مقالات رزومه دکتر حسین ارزانی

The main purpose of this study was to mapping the canopy cover (CC) and the aboveground net primary production (ANPP) of plant life forms by the independent factor of physiographic in the rangelands of Ardabil province.Material &

First, according to plant types and environmental factors, sampling was taken at the peak stage of plant growth from 2016 to 2020 using one square meter plots. To determine the most effective environmental factor in the changes of plant parameters, the correlation between dependent and independent variables was used. Linear regression equation was used for modeling by the most effective factor and the maps were simulated. The accuracy of the equations was also calculated by RMSE. Then, the correlation between CC and ANPP of life forms and the total was obtained.

The results showed that the elevation factor had the highest correlation with the dependent variables. The difference between the estimated average of the model with the measured values for CC of grasses equal to +1%, forbs –1%, shrubs -1%, and total CC +2%; and these values for the ANPP of grasses equal to +21 kg/ha, forbs was equal to zero, shrubs were -13 and the total ANPP was +274 kg/ha.

Predicting the studied parameters will be necessary to manage the balance between supply and demand of rangeland products.

Vegetation provides valuable ecosystem services to various terrestrial ecosystems, such as carbon sequestration, fodder supply, and water resource regulation. It is predicted that the fluctuation and changes of climate in the future will have a great impact on terrestrial ecosystems, including the destruction of rangelands and desertification, increased drying of trees and reduction of carbon sequestration. Drought is a complex and climatic phenomenon that occurs frequently or intermittently in any type of climate and its progress is slow, so that its effects may appear gradually. Due to the high sensitivity of vegetation to climate fluctuations especially in arid and semi-arid regions, droughts can affect vegetation faster and disrupt its natural growth. Therefore, knowing the severity, duration and place covered by the drought phenomenon could reduce the damages. As the global air temperature is continuously increasing under the influence of climate change, the spatio-temporal pattern of rainfall and land use is expected to change significantly in the coming decades. Therefore, it is necessary to develop more accurate and effective drought monitoring tools. In this case, remote sensing plays an important role in drought studies since it ptovides unique data from the earth's surface. Satellite data provide the possibility to identify the damaged vegetation in different types of uses and assess the severity of the damage. Using satellite data to monitor plant activities in a large area has many advantages compared to studies based on traditional methods and is currently a hot topic of pioneering research in the field of drought diagnosis. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the dynamics of vegetation cover and the effect of climate change on it in Eshtehard Karaj township. It is hoped that its results will be used by managers and planners of natural resources for sustainable management of vegetation.

This research was done in two parts. In the first part, the effect of drought on vegetation was investigated using Standardised Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and Enhanced vegetation index (EVI) , and in the next part, the vulnerability of vegetation was calculated using EVI index. In the second part, SPEI of 3, 6, 9 and 12 months were calculated in MATLAB software for 8 meteorological stations. It should be noted that SPEI has positive and negative values, in which the more negative values indicate the severity of drought. After calculating the SPEI index in the scale of 3, 6, 9 and 12 months for all 8 weather stations, drought intensity maps were obtained using the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) method. Then, the ready-made EVI, the MOD13Q1 product of the MODIS sensor was used from the beginning of 2001 to the end of 2022. First, the average EVI index for the entire county of Eshtehard was extracted on a monthly basis and the month with the highest average EVI was selected as the target month. Pearson correlation and coefficient of determination (R2) were calculated between SPEI maps of 3, 6, 9 and 12 months and EVI of the selected month in Earth Trend Modeler (ETM) TerrSet software. Then the time scale of SPEI with the highest R2 was extracted. In the following, the intensity of EVI changes of the selected month was calculated in terms of SPEI changes (slope of changes) using linear analysis in ETM tool of TerrSet software. In the second part, the probability of vegetation vulnerability was calculated using the probability of vegetation vulnerability index (PVVI). For this reason, vegetation condition index (VCI) was first calculated using EVI index. After calculating the VCI index for the selected month of each year in the period from 2001 to 2022, this index was classified into five classes. Then the probability percentage of each class was calculated. Finally, the PVVI index was calculated by multiplying the weight of each class by the probability of its occurrence.

The monthly average EVI index showed that the months of April and October have the highest and lowest average value of EVI in the studied area, respectively. The month of April was chosen as the target month. According to the R2, the relationship between SPEI in different time scales and EVI of the chosen month, in 68.9% of the studied area, three-month SPEI has the strongest relationship with vegetation compared to 6, 9, 12-month SPEI. Most of the mountainous areas in the south of Eshtehard city are in this class. Also, parts of the northwest are included in this class. SPEI of six months in 17.3% of the study area has the strongest relationship with vegetation and SPEI ratio in other time scales. Examining the results of this section showed that the general spatial pattern of vegetation vulnerability probability obtained from the probability of vegetation vulnerability index (PVVI) is to an acceptable extent similar to the pattern of the intensity map of vegetation changes compared to drought. Therefore, the middle belt from west to east is in the probability of vegetation vulnerability map in the high and very high vulnerability class (26.4% and 14.4% of the study area, respectively). In general, 13% and 20.6% of the studied area are placed in the classes of low and very low probability of vulnerability, respectively. These areas are mostly concentrated in the northern belt from east to west, as well as south and southwest of the studied area.

