment had increased total number of plant species(richness) but decreased the species heterogeneity (evenness). It resulted to ...

This study was carried out in Bale Eco-Region (BER) which is located in Southeastern Ethiopia with the objective of addressing the cause and effect of ecological damage, particularly rangeland degradation. Both purposive and stratified random sampling approaches were used to select HouseHolds (HH). Individual interview, key informants and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) were the main sources of data for this study. The livelihood activity in BER lowland area was pastoralism before 1965 and it was based on highly productive, vast and free Rangeland with unlimited movement of the pastoralists. In the low land of BER, migration has a destination, pattern and objective to meet. These destinations are sources of mineral, a breeding site, feed and water. Migration is used as strong seasonal disease, water and feed shortage escaping mechanism. However, this is currently changed to Agro-pastoral or some of them to crop production do different disturbances. The change was mainly aggravated by e...

There is an enormous stress on livelihood analysis of rural communities and their economies. Village common property resources (CPRs) have played a substantial economic role for the sustenance in rural areas of the drylands. The CPRs of drylands of western Rajasthan shows a varied range of habitats due to strong functional disparities in topographic, geomorphological, climatic, edaphic and physiographic characteristics. The situation is aggravated due to severe biotic pressure on local ecosystem exists due to overgrazing and anthropogenic activities. There is an interplay between rural communities and their dependency for livelihood on the CPRs. It is a well-known fact that CPRs, more or less, act as a village ecosystem service provider in the life and economy of the rural communities of the drylands of India. The main objective of the present study is to make an evaluation of the role of CPRs as a village ecosystem, emphasizing its functioning as a service provider and the socio-ec...

Undoubtedly, land degradation linked to desertification causes a decrease in qualitative and quantitative features of natural resources. This research aimed to assess land desertification by local residents and their role in controlling desertification in Isfahan province, Iran in 2016. The criteria were soil climate, vegetation, erosion, and demography. The indicators of soil texture, stone fragment, organic matter, soil depth, Electrical Conductivity (EC), soil drainage, soil slope, precipitation, evapotranspiration, aridity index, fire risk, erosion protection, drought resistance, plant cover percent, wind erosion, water erosion, land use, population density, grazing intensity, policy, and management. Some parameters include land use, DEM, NDVI, roads, springs, fire history data, stress intensity, tolerance, mean productivity, AUM index, lithology, morphology and relief, wind speed, soil characteristics, plant cover percent, wind erosion features, soil moisture, type and distribu...

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) has a high potential for forage production in both rangelands and cultivated rainfed areas of Iran. It is well adapted to semi-arid areas of west and north of country where annual rainfall is 250-350 mm. To study the seed and Dry Matter (DM) yield and agronomic traits, six genotypes of Lathyrus sativus L. and two genotypes of Lathyrus inconspicuous L. were provided by Natural Resources Gene Bank and sown in a randomized block design with three replications in rainfed area of Borujerd, Iran during spring 2011 and 2012. Data recorded included stem number per plant, pods number per plant, seed weight per plant, Dry Matter (DM) yield, seed yield, straw yield, 100 grains weight, flowering date, pod emergence date, maturity date and harvest index over two years. Results showed that the genotype 1554 with average values of 9328 kg ha -1 DM yield and 3053 kg ha -1 seed yield could be introduced as a promising genotype for cultivation in rainfed area of Boruje...

Fresh water supply and its security encounter a high level of fluctuating variability under global climate changes. To address these concerns in catchment water management, a good understanding of land use/cover impacts on the hydrological cycle affecting water supply is crucial. The objective of this study is to define a model to investigate the impact of existing land use/cover on water yielding in Mish-khas catchment of Zagros region, Ilam province, Iran. In this research, a water yield model of Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) was employed to estimate annual water yield in the catchments as a basic foundation for policy and decision making. The input data set included land use/cover layers of the region produced in 2016, average annual precipitation and potential evapotranspiration from 1986-2016, soil depth, plant available water content and land use/cover bio-physical database. Based on the results, total annual water yield was estimated 30.2 m...

Knowledge of physiological and environmental factors is important for foragegrass production. Festuca ovina is a grass species adapted to Azerbaijan region climate,Iran. This species is a valuable source for forage production and soil conservation.Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) are three most important plant nutrients.The aims of present study were to investigate the effects of super absorbance polymer andcattle manure on vegetation growth and soil NPK element of Festuca ovina under droughtstress. A split-plot design was used with drought stress as the main plot (control, -0.3 and-0.9 Mp) and polymer +fertilizer as the sub factor (T1: control, T2: 50 g manure, T3: 5 gpolymer, T4: 5 g polymer + 50g manure, T5: 10 g polymer, and T6: 10 g polymer + 50gmanure) in five replications. N, P and K contents of soil samples were determined beforeand after the experiment using Kjeldal, P-Olsen and flame photometer methods. The dataof NPK and two cuts of vegetation covers were co...

