Land management approaches to mitigate dust in the southeastern dust source of Ahvaz

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Corresponding Author, Assistant Prof., Desert Research Department, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran. Email: abbasi.hamidreza@ymail.com

2 Prof., Botany Research Department, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.

3 Prof., Desert Research Department, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.

4 Assistant Prof., Rangeland Research Department, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.

5 Researcher, Desert Research Department, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

6 Assistant Prof., Forest Research Department, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.

7 Researcher, Desert Research Department, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.

8 Assistant Prof., Forests and Ranges Research Department, Agriculture and Natural Resources Research and Training Center of Khuzestan Province, Ahvaz, Iran

9 Assistant Prof., Desert Research Department, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

10 Associate Prof., Desert Research Department, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

11 Assistant Prof., Desert Research Department, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.

12 Associate Prof., Desert Research Department, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.

13 Assistant Prof., Department of Poplar and Fast-Growing Trees, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Background and objectives: The phenomenon of dust storms has become a global environmental challenge. As a natural disaster, it has significantly affected Khuzestan province due to its geographical location and proximity to vast desert areas. This study aims to examine land management strategies to mitigate dust production in the southeastern dust source of Ahvaz by implementing effective land management techniques to control wind erosion in this region.
Methodology: To conduct this research, ecological land resources—including climate, geology, soil properties, land use, vegetation cover, wind erosion, and agricultural and livestock conditions were analyzed using satellite imagery and extensive field surveys. By overlaying maps, the dust source area was classified into ecologically homogeneous units (work units). Based on the physical and chemical properties of the soil, the vegetative potential for biological stabilization was determined according to the ecological requirements of native plant species. Soil samples were collected from 106 points at three depths, and soil erodibility was assessed using a wind tunnel. A wind erosion sensitivity map was then generated to prioritize the stabilization of work units. The characteristics of erosive winds were analyzed using hourly wind speed and direction data from 21 meteorological stations. After creating a database of ecological resources in a GIS environment, the vegetative potential of the work units was evaluated using soil properties. Subsequently, specific stabilization projects were proposed for each work unit.
Results: The findings of this study indicate that the stabilization strategy was planned systematically, considering the ecosystem type, and dust control projects were designed based on land use classifications. The land use distribution of the dust source area includes 37% rangelands, 10% bare lands, 11% dried wetlands, 24% rainfed agriculture, and 13% irrigated agriculture. The proposed projects included biological measures such as shrub planting, afforestation, roadside tree planting, and living windbreaks along farm edges, as well as management strategies such as soil moistening, leaching, irrigation, grazing control, construction of non-living windbreaks, and rainwater harvesting techniques. Analysis of the energy trend of erosive winds over the past decade revealed no significant changes. Instead, the activation of dust sources was attributed to land use changes, precipitation patterns, and drought occurrences.
Conclusion: The lack of water allocation to downstream ecosystems, combined with the construction of large dams and multiple watershed management structures in upstream areas, has led to the transformation of wetlands and sedimentary plains into major dust sources and has contributed to surface soil salinization. Restoring flood capacity in these areas was achieved through the construction of water supply channels to meet the water demands of biological stabilization projects and facilitate the moistening of wind erosion-sensitive units. Overall, the implementation of these projects demonstrated that this ecosystem restoration-based approach, with a focus on wind erosion-prone lands, can serve as an effective model for stabilizing the country’s dust source areas.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 01 July 2024
  • Revise Date: 23 September 2024
  • Accept Date: 09 March 2025

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