hossien barani

The use of medicinal plants has grown greatly in developed countries, so that most of the world's population uses medicinal plants for primary health care. With the increasing demand of global markets, more attention is needed in the field of identifying and preserving medicinal plants. Not having enough knowledge about the sustainable exploitation of medicinal plants has put many of them at risk of extinction. Ferula assa-foetida is one of the endemic and medicinal species of Iran's rangeland, and the oleo-gum resin produced by it is one of the country's export products. According to the increase in the price of F. assa-foetida in recent years, unfortunately, the improper harvesting and oleo-resin of F. assa-foetida resin in terms of suitable age for exploitation have diminished. The number of annual harvests, as well as the method of exploitation, has reduced the density of F. assa-foetida plants in pastures, and the generation of this useful plant is at risk of extinction. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to determine the best methods of exploitation for F. assa-foetida in order to continue its growth in natural areas.

This research was carried out in Tangsarakh rangeland, Boyer-Ahmad County. After the detection of the region, areas were selected for the research, which were similar to each other in terms of slope percentage, vegetation, and soil appearance, and had a sufficient number of F. assa-foetida plants at different ages. The effect of cutting age factors (three treatments: 5-6 years old, 7-8 years old, and 9-10 years old), cutting method (three treatments: one-sided, two-sided, and traditional cutting methods), and cutting number (three treatments: cutting 10, 15, and 20 times) was checked with 10 repetitions on survival percentage. Also, at the end of the vegetative period in the second year, the morphological characteristics of F. assa-foetida were measured. Analysis of plant survival in different harvesting methods was done using the logistic regression method with SPSS software version 21.

The results of logistic regression analysis showed that all treatments had a significant effect on the survival of the plant (p = 0.05). With increasing age of the plant, the survival rate decreases. At the ages of 5-6 years, 7-8 years, and 9-10 years, respectively, 51, 50, and 34 plant bases were regrown, and 39, 40, and 56 plant bases were lost. In one-sided and two-sided cutting methods, 71 and 64 plant bases re-grew, respectively, and in the traditional cutting method, no plant base re-grew. The results of the survival of F. assa-foetida in different numbers of cuts showed that in the treatments of 10, 15, and 20 times of cutting, 51, 44, and 40 plant bases were regrown and 39, 46, and 50 plant bases were lost. The mean leaf length was 39.88 cm, the mean leaf width was 12.77 cm, the mean leaf height was 36.88 cm, the mean number of leaves was 7.27, and the root diameter was 9.18 cm.

Considering that F. assa-foetida is an important endemic plant with high economic value, the livelihood of a large number of users depends on the product of this plant. Therefore, it is suggested to use the results of this research in the study area and other areas with similar ecological conditions to manage F. assa-foetida habitats.

The Moroccan locust (Dociostaurus maroccanus) presents a substantial threat to the rangelands of Golestan province, demanding immediate attention from responsible organizations. Although the scientific literature lacks a precise definition of infestation levels, the density of locusts per unit area remains the primary metric used to assess the severity of infestation. The destructive impact of Moroccan locust infestations on agriculture, livestock, and the environment emphasizes the urgent necessity for a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing the intensity and spatial distribution of locust outbreaks in Golestan province.

In response to this knowledge gap, a comprehensive study was conducted in 2020-2022 to assess the extent of Moroccan locust infestation in the northern rangelands of Golestan province. The study utilized a multifaceted approach, combining field sampling with in-depth interviews involving 200 experts and local individuals actively engaged in combating locusts over different years. This approach aimed to outline the infested areas, quantify the density of locusts per unit area, and assess the frequency of locust presence over varying timeframes. The field sampling involved systematic surveys of locust populations in various rangeland habitats, while the interviews provided valuable insights into the historical patterns of locust infestation and the effectiveness of control measures employed by local communities and authorities.

