Nima Shakeri boroujeni; Hossein Bashari; Mostafa Tarkesh esfahani
Abstract
This study sought to develop a Decision Support System (DSS) for assisting range managers todetect range condition and make informed decisions about Feridan County rangelands. All plantspecies frequencies were measured in 31 range sites with various grazing histories using step pointmethod. Four hundred ...
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This study sought to develop a Decision Support System (DSS) for assisting range managers todetect range condition and make informed decisions about Feridan County rangelands. All plantspecies frequencies were measured in 31 range sites with various grazing histories using step pointmethod. Four hundred points along four perpendiculars 30 meters transects were measured in eachsite and grazing indicator species were identified using grazing gradient analysis. The rangeconditions of the sites were determined by evaluating the frequencies of indicator species alonggrazing gradient using Resource Environment Data Information System (REDIS). The bestmanagement practices and ecological interpretation for each range condition classes were theninserted into the REDIS model. The end users can import the indicator species frequencies of aselected site into the REDIS model and obtain the required information about range condition class,ecological information and management options. According to the results, the frequencies of sixrange species in the study area can appropriately determine range condition classes quantitatively.The model performance was then evaluated by comparing the range condition classes of 12independent sites by REDIS model and ‘Four Factors’ method. The REDIS model had an accuracyof 91 percent. The mangers can save the condition position of a selected site along a conditiongradient in REDIS model; hence they could simply monitor the range condition changes of thestudied site.