Effect of grazing intensity on soil moisture and vegetation (Case study: Khabr National Park and near rangelands)

This research was studied in order to determining grazing intensity effects on soil moistureand vegetation in Khabr region of Kerman province for two years. Natural sites under three grazing pressures (heavy, moderate and non grazed) with same ecological factors were selected from Khabr National Park and near rangelands. After determining sampling area, soil moisture factor was investigated monthly (on grazing period) in 0-15 and 15-30 centimeters depth of each site with 5 replication and canopy cover sampling was conducted in three temporal stages (before, middle and after grazing) using line transect method in three replication for each site. SPSS package was used for statistical analysis. Result showed that heavy grazing reduced total canopy cover, specialy perennial grass and shrubs, than non grazed site in the end of grazing period. Also heavy grazing reduced the soil moisture content with decreasing rate as 16.87% and 25.07%, than moderate and non grazed sites, respectively. Harmful effect of drought in 2006 was severly affected on heavy than moderate and non grazed site. According to results, non and moderate grazed sites occure in state condition (due to more canopy cover of Artemisiasieberi and other species such as prennial grass) and heavy grazed site occure in transition to downward state condition (due to one dimentional dominant of Artemisia sieberi andemergence of undesirable species such as Marrobium vulgaris and Peganum harmala) in state and transition model of Iranian Artemisia habitat. Thus, without management plan, we will observe dominance of undesirable species and rangelands degradation.