Rangeland Management

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Hossein Azadi - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Livelihood alternatives model for sustainable Rangeland Management: a review of multi-criteria decision-making techniques
    Environment Development and Sustainability, 2019
    Co-Authors: Hojatollah Khedrigharibvand, Dereje Teklemariam, Hossein Azadi, Ehsan Houshyar, Philippe De Maeyer, Frank Witlox
    Abstract:

    Although a set of appropriate livelihood alternatives has already been developed to approach sustainable Rangeland Management (SRM), determining an appropriate livelihood model for supporting policy makers still remains to be a challenge. Livelihood alternatives are affected by multiple factors such as livelihood capital, vulnerability contexts as well as policies, institutions and processes which can be identified by stakeholders from different perspectives. Accordingly, determining appropriate livelihood alternatives is a multifaceted challenge that requires multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques. This paper aims to review MCDM methods that have the potential to be applied in SRM. It discusses how different MCDM techniques can be used and which techniques are well matched to determine appropriate livelihood alternatives. First, it justifies the need for decision support systems followed by an explanation of the most common MCDM techniques. Among them, two techniques, namely analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), are found to be the most suitable MCDM in the case of SRM. Furthermore, based on the reviews on different hybrid approaches, AHP–TOPSIS is introduced as a superior approach to select appropriate livelihood alternatives. Accordingly, AHP is introduced to elicit the relative importance of livelihood criteria and TOPSIS is employed to provide a score for livelihood alternatives. As a conclusion, the application of AHP–TOPSIS approach is proposed where many decision criteria, alternatives and stakeholders are involved. Subsequently, a methodological framework to determine a livelihood model is also developed. This study concludes that, as well as recognizing the theory of appropriate livelihood alternatives, the application of MCDM techniques can be further pursued toward devising a workable policy framework for SRM. At the end, we have elaborated future methodological issues to be considered when selecting feasible alternatives to resolve the current challenges in SRM.

  • Sustainable Rangeland Management in Southwest Iran : understanding changes in experts' attitudes toward livelihood alternatives
    Rangeland Ecology & Management, 2019
    Co-Authors: Hojatollah Khedrigharibvand, Dereje Teklemariam, Hossein Azadi, Philippe De Maeyer, Ataollah Ebrahimi, Elham Omidzadeh Ardali, Veronique Van Acker, Veerle Van Eetvelde, Frank Witlox
    Abstract:

    Abstract The importance of knowledge sharing, as an integral part of decision making, has been highly acknowledged by many authors. However, the process in which knowledge sharing should be conducted has remained a debatable issue. In this study, changes in experts’ attitudes, as a result of the knowledge-sharing process, in the context of Rangeland Management were assessed. We demonstrated a three-step knowledge-sharing process while recognizing collaborative knowledge sharing systems, which involves knowledge-sharing tools including face-to-face and virtual approaches. The process was applied to explore experts’ attitudes regarding livelihood alternatives in the Bazoft region of southwestern Iran. Sixty experts were selected from three groups categorized as key local stakeholders, practitioners, and scientists. First, the experts were independently given the task of ranking livelihood alternatives. Next, for a better understanding of alternatives and enhancing their view, additional knowledge and information were provided. Thereafter, their attitudes in the final step were assessed. According to the findings, change in the experts’ attitudes could take place, which eventually resulted in the prioritization of livelihood alternatives to approach sustainable Rangeland Management (SRM). The synergy of experts’ knowledge, which can be realized through a collaborative knowledge sharing process, can be further pursued by devising a workable policy framework to approach SRM.

  • Sustainable Rangeland Management in southwest Iran: application of the AHP-TOPSIS approach in ranking livelihood alternatives
    The Rangeland Journal, 2018
    Co-Authors: Hojatollah Khedrigharibvand, Hossein Azadi, Philippe De Maeyer, Hosain Bahrami, Zbelo Tesfamariam, Abbas Aghajani Bazzazi, Frank Witlox
    Abstract:

