مجله مرتع
سال هشتم شماره 1 (پیاپی 29، بهار 1393)

This study aimed to evaluates the morphological characteristics of Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) samples, collected from 12 regions located in 5 provinces including Khorasane razavi, North Khorasan, Kermanshah, Fars and Golestan. The effects of root sizes (less than 1 and 1 to 2 cm) on dry matter and water soluble extract contents in collected samples were examined. The Maceration method was used to determine roots dry extracts. The residue of dry matter percent of each sample as an indicator of water soluble extract content were then calculated. Statistical analysis of the data was conducted using a completely randomized design. Morphological characteristics of samples collected from various areas varied significantly (p<0.01). Licorice roots dry weight of collected samples (42.07-49.93%) didnt vary significantly in two diameters (p>0.05), but the differences of water soluble extracts for the two root sizes were significant (p<0.01). The highest percent of water soluble extracts was recorded in Doshman ziari (20.25%) and Araghi mahale (19%) samples. The correlation coefficients did not show significant relationship between morphological characteristics and dry matter weight and water soluble extracts (p>0.05), but the water soluble extract contents of collected samples were affected by climatic and edaphic conditions of these areas. The collected samples were then classified into four groups using cluster analysis of samples based on their morphological characteristics. This classification can be interpreted by the genetic and environmental variation of plants and areas. According to the results, Doshman ziari, Araghi mahale, Koh sorkh and Deh sorkh were the most appropriate areas in terms of dry matter percent and water soluble extracts of Licorice samples. These areas had the best ecotypes and their samples can be tested in the plant domestication studies.

Soil seed pool is an important source for plant diversity. Evaluating the soil seed bank condition and monitor its changes has high value for conservation, restoration, and management of rangeland ecosystems. This study aimed to investigate the similarity between above ground vegetation and soil seed bank in order to evaluate the possible potential of seed bank for recovering degraded vegetation communities in the semi-steppe rangelands in Karsanak located in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. Three abandoned dry farming fields with different time laps after the last cultivation (3-5, 15-10 and >25 years) and an uncultivated site as control were selected. A systematic random sampling method was used to collect soil samples from two depths 0-5 and 5-10 cm of soil surface in 5 plots established along the transects in winter 2012 and transported to green house for seed germination test. Above ground vegetation of the plots was also studied in the next growth season. Indicator Species Analysis (ISA) was used to determine the indicator plant species in each succession stages. Detrended Corespondance Analaysis (DCA) was used for separating the species groups of the each succession stages. The results showed that the similarity between soil seed bank and above ground vegetation in the abandoned dry farming fields with 3-5 and >25 years after the last cultivation were 18.7% and 9.26% respectively. Results of DCA analysis and ISA analysis revealed that classification of plant communities on the basis of the above ground vegetation data set is more applicable than on the basis of soil seed bank. The majority of soil seed bank belong to the species of early stage of succession, hence soil seed bank is not an appropriate criteria for evaluating above ground vegetation in the abandoned dry farming fields.

Applying appropriate sampling methods ensure the efficiency and accuracy of from inventory and monitoring results in rangelands. Vegetation type, spatial vegetation pattern and plant size affect selection of proper plot shape and size in vegetation measurements. It enhances the measurements accuracy and reduces observed variance among measured samples and save sampling time. This study aimed to determine proper plot size and shape for vegetation study in semi-steppe rangelands dominated by Bromus tomentellus- Astragalus verus in Isfahan province. Square, rectangular and circle plots with size of one and two square meters were compared in measuring vegetation cover in a dominated random vegetation pattern. A systematic random sampling method was used and variance analysis of measured attributes was conducted. According to the results, there were significant differences between various plot sizes (P< 0.01) but plot shapes didnt differ significantly. Evaluating variation coefficient of vegetation cover in plots with different size revealed that 2 m2 plot was more efficient and accurate than 1 m2 plot size. Rectangular plots in vegetation cover measurements produced data with lower coefficient of variant than other plot shapes. Overall, 2 m2 rectangular plots is suggested as an appropriate plot size and shapes in vegetation cover measurements of rangeland with similar vegetation patterns in semi-arid rangelands.

Ordination methods assist mangers to explore the relationships between environmental variables and vegetation patterns along various environmental and management gradients. The ordination results have some limitation when there is high heterogeneity and uncertainty about environmental variables. Fuzzy ordination was used in the current study to explore the relationships between vegetation changes and environmental gradients in two sites (Planted- exclosure and control site) located in Kohe Namak- Ghom. The effectiveness of this ordination method to obtain the vegetation patterns was also compared with CCA & RDA. Some Soil properties data (Caso4, EC, Ca, Ca+Mg, Caco3, pH, Cl and OM) were collected from both sites and various ordination techniques were used to analyze the data. The correlation between ordination plot axis and vegetation cover was used as a basis for comparing the effectiveness of different analysis techniques. According to the results, the correlation between ordination plot axis and vegetation cover in CCA and Fuzzy ordination methods were 0.496 and 0.618 respectively. It can be concluded that Fuzzy method is a more appropriate technique for exploring the relationships of vegetation and soil properties than other studied techniques in the study area.

