مجله مرتع
سال شانزدهم شماره 3 (پیاپی 63، پاییز 1401)

One of the most important components of rangeland ecosystems is soil that their degradation will reduce rangeland production capacity. About half of the world's lands are rangelands and they contain more than one-third of the biosphere carbon pool. Therefore, these lands have a high potential for carbon sequestration. This study was conducted to investigate the soil carbon and total nitrogen storage in enclosed and grazed sites in Koteh rangelands of Khash city, Sistan and Baluchestan province.

To study the effect of enclosure on soil carbon and total nitrogen storage, the 15-year ungrazed site of Kote rangeland located in Khash city was considered, and then a grazed site that was relatively similar to ungrazed site from the aspect of topography and climate was considered as well. According to the topography of the areas, 6 transects with 100 meters' length (three transects in the slope direction and three in perpendicular to the slope direction) were established with approximate distances of 50 meters in each of the enclosed and grazed sites. Three soil profiles were dug from the beginning, middle and end of each transect and soil samples were taken from the depths of 0-15 and 15-30 cm in both sites. Then three soil samples of each depth were mixed together and one composite sample was prepared. Overall, 24 soil samples were transferred to the laboratory in order to measure bulk density, organic carbon and total nitrogen storage. Paired and independent t-test were used to analyze the data in SPSS software.

The results of statistical analysis showed that there are significant differences between enclosed and grazed sites from the aspect of both organic carbon and total nitrogen storage (p<0.01). The amount of organic carbon and nitrogen of the enclosed site were higher than that of the grazed site. There was no significant difference between the soil carbon storage of both enclosed and grazed sites at the depth of 0-15 cm, but there was a significant difference at the level of 1% for the depth of 15-30 cm. The highest amount of carbon storage was obtained in the enclosed area at the depth of 15-30 cm (8.1 tons per hectare), while this amount was 5.1 tons per hectare in the grazed site at the same depth. The results of total nitrogen storage showed that there is no significant difference between total nitrogen storage of the enclosed and grazed sites at the first depth, but there is a significant difference between the soil nitrogen storage of both sites at the second depth (p<0.1), so that the total nitrogen storage of the second depth of enclosed site was 0.88 tons per hectare, and that of the grazed site was 0.48 tons per hectare.

In general, it can be concluded that enclosure caused an increase in carbon and total nitrogen storage of the enclosed site compared to the grazed. In addition, the amount of carbon and total nitrogen storage of the lower depth (15-30 cm) was more than the higher depth (0-15 cm), and it seems that the amount of organic carbon and total nitrogen storage of desert areas is more in lower depth than upper depth.

Soil flora and fauna play an important role in nutrient cycle and ecosystem sustainability. With the aim of investigating the changes in the activity of these soil organisms as a result of the change of vegetation from forest to rangeland in the mountainous regions of the north of the country, the present study was considered. For this purpose, in the Kinj region of Nowshahr, a forest habitat dominated by Carpinus orientalis Miller., habitat dominated by Crataegus microphylla C. Koch. - Berberis integerrima Bunge., rangeland dominated by Stachys byzantina and rangeland dominated by Rhamnus pallasii was considered. From each of these habitats, 12 soil samples were transferred to the laboratory. According to the results, the highest amounts of coarse root biomass belonged to Carpinus forest and Crataegus - Berberis plant type, while the forest cover had the highest amounts of fine root biomass. The number and biomass of epigeics and anecics did not show a statistically significant difference between vegetation covers. The largest populations of endogeics, total earthworms, Acarina, collembola, nematodes, protozoa, bacteria and fungi were observed in the Carpinus forest. The forest cover and Crataegus - Berberis plant type had the highest amounts of basal respiration, carbon and phosphorus microbial biomass and arylsulfatease enzyme activity. The highest levels of soil substrate induced respiration were observed in Crataegus - Berberis plant type and the highest levels of nitrogen microbial biomass, urease, phosphatase and invertase enzymes activities were observed in Carpinus forest. The principal component analysis (PCA) indicates that the deforestation and their conversion into rangelands have reduced the activities of flora and fauna, soil quality and fertility.

Prediction of species richness and diversity patterns are used to develop conservation strategies for biodiversity under regional and global environmental changes. Since modeling the distribution of plant species can provide useful and important information about identifying and introducing potential habitats of plant species, and also few studies have been done in the field of modeling species richness using environmental variables in Iran, so the study of modeling Species richness is important and necessary in the management of vegetation, which is the aim of this research.

Therefore, study of them will help to rangeland management. Such investigation was conducted in the Sorkh Grieve rangeland with an area of ​​2620 ha. For sampling of vegetation and soil was used random-systematic stratification method. In each slope of area was established one transect with a length of 100 meters in the direction of the height gradient and 10 plots were established along it. A total of 260 plots of 1 m2 were used. In each plot, the list of species, percentage of species cover, and percentage of litter, rocks and number of species were recorded. Three soil samples were taken from a depth of 0-30 cm along each transect and some physical and chemical properties were measured in the laboratory. Physiographic variables were determined in Arc GIS software. Climatic factors were collected for a statistical period of 15 years. Predictive climate variables in this research included annual relative humidity, average annual temperature, and average annual rainfall. The physical and chemical characteristics of the soil that were used included the percentage of moisture, sand, clay, silt, pH, EC, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Prediction of species diversity indices of plants was done with two

generalized linear model (GLM) and, enhanced regression tree model (BRT). Analysis of the importance of environmental variables for GLM and BRT models was done in the biomode2 package. R2 and RMSE coefficient of explanation was used to evaluate the models. The area under the curve (AUC) criterion was used to compare the performance of these models.

