0118-B1
M. Fattahi[1]
The Zagross region is located in the west of Iran running from northwest to southeast. This region is one of the strategic and valuable locations in Iran. Total forest area is about 5.2 million hectares. Flora and fauna is very rich with high diversity. There are between 2000 to 2500 species including 7-10% endemic rare species and 8% trees and shrubs. Population pressure has led to encroachments on the forestland, for agricultural and garden use, collection of fuelwood, mining, human settlements, grazing, utilization of branches and leaves of oak trees for feeding domestic animals, etc. People have been forced to be highly dependent on these degraded forests and so the forests have been reduced quantitatively and qualitatively. Since 1965 natural regeneration has been severely reduced while pests and diseases have increased. The history of management regimes in these forests from 1961-2002 includes:
1. Exploitation of the forests for charcoal projects by government permission from 1960-1970.
2. The first management plan started in 1972 with the aim of reforestation and protection, but it did not achieve its aims.
3. The second phase of management plans was to cover 1981-1991, but was never implemented.
4. In the third phase, integrated management plans in vast areas were begun from 1996-2001, directed only by governmental experts with little participation by the people.
5. Finally in the latest governmental guideline, in order to provide a complete and up-to-date picture of integrated management plans in which people participated, equity and settlement schemes to other areas were considered.
Zagross region has been located in the west of Iran from northwest to southeast. This region covers about 20% of Iran¢s territory and includes of 10 provinces with more than 50 cities, 30% country population, more than 50 % of livestock and some of the most important rivers with 30% rainfall, 40% water content, etc. Therefore this region is one of the strategic and valuable regions in Iran.
Total forest area in this region is about 5.2 millions hectares. Flora and fauna is very rich with high diversity. Vegetation species frequency is 2000-2500 and endemic and rare species 7-10%. Trees and shrubs frequency is more than 150 species. Shifting (cultivated) forests to agricultural and horticulture areas and usage in producing as fuel wood, livestock feeding of branches and leaves and other socio-economic problems have been provided some conflicts in management. Living people includes sedantair, transhumance, nomadisme and semi nomadisme. Animal husbandry is open with low output. Hard climatic and geographic conditions, low income and unsuitable living conditions all are forced people to be highly dependent on these degraded forests, early and late grazing, over grazing in 7 to 9 months in each year from quantitative and qualitative degradation, caused a fragile ecosystem with unbalance of funna and flora.
In general, Zagross is very cold and mountainious region. People with low income, very dependent on environment. Natural resources became very fragile, erosion is high and pests and diseases were increased.
Administration of these forests began from 1948 primarily, but from1962 spread. Forest management begun from three decades ago and until present, continue very dynamic. Forests in Iran are national and administrated by the Forests and Rangelands Organization.
This study was carried out in Zagross vegetation region of Iran, stretching 1150 kilometers in length, 75 kilometers in width from northwest to southeast part of Iran. And located between 29 to 36 longitude and 44 to 54 latitude, between 750 to 2300 meters above sea level. Climate of this region influenced by some high and low pressure centers. From northwest to southeast is humid, dry sub humid and Semi arid to arid. Rainfall in the west of Zagross is between 450 to 850milimeters, but in east section is less than 300-450milimeters and it have an unsuitable distribution. Absolute minimum and maximum temperature are between -30° to +45° C.
Vegetation season is concurrent to dry season with 4 to 6 months. The most important types of soil in classes are Vertisols, Mollesols, Enseptesols, and antisols and also bedrock is calcareous. These forests located in deciduous biome include Quercus spp., Pistacia spp., Amygdalus spp., Crataegus spp. Pyrus spp., Acer spp. and so on. Forest management investigations were done with library and documents exist until 2000.
Access to goal percentage has been determined as a suitable indicator for evaluation of succeeding per each stage. Moreover different management regimes have been compared.
Traditional forest management appeared in1921 for north forests of Iran. And until 1948 in most of the regions of Iran developed. In 1962 forests were nationalized, before this time ownership were governmentally and privately and it wasn’t any law and policy to exploit. But from this time exploitation begun from the best species like Buxus hyrcana, juglans regia, Quercus spp., Zelkova carpinifoila, Acer spp....by different Russian, English, French and Swedish companies. More changes resulting preparation forestry projects that is continued.
