Analyzing Effective Factors on Rangeland Exploitation by Using AWOT (Case Study: Aq Qala Rangelands, Golestan, Iran)

Rangelands are known as one of the main income resources for their exploiters. In the recent century, management of Iran rangeland has undergone vast transformations because of vulnerable socio-economic conditions of pastoralists. A study was done to provide a clear picture of the status and utilization of Aq Qala rangelands via assessing internal and external environmental factors affecting the utilization of rangelands. Thus a SWOT was adopted to identify and assess the positive and negative factors in internal and external environments. Data were collected through free and brainstorming interviews with an emphasis on the knowledge and experience of rangelands’ exploiters. After content analyzing of primary collected data, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and spectral questionnaires were respectively used for range management technicians and exploiters to quantify gathered qualitative information. Based on the results, priority of the main factors of SWOT related to the rangelands utilization was respectively identified for opportunities, threats, weaknesses, and strengths. The results revealed that chance of income extension from livestock productions (weight= 0.102) had the first priority in the opportunities section. In the threats section, drought and its consequences in rangeland exploitations (0.095) had the highest threats from pastoralists and technicians views. Lack of water resources and their uneven distribution (0.028) and the importance of rangelands and their exploitation in the livelihood and economy (0.022) were respectively the main factors in the strengths and weaknesses sections.