1- Yasouj Univ.
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Introduction: Renewable natural resources, including forests, are among the most valuable biological assets on Earth, and their sustainable use ensures the well-being of current and future generations. Forests play a crucial role in climate regulation, soil protection, and providing habitats for diverse plant and animal species. In Iran, with approximately 12 million hectares of forest, the Iranian oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) habitats in the Zagros Mountains form one of the most important semi-arid forest ecosystems, covering about 40% of Iran’s total forests across ten provinces. Despite their ecological and environmental importance, their commercial timber production is limited. In recent decades, Zagros forests have experienced significant qualitative and quantitative degradation due to human activities such as tree cutting, livestock grazing, land-use change, and unsustainable exploitation, as well as natural factors like drought and climate change. This degradation not only reduces vegetation cover and biodiversity but also weakens forests’ role in carbon sequestration, soil conservation, and water resources. Identifying the key factors driving forest degradation is essential for sustainable management. Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are effective tools for analyzing, weighting, and prioritizing these factors and proposing targeted management strategies. Previous studies indicate that a combination of human, economic, social, and environmental factors contributes to forest degradation, while approaches such as local participation, fuel substitution, livestock management, and watershed management can be effective. This study aims to identify and analyze the factors affecting the degradation of Iranian oak forests in Basht County using multi-criteria methods, providing a foundation for conservation and sustainable utilization.
Materials and Methods: The study area, Basht County in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, covers 1,055 km² with an average elevation of 763 m and a warm temperate climate. The county includes four rural districts (Babooyi, Talkhab, Sarab-Biz, and Kuh-More-Khami) and 97 villages. Approximately 90% of the land is national, including forest and rangeland. The vegetation is dominated by Iranian oak and species such as pistachio, kikum, and hawthorn. Data were collected in September 2024 via a researcher-designed questionnaire completed by forestry experts from the county and provincial center. The questionnaire included personal information, comparative assessment of factors affecting forest degradation, and management suggestions. Its validity was confirmed by expert review and reliability by Cronbach’s alpha (0.889). Analyses were performed using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to determine the weights of sub-criteria within human, managerial, economic, natural, and socio-cultural factors. Data were initially recorded in Excel and analyzed using SPSS, with charts generated in Excel to prioritize factors and evaluate their contribution to forest degradation in Basht County.
Results: Based on the opinions of 20 experts (9 from Basht County and 11 from the provincial center), human, managerial, economic, socio-cultural, natural, participatory, and legal factors significantly affect forest degradation. Among human factors, intentional or accidental fire (weight: 0.285) had the highest impact. Key managerial factors included lack of firefighting facilities (0.437), low government support (0.874), administrative corruption (0.389), and agricultural development (0.423). Economic needs and poverty (0.491), illiteracy and lack of awareness in the socio-cultural sector, drought and climate change (0.357) in natural factors, low local participation (0.678) in participatory factors, and weak protective laws (0.423) in legal factors were most significant. Overall, managerial-supportive, participatory, and economic factors contributed most to forest degradation, indicating the need for strengthened government support, enhanced local participation, and improved livelihoods.
Conclusion: Forest degradation in Basht County is influenced by a combination of human, managerial, economic, socio-cultural, natural, participatory, and legal factors. Managerial (particularly low government support), participatory (low local engagement), and economic (livelihood needs and poverty) factors have the greatest impact. Elevation and forest density serve as natural protective factors; higher elevations and denser forests show lower degradation, while higher population and low-density land use increase degradation. SWOT analysis revealed strengths such as expert awareness and scientific evaluation systems, while structural managerial weaknesses, insufficient legal enforcement, and low public participation remain threats. Opportunities include enhancing local participation, restructuring management, and revising laws, whereas threats comprise weak governance, economic pressures, human activities, and natural factors like drought and fire. To reduce degradation and ensure sustainable forest conservation, reforms in management, community engagement, and legal systems are essential. Comprehensive programs addressing these three areas can lead to preservation and restoration of the region’s natural resources.
