The Role of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge in Managing Rangelands Sustainably in Northern Iran

Pastoralists’ knowledge of adaptive rangeland management in Iran has long been only selectively analyzed and documented. This study attempts to rectify that by outlining the indigenous ecological knowledge of the pastoralists of Nariyan village in the Taleghan region of northern Iran, and by evaluat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology and society 2013-01, Vol.18 (2), p.15-15, Article art15
Main Authors: Ghorbani, Mehdi, Azarnivand, Hossein, Mehrabi, Ali Akbar, Jafari, Mohammad, Nayebi, Hooshang, Seeland, Klaus
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
adaptive management
Animals
Breeding of animals
Classification
ecological memory
Ecological sustainability
Ecology
Ecosystems
Environment
Grazing management
Herds
indigenous ecological knowledge (IEK)
Iran
Livestock
Native peoples
Pastoralism
pastoralists
Plants
Property
Range management
Rangeland ecology
rangeland management
rangeland utilization
Rangelands
Studies
Taleghan region
Villages
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Summary:Pastoralists’ knowledge of adaptive rangeland management in Iran has long been only selectively analyzed and documented. This study attempts to rectify that by outlining the indigenous ecological knowledge of the pastoralists of Nariyan village in the Taleghan region of northern Iran, and by evaluating the influence of such knowledge on rangeland management. Local herd owners operate according to traditional herding practices; their knowledge of rangeland plants and principles of sustainable rangeland management is indigenous and is based on centuries of experience and observation. Their in-depth knowledge covers the medicinal properties of various local plant species and the palatability of the most salient forage species in terms of sustaining the sheep and goats that are their livelihood. This study investigates some of the traditional strategies of rangeland management used in the Taleghan region, the rationale and timing of livestock rotation in the rangelands, local landscape classification, and local know-how in animal husbandry, all of which are indispensable in contributing to the pastoralists’ survival and maintenance of the local environment.
ISSN:1708-3087
1708-3087
DOI:10.5751/ES-05414-180215