- At first phase before 1971 it had not any document or resources about scientific principles for forests exploitation. But we have some documents about charcoal projects by government permission, for example clear cutting Maymand forests in Fars province in 1955 or Hianat forest in Ilam province in 1963 and Mench in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province for charcoal projects. Therefore govermental projects, exploitation and encroachment by local communities effected on degadations of these forests by means of grazing, forests conversion to agricultural and pasturelands.
- Second phase began from 1971-1981 in this time primary forestry plans on the base of preserve and rehabilitation have been started. But based on lack involvement of forests dependent communities and Islamic revolution in 1978 most of the programs failed. Although about 30 projects in a wide area (about 400000 hectares) have done, but most of them have been loosed because in these projects principle techniques have been applied but people cooperation and socio- economic problems have not been considered.
- In third phase during 1989-1996 socio-economic problems of people were considered in planing but based on the lack of coordinate and collaborates with other relevant sectors, land use planning failed operationally.
- In forth phase during 1996-2000 accomplished preparation projects became vast with different factors like physiography, topography, climatic, edaphic, vegetation (forests and rangelands) socio-economic,hydrology, wild life etc have been done. Then detail study arrangement and supply different projects such us: plantation forage plant, little gardens provide, agriculture problems considering, fishing development, preserve water and soil, livestock production, pests and diseases studies and...with time table in few villages accomplished in an area about 10000 hectares. Although this plans access to some goals in compare with last stages but not completely, because support of integrated rural development activities in forest communities where peoples are dependent on forest resources imposes had been considered.
In the final planning by cooperation of Reaserch Institute of forests and rangelands (RIFR) and Forests and Rangelands Organization (FRO) it has been decided:
Reduction of area to a limitation of one village (called Samman means development village).
Preparation of programs with FRO by consultant of local people and adequate participation in planing management.
Implement, preserve, keeping and utilization of the forest resources by local people and stakeholders.
Technical leaderships, evaluation by government experts
Permit the flow of capital in and out of the forestry sector, in response to the requirement for the adequate planning and implementation of programmes in different fields of forestry and agricultural and socio-economic activities.
This indicators necessary to national legals and institution frameworks that influence the implementation should be assessed, difficulties and deficiencies should be analyzed and amended as appropriate.
- Exchange Centralize management system to semi or uncentralize accompany local people and stakeholders is unpractical
- Permission to local population and other stakeholder’s and also adequate participation in planning, management and utilization of the forest resources must be considered.
- Coordinate and collaborates with other relevant sectors and institutions between forest management and land use planning must be continued.
Permit the flow of capital in and out of the forestry sector,in response to the requirements for the adequate planning and implementation of programs in different fields of forestry and agricultural and socio-economic activities.
1- Aghazamanee Jamshid 2001. Strategy Zagross forest In Iran, department Of forestry in out of Iran
2- Djavanchier, Karem,et,al, 1994.sustainable development and Natural resources, forests and rangeland organization about west forest of Iran
3- Djavanchier, Karem, 1999. west forests of Iran, forests and rangeland organization about west forest of Iran
4- Ebrahimi, Mortaza, 1999. Experience forests and rangeland organization about west forest of Iran
5- Fattahi, Mohammad,1994. West forest of Iran, Research Institute of forests and rangelands Of Iran
6- Fattahi, Mohammad, 2000. Zagross Forests Manmagement of Iran, Research Institute forests and rangelands Of Iran
9- Fattahi, Mohammad,2001. Degradation West forests of Iran, Research Institute forests and rangelands Of Iran
10- Integrated project water of Iran, 1988, Ministry of force
11- Makhdoom, Majed, 1995. Fundamental of land use planning, University of Tehran
12- Situation of Zagross, 1996. Department of planning and cooperation forests and rangeland organization, first conference of Zagross- Khoramabad
| [1] Research Institute of Forests
and Rangelands, P.O.Box 13185-116, Tehran, Iran. Email: [email protected]
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