مهشید سوری

Halophyte plants grow and produce in very saline water and soil conditions; however, they do not compete with agricultural products for quality soil and water as the main sources of production. Halophytes can tolerate high salinity for various reasons such as morphological characteristics, vegetative form, physiology and mechanisms of salinity tolerance. Although there have been good studies on the growth and salinity tolerance of halophyte species, there is little information about the absorption of heavy elements and the phytoremediation ability of different halophyte species. Heavy metal pollution is a serious problem in the lands adjacent to mines, which can be remedied by methods such as phytoremediation, while more studies are needed in this field. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of several species of saltwort in the phytoremediation of mineral-contaminated soils. 

For this purpose, the ability of five halophyte species, Haloxylon persicum, Tamarix ramossisima, and Halocnemum strobilaceum, in phytoremediation of heavy metals arsenic (As), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and nickel (Ni) was investigated at the Miduk mining site. Miduk copper mine is located 42 km northeast of Babak city in Kerman Province.
The vegetation of this area includes short bushes and scattered forest trees such as Buxus hyrcana, Prunus antarctica, Pistacia atlantica, Calligonum comosum, Tamarix spp., and Astragalus spp. and bush plants such as Artemisia sieberi, Salsola richteri, Rheum ribes, Cirsium vulgare, Ferula communis and Ziziphora clinopodioides. Sampling was done from the five halophyte species at distances of 1000, 1500, 2000, and 5000 m from the Miduk copper mine, which included 4 repetitions and each repetition included 20 bases. The total number of plant and soil samples was 400 and 120, respectively. Sampling was done by harvesting the plant and then separating the shoot (aerial organs) and root (underground organ) at the flowering stage. As, Cu, Ni, and Pb elements were measured using the inductively coupled plasma ICP-OES device.

The results showed significant differences between H. strobilaceum, H. persicum, and T. ramossisima species regarding the amounts of arsenic, copper, and lead in different components of plants and soil. Ha. persicum has the highest amounts of arsenic and copper in the shoot, roots, and soil. At a distance of 1000 m, the highest concentration of arsenic is observed in the shoot, roots, and soil, as well as copper values in the shoot and soil. At a distance of 5000 m, a lower concentration of copper in the soil and a higher concentration of arsenic can be seen in the soil. In the case of Ta. ramossisima species, the highest concentration of arsenic is observed in the root and the highest amount of lead is also observed in the shoot. The results confirmed the phytoremediation potential of all five halophyte species for the remediation of contaminated soils at a distance of 1000 m from the copper mine, while the species H. strobilaceum had a higher potential for phytoremediation of contaminated soils. Furthermore, environmental pollution was not observed in the area without pollution to moderate pollution; which probably indicated the lack of transfer of heavy metals to agricultural products in lands further away from the mine.

Significant differences in the distribution and concentration of elements have been observed between these species and at different distances, and these results can contribute to a better understanding of the environmental effects on the concentration and distribution of elements in plants. The results of this research showed the phytoremediation potential of plant species H. persicum, H. salicornica, S. rosmarinus, T. ramossisima, and H. strobilaceum, which indicated the acceptable ability of saline species to improve mineral-contaminated soils. The phytoremediation potential of H. strobilaceum species was higher than other species. Also, based on the indicators of the accumulation of elements and the low amount of contamination of the examined species in the points with a greater distance from the mine (more than 1500 m), it showed that agriculture in the area around the mine is observed with caution and periodic examination of the area in terms of concentration heavy metals are possible.

   Rangeland ecosystems are very important and sensitive to changes in environmental factors. Small changes in temperature and rainfall regime or other climatic events can fundamentally reduce the composition, distribution and dispersion of plant species as well as their production. To better understand future climate change, it is essential to determine the current and future distribution of species. Species distribution modeling is currently the only tool that can be used to assess the number of changes in the distribution of multiple species in response to climate change. Therefore, considering the importance of climate in the distribution of plant species, this research examines the distribution of plant species in the future, taking into account the relationship between the important pasture species in Alborz province and the climate factor. 