The results of evaluating the probability of vegetation vulnerability in Eshtehard city showed that the general spatial pattern of the probability of vegetation vulnerability obtained from the PVVI index is to an acceptable extent similar to the pattern of the map of intensity of changes in vegetation compared to drought. Therefore, it can be said that the PVVI index can determine areas with high vulnerability of vegetation for better drought management.

Palatability is one of the important characteristics of rangeland plants that is related to their acceptance by animals for grazing (Arzani, 2009). It is also defined as an animal's pleasurable reaction to its food depending on the taste, smell, texture, and appetite of nutrition animal (Church, 1988). Molyneux and Ralphs (1992) reported that while palatability means acceptance, it is not necessarily desirable. In other words, a nutritious food may not have a specific smell or taste in terms of preference, and it may not be attractive or taste bad. In terms of nutritional needs, most of the animal food may be composed of plants that have a moderate degree of palatability.

This research has been done in the rangeland of Deh Sheikh Village of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces. To conduct this study, first two healthy three-year-old goats (females) of Mamasani breed were randomly selected from a herd that belonged to the same area. Then, three important rangeland species including two perennial species including Gundelia tournefortii and Bromus tomentellus and one annual species, Aegilops triuncialis were selected by video method to determine the palatability of species at different stages of growth including vegetative growth, flowering and seeding. For this purpose, the grazing time of goats from any plant was monitored at intervals of 30 minutes in three times including morning, noon and evening and in two repetitions (two days in each growing season) with a suitable distance from the goats. Finally, the palatability percentage of each species was calculated separately.

The results of perennial species in vegetative growth and flowering stages showed that there is no significant difference in palatability between different times of the day (morning, noon and evening). In other words, the consumption of goats from any specie is the same at different times of the day in the stages of vegetative growth and flowering. It was also observed that G. tournefortii has more palatability than B. tomentellus in vegetative growth and flowering stages (Figures 2 and 3). Also, the palatability results of perennial species in the seeding stage indicate that there is no significant difference between different species in terms of palatability at any time of the day. In the case of A. triuncialis, it was found that the palatability of this species at different stages of growth has a significant difference at the level of 1%, but at different times of the day there was no significant difference in palatability (Table 3). Also, according to Figure 7, it was found that the highest and lowest palatability of this species are related to the stages of vegetative growth (27.21%) and seeding (8.09%), respectively.

In the vegetative and flowering stages of G. tournefortii, which is a forb species, it has more palatability than B. tomentellus (grass) for goats. In fact, if G. thournefortii thorns are not for livestock, this species will appear in the form of a palatable species and will be selected by goats. In this regard, Shoaib Amjad et al. (2014) stated that the morphological characteristics of plants such as thorns, hairs, bitter taste and unpleasant reduce palatability. The findings of Arzani and Naseri (2007) in relation to the study of goat grazing behavior of G.tournefortii also showed that G.tournefortii is more grazed by goats at the flowering stage when the thorns are soft. The results of some studies also showed that even in the flowering stage, changes in flowering time and flowering and fruiting rates affect the behavior of animal species that are directly or indirectly dependent on plant phenology. On the other hand, the results of the seeding stage of perennial species showed that in the sowing stage of B.tomentellus species has a higher percentage of palatability than G.tournefortii species in all three times of the day (Figure 5). The results of this study on A. triuncialis palatability (annual species) showed that the highest and lowest palatability of this species for goats coincides with the stages of vegetative growth and seeding (Table 3 and Figure 6). It should be noted that the decrease in palatability of most plants with the development of vegetative stages is almost confirmed for most species. So that in the early growth of forage is very green and palatable and with the development of puberty most of its nutrients are reduced (Tan et al., 2003; Rebole et al., 2004; Alikhahasl, 2008). The results of some studies also confirm that forage quality indicators also change as the growth stages progress. In fact, forage quality changes constantly as plants mature, and these changes are so rapid that a significant reduction in forage quality can be detected every two or three days (Twidwell and Wegenhoft, 1999). The results of Heady and Denis (1994) show that in the vegetative growth stage of forage plants, the amounts of crude protein, sugars and vitamins are high; but fiber and lignin levels are low. According to the results of this study, it can be said that future studies can extend these results to vegetation, including a wider range of vegetative forms, because our results emphasize the importance of maintaining the complex structure of plant communities in rangelands (different species, vegetative forms and growth stages). To maintain their nutritional value over time. Although goats are known as browser and are interested to shrubs, but as Arzani and Naseri (2009) reported, in the absence of shrubs, this animal will graze on grass and forb in the rangeland, so most herds Countries A combination of sheep and goats can be seen.

