Evaluation of the Sediment Yeild in Small Watersheds of Arid Rangeland in the Northeast of Iran (Case Study: Sanganeh Soil Conservation Research Station)

Extended AbstractIntroductionAccelerated soil erosion and severe sediment production disrupt the natural balance in watersheds and have off-site impacts on river channels and downstream reservoirs. There are different estimates of soil erosion and sediment yield in Iran. However, what the researchers agree on is that it is more than tolerable erosion. Rangelands cover more than half of Iran, and poorly covered lands play a large role in flood and sediment production. Therefore, the study of hydrology and soil erosion is necessary for sustainable use of pastures. The prerequisite for these studies is long-term monitoring of sediment, runoff, vegetation, soil, etc. A careful review of previous studies on rangeland hydrology shows that most studies have focused on the effect of grazing management at the plot scale or have used simulation approaches and experimental models, as well as in a short period of time. Therefore, it is very necessary to conduct scientific research using long-term monitoring data in experimental watersheds. In this regard, the present study was proposed with the aim of evaluating the sediment yield of small watersheds in pastures with grazing exclusion vs. overgrazing. The results of this research can provide useful information to researchers, promoters, planners, and ranchers.Materials and methodsSanganeh Soil Conservation Research Station (SSCRS) with an area of 30 ha was established about 25 years ago in Kalat County (Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran). In addition to measuring erosion in plots and monitoring vegetation, by building several ponds at the outlets of six small watersheds (SWs), their runoff and sediment yields have also been recorded since 2006. The present study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the erosion and sediment production of these SWs (1200 to 17000 m2). For this purpose, the runoff and sediment of 69 events were collected at the outlets of six SWs. Also, the time series of NDVIs were calculated for SSCRS, adjacent rural and nomadic (outside the village) rangelands on a seasonal scale. To determine the time series of NDVIs, all satellite images of the study area were downloaded and after pre-processing and corrections, the images were processed. Then, the soil erosion amounts of SWs were estimated in terms of the sediment delivery ratio of the study area (Noor, 2020) based on the average sediment yields (according to their long period of 15 years). In the next step, the amounts of soil erosion obtained were compared to the amounts of tolerable soil erosion for arid climate rangelands proposed by Skouti Oskouei and Arabkhedri (2018). Finally, the soil erosion of two similar watersheds, one in the overgrazing area (E6) and the other in the grazing exclusion area (E4), were compared.Results and DiscussionThe results showed that NDVI is influenced by livestock grazing intensity. The highest value of this index was observed in the grazing exclusion area (E1 to E5 SWs), then in the Sanganeh village rangeland (E6 SW), and the lowest value was observed in the nomadic rangelands. In terms of time scale, the biggest difference in NDVIs between overgrazing and grazing exclusion areas was observed in spring. The results of the investigation of sediment production indicated an inverse and non-linear relationship between the specific sediment yield and the area of SWs. This study showed that the amount of soil erosions in E2, E3 and E6 SWs are more than tolerable erosions which suggests the need for more conservation measures. Finally, the comparison of two similar SWs (E4 vs. E6) indicate a significant reduction in annual sediment yield (582%) due to grazing exclusion in the area. Also, the results showed that the sediment productions of E6 SW in the spring and autumn seasons are significantly higher than E4 at 1% and 5% levels, respectively. Furthermore, it is remarkably (but non significant) higher than than the E4 SW in the winter season.ConclusionGrazing exclusion in SSCRS rangeland led to a significant reduction in erosion and sediment production compared to overgrazing condition outside the station. However, in some SWs, the erosion amounts were still more than the tolerable values, which indicates the difficulty of restoration of destroyed rangelands on steep slopes with sensitive formations in arid climate. Implementation of management measures including scientific grazing (especially in spring) is necessary to reducing damage caused by floods and sediments.