Seyed Alireza Mousavi; Hossein Arzani; Gholamali Sharzei; Hossein Azarnivand; Mahdi Farahpour; Stephani Engel; Esmail Alizadeh; Aliakbar Nazari-Samani
Abstract
Soil conservation is one of the most important regulative functions of natural ecosystems. This function is of high importance in Taleghan Watershed due to high erosion quantity and sediment accumulation in Taleghan Dam reservoir. Soil loss reduction, sedimentation control and fertility conservation ...
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Soil conservation is one of the most important regulative functions of natural ecosystems. This function is of high importance in Taleghan Watershed due to high erosion quantity and sediment accumulation in Taleghan Dam reservoir. Soil loss reduction, sedimentation control and fertility conservation were considered as different aspects of soil conservation. Effect of land use and vegetation cover on soil conservation was studied by overlaying soil erosion map with other environmental data layers. Abandoned rainfed lands with low cover were considered as benchmark to evaluate the role of rangeland vegetation cover in soil conservation. Economic value of soil loss reduction function was estimated using opportunity cost approach and the benefits of rainfed agriculture. Economic value of sedimentation control also was calculated considering SDR ratio and avoided cost approach. Soil fertility conservation was quantified regarding the volume of soil conserved and nutrient content of soils of the study area. Economic value of this function was estimated using replacement cost approach. Results show that Mid-Taleghan rangelands conserve 60545 cubic meters of soil per annum. Annual economic value of soil loss reduction, sedimentation control and fertility conservation functions were estimated about 6262, 25287 and 8626 US dollars, respectively. These functions are just some limited aspects of rangeland functions and economic valuation of these functions could effectively be utilized for conservation of rangeland ecosystems.
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M Jafari; H Azarnivand; A Hajibaglo; E Alizadeh
Volume 63, Issue 3 , December 2010, , Pages 307-318
Abstract
This study investigates the relationship between litter quality and aerial parts of plant on C, N, K, P and C/N ratio of soil in four rangeland species including Agropyron intermedium, Bromus tomentellus, Eurotia ceratoides and kochia prostrata. After recognizing the sites of these species in Hamand ...
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This study investigates the relationship between litter quality and aerial parts of plant on C, N, K, P and C/N ratio of soil in four rangeland species including Agropyron intermedium, Bromus tomentellus, Eurotia ceratoides and kochia prostrata. After recognizing the sites of these species in Hamand Absard located in 65 km of northern Tehran, at the end of growing season, samples of litter, aerial part of plants and soil were taken using systematic- random method. For this purpose, five transects, each of l00 m length and 50 m spacing were taken. Two plots in each transect with an area of 1 m2 were established. In each plot, soil samples under plants and without plant area (control samples) at depth of 0-30 cm were taken. The C, N, P, K, EC, pH and texture of samples were analyzed in laboratory. Analysis of variance, Dunnett's test and t-student test were applied to the data. Results show that in the aerial part of plant, C and C/N ratio of Agropyron intermedium and P, K and N of Kochia prostrata are higher than other species. In case of litter, C, K and C/N of Eurotia ceratoides and N and P of Kochia prostrata showed higher values. However the results of soil samples show that C of Agropyron intermedium, N and C/N of Kochia prostrata and K of Bromus tomentellus are higher than other species. Totally, Kochia prostrata showed the best litter quality, decomposition rate and effects on soil.