[1] In 2000–2002, three rangeland and six irrigated sites were instrumented to assess the storage and transit time of chemicals in thick (15 to 50 m) unsaturated zones (UZ) in the High Plains. These processes are likely to influence relations between land use and groundwater quality, yet they have not been documented systematically in the High Plains. Land use and climate were important control...

Cryptosporidium parvum is a fecal borne protozoan parasite that can be carried by and cause gastrointestinal illness in humans, cattle, and wildlife. The illness, cryptosporidiosis, can be fatal to persons with compromised immune systems. At question is the potential for C. parvum in cattle fecal deposits on rangeland watersheds to contaminate surface water. First, C. parvum oocysts must be rel...

Rangelands essentially comprise geographical regions dominated by grass with or without scattered woody plants. Rangelands are often considered to function primarily as feed for livestock. In this view, conservation and biodiversity issues are secondary. The alternate view involves recognising rangelands as a biome without a specific function, but where there is an implied responsibility for in...

Invasive plants reduce the capacity of ecosystems to provide goods and services required by society, alter ecological processes, and can displace desirable species. They can reduce wildlife habitat quality, riparian area integrity, rangeland economic value, and enterprise net returns. The invasion process is regulated by characteristics of the invading plant and the community being invaded. The...

Soil characteristics and functions are critical determinants of rangeland systems and the ecosystem services that they provide. Rangeland soils are extremely diverse, but an emerging understanding is that paradigms developed in more mesic forest ecosystems may not be applicable. Vascular plants, biological soil crusts, and the soil microbial community are the three major functional groups of or...

 Knowledge of the Saxaul dimensions used in sand dunes stabilization is considered essential for designing live windbreak in desert regions. This research aimed to collect and analysis data and was performed on the pruned and control shrubs of Haloxylon aphyllum L. in Yazd province, Iran in the last two decades. Our review clearly showed the superiority of shrubs pruned at the height of 35 cm i...

..........................................................................................................45 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................46 METHODS ............................................................................................................51 RESULTS ...................................................

The high quality and quantity seed production in old saxual shrubs are essential for regeneration and sustainable development of saxual forests in desert areas. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different pruning height on saxual seed production. The study was carried out in an obviously wilted saxual forest located in Ashkezar desert in Yazd in 1994. The experiment wa...