Landscape Function Analysis to Assess the Grazing Effect on Some Soil Features in Arid Ecosystem

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Watershed & Rangeland Management, University of Kashan, Iran

2 Laboratory of Remote Sensing and GIS, Department of Soil Science, University of Tehran, P.O.Box: 4111, Karaj 31587-77871, Iran

Abstract

Sustainable rangelands management continues to be one of the main challenges facing arid ecosystem. The function of a rangeland ecosystem depends on the conservation of resources within the ecosystem. Finding the rangeland ecosystem functions requires the knowledge of soil and vegetation characteristics to understand the ecosystem's capabilities. In this research, in order to identify the damaged areas in arid regions, the effect of grazing on the ecosystem function was investigated using the distance from the water resources. Thus, in the present study, around 3 water resources in 4 principal geographical directions and 172 plots with 4 m2 were installed. In each plot, 11-soil surface indexes were estimated by the landscape function analysis (LFA) method. Then, using 11 soil surface indexes, three soil functional properties include stability; permeability and nutrient cycle were calculated. In order to determine the sensitivity of the LFA method and separate the functional and structural characteristics SPSS software V.19 were used  and the analysis of variance and comparing the mean of common features conducted by Duncan's method. Multivariate analysis of variance and correlation showed that the three functional features had no significant relationship with the four geographical directions (P <0.01) but had a significant relationship with the distance from the water resources (P <0.01). These results indicated that the ecosystem functions increases with distance from the water resources. Also, the results of Duncan's test showed that the high grazing intensity near the water resources caused a critical range of 150m from the water resources.

Keywords

References

Abedi, M., Arzani, H., Shahriari, E., Tongway, D and Aminzadeh, M. 2007. Evaluation of the structure and function of plant parts rangeland in arid and semi-arid, Journal of Ecology. 40: pp. 126-117.
Ahmadi, Z., Heshmati, GA., Mohseni Saravi, M., Arzani, H and Bihamta, M. 2009. Determining of critical threshold in the rangeland: Case Study privacy Rangelands from three villages in the province of Golestan, Gorgan Journal of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Vol. 15, No. 1, Specifics of Natural Resources, pp. 109-102.
Arzani, H., Abedi, M. and Shahryari, E. 2007. Investigation of soil surface indicators and rangeland functional attributes by grazing intense and land cultivation. J. range and Desert. 14: 1. 68-79.
Arzani, H., Abedi, M., Shahriari., E and Ghorbani, M. 2007. Investigation of changes in soil surface indexes and functional characteristics of pasture due to grazing intensity and rangeland plowing (Case study: Orazan Taleghan). Rangeland and Desert of Iran, 14(1), pp. 79-68.
Bastin, G.N., Sparrow, A.D. and Pearce, G. 1993. Grazing gradients in central Australian Rangelands: ground verification of Remote Sensing-Based approaches. J. Range. 15: 217-233.
Bestelmeyer, B.T. 2006. Threshold concepts and their use in rangeland management and restoration: the good, the bad, and the insidious. restoration ecology, 14: 325-329.
Ghalichnia, H., Heshmati, GA, and Chaeichi, M. 2008, Comparison of Rangeland Status Evaluation with Soil Characteristics Method and Four-factor Method in Rangelands of Golestan National Park, Journal of Research and Development (Natural Resources): 87, pp. 50-41.
Ghelichnia, H., Heshmati, GH.A., Chaichi, M.R. and Khorasani, N. 2007. The relation between nominal and empirical indicators of range functions in shrublands of Golestan National Park. J. Pajouhesh and Sazandegi. 74: 53-60.
Hart, R.H., Bissio, J., Samuel, J. and Waggoner, J.W. 1993. Grazing systems, pasture size, and cattle grazing behavior, distribution, and gains. J. Range Manage. 46: 81-87.
Heshmati, G.A. 1997. Plant and soil indicator for detecting zone around water points in arid perennial chenopod shrublands of South Australia. Thesis for the degree of Philosophy. University of Adelaid, 169p.
Heshmati, GA., Amirkhani, M., Heydari, Gh, and Hosseini, S.A. 2008. Qualitative assessment of rangeland ecosystem capability of Gomishan region of Golestan province using field functions index, Journal of Rangeland,1(1), pp: 115-103.
Heshmati, GA., Karimian, A., Karami, P and Amirkhani, M. 2007. Qualitative assessment of the rangeland ecosystem capability of the hilltop area of ​​Inceh at Golestan province. Journal of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources of Gorgan, 14:(1), pp:89-96.
Karfs, R. 2002. Rangeland monitoring in tropical savanna grasslands, Northern Territory, Australia: relationships between temporal satellite data and ground data. Masters Thesis, Research School of Tropical Environment Studies and Geography, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.
Karr, H. 1997. Rangeland health, for 58472. National Resources Conservation service Evolution, 3: 336-339.
Khosravi Mashizi, A., Heshmati, GH., Sepehri, A., Azarnivand, H. 2011, Investigating the changes of soil surface indices along grazing gradient in semi-arid lands, Jornal. of Water and Soil Conservation:17(4),45-54.
Lotfi Anari, P, and Heshmati, GA. 2009. Comparison of Landscape Function Analysis Method in Central Iranian Rangeland Ecosystems, Journal of Rangeland and Desert: 16(3), pp. 399-386.
Mesdaghi, M. 2003. Range management in Iran. Astan Ghods. Press, 320p. (In Persian).Tongway, D.J. 1995. Rangeland soil condition assessment manual. CSIRO. Melbourne.
Mollaeirenani, M., Bashari, H and Basiri M. 2010. Investigation of the effect of captive on surface soil indexes in rangelands of Isfahan region. First National Conference on Natural Resources Research, October 28-29, Kurdistan University, Iran.
Palmer, A.R., Killer, F.J., Avis, M.A., and Tongway, D.J., 2001. Defining a function in rangelands at the district eastern cape using landscape function analysis. African Journal of Range and Forage Science, 18: 53-58.
Pyke, D. A., Herrick, J. E., Shaver, P., and Pellant M., 2002. Rangeland health attributes and indicators for qualitative assessment. J. Range Manage (55): 584–597.
Tongway, D. J., and Hindley, N. L. 2005. Landscape function analysis: Procedures for monitoring and assessing landscapes, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Canberra, Australia.Pp: 80.
Tongway, D.J., and Ludwig, J., 2002. Desertification reversing, in Ratten Lal. Marcel Dekker, New York, 343-345.
Watson, I. W., Novelly, P. E., Thomas, P. W. E., 2007. Monitoring changes in pastoral rangelands the Western Australian Rangeland Monitoring System (WARMS). Rangeland Journal, 29 (2): 191-205.
Desert Ecosystem Engineering
Volume 7, Issue 1in English
September 2018
Pages 42-37

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics