Effects of different vegetation cover types on stability of river banks in dry land (case study of Hirmand River)
Paper Details
Effects of different vegetation cover types on stability of river banks in dry land (case study of Hirmand River)
Abstract
This study was conducted on comparing erosion on Hirmand River banks in Southeastern Iran. Sistan region covers the Southeastern part of Iran along the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Average annual rainfall of the region is 60 mm. The soil of this area is heavy with Silt clay loam texture and tends to salinity. Aim of this research was of vegetation analysis and it effects on sustainability of Hirmand River’s banks. Hirmand River with about 1150 Km length has its rise among the east-central Afghanistan Mountain. This research has done on 14.7 kilometers mentioned river length (from Zahak city until Iran – Afghanistan border). The results of this study showed that 8% of the river has been influenced by bank erosion and bed erosion take place not in area mentioned. Wind erosion starts first summer season following water dried on main part of the river and beginning 120- days wind. The wind erosion has appeared in two locations. However, there was an inverse relationship between erosion and vegetation cover. As, has been fixed the areas with suitable vegetation cover of Tamarix and area with shrub vegetation cover less than 20% has been influenced to the erosion. In addition, the survey results shows that the area with Aeluropus littoralis canopy covers more stability than the same area with Alhagi maurorum, canopy cover, as 30 and 70% of the erosion has occurred in Salsola, Aeluropus littoralis, Tamarix and Alhagi maurorum habitat, respectively.
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Mansour Jahantigh , 2015. Effects of different vegetation cover types on stability of river banks in dry land (case study of Hirmand River). J. Biodiv. Environ. Sci., 6(5), 439-446.
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