    This paper reports the continuation of a line of research exploring livelihood alternatives employing sustainable Rangeland Management (SRM). Determining appropriate alternatives was a multifaceted task, so multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) techniques were applied to a framework that incorporated livelihood alternatives and their relevant criteria. The livelihood alternatives promote balance between humans, livestock and the Rangelands, and the livelihood criteria include livelihood capital and vulnerability contexts, as well as the policies, institutions and processes (PIPs) that affect each livelihood alternative and SRM as a whole. The livelihood alternatives were ranked according to SRM potential, and the most appropriate ones for the Bazoft region of south-west Iran were determined. Through a hierarchical process, nine livelihood alternatives were initially considered as being potentially suitable for SRM, based on the weights of predefined criteria. Using a collaborative process, various groups (local informants, local and regional practitioners and scientists) were asked to develop a list of livelihood criteria in order to identify appropriate livelihood alternatives. Initially, 20 experts were selected for undertaking criteria weighting, and subsequently 10 experts were selected to rank the alternatives for final decision-making. The weights of the criteria were determined by the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique, and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was used to rank the alternatives. A non-resource-based livelihood was ranked as the most suitable alternative, followed by pastoralism with adaptation of various production systems. The application of the AHP-TOPSIS approach showed how criteria weightings influence the suitability of livelihood alternatives. Thus, the livelihood model enabled visualisation of the consequences of appropriate and/or inappropriate livelihoods for SRM. This study found that even the livelihood alternatives with the lowest values were worthy of consideration in planning for SRM, but they might need to be supported. Finally, the study suggested that the application of decision support models to the identification of users’ livelihood alternatives and to structuring the criteria for adoption of the various alternatives enhances informed decision-making within the context of SRM.

  • Factors affecting sustainable Rangeland Management: Experts' attitudes towards livelihood cornerstones in the Bazoft region
    European Journal of Sustainable Development, 2015
    Co-Authors: Hojatollah Khedri Gharibvand, Hossein Azadi, Mostafa Moradi Dashtpagerdi, Elham Omidezadeh Ardali, Frank Witlox
    Abstract:

    Sustainable Rangeland Management (SRM) considers several dimensions of human life through recognition of sustainable livelihoods approach, in which livelihood cornerstones are acknowledged. In spite of this fact, research has not addressed this subject sufficiently. It has been recognized that analysis of the main drivers, allows for more appropriate strategies which are not the mere understanding of livelihoods, but rather ways towards sustainable development of Rangelands. In this study, experts' attitudes towards factors underpinning SRM were elicited. Data were collected using survey in order to analyze the livelihood cornerstones, in the Bazoft region in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Southwestern Iran. The participants were consulted to characterize the relative importance of each driver in approaching SRM. A five-point Likert scale was used to rank the three main influencing factors, including livelihood capital, vulnerability contexts as well as policies, institutions and processes (PIPs). We found that experts associated the main drivers with PIPs, vulnerability contexts and livelihood capital, respectively. Then, they prioritized policy, human capital and trends as the factors extracted from the main drivers in a more detailed assessment. Through these findings, we would offer policy makers should initially pay more attention to drivers that experts prioritized. Keywords: Sustainable development of Rangelands, livelihood cornerstones, experts' attitudes, human capital, policy,          Bazoft region, Iran.

  • Exploring appropriate livelihood alternatives for sustainable Rangeland Management.
    The Rangeland Journal, 2015
    Co-Authors: Hojatollah Khedri Gharibvand, Hossein Azadi, Frank Witlox
    Abstract:

    Rangeland degradation and vulnerability of livelihoods are two major challenges facing pastoralists, Rangeland managers and policy-makers in arid and semi-arid areas. There is a need to make holistic informed decisions in order to protect Rangelands and sustain livelihoods. Through a comprehensive literature review on Rangeland Management policies and livelihood strategies of ‘Rangeland users’, it is shown how such policies have affected sustainable Rangeland Management, how strategies to sustain livelihoods have been incomplete and how there has been a lack of a multi-disciplinary approach in acknowledging them. Accordingly, a set of appropriate livelihood alternatives is introduced and, thenceforth, a framework for their evaluation is developed. Supportive strategies for enhancing resilience are discussed as a research and policy-making gap. In this study, the keys to achieve sustainable livelihoods are acknowledged as ‘livelihoods’ resilience’, where livelihoods need to be supported by access to capital, means of coping with the contexts of vulnerability as well as by enhancing policies, institutions and processes. The paper proposes a set of ‘livestock-based livelihoods’ regarding ‘traditional pastoralism’ as well as ‘their mitigation and adaptation’. Moreover, their transformation to ‘commercial pastoralism’, ‘resource-based livelihoods’, ‘alternative livelihoods’ and ‘migration’ strategies is recognised to be employed by Rangeland users as useful alternatives in different regions and under future changing conditions including climate change. These strategies embrace thinking on resilience and are supported by strategies that address social and ecological consequences of climate change consisting of mitigation, adaptation and transformation. It is argued that sustainable livelihoods and sustainable Rangeland Management will be achieved if they are supported by policies that build and facilitate a set of appropriate livelihood alternatives and keep them in a sustainable state rather than being limited to supporting ‘vulnerable livelihoods’. Finally, future directions for analysing and policy-making in selecting the best alternative to achieve sustainable livelihoods are indicated.

