Investigating the effective factors on forest degradation and impact of moving out livestock from district 14 of the northern forests of Iran: an environmental and economic perspective (Fuman)

In this paper effective factors on forest degradation and impact of moving out livestock in district 14 of the country’s northern forests was studied primarily from environmental and economic perspective. Following implementation of relocation project of livestock holders، two categories of participants consisting of forestry experts and households were surveyed. The results showed that forestry experts believed on different sets of factors affecting forest degradation among which two were considered as more important. 1) Increasing rate of livestock population and، 2) Presence of livestock in the forest. On the other hands، the livestock holders in the forest believed that the degradation intensity were a function of grazing intensity، the stand seedlings and tree branches، frequency of livestock movement on forest floor and resulting forest soil compaction. From their point of view، protecting forest from this destructive impacts can be achieved through such means as 1) Translocation of livestock from forest areas followed by their establishment in lower land ranches in the area together with supporting the livestock holders with foraged and، 2) More importantly، providing employment opportunities for the transferred livestock holder communities. The study showed that seedling survival rate following livestock withdrawal was significantly enhanced in the affected forest areas. Seedling survival rate after withdrawal livestock from the forest is improved، that was statistically significant. Based on calculations، if livestock are removed from the forest area، annual revenue from the forest alone would be increase 1. 6 fold relative to the situation prior to livestock moving out.