Evaluation of the effect of de-icing salt along snowy road on vegetation composition and diversity (Case Study: mountain road of Godar Kafanooieh of Baft as the roof of Iranian desert)

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology, Institute of Science and High Technology and Environmental Sciences, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Kerman, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Desert, Department of Natural Resources and Earth Sciences, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran

Abstract

An intense utilization of salt for lowering the freezing point of water in the mountainous areas of Iran country has been applied for a long period. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of road deicing salt on the vegetation composition, species richness and diversity indices in rangeland ecosystems of the area adjacent to Godar Kafanooieh road, Baft-Kerman, Iran in 2016. Sampling of vegetation was carried out after determining a homogeneous area of ​​ecological factors on the side of the road where runoff flowed into it. The establishment of 80 plots based on a systematic sampling of vegetation along the four transects with length of 150 meters was performed. In this regard, the first ten plots on each transect were established every 5 meters and the distances between other plots were 10 meters. After calculating the diversity and richness indices based on presence or absence of species in the PAST and BIO-DAP software, the effect of distance from the salting road was examined by one-way ANOVA test, and mean comparison was analyzed by Duncan's multiple range test. Results from 0 to 40 meters far from the road showed that plant species as Hertia intermedia, Ephorbia larica and Glycyrrhiza glabra have a high proportion of species composition. A significant increasing rate of Dominance and Burger indicators (86.7 and 97.7 percent in comparison to near road and 18.27 and 115 percent in comparison to farthest distance from road (150 meters), respectively) and the decreasing rate of Simpson, Shannon, Margarof, Menhing and Fisher indicators (45.2, 49.6, 38.5, 14.6 and 30.2 percent in comparison to near road and 53.4, 68.5, 77.6, 51.4 and 76.8 percent in comparison to the farthest distance from road (150 meters), respectively) at the 40 meters far from the road indicated the dominance of few species with high population (mostly Salsola inconesense). Native rangeland species (Artemisia aucheri) along with other species such as Stipa barbata and Astragalus parrowianus were observed at 50 meters distance from the road and their contribution to vegetation composition was raised with increasing the distance. According to this research, salt deicing due to changing the ecologic condition for invader and halophyte species, will decrease richness and diversity of species and will also diminish the potential and increase vulnerability of near rangeland ecosystems.

 
 

Keywords

Main Subjects


منابع
[1]. Soleymani Kermani MR. Mechanical re-texturing of road surface aggregates. PhD Thesis in the Department of Civil Engineering, Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London. 1995:210p.
[2]. Soleymani Kermani MR. The impact of winter salting the skid resistance of the road surface. Journal of transportation. 2008; 5(2): 187-193. (In Persian)
[3]. Ranjbar A, Sadatinejad SJ. The use of chlorophyll fluorescence indices to identify environmental stresses (drought and salinity) in leaves of Mutica Pistachio (Pistacia mutica L.). Iranian Journal of Ecohydrology. 2015; 2(3): 253-260. (In Persian)
[4]. Emadian FA, Mirnia SK. Plant Ecophisiology. Mazandaran University Press. 2001. (In Persian)
[5] Dordipour E, Ghadiri H, Hussein J. The influence of salinity and sodicity on soil erodibility, sediment transport and downstream water quality from three contrasting soils. J. Agric. Sci. Natur. Resour. 2007;14(4): 41-52. (In Persian)
[6]. Bagheri R, Shafiei H, Fezoni L, Amiri I, Porsor K. Biomes of the Earth – Deserts. 1nd ed. Islamic Azad University of Baft Press; 2014.
[7]. Amrhein C, Strong JE, Mosher PA. Effect of de-icing salts on metal and organic matter mobilization in roadside soils. Environ Sci Technol. 1993;26:703–9.
[8]. Mavi MS, Marschner P. Drying and wetting in saline and saline-sodic soils effects on microbial activity, biomass and dissolved organic carbon. Plant and Soil. 2012; 355: 51-62.
[9]. Mikutta R, Mikutta C, Kalbitz K, Scheel T, Kaiser K, Jahn R. Biodegradation of forest floor organic matter bound to minerals via different binding mechanisms. Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta. 2007; 71: 2569-2590.
[10]. Backstrom M, Karlsson S, Backman L, Folkeson L, Lind B. Mobilisation of heavy metals by deicing salts in a roadside environment. Water Research. 2004;38: 720–732.
[11]. Roomiani L, Jalilzadeh Yengejeh R. Study the Potential Uptake of Heavy Metals by Aquatic Plants in Dez River. Iranian Journal of Ecohydrology. 2016; 3(1): 133-140. (In Persian)
[12]. Ebrahimi M, Ghasemi F, Pozesh Shirazi M. Phytoremediation potential of Puccinellia distans (Jacq.) Parl in Cd contaminated soil and method of leaching reduction into ground waters. Iranian Journal of Ecohydrology. 2015; 2(2): 201-210. (In Persian)
[13]. Arzani H. Forage quality and daily requirement of grazing animal. 2nd ed. Tehran university press; 2008. (In Persian)
[14]. Erfanian R, Arzani H. The effect of phenology and soil properties on forage quality of species Trifolium pretense and Coronilla varia. Pajouhesh va Sazandegi. 2003;16(1): 2-4. (In Persian)
[15]. Nabati J, Kafi M, Nezami A, Rezvani Moghaddam P, Masoumi A, Zare Mehrjerdi M. Evaluation of quantitative and qualitative characteristic of forage kochia in different growth under salinity stress. EJCP. 2012; 5 (2): 111-128. (In Persian)
[16]. Angassa A, Oba G. Effects of grazing pressure, age of enclosures and seasonality on bush cover dynamics and vegetation composition in southern Ethiopia. Journal of Arid Environments. 2010; 74; 111–120.
[17]. Fattahi B, Ildoromi AR. Effect of Some Environmental Factors on Plant Species Diversity in the Mountainous Grasslands (Case Study: Hamedan-Iran). International Journal of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences. 2011; 1 (1): 45-52. (In Persian)
[18]. Gholami P, Fakhimi Abarghouei E.Changes of species diversity and functional groups in relation to grazing in rangelands of Nodushan, Yazd province. Desert Ecosystem Engineering Journal. 2016; 5(11): 9-20. (In Persian)
[19]. Rath KM, Rousk J. Salt effects on the soil microbial decomposer community and their role in organic carbon cycling: A review. Soil Biology & Biochemistry. 2015; 81: 108-123.
[20]. Setia R, Smith P, Marschner P, Gottschalk P, Baldock J, Verma V. Simulation of salinity effects on past, present, and future soil organic carbon stocks. Environmental Science & Technology. 2012; 46:1624-1631.
[21]. Burton M L, Samuelson LJ. Influence of urbanization on riparian forest diversity and structure in the Georgia Piedmont, US. Plant Ecology. 2008; 195: 99-115.
[22]. Karraker NE, Ruthig GR. Effect of road deicing salt on the susceptibility of amphibian embryos to infection by water molds. Environmental Research. 2009; 109: 40–45.
[23]. Rose D, Webber J. De-icing salt damage to trees. Pathology Advisory Note. Centre for Forestry and Climate Change. Forest Research. 2011; 11: 1-8.
[24]. Senft AR. Species diversity pattern at ecotones. A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial.fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in the Department of Biology; 2009.

