Effects of Rangeland Restoration (Contour Furrows, and Mortar Stone Dam) on Soil Fertilization (Case Study: Silvana Region, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran)
الموضوعات :Mahshid Souri 1 , Seyedeh Khadijeh Mahdavi 2 , Sahra Tarverdizadeh Sankari 3
1 - Natural Resource Department, Urmia University, Urmia
2 - Natural Resource Department, Islamic Azad University, Nour Branch, Nour
3 - Rangeland Management, Islamic Azad University, Nour Branch, Nour
الکلمات المفتاحية: Rangeland restoration, Mortar stone dam, Contour furrow, Soil fertilization,
ملخص المقالة :
The overgrazing and excessive utilization of rangelands has caused vegetationand soil degradation in many rangelands. In the rangeland management, the soil andvegetation elements, environmental factors and livestock should be considered as decisionmaking agents. Various methods are applicable for the rangeland restoration as contourfurrows and mortar stone dam. In order to evaluate the effects of restoration treatment onsoil fertility parameters, this research was carried out in Rangelands of Silvana region,West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Soil samples were taken based on a random method usingsix 100-m long transects in both treated and control sites. Soil samples were taken from thebeginning, middle and end of each transect in both 0-30 cm and 30-60 cm depths. Nitrogen(N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) contents of soil samples were determined usingKjeldal, P-Olsen and flame photometer method, respectively. Differences between meansof soil properties in the restoration and control treatments were compared by applying onewayANOVA and SNK (P<0.05) test using SPSS18 software. The results showedsignificant differences between restoration and control for soil properties. N, P and Kcontents in mortar stone dam treatment in both depth soils were increased as compared tocontour furrows and control. According to the results, there are significant differencesamong P, N and K concentrations in both mortar stone dam and contour furrow treatmentsbetween upper and lower soil layers. But, amount of K in the upper soil layer of contourfurrow and mortar stone dam treatments was less than lower layer. It was concluded thatthe constriction of mortar stone dam in the studied area had led to positive impacts on soilfertilization. Overall, the results show that in Silvana region, rangeland improving ispossible through applying the mechanical operation of mortar stone dam.
Literature Cited
Abebe, M. H., Oba, G., Angassa, A. and Weladji, R., 2006. The role of area enclosures and fallow age in the restoration of plant diversity in northern Ethiopia. African Jour. Ecology, 44: 507-514.
Azarnivand, H., Zare Chahoki, M., 2008. Range improvement. Tehran University press. 354p. (In Persian).
Bihamta, M. and Zare Chahouki, M., 2010. Principles of statistics for the natural resources science. University of Tehran Press, 300p. (In Persian).
Boltz, D. F., Howell, J. A., 1978. Colorimetric determination of nonmetals. John Wily and sons, 2nd ed., Vol. 8, 304.
Bremner, J. M., Mulvaney, C. S., 1982. Nitrogen-TotalIn A.L. Page et al. (ed.) Methods of soil analysis, Part2, 2nd ed., ASA and SSSA, Madison, WI., 595-624.
Chamani, A., Tavan, M. and Hoseini, A., 2011. Effect of three operation systems of contour furrow, pitting and enclosure on rangeland improvement in Golestan Province, Iran. Jour. Rangeland Science, 2(1): 379-387. (In Persian).
Chen, Y., Awada, T., Li, Y., Shang, W., Zhao, X. and Han, J., 2012. Effects of grazing exclusion on soil properties and on ecosystem carbon and nitrogen storage in a sandy rangeland of Inner Mongolia, Northern China. Environmental Management, 50: 622–632.
Descheemaecker, K., Muys, B., Nyssen, J., Poesen, J., Raes, D., Haile, M. and Deckers, J., 2006. Litter production and organic matter accumulation in exclosures of the Tigray highlands, Ethiopia. Forest Ecology and Management, 233: 21-35.
Habibzadeh, A., Goodarzi, M., Mehrvarz Moghanloo, K. and Javanshir, A., 2007. The effect of pitting and contour furrow in storage moisture and increased vegetation. Jour. Natural Resources, 60: 397-410. (In Persian).
Hongo, A., Matsumoto, S., Takahashi, H., Zou, H., Cheng, J., Jia, H. and Zhao, Z., 1995. Effect of exclosure and topography on rehabilitation of overgrazed shrub-steppe in the loess plateau of northwest China. Restoration Ecology, 3: 18-25.
