Iranian Journal of Applied Ecology

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Evaluation of plant richness and diversity is important in rangeland ecosystems because biological control, conservation of genetic resources and the control of natural ecosystems are possible by identifying diversity. One of the factors affecting the richness and diversity is animals' utilization of the vegetation. Therefore, this research was done to study the plant richness and diversity response to different treatments of animals. To this end, four sites with none, half, equal and twice as much grazing capacity were selected. Treatments were identified due to vegetation cover changes, distance from water, distance from the village and grazing times. Using located transects, samples were (systematic randomization) taken from vegetation (transects four and plots 40 and in the area a total of 160 plots were harvested). The results showed that the highest species richness and diversity belonged to sites' grazing capacity equal and grazing capacity half. But this was the least in the without-grazing site. Thus, animals' exploiting the rangelands properly (grazing capacity equal and grazing capacity half) can increase the richness and diversity. Lack of rangeland long-term grazing leads to poor plants. So, both severe grazing and long-term exclusion should be avoided. The full protection of rangeland does not necessarily lead to the maximum diversity.

Keywords: Richness, Plant diversity, Animal grazing, Kalashak Rangelands of Kermanshah province.

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