Estimation and Comparison of Carbon Sequestration by Zygophyllum atriplicoides and Gymnocarpus decanderThis study was conducted to evaluate the effect of plant organs (root, stem, and leaf) of two plants, Zygophyllum atriplicoides and Gymnocarpus decander, on carbon sequestration and some soil characteristics in the Saleh-Abad region, 41 km north of Haji-Abad, Bandar-Abbas, in 2012. This study was carried out by two separate factorial experiments. The first factor was the type of plant species in both experiments. The second factor was the plant organs in experiment I and different soil depths in experiment II. The results showed that the soil with Z. atriplicoides had a higher soil saturation percentage, moisture percentage, nitrogen percentage, and organic carbon percentage; the soil with G. decander had a higher electrical conductivity. Soil at 0-15 cm depth had a higher electrical conductivity, nitrogen percentage and organic carbon, as well as a lower moisture percentage, compared with 15-30 cm depth, which was similar for both plants. Soil with Z. atriplicoides and at a 0-15 cm depth had higher clay and silt percentages, and a lower sand percentage. Multiple regression showed that nitrogen and moisture percentage were the most effective traits contributing to carbon sequestration. Furthermore, Z. atriplicoides, compared to G. decander, had the higher stored organic carbon level in tissues; stems and leaves had higher and lower levels of stored organic carbon, respectively, in both plants. Overall, the results of this study indicated that the highest carbon sequestration was obtained in soils with Z. atriplicoides at 0-15 cm depth.

Artemisia spp. is widespread Iranian rangelands, covering more than 50 % of land cover. The present study was conducted to estimate the amount of carbon sequestration in soil containing Artemisia aucheri at different soil depths (0-15 and 15-30 cm), as well as its organs (root, shoot and leaves) and some soil chemical and physical characteristics in the SalehAbad region, 41 km north of HajiAbad, Hormozgan, Iran. The results showed that soil with 0-15 cm depth had higher soil pH and moisture percentage, as well as lower nitrogen percentage and organic carbon percentage than soil at deeper depths. Soil samples from 0 to 15 cm depth had higher clay percentage. Multiple regression showed that nitrogen percentage and moisture percentage were the most effective traits contributing to carbon sequestration. Root and leaf plant tissues had higher and lower stored organic carbon, respectively. Overall, the results of this study indicated that the highest carbon sequestration was obtained at a soil depth of 0-15 cm and in the roots of A. aucheri in the SalehAbad region. Therefore, by recognizing the species that have more potential for carbon sequestration, as well as more resistance to environmental limits such as salinity and drought, and also to investigate the management factors affecting the sequestration process, regeneration and rehabilitation of rangeland can be followed in terms of carbon sequestration.