Changes in vegetation indices and species diversity in plowed and abandoned agricultural lands and the natural cover of the rangelands around the Yan Cheshme underground dam, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province.

Changing the use of natural ecosystems, including dam construction and also the conversion of pasture land to agricultural land, can cause irreparable damage to different parts of the ecosystem. Based on the research results the most destructive of them is the reduction of vegetation, the increase of erosion and also the reduction of biodiversity. In the management of natural ecosystems, monitoring vegetation changes is very important. The present research was carried out with the aim of investigating the changes in the vegetation cover indices and species diversity in the plowed and abandoned agricultural lands and the natural cover of the pastures around the Yan Chashmeh underground dam located in Ben city of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province.

To carry out this research, four sites including natural pastures around the dam, lands upstream of the dam (rain fields under cultivation), lands where the dam reservoir is being built (plowed and abandoned for less than 7 years) and lands downstream of cedars have been planted for more than 15 years) were selected and in each of the sites, three transects with a length of 50 meters parallel to each other and perpendicular to the slope of the area were established at a distance of 50 meters from each other. 15 plots of 2 x 2 square meters were placed on the transects with a distance of ten meters from each other. And then, in each plot, the percentage of canopy cover, biomass, percentage density of leaf litter and bare soil were recorded. The theoretical estimation method was used to determine the level of plant canopy in the plots. The biomass of the species was determined using the cutting and weighing method. In order to check species diversity, Simpson and Shannon-Wiener indices and to compare species richness, Margalf and Menhinik indices were calculated in Past software. Determining the condition of the pasture was done using two modified four-factor and six-factor methods.

 The results showed that plowing and changing the use of pasture land to agricultural land has caused a significant reduction in the crown cover and, as a result, a decrease in the amount of biomass density, and also a decrease in diversity and species richness in the plowed and abandoned lands compared to the sloping pastures of the region. The results showed that in addition to reducing the cover, plowing has caused a change in the species composition and an increase in annual and invasive species and a decrease in shrub species. According to the results of the change of pasture use, the surrounding pastures decreased from average to weak and very weak condition in plowed and cultivated pastures (upstream) with a negative trend.

The measures taken to build the dam and then the expansion of agriculture have caused plowing and soil manipulation in the region. Besides, it is possible that in the long term, abandoning agriculture due to the drop in the water level of the underground dam will cause more soil erosion. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously monitor the vegetation changes in the are