Semi-Steppe rangeland

Open Access Article

1 - Variation of Plant Functional Groups in Relation to Fire in Semi-Steppe Rangelands of Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari Province
Elham Banihashemi Ali asghar Naghipour

10.22034/jest.2019.34185.4158

Background and Objective: Understanding of how plants respond to a fire is essential to predict the characteristics and distribution of many ecosystems. This research is aimed at identifying, classifying and analyzing plant functional traits that can be used as a means More

Background and Objective: Understanding of how plants respond to a fire is essential to predict the characteristics and distribution of many ecosystems. This research is aimed at identifying, classifying and analyzing plant functional traits that can be used as a means for determining changes in plant communities through the fire at various time intervals. Method: The present study was conducted in the Karsanak region in Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiari province. Six sites with one and five years after the last fire were selected. A stratified random sampling was used. In each plot, after identifying the existing species, the percentage of the cover of each species was estimated and the plant characteristics were measured. Findings: The results showed that vegetative traits such as plant height, production, SLA leaf area index, leaf area and leaf dry weight, composition of Gramineae species, herbaceous plants and shrub, the percentage of plants with class of II and III palatability, percentage of species composition with form of Hemicryptophyte and chamaephyte had a significant difference in fire and control areas. According to Principal Component Analysis, the most effective of trait were SLA leaf area index, palatability of class II, the leaf length, Hemicryptophytes, forbs and long of the leaf which had a direct relationship with five-year fire and one year fire. Discussion and Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that plant traits play an important role in determining the response of plant species to environmental disturbances and hence can influence the process of the post-fire rangeland secondary sequence.   Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

2 - Phenology of Ferula Ovinia and Poa Bulbosa Species and Time of Livestock Entry to and Exit from Rangeland in Goorab of Isfahan Province
maryam gholami mostafa saeedfar

10.22034/jest.2021.34338.4165

Background and Objective: Phenological study is one of the important factors in optimal management of vegetation utilization. Ferula ovinia and Poa bulbosa are valuable rangeland species regarding to forage production and controlling soil erosion.In this research, an ap More

Background and Objective: Phenological study is one of the important factors in optimal management of vegetation utilization. Ferula ovinia and Poa bulbosa are valuable rangeland species regarding to forage production and controlling soil erosion.In this research, an appropriate time for livestock entering to and exiting from the Goorab rangeland in 35th kilometers west of Fereydoun Shahr city, was carried out during four years (2014-2017). Method: In this research, ten plant bases were selected and information about the phonological stages for each base in the 7-day period during the growth phase and 15 days in the reproductive phase were measured and recorded at the special form. At the same time, meteorological statistics were collected from meteorological station adjacent the project site. Findings: Growing of the Ferula ovinia was started in mid-March, and continued until early-June. Flowering stems was started in late May and continued until mid-June. Seeds formations were begun in early-June and completed in late July. Growing of the Poa bulbosa was started in mid-March, and continued until early-June. Flowering stems was started in late May and continued until early-June. Seeds formations were begun in early-June and until the end of in late June. Discussion and Conclusion: The results showed that according to the species behavior in the occurrence of biological phenomena in the different years of study, the best entrance and departure time should be specified based on physiologic phenomena in the specie of Poa bulbosa which the best time can be late May and mid-May. The time of departure of the livestock could also be continued till &rlm;mid-September due to the existence of dried Ferula ovina which is used by livestock in the summer if the number of livestock has been observed based on livestock capacity.   Manuscript profile

Open Access Article