Gholamhossein Hosseininia - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Sustainable Rangeland Management: Pastoralists' attitudes toward integrated programs in Iran
    Journal of Arid Environments, 2013
    Co-Authors: Gholamhossein Hosseininia, Hossein Azadi, Kiumars Zarafshani, Davood Samari, Frank Witlox
    Abstract:

    Abstract The goal of this survey study was to understand pastoralist attitudes toward sustainable integrated Rangeland Management (SIRM) in Tehran province, Iran. Using multi-stage stratified random sampling, 1280 pastoralists participated in the study. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. A panel of experts approved the content validity and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to test the reliability of the questionnaire. Results revealed that most of the pastoralists held a positive attitude toward teamwork and collaborative behavior. Moreover, regression analysis indicated that education level, attitudes toward other pastoralists, teamwork and collaboration with administrative officials, significantly affected pastoralist attitudes toward SIRM. Furthermore, path analysis showed that attitudes to other pastoralists indirectly affects attitudes toward SIRM and collaboration with administrative officials. This study concluded that if sustainable Rangeland Management is a goal, human factors should be considered as a key element.

  • Sustainable Rangeland Management using fuzzy logic: A case study in Southwest Iran
    Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 2009
    Co-Authors: Hossein Azadi, Mansour Shahvali, J. Van Den Berg, Gholamhossein Hosseininia
    Abstract:

    While there is no consensus on a definition, it is widely recognized that the concept of sustainability has economic, environmental and social dimensions. We used fuzzy logic as a well-suited tool to handle the vague, uncertain, and polymorphous concept of sustainability. For recognizing the major important indicators in defining sustainability in range Management, several semi-structured interviews with an open-ended questionnaire in three different areas of the Fars province in Southwest Iran were held. Pastoralists’ experts recognized that sustainability in range Management is a function of three major components (inputs) which are the stocking rate in a pasture, the amount of plantation density per hectare, and the number of pastoralists who live in a pasture where the output of the model is the Right Rate of Stocking. Based on pastoralists’ insights we developed a model called Equilibrium Assessment by Fuzzy Logic (EAFL) which provides a mechanism for assessing sustainability in Rangeland Management. The EAFL model exhibits three important characteristics. First, it permits the combination of various aspects of sustainability with different units of measurement. Second, it overcomes the difficulty of assessing certain attributes or indicators of sustainability without precise quantitative criteria and, third, the methodology is easy to use and interpret. An important outcome of the EAFL model is that all the pastoralists’ experts agree with this conclusion that the current, real stocking rates are much higher than the optimal stocking rates.

  • Sustainable Rangeland Management using fuzzy logic: A case study in Southwest Iran
    Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 2009
    Co-Authors: Hossein Azadi, Mansour Shahvali, J. Van Den Berg, Gholamhossein Hosseininia
    Abstract:

    While there is no consensus oil a definition, it is widely recognized that the concept of sustainability has economic, environmental and social dimensions. We used fuzzy logic as a well-suited tool to handle the Vague, uncertain, and polymorphous Concept Of sustainability. For recognizing the major important indicators in defining sustainability in range Management, several semi-structured interviews with all open-ended questionnaire in three different areas of the Fars province in Southwest Iran were held. Pastoralists' experts recognized that sustainability in range Management is a function Of three major components (inputs) which are the stocking rote in a pasture, the amount of plantation density per hectare, and the number of pastoralists who live in a pasture Where the Output of the model is the Right Rote of Stocking. Based oil pastoralists' insights we developed a model called Equilibrium Assessment by Fuzzy Logic (EAFL) which provides a mechanism for assessing sustainability in Rangeland Management. The EAFL model exhibits three important characteristics. First, it permits the combination Of Various aspects Of sustainability with different units of measurement. Second, it overcomes the difficulty Of assessing certain attributes or indicators of sustainability without precise quantitative criteria and, third. the methodology is easy to use and interpret. An important Outcome of the EAFL model is that all the pastoralists' experts agree With this Conclusion that the current. real stocking rates are Much higher than the Optimal Stocking rates. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

