Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Abstract

Plant cover is one of the best index for recognizing and describing the environmental changes in the forest. This paper attempts to determine the effects of different desert soil classes on some distinctive plant vegetative characteristics. For the purpose of sustainable management, application of floodwater spreading for irrigation of desert plants will meet increase the essential water supplies for desert plants, which in turn create the optimum conditions for desert plant growth. In order to examine the effects of flood water distribution on physico-chemical properties of soil and finally on vegetative characteristics of desert plants an area of approximately 300 hectares located at Tangestan flood water experimental station, in Bushehr, has been divided into three sections of each 100 hectares. Each section received different amount of flood water as entry (treatments).The process of irrigation have been conducted since 1997(11 years). Each section has been divided into two subdivision of upland and down-land subdivisions. Each subdivision has been divided into three secondary subdivisions (18 secondary subdivisions).In each secondary subdivisions soil samples were collected to study the physico-chemical properties of the soil, meanwhile in each secondary sub sample a Cluster sample of 4 plots were studied for the proposed vegetative characteristic of deserts plants: Prosopis juliflora, Ziziphus spina-christi and Acacia nilotica. The experiment has been conducted in the form of split plot design. The results indicate that the mean stem diameter, height and crown diameter differ significantly in sections; section number one has the best growth conditions. Comparison of subsections indicate that the upland and down-land mean stem diameter and crown diameter differs significantly in that the down-land has a better condition of growth. The comparison of soil physico-chemical properties indicate that there is a significant differences between sections and section one is dominated over the others.
 

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