Bush encroachment leads to land degradation in semiarid to arid regions. Over 45 million hectares of agricultural land in Namibia are affected. This is worrisome as nearly 70% of the Namibian population depends on agricultural activities and the beef industry is the mainstay of the farming communities. This study employed secondary data sources to provide a review of the problems and benefits of bush encroachment in Namibia. The phenomenon has led to decreased biodiversity, degradation of the functions and structures of ecological ecosystems, lowering the grasslands’ carrying capacity, displacement of wildlife, as well as impacting groundwater recharge. Encroachers include species such as Senegalia erubescens, Senegalia fleckii, Vachellia nilotica, Vachellia luederitzii, Vachellia reficiens, Colophospermum mopane, Rhigozum trichotomum, Terminalia prunioides, Terminalia sericea, Senegalia mellifera and Dichrostachys cinerea. In 2018, the beef industry made at least US$ 184 million do...

Abstract. Information on forage quality in phenological stage could help range managers to choose suitable grazing method to achieve higher animal performance without detriment to vegetation. Vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) is a non-native perennial grass that was introduced to the Iran in 2008. This plant is a multi use species that could be considered from different viewpoints. Thus, its forage quality in three phenological stages (vegetative, flowering and maturity) was investigated. Samples of each stage were collected and analyzed for 7 quality traits such as Crude Protein (CP), Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF), Dry Matter Digestibility (DMD), Metabolizable Energy (ME), Digestible Energy (DE), Ash content (Ash) and Total Digestible Nutrient (TDN). Data were statically analyzed using One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and mean comparisons were done by Duncan method. The results indicate that there was a significant difference among phenological stages for all the traits (p<...

One of the effective ways for reducing atmospheric CO2 is carbon sequestration by plants and soils. Rangelands with an expanded area have a great potential for Carbon (C) Stocks. In this study, C stocks in three treatments including natural rangelands (NR), Pit-seeding by Agropyrum elongatum (PS) and abandoned dry farming (ADF) were examined in Kardeh basin Mashhad, Iran in 2013. In each treatment, ten transects and in each transect, ten plots were established. Percentages of vegetation cover, litter, rock and soil were recorded in each plot. Aerial and root biomasses of dominant species were sampled by the clipping and weighing method. Litters in each plot were collected and weighed, too. Carbon content of biomass and litter were measured by combustion method using Electric Combustion Furnace. Ten soil samples were taken along each transect at two depths of 0-25 and 25-50 cm. The soil organic carbon percent was determined by the Walkley-Black method. Data analysis was performed by ...

The effect of environmental factors on plant vegetation is different. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate role of these factors in medicinal plants growth, development and essential oil. This study was performed to investigate the effect of factors on qualitative and quantitative variations of the essential oil of Verbascum songaricum in its habitats in central Zagros Mountains, Iran in 2012. V. songaricum aerial biomass was collected in flowering stages from four rangeland sites in Isfahan (Dareh Hose, Ghahiz, Ghaleghadam, Semirom) and one site in Kohgiluyeh, and Buyerahmad (Dena) provinces, Iran. The samples were dried in open air and their essential oils were extracted through digestion method. Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) was used to identify essential oil composition as Alcohol, Hydrocarbon, Amin, Acid, Ester and Ketone of species in five sites. The most important environmental factors such as climate, and physiographic, soil physical and chemical properties ...

Understanding the plant species diversity could be used as an importantindicator applied for the natural areas management. The aim of this study was toinvestigate the relationships between soil characterizes with distribution and diversity ofplant in vegetation types in Karvan district (located in west of Isfahan province). For thispurpose, three vegetation types were selected as follows: Scariola orientalis-Astragalusgossypinus (Sc.or-As.go), Hordeum fragile-Astragalus gossypinus (Ho.fr-As.go) andCousinia bachtiarica-Astragalus gossypinus (Cu.ba-As.go). Then, four transects randomsampling - systematic bias to the general and lateral slope of the region in each vegetationtype were placed and the name and other characterize of the plants were recorded by 90 ofrandomly quadrate one m2, also the soil samples of the start and end of each transect fromtwo different depths (0-20 and 20-75 cm) of soil were taken. Soil samples were analyzedand the physicochemical factors were measured. Dive...

