Effects of exclosure on soil nutrients, vegetation diversity and biomass production in hilly rangelands

Abstract

ABSTRACTLivestock grazing is one of the most important factors influencing the soil nutrients, soil surface, vegetation diversity, and the above-ground biomass production in a natural rangeland ecosystem. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of the long-term grazing on soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (Available P), exchangeable potassium (Exchangeable K), diversity and the above-ground biomass production. This study was conducted in Maraveh Tapeh hilly rangelands of Golestan province, Iran. Soil and vegetation samplings were conducted based on the randomized systematic method. Three 150 m transects were positioned randomly within each grazing management practice. Soil samples were systematically taken every 3 m along each transect. Thirty (30) randomly chosen quadrats were sampled in each transect for vegetation diversity and biomass assessment. The effects of grazing management practices and aspect on soil nutrients, vegetation diversity, and biomass production were detected by analysis of variance (ANOVA) (at α = 0.05). Results of this study indicated, Exclosure north aspects had the maximum soil pH. There were significant differences found between soil electrical conductivity values in the grazed south aspect and the other treatments. Soil TOC, TN, available P and exchangeable K values increased significantly in the exclosure north aspects. Shannon diversity index and the above-ground biomass production had highest values in the exclosure north aspects.