Assessing effects of range reform actions on potential rangeland ecology

Knowing productive potential of habitat is essential to planning for optimum utilization of rangeland and provides better understanding of landscape function. Landscape function analysis (LFA) is a simple method of qualitative evaluation of natural ecosystem potential and its ability in arid and semi arid regions that use quickly measurable indices for evaluation of ecological function. This research was conducted to investigating effects of hoe sowing; contour furrowing, turkey nest and exclusion on qualitative indexes of rangeland ecosystem efficiency and LFA model was used to meet this aim. Length and width size of ecological paddock, bare soil between these areas, their number and eleven parameters of soil surface in three 100-meter transects were recorded and ecosystem functional indexes included infiltration, stability and nutrient cycle based on inherent characteristics of these eleven factors were determined. Stability, infiltration and nutrient cycle in exclusion area had meaningful differences comparing these indexes in the hoe sowing, contour furrowing and Turkey nest. Ecological patch of grass of grass related hoe sowed rangeland and ecological patch of shrub related turkey nested rangeland had higher mean than other ecological patches. Based on results obtained from this research, reform actions can improve qualitative indexes of rangeland ecosystem efficiency and increase productive potential of ecosystem.