Effect of Atriplex Halimus on Indicators of Soil Erodibility (Case Study: Incheborun, Golestan Province)

Abstract

Vegetation deterioration is a main cause of erosion and land degradation. Therefore, land cover reclamation in the effected areas will affect erosion trend. In reclamation projects, the investigation of relationship between the planted species and soils is highly recommended. <em>Atriplex</em> species can sequester carbon into soil, and have an ability to conserve soil and prevent soil erosion, as well. Therefore, they are considered suitable species, particularly their adaptations to arid conditions of Iran. For that reason, especial attention has been paid to planting of these species in the drylands of northern part of Golestan province. This study is an attempt to evaluate the effects of planting this species on the status quo of wind and water erosion indices in the area. Therefore, soil samples were taken via the random method. After the measuring of the physiochemical properties of the soil samples in the laboratory, the data were subjected to ANOVA using statistical software SPSS 21. The sufficiency of mean differences were evaluated by T-test at p value ≤ 0.05. Results of this study showed that <em>Atriplex </em>is capable of significantly enhancing soil aggregate stability and thereby lessening erosion. Thus, this could play a major role in harnessing soil erosion and improving soil conservation measures. Therefore, this plant could effectively reduce soil erosion in the area.