ارزيابي مقايسه اي سه سيستم كاربري در اراضي مواج اطراف شهرستان سميرم با استفاده از شاخصهاي كيفيت خاك

Comparative assessment of three land uses in the dissected alluvial plain of Semirum area using soil quality indices

Soil quality assessment is necessary for identifying the effects of different management systems on agricultural and natural ecosystems. Despite the importance of such studies and the extensive research that has been carried out in the world, there are limited information available on the influence of different land uses on soil quality in Iran. A soil quality assessment was performed in the hummocky terrain of Semirum area which is mainly used as apple gardens, range and dryland farming. The objective of this study was to identify appropriate indices for reflecting the effects of different land uses on soil quality. Two parallel transects, each of them 200 meters long, and 20 meters away from each other, were selected. Soil samples were taken from the top 15 cm and a total of 90 samples were takan. Organic carbon, pH, saturated hydraulic conductivity, microbial respiration, carbonates and phosphatase activity of the soil samples were measured. Results revealed that the amount of organic carbon, saturated hydraulic conductivity, microbial respiration and phosphatase activity were highest in soils under apple trees and lowest in dryland results further and the values in rangeland between the other two land uses. The indicated that land management in apple gardens, has improved the soil quality, whereas the management practices in range and dryland areas have resulted in soil degradation. Also, this investigation showed the efficiency of soil quality studies for the evaluation of peresent conditions of soil in agricultural and natural ecosystems.