J. Van Den Berg - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Sustainable Rangeland Management using fuzzy logic: A case study in Southwest Iran
    Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 2009
    Co-Authors: Hossein Azadi, Mansour Shahvali, J. Van Den Berg, Gholamhossein Hosseininia
    Abstract:

    While there is no consensus on a definition, it is widely recognized that the concept of sustainability has economic, environmental and social dimensions. We used fuzzy logic as a well-suited tool to handle the vague, uncertain, and polymorphous concept of sustainability. For recognizing the major important indicators in defining sustainability in range Management, several semi-structured interviews with an open-ended questionnaire in three different areas of the Fars province in Southwest Iran were held. Pastoralists’ experts recognized that sustainability in range Management is a function of three major components (inputs) which are the stocking rate in a pasture, the amount of plantation density per hectare, and the number of pastoralists who live in a pasture where the output of the model is the Right Rate of Stocking. Based on pastoralists’ insights we developed a model called Equilibrium Assessment by Fuzzy Logic (EAFL) which provides a mechanism for assessing sustainability in Rangeland Management. The EAFL model exhibits three important characteristics. First, it permits the combination of various aspects of sustainability with different units of measurement. Second, it overcomes the difficulty of assessing certain attributes or indicators of sustainability without precise quantitative criteria and, third, the methodology is easy to use and interpret. An important outcome of the EAFL model is that all the pastoralists’ experts agree with this conclusion that the current, real stocking rates are much higher than the optimal stocking rates.

  • Sustainable Rangeland Management using fuzzy logic: A case study in Southwest Iran
    Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 2009
    Co-Authors: Hossein Azadi, Mansour Shahvali, J. Van Den Berg, Gholamhossein Hosseininia
    Abstract:

    While there is no consensus oil a definition, it is widely recognized that the concept of sustainability has economic, environmental and social dimensions. We used fuzzy logic as a well-suited tool to handle the Vague, uncertain, and polymorphous Concept Of sustainability. For recognizing the major important indicators in defining sustainability in range Management, several semi-structured interviews with all open-ended questionnaire in three different areas of the Fars province in Southwest Iran were held. Pastoralists' experts recognized that sustainability in range Management is a function Of three major components (inputs) which are the stocking rote in a pasture, the amount of plantation density per hectare, and the number of pastoralists who live in a pasture Where the Output of the model is the Right Rote of Stocking. Based oil pastoralists' insights we developed a model called Equilibrium Assessment by Fuzzy Logic (EAFL) which provides a mechanism for assessing sustainability in Rangeland Management. The EAFL model exhibits three important characteristics. First, it permits the combination Of Various aspects Of sustainability with different units of measurement. Second, it overcomes the difficulty Of assessing certain attributes or indicators of sustainability without precise quantitative criteria and, third. the methodology is easy to use and interpret. An important Outcome of the EAFL model is that all the pastoralists' experts agree With this Conclusion that the current. real stocking rates are Much higher than the Optimal Stocking rates. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

  • Sustainable Rangeland Management using a multi-fuzzy model: how to deal with heterogeneous experts' knowledge.
    Journal of environmental management, 2006
    Co-Authors: Hossein Azadi, Mansour Shahvali, J. Van Den Berg, Nezamodin Faghih
    Abstract:

    While fuzzy specialists commonly use homogeneous experts' knowledge to construct fuzzy models, it is much more difficult to deal with knowledge elicited from a heterogeneous group of experts. This issue is exemplified in the area of sustainable Rangeland Management (SRM). One way to deal with the diversity of opinions is to develop a fuzzy system for all experts and to combine all these, the so-called primary systems, into one multi-fuzzy model. To derive each of the primary fuzzy systems, several semi-structured interviews were held in three different areas of the Fars province in Southwest Iran using the knowledge of a group of administrative experts. To obtain the final output of the multi-fuzzy model, we applied different 'voting' methods. The first method simply uses the arithmetic average of the primary outputs as the final output of the multi-fuzzy model. This final output represents an estimation of the right rate of stocking (RRS). We also propose other (un)supervised voting methods. Most importantly, by harmonising the primary outputs such that outliers get less emphasis, we introduce an unsupervised voting method for calculating a weighted estimate of the RRS. This harmonising method is expected to provide a new useful tool for policymakers dealing with heterogenity in experts' opinions: it is especially useful where limited field data are available and one is forced to rely on experts' knowledge only. By constructing the three fuzzy models based on the elicitation of heterogeneous experts' knowledge, our study shows the multidimensional vaguenesses that exist in SRM. Finally, by comparing the final RRS with its common values, this study strongly points to the existence of overgrazing in pastures in the three regions of the Fars province in Southwest Iran.

