Mostafa Zare; Mohammad Fayaz; Gholamreza Goudarzi; Ali Farmahini
Volume 21, Issue 2 , August 2014, , Pages 329-335
Abstract
Temporal and spatial factors have different effects on grazing behavior so that different temporal parameters including the speed and distance walked by livestock are among the factors that can serve as an important tool in grazing management. This research was conducted in Anjedan, a semi-steppe ...
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Temporal and spatial factors have different effects on grazing behavior so that different temporal parameters including the speed and distance walked by livestock are among the factors that can serve as an important tool in grazing management. This research was conducted in Anjedan, a semi-steppe region in Arak province, in different months of grazing season (five months) during 2007-2010. To determine the parameters, a GPS, attached to the livestock, was used in a certain day of each month of grazing season. The speed of livestock movement, the length of distance walked by livestock, and the time spent for grazing, rest and movement were recorded. The data were analyzed in a completely randomized design and the means were compared using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. According to the obtained results, the speed of livestock movement, the length of distance walked by livestock and the time spent for rest and movement showed significant difference during the studied years as well as in the months of grazing season. The time spent for grazing did not show significant difference in different years; however a significant difference at 5% level of probability was recorded in different months. More grazing, movement and rest and less distance walked by livestock were recorded when the environmental and climatic conditions were appropriate for the growth of range species especially annuals.
Ali Ehsani; Mamak Ahmadian; Saeed Rashvand; Mohammad Ali Dehghani Tafti; Mostafa Zare
Volume 21, Issue 1 , June 2014, , Pages 13-23
Abstract
Study of the phenology of range key species is important to regulate and apply proper management for sustainable utilization of rangeland forage. In this study, the phenological stages of Artemisia aucheri were examined as a key species at three sites of different semi-steppe regions during 2007-2010. ...
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Study of the phenology of range key species is important to regulate and apply proper management for sustainable utilization of rangeland forage. In this study, the phenological stages of Artemisia aucheri were examined as a key species at three sites of different semi-steppe regions during 2007-2010. For this purpose, in each site, 10 individuals were selected and different phenological stages were recorded in 15-day and 7-day intervals for vegetative stage and reproductive stage, respectively. In addition, meteorological data including temperature and precipitation were recorded from the nearest synoptic station for each site. Results indicated that the occurrence of phenological phenomena of Artimisia aucheriwas more affected by temperature and precipitation indices of the growing season. According to the obtained results, the start and end of grazing were determined as early May to late October for Shirkooh (Yazd province), late May and early June to mid-July for Anjadan (Markazi province), and second half of May to mid September for Alamoot (Ghazvin province). Consequently, a complete understanding on the phenological stages of Ar. aucheri enables us to plan grazing management in order to determine the time of livestock entry into and exit from rangelands, optimal number of livestock for grazing and proper grazing systems.