TAILIEUCHUNG - Pilot study for an assessment of vegetation structure for steppe rangelands of Central Anatolia

IIn the last 50 years, rangelands in the Central Anatolian Region of Turkey have been converted to cropping lands, which has negatively accelerated vegetation change, resulting in overgrazing and poor condition and productivity. | Turk J Agric For 32 (2008) 401-414 © TÜBİTAK Pilot Study for an Assessment of Vegetation Structure for Steppe Rangelands of Central Anatolia Hüseyin Kansur FIRINCIOĞLU1,*, Bilal ŞAHİN2, Steven SEEFELDT3, Fehmi MERT4, Basri Hakan HAKYEMEZ5, Mecit VURAL2 1 2. Cadde 34/4, 06500, Bahçelievler, Ankara - TURKEY 2 Biology Department, Science and Art Faculty, Gazi University 06500, Ankara - TURKEY 3 SubArctic Agricultural Research Unit, USDA-ARS Rm 355 O’Neill Bldg., University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775 USA 4 Department of Crop Production General Directorate of Agricultural Production Development, Eskişehir yolu Ankara - TURKEY 5 Department of Field Crops, Agriculture Faculty, Onsekiz Mart University, Çanakkale - TURKEY Received: Abstract: In the last 50 years, rangelands in the Central Anatolian Region of Turkey have been converted to cropping lands, which has negatively accelerated vegetation change, resulting in overgrazing and poor condition and productivity. In these steppe rangelands, to develop a rational basis for making restoration and management decisions, the vegetation structure must be well understood. Thus, the objectives of this study were to: (1) define vegetation patterns through assessing spatial distribution of the plant species and groups, (2) evaluate the relationships between vegetation and environmental aspects and range condition, and (3) outline possible restoration implementations. Therefore, a study was carried out in Paşalı village rangelands of Nevşehir province in 2004. Thirty-seven sites in 733 ha range area were surveyed, and 78 plant species were identified. Most of the identified species were forbs (60), followed by grasses (11) and shrubs (7). The major range species were Thymus sipyleus (), Festuca valesiaca (), and Bromus tomentellus (). Range condition scores fell between to , representing very poor to poor condition. The positive relation of Bromus tomentellus cover, as an .

• Nông nghiệp
• Steppe rangelands
• Vegetation pattern
• Central Anatolia
• Redundancy analysis
• Grassland ecosystems
• main keystone
• vegetation interactions
• Landscape heterogeneity
• large herbivores
• herbivore ecosystem
• science books
• Agroecosystem
• Environmental Health
• Biodiversity
• Tropical