Jafari, M., Ebrahimi, M., Azarnivand, H. and Madahi, A., 2009. The effects of rangeland restoration treatments on some aspects of soil and vegetation parameters in Sirjan rangelands. Jour. Rangeland, 3: 371-384. (In Persian).
Jahantigh, M., 2007. Investigated of the most efficient method of storage precipitation and reducing deposition (contour furrow and pitting). Tenth national congress of Iranian soil science. (In Persian).
Jahantigh, M. and Pessarakli, M., 2009. Utilization of contour furrow and pitting techniques on desert rangelands: Evaluation of runoff, sediment, soil water content and vegetation cover. Jour. Food, Agri. & Environ, 7(2): 736 -739.
Kholfi, M., Bayat, F. Rezai A. and Mohammadi, GH., 2006. Effect of water spreading on physic and chemical properties of soil case study: Ghare Charian Zanjan. Jour. Water and Soil Science, 319- 327. (In Persian).
Manzano, M. and Na´var, J., 2000. Processes of desertification by goats overgrazing in the Tamaulipan thrnscrub (matorral) in north-eastern Mexico. Jour. Arid Envir., 44: 1–17.
Mekuria, W., Veldkamp, E., Haile, M., Nyssen, J., Muys, B. and Gebrehiwot, K., 2007. Effectiveness of exclosures to restore degraded soils as a result of overgrazing in Tigray, Ethiopia. Jour. Arid Environments, 69: 270–284.
Mofidi, M., Jafari, M., Tavili, A., Rashtbari, M. and Alijanpour, A., 2011. Effect of Pit seeding on soil and vegetation properties in Imam Kandi rangelands. International Jour. Agronomy and Plant Production, 2(5): 219-225.
Mut, H. and Ayan I., 2011. Effects of different improvement methods on some soil properties in a secondary succession rangeland. Jour. Biol. Environ. Sci., 5: 11-16.
Mwangi, E. and Swallow, B., 2008. Prosopis juliflora invasion and rural livelihoods in the Lake Baringo area of Kenya. Conservation and Society, 6(2): 130-140.
Naderi, A., Kowsar, A. and Sarafraz, A. A., 2000. Reclamation of a sandy desert through flood water spreading. Sediment induced changes in selected soil chemical and physical properties. Jour. Agr. Sci. and Tech., 2: 9-20. (In Persian).
Olsen, S. R., Sommers, L. E., 1982. Phosphorus. In: Page, A. L., Page, R. H. Miller (Eds.), Methods of soil analysis, Part 2: Chemical and Microbiological Properties. ASA Monograph 9: 403–430.
Rich, T., 2005. Effects of contour furrowing on soils, vegetation, and grassland breeding birds in North Dakota. USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-191.
Saffariha, M., Azarnivand, H. and Tavili, A., 2014. Investigation effects of rangeland exclosure on some soil properties in Artemisia sieberi, Stipa hohenacheriana and Salsola rigida habitats (case study: Roodshoor, Saveh, Iran). Jour. Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences (JBES), 4(1): 195-204.
Salardini, A., 2008. Soil fertility. University of Tehran press, 434p.
Sandoval, F. M., 1978. Deep plowing improves Sodic clay pan soils. North Dakota Farm Research, 35: 15-18.
Sandoval, F. M. and Reichman, GA., 1971. Some properties of Solonetzic (Sodic) soil in western North Dakota. Canadian Jour. Soil Science, 51: 143-155.
Seelig, B. D. and Richardson, JL., 1991. Salinity and Sodicity in North Dakota soils. Fargo, North Dakota State University Extension Service, North Dakota State University.
Steffens, M., Kolbl, A., Totsche, K. U. and Kogel-Knabner, I., 2008. Grazing effects on soil chemical and physical properties in a semiarid steppe of Inner Mongolia (P.R. China). Geoderma, 143: 63-72.
Zakeri, R., Jafari, M. and Tavili, A., 2013. The effects of alfalfa planting in abandoned rain-feds on soil and vegetation characteristics, Mane and Semelghan, Iran. International Jour. Agronomy and Plant Production, 4(1): 57-63. (In Persian).
