Assessment of Structural Characteristics of Fertilized Patch in Rangeland Ecosystems (Case Study: Ghareh Ghir and Maraveh Tapeh Rangelands of Golestan Province)

Rangeland ecosystem contains various patches with different functions. Structural and functional characteristics of rangeland patches are changed by management practices and can be used to interpret management effects. The structural and functional characteristics of fertilized patches in two rangeland ecosystems of Ghareh Ghir and Maraveh Tapeh were measured and analyzed in this study. A group of measurable and simple indices of landscape function analysis (LFA) methods were used to evaluate these characteristics. Five structural characteristics such as: the number of patches, total patch area, patch area index, landscape organization index and inter patch length mean on the east and western aspects of Ghareh Ghir and Maraveh Tapeh were measured. On the basis of statistical analysis, the structural characteristics of patches in the east and western aspects of the two areas (Ghareh Ghir and Maraveh Tapeh) were highly significant (P<0.05). The landscape organization indices of the western aspects of the two rangelands are higher than the other side (eastern aspects) whereas the western aspects have more dense vegetation cover than the eastern aspects. The landscape organization index shows the value of landscape potential. Therefore, high level of landscape organization index at western aspects could be on the basis of area and dense shrub patches at Maraveh Tapeh and lichen with moss at Ghareh Ghir rangelands. In conclusion, the best ecological indicator of western aspects at Ghareh Ghir landscape are vegetative forms of lichen and moss and the best ecological indicator of western aspects at Maraveh Tapeh landscape are vegetative forms of shrubs.