Journal of Rangeland

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  The soil seed bank condition is relatively responsible for variations in rangeland vegetation dynamics. Investigation on soil seed banks is very important where native ecosystems have been converted to other land uses substantially and the size of natural ecosystems are declined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of species in vegetation and soil seed banks in six vegetation types of Behshahr lowland rangeland in Mazandaran province. Vegetation was sampled in 1 m² plots along 100 m transects. Soil samples were collected from 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm of soil surface. Soil samples were put in germinating pots in the greenhouse and the numbers of seedlings were then counted. Vegetation similarity with soil seed bank was measured using Mantel test and Sorenson index. Results showed that the number of species in vegetation and soil seed bank varied based on the vegetation types. The Halocnemum strobilaceum- Juncus maritimus vegetation type contained 34 species (the greatest number of species recorded between the vegetation types). Twenty six species were also identified in the soil seed bank of Juncus maritimus vegetation type (the greatest number of species in the soil seed bank). Therophytes were the most frequent life form in both vegetation and soil seed bank pools with 31 and 25 species, respectively. Fifteen plant families were found in both vegetation and soil seed banks. The species from Poaceae and Compositae families were dominant in vegetation types but the species from Poaceae and Leguminosae were dominant in soil seed bank. Diversity and richness indices in vegetations were significantly greater than that in seed banks except in Salicornia europaea-Spergularia marina vegetation type. There was no similarity between vegetations and soil seed banks in the whole region and all vegetation types except in Aeluropus littoralis vegetation type.

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Saline areas and marginal rangelands of some playas in Iran have important role to supply forage for livestock. This study was conducted to compare forage quality of four native halophyte and salt tolerant species including: Atriplex verruciferum, Halocnemum strobilaceum, Haloxylon persicum and Nitraria schoberi, collected from Meighan saline rangelands near Arak (Markazi province). Edible parts of aerial biomass of the species were collected in three phonological stages (vegetative growth, full flowering and seed ripening). Forage quality indices such as Crude Protein (CP), Dry Matter Digestibility (DMD), Dry Matter Intake (DMI), Metabolizable Energy (ME), Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF), Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) and Phosphorus (P) contents of the plant samples were measured. The results showed that the forage quality were different significantly between the species and various phonological stages (p <0.01). According to Duncan mean separation test, the interaction effects of phonological stages and plant species on quality indices were also significant. In most of species, the CP, DMD and ME were decreased with progressing phonological stages while ADF and NDF increased. Nitraria schoberi had the highest CP (32.42%) in vegetative stage while Haloxylon persicum had the lowest CP (11.06%) in seed ripening stage. The Relative Feeding Values of Nitraria schoberi  and Atriplex verruciferum were exhibited the highest and lowest values respectively (RFV=529.77 versus RFV=217.4).  Overall results indicated that, although the forage qualities of these halophytes species are promising, supplementary feeding especially phosphorus is required for livestock feeding.

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The purpose of rangeland management is to preserve, rehabilitate, develop and sustainable use of rangeland resources, so that not to damage other rangeland resources, especially water and soil. For sustainable rangeland management, calculating rangeland capacity and determining the allowable utilization of key rangeland species is necessary. In this study, the effect of different harvest intensities on the regeneration rate of Salicornia species for 3 years was investigated. Two separate series of experimental plots with dimensions of 3 by 3 m were established in a completely randomized block design. Harvest intensity as the main treatment in 5 levels (zero (control), 25, 50, 75 and 100%) were performed in each plot in 5 replications by two harvesting methods including manual cut of the plant and using mowing machine through cutting plants from a distance of 1 cm from the soil surface. For three consecutive years, production of cut plants were measured. Data were analyzed using PAST software. The results of analysis of variance showed that there was no significant difference between mean regeneration rates. Significant difference was observed between the studied years and between the two methods of manual and machine operation methods. Based on the results of comparing the means, the highest rate of species regeneration was observed for the 100% cut of the year 2020 in manual (65%) and machine (43%) methods respectively. According to the findings, the intensity of 100% harvesting of Salicornia by manual method can be applied with the least negative effects on the density of Salicornia in its natural habitats, allowing the plant to regenerate in the next year in its physiological rate.

