In this study, the floristic composition was investigated in relation to the abandonment time of agricultural land in rangelands of Shirmard village . For this purpose, 96 old-fields in four time periods of abandonment less than 5, 5-15, 15-25 and more than 25 years were selected in two plant communites of shrubland and grassland. Thereafter, 24 key rangeland areas were chosen around the old-fields. In each of the selected old-fields and key rangeland areas, 10 plots of 4 m2 were established and in each plot all plant species were recorded. to investigate the effect of the abandonment time of agricultural land on the floristic composition of plants, firstly, the data of 600 plots sampled in each plant community were entered into Excel separately and arranged. secondly, the presence and non-presence of each plant species in each of the time periods of abandonment were investigated. The results showed that in periods of abandonment time less than 5, 5 to 15, 15 to 25, more than 25 years, and key rangeland areas around them, 101, 113, 135, 120, 138 species in shrubland and 100, 116, 124, 131, 128 species in grassland community were present respectively. Perennial forbs, hemicryptophyte, and Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Poaceae families had the highest number of species in both types of vegetation. Generally, the results of this study indicate that in the initial stages of agricultural land abandonment, annual plant species such as Aegilops triuncialis, Bromus tectorum, Heteranthelium piliferum, Echinops leiopolyceras, Secale cereale, Taeniatherum caput-medusae, Zoegea crinita, Carthamus oxyacanthus, Picnomon acarna and Turgenia latifolia accounted for more than half of the vegetation composition, which should be seriously considered in order to prevent the failure improvement ,restoration projects and the risk of fire.moreover, 37 valuable plant species such as Allium austroiranicum, Chaerophyllum macropodum, Ferula ovina, Astragalus fragiferus, A.kirrindicus, A.maassoumii, A.pseudoibicinus, A.piptocephalus, Onobrychis cornuta, Phlomis aucheri, Salvia multicaulis, Smyrnium cordifolium , Teucrium polium, Trigonella disperma and others have not been able to return to the abandoned agricultural lands through the natural regeneration after more than 25 years, which should be introduced into the vegetation by experts through seeding ,sowing projects and to be more protected and supported.
|
|
1. Abakumov, E., Morgun, E., Pechkin, A., Polyakov, V. 2020. Abandoned agricultural soils from the central part of the Yamal region of Russia: morphology, diversity, and chemical properties. Open Agriculture, 5 (1): 94-106. 2. Abolina, E., Luzadis, V.A. 2015. Abandoned agricultural land and its potential for short rotation woody crops in Latvia. Land Use Policy, 49: 435-445. 3. Anpilogova, D., Pakina, A. 2022. Assessing ecosystem services of abandoned agricultural lands: a case study in the forested zone of European Russia. One Ecosystem, 7: 1-22. 4. Baeten, L., Velghe, D., Vanhellemont, M., De Frenne, P., Hermy, M., Verheyen, K. 2010. Early trajectories of spontaneous vegetation recovery after intensive agricultural land use. Restoration Ecology, 18 (2), 379–386. 5. Battaglia, L.L., Keough, J.R., Pritchett, D.W. 1995. Early secondary succession in a southeastern U.S. alluvial floodplain. Journal of Vegetation Science, 6: 769-776. 6. Briske, D.D., Fuhlendorf, S.D., Smeins, F.E. 2003. Vegetation dynamics on rangelands: A critique of the current paradigms. Journal of Applied Ecology, 40 (4): 601–614. 7. Cho, Y.C., Lee, S.M., Lee, C.S. 2018. Floristic composition and species richness of soil seed bank in three abandoned rice paddies along a seral gradient in Gwangneung Forest Biosphere Reserve, South Korea. Journal of Ecology and Environment, 42: 1-13. 8. Diaz, S., Cabido, M. 1997. Plant functional types and ecosystem function in relation to global change. Journal of Vegetation Science, 8: 463-473. 9. Fayet, C.M.J., Reilly, K.H., Van Ham, C., Verburg, P.H. 2022. What is the future of abandoned agricultural lands? A systematic review of alternative trajectories in Europe. Land Use Policy, 112:1-10. 10. Feng, D., Hong-bo, S,. Lun, S., Zong-suo, L., Ming-An, S. 2007. Secondary successtion and its effects on soil moisture and nutrition in abandoned old-fields of hilly region of Loess Plateau, China. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 58 (2): 278-285. 11. Gurarni, D., Arya, N., Yadava, A., Ram, J. 2010. Studies on plant biodiversity of pure Pinus roxburghii Sarg. Forest and mixed pine-oak forest in Uttarakhand Himalaya. New York Science Journal, 3(8): 1-5. 12. Hauchhum, R., Singson, M.Z. 2020. Tree species composition and diversity in abandoned Jhum lands of Mizoram, North East India. Tropical Ecology, 61: 187–195. 13. IPNI, 2023. International Plant Names Index. Published on the Internet: http://www.ipni.org. (Retrieved 23 August 2023). 14. Jankju, M., Noedoost, F. 2014. Species richness, evenness and plant community stability 22 years after ploughing a semiarid rangeland. Journal of Rangeland Science, 4 (2): 129-140. 15. Kefi, S., Rietkerk, M., Alados, C.L., Pueyo, Y., Papanastasis, V.P., Elaich, A., de Ruiter, P.C. 2007. Spatial vegetation patterns and imminent desertification in Mediterranean arid ecosystems. Nature, 449: 213–217.
|