The results of the GLM model showed that altitude, silt, average annual rainfall, nitrogen, and average annual humidity were the most effective environmental factors affecting species richness, respectively. Also, in the BRT model, the results show that the variables of height, soil acidity, average annual humidity, and clay are the most important in species richness, respectively. The results of the GLM model showed that among the richness and species diversity indices, the highest R2 related to the richness index was 0.33. Also, the most important variables affecting this index were nitrogen, acidity, electrical conductivity, rainfall, and humidity. The results of the BRT model showed that among the examined indices, the highest R2 was related to the Shannon diversity index of 0.37. Also, the most important variables affecting this nitrogen index were altitude and clay percentage. and humidity. In general, according to the results obtained from the present research, it appears that the environmental parameters affecting richness by the GLM model include altitude, average annual rainfall, average annual humidity, nitrogen, and silt. By the BRT model was the altitude, annual humidity, acidity, and clay. The evaluation results of the two models showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of the GLM model was 0.61 and the BRT model was 0.72, which shows that the BRT model performed better in modeling species richness in the region.

The result of this research provides good information about the distribution of plant species and affecting environmental factors on their diversity and richness for rangeland managers in the region. It is suggested that rangeland managers use the results of this research and similar research and give spatial importance to the environmental factors affecting the distribution and richness of species.

Soils are one of the largest carbon stores in the biosphere with the highest carbon storage potential to mitigate the effects of climate change. The aim of this study was to investigate different land uses on carbon storage and other physical, chemical and biological characteristics of soil in Shahriar. For this purpose, rangelands including 26-year-old, 16-year-old and 11-year-old Atriplex and 18-year-old Haloxylon, and agricultural lands including rainfed and irrigated cultivation, as well as control lands were selected.

 Soil samples from the depths of 0-10, 10-20 and 20-40 cm were randomly and systematically collected and analyzed. After drying, the soil samples were first passed through a 2 mm sieve and then the percentage of stones and pebbles was determined. Next, soil texture (percentage of soil constituents) by hydrometric method, acidity of saturated soil extract by pH meter, electrical conductivity in saturated extract by EC meter, soil lime by calcimetric method, nitrogen by Kjeldahl method, phosphorus by spectrophotometric method, sodium and potassium were measured by film photometric method, soil organic carbon content was measured by Walkly-Black method, and apparent specific gravity was measured by the clod method. Microbial respiration of soil samples was measured through a closed bottle, carbon and nitrogen of microbial biomass by fumigation-extraction method and metabolic contribution by dividing the released carbon dioxide (mg of carbon per gram of soil per hour) by the microbial biomass of soil carbon (gram of carbon) per gram of soil) was calculated. The microbial contribution was obtained by dividing the two parameters of soil microbial carbon (mg carbon/g soil) by soil organic carbon (g carbon/g soil). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare soil data among different land uses. . Duncan's test was used to test the difference at the one percent level (p<0.01). All statistical analyzes were performed using the statistical software package SPSS, 19.       

The results showed that the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the soil were significantly different (p < 0.01) between different land uses, so that the highest amount of carbon storage was related to irrigation treatment of 1.38% and the lowest rate was related to the control treatment of 0.14%. Also, the lowest bulk density is related to irrigated treatment of 1.36 gr/cm3 and the highest amount of basal respiration is related to 18-year-old Haloxylon treatment of 0.73 mg CO2 g−1 day−1. and Also the highest amount of microbial biomass carbon related to irrigated treatment of 124.55 mg g-1 soil. In general, agricultural lands have more potential for carbon storage than other land uses studied in this area. Finally, it should be said that different land uses have a significant effect on the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil, and play a significant role in the long-term carbon storage in the soil.                                             

This research showed that success in restoring desert areas by using these species depends on knowing the relationship between soil and vegetation. The physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil affect the carbon exchanges between air and soil. The type of vegetation and land use are factors affecting soil properties. This research shows that the most appropriate ways to store carbon in the soil are preventing desertification and deforestation, also preserve and restore vegetation cover.

Determining the exact amount of forage production can be of great help to rangeland managers and relevant specialists in determining proper stocking rate. With implementing proper sampling design, remote sensing data could be used to accurately estimate forage production due to the extent of rangelands areas, cost, time spent and other problems in data gathering from field. The objectives of this study was to select the best model and the best remote sensing index in order to map forage production using field data and vegetation indices of NDVI, SAVI, MSAVI2, DVI and GCI extracted from satellite images of Sentinel 2.

