Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Forests and Rangelands Research Department, Khuzestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Ahvaz, Iran

2 Researcher in Forests and Rangelands Research Department, Khuzestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Ahvaz, Iran

Abstract

The study of vegetation and the measurement of diversity indices are suitable tools for studying the status of forests and rangelands and evaluating them. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the trend of vegetation changes during four consecutive years and in two seasons in the Bagan region. For this purpose, 5 transects of 100 meters with distances of 50 meters in the study area were considered systematically randomly. A total of 30 plots of one fixed square meter were installed along the transects. In two growing seasons, spring and fall, from 2017 to 2020, the type and percentage of cover of native species were harvested. Dominance, uniformity and diversity of Simpson, Shannon and Hill species were measured using PAST and R software. The results of one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that there is a significant difference between the mean of dominance, Shannon and Simpson indices, percentage of cover, and the number of species in the spring of different harvest years. In fall, except for the dominance index in other indices during July 2019 compared to 2018, there was a significant difference. From the results, it can be concluded that despite the return of some annual or short-lived species such as Bienertia cycloptera Bunge and Salsola jordanicola Eig. following irrigation of cultivated seedlings and rainfall, the study area is still sensitive and fragile and needs to be managed and confined until proper rehabilitation.

Keywords

Assadi, M., Maassoumi, A., Khatamsaz, M. and Mozaffarian, V., 1988-2018. Flora of Iran, Volumes 1-147. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands Publications, Tehran.
Atashgahi, Z., Ejtehadi, H., Mesdaghi, M. and Ghassemzadeh, F., 2018. The existence of a unimodal or monotonic pattern in species richness and diversity along an elevation gradient: a case study in Heydari Wildlife Refuge, NE Iran. Journal of Nova Biologica Reperta, 5(3): 291-298.
Azarnivand, H. and Zare Chahouki, M.A., 2011. Rangeland Ecology. University of Tehran, Tehran, 364pp.
Bagherian, R., Sefidi, K., Keivan Behjou, A., Soltani, A. and Behtari, B., 2020. Comparison of plant species diversity and evenness in different grazing levels southeastern slopes of Sabalan. Journal of environmental, science and technology, 22(2): 373-38.
Chamani, A., Tavan, M. and Hoseini, S.A., 2011. Effect of three operation systems of contour furrow, pitting and enclousure on rangeland improvement (Case study: Golestan province, Iran). Journal of rangeland science, 2(1): 379-387.
Dinarvand, M., Ejtehadi, H., Farzam, M. and Andarzian, S.B., 2016. A survey on the impacts of environmental factors on biodiversity, and modeling the effects of climate change on certain species distribution in Shimbar protected area, Khuzestan Province, SW Iran. PhD thesis, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad. 166pp.
Dinarvand, M., Fayaz, M., Behnamfar, K., Khaksarian, F., Yasreby, B. and Arami, S.A., 2021. An assessment of species diversity and vegetation richness indices in two dust centers of Khuzestan province. The Iranian Journal of Biology, 9(4): 73-87.
Dinarvand, M., Keneshloo, H. and Fayaz, M., 2018. Vegetation of dusty place in Khuzestan province. Iran Nature, 3(3): 32-42.
Dinarvand, M. and Jamzad, Z., 2020. Plant diversity of Khuzestan and dust sources in the southwest of Iran, with a checklist of vascular plants. Journal of Phytotaxa, 434(3): 219-254.
Ejtehadi, H., Sepehry, A. and Akafi, H.R., 2008. Methods of measuring biodiversity. Ferdowsi university of Mashhad, Publication No 530, 228 pp.
Hassanzadeh, M., Akbarzadeh, M. and Mohamadi, R., 2010. Assessment seasonal change of production and uses of rangelands species in Masjed Solyman-Khuzestan. Final report. Research institute of forests and rangelands.
Hill, M.O., 1973. Diversity and evenness: A unifying notation and its consequences. Journal of Ecology 54: 427-432.
Jahantigh, M. and Pessarakli, M., 2009. Utilization of contour furrow and pitting techniques on desert rangelands: Evaluation of runoff, sediment, soil water content and vegetation cover. Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment, 7 (2): 736-739.
Kawada, K., Suzuki, K., Suganuma, H., Smaoui, A. and Isoda, H., 2012. Plant biodiversity in the semi-arid zone of Tunisia. Journal of Arid Land Studies, 22 (1): 83-86.
Khosravi Moshizi, A. and Shrafatmandrad, M., 2021. Investigating the relationship between plant diversity and annual production in semi-arid rangelands of National Park Khabr, Kerman province. Iranian journal of Range and Desert Research, 28(2): 250-259.
Legendre, P. and Legendre, L., 2012. Numerical ecology, 3rd English edition. Developments in Environmental Modelling vol. 24. Elsevier Science BV, Amsterdam. 1006 pp. ISBN-13: 978-0444538680.
Mc Cann, K. S., 2000. The diversity-stability debate. Journal of Nature, 405: 228-233.
Mesdaghi, M., 2005. Plant Ecology. Publication of Jahade Daneshgahi, 187p.
Mozaffarian, V., 1999. Flora of Khuzestan. Research center of natural resources and husbandry of Khuzestan, Ahvaz, 144pp.
Rahimizadeh, A., Farzadmehr, J., Rostagi, A. A. and Ramezani Gask, M., 2010. Comparison of effects of planting Haloxylon spp. And Atriplex spp. On the characteristics of vegetation cover and ranglands soil (A case study: Salemabad, Sarbishe, Iran). Journal of Renewable Natural Resources Research, 1(2): 1-13.
Rechinger, K. H. (ed.)., 1963-2015. Flora Iranica, vols. 1-181, Wien.
Townsend, C.C. and Guest, E., 1974-1985. Flora of Iraq, vols. 3, 4, 8, Baghdad.
Yirdaw, E. and Lukanen, S., 2003. Indigenous woody species diversity in Eucalyptus globules labill ssp. Globules plantation in the Ethiopian highlands. Journal of Biodiversity and conservation, 12: 567-582.
Zare, M.T., Fayaz, M., Zarekia, N., Baghestani Mybodi, N. and Abolghasemi, M., 2020. Effect of different methods of rainfall storage and cultivation season in the establishment of Ferula tabasensis species in Yazd province (Case study: Kalmand Bahadoran rangeland). Iranian Journal of Range and Desert Research, 27(1): 24-35.
Zehtabian, G. R., Bakhshi, J., Ghadimi, M. and Biroudian, N., 2009. Investigation on Understory vegetative cover in Haloxylon aphyllum plantation area in Ardestan region, Iran. Iranian Journal of Range and Desert Research, 15(4): 436-446.
Zohary, M., 1966-1986. Flora Palaestina vols. 1-4, Israel Academy of Science and Humanities, Jerusalem.