Effect of Pit Seeding on Soil and Vegetation Properties in Imam Kandi Rangelands, Iran

Mountainous and steep rangelands in Iran like other rangelands, even with more priority, in addition to proper management operations in short term, conducting rangeland improving operations such as pasturing, also needed. To pasturing planting in steep and felsig mountainous areas seed pit seeding method is used. In order to evaluation the effect of pi seeding on some soil and vegetation properties in parts of seed rangelands by Agropyron, Imam Kandi basin, Urmia, was selected. After field observation in 2011 at both pit seeding and control treatments, using a systematic randomized method, six 100-m long transects were randomly located in each area and ten 1 m2 plots were placed at equal distances along each transect. Soil and vegetation properties in both treatments analyzed using independent-t test by SPSS software. Results showed that due to pit seeding soil electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in first depth significantly increased compared to control while pH and carbonate calcium equivalent (CCE) decreased. In second depth, EC, CCE, organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorous increased compared to control while pH and potassium decreased by conducting pit seeding. Vegetation properties (canopy cover, yield, density and litter) in pit seeding treatment significantly increased compared to control (P < 0.01). Mean values of perennial grasses and perennial forbs significantly increased in pit seeding treatment (P < 0.01). It could be said that pit seeding has positive effect on soil and vegetation properties in Imam Kandi rangelands.