مجله مرتع
سال پانزدهم شماره 2 (پیاپی 58، تابستان 1400)

Rangelands are one of the most important natural resources of Iran in terms of its vastness and ecosystem values. Therefore, in this research, the conservation value of Rig Ishaqabad, Sirjan county, Kerman province, rangeland has been estimated using the One- and- One- Half- Bounded Dichotomous Conditional Valuation method. Influential factors on willingness of individuals payment for protect the rangeland also have been investigated using the logit model and the maximum likelihood estimation. The sample size was 133 persons based on Mitchell and Carson method. Required data were collected through questionnaire and direct interview with 140 people in the study area. The results showed that the number of family size, locality, the importance of environmental protection, the membership in environmental organizations and the monthly cost of recreation were positive variables. On the other side age and bid price were two negative variables on the willingness to pay. According to the calculations, the monthly willingness to pay per Sirjani household was 85731.5 Rials. Results also showed that the total monthly and annual conservation value of Rig Ishaqabad rangeland of Sirjan are 7.0 and 84.6 milliard Rials, respectively. On this basis the total annual conservation value of each hectare was estimated as 6.6 million Rials that indicates the high importance of this rangeland from the people’s perspective is in the region.

Using accurate and low-cost methods to monitor quantitative changes in vegetation cover play an important role in the efficient and sustainable management when the area is too large. In this study, the changes of vegetation cover were investigated using satellite data of TM (Landsat_5) and oli (Landsat_8) sensors for a 30-year period (1988-2018) in Chaharbagh rangeland of Golestan province. To detect the vegetation changes, the numerical values ​​of NDVI index were classified in to 4 different cover categories, good, medium, poor and very poor for the study period 1988 - 2018, and the changes were determined using the CROSSTAB technique. Accuracy was assessed by comparing satellite imagery and ground information using the kappa coefficient. The results well showed the changes, decreasing, increasing and unchanged vegetation classes so that the overall accuracy and kappa coefficient of the maps were 90% and 0.86, respectively for 2018. For the course of the study land areas with good vegetation were increased from 2025.5 ha to 2323.7 ha. The highest reduction of very poor cover was 22/7 hectares and the poor cover classes has decreased from 376.1 to 103.18 ha. The good cover class has decreased from 530.1 to 527.3 ha in 2018.  Evaluations showed that the application of remote sensing has the ability to detect minor changes in vegetation classes under environmental and managerial factors in semi-arid regions over time.

This study aims at comparing the performance of MaxEnt and logistic regression in preparing the predictive habitat distribution map of Thymus kotschyanus and determining the factors affecting in the northern of Ardabil Province rangelands. 28 sites were selected and at each site, three transects with a length of 100 m and on each transect ten 1m2 plots were established. Soil samples were taken digging of nine soil profiles and samples taked from 0-15 and 15-30 cm depths. Geostatistical techniques were used to provide the soil maps. Digital elevation model was used to prepare the topography maps as a data layer. The Landscape metrics using Fragstats was calculated. Model accuracy in MaxEnt method was evaluated by using the AUC. By jackknife method and response curve, the most important environmental predictor variables were found. Model accuracy in logistic regression method is evaluated by using Hosmer and Lemshow Statistic and ROC. Then predictive distribution maps were produced. The Kappa coefficient index was used to evaluate the accuracy of the distribution maps. Based on logistic regression model, potassium of the 2th depth, aggregation index (positive correlation), slope and bare soil were the negative correlations and based on MaxEnt model, clay of the first depth, patch area (coefficient of variation), slope are the most influential factors affecting the presence of this species in this habitat. T.kotschyanus is widespread on light-textured soils (clay<15%), potassium (<18 meq/L), Silt (<20%) and high elevation (300-2700 meters above sea level), and slope (35-55%). Based on kappa coefficient, logistic regression model was able to predict the habitat distribution of studied species at the good level (kappa= 0.64) and MaxEnt had in intermediate level (kappa 0.42). These results indicate that the logistic regression model is more accurate.

