Introducing the most important effective indicators of rangeland health for a shrubland in Iran Case study:Saveh Rudshur stepp rangelands

Range condition assessment as an important recognition tool in range management has special rule to recognize how much range deviated, if employed indicators have ability to determine and separate differences in ecosystem and also to assess its function. This study aimed to determine the most important ecological indicators to achieve suitable indicators for rangeland health and condition assessment using rangeland health model. This study was carried out in three sites, long-term exclosure, mid-term exclosure, and critical area, of Saveh Rudshur rangeland. In each site 17 rangeland health indicators based on soil/site stability, hydrologic function and biological integrity were assessed. Results showed that in mid-term exclosure area indicators such as functional/structural groups, forage production, plant community composition and pattern, bare ground, wind erosion, soil surface resistance to erosion, and soil surface loss or degradation had the most influence on rangeland health with greatest effect of functional/structural groups. In long-term exclosure area plant mortality, functional/ structural groups, invasive plant, bare ground, wind erosion, pedestals and/or terracettes, soil surface resistance to erosion interred into the model as effective indicators. Among them, plant mortality had the most influence on rangeland health. In critical area some indicators like functional/ structural groups, invasive plant, bare ground, wind erosion, soil compaction, soil surface resistance to erosion, soil surface loss or degradation were important on rangeland health with greatest effect of functional/ structural group indicators. Finally this study showed that all three attributes are effective in rangeland health changes but biological integrity are more important.