Abstract:
The influence of excluding grazing on range vegetation attributes
was studied at the Eastern Slopes of West Bank. Vegetation attributes
were compared at a grazed plot and an ungrazed plot in the years 2004
and 2005. Results showed that plant density in the excluding grazing area
was (518.9 Plants m-2) higher (p <0.05) than that in grazed plot (194.4
plants m-2) in the year 2005. In addition, total plant cover averaged 94%
and 93% in ungrazed plots while 54% and 68% in grazed plots during the
years 2004 and 2005 respectively. By April, 70% of plant biomass was
already utilized by grazing ruminants, and subsequently induced change
in the botanical composition by increasing unpalatable species like:
Sarcopoterium spinosum, Asphodelus aestivus, Echinops polyceras, and
Eryngium creticum in grazed plot. At the ungrazed plot, palatable species
such as Medicago spp, Bromus spp, Hordeum spp, Aegilops spp, Poa
bulbosa and Avena sterilis were dominant. In addition, vegetation in the
ungrazed plot was more diverse than in the grazed plot, moreover,
excluding grazing increased species richness by 57 %. Results indicated
that overgrazing induced vegetation retrogression and reduced the length
of the grazing period for two months only. In conclusion, selection of
suitable grazing management, mainly grazing time and stocking rate, at
rangelands in Southern West Bank is an urgent practice that should be
implemented to stop the vegetation retrogression trend of these
rangelands
