zahra Abdolalizadeh; Ardavan Ghorbani; Raoof Mostafazadeh; Mehdi Moameri
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to facilitate the quantitative evaluation of various ecological factors in determining the rangeland condition by four-factors method and six-factors method using mainly structural variables of vegetation. In this study, the condition of 28 sites located in the northern ...
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The purpose of this research is to facilitate the quantitative evaluation of various ecological factors in determining the rangeland condition by four-factors method and six-factors method using mainly structural variables of vegetation. In this study, the condition of 28 sites located in the northern part of Ardebil province was determined by 4 and 6 factors methods, separately for grassland and shrubland habitats, and some parameters of vegetation were quantitatively measured. The results of condition determination were compared in the two mentioned methods. Finally, using Pearson correlation test, the relationship between variables of vegetation and the scores of rangeland condition were compared and regression relations were extracted. The results indicated that the average score of the rangeland condition in the modified four-factors in both grasslands and shrublands (69 and 60 scores, respectively) was higher than the six-factors method (64 and 54 respectively), and paired t-test comparison showed a significant difference (P≤ 0.05) between the two methods. Also, the results showed that variables such as canopy cover of decreasing specious canopy cover, forbs canopy cover, annual forbs canopy cover and production had the most significant positive relationship (P≤ 0.05), and the variables of invaders and pebble-gravel cover had the highest negative correlation (P≤ 0.05) with rangeland condition. The results of extraction of multivariate linear regression models by step-by-step method showed strong relationship (R2=68.46-88.41) between evaluated variables with condition score. Also, validation analysis of the models indicated the ability of both methods to predict the rangeland condition score.
Gholam Ali Heshmati; vahid karimian
Abstract
To apply scientific and proper management of rangeland ecosystems, having information on health and functions indices of ecosystem is required. Using landscape function analysis, the present study deals with assessing and comparing of ecological indices in northern and southern landscapes, Darehkonari ...
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To apply scientific and proper management of rangeland ecosystems, having information on health and functions indices of ecosystem is required. Using landscape function analysis, the present study deals with assessing and comparing of ecological indices in northern and southern landscapes, Darehkonari Khashab of Gachsaran. Length and width for ecological patches in northern landscapes in species Astragalus fasciculifolius Boiss, Centaurea intricanta Boiss, Cousinia multiloba DC, and inter patches(bare and litter), in southern ones on species Cousinia multiloba DC, Stachys byzantina C. Koch, Stachys byzantina C. Koch and Cousinia multiloba DC and inter patches were recorded along three 50 m transects across both southern and northern aspects. In addition, eleven soil surface indices were measured. These indices belong to three main characteristics of soil stability, infiltration and nutrient cycling. The results showed that the indices of stability and nutrient cycling in both landscapes have a significant difference (p <0.05), but this was not case for infiltration index (p>0.05). The main ecological indicator of northern and southern landscapes are C. intricanta and S. byzantine + C. multiloba, respectively.