   In this research, four plant species including Stipa arabica, Ferula ovina, Bromus tomentellus and Artemisia aucheri were investigated in Alborz province. In order to determine the amount of precipitation and temperature, the data of the synoptic stations, which were analyzed by the Man-Kendall method, were used. Using the maps of the Ecological Zones Recognition Plan of the Forestry and Rangeland Research Institute and ArcGIS, the vegetation cover map of the province and the current distribution of species, the presence and absence of species were drawn and recorded. In order to prepare the environmental information layer, 19 bio-climates for the present were calculated and downloaded from the WorldClim.org site for 2050 with an accuracy of 30 seconds. These data were obtained for two scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 for the future period. Then, the values of environmental variables were entered as independent variables and species presence and absence information as dependent variables in SPSS software, and the logistic regression statistical model was obtained from the presence of selected species. This statistical model was defined in the ArcGIS software environment and the potential species map was prepared. Kappa statistical coefficient was used to validate the resulting potential habitat maps model using 22 independent variables and with the help of error matrix. 

   The results showed the rising temperature trends in all stations, and 65.76% of the trends were significant. In the northern and eastern heights of Alborz province, the increase in average temperature, especially in the early spring, late autumn and winter seasons, will cause early snow melting in the region, and due to the decrease in precipitation in the mountainous regions, it will cause many problems in water storage. According to the predictions of the logistic regression model, Stipa arabica species, 68626 hectares equivalent to 13% of the province, Bromus tomentellus, 298842 hectares equivalent to 58% of the province, Ferula ovina, 195465 hectares equivalent to 38% of the province, and Artemisia aucheri, 232539 hectares equivalent to 45% of the province have the probability of occurrence of class 75-100 The percentage is for the presence of these species. The evaluation of regression model using Kappa coefficient for Stipa arabica, Bromus tomentellus, Ferula ovina and Artemisia aucheri species was equal to 86, 85, 82 and 79 respectively, which are models with good accuracy according to Koch and Smith classification. 19 bio-climatic maps were prepared under two scenarios 4.5 and 8.5 for the year 2050. The current situation is similar to the 4.5 scenario, but in both models, we will see a decrease in the probability of the floor occurring by 75-100 percent in 2050. Also, the average of all temperature parameters in Karaj station will increase by 1.9 degrees Celsius by 2050 and the amount of precipitation will decrease by 1.33 mm.

   The researchers reported that although there have been no significant changes in rainfall over the past 50 years, the decrease in rainfall in April and the increase in rainfall in December and July can indicate possible climate change in these areas in the future, and the climate in Iran, especially in spring is warming, which confirms the results of the present study. The minimum and maximum height in which the Stipa Arabica species is present is 1400 and 2400 meters, respectively, and the modeling results in 2050 show this minimum and maximum height in the 4.5 scenario, 2400-2100 meters and in the 8.5 scenario, respectively. It shows 2900 meters. The minimum and maximum altitude where the Ferula ovina species is present is 1850 and 2600 meters, respectively. If the modeling results in 2050 show this minimum and maximum height unchanged in the 4.5 scenario and 2800-3000 meters in the 8.5 scenario, respectively. The Bromus tomentellus species is currently located at an altitude of 1600-2700 m, while in scenario 4.5 (equilibrium conditions) and scenario 8.5 (pessimistic scenario) it is at an altitude above 2500 m, which indicates that this species of There is not much difference in altitude opinion. The minimum and maximum altitudes where Artemisia aucheri is present are 1600 and 2800 meters, respectively. Slope and temperature are the two main parameters affecting the distribution of this species and so that the slope affects the depth of the soil and thus has an effect on the establishment of the roots. Due to heat compensation in pessimistic conditions, this species has moved to higher altitudes, i.e. around 3000 meters, which confirms the results of other researchers. With the increase in temperature due to climate change, the extent of habitat of the species under investigation will decrease and they will move to areas that are higher and therefore have lower temperature.

Choosing range management methods (RMM) is a useful and effective step for managing rangeland habitats. According to RMM, it is possible to improve the range condition (RC) without any manipulation of vegetation and soil and expensive range modification operations (RMO). Therefore, the question arises as to which places of rangeland habitats with what kind of ecological and environmental characteristics are suitable for enrichment. The answer to the above question requires the classification of rangeland in terms of RMM. In the current research, based on the approach of rangeland science experts (in this approach, grazing management is emphasized more and operations that lead to a major change in vegetation are not emphasized) and according to the category of RC, customary law of Lar habitats (which belongs to ETKA organization), was classified in terms of RMM and suitable places were determined for the enrichment of vegetation.