A sampling network with a total of 58 plots (1×1 meters) were established in the studied area and cut and weight method was used to measure forage production. Then, vegetation indices of NDVI, SAVI, MSAVI2, DVI and GCI were created with SNAP software. The values of the mentioned indices were extracted from the location of the plots, using the ArcGIS 10.4 software. The normality of the data was checked by the Kolmogorov Smirnov test. Then their relationships were analyzed with regression in SPSS 16 software. Also, multiple linear regression was used to investigate the relationship between plant indicators and forage production. The train model was created by 70% of the total plots and 30% of the data were used to test the model. Coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE) were used to select the best model and index or indices. Finally, the selected model was used to create the map of forage production (Kg/hec), using ArcGIS 10.4. The values of final map as estimated data and a total of 58 plots as observed data were evaluated by independent t-test.

The results related to the relationship between forage production and plant indices with univariate linear regression showed that all the used indices had a significant relationship with forage production. The univariate linear regression model with MSAVI2 index had the highest coefficient of determination and the lowest RMSE (Y= 649.3-8523.7×MSAVI2; R2= 0.68 and RMSE= 16). The results also showed that the accuracy of the DVI index (R2= 0.66; RMSE= 19) was higher than the NDVI index (R2= 0.58; RMSE= 22) for estimating forage production in studied area. By applying the assumptions of multivariate linear regression model, only two indices of GCI and MSAVI2 were included in the model, and the amount of R2 and RMSE were the same as univariate linear model with MSAVI2 index. The results of independent t-test indicated that there were not significant differences between observed data and the ones estimated by selected model (p<0.05). The minimum, mean and maximum of forage production in the final map were 10, 220 and 475 kg/hec, respectively.

According to the equality of the root mean square error and the coefficient of determination of the multiple and linear regression models and also the results of independent t-test that indicted no differences between observed and estimated forage production, we suggest using the MSAVI2 index to estimate forage production in warm semi-arid rangelands.

The soil of rangelands in mountainous areas has always been considered for changing to agricultural land due to its abundant organic matter. Research shows that changing the rangelands and implementing agricultural operations can increase soil erosion and generation of runoff. Therefore, using all kinds of modifiers as a suitable and desirable solution can control soil loss in these lands. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating and comparing the effect of land use change in rangeland and the effect of organic amendments on reducing sediment production, runoff and soil loss in one of the subbasins of Mereg river.

The present research was conducted in one of the sub-basins of Merg river, five kilometers away in Kermanshah province. This area is one of the main branches of the Karkhe River and one of the most important subbasin of the Qaresou River. The average annual rainfall is 458.59 mm and the average annual temperature is 13.89°C. Investigating the effect of land use change and organic modifiers (sheep manure and waste compost) on generation of sediment, runoff and carbon loss in both rangeland and agricultural uses, at erosion plots in dimensions of one in two square meters for two years (1398 and 1399) were evaluated. In the first year, samples were collected from undisturbed erosion plots, but in the second year, two modifiers (sheep manure and municipal waste compost) were added to agricultural plots in the amount of 1.5 kg. The modifiers were added  at the ended of July and until the first rain of the autumn season, there was enough time for chemical interactions and influence on the soil characteristics .The samples of runoff and sediment as well as soil samples were analyzed in the laboratory and the volume of runoff, the amount of suspended sediment, the organic carbon percentage of the sediments and the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil were measured.

The texture of the soil in both land use was the same (clay loam). But in terms of the amount of organic carbon, the two land uses have a significant difference (at 95 percent level) and this parameter is more than twice as much in the rangeland as in the agricultural use. Based on the results in the first year of sampling, the values ​​of runoff volume, sediment weight, carbon loss during five rainfall events in agricultural were 83, 90 and 87% higher than rangeland. In the second year of sampling, plots located on agricultural lands were treated with soil conditioners and their impact was investigated. Although the use of soil conditioners reduced runoff by 20% and reduced the amount and concentration of sediment in agricultural lands about 31.68 and 13.13%, but the amount of these parameters is still 67, 95, and 72% lower in rangeland use, respectively. The results also showed a 71% higher organic carbon loss in agricultural land use than rangeland. The results of this research showed that the modified wars were successful in reducing soil and water loss, and sheep manure treatment worked better than compost in controlling runoff and sediment.

In general, the results of this research showed that the amendments were able to reduce water and soil loss and sheep manure treatment worked better than compost in controlling runoff and sediment. But none of them have been able to reduce the effect of tillage destruction on this slope as much as rangeland. This shows the role and importance of protecting rangeland in reducing soil degradation and water wastage

Rangelands are considered as the most basic bed for sustainable development of the environment and ecological phenomena and in addition to a considerable role in production and sustainable rural development, play a key role in preventing soil degradation and erosion and groundwater storage. In recent years, rangelands of Iran have not proper condition due to destruction by climate change and drought, as well as grazing pressure. Therefore, providing effective strategies in rangeland management and sustainability seems necessary and will lead to stability and sustainability in rangeland areas, especially in the long time. In this study, using SWOT analysis, strategies and solutions for sustainable development of rangelands in Kalaleh city of Golestan province were investigated.

