Relationships between Geopedological Characteristics and Vegetation Cover: A Case Study in the Dagh-Finou Catchment, Hormozgan Province, Iran

The objective of this study was to assess the relationship betweenvegetation, landform and physicochemical properties of soil. At the first terrainmap unit were provided using the landsat thematic mapper (TM) satellite images,aerial photograph, topographical and geology map. Field sampling was done in therepresentative area using plot sampling. 104 plots 100 m2 were sampled in eachplot landform parameters (slope, elevation, aspect), percentage of vegetation cover,were measured and stoniness and browsing damage were estimated and one soilsample was taken for measuring EC, pH, and texture. Relationship betweenvegetation and environmental factors was based on correlation analysis, box plotand Kruskal Wallis test (multiple comparisons). Correlation analysis showed apositive correlation between vegetation cover with slope and elevation and anegative correlation with EC. Based on the Kruskal Wallis test there wassignificant difference in vegetation cover between different geopedological mapunits. No significant relationships were found between vegetation cover and othersoil properties such as pH and texture.