JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

  Applying of intensive cultivation especially in marginal and sensitive regions, after conversion of rangelands to cropland farms, commonly causes reduction in soil quality, and thus an increase in soil degradation, erosion and runoff. This study was conducted to evaluate the land use change effects on some soil physical and chemical properties such as mean weight diameter (MWD), soil organic matter (SOM), bulk density (BD) and saturated electrical conductivity (ECe). For the experiment, soil samples were collected from 8 regions (rangeland and cultivated range) from west and southwest of Isfahan. Samples were taken from two soil layers 0-15 and 15-30 cm. Results showed that after conversion of range to cultivated lands, in some regions, SOM content was increased about 39% but in some regions decreased about 26%. This is due to the initial conditions of the regions. The ECe also increased by 41% due to this conversion. However, no changes were observed to the MWD, BD and pH in different treatments. Although there were little change to the physical and chemical properties of soil as a result of this conversion, those properties which were changed, could have a degradation effect and lower the soil quality.