Changes in some vegetation properties of the rangelands of the Palandöken Mountains, Erzurum, over two decades.

Plant community responses to environmental changes depend upon management strategies, climate, topography, and time. The objective herein was to determine canopy coverage and botanical changes in Turkish highland rangelands with different topographical characteristics between 1993 and 2013. Trends in the plant composition changed depending on the slope aspect (compass direction) and topography. The contribution of the grasses to the canopy decreased, while that of legumes and the other families increased. The results indicated that rangeland degradation occurred under uncontrolled grazing conditions. Suitable range management changes are recommended for the conservation of natural resources in the highland rangelands of Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]