Evaluating changes in the plant communities after overgrazing in the Golbahar plain, northeast of Iran

Kadhum, Sarmad Mahdi; Ejtehadi, Hamid; Memariani, Farshid; Erfanian, Mohammad Bagher

doi:10.52547/nbr.7.4.431

Volume 7, Issue 4 (2-2021) NBR 2021, 7(4): 431-441 | Back to browse issues page

‎ 10.52547/nbr.7.4.431

‎ 20.1001.1.24236330.1399.7.4.5.3

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Kadhum S M, Ejtehadi H, Memariani F, Erfanian M B. Evaluating changes in the plant communities after overgrazing in the Golbahar plain, northeast of Iran . NBR 2021; 7 (4) :431-441
URL: http://nbr.khu.ac.ir/article-1-3333-en.html

Evaluating changes in the plant communities after overgrazing in the Golbahar plain, northeast of Iran

Sarmad Mahdi Kadhum

, Hamid Ejtehadi ^*

, Farshid Memariani

, Mohammad Bagher Erfanian

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran , hejtehadi@um.ac.ir

Abstract: (1948 Views)

Overgrazing affects plant communities, and is a significant disturbance factor in arid and semi-arid regions. The immediate changes of plant communities after overgrazing in the disturbed arid ecosystems of Iran have been poorly studied. We recorded data from 100 random samples before and after overgrazing in the Golbahar plain located in the northeastern Iran to determine the changes in the plant physiognomic, species composition, and diversity after overgrazing. We compared life-forms spectra, change in the RIVI of the recorded plant species, species composition, and species diversity before and after the grazing. Our results showed that therophytes were the dominant life-form in the area, and decreased after overgrazing. The community composition of the area remained unchanged after overgrazing. Species diversity at the level of rare and frequent species reduced after overgrazing. Our findings implied that overgrazing could not immediately affect the community structure of degraded arid areas. However, it causes changes that might reduce ecosystem services in them. It is not possible to completely exclude grazers in such areas, fencing or reducing the number of the livestock entries should be applied to restore the vegetation in the area.

Keywords: arid lands, life-form, species composition, species diversity

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