In the field of natural resource’s utilization and management, the two groups of stakeholders, utilizers and official experts are not quite agreed. It is obvious that each of these two social groups, depending on their interests and duties, have different points of views, as a result different plans for the development and managent. Finding the differences thus, could be effective in decision making and planning. In this study, the views of two groups of utilizers, managers and facilitators in Azadshahr and Gonbad rangelands in Golestan province were taken into account. The focus was on the reasons for low rate of acceptance for multiple-use projects. Required data were gathered through questionnaires and open interviews (consist of 6 indices and 90 items) with members of both groups. The results of questionnaires and interviews were analyzed using Discriminant Analysis (DA) in STATISTICA. Survey shows that utilizers have a different view of about 50.12% from the expert group of executives and managers. The most different issues were institutional, political, social and economic. On environmental issues such as water shortage (12.06%), human resources including literacy and household dimension (12.14%) there was almost agreements. The highest disagreement was found on organization-policy including inadequate government services, insufficient interaction of authorities with local and utilizers, etc. (65.32%). Based on the results, facilitators must take part in educational workshops on the mechanism of implementation of the multiple-use projects to encourage the utilizers to accept and well use of the plans.

The opportunistic tacktik is based on the use of annual plants to feed the livestoke. These low environmental demanding species grow abundantly due to soil seed bank richness. This research is aimed at studying the autecology and forage quality of wild safflower (Carthamus oxyacantha M.B.) as increasing plant and invasive plant at three phenological stages in Zarrindasht rangeland’s ecosystem. Soil profiles depth were different proportional to the effective depth of the roots. Then, samples were taken to the laboratory to measure physical and chemical analyses. Furthermore, the germination percentage was tested under different temperature treatment namely 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30ºC using a completely randomized design. The forage quality was focused on CP, DMD, ADF, ME, EE and Ash. Duncan test and SAS software were used or comparison of the averages and data analysis respectively. The results showed that this plant grows up on clay-loam soils, acidity of 7.9, electrical conductivity of 1.1 ds/m, 0.88% organic matter, 0.26% nitrogen. Germination treatments showed that the best performance occurs at 15 and 20ºC. The results demonstrated that as the age of the plants increases the forage quality of is reduced. It seems that if the plant harvests at the proper growth stage, it could be used in the pasture as a nutritional supplement in arid and semi-arid regions. During critical periods of forage deficiency cropping and keeping in the storage as traditional ranchers now realize and do it, could help the situation. looking at the concept of plant succession, the species might be a pioneer plant.  So once more this issue emphasizes on range management with the ecological viewpoint as science and art to balance and utilize rangeland ecosystems.

The plant communities locating at the margins of the waterways play a vital role in the ecological processes and ecosystem services in the semi-arid mountainous regions. In this study, variations of plant diversity and composition at different distances from the waterway and its slope aspects were investigated. For this purpose, 15 sub-basins with a variety of area and length of waterway, in both northern and southern directions, were selected in the mountainous rangelands of Anbaran Chai. For measurements 20 plots of 1m2 in each sub-basin were established and vegetations were surveyed. Different distances from the waterway (0-25, 25-50 and 50-75 m) were selected for the measurements in the growing season in 2017. By grouping the species into scientific groups and calculating species diversity, statistical comparison of the parameters was performed by one-way ANOVA and t-test. The results showed that the highest diversity happens at the second distance group (25-50 m).This put emphasis on the hypothesis of occurring maximum diversity in the medium environmental disturbance conditions. In this regard, Shannon-Wiener species diversity index values ​​were 1.38, 1.40 and 1.39 for first to third distances, respectively. Northern slopes are more diverse (1.45) than southern slopes (1.30) due to high humidity. The results suggests that if the goal of range management is to prioritize the area on the basis biological practices emphasis should be put on the first and third distances from the waterway.

Grazing intensity should follow the management roles to prevent the soil compaction. Soil compaction decreases plant root penetration so that at 2 MPa the root extension and above ground biomass will stop. In this research, digital penetrometer was used to assessment the soil compaction level in Sabalan region in Ardabil province caused by livestock. Grazing intensity and distance from village were evaluated as independent variables. The results show that the grazing intensity and distance from village have significant effect on soil compaction at 1 percent of probability level. Grazing intensity at closer distance (200 m) increases the soil compaction and reduce the soil penetration. Modeling of different grazing intensities was made by ANFIS approach at MATLAB software. For assessment of models’ operation, root mean square error (RMSE) and correlation coefficient (R2) were used and the best model was determined. The results of best ANFIS model for prediction of soil compaction (RMSE=7.223 and R2=0.967) was compared with the result of regression model (RMSE=11.518 and R2=0.918). The results show that the ANFIS model had more R2 and less RMSE consequently more accuracy than the regression model.