For this purpose, first, a map of plant types (PTs) was prepared by field visit and based on physionomy. Then, by measuring the vegetation indicators, the RC class of each PTs was determined based on their distance from the climax, using the four-factor method. Based on scoring the characteristics of soil and vegetation, range condition trend (RCT) of each PT was also determined in different situations. In the next step, according to the RC and RCT of PTs and according to the proposed guidelines (guidelines for classification of rangeland in terms of range management method (GCRMM) which is in accordance with the principles of range management, the RMM and the type of grazing system (GS) or if necessary RMO, were proposed for each of the PTs, based on which, the planning map and the management of rangeland in the region was prepared.

The RC of all surveyed PTs was categorized as good or average, with no poor or very poor classifications. Applying vegetation enrichment operations (RMOs) was not recommended according to GCRMM guidelines. The highest RC scores were obtained for "Perennial grasses" and "Perennial grasses-Perennial forbs" PTs (45 and 49 points, respectively), while the lowest score (31.4) belonged to the "Ferula ovina-Onobrychis cornuta" PT. Other PTs, including "Onobrychis cornuta-Bromus tomentellus-Thymus kotschyanus," "Onobrychis cornuta-Agropyron trichophorum," "Ferula ovina-Onobrychis cornuta-Thymus kotschyanus," and "Astragalus aureus-Thymus kotschyanus-Agropyron trichophorum," exhibited average RC. Balanced range management (BRMM) or natural range management (NRMM) were recommended for all PTs based on environmental conditions and RC. BRMM was recommended for 27% of the rangeland area, while NRMM was suitable for the remaining 73%. Based on the RC and environmental conditions, RMOs or artificial range management methods (ARMMs) were not recommended. Rotation grazing systems were proposed for 27% of the rangeland area, while deferred grazing systems were suggested for 29%. Deferred-rotation and rest-rotation grazing systems with a year of rest were proposed for equal proportions of the remaining area (24% each).

For rangelands in good, average, or excellent condition, RMMs can be employed to enhance vegetation capacity and improve grazing animal performance while maintaining or improving RC. Designing and implementing appropriate grazing systems is recommended in these situations, eliminating the need for costly RMOs. Currently, a critical task for rangeland management institutions involves creating and implementing management plans. Maintaining, revitalizing, developing, and utilizing rangelands in these conditions requires understanding existing RC and selecting one of the RMMs (BRMM, NRMM, or ARMM) based on the RC for incorporation into the management plan. This research emphasizes the use of RMMs for new or updated grazing plans, highlighting the inadvisability of RMOs for vegetation enrichment in Lar's customary law rangelands under the current approach of rangeland management experts. However, other approaches to range improvement, such as those championed by plant ecologists and ecological restoration specialists, may consider vegetation manipulation a viable option for some rangelands to increase forage production or improve wildlife habitat. Additionally, some pastoralists may still consider RMOs to be the best approach for enhancing rangeland economic yield.

Heavy metals are major soil pollutants due to their toxicity and persistence. Mining activities are a significant source of pollution in natural ecosystems. With its numerous mines, the Khaf region is a case in point. Identifying plants capable of absorbing metals from contaminated soils is crucial for phytoremediation efforts. This study investigated the phytoremediation potential of three plant species – Artemisia sieberi, Salsola richteri, and Scariola orientalis – in the iron mine area of Khaf city, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran.

All plant species were first surveyed at distances 500, 1000, and 3000 meters from the mine to determine the dominant vegetation type. Three species belonging to this dominant type were then selected for heavy metal analysis. Plant samples were collected from different parts (leaves, roots) of these dominant species, along with soil samples from around their roots, at varying distances from the mine and in the direction of the prevailing wind. A total of 36 plant and 36 soil samples were analyzed for copper, iron, and lead using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) to determine metal contamination levels. Plant remediation potential was assessed using various phytoremediation indicators.

Significant differences in phytoremediation indicators were observed among the plant species. Salsola richteri exhibited the highest bioconcentration factors (BCF) for lead (1.38), iron (1.37), and copper (1.99), and the highest bioaccumulation coefficients (BAC) for lead (1.55), iron (1.72), and copper (1.95). This indicates Salsola richteri's strong ability to accumulate these metals.The highest lead soil pollution index (2.64) was found around Artemisia sieberi, signifying moderate lead pollution exceeding natural levels in this plant's habitat. The highest iron contamination was observed in the soil around Artemisia sieberi and Scariola orientalis.

Metal concentrations in shoots, roots, and soil were highest at 500 meters from the mine and decreased with increasing distance. Soil analysis revealed higher average concentrations of the studied elements compared to global soil values. Notably, high concentrations of copper (490 mg/kg), lead (343 mg/kg), and iron (49000 mg/kg) were observed.At 500 meters from the mine, Salsola richteri displayed BCF values of 1.4, 1.5, 1.45, and 1.02 for lead, iron, copper, and BAC values of 1.7, 1.8, 1.4, and 1.34, respectively. Based on these results, Salsola richteri shows promise as a suitable plant for decontaminating soils in the Khaf mine area.

