An investigating on causes for rancher’s unwillingness to livestock exclusion from the forests of the Galikesh County, Iran

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 Corresponding author, Associate Prof., Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran

2 Ph.D. Student of Agricultural Education, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan, Mollasani, Iran

Abstract

    Despite the implementation of forest protection programs during the last decade, the continued presence of livestock is one of the reasons for vegetation decline in Iran's forests. Therefore, livestock exclusion is an important necessity for forest conservation. This study was done with the aim of investigating the causes for rancher’s unwillingness to livestock exclusion from forest in Galikesh County in Golestan province of Iran. Using multistage random sampling method, 150 ranchers living in the bordering villages of the forest in Central and Loveh Districts in Galikesh County were selected as research samples. Data was collected using questionnaires with content and validity confirmed by experts. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to determine the validity of the questionnaire, which returned the value of 0.89. The results showed that 12 factors were responsible for the ranchers’ unwillingness to livestock exclusion from forest, which included dependence on ranching occupation, disbelief in the Plan for Organizing Livestock Exclusion from Forests, lack of a suitable place to keep livestock, weak financial strength, ancestor affiliations, legal rights to graze livestock, insufficiency of granted financial facilities, lack of participation, high cost of industrial livestock, lack of justification training, lack of proper cooperation of the banking system and belief in usefulness of livestock grazing in the forest, which explained 64.07% of the total variance of the factors related to the ranchers’ unwillingness to livestock exclusion from forest. Implementing empowerment training programs and creating diversity in ranchers' livelihoods resources is one of the suggestions of this study for increasing willingness for livestock exclusion from forest.