This book consists of 14 chapters covering important aspects in regards to various terrestrial ecosystems, wetlands, river systems, mine site rehabilitation, marsh ecology and heavy metals pollution. Also aims to fill some of the information gaps in ecological restoration, particularly in under-researched ecosystems around the world. Restoration ecology emerged as a separate field in ecology in the 1980s. It is the scientific study supporting the practice of ecological restoration, which is the practice of renewing degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human intervention and action. Ecological restoration is a valuable endeavor that has proven very difficult to define. The term indicates that degraded and destroyed natural systems will be re-established to sites where they once existed. As a discipline Restoration ecology has attracted many adherents and spawned numerous books, research papers and scientific journals. The Society for Ec...

In this study, some habitat characteristics of Iranian rose (Hulthemia persica) were studied in Gonbad watershed in Hamedan providence, Iran. Soil samples were taken by a systematic randomized method at elevation 2000-2400 m above sea level. Samples were taken from 0-30 cm depth. In the laboratory, N, P, K% and organic matter (OC%), soil acidity (pH), conductivity (EC) and soil texture were determined. The collected data were analyzed and principal components analysis was performed on 14 variables using PC-ORD software. Results showed that these species are scattered in the height of 2100-2300 m above sea level with 15-65% slope in North, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest as spot bulks. Mean precipitation of this area is 227.5 mm. It's vegetative, flowering and seed maturity stages occur in middle March, May and June, respectively. Plant roots permeate into the depth of 1.5 m and plant propagated by both seeds and rhizome. However, its seed has hard coat resulting in a difficul...

The range conditions explain its health as a management tool. Obviously, the implementation of this important assessment requires the most appropriate study method for each region. In order to select the most appropriate methods of range conditions in Kabirkooh grasslands of Zagros in Iran, five estimation methods (i.e. six-factor, four-factor, vegetation and soil combination, value of pasture and climax) were studied in three key and critical areas. In each area, five stations were selected using the randomized-systematic method. The differences between methods were analyzed using the factorial experiment by the help of the randomized complete blocks design with five replications. The results showed that there were significant differences (p<0.01) between both range conditions' determination methods and different areas. Regarding Kabirkooh rangelands in current circumstances, four-factor method for semi-arid region is more applicable for the range condition determination. Bi...

Dust events of Iran mainly originate from Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and inland territories which are influenced by droughts and Land Use/Land Cover (LU/LC) degradation in regional scale. The aim of this research was to investigate the impact of Regional Vegetation Cover Degradation (RVCD), particularly Regional Rangeland Cover Degradation (RRCD) on frequency of dusty days in western provinces of Iran (Khorramabad, Ahvaz, Hamadan and Kermanshah) since 2000. Therefore, the LU/LC and RRCD were evaluated with respect to time-series MODIS satellite images and NDVI Index. The trend of RRCD was predicted by Markov chain analysis for 2030, 2060 and 2100. The accuracy analysis of comparing the observed and predicted LU/LC classes to 2000 and 2016 indicated the absolute value of error around 5.49%. The findings showed that probability of changing from water body, high-cover and low-cover classes to non-cover class would probably be 55% and 62% during 2016-2030 and 2030-2060, respectiv...

The wide ecological area consists of a rangeland with special vegetation and one of the key factors in rangeland management is to select Management Indicator Species (MIS). Management indicator species based on a new method such as Analytical Network Process-Decision Making Trial and Evaluation (ANP-DEMATEL) is one of the most important stages in the successful Range management as choosing a suitable species for the site can be the key to success. This paper provides research contribution on selecting management indicator species using ANP-DEMATEL for the Range management of Nahavand rangeland in Hamedan, Iran in 2016. This research as a guide to determine the best Management Indicator Species (MIS) was interested in how to use ANP-DEMATEL approach using Super Decisions software version 2.8. The criteria of species selection were grazing pressure, soil conservation, palatability, and beekeeping value and a set of species for criteria included Acanthophyllum microcephalum, Thymus kot...

In arid and semi-arid rangelands, grazing as one of the natural or human induced processes has direct and indirect effects on structure and dynamics of plant community and ecosystems. A study was done to analyze the effects of grazing on plant species diversity and Plant Functional Types‘ (PFTs) diversity of arid and semi-arid rangelands. We analyzed plant richness and diversity data from 75 sampling plots located in five bioclimatic zones of Khabr National Park containing a total of 73 plant species. Ward's hierarchical clustering was then used to cluster all plant species into eight PFTs according to the chosen traits. For each site, grazing intensity was estimated in three classes (low grazing, medium and high grazing intensities). We found that as grazing intensity increased, total species richness and diversity were decreased. Considering PFTs as total showed the same pattern for species; however, each PFT diversity and richness didn‘t display a significant different respon...

