Javad Motamedi (Torkan); Esmaeil Sheidai Karkaj; Yaser Ghasemi Aryan
Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 17 April 2023
Abstract
The presentation of management models in the natural area is of great importance due to the large extent and inaccessibility of the whole surface. In this regard, Imam Kandi mountain rangelands were targeted for presenting a spatial-ecological model. Homogeneous ecological units were prepared by incorporating ...
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The presentation of management models in the natural area is of great importance due to the large extent and inaccessibility of the whole surface. In this regard, Imam Kandi mountain rangelands were targeted for presenting a spatial-ecological model. Homogeneous ecological units were prepared by incorporating layers of elevation, slope, geographical orientation and plant types. Considering the ecological and environmental characteristics of each homogeneous ecological unit and considering the criteria and index for evaluating rangeland utilization, we evaluated the power and suitability of using rangelands. According to the range condition and trend of the rangeland, the rangeland method and grazing systems were presented for each of the classes. Based on the results of 23 homogeneous ecological units, it was identified that many of them belong to rangeland lands with grades 1 to 3. Accordingly, equilibrium range management was considered in 26.9% (244.4 ha) of rangelands with good condition and class 1 power. In 37.4% (346.4 hectares) with moderate condition and class 2 power, natural range management was recommended. Artificial range management or range improvement were recommended for 35.7% (329.9 ha) of poor and class 3 land. In order to prevent erosion and increase forage production, artificial range management was recommended for abandoned fields. The results indicate that application of spatial-ecological model and consequently identification of ecological homogeneous zones as management and planning units at macro level as a cost-effective method, in addition to assessing rangelands power, can enable rangeland management in proposing the rangeland method and grazing systems and assist in localization of range improvement operations.
Javad Motamedi; Esmaeil Sheidai-Karkaj; Yaser Ghasemi Aryan
Volume 30, Issue 1 , April 2023, , Pages 1-23
Abstract
The presentation of management models in the natural area is of great importance due to the large extent and inaccessibility of the whole surface. In this regard, Imam Kandi mountain rangelands were targeted for presenting a spatial-ecological model. Homogeneous ecological units were prepared by incorporating ...
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The presentation of management models in the natural area is of great importance due to the large extent and inaccessibility of the whole surface. In this regard, Imam Kandi mountain rangelands were targeted for presenting a spatial-ecological model. Homogeneous ecological units were prepared by incorporating layers of elevation, slope, geographical orientation and plant types. Considering the ecological and environmental characteristics of each homogeneous ecological unit and considering the criteria and index for evaluating rangeland utilization, we evaluated the power and suitability of using rangelands. According to the range condition and trend of the rangeland, the rangeland method and grazing systems were presented for each of the classes. Based on the results of 23 homogeneous ecological units, it was identified that many of them belong to rangeland lands with grades 1 to 3. Accordingly, equilibrium range management was considered in 26.9% (244.4 ha) of rangelands with good condition and class 1 power. In 37.4% (346.4 hectares) with moderate condition and class 2 power, natural range management was recommended. Artificial range management or range improvement were recommended for 35.7% (329.9 ha) of poor and class 3 land. In order to prevent erosion and increase forage production, artificial range management was recommended for abandoned fields. The results indicate that application of spatial-ecological model and consequently identification of ecological homogeneous zones as management and planning units at macro level as a cost-effective method, in addition to assessing rangelands power, can enable rangeland management in proposing the rangeland method and grazing systems and assist in localization of range improvement operations.
Asad Sadeghpour; Javad Moetamedi; Esmaeil Sheidai Karkaj
Volume 26, Issue 4 , December 2019, , Pages 838-854
Abstract
Information of plant diversity and its relationship with environmental factors are necessary requirements for rangeland rehabilitation techniques and priority of biodiversity conservation in local habitats. To collect vegetation cover data, the Namin mountainous rangelands were selected and systematic ...
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Information of plant diversity and its relationship with environmental factors are necessary requirements for rangeland rehabilitation techniques and priority of biodiversity conservation in local habitats. To collect vegetation cover data, the Namin mountainous rangelands were selected and systematic random sampling in ecological units was used. The relationship between plant diversity and ecological unit’s characteristics (Sub-basins) was studied by recording the data in physiographic, topographic, chemistry and physics in the soil. To investigate the relationship between species diversity and environmental factors, the redundancy analysis (RDA) method was used as linear method based on gradient length. Based on the results, the physiographic and topographic had significant effect on the richness of the species. On the other hand, soil chemical properties had the greatest impact on the amount of species evenness and diversity of the ecological units and explained 89.64% of the variations. In general, slope, organic carbon amd EC are the most important effective characteristic on the enhancement species diversity idexes and the length parameters. It was also indicated that area and direction of sites are the most important factors on reduction of diversity indices. Therefore, in situations where the purpose of the management to be improve species diversity, places where are in endanger in terms of chemical properties of the soil (organic matter and, consequently, organic carbon) should be prioritized. If the aim of management to be increase in vegetation structure and percentage of plant protection from splash erosion, in this case, places where are in the southern direction and have a steep slope should be prioritized. Furthermore, rangeland rehabilitation techniques are a priority in larger-scale units due to the lower species richness, and smaller units, due to the high plant species richness, should be prioritized of conservation and protection.