Keywords

References

- Abedi, Gh., Hasan Ghasemi, T.M., Ziahosseini, S.S., Zohd Ghods, F., Azizi, A.R. and Emamirad, P., 2018. Economic, social and cultural report of Galikesh County in 2016. Management and Planning Organization of Golestan Province, Gorgan, Iran, 92p (In Persian).
- Adel, M.N. and Sedighi, A.N., 2020. Study of effects of livestock and forest dwellers exclusion planning on regeneration in fouman forests, Guilan province. Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 22(3): 157-167 (In Persian).
- Amirnejad, H., 2011. Investigation of affecting social-economic factors on willingness to exodus of livestock from forest area in Mazandaran province (case study: forests of Sari). Journal of Rangeland, 5(2): 229-239 (In Persian).
- Anonymous, 2018. Project report of the Plan of Organizing Livestock Exclusion from Forests (POLEF) in Golestan Province. Golestan Natural Resources and Watershed Administration, Gorgan, Iran, 20p (In Persian).
- Arabzoozani, M., Hasani Pour, S. and Bayegi, V., 2014. Understanding Cronbach's alpha: a necessity for implementation of original research studies. Iranian Journal of Medical Education, 14(9): 831-832 (In Persian).
- Araei, V., Alavian, M. and Ghasemi, A., 2021. The policy-making of the forests of Northern Iran as a policy wicked problem; strategic recommendations. Strategic Studies of Public Policy, 11(39): 326-350 (In Persian).
- Azimi, N. and Amiri-Lomar, M., 2008. Evaluation of the livestock removal plan from forest and its impact on forest settlers, a case study of central district of Rezvanshahr, Iran. Geographical Research, 41(63): 157-171 (In Persian).
- Beiranvand, A., Zargham, N., Shamkhi, T., Nouri Naeeni, S.M.S. and Avatefi Hemat, M., 2020. Reviewing the forests and rangelands policies of the first to sixth economic, cultural and social development plans of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Public Policy, 6(1): 157-181 (In Persian).
- Borchers, J.G., 2005. Accepting uncertainty, assessing risk: decision quality in managing wildfire, forest resource values, and new technology. Forest Ecology and Management, 211(1-2): 36-46.
- Boscolo, M., Snook, L.K. and Quevedo, L., 2009. Adoption of sustainable forest management practices in Bolivian timber concessions: a quantitative assessment. International Forestry Review, 11(4): 514-523.
- Choopany, H.V., Mahmoodi, J. and Akbarlou, M., 2011. Effects of enclosure and grazing on plant diversity by using parametric models (case study: arid and semi-arid rangelands of Boz Daghi, North Khorassan Province). Journal of Rangeland, 5(3): 314-321 (In Persian).
- Clearfiled, F. and Osgood, B.T., 1986. Sociological aspects of the adoption of conservation practices. People, Partnerships and Communities Series, US Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, Washington, DC, 15p.
- Cronbach, L.J., 1951. Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16(3): 297-334.
- Darijani, M., Mahboobi, M.R., Barani, H. and Abdollahzade, Gh.H., 2018. Investigating social and organizational barriers of local communities’ participation in rehabilitation of forest landscapes and degraded lands project (case study: Rigan County, Kerman province). Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 26(3): 435-446 (In Persian).
- Faramarzi, H., 2015. Socioeconomic assessment of organizing and livestock out of the forests and aggregating dispersed woodman families projects. Journal of Natural Ecosystems of Iran, 5(4): 77-93 (In Persian).
- Farley, K.A., Walsh, K.C. and Levine, A.S., 2017. Opportunities and obstacles for rangeland conservation in San Diego County, California, USA. Ecology and Society, 22(1): 38.
- Fazeli, M. and Mohammadi Parsa, M.J., 2014. The social impact assessment of livestock removal from forest areas (a case study of rural emigrants of Yanqaq in Galikesh of Golestan Province). Rural Research, 5(3): 517-540 (In Persian).
- Heidari, Gh., Khalilian, S. and Arzani, H., 2004. Study and analysis of economic and social problems of the plan to organize livestock exiting and accumulation of forest dwellers in the Northern Forests (case study: Lefure Savadkoh region). Journal of Caspian Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences, 1(4): 27-36 (In Persian).
- Heidarpour Toutkale, Z., Shabanali Fami, H., Asadi, A. and Malekmohammadi, I., 2010. Role of membership in forestry cooperatives for utilization of forestry resources in the Western Mazandaran. Co-operation and Agriculture, 20(210): 91-115 (In Persian).
- Kacho, B. and Asfaw, M., 2014. Factors influencing participation of the local community in natural resource conservation: A comparative study of Chiro and Fiche, Ethiopia. Public Policy and Administration Research, 4(7): 48-55.
- Khani, F. and Ali Beygi, J., 2012. The role of mass media in the participation of local communities in rural areas, case study: Sample villages of Shirvan Chardavol County. Proceedings of the National Conference on Rural Development. Rasht, Iran, 4-5 Sep. 2012: 20p (In Persian).
- Khanjani Shiraz, B., 2021. Evaluating the performance of organizing livestock outflow in the forests, in the direction of sustainable management of Gilan forests. Journal of Iran Nature, 6(1): 57-70 (In Persian).
- Krejcie, R.V. and Morgan, D.W., 1970. Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30: 607-610.
- Likert, R., 1932. A technique for the measurement of attitudes. Archives of Psychology, 22(140): 55p.
- Macharia, B.W., 2015. Factors influencing community participation in forestry conservation projects: a case of Kithoka-Twajai forest community based organization, Meru County Kenya. M.Sc. thesis, Faculty of Management, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, 63p.
- Mahboobi, M.R., Darijani, M., Barani, H. and Abdollahzade, Gh., 2019. Ethics and participation in natural resources protection. Journal of Ethics in Science and Technology, 14(1): 19-25 (In Persian).
- Mahmoudi, J., Heydari, Gh. and Mirbozorgi, M.S., 2012. The obstructions of grazing management project from the viewpoint of natural resources experts. Journal of Renewable Natural Resources Research, 2(4): 1-9 (In Persian).
- Moradi, A., Najafi Nejad, A., Ownegh, M. and Komaki, Ch.B., 2019. Assessment of the impacts of different Digital Elevation Models on runoff and ‎suspended sediment estimations using SWAT model, case study: Galikesh ‎watershed, Golestan Province. ‎Watershed Engineering and Management, 11(1): 62-75 (In Persian).
- Okuthe, I.K., Kioli, F. and Abuom, P., 2013. Socio economic determinants of the adoption of integrated natural resource management technologies by small scale farmers: evidence from Western Kenya. Research Journal of Environmental and Earth Sciences, 5(9): 481-496.
- Pirasteh, A. and Heydarnia, A.R., 2009. Exploratory factor analysis of psychosocial determinats measures of physical activity among Iranian ado-lescent girls. Journal of Medical Council of Iran, 26(4): 474-485 (In Persian).
- Qaderi, E., Qaravi, Y.M., Mahboobi Qomi, A.H. and Shariati, M.R., 2010. Analysis of factors affecting the acceptance of the plan to organize livestock out of the forest in Golestan province. Journal of Forest and Rangeland, 84: 30-39 (In Persian).
- Rahimian, M., Farashi, M., Gholamrezaei, S. and Barakhas, A., 2018. Analyzing the effects of livestock removal from forest on local people: a case study of Siahdarreh village in Nahavand county of Iran. Village and Development, 21(3): 1-24 (In Persian).
- Razaghi, M.H., 2014. People, natural resources and participation. Journal of Forest and Rangeland, 101: 4-5 (In Persian).
- Rezvani, M. and Hashemzadeh, F., 2013. Investigating the effective factors on forest degradation and impact of moving out livestock from district 14 of the northern forests of Iran: an environmental and economic perspective (Fuman). Journal of Wood and Forest Science and Technology Research, 20(3): 125-138 (In Persian).
- Sagheb-Talebi, Kh., Parhizkar, P., Hassani, M., Pourhashemi, M., Mirkazemi, S.Z., Karimidoost, A., ... and Nourolahi, S.S., 2021. Structure of intact mixed broad-leaved stands in Hyrcanian Forests (case study: Loveh, Golestan province). Forest and Wood Products, 73(4): 439-453 (In Persian).
- Salarian, F., Tatian, M., Ghanghermeh, A. and Tamartash, R., 2022. Modeling land cover changes in Golestan province using land change modeler (LCM). Journal of RS and GIS for Natural Resources, 12(4): 47-70 (In Persian).
- Sarmad, Z., Bazargan, A. and Hejazi, E., 2020. Research Methods in Behavioral Sciences. Agah Publications, Tehran, 408p (In Persian).
- Shafiei, F., Rezvanfar, A., Hosseini, S.M. and Sarmadian, F., 2008. Opinion survey on soil conservation practices (The case study of Karkheh and Dez watershed's farmer's attitude, Khuzestan, Iran). Iran-Watershed Management Science and Engineering, 2: 3-10 (In Persian).
- Taleshi, M. and Efati, M., 2017. Participatory Program Planning. Publication by Payame Noor University, Tehran, 240p (In Persian).
- Tohidy, M., Yazdian, F., Azarnoosh, M.R., Eshaghi, M., Adel, M.N. and Kuhestani, J.S., 2014. Evaluation of effects of livestock emersion bookkeeping plan on forest dwellers, case study: Abbas-Abad forest. Journal of Natural Ecosystems of Iran, 3(4): 75-84 (In Persian).
 
Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research
Volume 29, Issue 3 - Serial Number 85
January 2022
Pages 285-300

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics