An investigation into the effects of rural roads on plant diversity of roadsides in arid rangelands of Iran

摘要

Roads arc essential elements of human societies. Rural roads arc clear indicators of rural development. Most rural roads in Iran arc dirt roads and roadside vegetation is an important part of the ecosystem. Making roads can change the microclimate, including the light regime, pH and organic matter of soil, hydrological and sedimentation regimes (Karim and Mallik 2008; Hayasakaa et al. 2012). This can affect the composition of vegetation, with increased density and frequency of some fast-growing species close to the road for example (Parendes and Jones 2000). Road-building can also contaminate the air, soil, and water, with destruction of some species (Coffin 2007, Liu 2011). Roads also interrupt the uniformity of vegetation. Vegetation close to theroad can be more diverse compared to that further away. In this study, the effect of proximity of dirt roads on vegetation is discussed.