Determination of botanical composition and hay yield of a natural rangeland in Tokmacik village, Yalvaç-Isparta

This research was carried out on a natural rangeland area with an average elevation of 1223 meters, located within the borders of Tokmacık village in Yalvaç district of Isparta province. In the study conducted in the vegetation period of 2019, the area covered with vegetation, botanical composition, plant species in the rangeland, below-ground and above-ground biomass, rangeland condition, grazing capacity and general soil characteristics of the rangeland were determined. As a result of the analysis of the soils taken from different points in the study area, texture class clay loam, soil salinity (EC) 0.22 mS/cm, pH value 8.25, lime amount 25.12% and organic matter 3.70%. In addition to these, calcium 7482.10 ppm, potassium 262.19 ppm, magnesium 167.90 ppm, phosphorus 4.10 ppm, which is absolutely necessary for the plants growing in the rangeland and which is one of the macro nutrient elements of the soil, were determined. Furthermore, 125 plant taxa, 91 genera belonging to 28 families, were determined in Tokmacık village rangeland. In the rangeland, Lamiaceae family with 12 genera and 20 taxa, Poaceae family with 11 genera and 11 taxa, Apiaceae family with 8 genera and 11 taxa were determined as the families with the highest number of taxa. The amount of the area covered with vegetation of the rangeland was determined as 41.9%. In the botanical composition, it was determined that the Poaceae was 49.80%, the Fabaceae was 20.06% and the other family was 30.14%, and the Poaceae was dominant. Grazing capacity was 52.4 animal units, and rangeland condition was determined as medium. The amount of above-ground biomass was determined as 284.6 kg/da and the amount of below-ground biomass was determined as 442.2 kg/da in the study area. According to the results from the study, it is possible to talk about the overgrazing-induced destruction of vegetation in the rangeland. This situation reveals that grazing pressure should be reduced and qualified vegetation should be increased with appropriate breeding studies.