Soil and vegetation characteristics of protected and grazed pasture areas in Divanobasi plateau of Güce district of Giresun province

This research conducted in 2022 in the Divanobası plateau of Tekkeköy, affiliated with Güce district in Giresun province, involves a comprehensive analysis of protected and grazed pasture areas. Parameters such as dry forage yield, pH, electrical conductivity (μS/cm), permeability (mm/h), water holding capacity (%), and bulk density (g/cm3) were examined within the scope of the study. Ten soil and plant samples were collected from each region, and independent two-sample t-tests were applied to determine potential differences between these samples. The results revealed that in the protected area, the dry forage yield was 153.9 kg/da, while in the grazed area, it was determined as 114.2 kg/da. Analyzing the botanical composition, the protected area showed 87.8% graminoids, 8.24% legumes, and 3.2% other plant families. In contrast, the grazed area exhibited 75.49% graminoids, 12.36% legumes, and 12.14% other plant families. These findings underscore significant differences in both dry forage yield and botanical composition between protected and grazed pasture areas. Soil analyses indicated that in the protected area, pH value was 5.37, electrical conductivity was 85.8 μS/cm, permeability was 33.16 mm/h, water holding capacity was 38.50%, and bulk density was 1.19 g/cm3. In the grazed area, pH value was 5.41, electrical conductivity was 57.9 μS/cm, permeability was 24.96 mm/h, water holding capacity was 31.04%, and bulk density was 1.34 g/cm3. Evaluation results demonstrated statistically significant differences in electrical conductivity (μS/cm), water holding capacity (%), and bulk density values.