Rangelands played an effective role in the country's economic and political development prior to its dependence on oil and its derivatives. Therefore, paying attention to the environmental and social stresses brought to these ecosystems highlights the need to use new technologies to diversify production sources and reduce costs. This study was conducted at the Taleghan range station with the aim of financially evaluating electric fences to encourage pastoralists to use this technology in rangelands. For this purpose, the income from the fencing project was investigated. The financial evaluation of the electric fencing project and the time period for its capital return in 2016 was done using the equations of net present value, benefit-cost ratio, internal rate of return, and net present value criterion at different discount rates. The total fixed and current costs of this project were equal to 330 million rials. The income from animal meat production, medicinal plants, the added value of electricity production, the income from the replacement of shepherds, and the net income were equal to 73%, 23%, 7.5%, 103%, and 120% respectively. The criterion of net present value at different discount rates was equal to 127%. Considering the economic nature of fencing technology and the existence of economic benefits resulting from it in the form of a wide spectrum of ecosystem services for the beneficiaries of rangelands, the importance of promoting the use of new technologies in rangelands to maintain and support the production chain of rangelands is highlighted.

Rangelands are ecosystems with various services and functions in addition to providing forage. Among the most important uses that can be made of rangeland are tourism, livestock grazing, and beekeeping. In this study, livestock grazing, tourism in customary systems, beekeeping, and exploitation of medicinal plants in the Lar Absar rangeland of Mazandaran were studied, and the suitability of the rangeland for each type of use was scored. Rangeland management methods and grazing systems were presented according to the condition and orientation of the rangeland and taking into account soil limiting factors. Then, the priority of using the rangelands was determined for each of them. Expenses, income, and net profit for each type of use were calculated based on market day conditions and the exchange rate in 1400 for 100 days. The results showed that livestock grazing is one of the appropriate exploitations in Lar Absar rangeland, and the best grazing livestock (according to vegetation and environmental factors) is sheep. Some types of plants can be well managed by using the natural grazing method and another part of the rangelands with the balanced grazing method and intermittent and delayed grazing systems in order to increase the level of productivity and improve the condition of the rangelands and with a plan for the productivity of the management. It is possible to properly and cheaply manage the rangelands of this system and improve its plant composition. The results showed that if livestock grazing is done in the rangelands, 42.7 million Tomans of income will be grazed, and tourism, beekeeping, and extraction of medicinal plants will be implemented. Around 380 million Tomans (15200 $) will be added to the ranger income. This increase in income can improve the livelihood of the user. In rangeland, fencing, beekeeping, the use of hives, and medicinal use, the machine for harvesting medicinal plants is recommended.

Beekeeping is one of the most common functions of rangelands, which can be developed to improve the livelihood of rangeland beneficiaries and their participation in range management. While many studies have focused on identifying attractive species for beekeeping, less research has been done on evaluating the suitability of rangelands for beekeeping. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the suitability of Darmian mountain rangeland in South Khorasan for beekeeping.

We determined the suitability of the rangeland for beekeeping based on ecological, economic, social, and environmental criteria and indicators. We calculated ecological indicators by analyzing vegetation statistics collected from 60 two-meter square plots located along 200-meter transects. Climatic information was obtained from the nearest meteorological station, while environmental indicators included distance from water sources, distance from roads, and different classes of land slope. We also evaluated the limitations and potentials of the region to exploit the potential of beekeeping by designing a set of questions in the form of a Likert scale. Based on the integration of maps in the GIS environment and the FAO limiting factor approach, we prepared a final suitability map for beekeeping, with categories of good (S1), medium (S2), low (S3), and non-suitability (N).

We identified 85 plant species in the Darmian rangelands, of which 65 species were identified as attractive species for honey bees. Plants with attractiveness class III and II had the highest presence in the plant composition, with 42.8% and 30.2%, respectively. Most species belonged to the Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, and Leguminosa families. Based on our results, 56.1% of the rangeland area (7661.8 hectares) was in the middle competency class (S2), 2% (274.9 hectares) was in the low competency class (S3), and 41.9% (5717.4 hectares) were in the inappropriate category (N). Temperature and relative humidity in the highlands of the region, the attractiveness index of plant species with humidity downstream of the region, and socio-cultural problems such as the lack or absence of knowledge related to beekeeping were the limiting factors for beekeeping suitability. Plant composition, wind speed, long flowering periods in some plant types, and a good market for honey consumption were among the factors that increased the competence and sustainability of beekeeping in the region.

