Effects of Range Improvement Practices on Vegetation (Case study: Naftkhane Qasreshirin Plain of Kermanshah Province, Iran

Gheytouri, Mohammad; Heshmati, Mosayeb; Parvizi, Yahya

doi:10.22092/ijrdr.2019.120034

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

¹ Assistant Professor, Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Department, Kermanshah Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center,(AREEO), Iran.

² Associate Professor, Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Department, Kermanshah Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, (AREEO), Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22092/ijrdr.2019.120034

Abstract

Inappropriate exploitation methods, particularly changes in rangeland use, excessive grazing, and fire have led to sever degradation of rangelands with even worse consequences observed in winter rangelands. The present study, conducted in the poor rangelands of Naftkhane Qasreshirin Plain, aimed to study the effects of practices carried out to improve the conditions of rangelands on vegetation cover and carbon sequestration. The study included four types of treatment including a) furrow and brush- planting, b) pitting and brush- planting, c) managing grazing system, and d) a control treatment with usual exploitation conditions. Details of vegetation cover of the rangelands including condition, trend, biomass, forage production, and rate of carbon sequestration in the four treatments were assessed using transects and quadrates. The highest production rate for biomass and forage, and carbon sequestration in rangelands was 573, 551, and 266 kgha^-1, respectively, which belonged to the pitting treatment, and the lowest rates 298, 196, and 137 kgha^-1 were for the control treatment. In addition, rangeland condition and trend in studied rangelands were assessed to be positive under pitting and furrow treatments whereas in the control treatment a poor condition and a negative trend were observed. Results of the study indicated that pitting, furrow, and management of the grazing system were respectively the most effective treatments in improving biomass, vegetation cover, forage production, carbon sequestration, and erosion control.

Keywords

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Effects of Range Improvement Practices on Vegetation (Case study: Naftkhane Qasreshirin Plain of Kermanshah Province, Iran

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References

Volume 26, Issue 3September 2019Pages 772-785

Volume 26, Issue 3
September 2019
Pages 772-785