Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Ecosystems multiple-use management: an approach based on change in economic, social, and ecological values of plant communities

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Multiple-use management of spatially heterogeneous arid ecosystems faces many challenges. In this study, an approach is introduced for multiple-use management of arid ecosystems in Esfandaqeh rangelands, south east of Iran. The ecological, social, and economic values of plant species were, respectively, determined using field data, the number of people consumption, and the market price for a given species. Determined ecological, social, and economic values were then weighted based on experts' opinion, and the total sum of weighted values was considered as the total value of each species. The value of plant communities was estimated with respect to their plant composition. Changes in plant communities due to different uses were plotted based on state and transition model. According to the results, the grazing intensity was lower in plant communities with diverse uses compared to the less diverse ones. There were significant relationships between species diversity and plant communities’ values (P < 0.01), but some communities with low species diversity had high total value due to the presence of important species such as Pistacia atlantica. Total community value increased with raising the ecosystem potential for multiple use. The highest community value belonged to the upstream shrubland with no trade-off between plants collecting and grazing due to the presence of medicinal and edible plants. There were degraded states where spot management is needed to restore them to a balanced state. The developed approach for multiple-use management helps land managers for sustainable development and maximum use of arid ecosystems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

References

  • Abbey M, Noake M, Belling GB, Netsel PJ (1994) Partial replacement of saturated fatty acids with almonds or walnuts lowers total plasma cholesterol and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. Am J Clin Nutr 59:995–999

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Adhikari B, Difalco SC, Lovett J (2004) Household characteristics and forest dependency. evidence from common property forest management in Nepal. Ecol Econ 48:245–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balvanera P, Pfisterer AB, Buchmann N, He JS, Nakashizuka T, Raffaelli D, Schmid B (2006) Quantifying the evidence for biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning and services. Ecol Lett 9:1146–1156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baskent EZ (2018) A review of the development of the multiple use forest management planning concept. Int for Rev 20(3):296–313

    Google Scholar 

  • Bestelmeyer BT, Herrick JE, Brown JR, Trujillo DA, Havstad KM (2004) Land management in the American Southwest: a state-and-transition approach to ecosystem complexity. Environ Manag 34:38–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bestelmeyer BT, Johanson J, Levi M, Lopez D, Peinetti R, Rumpff L, Shaver P (2017) State and transition models: theory, applications, and challenges. In: Briske D (ed) Rangeland systems. Springer series on environmental management. Springer, Cham

    Google Scholar 

  • Biggs R, Simons H, Bakkenes M, Scholes RJ, Eickhout B, Van Vuuren D, Alkemade R (2008) Scenarios of biodiversity loss in southern Africa in the 21st century. Glob Environ Chang 18:296–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bozorgi M, Memariani Z, Mobli M, Salehi Surmaghi MH, Shams Ardekani MR, Rahimi R (2013) Five Pistacia species (P. vera, P. atlantica, P. terebinthus, P. khinjuk, and P. lentiscus): a review of their traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology. Sci World J. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/219815

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cardinale BJ, Duffy JE, Gonzalez A, Hooper DU, Perrings C, Venail P, Narwani A, Mace GM, Tilman DA, Wardle D, Kinzig AP, Daily GC, Loreau M, Grace JB, Larigauderie A, Srivastava DS, Naeem S (2012) Biodiversity loss and its impact on humanity. Nature 486:59–67

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dumont B, Rook AJ, Coran CH, Rover KU (2007) Effects of livestock breed and grazing intensity on biodiversity and production in grazing systems. 2. Diet selection. Grass Forage Sci 62(2):159–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FAO. 2006. Country pasture/forage resource profiles in the Islamic Republic of Iran. H. Badripour, 34p.

  • Farahpour M (2002) A Planning support system for rangeland allocation in Iran: case of Chadegan Sub-region. Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. Wageningen Agricultural University, Wageningen

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuhlendorf SD, Engle DM (2001) Restoring heterogeneity on rangelands: ecosystem management based on evolutionary grazing patterns. Bioscience 51:625–632

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuhlendorf SD, Smeins FE (1999) Scaling effects of grazing in a semi-arid grassland. J Veg Sci 10:731–738

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Herrera P, Sanchez-Mata MC, Camara M, Fernandez-Ruiz V, Diez-Marques C, Molina M, Tardio J (2014) Nutrient composition of six wild edible Mediterranean Asteraceae Plants of dietary interest. J Food Compos Anal 34:163–170

