Some Vegetation Characteristics of an Upland Rangelandin Eastern Anatolia

The objective of the study was to provide information on the current situation of upland rangelands in eastern Anatolia. For this purpose, a transhumant area was selected and sampled in the years of 2000 and 2001, in Erzurum province. Two distinct range sites were determined in the experimental area, a dry site and a subirrigated one. Grasses were the dominant family in both sites but the dominant species were different. Sheep fescue was the dominant species in the dry site and matgrass in the subirrigated. Canopy coverage was over 40% in both sites. The range condition class for the dry and the subirrigated site was fair and poor, respectively. The carrying capacity in the dry and subirrigated site was 2.2 and 2.0, respectively, for the 2.5 months of the upland period. Although botanical composition and range condition of the sites was undesirable, these sites can be classified as healthy in the rangeland condition classes due to enough density and diversity. The result of the experiment indicates that it is essential to develop new management strategies in order to maintain or improve the current conditions of the upland rangelands in the area. It can be proposed that at least 2 ha of rangeland area should be allocated per animal unit during the upland period.