A Comparison of the performance of LFA method with Traditional assessment methods of soil properties in summer rangeland ecosystems, Hezar Jerib, North of Iran

Abstract

Soil and plant are the main criteria to recognize the function of natural ecosystems, and to evaluate their potentials. Application of new rangeland ecosystems monitoring methods is essential for ecological studies. LFA principles and soil surface assessment parameters are based on ecological conditions of Australia. The aims of this study were calibration of LFA method for a summer rangeland ecosystem and compare two aspects by LFA method and soil parameters in Hezar Jerib rangeland, Mazandaran province, North of Iran. In LFA 11 soil surface parameters are ranked to determine soil surface indices (infiltration, stability and nutrient cycling of soil). To compare LFA method with soil parameters; N, P, K, Organic matter, infiltration and stability were estimated by laboratory methods. Then LFA indices and experimental measurements were comparing by regression. The results indicate that LFA soil surface indices are in moderately verified class (R: 0.4-0.6) and strongly verified class (R>0.6) respectively. The results also showed that N, P, K, Organic matter, infiltration and stability in both aspects are in strongly verified class. The indexes of landscape stability and nutrient cycle were higher on the northern than southern areas for patches of grass-shrub, and the index of nutrient cycling was higher in south than the north direction for patches of shrubs.