İbrahim AYDIN, Betül PAK, Duygu ALGAN, Nuh OCAK

Floristic Patterns and Qualities of Forage Species from Mountainous Rangeland in the Middle Black Sea Region of Turkey

This study was carried out to investigate the floristic features (family, preference by grazers, growth form and response to grazing) and qualities of forage species collected from mountainous rangeland (Akdağ Mountain, Ladik) in the middle Black Sea region of Turkey. Forage samples were collected five times by 15-day intervals from the before-flowering stage to the after-flowering stage in 2015 and 2016. The total number of species was 105 species belonging to 73 genera and related to 26 families. Of the total species, 20 were from Poaceae (19.0%), 30 were from Poaceae (28.6%). Rests of the species belonged to other families (52.4%) dominated by families such as Asteraceae (13/55) and Lamiaceae (6/55), of which 26 species were weeds harmful to animals. While the percentages of decreaser, increaser and invader species were 16.2, 12.4 and 71.4, those of annual, biennial and perennial species were 31.9, 2.9 and 65.2, respectively. The number of species preferred by grazing was 74 (70.5%), while the number of nonpreferable species was 31 (29.5%). The ME (MJ kg-1 ), RFQ and quality category of legumes, grass, and other botanical families were found as 8.88±0.07, 130.9±3.05 and very good, 8.00±0.07, 83.2±1.62 and good, and 8.98±0.07, 141.0±3.62 and premium, respectively. These results can be used as a management tool to improve rangeland quality and sustainability. The evidence from this study is that floristic pattern is not merely a result of invader forage species, but also might be a beneficial result that deserves further study for mountainous rangelands.

PDF

___

Abdelaal M, Ahmed D, Fois M, Fenu G, Bacchetta G. 2019. Floristic patterns and ecological drivers of sand dune ecosystem along the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. Arid Land Res. Manag., 33: 388-411. DOI: 10.1080/15324982.2018.1564147. , Algan D, Aydın İ, Ocak N. 2018. Economic analysis of fertilization based on the nutritional value of rangeland: A new opinion. Anadolu J. Agr. Sci., 33: 246-253. DOI: 10.7161/omuanajas.404991.

Algan D, Ocak N, Aydin I, 2019. Productive potential and quality of overgrazed rangelands subjected to overseeding and fertilization. Fresen. Environ. Bull., 28: 5916-5925.

Allen CR, Angeler DG, Fontaine JJ, Garmestani AS, Hart NM, Pope KL, Twidwell D. 2017. Adaptive management of rangeland systems. In Rangeland Systems. Springer, Cham. pp: 373-394. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-46709-2_11.

Amiri F, Shariff ARBM. 2012. Comparison of nutritive values of grasses and legume species using forage quality index. Songklanakarin J. Sci. Technol., 34: 577-586.

Arzani H, Basiri M, Khatibi F, Ghorbani GR. 2006. Nutritive value of some Zagros Mountain rangeland species. Small Ruminant Res., 65: 128-135. DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres. 2005.05.033.

Arzani H, Ahmadi Z, Azarnivand H, Bihamta MR. 2010. Forage quality of three life forms of rangeland species in semi-arid and semi humid regions in different phenological stages. Desert., 15: 71-74. DOI: 10.22059/jdesert.2011.23003.

Aydin I, Algan D, Pak B, Ocak N. 2019. Similarity analysis with respect to some quality indicators and quality categories based on relative forage quality ranges of desirable rangeland forages. Fresen. Environ. Bull., 28: 5926-5936.

Aydın İ, Ocak N, Pak B, Süzer RP. 2018. Experiments on development of quality index in forage crops based on relative forage quality (RFQ). The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Research Group, AFVRG-Project No- 214O228, Report of Final Results.

Bremm C, Carvalho PCF, Fonseca L, Amaral GA, Mezzalira JC, Perez NB, Nabinger C, Laca EA. 2016. Diet switching by mammalian herbivores in response to exotic grass invasion. PLoS One., 11: e0150167. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150167.

Capstaff NM, Miller AJ. 2018. Improving the yield and nutritional quality of forage crops. Front. Plant Sci., 9: 535. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00535.

Carlier L, Rotar I, Vlahova M, Vidican R. 2009. Importance and functions of grasslands. Not. Bot. Hort. Agrobot. Cluj., 37: 25-30. DOI: 10.15835/nbha3713090.

Casler MD, Undersander DJ. 2019. Identification of temperate pasture grasses and legumes horse pasture management Chapter 2. pp: 11-35. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-812919- 7.00002-0.

Çınar S, Hatipoğlu R, Avcı M, İnal İ, Yücel C, Avağ A. 2014. A research on the vegetation structures of the pastures in district Kırıkhan, Hatay (in Turkish). J Agric. Fac. Gaziosmanpasa Univ., 31: 52-60. DOI: 10.13002/jafag678.

DiTomaso JM, Monaco TA, James JJ, Firn J. 2017. Invasive plant species and novel rangeland systems. In Rangeland Systems. Springer, Cham. pp: 429-465.

Erkovan Ş, Güllap MK, Erkovan Hİ, Koç A. 2016. Rangeland health and ecological site classification of the rangeland with grazed different type animals (in Turkish). J. Central Res. Inst. Field Crop., 25: 174-178. DOI: 10.21566/tarbitderg.281885.

Eviner VT, Garbach K, Baty JH, Hoskinson SA. 2012. Measuring the effects of invasive plants on ecosystem services: Challenges and prospects. Invas. Plant Sci. Mana., 5: 125- 136. DOI: 10.1614/IPSM-D-11-00095.1.

