This study evaluated the implementation or non-implementation of predicted project of range plan in Isfahan province. Accordingly, first, the list of range management plans was prepared. Next, the list of predicted projects for each plan was extracted. Afterwards, quantity and quality of information and barriers to project implementation were determined by using the field visits of rangelands, interviews with experts and exploiters of rangelands. The results showed that the predicted projects of range plans have not completely implemented (average 37.58%). In the meantime, the projects of water container, livestock wells, aqueducts and fountains and pile had the best condition and dry farming, direct seeding had the worst condition. Also The revise of the range management Plan, failure to provide banking facilities for projects, weakness monitoring projects, problems with the proximity of range allotments, no exit surplus livestock, venture capital for projects, formulates problems in range, and the lack of consent of plan executors were the most important technical, social and economic barriers. It seems that range plans do not have enough efficiency due to technical, social and economic problems. Therefore, they should be revised in this regard regarding multiuse of rangelands.

This study was carried out to obtain an approach for designing range management plans through Geographic Information System (GIS), to make the planning process quickly with accuracy. In this research, some ground information including slope, elevation, vegetation, soil, range trend and condition were recorded. Then based on integration of these information with the basic consideration of resource management it is possible to improve the existing condition or stabilize the current optimum state.While the new model is ready, then the new and old model should be compared. Based on the results of this method, the GIS integrated model could help us to achieve the information more convenient and quickly. Clarification is an other attribute of this model. The management of rangeland would be better as well. Information of the basic studies would never been lost during integration. Correction of errors would be done quickly as well. Finally these aforementioned items, would lead to higher accuracy.Result of this study, which was performed in Lar rangelands, showed that the total area of rangeland which should be managed in balance method is 7805 ha. The area to be managed in natural method is 4998 ha, the area to be under enclosure is 2916 ha, the area to be seeded is 6579 ha, the area to be inter seeded is 6269 ha, the area to be hoe sowed is 2925 ha and the rest is rocky, river and farmland. Comparison of suggested plans for range management projects with results of this study (through integration of information using GIS) indicates that some suggested plans are not corresponded with Lar rangelands ecological condition and needs to be revised.

This study was conducted to assess the effect of rangeland dedication. The research population included all the rangeland owners (N=45) and all the pasture experts (N=32) .Moreover, data was gathered through two main methods, i.e. library, documentary and field methods. The viewpoints and suggestions of professors, researchers and experts were used for the purpose of determining the validity of questionnaire. Based on Kerenbakh Alpha Coefficient, the results of questionnaire reliability was determined 0.89 and 0.91 for the questions relating to pasture owners and experts, respectively. The result of Spearman correlative coefficient indicated that the relation between the variables of: beneficiary literacy, beneficiary training, improving economic capability of beneficiary family through granting credits, improving economic capability of beneficiary family through breeding and reclamation of pastures, and improving economic capability of exploiters’ family through combination of cultivation and animal husbandry, decreasing livestock, executive effective regulations, and improving economic capability of exploiters’ family through productive plans with variable of level of success in rangeland privatization in the form of pasture management plans is positive.The results gained from Man - Whitney examination indicate that there is no meaningful difference between the viewpoint of experts and pasture owners concerning the level of success in rangeland privatization in the form of pasture management plans and both groups have similar opinion. The results gained from multivariable regression in stepwise method show that the variables of improving economic capability of beneficiary capability had have positive effect on level of success in rangeland privatization in the form of pasture management plans by combination of cultivation and animal husbandry, beneficiary training, improving economic capability of exploiters’ family through pastures breeding and reclamation and decreasing the number of livestock.

The study examined the grazing systems in range management plans via a participatory evaluation. This research performed in 1386 in Semnan province. All of experts in natural resources offices and livestock manager that exploit/own selected ranches were whole/reference population in this study. Using stratified random sampling method and applying Cochran formula, the sample volumes 30 were estimated to select from range management plans. Result showed that grazing systems in range management plans for winter rangelands in this area was unsuccessful/failure (%77). Some important reasons of this unsuccessfulness is no participation of livestock managers(%33), no attention to special affairs of pastoral society (%25), no adaptation with natural conditions (%22) and no correct designing for grazing systems (%20).

This study was examined the suggested grazing systems in range management plans through an assessment. This research carried out in 2007 at Semnan province. The statistical population of the study consists of all experts in Natural Resources Administrative Offices and all pastoralists that exploit/own selected ranches. The sample size (30) was determined based on stratified random sampling method and Cochran formula and distributed in each stratum (District) according to their weight (total range management plans). Descriptive result showed that the average rank of suggested grazing systems is 2.57 that means the suggested grazing systems in range management plansr prepared for Semnan province are located at week or fair level. The other results showed that there are significant differences between experts’ opinion and pastoralists’ opinion on the suggested grazing systems. There is a significant and positive correlation coefficient between survey factors and respondents’ opinion about suggested grazing systems. The stepwise regression showed that X5 variable (the content of prepared plans) is the first and the most important variable in the correlation (R2=0.77).

