محسن شرافتمندراد

Rangelands are among the important natural resources that are being degraded all around the world. One of the effective ways to control rangeland degradation is to take the advantage of the pastoralists’ participation in the implementation of rangeland management projects, especially restoration practices. Therefore, this study was conducted to reveal the consequences of participatory behavior of Turkmen pastoralists on rangeland restoration practices in Aqqala County, Golestan Province, Iran, assuming that the participatory behaviors of pastoralists on restoration practices have positive consequences on the rangeland status. This is descriptive research that was conducted with a survey technique. Stratified random sampling was used to sample pastoralists’ population. The statistical population was 120 pastoralists from 8 pastoral units, of which 92 were selected as a sample size. Random samples were taken from pastoral units, in proportion to the population. The data-gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. Its validity and reliability were respectively assessed by expert opinions and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The results showed that pastoral age, annual income, number of animals, and animal husbandry experience have positive and significant relationships with the participatory behavior of pastoralists. Pastoralists who were members of rangeland management cooperatives and participated in training courses had better participatory behavior in the implementation of rangeland restoration practices. On the basis of the path analysis, participatory behavior of pastoralists had positive effects on livelihood and employment (β = 0.371), social knowledge and awareness (β = 0.408), social capital and participation (β = 0.625), differences and strengthening of cultural contexts (β = 0.422), environmental and wildlife status (β = 0.339), organizational support (β = 0.111), and land use change prevention and ecosystem conservation (β = 0.347). In conclusion, barriers to pastoralists' participation in restoration practices can be removed through identifying the consequences of participatory behavior of pastoralists, and rangeland ecosystems degradation can be controlled.