Investigating short-term grazing capacity changes in steppe and semi-steppe regions
Paper Details
Investigating short-term grazing capacity changes in steppe and semi-steppe regions
Abstract
One of the important objectives of natural resources management is to determine the range production in order to specify the range capacity. Determining the grazing capacity of forage plants may be based on the annual growth or mean long-term capacity. Grazing capacity is more likely to be determined by the complicated factors of plant production and consumption. Short-term estimation of grazing capacity will be meaningless unless natural elements as well as management factors are completely to be considered. This study was conducted in both semi-steppe and steppe regions. Statistical results of short-term capacity determination indicate that Pashmakan, Vardasht and Akhcheh (semi steppe region) with 0.5, 0.2 and 0.1 livestock have the highest grazing capacity, respectively. In steppe region, results showed that Nemati with 0.45 livestock has the highest capacity whereas Khoshkrood and Kachalu have 0.05 and 0.03 livestock, respectively. This topic indicate that in semi-steppe regions, grazing capacity has been affected by the range production due to the fixed range area elements, grazing period and daily livestock needs. As the range production increases, grazing capacity is enhanced. High precipitation and vegetation of these rangelands, especially grasses lead to the increase of production. Studying the production in steppe regions shows that range production and vegetation in Nemati rangeland are of more appropriate conditions due to its correct management plans as compared to Khoshkrood and Kachalu. Thus, suitable or unsuitable range management and climatic variations are regarded as important elements which can considerably affect the plant composition, production and vegetation.
Pouzesh H. 2012. Comparing of two methods and assessment of short-term grazing capacity in Taleghan summer rangelands,Annals of Biological Research, 3 (10), 4865-4873
Arzani H, Nourian B, Tavili A, Alikhani S. 2012. Sustainable Sheep Grazing Based On Range Suitability Classes OIDA. International Journal of Sustainable Development 05: 01
Holechek JL, Pieper RD, Herbel CH. 2004. Range management: principles and practices. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Printice-Hall. Inc.607p.
Moghadam M. 2008. Range & range management, 5 Th Edition, Uiniversity of Tehran press, p 470.
NajafiK, Zandi E, Ramezani M. 2013. Monthly and annual changes of forage production and consumption of Cymbopogonolivieri (Boiss) Bor., Case study: Genou-Hormozgan Province, Iran. International Journal of Biosciences. 3(11), 20-27
Diaz-Solis H, Kothmann M.M, Grant WE, De Luna-Villarreal R.2006. Agricultural Systems, 88, 514–527.
Arzani H, Jankju M, Shams H, Mohtashamnia S. 2006. Journal of sciences and techniques of agricultural and natural resources, 10(1), 273-289.
Steven H. 2009. Sheep Grazing Management. Virginia Cooperative Extension.Umberger, Animal Scientist, Sheep, Virginia Tech, Produced by Communication and Marketing, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Polytechnic Institute and State University, Publication, 410-366.
Randall B, Boon. 2005. Quantifying Changes in Vegetation in Shrinking Grazing Areas in Africa, Conservation and Society, 3(1), 150-173.
Kothmann MM, Hinnant RT. 1992. A carrying capacity model for grazing management (Appendix II), Forecasting carrying capacity: an approach to drought management (Appendix III), Relative to: Grazing Management Stock Adjustments
Maff. 1984. Energy Allowances and Food system for Ruminants. ADAS Reference Book 433. HMSO, London.
Arzani H. 1994. Some aspects of estimating short term and long term rangeland carrying capacity in the western division of New South Wals. Ph.D. Thesis, University of New South Wals, Australia, 379p.
Galt D, Molinar F, Navarro J, Joseph J, Holechek J. 2000. Grazing Capacity and Stocking Rate. Rangelands, 22(6), 7-11.
Hacker R, Beurle D, Gardiner G. 1992. Monitoring Western Australia’s Rangelands, in “Rangeland Management in Western Australia”, Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, and Miscellaneous publication 8/92, pp. 15-20.
Holechek JL, Galt D, Navarro J. 2001. What s the trend? Rangeland, 23(3), 10-13.
Voorthuizen EG. 1978. Global desertification and rang management: an appraisal. Journal of Rangeland Management 31, 378-380.
Perry LJ, chapman. 1975. Effects of clipping on dry matter yields of Basin wildrye. Journal of Range Management, 28(4),271-274.
Fariba Shahsavand, HosseinArzani, Ali Tavili, Mohammad Jafari, ShahramKhaliqi Sygarudi, 2014. Investigating short-term grazing capacity changes in steppe and semi-steppe regions. J. Biodiv. Environ. Sci., 5(6), 99-106.
Copyright © 2014 by the Authors. This article is an open access article and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license.