The Effects of Different Agricultural Uses of Drylands on Soil Fertility Factors in Hamadan Province (Chopoq-loo Area, Bahar City): A Case Study

ABSTRACT:Analyzing the beneficial and harmful effects of different types of land use makes up a new science: soil and plants affect each other reciprocally and awareness of such effects plays a vital role in the flourishment or decline of ecosystems as well as in the economic and social development of each region. Four conventional types of land use in the area were selected, including: wheat cultivation, chickpea cultivation, almond orchards, and vineyards, each of which at two gradients: 0-12%, and more than 12%. Then, samples were taken from two levels of depth at 0-20 cm and more than 20 cm, and fertility factors such as O.C., N, P, and K were measured in the samples. The data were fed into SPSS and were analyzed using the analysis of Covariance, the results of which showed that almond cultivation, from among the four types of land use, had the most positive effect on soil fertility.