In this study, according to the practical objectives of the study, a survey and documentary method was used to collect data and information. The statistical population of this study was experts familiar with the rangeland management in Department of Natural Resources and Watershed Management of Golestan province and Kalaleh city. The sample size was determined by available and non-random sampling method and 26 experts participated in this study. After designing the questionnaire in the form of Likert scale and validation using the opinion of experts and specialists, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to determine the level of reliability that obtained 0.84 and showed the proper reliability of the questionnaire. In order to analyze the data and determine the most important strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities, the SWOT model was used. SWOT model is one of the most important and powerful tools for strategic management that is used in the process of external and internal analysis and the creation of proper strategies. In SWOT analysis, internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) and external factors (opportunities and threats) were examined and then strategies and solution for sustainable development of rangelands were designed.

According to the results of this research, the average age and work experience of experts participating in the study were 41.3 and 13.1 years, respectively and more than half of whom had a master's degree. According to the results, "large area of rangelands" with a weight coefficient of 0.0498 is the most important strength of rangelands from the viewpoint of the experts and then there are "indigenous knowledge to rehabilitate and protect rangelands" and "the willingness of stakeholders to participate in the implementation of projects and rangeland management", respectively. But the most important weakness of rangelands was "traditional livestock system depends on rangeland forage" with a coefficient weight of 0.0486. Also, "the presence of unauthorized stakeholders in the rangelands and reduction of ownership area for livestock grazing" and "reducing the percentage of class I plants and rangeland production" are the next priority weaknesses, respectively. According to the findings, "improving the perspective of multi-purpose use of rangelands" is the most important opportunity for sustainable development of rangelands from the viewpoint of the experts and the most important threat is "climate change and reduction of water resources in rangelands". The final score of internal and external factors was 2.569 and 2.102, respectively that shows the superiority of strengths over weaknesses and threats over opportunities. Thus, the strategy of sustainable development of rangelands was determined as competitive strategy (ST).

According the results of this study, legal and incentives planning to attract private sector investment according to rangeland potentials (Ecotourism, medicinal plants, various livestock products), implementation multi-purpose use of rangelands, reforming rules and regulations, increasing the budget of Natural Resource Departments, and improving infrastructure, educational and medical facilities in rural areas were considered as competitive strategies. Based on the research results, it is suggested that in order to improve the participation of local communities in sustainable rangeland management, the necessary measures should be taken by holding workshops and training and extension classes. Also, by providing the necessary facilities, the conditions for the development of the region, private sector investment and diversification of the livelihood of the rural residents should be provided.

In order to properly manage rangeland ecosystems, it is necessary to study the relationship between ecological factors in nature such as elevation, climate and soil factors with vegetation and living organisms. In this regard, the present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between species diversity and environmental factors (Physical and chemical characteristics of soil, topographic and physiographic characteristics) in the mountain rangelands of Chahar Bagh Golestan.

 The study area of Chaharbagh Golestan mountain rangelands with an area of about 9,000 hectares is located 45 km southeast of Gorgan city. 6 plant types were identified, for sampling and measurement in each plant type, 3 transects of 300 meters were established and 10 plots along each transect and a total of 30 plots in each plant type were used. In each plot, the percentage of individual species coverage was estimated. Also, in each transect, soil samples were taken from the first and last plots according to the depth of the rooting of the dominant plants of the region. After sieving, soil samples were transferred to the laboratory to determine the physical and chemical properties of the soil, including soil texture, EC, pH, K, P, lime, saturated moisture, and the amount of organic matter. Also, slope, direction and height above sea level were measured at each soil sampling point, and average slope, modified direction and average height were measured for each plant type. In order to investigate the relationship between species diversity with topographic and physiographic characteristics and soil characteristics of types, classification methods were used. Based on the length of the gradient, the redundancy analysis method was used as a linear method to classify species diversity with environmental factors. All statistical calculations for classification were performed using Canoco software version 5 and calculations related to species diversity were performed using PAST software version 3.17.

The results of Margalf average (14.12) and Taxa (41) indices in type 1 (Ar au-St ba) are higher than other types. Also, the mean Shannon (3.306) and evenness (0.91) indices in type 6 (Ho vi-Cr ko-Ag in) are higher than other types. Ju po-On co-St ba type has the highest slope value (51.6%), on the other hand St ba-On co type has the lowest slope value (5.6%). The results showed that the values of Simpson evenness indices and Shannon-Wiener species diversity of types are also affected by slope, organic carbon content and electrical conductivity. The slope factor is the most important factor affecting Simpson evenness indices and Shannon-Weiner species diversity. The results of redundancy analysis showed that the relationship between the characteristics of the types and the indices of plant diversity is significant. The results showed that with increasing the amount of K and EC, the amount of evenness index also increases. The results also showed that with increasing lime and pH factors, the amount of Shannon index increases. Shannon indices are inversely related to directional slope and height factors. Also, according to the results, with increasing clay factors, saturation moisture and pebbles, the value of Margalf index increases. According to the results of Margalf index, it has an inverse relationship with sand factor.

