Relationship between environmental factors and distribution of plant communities in Sarchah Amari ranglands of Birjand

This research was aimed to evaluate the environmental factors affecting the distribution of vegetation in Sarchah Amari ranglands, Birjand. After field visits, five vegetation types were selected based on physiognomy method and soil and vegetation sampling was done in key area of each vegetation type along the transect and within square plots with systematic random method. Depending on the type and distribution of plant species, the plot size was calculated to be 1.3 and 16 m2 and 45 plots were established in each vegetation type along transects. The percentage of vegetation cover was measured in all plots but soil sampling was done in the first and last plots of each transect at soil depths of 0-30 and 30-80 cm. Soil characteristics including soil texture, percentage of lime, saturated moisture, gypsum, pH, electrical conductivity, sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, chlorine and topographic features including slope, aspect and altitude above sea level were measured. Soil and vegetation data were analyzed by PCA and ANOVA. The results of PCA showed that among the environmental factors, EC, the percentage of sand, slope, gypsum, organic matter and the soluble sodium were the most important environmental factors affecting the distribution of vegetation. Overall, these factors could explain 89.73% of the vegetation distribution. The results of ordination (PCA) showed that 70.74% and 18.63% of vegetation distribution were explained by the first and second axes, respectively. The first axis variables included the percentage of sand, electrical conductivity (EC), percentage of gypsum, sodium and the organic matter of first depth. According to the algebraic sign of variables, the distribution of vegetation was positively correlated with the percentage of sand while it showed a negative correlation with electrical conductivity (EC), gypsum, sodium and organic matter in first depth. The second axis variables of the ordination diagram included the percentage of slope and organic matter of second depth and according to the algebraic sign of variables, the distribution of vegetation had a negative correlation with the percentage of slope and soil organic matter of second depth.