Ehsan Zandi; Ali Ashraf Jafari; rasoul mirakhorli
Volume 24, Issue 2 , July 2017, , Pages 464-473
Abstract
Due to the adaptability to arid and desert conditions, halophytes could supply a part of livestock forage requirement in early spring, summer, and especially autumn. However, there is little information on the forage quality of these plants. On the other hands, halophytes vary considerably in their nutritive ...
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Due to the adaptability to arid and desert conditions, halophytes could supply a part of livestock forage requirement in early spring, summer, and especially autumn. However, there is little information on the forage quality of these plants. On the other hands, halophytes vary considerably in their nutritive value not only among species but also among phenological stages. Therefore, knowledge on forage quality of halophytes at each phenological stage could help the beneficiaries in arid regions to opt proper species for cultivation in haloculture programs as well as determining the suitable time for livestock grazing. In the present study, the effects of phenological stages on six forage quality traits were investigated for two halophytes ie., Atriplex leucoclada and Suaeda fruticosa. Plant samples were collected from saline lands in Garmsar, Semnan Province. The study was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications. The results showed that the effects of phenological stages and species on forage quality were significant (P<0.01).The highest forage quality was obtained at vegetative growth stage and then it declined at the seeding stage. Overall, our results clearly indicate the higher forage quality of Suaeda fruticosa as compared with Atriplex leucoclada. Therefore, Suaeda fruticosa could be introduced as a new source of forage in saline lands on which other conventional fodders have no chance to grow and yield.
Ahmadreza Panahian; Hamidreza Naseri; Majid Karimpour Reyhan; Mohamad Jafari; Seyed Alireza Hoseini
Volume 23, Issue 1 , June 2016, , Pages 128-137
Abstract
Carbon absorption by plant tissues and sequestration in soil is one of the ways to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The cultivation of plants and proper management lead to increased biomass of native plants, increased photosynthesis level and carbon adsorption as well as increasing the amount ...
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Carbon absorption by plant tissues and sequestration in soil is one of the ways to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The cultivation of plants and proper management lead to increased biomass of native plants, increased photosynthesis level and carbon adsorption as well as increasing the amount of carbon input to soil.Roadside is among the areas having the ability to absorb carbon with a high ecological potential. The aim of this research was to measure the carbon storage in the sagebrush stands of the Eyvanakey-Garmsar roadside. For this purpose, 10 plots of 120 square meters were randomly established along three transects of 1,000 meters. In each plot, soil profiles were dug at the foot of the plants and the space between them, and soil samples were taken at three depths of 0-10 cm, 10-30 cm, and 30-50 cm in five replications. According to the obtained results, the total carbon sequestration in the soil profile was calculated to be 59.518 tons per hectare, and the total organic carbon stored in the aboveground and underground biomass of sagebrush was equal to 340.8 kg per hectare. To increase carbon sequestration in rangelands, the applied ecosystem management options must be based on three criteria including soil, biomass, and litter. Overall, plant cultivation in the roadside will result in reduced erosion and noise pollution as well as creating ecological corridor, landscape, and microclimate.