Our findings suggest that 56.1% of the Darmian mountain rangeland is suitable for beekeeping. This can be used as a supplemental livelihood to increase the income of pastoralists and improve their economic situation. With the support of the government in providing facilities and holding training courses, the motivation of beekeepers to reduce livestock and focus on beekeeping can increase, leading to a more sustainable range management system.

Rangeland use is the most important land use in Iran, as more than half of the country is categorized in this land use. Regulating the hydrological cycle and flood control are among the regulatory services in rangeland ecosystems. The flood event in late March 2019, which occurred on vast areas of Iran caused severe damages to natural and human resources. This study was conducted to assess the contributing factors to rangeland degradation in Northern Iran, which tries to assess the relationship between these factors and the flood. Thus, by filed visit of rangelands in the flooded areas of Golestan province, the rangeland condition was determined based on the modified four factor method. Landsat satellite images between 2008-2009 and 2018-2019 were used to determine the area of land use changes. Semi-structured interviews with 69 local pastoralists were also conducted to identify the contributing factors to the floods. Results showed that the rangeland condition in different flooded areas are mainly in the very poor to poor category and grazing intensity on these areas is more than 1.3 times the rangeland grazing capacity. Findings of satellite images analysis revealed that rangeland landuse has had a decreasing trend between 2008-2019 in Atrak and Gorganrud basins where 70,000 ha of landuse change is estimated. Result from the semi-structural interviews introduced over grazing and high prices of supplementary feeding are the main factors affecting the degradation of rangelands in the north of Golestan province from pastoral communities’ point of view. We found that 91% of the participants believed rangeland road networks and 76% believed livestock loss were the most affected items in the 2019 flood. Therefore, it is recommended that rangeland conservation, restoration and development planning should become a priority and necessary measure for flood control and management.

Rangeland management is more difficult than other areas because the management of these areas includes integration and management of forage production, livestock production and forage utilization at one time and one place. Therefore, it is important to consider the various dimensions of the stakeholder groups in the management and long term planning of rangelands. This research was conducted with the aim of investigate the attitude of stakeholders towards rangeland apportion in three provinces of Lorestan, Markazi and Semnan. This included apportioning between and within utilization units and determining the boundaries of rangeland using common parlance, law, or both.

In order to collect data, levels were first considered for each of the variables. Then the data were collected using a a standardized questionnaire and analyzed using the chi-square test in SPSS software.

From the results of the frequency of the variables, it was found that from the point of view of the most of the respondents, the apportion between the utilization units has been done; While the apportion within the utilization units has not been done. In addition, in Lorestan and Central provinces, 68.90% and 68.35% of stakeholders, respectively, gave more importance to the legal in determining the boundaries of rangelands. But in Semnan province, 40.67% of the stakeholders have given more importance to custom. Also, the result showed that most stakeholders were satisfied with the apportion of utilization units between and within units. In Lorestan province there was a significant relationship between the job variable (P <0.01) and invasion to rangelands (P <0.05) with satisfaction with the apportion between utilization units, invasion to rangelands (P <0.05) with satisfaction with apportion of utilization units and education (P <0.05) and tendency to leave the job in custom or legal way in determining rangeland boundaries. Also in Markazi province, there was a statistically significant relationship between the variable of nomadic cooperative company (P <0.05) with the apportion between utilization units and in Semnan province between the variable of rangeland condition and the variable of apportion within utilization units (P <0.05).

According to the findings of this research, from the point of view of the stakeholders, the apportion utilization units is a problem in Iran, but in other countries, the apportion utilization units has not been a problem.Therefore, it is necessary to solve this problem based on local knowledge of the region. Because this leads to making unbiased decisions based on scientific and objective information. In addition, rangeland protection policies and measures can be improved based on the attitude of the stakeholders. In general, investigating the attitude of the stakeholders, in addition to providing important insights about the observations, understanding and interpretation of the social effects and ecological results of the destruction of rangelands, guarantees the support of the stakeholders in the long term.

The purpose of this study was to compare the condition and management of rangeland before and after replacing the soil condition assessment method in the soil factor of the four-factor method in order to determine the most appropriate rangeland condition method. Rangeland status assessment was performed for both conditions in Poshtkuh rangelands of Mazandaran and then the status, rangeland management methods and their management and improvement programs were proposed and compared with each other. The results of rangeland condition assessment before replacing the soil condition assessment method in soil factor showed that rangelands had poor and very poor condition with a negative tendency and artificial rangeland management method and rehabilitation programs, mulching and seeding were proposed. The results of rangeland condition assessment after replacing the soil condition assessment method in the soil factor showed that the rangeland condition was in the middle and poor class, for which natural and artificial rangeland management methods were proposed, respectively. For the natural rangeland method, periodic-delayed and periodic-rest grazing systems were proposed based on the average status of the rangeland, and the breeding programs of the artificial rangeland method have not changed and are the same as the previous method. The results of comparative statistical analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the mean score of soil factor before and after replacement in the 95% confidence interval, . This method can be used as a method based on quantitative-qualitative evaluation to identify the functional and structural characteristics of ecosystems.

