Effects of some management variables on the changes of range condition in range management plans (Khorasan Razavi, Kerman, Kermanshah, Mazandaran, and west Azarbaijan)

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, beneficiarie's conditions, funding and the capabilities of human resources, predicting the executive and beneficiarie's 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 beneficiarie's 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 beneficiarie's 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.