The effect of contour furrow and pitting on increase of vegetation cover in rangelands (Case Study: Bolbol Region in Yazd Province)

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Agricultural and Natural Resources, SariUniversity

2 Academic Staff, Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Yazd

Abstract

One of the important operations that optimizes the use of soil and water in the arid and semi-arid lands is soil and water conservation structures especially precipitation storage structures. Implementation of precipitation conservation such as the development of pitting and contour furrow has been suggested in fields- where vegetation has decreased to the extent that it plays no more role in the prevention of surface runoff, but there are appropriate and palatable plant species individuals, or when soil compaction due to high traffic livestock has decreased water infiltration into the soil- for controlling runoff and floods from rainfall aiming for water saving and increasing vegetation cover. This study was carried out in Bolbol rangeland of Yazd province with average rain fall of 130 mm since 2004 in surface of two hectares. The amount of vegetation and density species was measured in four years (2012) after the creation of mechanical operations of pitting and furrowing. Measurements were carried out along 12 transects and 120 plots. The results showed that pitting, contour furrow and control treatment sites had significant difference from percentage vegetation and density (p<0.01). Percentage of vegetation in the mechanical operations of pitting, contour furrow was higher than control, 2.4 and 3.1 times, respectively and the density, 1.5 and 2.2 times, respectively. So, in the study area, pitting structural performance on vegetation was higher than contour furrow.

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Main Subjects

References

 
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Iranian journal of Ecohydrology
Volume 4, Issue 2
June 2017
Pages 369-377

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History

  • Receive Date: 24 December 2016
  • Revise Date: 04 April 2017
  • Accept Date: 04 April 2017

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