Determination of botanical composition, pasture status and health of Elazığ province Karakoçan district Bulgurcuk village pasture

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the botanical composition, pasture status and health of Elazığ province Karakoçan district Bulgurcuk village pasture. 39 plant species belonging to 15 families were identified in the pasture area, and the ratio of plant covered area was calculated as 91.7%. In the botanical composition, the rate of legumes was 15.6%, the rate of grasses was 61.6% and the rate of other family plants was determined as 22.8%. The dominant species in the pasture were Aegilops triuncialis (%35.80), Trifolium campestre (%14.56), Hordeum bulbosum (%9.49), Taeniatherum caput-medusae (%5.49) and Gundelia tournefortii (%4.65). Pasture status was determined as “weak”. The fact that most of the plants in the pasture are invasive (%84.7), the rate of decreaser (%5.8) and increaser (%9.5) plants in the botanical composition are low and the pasture situation is weak, has led to the conclusion that the pasture area needs improvement. It is recommended that the pasture be fertilized, alternating grazing system should be adopted in the pasture and the villagers who benefit from the pasture should be encouraged to produce forage crops in order to reduce the pressure on the pasture.

Keywords

• elazığ meraları
• botanik kompozisyon
• mera durumu
• baskın türler
• elazığ pastures
• botanical composition
• pasture status
• dominant species