Assessment of affecting factors on the exploitation of rangelands with an emphasis on AHP-strategic factors (SWOT- AHP) (Case study: rangelands of Alborz Province)

According to the important role of rangeland on the exploiters of its and rangeland ecological changes in the economic and social systems, planning and decision-making to assess the current situation is the most important. In this regard, this study intends to determine the difference between experts and exploiters to examine and compare the affecting factors on the utilization of rangelands according to four priority measures including strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities and threats. For this purpose, the SWOT analysis was used to analyze the affecting factors on the exploitation of rangelands. Identified factors using the questionnaire set based on Likert spectrum items and AHP analysis were prioritized and compared by the pastorals and experts. The results of the comparison indicate that prioritize of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats is different between experts and stakeholders, and in some cases there is a considerable distance between experts and pastorals. The factors related to the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and the threats had priority the adaptation of animal species and plant cover-weight with weight 0.117, weighing experienced pastorals resignation with weight 0.026, increase scientific studies on rangeland in research centers, the Department of Natural Resources with weight 0.185 and weighting fluctuations in livestock markets with weight 0.076 respectively.