Rangeland production mainly depends on rainfall in arid and semi-arid areas. Using polyacrylamide polymers can reduce water shortage stress in some extent. The present study was carried out to investigate and compare the influence of polyacrylamide and animal manure on the performance of F. ovina species under drought stress. The effects of three levels of water stress as the main factor and six levels of polymers & manure as the secondary factor on F. ovina production were studied and analyzed. The used six levels of polymer & manure treatment were T1: Control, T2: 0Gr. Polyacrylamide, 50Gr. Manure, T3: 5Gr. Polyacrylamide, 0Gr. Manure, T4: 5Gr. Polyacrylamide, 50Gr. Manure, T5: 10Gr. Polyacrylamide, 0Gr. Manure, and T6: 10Gr. Polyacrylamide, 50Gr. Manure. The collected data was analyzed using a split plot layout within a randomized complete block design with three replications. According to the results, T1, T2 and T3 in compare with T6 had significant different effects on the species height. The application of T4 and T6 had relatively the same effects on the species height and did not differ significantly. The lowest and highest heights of the species were recorded using T0 and T6 respectively. The Production and the regrowth yield of the species in T1 to T5 levels were increased compared with T0. According to the results, despite the doubling the amount of polyacrylamide in T5 compared with T3, the species production and its regrowth yield did not increased significantly. The differences between T3 and T4 levels and also between T5 and T6 levels were significant. Overall, using polyacrylamide polymer and manure improved F. ovina performances. The best performance of the species obtained via using 10g of polyacrylamide polymer and 50g of animal manure in laboratory conditions. Moreover, the obtained results confirmed that using a combination of polyacrylamide polymer and animal manure had more positive effects on the performance of F. ovina than using higher amount of polyacrylamide polymer alone.

Puccinellia distans is a perennial grass, which is well adopted naturally in the areas with waterlogged and relatively high salinity. In this research, the growth rates of Puccinellia distans, irrigated with natural water collected from Agh-ghala and Gorgan golf were evaluated using a completely randomized design. The plants were cultivated in Hoagland nutrient solution collected from natural and the two water dilution levels (diluted two and four times in compared with natural collected waters). Gorgan city tap water was used as a control treatment. The plants were harvested after 75 days and the growth rates of the species and Na+, K+, calcium and iron concentration in the plants were measured. The highest growth rate of the species was observed in four times diluted Agh-ghala run off treatment. The total fresh weight and total dry weight of this treatment were 92.4 g and 60 g respectively. The accumulated Na+ content in control treatment was less than other treatments significantly. The accumulated Na+ in the plants irrigated with tap water, Agh-ghala and Gorgan golf were 11.3, 36.7 and 34.3 mg g-1 dry weight respectively. The Potassium concentrations in the plants irrigated with natural saline water collected from the two areas were less than the control treatment (Gorgan tap water) significantly. The potassium concentrations in the plants tissues were increased up to 38.9 mg g-1 dry weight using diluted saline water. Dilution of saline water also leads to increase the iron (20 and 7 folds in Agh-ghala run off and Gorgan golf water treatments) and calcium concentrations (1.5 and 1.1 folds in Agh-ghala run off and Gorgan golf water treatments) in the above ground of the species significantly. According to the results, the growth rates of this species were decreased when the plants irrigated with saline because of ion toxicity and decreasing the potassium, calcium and iron contents in the above ground biomass of the species. This study indicated that this species has capability to be used in the restoration projects of areas with saline and wet soils.

Mutual help among pastoralists plays a key role in herding of rural communities in Iran. This research aimed to evaluates the role of local traditions in dairy products in Kodir village, located in Kojur district of Mazandaran province. Qualitative methods such as direct and cooperative observation, organized interview and open questionnaire were used to evaluate the role of indigenous knowledge in livestock management in forest. The impacts of this sort of knowledge toward processing and dividing of dairy products in the form of “Ayar Zani” cooperative were also assessed. According to the results, pastoralists have been implemented a social organization for dairy production and management based on their local traditions and customs. This organization is a kind of social capital for utilizers. Improvement of social cohesion and social capital in pastoralists is achieved by social network which is required for economical sustainability in the study area. Also mutual help in the network have been stabilized their cultural traditions and believes.

Since the destruction of the plant patches is an indicator of rangeland degradation, the functionality of rangeland ecosystems can be assessed by evaluating the ecological condition of patches. This study aimed to evaluate the structural and functional characteristics of rangeland in grazed and un-grazed sites in Donna rangelands, located in Siah Bisheh watershed. Three transects with 100 meters length were established in each area randomly and the number of patches, total patches area, patch area index, landscape organization index and inter patch length mean and 11 soil surface indicators were then measured. According to the results, the structural characteristics of patches in grazed an un-grazed sites varied significantly (P<0.05). The slake test indicated that the ungrazed sites had highest soil resistance to water (6/7%). The results indicated that the types and severity of erosion levels, soil cover, perennial plant species basal cover and soil roughness did not vary significantly in grazed and ungrazed sites.

This research investigated the relationship between soil factors and under ground water level with distribution of Halostachys caspica pall. in saline, alkaline and semi-arid rangelands of Gomishan in Golestan Province. So that this region divided into three regions high dense, semi dense and without precence. In each region, 3 transects (100m) provided randomly. Then soil profiles were holed on onset, midle and the end of the transect in 0-30 and 30-60 cm systematically. Also under ground water level determined by digging some holes in three regions. Soil physicochemical factors and under ground water level compared in three regions high dense, semi dense and without precence by One-Way Anova and Duncan test. Also contrastive effect of depth and three regions analyzed by GLM test. The result indicated that there was a significant relationship on 1% level between three regions of high dense, semi dense and without precence of H. caspica in terms of sand, EC, pH, CaCo3, OM and SAR. Also there was a significant relationship on 1% level between soil physicochemical factors (exept CaCo3) in two depth. The result showed that all the soil physicochemical factors have significant contrastive effect on 1% level. Also the result showed that there was a significant relationship on 1% level between under ground water level in three regions. So that under ground water level in high dense region was more than the other two regions. On the whole the result showed that distribution of H. caspica would be more by increasing of sand percentage, EC, pH, CaCo3, OM, SAR and under ground water level.