Reza Erfanzadeh; Mohammad Jafari; Misagh Ghasempour
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effect of Juniperus sabina (evergreen) and Berberis integerrima (deciduous) and herbaceous patches on some soil properties (pH, EC, aggregate stability, microbial respiration, organic carbon and nitrogen) in their habitats. In June, when maximum growth of the dominant ...
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This study aimed to investigate the effect of Juniperus sabina (evergreen) and Berberis integerrima (deciduous) and herbaceous patches on some soil properties (pH, EC, aggregate stability, microbial respiration, organic carbon and nitrogen) in their habitats. In June, when maximum growth of the dominant plant species in rangelands of central Alborz was occurred, of each plant patch, 10 patches were randomly selected and soil were collected beneath of the canopy species in each from two depths: 10-0 and 20-10 cm (in total 60 soil samples). Then, soil physico-chemical characteristics were measured in the laboratory. In order to examine the differences between each soil characteristics associated with patches and depths, two-way ANOVA using GLM was applied. In addition, one-way ANOVA and post-hoc tests were used to compare soil characteristics between patches, in each depth separately. The results showed different effect of different patches on the soil characteristics. In upper soil layer, the highest contents of organic matter (4.62%) and aggregate stability (36.08) were observed under J. sabina, while the highest total nitrogen was found under B. integerrima. In deeper soil layer, the highest content of organic matter (5.19%) was found under J. sabina. The highest microbial respiration contents in both depths were observed under herbaceous patch. The variation of other soil characteristics were less pronounced by type of patches. In general, the results of this study cleared that different woody plant species have different effects on soil characteristics, should be mentioned in the rangeland development and improvement projects.
Kourosh Kamali; Gholamreza Zehtabian; TAYYEBEH MESBAHZADEH; Hosein Shahab Arkhazloo; Mahmood Arabkhedri; Alireza Moghaddam Nia
Abstract
The sustainability of soil, especially in fragile ecosystems, is an indispensable indicator of sustainable land management that depends on the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. In order to study the soil sustainability in Semnan desert region of farms, gardens and rangelands as ...
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The sustainability of soil, especially in fragile ecosystems, is an indispensable indicator of sustainable land management that depends on the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. In order to study the soil sustainability in Semnan desert region of farms, gardens and rangelands as arenas located on an educational farm with different irrigation administrations, the Sustainability Index (SI) and the Cumulative Ranting (CR9 &CR11) were used. Exploring the crust and sampling of surface and subsurface horizons of selected areas and measuring 12 important and effective characteristics of soil physical properties, the indices were calculated in each area and the effects of different types of land use on soil stability were investigated. The results showed that the SI in the surface layer of arable land due to the impact of cultivation and the positive role of organic matter was above one, and in the rest of the land was less than one which indicating the instability of the soil. According to the CR results, surface and subsurface layers of soil were not found in very stable and stable classes in the studied lands. The CR results also showed that the stability soil in the multi cultivates farm is a better condition, it may be due to its positive role in increasing soil correction factors compared to other lands. Correlation analysis of the indices showed that soil organic carbon, structural index, electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio and mean weight diameter have a direct and more effective impact on soil sustainability.
M. Navidi; F. Sarmadian; Sh. Mahmoudi
Volume 62, Issue 2 , October 2009, , Pages 299-309
Abstract
Sustainable exploitation of land resources is directly affected by considering soil quality which finally will also conclude environmental protection. Therefore, assessing different soil quality aspects which are sensitive to various land management practices seems too important. In this study, some ...
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Sustainable exploitation of land resources is directly affected by considering soil quality which finally will also conclude environmental protection. Therefore, assessing different soil quality aspects which are sensitive to various land management practices seems too important. In this study, some selected soil quality indicators have been compared in five land use systems including untouched rangelands, semi degraded rangelands due to grazing, rangelands that converted to rainfed agriculture, abandoned rainfed agriculture and an irrigated wheat farm in eastern Qazvin province, Iran. Samples were taken from the surface layer (A horizon) of soils in a completely randomized design with four replications. Statistical comparisons of the results revealed highest decrease in soil organic matter and total nitrogen owing to abandoned rainfed agriculture that showed 74% and 70% decline, respectively. Eventually the abandoned rainfed agriculture meets the sharpest slump in some soil properties such as cation exchange capacity (CEC), available phosphorous, total porosity and thickness of A horizon. Meantime the most increase in bulk density was also in recent land use. According to the results, the negative effects of inappropriate land use changes were led to soil productivity decline and will cause undesirable consequences in soil quality. So maintenance of soil quality is critical to environmental sustainability and this should be done on the basis of recognition all features that reduce its quality.
