natural vegetation

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The Impact of Grazing on Natural Plant Biodiversity in Al-Fara’a Area

Journal Title, Volume, Page: 
Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences Studies 01/2010; 5:1-17
Year of Publication: 
2010
Authors: 
Mohammed S. Ali-Shtayeh
Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine
Current Affiliation: 
Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine
Ammar Gazi Mahmoud Salahat
Faculty of Higher Studies, An-Najah University, Nablus, Palestine
Preferred Abstract (Original): 

 This study was carried out in Tallouza village which located in Wadi El-Far’a area in the West Bank in  order to study the effect of grazing and land reclamation on natural vegetation diversity during two growing seasons (2005-2006 and 2006-2007). Four sites of grassland ecosystem of different type of land use (reclaimed grassland, recently no-grazing grassland, under-grazing grassland, natural reserved grassland) were selected. Vegetation and soil sampling were carried out in mid April for each growing season, data about amount and distribution of rainfall and temperature were collected for the area during the two growing seasons. Vegetation sampling and above ground biomasses were determined by using quadrate method. Braun-Blanquet scale was used to visually estimate the relative vegetation cover of each species. The study showed that vegetation composition and percent vegetation cover differ between the sites. Percent vegetation cover was significantly increased in recently no-grazing grassland when  compared it with under-grazing grassland and the highest percent vegetation cover was in the natural  reserved grassland, and this was indicator for the high potential of this grassland for the rehabilitation in few years when we exclude grazing. Species diversity, evenness, above ground biomass and density were significantly higher in the recently no-grazing grassland and natural reserved grassland than undergrazing  grassland. Agricultural activities, especially ploughing were justifying the low natural species diversity evenness, above ground biomass and density in reclaimed grassland. Species found in undergrazing  grassland were mostly low palatable to grazing animals, mostly small, prostrate or rosette plants while in natural reserve grassland mostly palatable to grazing animals, mostly tall and erect plants. The vegetation cover observed in mid April 2007 was higher than mid April 2006 at natural reserve grassland and recently no-grazing grassland were due to the differences in distribution of precipitation in the two growing seasons and grazing exclusion. There was no significant difference between the sites in the edaphic factors, so we didn’t know the effect of these factors on natural vegetation diversity in the area.

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