Ecological Site Description and Rangeland Health Classification of the Kop and Palandoken Mountain Rangeland

Rangelands, have different properties, are directly or indirectly affected by many factors such as climate, soil, grazing etc. in this study ecological site identification and rangeland health classification were performed by evaluating vegetation, soil and hydrological properties of kop and palandoken mountains rangelands. the kop and palandoken mountains rangelands showed significant differences both within and between the sides respect to the rangeland health identification and ecological site classification. it was determined that vegetation, soil and hydrological properties of the palandoken mountains rangelands are more variable than those of the kop mountains rangelands. the rangeland health of palandoken mountains rangelands were evaluated as “very weak” and “good” class depending on vegetation, soil and hydrological properties but kop mountain rangelands were more stability and mostly “weak” or “medium” class. these results clearly indicated that different grazing management plans should be taken into account in both rangeland areas. by considering the geomorphological structure in planning, it was concluded that grazing plans which are interchangeable and interconnected within the area are important for sustainable use in the rangeland improvement.