Effect of Contour Furrow on Carbon Sequestration Soil and Biomass (Case Study: Khalifan Rangelands, Mahabad)

Global warming has devastating effects on the lives of organisms, causing damage to natural ecosystems, floods, droughts and climatic and ecological imbalance. Resonance effects of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere as a result of carbon dioxide concentration causes warming, melting polar ice caps, massive flooding, and deforestation. Biological carbon sequestration is soil and plant's ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in plant and soil. Therefore, it is a method that helps to reduce atmospheric carbon and to mitigate the consequences of climate changes. In this project, the effects of restoration rangeland practices (contour furrow) on carbon sequestration were investigated in Khalifan region of Mahabad. For this purpose, in each study site (contour furrow and control), four 100-m transects were established. Along each transect, five plots spaced 20 m apart were set up systematically. At the beginning and end of each transect, a profile was excavated at two depths (0-15 and 15-30 cm). Soil and plant samples were transferred to the laboratory. Plant biomass was measured in all plots by cutting and weighing method. Carbon sequestration rate was determined for each of the samples. The data were analyzed by ANOVA and T-test. The results indicated that the highest rate of carbon sequestration in the study sites belonged to the litter. The results demonstrated that the rate of carbon sequestration in both biomass and soil in contour furrow site was higher in comparison with control site. This can be due to the positive effect of contour furrow practice on the amount of participation storage in soil, run off and erosion control and increasing the vegetation.