Ecological sustainability based on changes in biological and chemical soil parameters inside and outside the protected area of Sardol rangelands in Khalkhal

Yousefvand, Sanaz; Ghorbani, Ardavan; Rostamnejad, Vadod; Moamri, Mehdi; Sharifi, Jaber; Qavidel, Akbar; Rostami, Narjes

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Volume 13, Issue 26 (9-2025)

PEC 2025, 13(26): 119-138

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Ecological sustainability based on changes in biological and chemical soil parameters inside and outside the protected area of Sardol rangelands in Khalkhal

Sanaz Yousefvand¹

, Ardavan Ghorbani ^*

, Vadod Rostamnejad³

, Mehdi Moamri⁴

, Jaber Sharifi⁵

, Akbar Qavidel⁶

, Narjes Rostami⁷

1- Mohaghegh Ardabili University
Department of Range and Watershed Management, Faculty of Natural Resources, Water Management Research Center, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran., Department of Range and Watershed Management, Faculty of Natural Resources, Water Management Research Center, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran. , a_ghorbani@uma.ac.ir
3- Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Mohaghegh Ardabili University
4- Department of Range and Watershed Management, Faculty of Natural Resources, Water Management Research Center, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.
5- Forest and Rangeland Research Department, Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Training Center of Ardabil Province, Agricultural Research, Training and Extension Organization, Ardabil, Iran
6- Associate Professor, Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mohaghegh Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran
7- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.

Abstract: (1186 Views)

Soil is the substrate, and checking soil health indicators is one of the basic necessities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in vegetation (density, canopy, life forms of each species, litters, stones and pebbles, and bare soil), physical parameters (sand, silt, and clay), chemical parameters (soil reaction, electrical conductivity, absorbable potassium, absorbable phosphorus, organic carbon, and total soil nitrogen), and soil biology (basic respiration, substrate-stimulated respiration, microbial biomass carbon, metabolic benefit, and microbial benefit) inside and outside the exclosure of Aqh Dagh rangelands in Khalkhal County in 2021. Based on previous studies, six sites (three inside and three outside the exclosure) were randomly and systematically selected, with three 50-meter transects established at each site. Ten 1x1 m plots were established along each transect with five-meter intervals. Data analysis was conducted in two regions (inside and outside the exclosure) using an independent two-sample t-test in the SPSS Ver. 18 software environment. The results showed that the percentage of species canopy and species density was higher inside the exclosure than outside, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The physical properties of the soil inside and outside the exclosure did not differ significantly; however, the chemical parameters of the soil (except pH) showed significant differences (p < 0.05) between the two regions.The maximum amounts of organic carbon and total nitrogen were observed inside the exclosure (0.27% and 0.27%, respectively), as well as the maximum amounts of absorbable phosphorus and potassium (23.41 mg/kg and 614.09 mg/kg, respectively). However, the maximum electrical conductivity (0.92 dS/m) was recorded outside the exclosure. Biological parameters also showed significant differences (p < 0.05) between the two regions. The only increasing trend was observed in metabolic benefit outside the exclosure compared to inside (0.10 mg CO₂-C.g⁻¹ Cmic.hr⁻¹). The maximum values of basic microbial respiration and substrate-stimulated microbial respiration (0.80 and 1.12 mg CO₂.g⁻¹.day⁻¹, respectively) and microbial biomass carbon (538.57 mg Cmic.g⁻¹) and microbial benefit (1.92 mg Cmic.g⁻¹ Corg) were recorded inside the exclosure. Based on these findings, it is recommended that exclosure be considered a suitable, efficient, and low-cost management practice to improve vegetation condition, soil characteristics, and ecological stability of Agh Dagh rangelands from a management perspective.

Article number: 9

Keywords: Aqh Dagh, Biological parameters, Exclosure, Microbial benefit, Soil stability indicators, Vegetation cover

Full-Text [PDF 1950 kb] (490 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2024/10/7 | Accepted: 2024/11/26 | Published: 2025/09/15

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Yousefvand S, Ghorbani A, Rostamnejad V, Moamri M, Sharifi J, Qavidel A et al . Ecological sustainability based on changes in biological and chemical soil parameters inside and outside the protected area of Sardol rangelands in Khalkhal. PEC 2025; 13 (26) : 9
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