Journal of Rangeland

---

Range management plans are as one of the best tools to rangeland management and utilization. This study aimed to identify the success and failure causes of range management plans in Golestan province. Questionnaire method was used to collect data from supervising experts in range management plans. Multivariate analysis and Spearman rank correlation were used to data analysis at PC-ORD 5 and SPSS 16 softwares. Common traditional use of rangelands, lack of penalties for uncommitted users, not distinguish between committed and uncommitted utilizers, preparation of the plans without attention to utilizers viewpoint and preparing plans without economic justification were identified as the most important failure reasons of these plans (each of them 24 percent correlation with others). Undesirable plans and lack of distinguish between professional offenders were among other important failure reasons of the plans (each of these 23 percent correlation). These mentioned factors have high and significant correlation (above 70 percent) with lack of ownership, lack of disincentive laws, unsuitable proposed projects in economic and ecological issues and up-down policy making. Insurance of range managers, financial supports of plans supervisors, distinguish between committed and uncommitted utilizers (approximately 34 percent) and proposing plans with economy justification, and utilizing of short return were identified as the most important success factors of these plans (32 percent). The identified success factors had 81 percent correlation with offending range managers, 70 percent correlation with give the plans to the experienced experts and 52 percent correlation with preparing the plans with participating of utilizers.

---

Insight into the relationship between plants and environmental characteristics is essential for managing rangeland ecosystems. The present study investigate the effect of soil and topographic factors on the distribution of the most important medicinal plants in Khosh Yeilagh Golestan province. Parameters such as density, frequency and canopy percent were the subjects of the study. Random-systematic method was used through plots establishment along the transect in the study area. The geolocation and gradient levels, altitude and sea level were measured and recorded. Through each transect, soil samples were taken at the center of 3 plots from 0 to 30 cm depth. Physical and chemical properties of soil were then measured. In order to introduce the most effective environmental factor on distribution of medicinal plants, Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) were used in PC-ORD5. The result of CCA showed 53% of the total variation was justified by the first, second and third axes. Elevation, geographic and organic factors with correlation coefficient of -0.520, 0.472 and -0.470, respectively, in the first axis of ordination, the gradient factor with a correlation coefficient of 0.601,-0.568 and -0.558 in the second axis and the sand percent factor with a correlation of 0.400 in the third axis of ordination was introduced as the most effective factors on the distribution of medicinal species in khosh Yeilagh. Obviously in future rehabilitation of the rangelands result of the study could improve the production of the medicinal plants.

---

In the field of natural resource’s utilization and management, the two groups of stakeholders, utilizers and official experts are not quite agreed. It is obvious that each of these two social groups, depending on their interests and duties, have different points of views, as a result different plans for the development and managent. Finding the differences thus, could be effective in decision making and planning. In this study, the views of two groups of utilizers, managers and facilitators in Azadshahr and Gonbad rangelands in Golestan province were taken into account. The focus was on the reasons for low rate of acceptance for multiple-use projects. Required data were gathered through questionnaires and open interviews (consist of 6 indices and 90 items) with members of both groups. The results of questionnaires and interviews were analyzed using Discriminant Analysis (DA) in STATISTICA. Survey shows that utilizers have a different view of about 50.12% from the expert group of executives and managers. The most different issues were institutional, political, social and economic. On environmental issues such as water shortage (12.06%), human resources including literacy and household dimension (12.14%) there was almost agreements. The highest disagreement was found on organization-policy including inadequate government services, insufficient interaction of authorities with local and utilizers, etc. (65.32%). Based on the results, facilitators must take part in educational workshops on the mechanism of implementation of the multiple-use projects to encourage the utilizers to accept and well use of the plans.