Change Detection of Plants Diversity and Community Composition Due to Grazing in Rangelands of Toof Sefid Watershed

This study aims to assess the effect of grazing intensity on plant species diversity and functional groups in a highland mountains, Toof sefid watershed, located in 85 km North West of Shahrekord in Charmahal and Bakhtiary province. For sampling, three grazing management area (exclusure, light to moderate grazing, heavy grazing) selected and within each treatment, 300 plots with four square meter were installed along three lines. Shannon diversity indicator, Simpson and species richness and functional groups calculated for each grazing management area and compared using one-way analysis of variance. The results showed all diversity indicators were significantly higher in exclusure (species richness: 14.4, Shannon index: 2.244, and Simpson index: 0.865) compared to light to moderate grazing (species richness: 9.09, Shannon index: 1.377, and Simpson index: 0.617) and heavy grazing (species richness: 10.10, Shannon indicator: 1.536, and Simpson indicator: 0.652). The results indicates that heavy grazing causes reduction only in plant diversity and no changes in functional groups might be occurred in highland; and mountains.