Effect of different harvesting intensities on forage production and vigority and vitality of Aeluropus littoralis species (Case study: in Tezkhrab-uromieh saline lands of West Azarbaijan province)

This research was aimed to investigate the effects of different harvesting intensities on forage yield and vitality of Aeluropus littoralis, as a key and important range species in the Tez Kharab rangelands, Urmia, Iran. The study was conducted in the rangelands around Urmia Lake and a 0.5-ha exclosure was selected and fenced in the first year of the study. The treatments consisted of four harvesting intensities including 0%, 25%, 50%, and 75%. Harvesting treatments were applied for four years during the growing season and at the start of livestock grazing. The harvested forage was air-dried and weighed to calculate the forage yield. In addition, the remaining yield of control and harvesting treatments were cut, dried, and weighed. Data were analyzed using a split-plot design in time. Finally, the effects of changes in phenological characteristics, forage yield, plant vitality and mortality were investigated. The effects of year and harvesting intensities as well as interaction effects of year and harvesting intensity were significant on forage yield (P