Tourism within traditional rangeland organization systems is a neglected service of such natural resources. The present study explores the criteria and indices affecting the suitability of rangeland areas with special attention paid to the capabilities of traditional rangeland organizations. As a case study, the tourism activities of Lar Absar rangeland in Mazandaran Province are examined over the period 2019-2020. The findings are expected to raise awareness of, and draw more attention to, the potential attractions of the local traditional rangeland organization, thereby encouraging rangeland owners to direct more efforts toward the development of tourism within their rangeland territories. The attractions of the local rangeland organization have not yet been duly considered in the definitions of rangeland tourism indicators and criteria. Focusing on these aspects, the current study provides a review of research findings reported elsewhere, carries out field observations, and conducts interviews with rangeland owners and tourists to open new horizons in and to draft new guidelines for rangeland tourism. The results show that the proposed guidelines duly account for the present infrastructure, environmental and ecological issues, and the socio-economic aspects of the study area and are practically effective for tourism development in Lar Absar rangeland system.

The knowledge of rangelands suitability is a requirement for the exploitation of medicinal plants of those rangelands. Accordingly, the present study was conducted to evaluate the exploitability of MPs in 12 representative habitats of semi-steppe regions based on the ecological and economic (E&E) indices. For this purpose, after measuring the vegetation and estimating the production of MPs, the E&E indices related to the exploitation of MPs in each habitat were calculated. Finally, based on the indices, the suitability class of each habitat was determined according to the FAO guidelines by the limiting factor method. The results showed that the forage available of habitats varied from 90 to 591 kg.ha-1. Also, the share of MPs production in habitats was obtained between 5 and 58%. In other words, the production of MPs in the habitats varied from 27 to more than 383 kg.ha-1. Accordingly, the expected value of each hectare of habitats from the exploitation of MPs, taking into account the discount rate of 5.4% in September 2020, varied from 3 to 41 $.ha-1. Overall, the suitability of the habitats varied between good to unsuitable (25% good, 17% moderate, 25% low, and 33% unsuitable) in terms of production and exploitation of MPs, but all the habitats had good suitability in terms of forage production for grazing. Therefore, the exploitation of all the habitats cannot play an important and equal role in improving the livelihood of pastoralists and with the approach of preserving the plant genetic resources, the exploitation of MPs in all the rangeland habitats could not be recommended. In addition, the permitted exploitation limit in each habitat varies according to the conditions and trend of the rangeland and the sensitivity of the soil to erosion. This issue should be considered in the policy of paying attention to MPs, and it should be emphasized in the multi-purpose rangeland management plans.

Ecotourism, as a side activity of rangeland, can be effective in improving the livelihood of rangers and will reduce the pressure on rangelands by economizing rangeland. In this study, with the aim of evaluating the potential rangelands of Dermian , for ecotourism use, based on environmental and ecological factors (climate, topography, soil, distance from water sources and vegetation attractions) and infrastructure (distance from the city and from roads), was done. From the combination of maps in the GIS environment and based on the FAO limiting factor approach,, the rangeland suitability was determined. Based on the results, 36.7% of rangelands are in the middle suitability category (S2), 46.5% in the low suitability category (S3) and 16.8% in the non-suitable category (N) in terms of ecotourism. In this regard, 61.5% of the rangelands for livestock grazing, have low suitability (S3) and 38.5%, unsuitable (N). The percentage of vegetation and,, the poor condition of soil erosion, are factors limiting the suitability for ecotourism and livestock grazing. , it is necessary to reduce the number of livestock and graze livestock in accordance with ecological principles; that used the rangeland of the region for ecotourism along with livestock. This, in addition to compensating for the economic problems, will also help restore vegetation. Due to the need to preserve rangeland,, forest parks can be created to accommodate tourists, up to a suitable radius of the desired rangelands, and by placing remote viewing platforms and sidewalks, from the amount of damage to vegetation and reduced soil degradation.

