Vegetative and soil characteristics of natural and plantations stands of Nitraria Schoberi L. on the western shore of Lake Urmia

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 M.Sc. Dept. of Forestry, Faculty of Agricultural and Natural Resources, Urmia University, Urmia, I. R. Iran.

2 Associate Prof., Dept. of Forestry, Faculty of Agricultural and Natural Resources, Urmia University, Urmia, I. R. Iran.

3 Assistant Prof., Dept. of Rangeland and Watershed Management, Faculty of Agricultural and Natural Resources, Urmia University, Urmia, I. R. Iran.

4 Ph.D. of Forestry, Dept. of Forestry, Faculty of Agricultural and Natural Resources, Urmia University, Urmia, I. R. Iran.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the vegetative and soil characteristics of ‎natural and ‎plantation stands of Nitraria schoberi on the ‎western shore of Lake Urmia. In this study ‎in ‎natural stands of N. schoberi (Jabal Kandi region) 40 plants and in plantation stands of ‎N. schoberi (Jabal Kandi and Seporghan regions) seven transects with unequal lengths (containing ‎‎15 ‎individuals) were randomly selected along the planting rows. The characteristics of total height, ‎collar ‎diameter, large and small diameter of the crown, and the health of seedlings were then measured. ‎In natural stands of N. schoberi, seven soil samples were randomly taken from ‎‎the vicinity of the seedlings. In plantations stands with sampling in each transect, adjacent to the ‎‎first, eighth (middle), and last seedlings of each sample line, soil samples were taken from 0-20 cm ‎‎depth, and after mixing these three soil samples, a sample was prepared, and soil physicochemical ‎‎properties were examined in the laboratory. Results showed that there was a significant difference ‎between the vegetative characteristics of total height (m) and the average crown diameter (cm) of N. schoberi seedlings in Jabalkandi natural stand (7.1±3.0 m and 463.20±0.91 cm) with two other ‎plantation ‎stands, Jabalkandi (99.03±0.0 m and 287.5±87.37 cm) and Seporghan (50.01±0.0 m and ‎‎90.4±50.31 cm). Plantation ‎ and natural habitats of N. schoberi in Jabalkandi region had poor soil ‎fertility, high pH and lighter soil. The results of this study showed that in planting N. schoberi ‎species to control the wind erosion, it is very important to pay attention to the physical and chemical ‎properties of the stand soil, and this species reacts negatively to heavy texture and high amounts of ‎clay.

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