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Garcìa-Llorente M, Martín-Lópeza B, Iniesta-Arandiaab I, López-Santiagoa CA, Aguilerab PA, Montesa C (2012) The role of multi-functionality in social preferences toward semi-arid rural landscapes: an ecosystem service approach. Environ Sci Policy 19–20:136–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gokhale Y, Pala NA, Negi AK, Bhat JA, Todaria NP (2011) Sacred landscapes as repositories of biodiversity. A case study from the Hariyali devi sacred landscape, Uttarakhand. Int J Conserv Sci 2:37–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Havstad KM, Peters DPC, Skaggs R, Brown J, Bestelmeyer B, Fredrickson E, Herrick J, Wright J (2007) Ecological services to and from rangelands of the United States. Ecol Econ 64:261–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heady HF, Child RD (1999) Rangeland ecology and management. Routledge, p 540

  • Helm N, Essl F, Mirtl M, Dirnböck Th (2017) Multiple environmental changes drive forest floor vegetation in a temperate mountain forest. Ecol Evol 7:2155–2168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill MO (1979) TWINSPAN: a FORTRAN program for arranging multivariate data in an ordered two-way table by classification of the individuals and attributes. Cornell University Section of Ecology and Systematics, Ithaca

    Google Scholar 

  • Holechek J, Pieper RD, Herbel CH (2004) Range management: principles and practices, 5th edn. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River

    Google Scholar 

  • Hölting L, Beckmann M, Volk M, Cord FA (2019) Multifunctionality assessments—more than assessing multiple ecosystem functions and services? A Quantitative Literature Review. Ecol Indic 103:226–235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kakudidi EK (2004) Cultural and social uses of plants from and around Kibale National Park, Western Uganda. Afr J Ecol 42:114–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karabak S (2017) Economic and socio-cultural importance of edible wild species. J AARI 27(2):26–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Koohafkan P, Stewart BA (2008) Water and cereals in drylands. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Earthscan, Quebec

    Google Scholar 

  • Lopez DR, Brizuela MA, Willems P, Aguiar MR, Siffredi G, Bran D (2013) Linking ecosystem resistance, resilience, and stability in steppes of North Patagonia. Ecol Ind 24:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mace GM, Norris K, Fitter AH (2012) Biodiversity and ecosystem services: a multilayered relationship. Trends Ecol Evol 27:19–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maggs P, Hoddinott J (1999) The Impact of changes in common property resource management on intrahousehold allocation. J Public Econ 72:317–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahjoub F, Rezayat KA, Yousefi M, Mohebbi M, Salari R (2018) Pistacia atlantica Desf. A review of its traditional uses, phytochemicals and pharmacology. J Med Life 11(3):180–186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mandal G, Joshi ShP (2014) Analysis of vegetation dynamics and phytodiversity from three dry deciduous forests of Doon Valley, Western Himalaya, India. J Asia-Pac Biodivers 7:292–304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maxwell SL, Reside A, Trezise J, McAlpine CA, Watson JEM (2019) Retention and restoration priorities for climate adaptation in a multi-use landscape. Global Ecol Conserv 18:e00649. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00649

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCune B, Mefford MJ (1999) PC-ORD. Multivariate analysis of ecological data. Version 4.0. MjM Software Design, Gleneden Beach

    Google Scholar 

  • McCune B, Grace JB (2002) Analysis of ecological communities. MjM Software Design, Gleneden Beach, Oregon

    Google Scholar 

  • McGranahan DA, Kirkman KP (2013) Multifunctional rangeland in Southern Africa: managing for production, conservation, and resilience with fire and grazing. Land 2:176–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noy-Meir I (1993) Compensating growth of grazed plants and its relevance to the use of rangelands. Ecol Appl 3:32–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Farrell PJ, Anderson PM (2010) Sustainable multifunctional landscapes: a review to implementation. Curr Opin Environ Sustain 2:59–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quetier F, Thebault A, Lavorel S (2007) Plant traits in a state and transition framework as markers of ecosystem response to land-use change. Ecol Monogr 77:33–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quijas S, El J, Maass M, Schmid S, Raffaelli D, Balvanera P (2012) Plant diversity and generation of ecosystem services at the landscape scale: expert knowledge assessment. J Appl Ecol 2:929–940