Abstract. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of topographical factors on the classification of grassland plant communities in the rangelands of Ghorkhud, Northern Khorasan Province, Iran. For sampling, land units were specified. A floristic list was prepared using minimal area method based on the nested plot (Braun-Blanquet method). 116 10m2 furrows were selected. Within each furrow, the presence and cover percent were estimated. On the basis of Braun-Blanquet classification method, cover percent of each species was ranked and the representative matrix was established. Vegetation was characterized by the means of Braun-Blanquet classification method using TWINSPAN level 2. To determine the relationships between vegetation and effective topographic factors, a Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) method was used. Results showed that the region's vegetation was divided into four plant communities including Stipa barbata-Festuca ovina, Festuca ovina-Agropyro...

Persian juniper and Pistachio are grown in low density in the rangelands of North-East of Iran. These rangelands are populated by evergreen conifers, which are widespread and present at low-density and sparse shrub of pistachio in Iran, that are not only environmentally but also genetically essential as seed sources for pistachio improvement in orchards. Rangelands offer excellent opportunities for remote-sensing-based inventories; detection of each shrub using very high-resolution satellite data is typically easier in sparse rangelands where the distance between shrubs exceeds the height of trees. In this study, the densities of juniper and natural pistachio shrubs were estimated using remote sensing to help the sustainable management and production of pistachio in this rangeland. Satellite imagery was acquired in July 2008 by Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS). A vegetation index including Total Ratio Vegetation Index (TRVI) was introduced for these rangelands with sparse sh...

Ferula pseudalliacea (Bitter asafetida) is an endemic medicinal plant grown in the center of Iran, which is used in pharmaceutical industries. There is less report about its habitat characteristics and distribution in Iran. So, this research was conducted to study the effects of topography and soil properties on distribution of this species in Yazd Province, Iran in 2016 and 2017. Two habitats (Chenarnaz and Borooieh) were selected and data were collected for vegetation cover and soil parameter using random systematic methods. All data were analyzed in SPSS software. The results indicated that this plant often grows in mountainous regions with calcareous formation. Its phenological activities are extremely under the effect of climate conditions. This species grows in all aspects and slopes higher than 25%. In Chenarnaz, the highest canopy covers was in north aspect (3.13%) and the lowest canopy covers was obtained in south aspect (1.65%). Similarly, the highest amount of canopy cove...

The efficiency of three statistical models, AHP surface-weighted density bivariate (semi-quantitative models), stepwise multivariate regression and logistic multivariate regression models were compared in Chehel-Chai watershed in Golestan province, Iran. In current study the hazard map was prepared according to the top model of landslide hazard map. Chehel-Chai watershed is located as one of Gorganrud river sub basins in Golestan province. The distribution map of the area landslide was provided using the stereoscopically interpretation of aerial photos and field observations and nine effective factors including elevation, slope, aspect, lithology, distance from fault, stream and road, land use, and precipitation rate were chosen concerning the expert view and source review. The hazard potential of landslides was also prepared using three models. The differences were compared between models of hazard classes with Chi-square test, the agreement rate of risk maps with kappa index and t...

Due to the decreasing trend of rangelands, many native species are vulnerable and even at risk of extinction. Therefore, seed preservation and propagation of native species of rangelands and recognition of the characteristics of grazing, drought tolerance and their production potential are very beneficial. In this study, the five species of Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Bromus tomentellus, Alopecurus textilis and Thymus kotschyanus, which are the key species of Sahand Rangelands in Eastern Azerbaijan province, were studied. Treatments in each block included four grazing intensities, namely 25%, 50%, 75% and the control (no harvesting). The harvest was performed during the growing season and at the beginning of the grazing season for four years (2007-2010). Results of statistical analysis showed that the effect of harvesting intensity, year and intensity by year interaction were significant for forage production of F. rubra, B. tomentellus and A. textilis (p<0.01). However, the ef...

This study aimed to evaluate the sowing season and sowing methods for Vicia variabilis using split plot design based on completely randomized block with three replications in Meleh-Kabud, Gahvareh, and Kermanshah, Iran during 2016-17. The first factor was sowing season (spring and autumn) and the second one was sowing method (row sowing and scatter sowing). Result showed that sowing method had a significant effect on seedling emergence percent (P<0.01). Means of this trait were 19.96% and 2.61 at row sowing and scatter sowing, respectively. Similarly, effects of both factors and their interaction were significant on survival rate (P<0.01). The higher value of survival rate as 22.6% was obtained in row sowing method in spring. It was concluded that row sowing is an optimal method in early spring for rangelands improvement in Kermanshah province, Iran.

In order to estimate the nutrient value of three dominant range species; Festuca ovina, Trifolium montanum and Alopecurus textilis via proximate analyses and gas production technique, samples were collected in three stages during grazing period from 26 th May to 1 th September in six areas of Sabalan Mountain in North West of Iran. Results showed that Trifolium montanum as a legume had higher values for Crude Protein (CP), total ASH, Organic Matter Digestibility (OMD), Metabolizable Energy (ME) and gas production at 24 hours and showed lower values for ADF (Acid Detergent Fiber) and NDF (Neutral Detergent Fiber) as compared to two other species that were considered as gramineae. Variation of quality traits in Trifolium montanum was lower than two other species. The obtained values of CP, NDF, ADF, ASH, EE, OMD, gas production and Dry Matter (DM) for Trifolium montanum were 18.65%, 41.83%, 26.97%, 8.95%, 0.26%, 64.50% g/kg and 50.96 ml/200mg, respectively. For Festuca ovina, they wer...

Monthly discharge is one of the most important factors considered in designs and hydrological works. Some watersheds are not equipped with needed hydrometric equipment. In such a case average monthly discharge could be estimated from regional monthly water balance models of representative watersheds. In this study, Thornthwaite & Mather (TM) model were used in the Pishkouh watershed in arid climate of Yazd, Iran. The water balance was used for computing seasonal and geographical patterns of water availability to facilitate better management of available water resources. The water balance study using the TM model with the help of remote sensing and Geografhic Information Systems (GIS) is very helpful in finding out the periods of moisture deficit and moisture surplus for an entire basin. This study indicates that there is an annual deficit of 442.7 mm in the study basin and an annual surplus of 26.4 mm. The Pishkouh watershed has a period of moisture surplus from June to August and t...

Plants may induce small-scale heterogeneity in soil nutrients, forming fertile islands. However, this process may depend on plant spices, plant developmental stages and habitat conditions. Vegetation cover in arid and semi-arid regions is mostly in the form of plant patches and bare soil of inter-patch areas, this form of vegetation cover can be useful to study plants impact on soil to get applicable knowledge for predicting plants efficiency in restoration projects. This study was conducted in 2016 to study some soil properties in vegetation patches of some halophytes from Urmia Lake, Iran. The results showed that soil EC decreased from10.32 (mS.cm-1) in bare soil to 4.92 (mS.cm-1) in vegetated areas. Also significant increase of soil pH and phosphorous content was observed in vegetation patches soil that were 8.73 and 29.61 (ppm) respectively in compare with bare soil that were 8.51 and 12.81 (ppm). As vegetation patches caused decrease in soil evaluated cations, so the main shoot...

Ferula pseudalliacea (Bitter asafetida) is an endemic medicinal plant grown in the center of Iran, which is used in pharmaceutical industries. There is less report about its habitat characteristics and distribution in Iran. So, this research was conducted to study the effects of topography and soil properties on distribution of this species in Yazd Province, Iran in 2016 and 2017. Two habitats (Chenarnaz and Borooieh) were selected and data were collected for vegetation cover and soil parameter using random systematic methods. All data were analyzed in SPSS software. The results indicated that this plant often grows in mountainous regions with calcareous formation. Its phenological activities are extremely under the effect of climate conditions. This species grows in all aspects and slopes higher than 25%. In Chenarnaz, the highest canopy covers was in north aspect (3.13%) and the lowest canopy covers was obtained in south aspect (1.65%). Similarly, the highest amount of canopy cove...

Abstract. Vegetation of each region is one of the most important phenomena of nature and is the best guide to judge about the ecological sciences of that region because the plants are resistant organisms that have endured the long term conditions of all kinds of environmental conditions for a long period of time and have adapted with environmental stresses. Therefore floristical investigation of each region is outmost importance for that region and it serves as a birth certification document. It also reviews geographical and floristical origins of each region which is the most effective method for managing and protecting the available genetic resources. The aim of this study was introducing flora, life form and plant chorotypes in Sarshiv rangelands, west of Marivan, Iran. The method of sampling was random- systematic with 76 plots. Floristical studies showed that there were 39 families, 116 genera and 139 plant species in this area. The most important families in this area were Ast...