INTERPRETATIONS OF VEGETATION CHANGES OF SOME VILLAGES RANGELANDS IN ÇANKIRI PROVINCE OF TURKEY

Abstract

Long term mismanagement of the rangelands resulted in serious rangeland deterioration throughout Turkey. Monitoring of rangelands provides information on the status and dynamics and measures how to deal with different problems encountered. In many studies ecological i nterpretations are based on the observation of plan t species existing on the rangeland vegetation type. The objec tive of this study was to determine the status and make ecological interpretations on three step rangelands of Bakirli, Gundo gmu � , and Karaoren villages of Cankiri province in the highlands of Central Anatolia. The rangeland conditi ons and health classes of rangelands were found the same as good and unhealthy in Bakirli, and Gundo gmusites, but they were fair and unhealthy in Karaore n site, respectively. Correspondence Analysis with four axis explained 55.9 % of the variance of species data and Canonical Correspondence Analysis explained 38.5 % of the variance of species data and 90.8 % of species-environ ment relationship. Sound management techniques could be immediately implemented for the improvement and the manipulation of the study rangeland sites.