Investigation on Effects of Environmental and Soil Factors on Establishment of Vegetation Types (Case Study: Sabzdasht, Bafgh)

Authors

• Majid Sadeghinia ¹
• Mohammad Jafari ²
• Ghavamodin Zahedi Amiri ³
• Naser Baghestani Maybodi ⁴
• Ali Tavili ⁵

1. Department of Rangeland Management, Ardakan University, Ardakan, Iran
2. Department of Reclamation of Arid and Mountainous Regions, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
3. Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran
4. Assistant Professor. Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center, Yazd, Iran
5. Department of Reclamation of Arid and Mountainous Regions, Natural Resources Faculty, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

Abstract

This research was conducted to investigate the relationships between soil
(organic matter, potassium, phosphorous, sodium, fine gravel, soil texture, EC, lime,
gypsum, nitrogen) and environmental (elevation, slope) factors with distribution of
vegetation types in rangelands of Sabzdasht, located in Bafgh, Yazd province at 2012. For
this purpose, four vegetation types were selected as follows: Artemisia sieberi; Artemisia
sieberi, Stipa barbata, Eurotia ceratoides; Dorema ammoniacum, Artemisia sieberi,
Eurotia ceratoides; and Hammada salicornica. Minimal area was determined using nested
plots. Afterward, vegetation factors were measured and five soil profiles were dug
randomly in minimal area. In each profile, data for depths of 0-10 and 10-80 cm were
recorded. Principal component analysis was applied to analyze the data. Results showed
that soil texture, potassium, phosphorous, EC and lime had the most impact on variation
and distribution of vegetation types.

Keywords

• Principal component analysis
• Soil properties
• Environmental factors
• Minimal area
• Bafgh. Yazd