The collected data were used to construct a spectrograph illustrating the intensity of locust invasions, incorporating variables such as density, frequency, and spatial distribution of locust outbreaks across different infestation periods. The resulting spectrograph facilitated an in-depth analysis of the periodicity and geographical expansion of locust intensity throughout the province. The comprehensive nature of the study allowed for a holistic understanding of the complex interactions between environmental factors, locust population dynamics, and human interventions in shaping the patterns of locust infestation in Golestan province. Based on this spectrograph, five distinct frequency periods of locust infestation intensity were identified, and corresponding maps depicting infestation intensity for each period were generated for the studied areas. The spatially explicit maps provided valuable insights into the hotspots of locust activity and the temporal dynamics of infestation intensity, enabling a more targeted and proactive approach to locust control and management.

The study's findings emphasize the potential of analyzing these spectrographs to unravel the underlying causes of fluctuations in locust outbreak intensity over time and location. Such insights hold considerable promise for informing the management and control of locust populations. The integration of field data with expert knowledge and community perspectives has enriched our understanding of the multifaceted nature of locust infestation dynamics, providing a solid foundation for the development of evidence-based strategies to mitigate the impact of Moroccan locust outbreaks on the rangelands of Golestan province.

Today, one of the most important issues in the Iranian rangeland management system is the lack of a clear and transparent picture of the most important problems in them. The purpose of this study is to comprehensively investigate the root causes of winter rangeland problems from the perspective of users and experts. One of the most widely used evaluation and analysis tools is the DPSIR concept model (Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response). First, in order to study and prioritize, the factors affecting the destruction of Shahroud winter rangeland were identified and classified in the form of a questionnaire using the Likert scale method. Then, with DPSIR conceptual model, different components were analyzed and management solutions were presented. Results showed that the first effective driving force in these rangelands is the need for employment and food, which directly causes compressive factors such as economic problems of local communities, increasing erosion and reducing the level of rangelands. Ecosystem services which are affected by these conditions are provision services (forage and water production with a score of 0.7), regulation (soil conservation with 0.63) and cultural services (landscape beauty with 0.5). The second driving force is the need for water and climate change, the main pressures of which are the lack of clear rules for water abstraction as well as the lack of attention to indigenous knowledge and its effect is on regulatory services (water quality) and cultural services (educational opportunities). The next driving force is human settlements and infrastructure, lack of access to fuel and mining development is one of the most important pressures. These effects can be seen on regulatory services (increased erosion by 0.63 points), cultural (aesthetic; 0.32) and supportive services (decreased biodiversity; 0.53). The results indicated that the important strategies for managing these rangelands are training new jobs and creating alternative livelihoods.

Ecotourism as one of rangeland ecosystem services in the development plan countries has been under the focus of governments and land managers. The goal of this study is strategic analysis of rangeland ecotourism in Til Abad -Golestan province by using pastoralists and rangeland experts’ point of view. In this order, after identification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and weaknesses factors of rangeland ecotourism through face-to-face interviews, weighting and prioritization of factors conducted by a semi-structured questionnaire between 60 expert and pastoralist via SWOT model. Result showed that between strength factors ‘seasonal aesthetic such as flowering of Saffron over a specific period of year’ and ‘economic income on account of rangeland ecotourism for pastoralists’ with final weight of 0.389 and 0.287 were introduced with highest prioritization by pastoralists and experts. Among weakness factors ‘lack of waste collection system and effect of garbage on aesthetic feature of the landscape’ and ‘lack of taking traditional knowledge and local human sources into consideration for ecotourism management’ with final weight of 0.552 and 0.413 were introduced. ‘Execution of international carbon sequestration project in the region and its economic potential’ and ‘reciprocal transmission of local cultures’ with final weigh of 0.590 and 0.645 were identified among opportunity factors. Among threat factors ‘weakness of ecotourism visitor’s culture and lack of natural resources culture’ with final weight of 0.449 and 0.669 was introduced with highest prioritization by pastoralists and experts. In addition, strategic situation of rangeland ecotourism was determined as ‘defensive’ (WT) by pastoralists and ‘competitive’ (WT) by experts.