Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Professor, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Research Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Bandar Abbas, Iran
Abstract
Due to uncontrollable natural regeneration of invasive and non-native species of Prosopis juliflora in the coastal areas in south of the country, effects of the species on soil properties under canopy cover were investigated. This study was conducted in Hormozgan province, in different sites including Bandar Abbas, Ghaleghazi, Minab and Sirik. In each region, the species were randomly selected in one hectare of land and then the soil under and outside the canopy cover were sampled from two depths, 0-15 and 15-30 cm. pH, EC, saturation percentage, soluble calcium and magnesium, chlorine, HCO3-, SO42-, potassium, organic carbon, total nitrogen and available phosphorus phosphorus were measured in laboratory. Results of this research showed that there were significant differences in some soil properties such as pH, EC, and organic carbon in depth of 0-15 centimeter. It is worth noting that changes in soil properties under canopy cover were not similar in all regions. This may be due to the establishment period of the species in different regions, habitat conditions, the occurrence of rainy and drought periods and the density and diversity of native species. Some soil properties did not differ statistically beneath and outside the canopy of this species but it seems that the trend of these changes has not been stable. It is emphasized that the role of Prosopis juliflora in connection with the change in density and diversity of natural vegetation beneath the canopy cover could not conclusively be attributed only to changes in soil.
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