Relationships and Principled interaction between ranchers and rangelands play an important role in the sustainable management of rangeland. If rangelands are properly managed, they will be used for sustainable exploitation. One of the indicators of sustainability in rangeland management is the social dimension which various factors are involved. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of identifying social indicators in sustainable management of rangeland and the effective relationships of each of them on social sustainability of Choghakhor rangeland management in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. The statistical population consisted of 103 competent ranchers in the rangeland, of which research data were collected from 83 of them as a sample size based on Krejcie Morgan's table. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire based on the information obtained from field interviews. After summarizing the data, the analysis was done in two parts, descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of structural equation modeling showed that social sustainability in rangeland management was positively and significantly affected by seven indicators of knowledge and awareness of livestock and rangeland, skill and ability level in livestock and rangeland affairs, level of livestock participation, level of correlation and the cohesion of ranchers  , the level of social interaction in ranchers and the level of ranchers' satisfaction   are at the level of 99% confidence and the level of responsibility and cooperation of ranchers are at the level of 95% confidence. The importance of social issues in rangeland management requires policies and rangeland management macro-programs with a comprehensive approach and with a precise definition of social indicators in rangeland management according to the position of ranchers can be beneficiaries to sustainable social empowerment in Conducted protection and exploitation in rangeland.

Understanding the spatial distribution of vegetation and its relationship with ecological factors, particularly soil properties, is crucial for effective rangeland management. This study aimed to evaluate soil properties, including organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, electrical conductivity, and acidity, in Goshchi rangeland of Urmia, representing the Azerbaijani vegetation climate in West Azerbaijan province. The study utilized the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and response surface methodology (RSM) approaches to predict these soil properties and compare the results.

Soil properties were assessed in two sites, one under exclosure and the other under grazing, using ANFIS and RSM approaches. The collected data were used to train ANFIS in MATLAB software and RSM in Design Expert software.

The correlation coefficients (R2) between the predicted data from the ANFIS model and RSM method, and the measured data for organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, electrical conductivity, and acidity were 0.75, 0.93, 0.44, 0.95, 0.68, and 0.95, respectively, and 0.84, 0.93, 0.24, 0.96, 0.54, and 0.98, respectively. The results indicated that grazing conditions (exclosure vs. grazed) and distance from plants (near vs. between plants) significantly influenced acidity, nitrogen, potassium, and organic carbon, while they had no significant effect on electrical conductivity and phosphorus. The exclosure conditions and proximity to plants resulted in higher levels of organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, highlighting the sensitivity of these factors to grazing. The RSM results showed that grazing conditions and distance from plants had no significant effect on phosphorus and electrical conductivity but had a strong significant effect on other soil properties. The lower R2 values observed for phosphorus and electrical conductivity in both ANFIS and RSM methods suggest their limited accuracy in predicting non-significant outputs.

The findings from both ANFIS and RSM methods demonstrate their effectiveness in accurately predicting soil properties under the investigated conditions. However, their performance is more accurate for factors that exhibit a significant effect on the input variables, while their accuracy is limited for non-significant outputs.

Soil is the most important component of rangeland ecosystems and by preserving it and its characteristics, In the present study, the amount of potassium and phosphorus in the soil of Ghoshchi rangelands of Urmia located in West Azerbaijan province from 2019 to 2021 under the influence of grazing and grazing conditions was investigated. In addition, the development and evaluation of an adaptive fuzzy-neural inference model (ANFIS) was presented in order to predict the amount of potassium and phosphorus in the soil and compare its results with the regression model. The mean squared error (RMSE) and the coefficient of explanation (R2) were used to evaluate the regression and inference models. The results of analysis of variance showed that different years and conditions under confinement and grazing had a significant effect on the amount of potassium and phosphorus in the soil, but their interaction was meaningless. The highest amount of soil potassium is related to the year 2021 and the conditions under grazing. While the highest amount of soil phosphorus was related to 2020. In the phosphorus factor modeling section, the ANFIS model with higher accuracy (R2 = 59.5) and less error (RMSE = 0.087) than the regression model (R2=0.38) with more error (RMSE = 0.089) was able to determine the amount of P to predict. Regarding potassium factor, ANFIS model with higher accuracy (R2 = 0.62 and less error (RMSE = 0.017) than regression model (R2 = 0.42) with more error (RMSE = 0.097) was able to measure soil potassium.

