Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Department of Rangeland and Watershed Management and Research Group of Drought and Climate Change, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran
2
M.Sc Graduate of Rangeland Science and Engineering-Range Management, Department of Rangeland and Watershed Management, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran
3
Assistant Professor, Department of Rangeland and Watershed Management, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran
10.29252/aridbiom.2024.21235.1998
Abstract
Transplanting is an effective and rapid method of biological restoration in arid regions. This study examined the effects of natural seed burial depth or artificial seed depth in two environments: field (habitat soil) and nursery (pot). Sampling of the soil seed bank after seed rain was done by a random method and from under the canopy of Zygophyllum atriplicoides. 50 soil samples were taken from three depths of 0-3, 3-6 and 6-9 cm. The density of the seed bank was studied by the seedling emergence method. In the nursery, seeds were sown at five depths of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 cm. After 4 months, characteristics such as stem length, root length, stem fresh and dry weight, root fresh and dry weight, root length to stem length ratio, seedling dry-wet weight ratio, seedling moisture content, emergence percentage and seed vigor index. The results of this study indicate that the seed bank of the entire habitat studied has a low seed density. By increasing the soil depth, the density of the seed bank decreased (9.5, 4.33 and 0.2 seedling/m2, respectively). The highest density was observed at 0-3 cm. The results showed that the percentage of seedling emergence is less than 50% in the nursery. Maximum seedling emergence percentage (40%), seedling dry weight (0.21 g) and seedling stem (7.67 cm) were observed at 2 cm depth. There was no significant difference between the depths of 1, 4 and 5 cm for most characteristics studied. The results indicate that shallow and high depth in seed planting in pots both have a negative effect on the vegetative characteristics of seedlings, and for Zygophyllum atriplicoides, the recommended planting depth is 2 cm.
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