Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Nematollah Madadi Zadeh ¹
• Hossein Arzani ²
• Ghavaloddin ahedi ²
• Najmeh Faryabi ¹

¹ PhD Student of Range Management, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University

² Professor, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran

Abstract

In the current study, the effects of exclosure were examined on rangeland vegetation at two study sites including, reference site (inside the exlosure) and critical site (outside the exclosure). Research was conducted by the systematic-random method and 160 2*1.5 m plots were established. Inside each plot, the percentage of canopy cover, litter, gravel and bare soil as well as density of class I, II, and III species were recorded. Dry matter yield was also calculated. Four-factor method and trend balance method were applied to determine the range condition and range trend, respectively. According to the obtained results, due to the exclosure, litter, yield, canopy cover percentage and class I species composition increased up to 24.72%, 37.42%, 23.6%, and 80.6%, respectively. On the other hand, the percentage of bare soil, gravel, and class III species composition decreased to 34.29%, 17.16%, and 26.96%, respectively. Mean differences in all parameters inside and outside the exclosure were significant at both study sites.  Our results also indicated that exclosure led to the improvement of range condition and range trend.

Keywords

• Critical
• reference
• Plant composition
• Exclosure
• study site