Investigation on density, cover and production changes and the effect of soil texture on these factors in sagebrush steppe rangelands of Esfahan province

Paper Details

Research Paper 01/08/2014
Views (229) Download (4)
current_issue_feature_image
publication_file

Investigation on density, cover and production changes and the effect of soil texture on these factors in sagebrush steppe rangelands of Esfahan province

Masoud Borhani, Hossein Arzani, Zahra Jaberalansar, Ehsan Zandi Esfahan, Hanieh Eghdami
J. Bio. Env. Sci.5( 2), 456-463, August 2014.
Certificate: JBES 2014 [Generate Certificate]

Abstract

In order to study the vegetation changes of Esfahan sagebrush rangelands and the role of environmental factors on these changes, four sites located in the steppe region were selected. Alavijeh and Charmshahr had a light soil texture, while the soil texture of Dorr and Baghsorkh was heavy. The quantities of density, canopy cover and plant production on these sites were measured over eight years. According to the results, the correlation between rainfall and production for Alavije, Charmshahr, Baghsorkh and Dorr was calculated to be 67, 51, 40, and 48%, respectively. On the other hand, the average production of each sagebrush in the sites was 8.1, 10.7, 3.4, and 4.8 g, respectively. This difference is due to the differences in soil texture of the study sites as well as differences of water storage and loss. Also, the higher water-holding capacity of heavy textured soils caused reduced variability in density, cover and the production of range species compared to light textured soils during the years of the project. Variation coefficients of the density were calculated to be 36.4, 40.4, 22.8, and 8.7%, for Alavije, Charmshahr, Baghsorkh and Dorr, respectively. Variation coefficients of the cover were calculated to be 37.4, 47.6, 24.6 and 12% for Alavije, Charmshahr, Baghsorkh and Dorr, respectively. Finally, variation coefficients of the production were calculated to be 26.3, 45.9, 24.3, and 17.5% for Alavije, Charmshahr, Baghsorkh and Dorr, respectively.

VIEWS 1

Buckman Ho, Brady NC. 1960. The nature and properties of soils. Macmillan. London, England.

Dodd MB, Lauenorth WK, Burke IC, Chapman PL. 2002. Association between vegetation patterns and soils texture in the short grass steppe. Plant ecology 158, 127-137.

English NB, Weltzin JF, Fravolini A, Williams DG. 2005. The influence of soil texture and vegetation on soil moisture under rainout shelters in a semi-desert grassland. Journal of arid environment 63(1), 324-343.

Eshraghi M, Amanpour J, Tabatabaei A. 2003. Reasons of diversity in morphological condition of Haloxylon lands in Badroud, Natanz. Proceedings of the first national. conference on sexaul (Haloxylon sp.) and saxaul plantation in I.R.Iran Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran, Iran

Feizi MT, Khodagholi M, Shirani K, Jaberalansar Z. 2013. Vegetation type of Isfahan Province. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands Publishers. Tehran, Iran.

Foth HD, Turk LM. 1980. Translated by Masoud Hakimian. Tehran University Press.

Fravolini A, Hultine KR, Koepk DF, Williams DG. 2003. Role of soil texture on Mesquite water relations and response to summer precipitation. USDA forest service proceedings RMRS- P 30, 125-129.

Hart RH, Samuel MJ. 1985. Precipitation, soils and herbage production on south-east Wyoming range sites. Journal of range management 38(6), 522-524.

Jafari M, Zare Chahouki MA, Tavili A, Kohandel A. 2006. Soil-vegetation relationships in rangelands of Qom province. Pajouhesh & Sazandegi 73, 110-116.

Le Houerou HN. 1984. Rain use efficiency: A unifying concept in arid-land ecology. Journal of arid Environments 7, 213-247.

Mutz JL, Scifres CJ. 1975. Soil texture and planting depth influence Buffelgrass emergence. Journal of range management 28(3), 222-224.

Noy-meir I. 1973. Multivariate analysis of the semi arid vegetation of southern Australia, II vegetation catenae and environmental gradients. Australian Journal of Botany 22, 40-115.

Perez CA, Frangi JL. 2000. Grassland biomass dynamics along an altitudinal gradient in the Pampa, Journal of Range Management 53(5), 518-528.

Robertson DR, Nielsen JL, Bare NH. 1966. Vegetation and soils of Alkali sagebrush and adjacent big sagebrush ranges in North Park, Colorado. Journal of Range Management 19(1), 17-20.

Sala OE, Parton WJ, Joyce LA, Lauenroth WK. 1988, Primary production of the central grassland region of the united states. Ecology 69, 40-45. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1943158.

Shown LM, Miller RF, Branson FA. 1969. Sagebrush conversion to grassland as affected by precipitation, soil and cultural practices. Journal of Range Management 22(5), 303-311.

Singer MJ, Munns DN. Soils: An Introduction. 1991. Translated by G.H. Haghnia. Ferdowsi University press.

Sperry GS, Alder FR, Cambpell GS, Comstock JC. 1998. Limitation of plant water use by rhizosphere and xylem conductance: Results from a model. Plant Cell and Environment 21, 347-359.

Subrahmanyam NS, Sambamurty AVSS. 2000. Ecology. Narosa Publishing House.