Volume 11, Issue 4 (3-2018)
مرتع 2018, 11(4): 460-473 |
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Molaeinasab A, Bashari H, Tarkesh Esfahani M. Range health assessment in grazed rangeland ecosystems by livestock and wild herbivores (Case study: Steppe rangeland of Ghamishloo National park in Isfahan province). مرتع 2018; 11 (4) :460-473
URL: http://rangelandsrm.ir/article-1-534-en.html
URL: http://rangelandsrm.ir/article-1-534-en.html
Isfahan University of Technology
Abstract: (6381 Views)
This study aimed to evaluate the application of range health approach for assessing the structure and function of Steppe rangelands in Ghamishloo National Park of Isfahan province. This research was conducted in three zones with different protection levels/ grazing intensity including a national park with wild herbivores, a peripheral protected area, where both livestock and wild herbivores present, and an adjacent grazing free area where wild herbivores were absent. Soil bulk density, organic matter, ground cover, canopy cover and soil aggregate stability of the zones were assessed quantitatively to improve range health assessment results. Seventeen ecological indicators were assessed to measure three health indices including soil and site stability, hydrologic function and biotic integrity in various zones. Ecological indicators were rated based on range health approach (from extreme condition to none based on their deviation from reference site status). According to the results, range health condition differs considerably due to the grazing intensities in different zones. Range health condition in zones with livestock and wild herbivores were assessed “at risk”, but all the three indices were categorized extreme and moderately extreme in the grazing free area. According to the non-metric multi-dimensional scaling analysis and Mann-Whitney test, the extent of soil surface loss, bare soil percentage, structural-functional groups, vegetation composition and soil resistance to erosion were identified as the most discriminative range health indicators. According to the results, these indicators and all the three range health indices varied statistically between different zones (α= 0.01), hence the five identified sensitive indicators can be used effectively to assess range health in this area.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2018/03/3 | Accepted: 2018/03/3 | Published: 2018/03/3
Received: 2018/03/3 | Accepted: 2018/03/3 | Published: 2018/03/3
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