Desertification Inherent Status Using Factors Representing Ecological Resilience
Adel Sepehr *
Natural Resources and Environment College, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
Claudio Zucca
Department of Agriculture, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
Mohammad Reza Nowjavan
Islamic Azad University, Maybod Branch, Maybod, Iran.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
In this research, desertification hazard has been analyzed by resilience range over eastern north of Iran. In this research was assumed that resilience of ecosystem refers to inherent properties of ecosystem. Soil erodibility, rainfall erosivity, topography and land cover- a reflection of land-use management- are assumed as representative factors of resilience range in this study. In order to calculate resilience range an integrated map was developed based on the combination of erodibility, erosivity and slope factors. Ultimately desertification vulnerability was estimated by multiplying resilience range and land cover into resultant maps. Results indicated that about 44% of study area is fragile ecosystems with high desertification vulnerability. Also the results showed that vegetation cover has main role to increase resilience potential of ecosystem to response perturbations.
Keywords: Resilience, desertification vulnerability, erodibility, Khorasan Razavi.