This study aimed to identify the economic, social, and ecological indicators affecting the beekeeping model in rangelands in the Sarayan region of South Khorasan province. This research is applied in terms of purpose, descriptive-analytical method, and quantitative in terms of data collection. The statistical population of the study included all ranchers in the Sarayan region. Using Krejcie and Morgan's table, 180 ranchers were selected by random sampling method. The data collection tool and information were a researcher-made questionnaire designed to assess the tendency of pastoralists to beekeeping in the rangeland and determine the main indicators of their unwelcome to this type of livelihood using a semi-structured interview method. The reliability of the questionnaire was 0.86 using Cronbach's alpha test. The results showed that in 61.7% of ranchers, the tendency to beekeeping was reported to be high and very high. So that there is a significant correlation between age (at 99% level), level of education (at 99% level), and percentage of rangeland dependence (at 95% level) with a tendency to beekeeping in rangeland. However, this correlation was negative for age and percentage of rangeland dependence. The results of ranking the important indicators of ranchers' reluctance to beekeeping also showed the indicators of knowledge, insufficient knowledge and skills, the safety of hives in the rangeland, low risk-taking spirit, and rangeland ownership as the most important social indicators, cost of providing, transferring and maintaining hives in the rangeland. The most important economic indicators and short indicators of the rangeland flowering period, poor vegetation, lack of sufficient water resources, and environmental risks (drought, storms, pests, and diseases) were considered the ecological indicators from the perspective of rangers.

Problems of germination and establishment of plants in drought and dehydration conditions is one of the common problems in arid and semi-arid regions of the country which affects the growth and production of plant communities. Improvement of seed germination and establishment of plants under drought stress is one of the most important issues in success of rehabilitation projects in natural areas. Range species of Sanguisorba minor and Agropyron intermedium are mainly distributed in semi-arid ad semi-humid climates. In this research, the possibility of germination and establishment of these species were investigated under different priming treatments in an arid region.

In this study, the effects of different priming included distilled water, polyethylene glycol (0.1 Mega-Pascal), potassium nitrate (0.2%) and silver nanoparticles (at three levels of 30, 60 and 90 mg/l) were investigated for improvement of seed germination characteristic and plant establishment under irrigation regime of field capacity and drought stress under field natural condition. The experiment was performed as a factorial in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications and in total 56 plots was considered for each species. The dimensions of each construction plot were equal to 1.5 square meters and in each plot, three planting rows with a distance of 30 cm and a length of one meter were considered and 45 seeds were planted in each experimental plot. The measured traits were included the percentage and velocity of appearance of seedlings from the soil, establishment and survival, length and weight of root and stem, vigority, prolin, carotenoid, soluble sugar,  total chlorophyll, catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymes. After sampling the studied traits in the field and obtaining the results obtained in the laboratory, analysis of variance and analysis of data in SPSS software and comparison of mean data with Duncan's multiple range tests at 5% level for the studied traits were performed in both species.

Statistical analysis of the results showed that the application of priming has been more effective on soil appearance percentage, appearance rate and establishment and survival of seedlings, but it has also affected other studied traits. Application of silver nanoparticles had positive or negative effects on the vegetative characteristics of seeds and seedlings grown from the seeds of the studied plants. Application of polyethylene glycol and potassium nitrate in A. intermedium and application of polyethylene glycol and silver nanoparticles with concentration of 30 mg/l in S. minor showed the highest positive effects on plant resistance under drought stress. Application of silver nanoparticle at concentrations of 60 and 90 mg/L showed negative effects on the vegetative and physiological characteristics of two studied species as well. Increase of 25% and 13% in biomass production under the treatment of silver nanoparticles with a concentration of 30 mg/l and decrease of 12% and 3% in the biomass under the treatment of silver nanoparticles at a concentration of 90 mg/l, respectively were observed for A. intermedium and S. minor species.

Increasing the rate of water absorption and metabolism in primed seeds leads to more germination, reduces the natural and inherent physiological non-uniformity of buds and increases drought tolerance and plant yield. The positive effect of silver nanoparticles is mainly due to facilitating the penetration of water and nutrients into plant seeds and improving germination properties.Using the results of this research can increase the success rate in the cultivation and establishment of S. minor and A. intermedium range species in arid and semi-arid rangelands and increase the efficiency of biological projects for rangelands improvement and rehabilitation.

Salsola laricina is one of the main elements of vegetation communities in the steppe rangelands of the dryland region, which protects it from disturbances and provides conditions that can preserve its ability to rehabilitate after chest, is one of the basic requirements of rangeland management in such fields. Therefore, in the present study, the variability of structural and functional traits and morphological characteristics and seed germination were tested under supportive grazing. For this purpose, by establishing a sampling system inside and outside of the 10 year old Khoshkerood detention, the vegetation cover and structural and functional traits of Salsola laricina species, such as crown cover, density and forage production in the field were measured. Seed of healthy and healthy rootstocks, morphological characteristics and seed germination, such as; 1000 seed weight, germination percentage, germination rate, root length, stem, seedling, and finally vigor index (straw) Seed) was measured in laboratory conditions. The results showed that the values of structural and functional traits, inside the enclosure, are more than outside the enclosure. In this regard, the percentage of crown cover, density, and amount of production of Salsola laricina species were respectively in the enclosure relative to the outcrop, 5.46 and 3.6%, 21600 and 17000 bases per hectare and 161.4 and 12.71 kg respectively hectare. The average of morphological and germination characteristics of the seeds collected from the intruder was also greater than the outside grazing. So that the highest index of seed vigor as a sum of outcomes of morphological and germinating properties in inoculated and outcroped seeds is 389.88 and 1037.37, respectively. The increase of these values in the enclosure relative to the outcrop; indicates the effect of supportive grazing on the improvement of structural and functional characteristics and the morphological and seed germination characteristics of rangeland species in vulnerable ecosystems in arid areas.

