An Ecological and Environmental Effects study on Prosopis Cineraria Natural Forest in South of Iran

Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce (Kahour in Persian) is a native and indicative species of Saharo-Sindian region. Prosopis forest in Iran extends from the beach of Persian Gulf and Oman sea in Boushehr, Hormozgan and Sistan-Baluchistan provinces to south of Kerman province. In this research ecological conditions of Prosopis such as floristic diversity, climate, soil and the biomass were studied. Its distribution expands in warm hyper-arid and arid to temperate hyper-arid climate. Mean of annually precipitation the study areas are at about 45-200mm, the absolute maximum is 50?C and the absolute minimum temperature is -4?C. Soil characteristics of Prosopis forest include electrical conductivity, pH, lime, organic carbon; Sodium Adsorption Rate and gypsum were studied. The results detect soil of forest is young. Soils have slightly saline to saline-sodic properties, with non appreciable organic matter. Although the calcic horizon was diagnosed in all of soil profiles of prosopis forest but the gypsic horizon was found rarely. Soil texture is coarse to moderate. Soil reaction is neutral to slightly acidic. In recent years, the vegetation areas of Prosopis degraded severely due to clearcut and change the land use to agriculture, livestock feeding and burning to charcoal.