Changes in Leaf Area Index, Forage Quality and Above-Ground Biomass in Grazed and Ungrazed Rangelands of Eastern Anatolia Region

Establishing an appropriate poise between forage production and consumption is crucial for sustainable range use. The aim of this study is to determine some plant aspects and canopy structure to generate an apposite management plan. Therefore, two rangelands, continuously grazed that traditional herder grazing system has been applied for centuries and ungrazed for the last 30 years, in Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, were selected as the two experimental sites to examine changes in leaf area index (LAI), specific leaf weight (SLW), above ground biomass and dead material, leaf and stem ratio, crude protein, ADF and NDF content of forage, from beginning of the grazing season to the and of the growing season. Leaf area index, in ungrazed site was higher than that of the grazed site. In both treatments, LAI tended to decline after the mid-June, while in grazed site it was below the critical threshold towards the end of June. In grazed site the specific leaf weight increased as the plant growth progressed, and it began to decline in late June. While there was an increase in above-ground biomass on the ungrazed site until the end of June, this increase ceased at mid-June in the grazed treatment. As the stem ratio enlarged with the development of plants, the leaf ratio dwindled. Dead plant material accumulated in the ungrazed site, whereas it did not in the grazed site. Crude protein, ADF and NDF contents of the foliage were higher in the ungrazed plots than those of the grazed plots. The CP content gradually decreased from the beginning to the end of growing season.