Kobra Karimi; esmaeel karami dehkordi; khalil aghajanlu
Abstract
Assessment of rangeland management projects enables policy makers and planners to understand their impacts from different environmental, social, human, and economic aspects. The aim of this research is to assess rural households’ perspective regarding the impact of rangeland management projects ...
Read More
Assessment of rangeland management projects enables policy makers and planners to understand their impacts from different environmental, social, human, and economic aspects. The aim of this research is to assess rural households’ perspective regarding the impact of rangeland management projects on their social capital. Using a survey methodology, respondents were asked to assess the indicators before and after the implementation of the projects. A randomized multi-stage sampling technique was utilized to select a sample of 204 out of 1280 rural pastoralists in Mahneshan County of Zanjan Province. Data was collected utilizing a structured interview technique and questionnaire. From pastoralists’ points of view, these projects have had considerable impacts on increasing relationships, collaboration, and social norms for collective actions. They have also been slightly effective in terms of reducing emigration, increasing job opportunities and participation in decision-making. Nevertheless, these projects had no effect in establishing or strengthening non-governmental organizations. Therefore, planning for rangeland management projects necessitates more attention to improving their effectiveness and their social institutionalization potential.
Behzad Rayegani; Gholamreza Zehtabian; Hossein Azarnivand; seyed kazem alavipanah; Sayed Jamaleddin Khajeddin
Abstract
Soil is one of the main non-renewable natural resources in the world and its degradation is considered as a major threat around the globe because it reduces the productivity capacity of soil variability and makes the environment instable in the long turn. Soil degradation has three different ...
Read More
Soil is one of the main non-renewable natural resources in the world and its degradation is considered as a major threat around the globe because it reduces the productivity capacity of soil variability and makes the environment instable in the long turn. Soil degradation has three different aspects: Physical, Chemical and Biological degradation. If any of these aspects of the destruction of the soil can be estimated in an equation, assessment and estimation of the soil degradation can be done easily. To achieve this goal extensive efforts have been made in various parts of the world and different methods for assessing soil degradation have been suggested. In this research latest guideline of soil degradation assessment presented by Land Degradation Assessment in Aridlands is used to desert region of the east of Esfahan and different aspects of soil degradation is assessed by that. According to the findings of this research, LADA methodology of soil degradation easily can be used by most users within the country because the method is simple and provides results as fast as possible. Comparing the results of this method and photos of relative the sampling sites has shown the model is reasonably accurate.
Behzad Rayegani; Gholamreza Zehtabian; Hossein Azarnivand; Seyed Jamalodin Khajedin; Seyed Kazem Alavipanah
Abstract
Arid and semi-arid areas, due to the sensitive, have variable ecosystems, so continuous assessment and monitoring of the environment is required for most of managerial and adjustment practices. Vegetation is one of the most important assessment tools and used as a criterion for evaluation and monitoring ...
Read More
Arid and semi-arid areas, due to the sensitive, have variable ecosystems, so continuous assessment and monitoring of the environment is required for most of managerial and adjustment practices. Vegetation is one of the most important assessment tools and used as a criterion for evaluation and monitoring of ecosystem functions. In this study, for the first time in the country, we have evaluated status of vegetation in a desert area by the method provided by the Land Degradation Assessment in Aridlands as one of the last instruction of the vegetation status assessment. The model uses 16 different indicators to assess vegetation status: Total Bare Soil; Bare Spots; Litter cover or Surface organic matter; Vegetation Vigour; Proportion of perennial species; Proportion of Useful Species; Proportion of each vegetation strata; Species that decrease with grazing pressure; Species that increase with grazing pressure; Poisonous plants; Alien Invasive or proliferous weed species; Pest damage; Damage due to diseases; Bush /shrub encroachment; Utilization (Deforestation); Biomass decline. After running the model in the desert rangelands of East and compared the results with the reality, we found this model at least for the desert area, have very good performance.
M Abbasi; M Mohseni Saravi; M.M Kheirkhah; Sh Khalighi Sigaroudi; Gh Rostamizad; M Hosseini
Volume 63, Issue 3 , December 2010, , Pages 375-385
Abstract
Assessment of watershed management activities is one of the main subjects for future planning of practical projects and natural resources management. Due to the lack of any tool for assessment of watershed processes in many cases, distributed hydrological models can be useful. The purpose of this study ...
Read More
Assessment of watershed management activities is one of the main subjects for future planning of practical projects and natural resources management. Due to the lack of any tool for assessment of watershed processes in many cases, distributed hydrological models can be useful. The purpose of this study was evaluation of watershed management activities in Kan Watershed by HEC-HMS (Hydrologic Modeling System). For this purpose, first by considering observed events, HEC-HMS model was optimized and calibrated. Then, for evaluating the effects of check dams on time of concentration, it was calculated before and after of check dam's construction by use of field observations and vegetation cover improvement was also estimated after the project. These parameters were imported to HEC-HMS to find out the effects of watershed practices and then flooding condition was simulated. For assessment purposes, peak discharge and flood volume were calculated for “before” and “after” construction conditions. Results showed that check dams as mechanical measures had low effect on time of concentration while biological practices lead to decrease in curve number with an average value of 3.1. This effects result in decrease of peak flow and flood volume meanly 21% and 11%, respectively.
