چكيده انگليسي :
Changing the mobile livestock management system and increasing pressure on rangeland users have resulted in herders not having sufficient opportunity to balance the number of livestock with the amount of forage produced in the rangelands. Consequently, this has led to significant pressure on the rangelands and a reduction in their production capacity. Therefore, determining the economic size of rangelands in proportion to the number of livestock and establishing a logical relationship between rangeland users and the productive capacity of the rangelands is essential. This study aims to assess the economic value of designated rangelands and those with management plans in Fereidan and to compare them with each other for the year 2022. Initially, a questionnaire was designed, and after ensuring its validity and reliability, information was collected from the herders in the region. To calculate the number of livestock and the rangeland area required for each household to meet income deficits, the annual costs needed for each household in the region and the total annual income sources from non-rangeland sources were considered. The income shortfall that must be met through livestock farming on the rangeland was then determined. Subsequently, based on the grazing capacity relationship, the number of livestock utilizing a rangeland area was calculated based on the available forage (the product of the total dry forage production and the allowable use or palatability of forage plants in the area), the rangeland area, the grazing period, and the forage needs of the predominant livestock in the area. Accordingly, and considering the number of livestock required per household, the necessary rangeland area for each household was calculated. Finally, after determining the economic size for the herder households in the region, the economic size of rangelands in designated and managed rangelands was compared using an independent t-test. The results showed that all 38 herders who participated in the study were men, most of whom were between 56 and 70 years old and had a high school diploma. In terms of the utilization system, more than 95 percent of the rangelands in the region were communal. Regarding rangeland management, about 8 percent had management plans, while the rest were designated rangelands. The average number of goats and sheep per household was 148 and 23, respectively. The sheep were generally from five breeds: Afshari, native, crossbred, Shal, and Lori, while the goat breeds included native, crossbred, Pakistani, and Najdi. The average weight of sheep in the region was 54.8 kg, and the average weight of goats was 35.7 kg. The average annual livestock farming costs per household were 2,694 million Rials, and the average total income from livestock farming was 3,025 million Rials. The average annual net income per household from agriculture, subsidies, cattle, and other sources (such as truck driving, labor, and tractor work) was 607, 158, 460, and 654 million Rials, respectively, totaling 1,879 million Rials. The total annual household expenses in the studied area averaged 4,012.9 million Rials. Considering the annual costs required for each household in the region and the total annual income from non-rangeland sources, the income shortfall that must be met through livestock farming on the rangeland was determined to be 2,147 million Rials per year. The average rangeland area required per household in the region was found to be 242 hectares. The average economic size of the rangeland for designated and managed rangelands was 514 and 215 hectares, respectively. The comparison results using the independent t-test showed a significant difference in the economic size of rangelands in designated and rangelands with management plan at a 95 percent confidence level.
