Comparison of soil physical properties in micro terraces and inters micro terraces on rangelands (Case study: Baba Shamlak Ranch)

Animal grazing is one of the important factors that effects on the range condition. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of animal trampling on soil physical properties and compare them in micro-terrace and inter micro-terrace areas on rangelands. This study was undertaken on a completely randomized design. The aspect of slopes (sun-facing and opposite exposures) and trampling positions (micro-terrace areas and inter micro-terrace areas) were considered as treatments. The soil bulk density and porosity percentage were measured in eight replications. The ANOVA was used to compare soil coverage, infiltration, soil bulk density and porosity percentage data. The results showed that amount of soil bulk density in micro-terrace areas were more than inter micro-terrace areas. The difference was larger in shadow-facing slopes than sun-facing slopes. The porosity percentage showed different behavior comparing soil bulk density criteria. The mount of infiltration in the beginning of the experiment (in five minutes intervals) was always more than the other intervals whereas the average infiltration rate in the first five-minute period in the micro-terrace areas and inter-micro-terrace areas were 1.28 and 4.25 mm, respectively. Trampling paths (micro-terrace areas) comprise about 40 percentage of the whole area of rangelands. This result confirms the necessity of micro-terrace areas in rangelands exploitation via grazing management. As a concluding remark, it should be said that in the absence of micro-terraces in the rangelands, the other parts of rangelands will also be trampled by the grazing animals and almost within less than 2 years throughout the rangelands surface will be trampled.