range management plans are as one of the best tools to rangeland management and utilization. This study aimed to identify the success and failure causes of range management plans in Golestan province. Questionnaire method was used to collect data from supervising experts in range management plans. Multivariate analysis and Spearman rank correlation were used to data analysis at PC-ORD 5 and SPSS 16 softwares. Common traditional use of rangelands, lack of penalties for uncommitted users, not distinguish between committed and uncommitted utilizers, preparation of the plans without attention to utilizers viewpoint and preparing plans without economic justification were identified as the most important failure reasons of these plans (each of them 24 percent correlation with others). Undesirable plans and lack of distinguish between professional offenders were among other important failure reasons of the plans (each of these 23 percent correlation). These mentioned factors have high and significant correlation (above 70 percent) with lack of ownership, lack of disincentive laws, unsuitable proposed projects in economic and ecological issues and up-down policy making. Insurance of range managers, financial supports of plans supervisors, distinguish between committed and uncommitted utilizers (approximately 34 percent) and proposing plans with economy justification, and utilizing of short return were identified as the most important success factors of these plans (32 percent). The identified success factors had 81 percent correlation with offending range managers, 70 percent correlation with give the plans to the experienced experts and 52 percent correlation with preparing the plans with participating of utilizers.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the socio-economic impacts of range management plans in the Mashhad County. Accordingly, 16 range management plans, approved during 1993 to 2012, were studied in three categories including executed, unexecuted and under execution plans. To achieve this purpose, some questionnaires were prepared with respect to the number of the beneficiaries in 15 range allotments and 48 samples were selected at random. The questionnaires were answered by the beneficiaries and the data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics in the SPSS software. The results showed that the beneficiaries considered the implementation of these plans to be effective; however, they also face a lot of problems. In areas where range management plans are not implemented, beneficiaries believe that these plans cannot solve many of their problems. However, despite all these problems, they hope that the implementation of these plans will reduce the problems of rangelands, including rangeland ownership. Finally, according to the beneficiaries' responses and many interviews conducted, range management plans are evaluated positively from a socio-economic point of view.

In order to investigate the effects of range management plans on cover, production, litter, and regeneration of plants in Semirum rangelands, 54 sites including 29 with plan and 25 without plan were selected. The implementation of range management plans resulted in the decrease of stocking rate, affecting the improvement of vegetation. According to the obtained results, no significant differences were found for the mean total cover, production and number of seedlings between two managements (P<0.05), while in the sites with plan, the cover, production and number of seedlings of class 1 plants, and cover and production of perennial grasses were significantly more than those of the sites without plan. This result was also true in the case of litter. These variations in plant composition were due to the impact of controlling the intensity and timing of grazing on the competition between palatable and perennial species with invasive and annual ones.

rangelands are one of the major sources of forage production in the country and in addition to its effects on the production of livestock products, a large population is dependent on rangelands because of animal husbandry. Since the government applies management on rangelands through range management plans, therefore, in this study, direct and indirect effects of management variables on range condition and trend as well as rangeland production were investigated by selecting three range management plans at three levels of successful, moderately successful and unsuccessful in Kerman, Kermanshah, Mazandaran, Khorasan Razavi and West Azarbaijan provinces. management variables were included as follows: the accuracy of rangeland and livestock data, project compatibility with natural conditions, beneficiaries' conditions, funding and the capabilities of human resources, predicting the executive and beneficiaries' obligations, executive calendar, and active supervisors. According to the results of rank correlation by Spearman, variables of range condition and trend as well as rangeland production had a high rank correlation together.According to the results of path analysis, variables including the accuracy of rangeland data, project compatibility with the capabilities of human resources, predicting the executive obligations, active supervisors, and beneficiaries' obligations were the factors which improved range condition and trend as well as rangeland production. Due to the negative impact of variables including project compatibility with funding, project compatibility with beneficiaries' conditions, and executive calendar on range condition and trend as well as rangeland production, these variables must be revised and their function need be evaluated. In addition, it is emphasized that greater sensitivity is required in planning for the future due to the negative effect of these variables. Other variables had no favorable or negative effect directly; however, they affected range condition and range trend as well as rangeland production indirectly.

Accurate identification of resources and proper planning are the most critical factors for management of natural resources. In this study, in order to fulfill proper planning, I compared 3 approaches namely: GIS, rangeland management plans and indigenous knowledge of rangeland exploiters in order to identify best sites for rangeland improvement and development projects in Jashloobar rangeland in Mahdishahr Township– Semnan Province.At the end, the degree of accordance among these three methods was determined and the best approach for proper management of rangelands was offered. In this connection, different layers of information such as slope, altitude, soil, vegetation, rangeland condition and trend, etc were laid in GIS and finally, by integrating principal guidelines into rangeland management plans, final maps were produced. I also studied the maps demarcating the sites of rangeland improvement and development projects of different pastoral units. After desk studies, I visited the pastoral units and filled the questionnaire about rangeland and exploiter with the exploiters of each pastoral unit. Eventually, it indicated that the formulated projects for pastoral units (rangeland management plans) did not comply with the potentials of rangelands and more attention should be paid during developing of rangeland management plans. It also suggested that some of the projects should be reviewed. I also noticed that exploiter's view somewhat differs from the potentials of rangeland or they express their views favoring some special objectives. Thus, they should have some training in this regards. The results imply that application of GIS associated with accurate data from rangeland can help experts in identification of proper and efficient rangeland development and improvement projects and thus speed up the rehabilitation process.