 In general, physiographic and topographic characteristics have had the greatest impact on species richness, and soil chemical properties on the amount of evenness and species diversity of types. In general, the slope of the types is the most important environmental factor affecting the indicators of species diversity.  Therefore, according to the results of the present study, changes in species diversity indices can be used as an index to improve the condition of rangelands in the region and also in deciding on appropriate management programs.

Protecting rangelands and preventing the destruction of these valuable resources requires serious efforts and appropriate measures to ensure sustainable use and comprehensive and integrated management of rangelands, and these measures and planning should provide optimal and sustainable use of rangelands along with meeting the needs and improving the conditions of stakeholders. Recognizing the problems and challenges and subsequently providing management solutions in rangelands will provide the basis for the use of different potentials and functions in rangeland ecosystems and will facilitate the achievement of sustainable development of rangeland. The aim of this study was to identify and prioritize the most important issues and problems of rangeland in Chaharbagh region of Golestan province and providing management solutions from the viewpoint of stakeholders and experts.

This research was applied based on the purpose of the study and descriptive-analytical in theme and collects data using survey and documentary methods. The statistical population of this study included stakeholders and experts familiar with the studied subject in Golestan province. The sample size was determined by available and non-random sampling method and 31 experts and 38 stakeholders participated in this study. After designing the questionnaire and confirming the validity using the opinion of experts and specialists, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to determine the level of reliability. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was obtained 0.81 and 0.83 for the questionnaire of stakeholders and experts, respectively that indicates appropriate reliability of questionnaires. In order to identify the existing problems and issues and provide solutions, the results were scored and prioritized by using the importance index (Iindex) coefficient and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The amounts of effect with very high and high were identified as influential factors. The hierarchical analysis process is one of the most comprehensive systems designed for decision making with multiple criteria, using Expert choice software, that weight and importance of each criterion was determined.

According to the importance index (Iindex), the amount of effect on the Likert scale as well as the weight of each problem, drought and lack of rainfall with the value of the importance index (98.3) and weight (0.088), Non-payment of compensation in case of crisis and drought by the government (lack of livestock and rangeland insurance) with the value of the Iindex (83.3) and weight (0.072) and decision-making only by officials and non-participation of stakeholders with the index of importance (80) and weight ( 0.066) were the most important problems and issues, respectively. According to experts’ viewpoint, uncontrolled grazing and excessive number of livestock is the most important problem with the highest Iindex (81.7) and weight (0.077). Then, there are early and untimely grazing with importance index (80) and weight (0.076) and untimely exit of livestock with importance index (75.8) and weight (0.072), respectively. In the presented solutions based on the viewpoint of stakeholders and experts, livestock grazing management and granting facilities for the purchase of forage, especially in times of drought, had the highest value index (88.7) and the highest weight (0.114). Then, there are training stakeholders to earn income and create jobs from the potentials of medicinal and industrial plants in the study region and increase the income of the stakeholders by providing credits and loans for buying hives and beekeeping, respectively.

The problems and reasons for degradation of this rangeland were divided into four main categories according to the stakeholders and experts opinion: A) Drought and consequently lack of water resources b) Weak grazing management c) Weakness of organization and lack of preventive laws and regulations d) Economic issues and low income of stakeholders. Also, the management strategies presented in this study classified as combating to drought and lack of rainfall, job creation and multi-purpose use of various functions of rangelands in the form of cooperatives, implementing the principles of livestock grazing management and implement the rules and regulations created by executive agencies. Finally, according to the often common viewpoints of stakeholders and experts, the results of the issues and problems as well as solutions can be accepted with more confidence

Climate change has been a serious issue in the last two decades and many studies have focused on its various aspects. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the future habitat of rangeland species present and future years, under climate warning models. In this regard, it should be investigated whether the increase in temperature will have a positive effect on the presence of species in the habitats of the distribution site or a negative effect?.

For this purpose, from 19 bioclimatic variables and three physiographic variables and logistic regression model, to quantify climate change in the next three decades (2050) and to examine its effects on the current change of Ferula ovina species and the future, was used. Output maps were also grouped into four categories with a probability of occurrence between zero and one. These groups, unsuitable habitat, (0-0.25); Habitat almost suitable, (0.25-0.5); It shows a high proportion habitat (0.5-0.75) and a very high proportion habitat (0.75-1). Finally, by referring to the coefficients of climatic variables and topography in regression relations, effective variables for the current and future range of F.ovina were introduced.

Based on results; among the climatic and topographic variables, only the indicators related to the average temperature of the warmest season (BIO10) and the average temperature of the coldest season (BIO11) were identified as effective on the distribution of F.ovina species in present and future Alborz rangeland habitats. The characteristics increase as the climatic conditions become more difficult. Average annual temperature in places with a probability of more than 75%; over the next three decades, under milder (Rcp 4.5) and pessimistic (Rcp 8.5) scenarios, it will rise from 2.6 to 0.3 ° C. The height of suitable habitats will be 60 to 162 meters. As a result, adequate habitat levels (greater than 75% probability) decrease in response to climate change. Under climate scenarios, 15% of suitable habitat habitats will be lost by 2050 and current unsuitable habitats will increase by 48%. Overall; climate change and increasing temperature characteristics will cause the vertical expansion of F.ovina species to higher latitudes along the altitude gradient. This indicates that over the next three decades, the presence of F.ovina species in the habitats of the region will decrease and the risk of its removal from the southern Alborz ecosystems is evident.

