Effect of Grazing Intensity on Soil Density of Inchehbroon Rangelands (Golestan province, Iran)

Abstract

Infiltration rate of water into the soil depends on the factors such as rock and litter cover, canopy cover, rainfall intensity, coarse material, land slope, soil texture and amount of initial soil moisture. The most important factors that are effective in the water infiltration rate of rangelands are livestock trampling and vegetation reduction due to the overgrazing. In present study, through drawing a curve of number dung distance from the fold, three areas were determined as heavy pressure grazing (A), fixed grazing (B) and without grazing (C). The soil samples were taken and soil density was determined. Results of analysis of variance showed a significant difference between soil densities in all three grazing zones (P<0.01). There were also significant differences between soil densities of patches and bare soil (P<0.01). Results showed significant differences of patches in the range of severe grazing and bare soil in the same range (P<0.01).