Investigating seasonal changes and the impact of rangeland restoration measures on carbon dioxide emissions (case study: Sardasht rangelands, Zeidon, Behbahan township)

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• Zahra Kharadmehr ¹
• Sara Farazmand ²
• Saheb Khordehbin ³

¹ Master& Degree in range Management, Department of range and Watershed Management, Faculty of Natural Resources, Khatam Al Anbia Behbehan University of Technology, Behbehan, Iran.

² Assistant Professor, Department of Rangeland and Watershed Management, Faculty of Natural Resources, Behbehan Khatam Alanbia University of Technology, Behbehan, Iran.

³ PhD in Soil Science, Khatam Al Anbia University of Technology, Behbahan, Iran.

10.22067/geoeh.2023.84546.1415

Abstract

Carbon dioxide is one of the most important gases in the atmosphere contributing to global warming. However, the impact of restoration efforts on carbon emissions and carbon sequestration has received little investigation in many regions of the world. In this context, the present study was conducted in the mountainous area of Zeidon, Behbahan township, to examine the effects of restoration measures on soil carbon emissions.
To achieve this goal, three specific zones were selected: a control area (without rehabilitation), an area with shrub planting, and a contour furrow area. In each of these zones, four 100-meter transects were established. Along each transect, carbon emission measurements were taken from four designated plots using alkaline traps and the closed chamber method. Measurements were conducted in the summer, autumn, and winter seasons to assess seasonal variations in carbon emissions.
The findings revealed that carbon emissions from the untreated pasture were significantly higher than those from the shrub planting and contour furrow treatments. The control treatment exhibited the highest carbon emission rate of 1.15 grams per square meter per day, while the shrub planting treatment showed the lowest rate of 0.42 grams per square meter per day. No significant difference in carbon emissions was observed between the shrub planting and contour furrow treatments.
Seasonal analysis showed that carbon emissions were higher in summer compared to autumn and winter, with an average of 0.9 grams per square meter per day in summer and 0.55 grams per square meter per day in winter. In the control treatment, no significant seasonal variation in carbon emissions was detected. However, in the shrub planting treatment, carbon emissions exhibited a significant difference between summer and autumn compared to winter. Similarly, in the contour furrow treatment, emissions were significantly higher in summer than in autumn and winter.
The study also identified a significant positive relationship between temperature and carbon emissions in the shrub planting and contour furrow treatments, where an increase in temperature led to an increase in carbon emissions. However, no significant relationship was found between humidity and carbon emissions.
Overall, the results suggest that restoration practices such as shrub planting and contour furrowing can effectively reduce soil carbon emissions, thereby supporting efforts to mitigate atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and contributing to environmental management strategies.

Keywords

• Soil Carbon Emissions
• Restoration Measures
• Contour Furrow
• Shrub Planting
• Seasonal Variation
• Behbahan City

Main Subjects

• Rural environments hazard

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