Calculating rangeland capacity and determining the allowable use for important rangeland species is necessary for sustainable range management. By having the rangeland capacity and presenting accurate management plans, the destruction of vegetation and soil and the reduction of water resources can be prevented. Suitable grazing intensity causes continuous and economic use in the rangeland. Therefore, a study was conducted on the effects of different harvest intensities on forage production of three species Halocnemum strobilaceum, Desmostachya bipinnata, and Aeluropus lagopoides Hormozgan province three years from 2008 to determine the most appropriate level of exploitation. Experimental treatments included four harvesting intensities of 25, 50, and 75% and control (without harvest). In each treatment, ten rootstocks of the species were considered replicates and evaluated on each of the dependent variables. The results were analyzed in SAS software. The results showed that harvest intensity affected the forage production and all treatments were significantly different from the control. Therefore, up to 50% of the allowable use for Aeluropus lagopoides and Desmostachya bipinnata, and up to 75% for Halocnemum strobilaceum is suggested to maintain the health and vigor of these species during the harvest years. According to the above findings, this allowable use can be considered for similar areas in terms of climate together with information about other plants.

One of the most important issue at natural resources management is plant diversity conservation and detecting the different effects of usage methods on the its quality and quantity. This research was done with the goal of investigating the disaster center (village) at evaluation of rangeland damage with the accent of plant cover combination and diversity in Sabalan mountain southeast rangelands. Plant cover sampling was performed at three villages named Alvares, Aldashin and Asbmarz with the grazing intensity low, med and high using 1 m2 plots in the route of 600 m transect. After the detection of plant combination from the analysis of variance and compare means, the diversity and unique indexes were extracted. Then, development and evaluation of regression and ANFIS models to predict of plant diversity was done and comparing the results was performed. RMSE and R2 indexes were used for evaluation of regression and ANFIS models. The results showed that with the increment of grazing intensity, the plant diversity decreased and the max plant diversity was happened at distance of 400 m plus min plant diversity was occurred at distance of 200 m near the village. Moreover, the prediction part results showed that ANFIS model predicted the plant diversity with higher accuracy (R2=0.91) and lower error (RMSE=0.601) relative to the regression model with lower accuracy (R2=0.83) and higher error (RMSE=1.230). Consequently, the ANFIS approach can predict the relations parameters to rangelands, accurately.

Awareness of the extent and impact of vegetation from livestock grazing disorders can be a solution to develop rangeland ecosystem management strategies to achieve sustainability and continuous production in these ecosystems. In this study, the production of aerial and underground organs of grazable livestock species in the southeastern rangelands of Sabalan under the influence of different grazing intensities and distance from the village as the focus of the crisis was investigated. In addition, the development and evaluation of ANFIS model was presented in order to predict the production of aerial and underground organs of food species and compare the results with the regression model. For evaluation of regression and ANFIS models the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and correlation coefficient (R2) were used. The results showed that different grazing intensities, distance from village and interaction between them were significant effect on the production of aerial and underground organs of palatability species at (p≤0.01). Also, with increasing grazing intensity, the production of aerial and underground organs of these species decreased. The results of ANFIS section showed that in low grazing intensity and distance of about 400 meters, the highest amount of production of palatable species is observed. The lowest production of these species is predicted to be close to the village (200 meters). Moreover, the highest amount of underground biomass at farther distances (600 meter) and lowest amount of that was observed at 200 meter. In addition, ANFIS model with higher accuracy (R2 = 0.98 and R2 = 0.95) and lower error (RMSE = 0.9792 and RMSE = 1.168) than less accurate regression model (R2 = 0.92 and R2 0.77) which also had more errors (RMSE = 2.2835 and RMSE = 3.8954), predicted the production of aerial and underground organs, respectively.

Background and Objective:

Soil organic carbon in rangeland ecosystems has a variety of functions such as increasing soil fertility, controlling erosion, increasing soil water permeability and, reducing the effects of greenhouse gases. Therefore, it is a key indicator in determining soil health that affects all physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. The large area of the country's rangelands causes a serious challenge to the use of traditional methods in estimating soil organic carbon. In such situations, the use of remote sensing capabilities can be considered as a suitable option for monitoring the organic carbon of the country's rangeland soils.  The aim of this study was to determine the most important spectral factors affecting topsoil organic carbon in two summer rangelands.

