Opportunities and threats in utilization of non-wood products in Baneh forests

Non-wood forest products (NWFPs) and environmental values are preferred to woody products in Zagros forests. This study aimed to plan a utilization policy for NWFPs including Gazu, Mazouj and acorns. Therefore, three villages (Gandoman, Mirhesam and Kokh-e Mamo) in the Armardeh municipality in southwest of the city of Baneh in the Kurdistan province of Iran were investigated. The SWOT analysis technique was applied for planning. Field data were collected via an empirical survey based mainly on face-to-face interviews and questionnaires distributed amongst the ecosystem stakeholders. Respondents were selected among stakeholders of local community (12 individuals of local people and 18 individuals of experts). The results of SWOT and Space Matrix analyses revealed that an aggressive, competitive, defensive and conservative strategy is appropriate for NWFP utilization. Results also showed that the most important strength, weakness, opportunity, and threats concerning the utilization of Gazu included social acceptance from local communities, soil erosion, reduction of rural-urban migration, and air pollution due to dust storm, respectively. For Mazouj, utilization those factors included household’s income, collection by non-local people (resulted in conflicts and tree damages), people motivation for participatory management, and lack of marketing and formal supports, respectively. Finally, livestock feeding, damaging to high forest regeneration, creating alternative livelihoods, and jeopardizing the continuity and sustainability of the forest are m to be of major concern when utilizing acorns. By analyzing the opinions of experts, an aggressive management strategy for the utilization of Gazu and Mazouj and a competitive management strategy for acorn are prescribed by this study.