Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Mahshid Souri ¹
• Seyedeh Khadijeh Mahdavi ²
• Valiolah Asadi ³
• Rostam Khalifehzadeh ⁴

¹ Assistant Professor, Rangeland Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.

² , Assistant Professor, Department of Natural resources, Islamic Azad University, Nour branch, Iran

³ Range management Ph.D. student , Department of Natural resources, Islamic Azad University, Nour branch, Iran.

⁴ Ph.D in Rangeland sciences, Rangeland Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

The present study was conducted to compare the parameters of vegetation in two sites grazed by livestock and wildlife (whole and goat) in Arasbaran rangelands of East Azarbaijan. After determining the key vegetation type, sampling of vegetation parameters was carried out on both sites using a systematic random sampling. Within each region, five transects of 100 m were established and ten plots of two square meters were systematically sampled on each transect. In each plot, along with each transect, the palatability class of the existing species, vegetative form, cover percentage, density, and production were measured. Results showed that canopy cover percentage, density and production were higher in wild life grazing site than in livestock grazing site and were statistically significant. On the other hand, because of their agility and mobility, wildlife has greater selectivity and a wider range of grazing than livestock. The results also showed that the canopy cover percentage, density and amount of forbs production were lower in the livestock grazing site as compared with the shrubs, due to the concentration of sheep grazing on forbs (generally legume family plants).

Keywords

• Range situation
• Vegetative forms
• wild life
• Livestock
• Arasbaran