Todays, with advances in satellite sensors, their role on obtaining information and study of the environmental events and phenomena have become increasingly important. One of these precious data which is the basis for many planning and decisions in rangelands, is the above ground net primary production. The traditional method of estimating ANPP is clipping and weighing. The high cost, time and difficulty in collecting are the limitations of the traditional method, which makes it extremely difficult and expensive to estimate the ANPP of large areas. Thus, the aim of this study was to estimate above ground net primary production (ANPP) using vegetation indices.

Sampling of vegetation was performed in rangelands of Sabalan elevations in Ardabil province and altitude ranges from 1500 to 3300 meters in 2016. Nine sites were selected in study area and in each site three 100 m transects was placed with 50 m interval. Along each transect 5 plots (1 square meter) with 20 m from each other was placed and in each plot, total and life forms including shrubs, grasses and forbs ANPP were measured. The initial net production samples were placed in an oven at 70 ° C for 24 hours and then weighed to determine their dry weight. Furthermore, veg/etation indices including NDVI, PVI3, RVI and SAVI were calculated using data of Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) images for 2015. Due to the fact that the maximum growth of vegetation in the region is in June, the images were selected for June. Then using general additive model in software R, curve of relationship between ANPP and vegetation was analyzed in two way Individual and Combined data. Finally, ANPP was modeled using non-linear regression.

The application of generalized additive models for each of the vegetation indices with total ANPP and life forms separately shows that NDVI, PVI3 and RVI have a nonlinear relationship with total ANPP and life forms. However, the SAVI index has a linear relationship with the ANPP of total and grasses. Also, all vegetation indices have a significant relationship with ANPP. The ranking of vegetation indices affecting the ANPP based on the coefficient of determination shows that the most important and least important plant indices are SAVI and PVI3 for shrubs, and PVI3 and SAVI for grasses, forbs and total ANPP. In the present study, contrary to expectations, NDVI vegetation index, which has many applications in the vegetation studies and its increase indicates the presence of more vegetation in the region, in the generalized additive model and the combined study of vegetation index and ANPP show a nonsignificant relationship. Results showed that nonlinear regression significantly increased the accuracy of ANPP estimation using vegetation indices. The coefficient of determination for total ANPP (0.80) is more than shrubs (0.74), grasses (0.75), and forbs (0.56) and among the life forms, forbs have the lowest coefficient of determination.

Based on the results, suitable vegetation index for estimate the ANPP of life forms are different. Also, ANPP estimation using vegetative indices at the total level is more accurate than life forms. According to the results, the OLI image and the use of nonlinear regression models were able to adequately estimate the ANPP in the study area. Therefore, if similar results are obtained in other areas of Ardabil, it will be possible to generalize the results and estimate this important ecological indicator with less time and cost. This tool can also be used to provide information on the amount of forage production and thus determine the capacity and amount of livestock, as well as the amount of pasture degradation.

Rangeland suitability for livestock grazing is assessed by scoring criteria for vegetation, water resources and soil erosion. In this study, the suitability of Lar Absar rangeland in Mazandaran province for grazing domestic animals and herbivorous wildlife grazing from the rangeland was investigated. Many researchers have examined pasture suitability for grazing cattle, sheep, goats, and camels; But very little research has been done on grazing for wildlife (along with livestock). The purpose of this study is to calculate the actual rangeland suitability for livestock grazing so that high efficiency and more effective management can focus on the rangeland. This has not been done in the research mentioned.

The present study was conducted in a part of Haraz river basin, Mazandaran province, Amol city, Larijan section, Lower Larijan village, Lar Absar rangeland. In July 1398, sampling was carried out in the area representing plant types in a systematic random method with the establishment of two 100-meter transects and 10 plots of one square meter in each plant type; Production of grazable plant species was measured by cutting and weighing. Type and statistics of wildlife were received from Mazandaran Environment Department. The type of plants used was also determined by asking the shepherds. Plant species palatability was determined for wildlife using different sources. The recommended coefficients for appetizer class I were> 0.50, for class II was 0.30 and for class III was 0.20. The list of plant species was written in each type and after applying the coefficient of palatability, the percentage of palatability was obtained for each animal in each type. In the above-mentioned guidelines, vegetation criteria, water resources and soil erosion were examined.

