Shafagh Rastgar; Hossein Barani; Ali Darijani; Vahedberdi Sheikh; Jamshid Ghorbani; Mohammad Ghorbani
Abstract
Vegetation cover as the main factor affecting the water erosion plays an important role in preventingsoil loss. To this end, for better understanding the impact of vegetation cover on soil erosion andsediment yield over the major existing geological formations in the summer rangelands of Balade inthe ...
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Vegetation cover as the main factor affecting the water erosion plays an important role in preventingsoil loss. To this end, for better understanding the impact of vegetation cover on soil erosion andsediment yield over the major existing geological formations in the summer rangelands of Balade inthe Mazandaran province, rainfall simulation studies have been carried out using a portable rainfallsimulator. Among many geological formations across the study area, the three major lithological unitsof mica sandstone, clay and shale sandstone with coal seams of “SHEMSHAK”, structures of tuffshale and dark gray to green shale with volcanic rocks of “KARAJ” and limestone of “LAR” havebeen selected as lowly, moderately and highly resisting formations to degradation. For eachcombination of geological formation and vegetation cover (low, moderate, and high density) threesampling plots of 1x1m have been selected and rainfall simulation has been conducted over them. Foreach plot, the surface characteristics including the vegetation cover, runoff and sediment yield and soiltexture were measured. The measured data were statistically analyzed. Results showed that“SHEMSHAK”, “KARAJ” and “LAR” formations were respectively ranked from highest to lowestwith respect to the volume and weight of sediment yield. Also, there was a strong inverse relationshipbetween vegetation cover percentage and volume of runoff and sediment for all investigatedgeological formations specially in poor vegetation situation that indicate interaction effects betweenvegetation cover and type of geological formations.
Shafagh Rastgar; Ali Darijani; Hossein Barani; Mohammad Ghorbani; Jamshid Ghorbani; Vahed Bordi Sheikh
Abstract
Forage is the main product of rangelands. So, determining its economic value as one of the main important nonmonetary functions can help managers to improve planning and optimal utilization management of rangelands. The main purpose of this study is to estimate the economic valuation of the forage of ...
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Forage is the main product of rangelands. So, determining its economic value as one of the main important nonmonetary functions can help managers to improve planning and optimal utilization management of rangelands. The main purpose of this study is to estimate the economic valuation of the forage of summer rangelands in Nour-roud watershed basin in Mazandaran province. Consequently, total forage production estimated by using double method in 12 unit works. According to the heterogeneity of range forages in terms of economic and lacking organized market for transaction, have been used barely and using Replacement Cost Method (RCM). In order to homogenize the value of all forage plants, Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) of each plant multiplied to its forage product to calculate the nutrition value of forage per rangeland unit work. According to the specified T.D.N of barely, the equivalent weight of barely, identified for each range/ha in different price scenarios (guaranteed, international and farm prices), total value of forage production calculated based on barely price. Results showed that, Forage yield equivalent to barely was estimated 276.5 kg per ha of 89826.7 usable summer rangelands. Its economic value was equivalent to 713280 Rials per hectare. Also, its average annual economic value by 3 price senarios estimated, 64.6 Milyard Rials. This amount of economic value was equal to 718900 Rials per hectare of Nour-rud rangelands. Also, the estimated forage values are only 25 percentage of total economic value of rangeland ecosystem that has been exploited as natural bequest without any investment.
