Journal of Range and Watershed Managment

Impact of land use changes from rangeland to horti-agriculture on soil total carbon and particulate organic matter in micro- and macro aggregates (Case study: Salavatabad, Sanandaj)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Leila Zandi 1
Reza Erfanzadeh 2
Hamid Joneidi-Jafari 3

1 MSc. Student, Rangeland Management Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Rangeland Management Department, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Kordestan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, I.R. Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22059/jrwm.2016.61502
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the effect of land use changes from rangeland to horti-agricultural lands on the most important qualitative characteristics of soil such as total soil carbon and particulate organic matter, in Salavatabad region, Sanandaj. In the present study, one rangeland, two cultivated pea lands, two cultivated wheat lands and two gardens were selected in growth season in the end of spring, 2014. Forty two soil samples were taken randomly and systematically from the study region. Then, soil micro- and macro aggregates were separated using 0.25 mm and 2 mm sieves. Total soil carbon and particulate organic matter of soil samples were measured in the laboratory. The results showed that land use changes from rangeland to horti-agriculture significantly decreased total carbon and particulate organic matter in micro-aggregates. While total carbon and particulate organic matter in macro-aggregates was not changed by land use changes from rangeland to horticultural land. We suggested that if rangeland will be converted into agricultural land, horticultural land is the best for land use changes. 

Keywords

land use changes
Organic carbon
Particulate organic matter
Soil macro and micro aggregates
Journal of Range and Watershed Managment
Volume 69, Issue 3
Autumn 2016
Pages 587-596

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  • Receive Date 14 February 2015
  • Revise Date 21 December 2016
  • Accept Date 13 July 2015
  • Publish Date 21 November 2016

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