Abstract Full Text:PDF Recommended articles Mail to Author How to Cite

¹ Tarla Bitkileri Merkez Araştırma Enstitüsü Müdürlüğü, Ankara
² Tarımsal Araştırmalar Politikalar Genel Müdürlüğü, Ankara
³ Çankırı Karatekin Üniversitesi, Çankırı
⁴ Düzce Üniversitesi Orman Fakültesi, Düzce - Rangelands have been primarily used as livestock feeding areas. These areas benefited for multiple-use values are in degradation process due to mismanagement practices. This caused the rangeland`s quality and hay production to decrease below the optimum level. It is necessary to find out the present status of the rangelands and then carry out proper rehabilitation techniques for them. For this reason vegetation survey was conducted on the rangelands of Ankara Province in the years of 2008 and 2009. A total of 60 survey sites was identified as representative of rangelands where a modified wheel point method was used for vegetation survey. The results of research indicated that plant cover and bare ground were found as 60.55 % and 39.45 %, respectively. The cover rates of decreaser and increaser plant species were calculated as of 10.24 % and 25.71 %, respectively. The number of the rangeland sites assigned as good, fair, and poor in the scheme of rangeland condition classification was 2, 26, and 32, respectively. 58 sample sites were in fair and poor condition. Moreover, 49 sites were found in the risky and problematic status in health categories. These results indicate that rangelands of Ankara province are in degradation and this process is continuing at high level and sustainable management and rehabilitation techniques should be urgently applied to stop this degradation. Keywords : Rangeland condition, health, plant cover, decreasers and increasers