  • Sustainable Rangeland Management Using a Multi-Fuzzy Model: How to Deal with Heterogeneous Experts' Knowledge
    2005
    Co-Authors: Hossein Azadi, Mansour Shahvali, J. Van Den Berg, Nezamodin Faghih
    Abstract:

    While fuzzy specialists usually use homogeneous experts' knowledge to construct fuzzy models, it is much more difficult to deal with knowledge elicited from a heterogeneous group of experts. This issue especially holds in the area of the sustainable Rangeland Management. One way to deal with the diversity of opinions is to develop a fuzzy system for all experts and to combine all these so-called primary systems into one multi-fuzzy model. To derive each of the primary fuzzy systems using the knowledge of a group of administrative experts, several semi-structured interviews were held in three different areas of the Fars province in Southwest Iran. In order to find the final output of the multi-fuzzy model, we applied different voting' methods. The first method simply uses the arithmetic average of the primary outputs as the final output of the multifuzzy model. This final output represents an estimation of the Right Rate of Stocking. We also propose other (un)supervised voting methods. Most importantly, by harmonizing the primary outputs such that outliers get less emphasis, we introduce an unsupervised voting method calculating a weighted estimate of the Right Rate of Stocking. This harmonizing method is expected to provide a new useful tool for policymakers in order to deal with heterogenity in experts' opinions: it is especially useful in cases where little field data is available and one is forced to rely on experts' knowledge only. By constructing the three fuzzy models based on the elicitation of heterogeneous experts' knowledge, our study shows the multidimensional vaguenesses that exist in sustainable Rangeland Management. Finally, by comparing the final Right Rate of Stocking with its medium range, this study proves the existence of overgrazing in pastures of the three regions of the Fars province in Southwest Iran. Keywords: sustainable Rangeland Management, carrying capacity, multi-fuzzy model, heterogeneous

  • Sustainable Rangeland Management Using A Multi-Fuzzy Model: How To Deal With Heterogeneous Experts’ Knowledge
    ERIM report series research in management Erasmus Research Institute of Management, 2005
    Co-Authors: Hossein Azadi, Mansour Shahvali, J. Van Den Berg, Nezamodin Faghih
    Abstract:

    textabstractWhile fuzzy specialists usually use homogeneous experts’ knowledge to construct fuzzy models, it is much more difficult to deal with knowledge elicited from a heterogeneous group of experts. This issue especially holds in the area of the sustainable Rangeland Management. One way to deal with the diversity of opinions is to develop a fuzzy system for all experts and to combine all these so-called primary systems into one multi-fuzzy model. To derive each of the primary fuzzy systems using the knowledge of a group of administrative experts, several semi-structured interviews were held in three different areas of the Fars province in Southwest Iran. In order to find the final output of the multi-fuzzy model, we applied different ‘voting’ methods. The first method simply uses the arithmetic average of the primary outputs as the final output of the multifuzzy model. This final output represents an estimation of the Right Rate of Stocking. We also propose other (un)supervised voting methods. Most importantly, by harmonizing the primary outputs such that outliers get less emphasis, we introduce an unsupervised voting method calculating a weighted estimate of the Right Rate of Stocking. This harmonizing method is expected to provide a new useful tool for policymakers in order to deal with heterogenity in experts’ opinions: it is especially useful in cases where little field data is available and one is forced to rely on experts’ knowledge only. By constructing the three fuzzy models based on the elicitation of heterogeneous experts’ knowledge, our study shows the multidimensional vaguenesses that exist in sustainable Rangeland Management. Finally, by comparing the final Right Rate of Stocking with its medium range, this study proves the existence of overgrazing in pastures of the three regions of the Fars province in Southwest Iran.