According to the results obtained in this study, large changes in the distribution of this species are expected to occur along with climate change. These changes are such that they can limit the suitable climatic conditions for the life of this important and effective species in the southern Alborz rangeland habitats. Therefore, in order to improve the conditions, the least that can be recommended in such conditions is to control the degradation of F.ovina species habitat, by managing livestock grazing and preventing rangeland use change, and in general, to apply a conservation approach in these habitats. If a protective approach is applied; It is to be hoped that climate change, by itself, will not be able to remove, undermine, or even completely eliminate this valuable species from the flora of the region, and perhaps the physiological, phenological, and morphological adaptations of this species will help combat climate change. Therefore, while protecting it inside the habitat, it is necessary to think of measures to protect it outside the habitat with an approach close to nature. In this regard, collecting seeds and storing them in the gene bank of natural resources, introducing superior and drought-tolerant ecotypes with better structural and functional traits and preparing strong seeds from them, cultivating them in small one-hectare plots in botanical gardens and plant collections And finally their rangeland in habitats with poor and very poor status class; One of the basic requirements is its protection outside the habitat with an approach close to nature.

Rangelands, in addition to their very important role in the sustainability of natural ecosystems, due to having a variety of medicinal-industrial plants, play an important role in meeting the medicinal and economic needs of the country. Creating suitable investment opportunities for more production of these plants is important and it is necessary to conduct extensive research in this field. In fact, understanding the economic value of many of the services that rangeland ecosystems provide to humans will lead to transparency and accurate decision-making in rangeland use, and will make conservation measures more effective. In this study, the economic analysis of Ferula harvest as one of the important medicinal and industrial plants in three habitats of Bardaskan - Khorasan Razavi - during the years 2015-2019 is evaluated.

During the field studies and surveys and using the topographic map of the area at a scale of 1: 50,000, it was possible to identify potential habitats on the map. In these habitats, conventional exploitation was carried out in the traditional way, which included the three main stages of marking, digging and harvesting (shaving). In order to estimate the number of exploitable plants and finally to estimate the crop and according to the sample size of 100 square meters, 30 plots were randomly harvested in the whole habitat. In each habitat, the number of plants in each density class per hectare was determined according to the Cochran's formula, and of these, 75% of the permitted plant titles were considered for economic evaluation of Ferula species harvest. And 10% was deducted as plant drop. The flora of perennial shrubs and shrubs species was also studied. Then, the amount of extractable Ferula product was calculated by habitats per year. For economic evaluation of project, the criteria of economic evaluation of present and future value, net present value and benefit-to-cost ratio, after calculating the Rial value of income and expenses, were examined for economic analysis of Ferula harvest.

The average annual latex and yield of each rootstock were 6 and 25 grams, respectively. The average harvest of Ferula plants per year was 2800 individual, and the average annual harvest of workers was 70 kg in 85 working days. The labor cost of collecting the product is estimated at 10,019,022 thousand Rials, taking into account the number of workers required in a 5-year period (16698 people). In total, the cost of rehabilitation and heaping work in some parts of the habitats (506.6 hectares) was calculated to be 118997/85thousand Rials. Also, the total cost of transportation, collection and storage of the product in a five-year period was estimated at 33,371,984 thousand Rials. The total operating costs during a five-year period is estimated at 100.413.554.660 rials. Therefore, the total income (net profit) is calculated equal to 83092128 thousand Rials. Based on field profit and exploitation investment, 75% of net profit is considered as exploitation share and 25% of total revenue - equivalent to 25.103.388.675 Rials - government share, is considered as property interest. And according to the total number of households in the region (438), the annual per capita household is equal to 34.388.200 Rials. The net income of the project, taking into account the discount rate, is 47 billion Rials. The rate of return on capital is 222% and it shows that for every 100 Rials of cost, 222 Rials of profit are given to the user. The internal rate of return of the project is 322% and the benefit-to-cost ratio is 3.3 (without money discount), which shows that 3.3 units of income are obtained for each unit of cost. Scrutiny of the internal rate of return and the rate of return on investment shows that the sustainable use of pastures is completely economic and provides the benefits of the users. The benefit-cost ratio shows that if the production costs increase to less than 3.3 times the current situation, the project is economical.

It can be seen that the present value of investment is positive and from a macro perspective in agriculture and natural resources can have the necessary economic justification. The internal rate of return of this project, the discount rate of 17% for the operator and the ratio of benefit to cost indicate that the project is economically acceptable to the operator and investor, given the computational useful life. In general, in this study, the issues of principled exploitation of Ferula habitats and the durability and survival of this species for future generations were pursued, and While observing environmental issues and providing employment in the region, it prevents the migration of villagers.

