Rostam Moslempour; Reza Yari; Seyedeh Mahboubeh Mirmiran
Volume 31, Issue 4 , January 2025, , Pages 347-362
Abstract
Background and objectives: Desert ecosystems usually receive less attention in carbon sequestration studies due to their low vegetation cover and limited carbon sequestration. However, since more than a third of the earth's surface covers 55% of the total area of Iran and more than 50% of the area of ...
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Background and objectives: Desert ecosystems usually receive less attention in carbon sequestration studies due to their low vegetation cover and limited carbon sequestration. However, since more than a third of the earth's surface covers 55% of the total area of Iran and more than 50% of the area of South Khorasan province, so they can be a significant carbon storage place. This research was conducted with the aim of investigating the carbon sequestration by six desert species: Calligonum polygonoides, Seidlitzia rosmarinus, Artemisia sieberi, Stipagrostis pennata, Salsoa richteri and Zygophyllum eurypterum in the rangeland of Ferdows.Methodology: In this Study, 30 plots of four square meters were randomly established in Calligonum polygonoides, Seidlitzia rosmarinus, Zygophyllum eurypterum and Salsoa richteri and in Artemisia sieberi and Stipagrostis pennata habitats, 30 plots of two square meters were randomly established and the canopy percentage and plant density were estimated in each plot. Vegetation cover and plant density were estimated in each plot. In the same plots, the soil profile was dredged down to a depth of 70 cm under the canopy, and the soil sample was taken and transported to the laboratory. By estimating the percentage of soil organic carbon (using the Walkley-Black method) and bulk density of the soils (using the paraffin method), the amount of soil carbon sequestration was finally measured. The data was used in the form of a completely random design, and Tukey's test was used to compare the means at the five percent probability level. The Shapiro-Wilk and Bartlett tests were used to check whether residual value variances were normal and homogeneous. The data obtained from the results of the experiments were analyzed using R software.Results: In general, the results showed that the highest amount of soil organic carbon was observed in Salsoa richteri and Artemisia sieberi habitats and the lowest amount was observed in Seidlitzia rosmarinus habitat. The highest amount of bulk density was observed in Calligonum polygonoides habitats. The results of the analysis of variance showed that the effect of the habitat on soil carbon sequestration is significant (p<0.01) and the amount of this effect is moderate to high (ηp2 between 0.10 and 0.47). The highest and lowest amount of carbon sequestration was observed in Zygophyllum eurypterum (28.66 tons per hectare) and Seidlitzia rosmarinus (12.80 tons per hectare habitats, respectively. Also, in terms of the percentage of vegetation, a significant difference was observed between habitats. The highest and lowest of vegetation cover percentage was obtained in Zygophyllum eurypteru (36.84%) and Seidlitzia rosmarinus (10.15%) habitats, respectively. Seidlitzia rosmarinus habitat had the lowest amount of soil organic carbon and also the highest percentage of vegetation, and compared to other plants, it produced the lowest amount of carbon sequestration. The highest and lowest plant density was obtained in the Stipagrostis pennata and Zygophyllum eurypterum habitats, respectively. Despite the high organic carbon in the soil of its habitat, Salsoa richteri plant also had low carbon sequestration due to the low density and percentage of vegetation cover. The results of correlation analysis show that there is a positive and significant relationship between vegetation percentage and carbon sequestration (p<0.01), but no significant relationship was observed between plant density and carbon sequestration (p>0.05).Conclusion: The amount of carbon sequestration was different depending on the percentage of vegetation and there was a positive and significant relationship between the percentage of vegetation and the amount of carbon sequestration, while no relationship was observed between the amount of vegetation density and carbon sequestration. So, in this study, Zygophyllum eurypterum habitat produced the highest percentage of vegetation cover and carbon sequestration, and Seidlitzia rosmarinus habitat had the lowest percentage of vegetation cover and carbon sequestration. Therefore, the vegetation percentage parameter can be used to estimate carbon sequestration. In other words, in the habitats that have bushy and shrubby plants, it is possible to estimate the amount of carbon sequestration based on the canopy percentage.
Jalil Farzadmehr; Yaser Ghasemi Aryan; Reza Yari
Volume 29, Issue 2 , July 2022, , Pages 156-165
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effect of restoration projects on soil surface indicators and performance characteristics in Taherabad rangelands of Ferdows. The Landscape Function Analysis method was used to determine soil surface properties and yield potentials. In this regard, in the representative ...
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This study aimed to investigate the effect of restoration projects on soil surface indicators and performance characteristics in Taherabad rangelands of Ferdows. The Landscape Function Analysis method was used to determine soil surface properties and yield potentials. In this regard, in the representative area of each treatment, three transects (each for 100-meter) were settled at specified distances along the main slope. Along each transect the length and width of plant spots and the length of the inter-spot distance were measured. Excel and LFA (Landscape Function Analysis) instructions were used to calculate the performance potentials. To examine the significance of the performance potentials, SAS software was used in this study. According to the results, there is a significant difference between the treatments. The highest percentage of stability was estimated in the arc basin + exclusion and the lowest was in the treatment of the control area; also, soil infiltration of different restorative treatments, significant differences, and the highest and lowest percentages of soil infiltration was estimated in the arc basin + exclusion and control projects, respectively. The results showed no significant difference in the Nutrient Cycling Index and soil mineral elements in different rangeland restoration projects. Landscape Organization Index for arc basin + exclusion, planting + exclusion, exclusion and control were estimated to be 0.33, 0.22, 0.18 and 0.14, respectively. The Kruskal–Wallis test showed a significant difference (at a 5% level) between the soil surface indicators at different rangeland restoration projects. It is concluded that there are significant differences among soil surface indicators, collar and canopy, litter, soil surface fragility, erosion type and intensity, eroded materials, nature of soil surface and wetting test at 5%, and texture at 1% in different restoration treatments. Different treatments have caused differences in these indicators. Also, there is no significant difference between cryptogam and microtopography indicators. In general, arc basin +exclusion construction in arid and semi-arid regions is a useful restoration activity and increases soil stability and infiltration.
Yaser Ghasemi Aryan; Hossein Arzani; Esmaiel Filekesh; Reza Yari
Volume 20, Issue 1 , June 2013, , Pages 1-10
Abstract
Determination of grazing capacity is considered as one of the most fundamental aspects of range management and understanding the effective factors on it is of utmost importance. Since the amount of forage production in a growth period is the basis for calculation of grazing capacity, in this research ...
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Determination of grazing capacity is considered as one of the most fundamental aspects of range management and understanding the effective factors on it is of utmost importance. Since the amount of forage production in a growth period is the basis for calculation of grazing capacity, in this research the estimation of production through the measurement of plant’s dimensions was investigated. For this purpose, the habitat of Artemisia siberi was determined and then 8 transects of 50 m length were established with 10 m intervals by random-systematic method. The height and diameter of 40 species of Artemisia siberi with different dimensions were recorded and the production of each species was clipped and weighted after drying. All data were analyzed by SPSS. Results showed that there was a significant linear correlation between production as a dependent variable and volume, canopy cover and height of Artemisia siberi as independent variables (R2= 0.88, 0.84, and 0.74, respectively) at 1% probability level. Finally, the relationship between production and volume was identified as the best linear relationship.