[25]. Jane P, Young A, Rallings P, Rutherford M, Booth A L. The Effect of NaCl and CMA on the Growth and Morphology of plant. Journal of Botany. 2012; 1-8.

[26]. Neher DA, Asmussen D, Lovell ST, Roads in northern hardwood forests affect adjacent plant communities and soil chemistry in proportion to the maintained roadside area. Science of the Total Environment. 2013; 449: 320–327.
[27]. Weaver, N. Influence of exurban neighborhoods on riparian vegetation and stream salamanders in the southern Appalachian mountains. Clemson University; 2015.
[28]. Vali AA, Ghazavi GR. The relationship between plant density and soil salinity and texture in Korsiah saline area in Darab region. Desert. 2003; 8(2): 236-248. (In Persian)
 [29]. Zare Chahouki MA, Jafari M, Azarnivand H. Relationship between vegetation diversity and environmental factors in Poshtkouh rangelands of Yazd province. Pajouhesh & Sazandegi. 2008; 78:192-199. (In Persian)
[30]. Zarei A, Zare Chahooki MA, Jafari M, Bagheri H, Alizadeh A. Effective edaphic factors on plant community distribution (case study: Koh Namak region of Qum province, Iran). Range land Journal. 2010; 4(3): 412-421. (In Persian)
[31]. Rostampour M, Jafri M, Farzadmehr J, Tavili A, Zareh Chahooki MA. Investigation of relationships between plant biodiversity and environmental factors in the plant communities of Arid Ecosystems (Case study: Zirkouh of Qaen). Watershed Management Researches (Pajouhesh & Sazandegi). 2009; 83: 47-57. (In Persian)
[32].Tatian MR, Zabihi AR, Tamartash R, Shabani M. Determination of indicator spicies of some soil characteristic by ordination method in koh Namak of Qum province, Iran. Environment. 2011; 37(58): 21-28. (In Persian)
[33]. Toranjzar H, Zahedi Gh, Jafari M, Zahedipoor H. Relationship between soil physico-chemical attributes and plant communities (Case Study: Mighan Desert in Arak). Iranian journal of Range and Desert Reseach. 2011; 18 (3): 384-394. (In Persian)
[34].Yari R, Azarnivand H, Zare Chahouki MA, Farzadmehr J. Relationship between species diversity and environmental factors in Sarchah Amari ranglands of Birjand. Iranian journal of Range and Desert Reseach. 2012; 19 (1); 95-107. (In Persian)
[35]. Mohamadi S. The effect of geographical directions and distance from Playa salt layer on the composition and diversity of species (Case Study: Sirjan Playa). Desert Ecosystem Engineering Journal (DEEJ). 2016; 5(12): 123-135. (In Persian)
[36]. Statistical Yearbook of Kerman Province, Management and Planning Organization, 2015.
[37].Tabatabaei SMF. Living Things. Enteshar cooperation. 2nd ed. 2006. (In Persian)
 
Volume 4, Issue 2
June 2017
Pages 509-521
  • Receive Date: 10 December 2016
  • Revise Date: 18 February 2017
  • Accept Date: 15 March 2017
  • First Publish Date: 22 June 2017
  • Publish Date: 22 June 2017