Livestock exploitation and grazing is the most important human activity, the choice of which depends on various factors. The importance of how to manage customary rangeland systems in recent decades has made it one of the challenges of rangeland management in the country. Rangelands need principled management and planning for existing resources (water, soil and plants) and livestock for continuity and sustainability, planning to review the current situation and decide on the existing conditions is appropriate. Therefore, the importance of choosing the type of exploitation in the sustainable management of livestock and rangeland has made it as one of the most vital issues in the field of conservation, rehabilitation, improvement, proper exploitation and development of rangelands.In this regard, the present study examines the tendency of beneficiaries to individualize rangelands among beneficiaries in Gomishan city in the northwest of Golestan province.

The present study is descriptive in terms of data collection, descriptive in terms of controlling variables, and survey in terms of implementation strategy.The statistical population of the study consists of 200 rangeland beneficiaries from three conventional systems in Gomishan city of Golestan province.  So that 127 of them were selected as the sample size based on Krejcie Morgan table. Sampling was done randomly. The data collection tool was a questionnaire that was compiled according to the purpose of the research and based on the research background as well as interviews with experts and expert operators based on the centralized group method and extracting a set of related components in pairs. To determine the tendency of rangeland individualization operators, 44 items in the form of 7 economic, social, water and soil components, rehabilitation and protection, livestock and animal husbandry, welfare and management were used. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts and operators. To ensure its reliability, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was calculated, which averaged 0.805, which indicates the acceptable reliability of the questionnaire.Statistical calculations in this study were performed using SPSS25 software in two descriptive and inferential sections.

The results of the research showed that beneficiaries had a greater tendency to individualize rangelands with a numerical value of 2.76. The results indicated that, the tendency of beneficiaries based on the variables "creating investment in livestock and rangeland" and "improving livestock income" in the economic dimension, "reducing violations and crimes in rangeland" and "satisfaction with Livestock and herding methods in the rangeland "in the social dimension," optimal use of surface water in the rangeland "and" prevent soil erosion and loss of surface soil "in the water and soil dimension," prevent non-native ranchers from entering the rangeland "and "Rehabilitation of rangeland lands through plantation and integrated methods" in the dimension of rangeland restoration and protection, "Observance of the grazing system in the rangeland" and "Creating a suitable space for providing livestock drinking" in the dimension of livestock and animal husbandry, "Better development of energy panels Solar in the rangeland "and" access to suitable facilities for family life "in the welfare dimension, as well as" improvement in creativity and innovation in rangeland management "and" organizational support and access to government services "in the management dimension, due to lower average From number three (average), it had the most positive effect on individualization of rangelands in the study area.  Its greatest impact has been on the management, livestock and animal husbandry dimensions. The results obtained from a single sample t showed that the tendency of beneficiaries in choosing the type of operation at the level of 99% confidence in all criteria except "water and soil" had a significant effect

Considering that sustainable rangeland management faces serious challenges of degradation, so choosing the type of exploitation for better rangeland management is one of the most important priorities. As the results showed, the tendency of beneficiaries in the study area has been towards individualization of rangelands; therefore, while changing the traditional perceptions of ranchers towards the shared exploitation, it is possible to provide the ground for their empowerment, especially in the economic sector, as well as the multi-purpose use of rangelands through rangeland coordination. On the other hand, the research results show that in shared exploitation, trust, responsibility, empathy and participation, social capital and social solidarity, more than individual exploitation of rangelands. Therefore, in shared exploitation, by planning and oral segmentation of rangelands (based on the opinion of beneficiaries in the research results), while observing the exact time of entry and exit of livestock to the rangeland and preventing excess livestock, an effective step in for sustainable management of rangelands.

Riparian vegetation along the river is one of the most sustainable aboveground covers that is a good source of food for livestock. Considering the degraded riparian areas, studies on soil seed bank is important and, necessary for restoration goals.

The present study was conducted to investigate the soil seed bank in the riparian region of the Gamasiab river in Nahavand city, Hamadan province. First, using Earth Google maps, 5 sampling sites on both sides of the river were identified. Soil sampling was performed to study the seed bank systematically using transects and quadrates. At each site, a transect perpendicular to the river flow was installed along the transect of at least 6 plots of 4 square meters (three on each side of the river) and soil sampling was performed from two depths of 0-5 and 5-10 cm in each quadrat. The seed bank samples were then transferred to the greenhouse for the experiment. Seed bank was examined by germination method. Plants in terms of annual and perennial, herbaceous and woody, life form (cryptophyte, trophyte, camophyte, hemicryptophyte, phanrophyte) and phytochorology of Iran-Turanian (IT), cosmopolitan (COSM), Siberian Europe (Polyregional or more than two vegetative regions (PL) Mediterranean (M), Turanian-Mediterranean Iran (IT, M), Irano-Tourani -Siberian Europe (IT, ES) Irano-Tourani -Siberian-Mediterranean (IT, ES, M) and Irano-Tourani - Europe, Siberia - Sahara (IT, ES, SS) were studied. Then, each of the above cases was analyzed along distance from the center of the river in three intervals (0-10), (10-20) and (20-30) meters from the river using one-way ANOVA analysis.