Materials and Methods:

 This research was carried out in two summer rangelands of Lazour and Asaran. The first rangeland (Lazour) with an area of 8150 hectares and an average height of 2875 meters is located in the range of eastern longitudes 52.514 to 52.694 degrees and northern latitudes 35.855 to 35.934 degrees in Tehran province. The second Rangeland (Asaran) with an area of 5642 hectares and an average height of 2465 meters is located in the range of eastern longitudes 53.265 to 53.392 degrees and northern latitudes 35.804 to 35.882 degrees in Semnan province. In this research, the data of the OLI sensor of the Landsat 8 satellite were used. After pre-processing satellite imagery of the studied areas, Top of Atmosphere (TOA) reflectance layers of bands 2 to 7 along with the variables of surface albedo, Clay index, Carbonate index, Grain Size index, NDVI, brightness, greenness, and wetness index of Tasseled cap transformation were calculated. In each of the target areas, using Digital Elevation Model (DEM) maps, the slope, aspect, and hypsometric maps were prepared and by combining the last three layers with each other, a map of homogeneous sampling units was obtained. Soil sampling was performed using the stratified-random sampling pattern. In this way, in each of the homogeneous units, according to its area, several soil samples were randomly taken from a depth of zero to 20 cm and the amount of organic carbon of the samples was measured using the Walkley-Black method.

Results and Discussion:

 The results of this study showed that the spectral variables of Top of Atmosphere (TOA) reflectance layers of bands 2 to 7 along with the variables of surface albedo, Clay index, NDVI, brightness, greenness, and wetness index of Tasseled cap transformation have a significant correlation with topsoil organic carbon (p < 0.01). Also, the results of factor analysis by principal component analysis (PCA) with eigenvalues greater than one showed that the total cumulative variance explained by the 12 variables is 91.74%, which was explained by two factors. The first factor (soil color) explained 76.6% of the variance and the second factor (vegetation and soil texture) explained 15.14% of the variance.

Conclusion:

 The results of this study confirm the existence of a significant relationship between topsoil organic carbon and spectral factors extracted from Landsat 8 OLI sensor data in semi-steppe rangelands. Because of the large area of rangelands in Iran, the use of traditional methods in estimating soil organic carbon is not possible due to the need to spend a lot of time and money. And in such situations, the use of Remote sensing (RS) capabilities can be considered as a suitable option for monitoring the topsoil organic carbon in the rangelands.

Gross primary production is one of the key factors for understanding growing grassland conditions and rangeland monitoring. The present study aims to introduce an improved index based on the primary GDP and NDVI vegetation index of MODIS. In this regard, field operations were carried out in May, simultaneously with the growth of vegetation in the Rasin basin of Kermanshah province. In each of the types, reference areas were determined, and six (100-meter) transects were deployed in each of the representative points. Along each transect, five plots were placed at a distance of 20 meters, and a total of 84 transects and 420 plots were used in the field. Information such as rangeland type and actual fresh forage (AFY, kg/ha) were determined in the Rasin basin. In general, three types were identified in the field. Modified primary GDP data were calculated and validated with the measured data in the Rasin basin of Kermanshah province. The results showed that, in type 1, with R2 equal to 0.77 Ss index of gross primary production of NDVI as an improved index, in type 2, Ss index of primary production of NDVI with R2 0.73, in type 3, Ss index of gross primary production NDVI with R2 equal to 0.71, and finally, for the whole rangeland type, Ss index of gross primary production of NDVI with R2 equal to 0.51 was determined as the improved index. The results also showed that the modified primary GDP data is an acceptable indicator for monitoring grasslands. The accuracy of estimating rangeland production based on the Ss index of gross primary production of NDVI was 80%. The statistical results of comparing the estimated values with field observations indicate the acceptable accuracy of statistical models in estimating production. Also, since MODIS data is available twice a day, the improved index can supply the real need for rangeland monitoring on a regional scale.

