Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
M.Sc. in Desertification, Faculty of Desert Studies, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.
2
Associate Professor, Department of Arid Area Management, Faculty of Desert Studies, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.
3
Associate Professor, Department of Combating Desertification, Faculty of Desert Studies, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.
Abstract
This study examined how strip cutting, clear-cutting, and no cutting as a control affected vegetation, natural regeneration, biodiversity, and rangeland health in old Haloxylon aphyllum (Minkw.) Iljin stands south of Neishabur in Razavi Khorasan. Cutting was done in 2006, and sampling took place 11 years later in 2017 using a randomized complete block design with 15 replicates per treatment. Indicators measured included canopy and understory cover, forage yield, regeneration and mother plant density, litter percentage, biodiversity indices (Simpson, Shannon-Wiener, Margalef), species count, and rangeland condition via the Parker method. Results showed strip cutting had the best ecological outcomes—248 seedlings per hectare, 66% understory cover, 48.67 kg forage per hectare, and a good rangeland condition score of 44. Clear-cutting resulted in the highest species richness with 11 species, mostly annual opportunistic ones of low conservation value. Complete removal of H. aphyllum dramatically reduced regeneration to 92 seedlings per hectare and lowered rangeland condition to a poor score of 25, due to increased wind erosion and microclimate damage. The control had poor regeneration (146 seedlings per hectare) because of intense competition among old plants, leading to a moderate condition score of 39. The Shannon-Wiener index was highest in strip cutting at 1.91, while no significant differences were found for the Simpson index, suggesting management impacts mainly affected less dominant species. Rangeland health showed positive trends across all treatments. Overall, strip cutting proved most effective for restoring old H. aphyllum stands by preserving windbreaks, stabilizing microclimate, ensuring seed sources, reducing competition, and maintaining protective canopy cover.
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