A total of 84 species including of 20 family and 65 genera, most of which belong to the family Gramineae (29) species and Compositae (18) species, were observed. Annuals, perennials, herbaceous and woody plants occupied 67.91%, 32.08%, 98.68% and 1.31%, respectively at the first soil depth. In the second depth, annuals created 65.42%, perennials 34.57% and in terms of life form, herbaceous were 100%. Also, trophytes with 63.90% and hemi-cryptophytes with 26% had the highest percentage of soil seed bank. In terms of colorology, COSM (35.83%), IT (24.01%) and PL (11.91%) were the highest. Annuals at the upper soil depth (0-5 cm) had the highest value at a distance of 0-10 m from the river and the lowest value at the distance of 10-20 m. In the second depth (5-10 cm), annual and herbaceous plants have the highest value at a distance of 20-30 m from the river and the lowest value at a distance of 0-10 m. In terms of life form, at the first depth, and in the second depth the therophytes had the highest value at a distance of 20-30 m and the lowest value at a distance of 0-10 m.  Regarding the corology of the first and second soil layers, the poly-regional had the highest value at a distance of (0-10) m and the lowest value at a distance of 20-30 m, and then the elements of Irano-tourani at the first depth and second depth had the highest value at a distance of 20 -30 m and the lowest value at the distance of 0-10 m.

Being higher the number of gramineae species increased the soil seed bank density of annuals and, woody plants were observed only at the first depth of the soil seed bank which could be due to the large seeds of the trees that remain at the first depth and can not penetrate to the deeper depths, where it has deteriorated or decayed or eaten by seed-eaters (transient seeds of trees). Therophytes had the highest amount of life form, which can penetrate with more chances due to the production of very large number and small seed size. The high presence of poly-regional elements in the soil seed bank composition can be due to the abundant presence of pioneer plants and the early stages of the succession, which are present in a wide range of plant lands due to low need and extensive ecological range. These species do not indicate a specific affiliation to a particular climate or plant corology. The highest amount of Polyregional elements in the river riparian was due to the high percentage of Cynodon dactylon species. The results indicated that restoration of degraded riparian could rely on soil seed bank. More precisely, recovery of degraded vegetation through soil seed bank of palatable species such as Aloppecurus myosuroides, Trifolium repens and Bothriochloa ischaemum is feasible.

Migration is the movement of people from one ecological region to another, it may be on temporary or permanent basis. Migration is a selective mechanism that impacts individuals and households economically, socially, educationally, and demographically, and it is an important phenomenon that many economists, particularly in developing countries, have addressed. Due to the varying situations in Ardabil province's rural areas, five counties (each with one watershed containing several villages) were chosen for this study, and the economic factors affecting rural-urban migration to ranchers were investigated.

The current research was carried out in the Ardabil province, in 2020. The five counties of Ardabil, Nir, Namin, Sarein, and Kosar were initially evaluated, then, a watershed was selected in each county where watershed management and rangeland restoratoin projects were carried out. In the next step, four villages from Ardabil's Kaftaragh watershed, three villages from Namin's Saqezchichae watershed, nine villages from Sarein's Darvishchae watershed, nine villages from Kosar's Likvanchae watershed, and eight villages from Nir's Siahpoosh watershed were chosen as statistical communities. In total, the statistical community includes ranchers from five counties and 33 villages in Ardabil province. The research method was descriptive-analytical and the data collection techniques were questionnaire, observation, face-to-face interview and village population statistics. The questionnaire included some descriptive features of the villages, village residents and also 11 economic factors. The sample size based on Cochran's formula was estimated to be 372 people. Following that, the proportion of each watershed in the total sample size was calculated, and information was gathered through in-depth interviews and the completion of a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were employed to extract the features of the statistical population. A single-sample t-test was used to assess the overall status of economic factors affecting ranchers’ migration. In addition, the Friedman test was utilized to rank the most important factors affecting migration and the Kruskal-Wallis test was performed to look for significant differences between villages in terms of economic factors that influence migration.

The results showed that 0.3% of the respondents with the lowest frequency had agricultural job and 85.5% with the highest frequency had the main job of livestock and agriculture. According to the findings, the average income in the agricultural sector is 167.6 million Iranian Rial, while the average income in the livestock sector is 309.1 million Iranian Rial. The income from livestock is nearly double that from agriculture, indicating that the research ranchers’ economy in the study area is more dependent on livestock. Moreover, the findings revealed that the most important economic factors affecting rural-urban migration were the lack of interest of the youth in continuing and expanding agricultural and livestock activities (mean rank = 9.78), more economic opportunities and access to higher-paying jobs in urban (mean rank = 9.56) and inequality of urban and rural facilities and welfare and livelihood services (mean rank = 8.88).

Considering that a large part of the rural communities of Ardabil province are ranchers, the economy of the pastoralists in the region is more dependent on livestock. In general, according to the results of the current research, the lack of interest of the youth to continue farming and ranching, more economic opportunities and higher income in the city, and the inequality of city and village facilities were the most important economic factors affecting the migration of pastoralists to cities.