Evaluation of the Soil Sustainability Indices in Desert Areas (Case study: Rangeland and Agriculture fields of Semnan)

The sustainability of soil, especially in fragile ecosystems, is an indispensable indicator of sustainable land management that depends on the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. In order to study the soil sustainability in Semnan desert region of farms, gardens and rangelands as arenas located on an educational farm with different irrigation administrations, the Sustainability Index (SI) and the Cumulative Ranting (CR9 &CR11) were used. Exploring the crust and sampling of surface and subsurface horizons of selected areas and measuring 12 important and effective characteristics of soil physical properties, the indices were calculated in each area and the effects of different types of land use on soil stability were investigated. The results showed that the SI in the surface layer of arable land due to the impact of cultivation and the positive role of organic matter was above one, and in the rest of the land was less than one which indicating the instability of the soil. According to the CR results, surface and subsurface layers of soil were not found in very stable and stable classes in the studied lands. The CR results also showed that the stability soil in the multi cultivates farm is a better condition, it may be due to its positive role in increasing soil correction factors compared to other lands. Correlation analysis of the indices showed that soil organic carbon, structural index, electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio and mean weight diameter have a direct and more effective impact on soil sustainability.