Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Abstract
Application of new rangeland ecosystems monitoring methods is essential for ecological studies. LFA principles and soil surface assessment parameters are based on ecological conditions of Australia. The aim of this study was calibration of LFA method for an arid rangeland ecosystem located in central part of Iran with 188 mm annual mean precipitation. In LFA 11 soil surface parameters are ranked to determine soil surface indices (infiltration, stability and nutrient cycling of soil). To calibrate LFA, soil surface assessment had been done with 10 replications. Then sensitivity analysis of 11 parameters had been done. Soil texture and kind of erosion and its severity parameters with lowest sensitivity had been deleted from LFA and available pebble in soil surface added to LFA as a new parameter (Calibrated LFA). Verification of LFA and calibrated LFA soil surface indices had been done by regressing them against field and experimental measurements and the results compared together. Results indicate that LFA and calibrated LFA soil surface indices are in moderately verified class (R: 0.4-0.6) and strongly verified class (R>0.6) respectively. This represents more efficiency of CLFA revised method in comparison with LFA method for using in the study area and similar areas.
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