Analyzing Effective Factors on Rangeland Exploitation by Using AʹWOT (Case Study: Aq Qala Rangelands, Golestan, Iran)

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Rangelands are known as one of the main income resources for their exploiters.In the recent century, management of Iran rangeland has undergone vast transformationsbecause of vulnerable socio-economic conditions of pastoralists. A study was done toprovide a clear picture of the status and utilization of Aq Qala rangelands via assessinginternal and external environmental factors affecting the utilization of rangelands. Thus aSWOT was adopted to identify and assess the positive and negative factors in internal andexternal environments. Data were collected through free and brainstorming interviews withan emphasis on the knowledge and experience of rangelands’ exploiters. After contentanalyzing of primary collected data, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and spectralquestionnaires were respectively used for range management technicians and exploiters toquantify gathered qualitative information. Based on the results, priority of the main factorsof SWOT related to the rangelands utilization was respectively identified for opportunities,threats, weaknesses, and strengths. The results revealed that chance of income extensionfrom livestock productions (weight= 0.102) had the first priority in the opportunitiessection. In the threats section, drought and its consequences in rangeland exploitations(0.095) had the highest threats from pastoralists and technicians views. Lack of waterresources and their uneven distribution (0.028) and the importance of rangelands and theirexploitation in the livelihood and economy (0.022) were respectively the main factors inthe strengths and weaknesses sections.