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مرتع 2026, 20(1): 14-33 |
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Rastgar S, Lamani A, Jafarian Z, Heydari G, Ghorbanpour Delivand M. Analysis and Evaluation of Multipurpose Range Management Plans in Eastern Mazandaran Province. مرتع 2026; 20 (1) :14-33
URL: http://rangelandsrm.ir/article-1-1357-en.html
URL: http://rangelandsrm.ir/article-1-1357-en.html
Sari Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources University
Abstract: (781 Views)
Background and Objective: Integrated rangeland management plans are a crucial participatory and livelihood-based strategy for experts, implementers, and rangeland users, contributing to protection, restoration, improvement, development, sustainable and continuous utilization, livelihood diversification, and income enhancement. However, increasing surplus livestock and growing pressures from climate change have threatened the sustainability of these rangelands. In Mazandaran Province, no comprehensive evaluation or analysis of multipurpose rangeland management plans has been conducted since their implementation, and the perspectives of key sectors including implementation, research, and legislation have not been systematically examined. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these plans and to identify their opportunities and threats in order to propose sustainable management strategies for the rangelands of eastern Mazandaran Province.
Methodology: This study collected data from 17 multipurpose rangeland management plans in eastern Mazandaran using library-based and field methods. The statistical population comprised 80 experts, supervisors, and beneficiaries selected using Cochran’s formula. Data were analyzed using the SWOT framework to identify internal factors (13 strengths and 13 weaknesses) and external factors (12 opportunities and 20 threats). Strategic priorities were determined using the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM). Questionnaire reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient in SPSS.
Results: The final score of the Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) matrix was 2.52, indicating a relative dominance of strengths such as indigenous knowledge, vegetation diversity, and stakeholder participation over weaknesses, which included financial resource shortages and weak monitoring. In contrast, the External Factor Evaluation (EFE) matrix yielded a score of 2.17, reflecting a predominance of threats, such as climate change and drought, over opportunities like ecotourism development and capital attraction. Based on the SWOT analysis, four main strategic categories were identified and prioritized using the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM). Competitive strategies, particularly the ST strategy (precise technical monitoring, utilization of indigenous knowledge, and local participation), and defensive strategies, notably the WT strategy (incorporating stakeholder input at various stages of multipurpose project approval and implementation to enhance participation and reduce conflicts), were identified as the most effective. Overall, these results indicate that, under current conditions, the management strategy should concentrate its efforts and resources on risk management and the improvement of internal weaknesses, rather than on aggressive expansion.
Conclusion: Multipurpose rangeland management plans in eastern Mazandaran have strong potential to enhance ecological and livelihood sustainability; however, institutional weaknesses and climatic threats remain key challenges. Major strengths include beneficiaries’ indigenous knowledge supporting adaptive management and the use of resistant species, diverse vegetation cover, active participation that reduces conflicts, and the development of subsidiary activities such as cultivation of Ferula gummosa Boiss., alfalfa, clover forage production, and ecotourism. According to experts, supervisors, and beneficiaries, competitive strategies particularly ST3 supported by rigorous technical oversight can prevent unsustainable competition, overexploitation of rangelands, land-use change, uncontrolled construction, and the gradual decline of livestock farming.
Methodology: This study collected data from 17 multipurpose rangeland management plans in eastern Mazandaran using library-based and field methods. The statistical population comprised 80 experts, supervisors, and beneficiaries selected using Cochran’s formula. Data were analyzed using the SWOT framework to identify internal factors (13 strengths and 13 weaknesses) and external factors (12 opportunities and 20 threats). Strategic priorities were determined using the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM). Questionnaire reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient in SPSS.
Results: The final score of the Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) matrix was 2.52, indicating a relative dominance of strengths such as indigenous knowledge, vegetation diversity, and stakeholder participation over weaknesses, which included financial resource shortages and weak monitoring. In contrast, the External Factor Evaluation (EFE) matrix yielded a score of 2.17, reflecting a predominance of threats, such as climate change and drought, over opportunities like ecotourism development and capital attraction. Based on the SWOT analysis, four main strategic categories were identified and prioritized using the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM). Competitive strategies, particularly the ST strategy (precise technical monitoring, utilization of indigenous knowledge, and local participation), and defensive strategies, notably the WT strategy (incorporating stakeholder input at various stages of multipurpose project approval and implementation to enhance participation and reduce conflicts), were identified as the most effective. Overall, these results indicate that, under current conditions, the management strategy should concentrate its efforts and resources on risk management and the improvement of internal weaknesses, rather than on aggressive expansion.
Conclusion: Multipurpose rangeland management plans in eastern Mazandaran have strong potential to enhance ecological and livelihood sustainability; however, institutional weaknesses and climatic threats remain key challenges. Major strengths include beneficiaries’ indigenous knowledge supporting adaptive management and the use of resistant species, diverse vegetation cover, active participation that reduces conflicts, and the development of subsidiary activities such as cultivation of Ferula gummosa Boiss., alfalfa, clover forage production, and ecotourism. According to experts, supervisors, and beneficiaries, competitive strategies particularly ST3 supported by rigorous technical oversight can prevent unsustainable competition, overexploitation of rangelands, land-use change, uncontrolled construction, and the gradual decline of livestock farming.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/11/9 | Accepted: 2026/02/8 | Published: 2026/04/4
Received: 2025/11/9 | Accepted: 2026/02/8 | Published: 2026/04/4
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