FAO. 2018. Biodiversity of Turkey. Contribution of Genetic Resources to Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems. Ankara. 222 p. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

Hussain F, Durrani MJ. 2009. Seasonal availability, palatability and animal preferences of forage plants in Harboi arid range land, Kalat, Pakistan. Pak. J. Bot., 41: 539-554.

Kemp PD, Kenyon PR, Morris ST. 2010. The use of legume and herb forage species to create high performance pastures for sheep and cattle grazing systems. R. Bras. Zootec., 39: 169- 174. DOI: 10.1590/S1516-35982010001300019.

Khojasteh F, Chahouki MAZ, Azarnivand H, Kikvidze Z. 2013. Life form and preference can drive spatial relationships among plant species in semi-arid rangelands of middle Iran. Rangeland J., 35: 63-69. DOI: 10.1071/RJ12052.

Knežević A, Džigurski D, Ljevnaić-Mašić B, Milić D. 2012. Ecological analysis of the grassland flora in the Riparian Zone of Okanj Oxbow Lake (Vojvodina, Serbia). Pak. J. Bot., 44: 21-25.

Mashaly I, Abd El-Aal M, Dawood N. 2015. Floristic composition and vegetation analysis and species diversity of some brassica species associates in north of Nile Delta Region, Egypt. Catrina, 14: 45-52.

Mengistu A, Kebede G, Assefa G, Feyissa F. 2017. Descriptions and characteristics of cultivated forage crops growing under different Agro-Ecological Zones in Ethiopia. Inter. J. Agri. Biosci., 6: 238-247.

Minneé EMK, Waghorn GC, Lee JM, Clark CEF. 2017. Including chicory or plantain in a perennial ryegrass/white clover-based diet of dairy cattle in late lactation: Feed intake, milk production and rumen digestion. Anim. Feed Sci. Tech., 227: 52-61. DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2017.03.008.

Njidda AA, Ikhimioya I, Isidahomen CE. 2013. In situ crude protein degradation and mineral composition of browse forages of semiarid Nigeria. Inter. J. Agri. Biosci., 2: 286- 296.

Ocak N, Çam MA, Kuran M. 2006. The influence of pre- and post-mating protein supplementation on reproductive performance in ewes maintained on rangeland. Small Rumin. Res., 64: 16-21. DOI: 10.1016/ j.smallrumres.2005.03.012.

Pokorny ML, Sheley RL, Zabinski CA, Engel RE, Svejcar TJ, Borkowski JJ. 2005. Plant functional group diversity as a mechanism for invasion-resistance. Restor. Ecol., 13: 448- 459. DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-100X.2005.00056.x.

Rauf S, Sienkiewicz-Paderewska D, Malinowski DP, Hussain MM, Niazi IAK, Kausar M. 2016. Forages: ecology, breeding objectives and procedures. In Advances in Plant Breeding Strategies: Agronomic, Abiotic and Biotic Stress Traits. Springer, Cham. pp: 149-201. DOI: 10.1007/978-3- 319-22518-0_5.

Raufirad V, Azadi H, Ebrahimi A, Bagheri S. 2016. Determining rangeland species palatability: application of principal component analysis. Rangelands, 38: 105-112. DOI: 10.1016/j.rala.2016.01.001.

Rouquette FM. 2016. The roles of forage management, forage quality, and forage allowance in grazing research (Invited review). Profess. Anim. Scient., 32: 10-18. DOI: 10.15232/pas.2015-01408.

Sayar MS, Han Y, Basbag M, Gul İ, Polat T. 2015. Rangeland improvement and management studies in Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. Pak. J. Agri. Sci., 52: 9-18.

Tessema Z, Ashagre A, Solomon M. 2010. Botanical composition, yield and nutritional quality of grassland in relation to stages of harvesting and fertiliser application in the highlands of Ethiopia. Afr. J. Range. For. Sci., 27: 117-124. DOI: 10.2989/10220119.2010.530460.

Thakur K, Puri S, Verma J. 2016. Assessment of species diversity along different altitudinal gradients In Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary District Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. Int. J. Innov. Res. Adv. Studies 3:56-59.

Ukanwoko AI, Ironkwe M. 2013. Seasonal variation in the nutritive value of some browses fed to goats in Umudike south eastern Nigeria. J. Anim. Sci. Adv., 3: 13-18.

Uzun F, Alay F, İspirli K. 2016. Some properties of rangelands in Bartin province (in Turkish). Turk. J. Agric. Res., 3: 174-183. DOI: 10.19159/tutad.54652.

Uzun, F., Dönmez, H. B., & Ocak, N. (2015). Genetic potential of wild birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) seeds collected from different geographical locations regarding to nutrient composition and nutritive value. Agroforest Syst., 89: 963-972. DOI 10.1007/s10457-015-9828-4.

Uzun F, Ocak N. 2018. Soil preferences, neighbor plants and feed values of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) and narrowleaf birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus tenuis Waldst. & Kit.) grown in natural flora (in Turkhis). Anadolu J. Agr. Sci., 33: 37-46. DOI: 10.7161/omuanajas.309644.

Uzun F, Ocak N. 2019. Some vegetation characteristics of rangelands subjected to different grazing pressures with single- or multi-species of animals for a long time (A case of Zonguldak province, Turkey). Anadolu J. Agr. Sci., 34: 360- 370. DOI: 10.7161/ omuanajas.492494.

Yulianto R, Xuan TD, Kawamura K, Lim J, Yoshitoshi R, Xinyan F, Zhe G. 2016. Abundance frequency of plant species as animal feeds to determine ideal cattle grazing. Int. Let. Nat. Sci., 58: 70-76. DOI: 10.18052/www.scipress.com /ILNS.58.70.