Vegetation Cover Changes and Some Chemical Soil Properties in Pastures with Different Grazing Intensities

Regarding to the importance and role of enclosure as an appropriate management in the natural resources, specially protection of vegetation cover and the soil of pastures, the effects of different grazing intensities on the vegetation cover changesand chemicalsoil properties in countryside pastures of Esklim Rood district (placed in west of Savad kooh township) was studied. These pastures investigated to reveal the effects of prohibition on the vegetation cover changes and some soil chemical properties at three conditions of Reference, Key and Critical areas. The results show that delicious (Class I) in the reference region, average delicious (Class II) in the key region, and low delicious or non delicious plants (Class III) in the critical region, have the most vegetation cover percentage. So that, perennial and delicious grasses such as Festuca ovina L, Ermopoa persica T. Dactylis glomerata L. had the highest vegetation cover percentage in the reference region but by the increase of grazing, delicious species decreased gradually and average or non delicious plants increased. This study revealed that soil of the reference region which had the highest density and vegetation cover had more organic material, total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and less acid in the surface horizon than that of grazing region. Also, results show that short- term enclosure affected on the protection of soil and vegetation cover due to high productivity.