Professional Documents
Culture Documents
449-456, 2014
Available online at http://www.ijsrpub.com/ijsres
ISSN: 2322-4983; 2014; Author(s) retain the copyright of this article
http://dx.doi.org/10.12983/ijsres-2014-p0449-0456
Assistant Professor, Department of Range and Watershed Management, University of Zabol, Iran
M.Sc of Range management, Department of Range and Watershed Management, Faculty of Water and Soil, University of
Zabol, Iran
*Corresponding Author, Email: maebrahimi2007@uoz.ac.ir
Abstract. Restoration practices have important impact on soil surface and functional characteristic of rangelands. So, for the
sustainable utilization of the rangelands, these changes should be recognized and managed. The present study was conducted to
recognize the effects of contour furrow on ecological indices of rangeland health in Ghick Sheikha contour furrow (Jiroft)
using landscape function analysis. A free contour furrow (as control) was also selected to compare the effects of contour
furrow on soil factors and vegetation cover. In this method, 11 soil parameters were assessed to recognize three functional
properties, including stability, infiltration and nutrient cycling (using analysis of landscape function software) and, paired t-test
was used to compare the performance indicators in the control and contour furrow. However the number of patches was more
in the control treatment, the results showed that in the contour furrow area, the length of ecological components (patches) was
more than in the control treatment. Three health indicators in the contour furrow were more than in the control treatment and
there was a significant difference between two areas (p 0.05). In addition, regression model analyses between two areas
suggested that the parameters of litter movement, soil surface resistance to erosion, soil surface roughness, and erosion in
contour furrow and soil surface roughness, litter cover and soil surface resistance to erosion in the control area had respectively
the biggest share among the rangeland health indicators. Generally, the present study suggested effectiveness of contour furrow
compared to the control.
Keywords: Contour furrow, ecological indices, landscape function analysis, rangeland health
1. INTRODUCTION
In Iran, rangelands are of the highest extent regarding
the other natural ecosystems (Mogaddam, 2006) and
most of the rangelands have encountered the changes
in vegetation trend and conditions as well as soil
erosion resulting in the reduction of plant and
livestock production due to incorrect management and
exploitation (Azarnivand and Zare Chahoki., 2012).
Rangelands having native vegetation and natural
potential are managed as a natural ecosystem.
Considering ecology, the recognition of fundamental
ecologic concepts and the evaluation of ecosystem
play significant roles in recognizing the ecosystems'
structure and function. Changing the ecologic
concepts and assumptions is more likely to alter the
range evaluation (Abedi and Arzani, 2004). The
Dynamic ecosystem is changed because of
environmental disturbances so that the sustainable
exploitation will be possible when these changes are
identified. Some changes are regarded as ecosystems'
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2.2. Methodology
A field operation was done during the flowering stage
of dominant plant species. After conducting primary
investigations, sampling was performed along linear
transects by a randomized systematic method
according to previous range plans and field visits.
Thus, three 100 m transects were established by the
intervals of 100 m. In each transect, patches having
the existing vegetation were selected and afterwards, 5
replicates of patches and inter patches with bare soil
were randomly chosen. Then, the length and width of
ecologic patch and the length of inter patches in
transects have been recorded. In order to compare the
impacts of contour furrow on soil and vegetation
factors by the means of landscape functional analysis,
a control treatment (without contour furrow operation)
has been considered along the desired region.
In each region, soil surface indices were
investigated in order to study the soil stability,
permeability and nutrient cycle. These indices include
soil conservation, litter cover, cryptogam cover, crust
crunching, erosion type and intensity, sedimentations,
soil surface nature, surface resist to disturb, vegetation
indices of perennial species, soil surface roughness,
soil texture, permeability and nutrient cycle. Then,
they were calculated by the sum of indices' scores.
Statistical data analysis was performed using Excel
software of landscape function analysis.
Contour furrow and control treatment were
compared by T-test. In addition, multiple linear
regression has been applied using SPPSS.18 in order
to specify the best indices which affect the range
health.
3. RESULTS
3.1. Ecologic patches characteristics in contour
furrow and control treatments
Quantitative characteristics and ecologic indices of
contour furrow and control treatments indicate that in
the studied region, the mean length of ecologic
patches is 0.93 m whereas it is given as 0.52 m for the
control treatment. Number of patches was 22 and 6 for
the control and contour furrow treatments,
respectively. Patch area index (mean area divided by
total number of patches) has been computed as 0.05
and 0.016 for contour furrow and control treatments,
respectively. Specificity index demonstrating the
landscape potential and capability was given as 1 for
both treatments (Table 1).
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International Journal of Scientific Research in Environmental Sciences, 2(12), pp. 449-456, 2014
Table 1: Characteristics of ecologic patches in contour furrow area and control treatment
*Values within a column followed by different letters indicate significant differences. Mean values are reported with SE (Standard Error)
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Table 2: Means of the LFA indices in patches in contour furrow area and control treatment
Table 3: Most important effective range health indices in contour furrow area and control treatments
*S= Stability, E= Erosion, Sr= Surface Resist to disturb, I= Infiltration, N= Nutrient cycling status, Lc=Litter cover; Ss= Soil Surface Roughness
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International Journal of Scientific Research in Environmental Sciences, 2(12), pp. 449-456, 2014
Table 4: Correlation coefficients among three function indices and effective factors in contour furrow area and control
treatment
4. DISCUSSION
Destructive range elements are the excessive presence
of livestock and over grazing so that management
measures lead to the changes in soil surface properties
and range functional features. In the studied regions,
contour furrow treatment along with the grazing
management resulted in the changes of soil surface
properties and range functional features in such a
manner that these indices were reduced in control
treatment as compared to contour furrow treatment
having the grazing management. Rangelands involve
a variety of natural resources extensively. As a result,
it is necessary to evaluate rangelands in order to
achieve the sustainable and long-term exploitations
and make decisions on the range changes. Range
function studies make the judgments possible on the
impacts of corrective and management actions on
primary ecosystem processes such as water cycle,
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Mohadese Arab obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Range and watershed management in
2010 and Master of Science Degree in Range management in 2012 from University of Zabol,
Iran. She works with University of Bahonar, Kerman, Iran as a Research Officer at the
Department of Natural Resources. Her current research is focuses on range and watershed
management. To date, she has published several scientific articles related to reclamation of
rangelands.
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