Soil organic carbon is one of the most important indicators of soil quality. The purpose of this study is to study the spectral and non-spectral behaviors of soil in order to estimate the organic carbon of topsoil using factor analysis and multiple regression methods in the semi-steppe rangelands of Asuran, Semnan province. Soil sampling was performed using stratified random sampling method. After creating a map of homogeneous units in the area, in each homogeneous unit according to its area, several sampling points were selected completely randomly. A total of 145 sampling points were collected. At each sampling point, a composite soil sample (a mixture of 9 observations) was taken. Soil organic carbon was measured using Valkyli-Block titration method. Data of 114 samples were used to calibrate the model and data of 31 samples were used to validate it. The results showed that the correlation of spectral variables obtained from Landsat OLI sensor with surface soil organic carbon is higher than non-spectral variables obtained from 1: 25000 topographic maps. Also, the results of factor analysis by principal component analysis with eigenvalues greater than one showed that the total cumulative variance explained by 14 variables was equal to 90.2%, which was explained by three factors. The regression equation generated by the three extracted factors had suitable potential for predicting surface soil organic carbon (R2 = 0.59). The root mean square error (RMSE) of the proposed model was calculated to be 0.3.

Sarigol Protected Area, with an area of 20,000 hectares, is located in the east of Esfarayen city in North Khorasan Province. This area would officially be protected by the Department of Environment on September 11, 1974, as the "Shah Jahan" protected area. Sarigol, with its diverse habitats in high and cold parts, temperate hills, and plain areas with warmer climates, has a significant diversity of plant and animal species. In this area, 472 plant species belonging to 292 genera and 70 families, as well as more than one hundred species of animals, have been identified. A large part of the Sarigol Protected Area is highland forest habitat, with mountainous climate and summer rangelands beneath it. The vegetation of the region consists of broadleaf annuals, grasses, perennials, shrubs, and cushion form plants. Artemisia is the dominant plant in the region, and Ferula gummosa is one of the most valuable species. Sarigol is one of the important habitats of North Khorasan wildlife and birds due to its mountainous conditions, abundance of water resources, and plant diversity. The unauthorized extraction of Albelaq lead and zinc mines, illegal and unregulated agriculture, and overgrazing of livestock are among the most important threats to the flora and fauna of the area and the reduction of its biodiversity.

Determining the potential of soil seed bank and its specific species is important for conservation goals and vegetation restoration of rangelands. In this study, the characteristics of soil seed bank and standing vegetation in Lazour mountain rangeland were investigated in order to estimate the rehabilitation ability of the study area in case of possible disturbances. In order to determine the percentage of similarity between the floristic composition of the soil seed bank and vegetation on the ground, display the distribution pattern of species, determine the species contribution in the similarity and determine the specific species of each group, respectively Sorenson index, nMDS ordination analysis, ANOSIM and SIMPER tests and analysis of index species was used. The results showed that in the soil seed bank, therophytes and annual herbaceous as well as the Poaceae family had the highest percentage of species. Considering the presence of all soil seed bank species in the vegetation list of the study area, Sorenson similarity index was estimated to be 67%. Bromus tomentellus played the highest role in creating a similarity matrix between standing vegetation and soil seed bank. Poa bulbosa with at least 71 seeds per square meter was significantly considered one of the valuable species at the depth of 5-10 cm soil seed bank. Also, important species with conservation value from the perspective of rangeland sciences such as Bromus tomentellus, Thymus pubescens, Stipa holosericea, Lactuca orientalis, Festuca ovina and Astragalus lilacinus with at least 913, 269, 234, 120, 57 and 14 seeds per square meter of soil, respectively, will be able to restore Lazour rangeland in case of destruction of vegetation on the ground.

Testing ecological potential of lands for range management is one of the essential knowledges for proper range management policies. To cover the need this study was carried out in the mountainous rangelands of Mir dowood in Urmia province of Iran. Environmental map units were first prepared to extract the the more or less environmental characteristics the units. Two methods were imposed to the map units to create towin maps under different cenarios. Adaptation of both maps were statistically tested. In the first method, the weight of the criteria and indicators used to determine the priority of each user was considered to be the same based on Boolean logic (zero and one). In the second method, the weight of criteria and indicators was figured by paired comparisons (hierarchical analysis). Units were classified for rangeland use and put into four suitability classes namely high, medium, low and non. The results of hierarchical analysis method (second one) showed that 69.5% of the area was suitable for rangelands. The results of paired comparisons method showed that soil erosion, land unit types, composition of plants and climate factors were meaningful effects on determination of the suitability of the land for rangeland use. Having said that,  results also showed that the physical characteristics of the area was the most influential criteria.

