Role of medicinal plants in critical rangeland management

Rangeland is the natural and real habitat for medicinal plants. The rangeland stakeholders, by emphasizing on sustainable conservation and exploitation of this natural asset, in framework of strategic planning for multiple use of rangelands, recognition and evaluation of suitable growth environment of these plants under the term of rangeland suitability, have in their programs. In this research, diversity and relative frequency of medicinal plants, in Taleghan rangeland plant types have been evaluated. Planning for determination priority of the use of medicinal plant growth places was made by FAO method and GIS with the scale of 1:50000. Consequently, the suitable growing habitats of medicinal plants were determined by using GIS and ecological analysis of these growth habitats to provide a model. The results showed that out of 175 plant species, recognized in the region, 53 were medicinal plants. These plants which are without any value in livestock husbandry make the dominant vegetation of weak and critical rangelands. Based on the map of suitability, about 2430.32 ha (6.42%) of the rangeland having optimum diversity and medicinal plant growth habitats are in high suitability (priority of one), 7716.80 ha (20.3%) in average suitability and 7500 ha (19.75%) in low suitability. As the development, conservation and sustainable exploitation of medicinal plants depend on reproduction of these species based on scientific studies, management and conservation of optimum growth habitats (high suitability), as the seed bank reserves of medicinal plants, are recommended.