Determination of vegetation characteristics and grazing capacity of Çukuryayla pasture (Antalya-Kemer)

This research was carried out during the vegetation period of 2019 in the Çukuryayla Pasture, with an average elevation of 1630 meters, located in the north-west view of the Tahtalı Mountain, located within the borders of Kemer district of Antalya province. In this study, it was aimed to determine the vegetation characteristics and grazing capacity of a natural pasture. In the research area, plant-covered area, aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, botanical composition, pasture condition and some soil properties were investigated. In the study area, the vegetation structure was examined and 82 taxa belonging to 23 families were determined. Of the 82 taxa diagnosed, 31 (37.8%) are endemic. The families with the most taxa were identified as Asteraceae with 10 taxa, Poaceae and Caryophyllaceae with 9 taxa, Lamiaceae with 8 taxa. The plant-covered area of the study area was determined as 50.42%. The botanical composition of the pasture area consists of 54.92% Poaceae, 14.86% Fabaceae, and 30.22% other families. The amount of aboveground biomass in the pasture was determined as 309.0 kg/da and the amount of belowground biomass was 399.0 kg/da. Pasture condition was found to be moderate. Grazing capacity was calculated as 179.1 animal units. The texture class of the research area soils was determined as clay soil. The average bulk density of the soils was 1.217 g/cm3, salinity was 0.305 mS/cm, pH was 7.82, lime was 1.23%, and organic matter was 2.56%. In addition, Ca, K, Mg and P amounts were found as 10041.8 ppm, 281.6 ppm, 1211.2 ppm and 6.3 ppm, respectively. As a result of the research, it was determined that the pasture was under intense grazing pressure and the vegetation on the field was also destroyed. This situation reveals that the pasture area should be improved by with appropriate rehabilitation methods and the quality of vegetation should be increased by reducing the grazing intensity.