Short-term effect of oil-mulch on vegetation dynamics; Integration of ecological and remote sensing-based approaches

Wind erosion is one of the results of desertification and is among the natural processes that mostly occur under dry conditions and high wind velocity. Using oil-mulches is one of the common methods to stabilize sand dunes. The current study aimed to investigate the short-term effects of oil-mulch on vegetation attributes (i.e., cover and diversity) and rangeland condition score (RCS) using integrated ecological and remote sensing-based approaches in arid regions in southwestern Iran. A vegetation survey was carried out in 2019 in the oil-mulched and control area, and a remotely sensed vegetation index (MSAVI) was calculated for 2017 and 2019. The results indicate that 1 year after treatment, compared to the control area, vegetation cover (30 +/- 17.11 vs. 17 +/- 5.44%) and litter (4.6 +/- 2.18 vs. 0.94 +/- 1.55%) increased significantly in the oil-mulched area, while bare soil (65.20 +/- 17.34 vs. 82.31 +/- 5.84%) decreased. Further, diversity indices (species evenness, Shannon, and Simpson indices) declined by applying oil-mulch (88%, 63%, and 71%, respectively). The RCS was significantly higher in the oil-mulched area than in the control area (22 +/- 1.86 vs. 12 +/- 0.88; p < 0.001). Comparing MSAVI between 2017 and 2019 showed that vegetation cover increased 44.8%. Based on the results, it can be suggested that planting native palatable species in an oil-mulched area with the exclusion of livestock grazing is likely to increase the benefits of oil-mulch treatment and will lead to better rangeland condition score.

Automated summary

The short-term effects of oil-mulch on vegetation cover and litter in arid regions were positive, leading to a decrease in bare soil area and an increase in rangeland condition score.