Currently the use of animal husbandry in Iran is dependent on rangeland forage which makes it the main land use practice on those areas. Ignorance of relationship between the rangeland’s capacity and economic life of the users, puts the rangelands in danger due to the pressure on their resources. That’s why the vastness of rangeland and its stocking rate should be known whereby calculation of required land to fulfilled the need of the household could be done for different climatic zones. For this purpose, 160 rangelands with a total area of 181216 hectares and different management conditions (with and without the grazing licence, with and without range management plan) were chosen in five climatic regions. Based on available resources and guidelines, the short-term stocking rate was calculated. In the next step, On the basis of given answers to questionnaires, animal and the net annual income of the user were calculated. Information was analyzed to determine the size of a herd or the number of animal units that could financially meet the needs of nomadic or rural households was calculated. Consequently, the size of the range required by the exploiters, in different climatic zones were estimated. The results showed that the herd maintenance cost and needed income varies  in different climates due to rangeland’s quantity and quality of forage. The minimum flock size for a five-person household; in humid climate consist of 152 animal units; in the semi-humid region 156 units; in the Mediterranean climate 133 units; in the semi-arid climate 214 units; and in the dry climate were 220 units. At the same time, the minimum size of the rangeland for four months in a humid climate was calculated as 137 hectares, in the semi-humid region as 251 hectares, in the Mediterranean climate as 226 hectares, in the semi-arid climate as 406 hectares and in dry climates by 485 hectares. Results shows that under existing situation (Year of study 2015), the size of the rangelands allocated to the most rangeland projects are lower than the optimal economic level. Therefore, the rangeland office in the province should plan for economically viable rangeland plans which means large-scale ranching schemes with the emphasis on economic herd size. In addition, technology and use of renewable energies may reduce the cost of living. And a ten years strategy should be set in a way that animal husbandry gets more profitable.

The study of  vegetation dynamics under grazed and non-grazed rangelands is one of the most important prerequisites for range improvement. In this research, vegetation composition and the vegetation functional groups were compared in an exclosure site (livestock excluded for six years) and grazed area in semi-steppe rangelands in Tehran province. Systematic random sampling technique through the use of transects and quadrats was employed to collect vegetation data. Results showed that there were 23 species common in both areas of exclosure and grazing while 4 and 8 species were restricted to exclosure and grazing areas, respectively. Results of t-test showed that exclosure significantly increased the percentage of canopy cover of some desirable species such as Agropyron intermedium, Bromus tomentellus, Festuca ovina, and Thymus Fedtschenkoi (p<0.01) Also, the rate of canopy cover of grasses, perennials and hemicryptophytes  significantly increased in exclosure area (p<0.01). Moreover, exclosure significantly increased the canopy cover percentage of some vegetation families such as Gramineae, Lamiaceae, and Rubiaceae. However, it significantly decreased the canopy cover percentage of Apiaceae family. The results of this study showed that grazing performance for six years had produced favourable changes in vegetation composition of the area. Another result of this study is the use of hemicryptophyte and trophyte functional groups to detect grazing rate in summer rangelands. So that, the predominance of hemicryptophytes and the reduction of trophytes indicate the grazing intensity of the low to medium, and the increase of trophytes and decrease of hemicryptophytes in the plant composition indicates a high grazing intensity of the livestock.

It is important to determine the suitability of rangelands for the utilization of medicinal plants. The purpose of this study was to introduce some of the criteria and indicators, influencing the rangelands suitability for medicinal plants exploitation and to investigate the differences between the results of using different approaches of suitability determination. To this end, the suitability of the Arshad Chaman rangeland was evaluated in terms of the utilization of medicinal plants. The results showed that according to the limiting factor method (a common method of determining the suitability of rangelands), 2, 6 and 77 percent of rangelands had respectively good, moderate and low suitability and 15 percent were not suitable for utilization. The mathematical method (using hierarchical analysis process) showed 4, 26, and 45 percent of the rangelands as good, moderate, and low suitability, respectively, and 25 percent as inappropriate for exploitation. The application of the theoretical method (MSMPE) also showed that 39 and 61 percent of the rangelands had respectively good and moderate suitability. In general, it was observed that there were no significant differences between the classes of suitability obtained by the limiting factor and the mathematical methods; however, there was a difference between the classes obtained by the limiting factor and MSMPE methods, and different classes of suitability were obtained for a given area of rangeland in these three methods. Therefore, it is recommended to test the accuracy of the findings of the present study to achieve a practical result in different years in terms of climatic events and other locations with different physical properties. Overall, based on the combined results of different approaches and in terms of physical and environmental constraints, the study area had low suitability for the exploitation of medicinal plants. Therefore, to reduce the livestock pressure on rangelands and increase the diversity of medicinal plants, more attention should be paid to the other aspects of rangeland use such as beekeeping and free tourism.