Investigating the effect of restoration activities on soil surface indicators and functional attributes (Case study: Rangelands of Ferdows, South Khorasan Province)

This study aimed to investigate the effect of restoration projects on soil surface indicators and performance characteristics in Taherabad rangelands of Ferdows. The Landscape Function Analysis method was used to determine soil surface properties and yield potentials. In this regard, in the representative area of each treatment, three transects (each for 100-meter) were settled at specified distances along the main slope. Along each transect the length and width of plant spots and the length of the inter-spot distance were measured. Excel and LFA (Landscape Function Analysis) instructions were used to calculate the performance potentials. To examine the significance of the performance potentials, SAS software was used in this study. According to the results, there is a significant difference between the treatments. The highest percentage of stability was estimated in the arc basin + exclusion and the lowest was in the treatment of the control area; also, soil infiltration of different restorative treatments, significant differences, and the highest and lowest percentages of soil infiltration was estimated in the arc basin + exclusion and control projects, respectively. The results showed no significant difference in the Nutrient Cycling Index and soil mineral elements in different rangeland restoration projects. Landscape Organization Index for arc basin + exclusion, planting + exclusion, exclusion and control were estimated to be 0.33, 0.22, 0.18 and 0.14, respectively. The Kruskal–Wallis test showed a significant difference (at a 5% level) between the soil surface indicators at different rangeland restoration projects. It is concluded that there are significant differences among soil surface indicators, collar and canopy, litter, soil surface fragility, erosion type and intensity, eroded materials, nature of soil surface and wetting test at 5%, and texture at 1% in different restoration treatments. Different treatments have caused differences in these indicators. Also, there is no significant difference between cryptogam and microtopography indicators. In general, arc basin +exclusion construction in arid and semi-arid regions is a useful restoration activity and increases soil stability and infiltration.