Esmaiel Sheidai Karkaj; Hosein Rezaei; Hamid Niknahad Gharemakher; Isa Jafari Footami; Abolfazl Sharifian
Volume 26, Issue 4 , December 2019, , Pages 904-917
Abstract
Soil aggregate stability and soil structure considered as the key indicators of range soil health and counted as effective factors in soil erosion control. The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of exclosure on the stability of aggregates and soil structure in four areas of Golestan ...
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Soil aggregate stability and soil structure considered as the key indicators of range soil health and counted as effective factors in soil erosion control. The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of exclosure on the stability of aggregates and soil structure in four areas of Golestan province including Chaharbagh, Incheboron, Gomishan and Maravetapeh. Soil sampling was carried out from two depths of 0-20 and 20-40 cm by digging profile in random-systematic method along transects in each of exclosure and adjacent sites of quadruple areas. Aggregates stability was measured by the method of wet sieving in the laboratory. The results were analyzed statistically using independent and paired samples t-test for exclosure sites and adjacent exclosure sites as well as two corresponding depths, respectively. In the most of studied sites, the aggregate stability values were higher in the surface soil than the deep soil.The results indicated that the effect of rangeland exclosure on morphological changes and soil status indicating positive role in development of soil structure in all studied areas, however, these results were statistically significant only in the Incheboron and Gommishan area in view point of soil aggregate stability. The highest value of soil stability was in the first depth (4.52 mm) of Gomishan exclosure site and the lowest one was in the second depth (1.15 mm) in Gomishan grazing site. The final result showed that regardless of positive role of exclosure in promoting the stability of aggregate, factors such as geographic position of rangeland, climate, vegetation type and grazing conditions as the associated factors affecting the stability of aggregate and soil structure should be considered.
Gholamali Heshmati; Hamid Siroosi; esmaeil sheydaye Karkaj
Volume 24, Issue 4 , January 2018, , Pages 742-756
Abstract
Rangelands as dynamic ecosystems respond to the disturbances such as climatic fluctuations and grazing management patterns. Prediction of spatial trend of these changes could be contributed to management planning and rehabilitation of degraded landscape. In this study, changes ...
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Rangelands as dynamic ecosystems respond to the disturbances such as climatic fluctuations and grazing management patterns. Prediction of spatial trend of these changes could be contributed to management planning and rehabilitation of degraded landscape. In this study, changes in the function of ecosystem, affected by livestock grazing, were investigated along grazing gradient. To this end, in the winter rangelands of Gorgan, functional features of the rangeland ecosystem including: nutrient cycling, infiltration and stability were measured at the set of points along grazing gradient. Measured parameters were analyzed using statistical methods and regression models to determine changes in ecosystem function along grazing gradient. The results showed a significant trend in functional indices along the grazing gradient. Points close to the livestock camp had the minimum value of functional indices while those at the end of the grazing gradient were found to be maximized. Comparison of different regression models using Akaike Information Criterion revealed that, as per infiltration index four-parameter sigmoid model and also for stability and nutrient cycling indices, three-parameter sigmoid model had the lowest AIC value and were the best models to predict functional changes along grazing gradients. The results of this study may be promising as rangeland model input to identify critical areas and can be used to predict management effects on productivity and sustainability of rangeland ecosystems.
Fatemeh Alilou; farshad keivan Behjou; esmaeil sheidae karkaj; reza ahmadkhani; javad motamedi
Volume 24, Issue 3 , October 2017, , Pages 596-609
Esmaiel Sheydaye Karkaj; Seyedeh Zohreh Mirdeilami; Mousa Akbarlou
Volume 22, Issue 1 , June 2015, , Pages 31-46
Abstract
In this study, in order to take appropriate measures in accordance with the principles of ecological management, the relationship between distribution of ecological species groups of Chahar Bagh summer rangelands with soil factors and various grazing management practices was investigated. Five dominant ...
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In this study, in order to take appropriate measures in accordance with the principles of ecological management, the relationship between distribution of ecological species groups of Chahar Bagh summer rangelands with soil factors and various grazing management practices was investigated. Five dominant vegetation units including reference area (exclosure), key and critical areas (pen, vicinity of village and watering point) were identified in the region, upon the range management and utilization types. Vegetation parameters including density and canopy cover percentage as well as soil properties of two depths were investigated by a random-systematic method. Clustering analysis and principle component analysis were applied to determine the ecological groups of the region as well as the effects of soil physicochemical properties on the distribution of ecological species groups using PC-ORD5 and Canoco 4.0 software. The results led to the separation of five ecological species groups from each other. In this region, the distribution of ecological species groups was affected by soil physicochemical properties (90.48%), management parameters (0.008%), and the interaction effects of these factors (10%). Among the soil physicochemical properties, clay percentage in the first depth (0.999), P content in the second depth (0.991), bulk density (-0.989), porosity (0.985), saturation percentage in the first depth (0.982), and K content in the second depth (0.996) had the highest impact on the distribution of ecological species groups, respectively.
Esmaeil Sheidayi Karkaj; Morteza Mofidi Chalan; Mousa Akbarlou; Javad Motamedi
Volume 20, Issue 4 , March 2014, , Pages 720-732