Introduction: Renewable natural resources, including forests, are among the most valuable biological assets on Earth, and their sustainable use ensures the well-being of current and future generations. Forests play a crucial role in climate regulation, soil protection, and providing habitats for diverse plant and animal species. In Iran, with approximately 12 million hectares of forest, the Iranian oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) habitats in the Zagros Mountains form one of the most important semi-arid forest ecosystems, covering about 40% of Iran’s total forests across ten provinces. Despite their ecological and environmental importance, their commercial timber production is limited. In recent decades, Zagros forests have experienced significant qualitative and quantitative degradation due to human activities such as tree cutting, livestock grazing, land-use change, and unsustainable exploitation, as well as natural factors like drought and climate change. This degradation not only reduces vegetation cover and biodiversity but also weakens forests’ role in carbon sequestration, soil conservation, and water resources. Identifying the key factors driving forest degradation is essential for sustainable management. Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are effective tools for analyzing, weighting, and prioritizing these factors and proposing targeted management strategies. Previous studies indicate that a combination of human, economic, social, and environmental factors contributes to forest degradation, while approaches such as local participation, fuel substitution, livestock management, and watershed management can be effective. This study aims to identify and analyze the factors affecting the degradation of Iranian oak forests in Basht County using multi-criteria methods, providing a foundation for conservation and sustainable utilization.
Materials and Methods: The study area, Basht County in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, covers 1,055 km² with an average elevation of 763 m and a warm temperate climate. The county includes four rural districts (Babooyi, Talkhab, Sarab-Biz, and Kuh-More-Khami) and 97 villages. Approximately 90% of the land is national, including forest and rangeland. The vegetation is dominated by Iranian oak and species such as pistachio, kikum, and hawthorn. Data were collected in September 2024 via a researcher-designed questionnaire completed by forestry experts from the county and provincial center. The questionnaire included personal information, comparative assessment of factors affecting forest degradation, and management suggestions. Its validity was confirmed by expert review and reliability by Cronbach’s alpha (0.889). Analyses were performed using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to determine the weights of sub-criteria within human, managerial, economic, natural, and socio-cultural factors. Data were initially recorded in Excel and analyzed using SPSS, with charts generated in Excel to prioritize factors and evaluate their contribution to forest degradation in Basht County.
Results: Based on the opinions of 20 experts (9 from Basht County and 11 from the provincial center), human, managerial, economic, socio-cultural, natural, participatory, and legal factors significantly affect forest degradation. Among human factors, intentional or accidental fire (weight: 0.285) had the highest impact. Key managerial factors included lack of firefighting facilities (0.437), low government support (0.874), administrative corruption (0.389), and agricultural development (0.423). Economic needs and poverty (0.491), illiteracy and lack of awareness in the socio-cultural sector, drought and climate change (0.357) in natural factors, low local participation (0.678) in participatory factors, and weak protective laws (0.423) in legal factors were most significant. Overall, managerial-supportive, participatory, and economic factors contributed most to forest degradation, indicating the need for strengthened government support, enhanced local participation, and improved livelihoods.
Conclusion: Forest degradation in Basht County is influenced by a combination of human, managerial, economic, socio-cultural, natural, participatory, and legal factors. Managerial (particularly low government support), participatory (low local engagement), and economic (livelihood needs and poverty) factors have the greatest impact. Elevation and forest density serve as natural protective factors; higher elevations and denser forests show lower degradation, while higher population and low-density land use increase degradation. SWOT analysis revealed strengths such as expert awareness and scientific evaluation systems, while structural managerial weaknesses, insufficient legal enforcement, and low public participation remain threats. Opportunities include enhancing local participation, restructuring management, and revising laws, whereas threats comprise weak governance, economic pressures, human activities, and natural factors like drought and fire. To reduce degradation and ensure sustainable forest conservation, reforms in management, community engagement, and legal systems are essential. Comprehensive programs addressing these three areas can lead to preservation and restoration of the region’s natural resources.
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