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quijas S, Schmid B, Balvanera P (2010) Plant diversity enhances provision of ecosystem services: a new synthesis. Basic Appl Ecol 11:582–593

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Razavi S (2005) Pistachio production, Iran vs. the world. In: IV international symposium on pistachios and almonds 726; 2005

  • Reyes-García V (2001) Indigenous people, ethnobotanical knowledge, and market economy. A case study of the Tsimane’ Amerindians, Bolivia. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Florida, Gainesville

  • Reyes-García V, Huanca T, Vadez V, Leonard W, Wilkie D (2006) Cultural, practical, and economic value of wild plants: a quantitative study in the Bolivian Amazon. Econ Bot 60(1):62–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rook AJ, Dumont B, Isselstein J, Osoro K, Wallis DE, Vries MF, Parente G, Mills J (2004) Matching type of livestock to desired biodiversity outcomes in pastures: a review. Biol Conserv 119:137–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rudolf S, de Groot Matthew A, Wilson Roelof MJ, Boumans (2002) A typology for the classification description and valuation of ecosystem functions goods and services. Ecol Econ 41(3):393–408. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8009(02)00089-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saaty TL (1980) The analytical hierarchy process: planning priority setting resource allocation. Hill Book Co, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Sabogal C, Guariguata MR, Broadhead J, Lescuyer G, Savilaakso S, Essoungou N, Sist P (2013) Multiple-use forest management in the humid tropics: opportunities and challenges for sustainable forest management. FAO Forestry Paper No. 173. Rome, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and Bogor, Indonesia, Center for International Forestry Research

  • Sarukhán J, Whyte A (2005) Ecosystems and human well-being: synthesis (millennium ecosystem assessment). Island Press, World Resources Institute, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharifi MS, Hazell SL (2011) GC-MS analysis and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of the trunk exudates from Pistacia atlantica Kurdica. J Pharm Sci Res 3(8):1364–1367

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stringham TK, Krueger WC, Shaver PL (2003) State and transition approach modeling: an ecological process. J Range Manag 56:106–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tietjen B (2016) Same rainfall amount different vegetation how environmental conditions and their interactions influence savanna dynamics. Ecol Model 326:13–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tipton CY, Ocheltree TW, Mueller KE, Turk P, Fernández-Giménez ME (2018) Revision of a state-and-transition model to include descriptions of state functional attributes. Ecosphere 9:e02201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Braeckel A, Bokdam J (2002) Habitat selection of cattle and horses in the Lower Basin of the Biebrza National Park. In: Grazing as a conservation management tool in peatland. Report of a Workshop held on 22–26, April in Goniadz, Poland

  • Walker BH, Ludwig D, Hoiimg CS, Peterman RM (1981) Stability of semi-arid savanna grazing systems. J Ecol 69:473–498

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Worm B, Barbier EB, Beaumont N, Duffy JE, Folke C, Halpern BS, Jackson JBC, Lotze HK, Micheli F, Palumbi SR, Sala E, Selkoe KA, Stachowicz JJ, Watson R (2006) Impacts of biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services. Science 314:787–790

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zabala JA, Martínez-Pazb JM, Alcon F (2021) Integrated valuation of semiarid Mediterranean agroecosystem services and disservices. Ecol Econ 184:107008

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all who assisted in conducting this work.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecological Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, 8th km of Jiroft - Bandar Abbas road, Jiroft, Iran

    A. Khosravi Mashizi & M. Sharafatmandrad

  2. Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran

    S. Naghavi

Authors
  1. A. Khosravi Mashizi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Sharafatmandrad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. Naghavi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

AKM involved in conducting of interview and preparing questionnaires, fieldwork, filling questionnaires, general data collection, and writing the manuscript. All authors wrote, read, and approved the final manuscript. MS involved in the study design, laboratory work, fieldwork, filling questionnaires and general data collection, and writing the manuscript. SN involved in preparing questionnaires, economic evaluation, and writing the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Sharafatmandrad.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

All experimental protocols were approved by Review Board of Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, Iran. All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. Informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Additional information

Editorial responsibility: J. Chen.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 24 KB)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Khosravi Mashizi, A., Sharafatmandrad, M. & Naghavi, S. Ecosystems multiple-use management: an approach based on change in economic, social, and ecological values of plant communities. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 19, 3845–3858 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-021-03513-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-021-03513-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation