valiollah Raufirad; Qodratollah Heidari; Hossein Azadi; Jamshid Ghorbani
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess socio-economic vulnerability in lowland rangelands of Aran-v-Bidgol County. Accordingly, the most important socio-economic indices were identified using literature review. The sample size was calculated based on Cochran’s formula. Data was collected using ...
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The purpose of this study was to assess socio-economic vulnerability in lowland rangelands of Aran-v-Bidgol County. Accordingly, the most important socio-economic indices were identified using literature review. The sample size was calculated based on Cochran’s formula. Data was collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. A panel of experts and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient approved respectively the content validity and reliability of the questionnaire. Me-Bar and Valdez's vulnerability formula was applied to assess the socio-economic vulnerability. Results showed that “presence of experts in rangelands”, “local problems and the collapse of past utilization systems” and “number of rangeland users” were the most important indices of social vulnerability. Findings further indicated that “life expenses of rangeland users”, “number of livestock of rangeland users”, “economic status of rangeland users”, “livestock type” and “increasing prices” are the most important indices of economic vulnerability. The results also identified that more accuracy can be obtained to assess rangelands vulnerability by integrating social and economic factors at local scale. Therefore, policy-makers and rangeland managers and practitioners should pay more attention to socioeconomic factors at local scales to sustainable rangeland management.
Ataolah Ebrahimi; valiollah Raufirad; Hosein Arzani; Zahra Shojaei Asadeiye
Abstract
Determination of rangeland species palatability has some functions such as defining the rangeland grazing capacity and plant composition estimation. Despite the importance of palatability in rangeland management, no appropriate palatability indicator has been defined yet. Therefore, developing an accurate, ...
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Determination of rangeland species palatability has some functions such as defining the rangeland grazing capacity and plant composition estimation. Despite the importance of palatability in rangeland management, no appropriate palatability indicator has been defined yet. Therefore, developing an accurate, applicable, general, and simple indicator for plant palatability estimation seems crucial. This research is an effort in this regard. To investigate the relationship between plant secondary compounds and palatability, plant species composition in the study area and in the sheep and goat diet as well as selection index were measured using chronometric and filming method. In the next stage, main plants’ secondary compounds in livestock diet were determined using GC/MSS. Then plants’ secondary compounds were ordinated using principle component analysis (PCA) method. Quantitative value of each plant species Eigen values on each of the main axis of PCA was regarded as a criterion for differentiation of plant species based on its secondary compounds. Finally, correlation between selection index of each plant species by sheep and goat (as dependent variable) with each plant species Eigen values on PCA axis (as independent variable) was determined. The results showed that there is a significant negative relationship between the selection index of the species by sheep and goat with its secondary compounds (P≤0.05). So, it is concluded that secondary compounds are effective factors in animal’s diet selection for grazing. Therefore, secondary compounds are recommended as an important factor for plant palatability determination.
Valiollah Raufirad; Ataollah Ebrahimi; Hossein Arzani; Zahra Shojaei Asadeiye
Abstract
Palatability includes plants physical and chemical property that encourages an animal selecta plant for grazing. This study is an attempt for intruducing an indicator for determining thepalatability of rangeland plants. To do this, the relationship between palatability and foragequality of rangeland ...
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Palatability includes plants physical and chemical property that encourages an animal selecta plant for grazing. This study is an attempt for intruducing an indicator for determining thepalatability of rangeland plants. To do this, the relationship between palatability and foragequality of rangeland plants in Karsanak rangelands of the Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiari provincewas studied. First, plant composition based on plant canopy cover and production wasdetermined using of the systematic random sampling method (in each plant type there are2 transects of 200 m and 15 plots along each transect). Also, the percentage of present eachplant in the livestock diet (sheep and goat) was determined using the filming method. Then,the selection index of each plant species by sheep and goat was determined. In the next stage,the forage quality of some plant species was determined by determining the percentage ofCP, ADF, DMD and ME. Finally, the relationship between plant quality indices (independentvariables) and the selection index of plant species by sheep and goats (dependent variable)was determined using the SPSS software (Ver.15). Results showed that there is a significantrelationship between the selection index of each species (both percentage canopy cover andproduction) and ADF, DMD, and ME by the sheep (P ≤0.05). However, such a significantrelationship was not found for CP. And, there is not a significant relationship between theselection index of each species (both percentage canopy cover and production) and ADF,DMD, ME and CP by the goat (P ≤0.05). Considering the results, the quality of forage can be an indicator in determining their palatability.