In this study, the economic evaluation of carbon sequestration in plant biomass and soil under three types of livestock grazing intensity was investigated. Three area under light, medium and high grazing intensities in the Inchehbrun salt lands of Golestan province were selected. Soil and plant samples were taken in a systematic-random method. Three 100 meters length parallel transects were installed on the side which random points were selected as sampling points. Total shoot and roots biomass of selected plants were collected and then the amount of carbon stored in biomass was determined in the laboratory. Soil samples were taken at two depths, 0-20 and 20-40 cm. The amount of soil carbons later was measured in the laboratory. The results of statistical analysis showed a significant difference in the rate of carbon sequestration in plant biomass and soil foe all the three regions. The highest amount of precipitated carbon was seen in the soil. To evaluate the ecosystem service value, the method of avoided damage costs was used. The results showed that the economic value of light, medium and severe grazing areas in terms of carbon sequestration is 13.09, 10.67, 6.50 million Rials per hectare, respectively, and the highest economic value is related to light grazing sites, while the lowest belonged to the severe grazing sites. As the high level of carbon storage is in the soil it has more economic value, so the soil should be protected against erosion to maintaining the economic value of its sequestrated carbons.

Seed dispersal by large herbivores (Endozoochory) provides a possible aid for ecological restoration of plant communities. In order to investigate the potential of Endozoochory in domestic (Ovis aries and Capra aegagrus hircus) and wild (Ovis orientalis and Capra aegagrus) herbivores under different managements tacktic, eight sites in Tang e Sayad region of Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari Province were selected (National Park, Protected area and Free grazing). From July to October 2016, dung samples of wild and domesticate herbivores were collected in four stages. Dung samples were stored for 72 hours at 4 °C, and then 250 gr of them were kept on the surface of the each trays in the greenhouse until full germination of the seeds. The results showed that 1732 seeds identified in 54 cultivated trays belonged to 28 species. In August and September, the highest and lowest number of seeds were observed in dung. Transferred species in National Park with 26 species were more than other regions. Wild goats (39.6) compared to wild sheeps (36.9) and domestic (20.1) transferred more seeds. DCA indicated dissimilarity behavior among herbivores, differences in species composition of seeds identified in dung samples of each herbivore and seed composition transferred between management zones. If the management of protected areas is aimed at development of plant communities and the dynamics of rangeland ecosystems, the transfer of plant seeds by domestic and wild livestock should be considered as an important factor in the plant distribution.

Secale montanum Guss. is a perennial grass species grown in steep slopes of high altitude of Iranian rangelands. This species is naturally reproduces by seeds. Due to over-grazing of the plant, especially before maturity and production of seed in one hand and habitat destruction, land use change, species decline and climate change puts this species at risk. Therefore, long-term storage of its seeds makes future seeding of degraded rangelands possible. To evaluate the possibility of long-term preservation of Secale montanum Guss. seeds in cryogenic conditions (-196°C) seeds of the species were collected from the natural habitats. Three pre-cryopreservation treatments including PVS2, Desiccation, 30% Glycerol and Control were applied on the seeds. The treated seeds were incubated in LN (-196°C) for periods of 1 week, 1 month and 1 year. Subsequently, the cryopreserved seeds were removed from the liquid nitrogen and, seed germination seed establishment and some other traits were evaluated under laboratory, greenhouse and natural habitat conditions. The results showed that seeds of the Secale montanum are able to tolerate cryogenic conditions. Among the pre-cryopreservation treatments, Desiccation showed the best effects with average germination rate of 88% for 1 year storage in cryogenic condition. Although seed establishment percentages of the control and cryogenic seeds under field and greenhouse conditions were not high, but the results indicated that cryogenic seeds of the various pre-cryopreservation treatments were able to establish and grow well under field and greenhouse conditions.

The bitter and sweet species, scientifically known as Ferula assa- foetida L. and Ferula alliacea Boiss respectively are perennial herbs from Umbelliferae with considerable economic value. This study evaluates habitat characteristics and factors affecting on habitats of the species in terms of their vegetation density in Kerman province of Zarand city. Habitat characteristics including geographical location, soil physical and chemical properties, annual and seasonal climatic parameters and some anthropogenic factors of the two habitats were analyzed using independent t-test. Comparison of the average annual rainfall in the Reyhanshahr habitat indicates an increase of more than 48 percent equivalent to 118 mm compared to the Syriz habitat. Also, frost days as an effective factor in germination of the species in Reyhanshahr is equal to 81 days per a year and 47% more than in Syriz habitat. The results of seasonal climatic analysis of 17-years showed that precipitation, relative humidity and frost days are significantly different between two habitats mainly in autumn and winter, namely 34%, 11% and 55% are higher in Syriz habitat respectively. Clay, Calcium, Potassium, Calcium carbonate equivalent and Sodium uptake were significantly higher in Syriz than Reihanshar. Number of mines in Rayhanshahr is 4 and 1 in Syriz. Stocking rate is twice as the allowed animal unit in Syriz. In general, the results indicate that climate and edaphic factors have significant impact on decreasing density of Ferula alliacea Boiss in study area.

low temperature is one of the limiting factors for survival and growth of many species and plays a major role on their habitats. In the present study, the effects of cold on morphological and physiological characteristics of Festuca arundinaceae and Dactylis glomerata were investigated through a factorial design. At the first step seeds were prepared and cultivated in a pot to reach at an acceptable growth in a greenhouse. 10 replicates of each species were exposed to cold at 4 ° C for two weeks. And 10 replicates were placed in non-stress conditions (control). Every two weeks, the greenhouse seedlings were returned to the normal conditions of the greenhouse to continue the research process. The results showed that cold treatment reduced the air and undergrowth biomass of both species. Cold treatment has been responsible for the loss of photosynthetic system and stomatal conductance and leaf temperature in studied species. The rate of photosynthesis in F. arundinaceae in the control was 0.10 mol / m-2 / sec-1 greater than cold treatment with 0.080 mol / m-2 / sec-1. In D.glomerata, the photosynthesis rate in the control was 0.078 moles / m-2 / sec-1 more than cold treatment with 0.045 moles / m-2 / s-1 seconds. The amount of chlorophyll a, b, total in cold treatment decreased and electrolyte leakage in both species increased under cold treatment. Considering the important role of these two species in rangeland regeneration and improvement, knowledge of the effect of cold on their physiology and morphology characteristics can be useful in determining the readiness of rangeland and the capacity of rangeland and grazing livestock for proper range management in the country.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of environmental factors, altitude and soil, on the quantitaty and quality of essential oils of aerial parts of Hymenocrater elegans species at the full flowering stage. Plants were selected from three heights of its natural habitat located in Baladeh Noor region (Mazandaran province). The plant aerial parts were collected at the flowering stage and dried at room temperature; essential oils were extracted by hydro-distillation method using Clevenger-type apparatus. The composition of the essential oil was determined by combined GC/MS and GC. Soil properties and its relationship with the quantity and quality of the species, samples were taken in three plots put alongside of three transects on selected elevations. Samples were taken from a depth of 0-30 cm and the parameters of organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu were measured. Based on the results, 43 compounds were identified in the essential oil of Hymenocrater elegans at three Baladeh altitudes. The most compounds at altitudes of 1000-800 m with silty soil texture were Labda, Methanonaphthalene, Butenamide and Tetramethyl tricycle. For altitudes of 1700-1500 m, with silty soil texture were Heptadecanamine, Acetaldehyde Ethanal, Ethylamine, Isopropylidene-3-methyle 2000-200 m. Heights of 2000-2200 m with silty-loamy soil texture were Pyridinepropanoic acid, alpha, Ethylene oxide, Oxirane Epoxyethane, Cyclopropane, 1-bromo. The relation between the altitude above the sea level and essential oil components significantly found negative. This means the higher the altitude, the lower essential oils percentage.

Carbon sequestration was monitored and predicted in rangeland ecosystems of Noorrud watershed. For this purpose, the land cover status of the years 1988, 1998, 2008 and 2018 were investigated on the basis of Landsat satellite images. Rangelands were segmented on the basisi of distinguished vegetation cover. Field sampling method was used for rangelands. For other land uses however, the default data of the International Climate Change Committee (IPCC) were used. Sampling points were marked on the maps and by designing a systematic-random sampling system, three 100m long transects were established on each already marked sampling area. Ten plots were put alongside of the each transect. In each plot, the percentage of vegetation cover and its biomass was estimated. To measure soil carbon at each sampling points, a soil profile was dug and soil samples were taken from a depth of 0 to 30 cm. samples dried in the open air and transported to the laboratory to determine carbon sequestration by walk-block method. By using the IDRISI Terrset software carbon sequestration measured based on ton per hectar and their distribution were mapped for each year. The results showed in the best rangelands S1 the land have decreased by 10374 hectares and in the poor ragelands S3 it have declined by 3.10253 hectares. On the otherside the lands classified as medium (S2) had an increasing trend (10758 hectares). Also, the amount of carbon in good, medium and poor rangelands is 111.45, 81.63 and 50.39 tons per hectare, respectively. The results also showed that carbon sequestration has been decreasing in the course of the study. So that its amount decreased from 9905729 tons in the whole area in 1988 to 8860803 tons in 2018. Meanwhile, the highest rate of decrease was related to the period 2008 to 2018 (562125 tons).