Investigation of Carbon Sequestration Potential of Ungrazed Rangelands in Winter Rangelands of Sorkhkola, Sari

Subject Areas : Water and Environment

Atefeh Khanlari ¹ (M.Sc. Student Graduated, Sari agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University)
Reza Tamartash ² (Assistant Professor, Sari agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University)
Mohammadreza Tatian ³ (Assistant Professor, Sari agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University)

Received: 2013-03-28 Accepted : 2013-09-07 Published : 2013-09-23

Keywords: Carbon sequestration, Enclosure, grazing, Winter rangeland,

Abstract :

Rangelands are containing more than one-third of earth's biosphere carbon stocks that can able toabsorb atmosphere carbon dioxide by their vegetation and accumulate in plant tissues and soil. Animalgrazing as a human factor could be effect on the amount of absorption. In this study, the effect ofgrazing on carbon sequestration is studied in grazed and ungrazed winter rangelands of Sorkhkola inSari. After determining the type of vegetation and dominant species (Hordeum glaucum), samplingwas done by randomly-systematic method and 20 plots (1m2). The plant biomass of shoot and rootwas determined by direct measurement. Then, samples were weighed and dry matter was calculatedfor each organs. The soil sampling was done from each horizon (0-15 and 15-30 cm) based onboundary separation of the surface and underlying horizon in the area. Organic carbon percentage ofplant and soil samples was obtained in laboratory. As well as other soil properties including bulkdensity, soil texture, calcium carbonate, electrical conductivity and soil reaction was determined.Finally, the grazed and ungrazed area data was analyzed using independent t-test in SPSS 16 software.The results showed that a significant reduction of carbon sequestration from aerial to undergroundorgans area in grazed and protected sites (p≤0/01). Despite the decline in soil carbon sequestrationthrough grazing to protected area had no significant differences between the first and second soildepth. Also, the result showed that sequestration rate was much higher in the soil to plant. It was 97%and 99% of the carbon sequestration in the protected and grazed area respectively

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