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Salicornia europaea is succulent annual halophyte. It has a variety of uses, such as: eatablility, oil extraction, cosmetic applications, fodder feeding and finally its seed as the poultry nutrition additive. The content of oil and fatty acid profile of the plant was tested through samples taken in 1*1 m² plots at the seed ripening stage (September). Soxhlet method was used to extract the samples oil, and the obtained oil was analyzed by using gas chromatography method. Results showed that the amount of oil content ranged from 18to 4/5 % for dry weight of seeds, leaves and steams. Gas chromatography analysis identified 5 types of acid: Palmitic, Stearic, Lauric, Myristic and Palmitoleic of saturated fatty acids. There were seven types of essential acids:  oleic, linoleic, linolenic, α-linolenic and isomer trans-Linoleic acid. Arachidic and Palmitoleic acid polyunsaturated fatty acids were found in the extracted oil. Palmitic acid among the saturated fatty acids and linoleic acid among the polyunsaturated fatty acids was predominant. Results show that seeds are suitable for eating as the oil and biomass for its omega3. In order to determine the percentage of lignocellulosic compounds as the raw material of biofuel, sampling was taken in three stages of vegetative growth (May), flowering (August) and seeding (Mehr) in the same plots of one square meters.  Salicornia europaea has the potential as bio-ethanol crops. 28-30% cellulose, 7-8% hemi-cellulose, and 6-8 % lignin biomass of good quality for produce bio- ethanol in all growth stage.

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Background and objectives: Halophytes are plants resistant to salinity and have the potential to produce edible oil in their seeds. The focus on cultivating halophytes and salt-tolerant plants for edible oil production is increasing, primarily due to the critical salt problem in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, such as Iran. Large areas of salty lands, particularly in arid and semi-arid countries like Iran, make these plants especially valuable in saline lands. This study aims to investigate the quality and quantity of edible oil from three halophyte species- Halocnemum strobilaceum, Nitraria schoberi, and Suaeda aegyptiaca - in the rangelands around Hoze Soltan, Qom Province, to suggest their cultivation in saline lands.
Methodology: This study was conducted in the saline habitats of Qom Province around Hoze Soltan. After preparing vegetation maps and conducting field investigations, different plant types were selected at each site, and sampling was performed in each reference region. During the seeding phenological stage, three seed samples were prepared for each species in each region based on a completely randomized design. The first replication was chosen randomly near the salinity center, with the second and third replications selected at 200-meter intervals from the previous replication. Ten plants of each species were randomly selected in each replication. For each species in every region, three seed samples (corresponding to three replications in the seeding stage) were sent to the oil analysis laboratory. The oil percentage and fatty acid composition were determined using Soxhlet extraction and gas chromatography, respectively. Soil parameters were measured after sampling. All statistical analyses and correlations were performed using SPSS software.
Results: The findings showed that Suaeda aegyptiaca had a higher seed oil percentage than Halocnemum strobilaceum and Nitraria schoberi. Seven types of fatty acids were identified in the oil obtained from the seeds of the three studied species. The dominant saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were palmitic acid and linoleic acid, respectively. The results of RDA analysis indicated that the oil and linoleic acid content in S. aegyptiaca were higher than in other species. The highest amounts of sapienic, behenic, stearic, and arachidic acids were observed in N. schoberi. Palmitic acid was most abundant in H. strobilaceum.
Conclusion: Among the three studied species, Suaeda aegyptiaca is recommended for restoring saline regions of Hoze Soltan in Qom Province due to its desirable oil production and higher amounts of oil and linoleic acid. Cultivating and utilizing S. aegyptiaca in saline lands where agricultural plants cannot be cultivated not only conserves the soil and prevents desertification but also provides a viable option for entrepreneurship, production, and obtaining plant oils from halophytes. Further research and identification of oily halophyte species are needed.