According to the list of plant species in Lar Absar rangeland, 76 plant species from 24 families were identified; Of these, Poaceae and Asteraceae families with 13 and 12 plant species, respectively, have the highest abundance. The results show that wheatgrass and chicory families are predominant among other plants. These plants are important for livestock (35); And provide a large portion of livestock feed (10). The results of this study showed that after the wheat and chicory families, the mint and legume families are abundant in the rangeland. The results showed that the suitability of different plant types for livestock grazing is different and the factor that reduces grazing suitability (domestic livestock and wildlife) is the slope. Plant type 7 is good for grazing livestock and plant type 2 (Fe.ov-On.co) is good for grazing sheep and for other types of livestock.

According to the results of this study, it seems that Lar Absar rangeland is suitable for grazing domestic animals and wildlife. Pasture grazing wildlife is not limited to wild goats and whole rams and wild ewes; Other animals, such as deer, deer, etc., may also graze in the pastures. The difference is the slope, which is a topographical and environmental factor. Therefore, it can be concluded that grazing of livestock and wildlife is possible together and management can provide a correct planning with high efficiency by classifying pasture slope.

Multipurpose use of rangelands is one of the new challenges facing rangeland users, according to which grazing pressure in rangelands can be reduced and an important step can be taken to increase the welfare and empowerment of rangelands, preserve ecosystems and improve ecosystem services related to them. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the potential of rangelands in the semi-steppe region, for the use of medicinal plants and forage production, in 12 habitats of the country (including: Arshad Chamanof Sahand, Shiveh Soor of Marghavar of Urmia, DoshKharat of Golestankooh, Derakhtak of Friedan, Aliabad Moshiri of Koohrang, Freeze heights of Binalood, Khoraklat of Razavi Khorsan, Joladak of Alamut, Sar Ali Abad of Gorgan, Rineh of Larijan, Otaghsara of Larijan and Kaboudcheshmeh of Savadkuh) were performed. For this purpose, after measuring the vegetation and estimating the production of medicinal plants; based on ecological, economic and social criteria and indicators; the suitability of each habitat for the use of medicinal plants was determined. Then, by comparing the suitability class of habitats for the use of medicinal plants and their suitability class for livestock grazing, a decision was made regarding the priority of the type of rangeland use. Overall; 17% of habitats, by all criteria, are unsuitable for the use of medicinal plants. 33% have good suitable, 25% have medium suitable and 25% have low suitable. The results suggest that not all rangeland habitats are suitable for the use of medicinal plants, and not all of them are suitable for the use of medicinal plants. This issue should be considered in the policies related to the harvest of medicinal plants from the rangelands, and the use of medicinal plants should be allowed, taking into account the suitability of the rangeland. In rangelands with potential for medicinal plants, it is possible to reduce the number of livestock and grazing livestock in accordance with ecological principles; he used medicinal plants along with livestock. This, in addition to compensating for the economic problems caused by reducing the number of livestock, will also restore vegetation and enhance the richness of medicinal plants.

Rangeland management method is one of the important aspects of rangeland management activities. In livestock grazing management, according to the grazing system and rangeland management method, it is possible to promote the rangeland condition with low cost and optimal management. Therefore, in this study, for the optimal management of Lar Absar rangeland in Mazandaran province, the grazing system and rangeland management method were considered. In this research, the degree of rangeland condition in each vegetation type using the four-factor method and rangeland trend was also determined by grazing system and rangeland method. The results showed that all vegetation types of Lar Absar rangeland have a moderate and good condition and their tendency is constant and in some types is positive. In vegetation type of (Festuca ovina- Onobrychis cornuta) and (Bromus tomentellus- Hordeum bulbosum). Due to the good condition and positive tendency, range management method of Balanced is suggested and in it, efforts should be made to maintain good rangeland conditions. Premature grazing is prevented by segmenting these two vegetation types and implementing a grazing rotation program and due to the large number of livestock per unit area, forage loss is prevented. As a result, forage grazing will be done uniformly and when the livestock is moved to another plot, the plants in the first plot are given the opportunity to continue growing.In other types of Lar Absar rangeland, the rangeland management method will be natural, so that by improving the plant composition in a natural method, plants will be given the opportunity to regenerate and replacement and while giving sufficient opportunity to the plants, the maximum use of forage is done. Therefore, before any intervention in rangeland ecosystems, the rangeland management method should be selected based on the condition and trend, and as far as possible improved rangeland vegetation naturally and by choosing the appropriate grazing system and avoided other costly methods. It seems that selection of appropriate rangeland management methods and grazing systems in vegetation types can be a useful and effective step for rangelands.