Mansour Shahvali - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Sustainable Rangeland Management using fuzzy logic: A case study in Southwest Iran
    Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 2009
    Co-Authors: Hossein Azadi, Mansour Shahvali, J. Van Den Berg, Gholamhossein Hosseininia
    Abstract:

    While there is no consensus on a definition, it is widely recognized that the concept of sustainability has economic, environmental and social dimensions. We used fuzzy logic as a well-suited tool to handle the vague, uncertain, and polymorphous concept of sustainability. For recognizing the major important indicators in defining sustainability in range Management, several semi-structured interviews with an open-ended questionnaire in three different areas of the Fars province in Southwest Iran were held. Pastoralists’ experts recognized that sustainability in range Management is a function of three major components (inputs) which are the stocking rate in a pasture, the amount of plantation density per hectare, and the number of pastoralists who live in a pasture where the output of the model is the Right Rate of Stocking. Based on pastoralists’ insights we developed a model called Equilibrium Assessment by Fuzzy Logic (EAFL) which provides a mechanism for assessing sustainability in Rangeland Management. The EAFL model exhibits three important characteristics. First, it permits the combination of various aspects of sustainability with different units of measurement. Second, it overcomes the difficulty of assessing certain attributes or indicators of sustainability without precise quantitative criteria and, third, the methodology is easy to use and interpret. An important outcome of the EAFL model is that all the pastoralists’ experts agree with this conclusion that the current, real stocking rates are much higher than the optimal stocking rates.

  • Sustainable Rangeland Management using fuzzy logic: A case study in Southwest Iran
    Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 2009
    Co-Authors: Hossein Azadi, Mansour Shahvali, J. Van Den Berg, Gholamhossein Hosseininia
    Abstract:

    While there is no consensus oil a definition, it is widely recognized that the concept of sustainability has economic, environmental and social dimensions. We used fuzzy logic as a well-suited tool to handle the Vague, uncertain, and polymorphous Concept Of sustainability. For recognizing the major important indicators in defining sustainability in range Management, several semi-structured interviews with all open-ended questionnaire in three different areas of the Fars province in Southwest Iran were held. Pastoralists' experts recognized that sustainability in range Management is a function Of three major components (inputs) which are the stocking rote in a pasture, the amount of plantation density per hectare, and the number of pastoralists who live in a pasture Where the Output of the model is the Right Rote of Stocking. Based oil pastoralists' insights we developed a model called Equilibrium Assessment by Fuzzy Logic (EAFL) which provides a mechanism for assessing sustainability in Rangeland Management. The EAFL model exhibits three important characteristics. First, it permits the combination Of Various aspects Of sustainability with different units of measurement. Second, it overcomes the difficulty Of assessing certain attributes or indicators of sustainability without precise quantitative criteria and, third. the methodology is easy to use and interpret. An important Outcome of the EAFL model is that all the pastoralists' experts agree With this Conclusion that the current. real stocking rates are Much higher than the Optimal Stocking rates. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

  • Sustainable Rangeland Management using a multi-fuzzy model: how to deal with heterogeneous experts' knowledge.
    Journal of environmental management, 2006
    Co-Authors: Hossein Azadi, Mansour Shahvali, J. Van Den Berg, Nezamodin Faghih
    Abstract:

    While fuzzy specialists commonly use homogeneous experts' knowledge to construct fuzzy models, it is much more difficult to deal with knowledge elicited from a heterogeneous group of experts. This issue is exemplified in the area of sustainable Rangeland Management (SRM). One way to deal with the diversity of opinions is to develop a fuzzy system for all experts and to combine all these, the so-called primary systems, into one multi-fuzzy model. To derive each of the primary fuzzy systems, several semi-structured interviews were held in three different areas of the Fars province in Southwest Iran using the knowledge of a group of administrative experts. To obtain the final output of the multi-fuzzy model, we applied different 'voting' methods. The first method simply uses the arithmetic average of the primary outputs as the final output of the multi-fuzzy model. This final output represents an estimation of the right rate of stocking (RRS). We also propose other (un)supervised voting methods. Most importantly, by harmonising the primary outputs such that outliers get less emphasis, we introduce an unsupervised voting method for calculating a weighted estimate of the RRS. This harmonising method is expected to provide a new useful tool for policymakers dealing with heterogenity in experts' opinions: it is especially useful where limited field data are available and one is forced to rely on experts' knowledge only. By constructing the three fuzzy models based on the elicitation of heterogeneous experts' knowledge, our study shows the multidimensional vaguenesses that exist in SRM. Finally, by comparing the final RRS with its common values, this study strongly points to the existence of overgrazing in pastures in the three regions of the Fars province in Southwest Iran.

  • Sustainable Rangeland Management Using a Multi-Fuzzy Model: How to Deal with Heterogeneous Experts' Knowledge
    2005
    Co-Authors: Hossein Azadi, Mansour Shahvali, J. Van Den Berg, Nezamodin Faghih
    Abstract:

    While fuzzy specialists usually use homogeneous experts' knowledge to construct fuzzy models, it is much more difficult to deal with knowledge elicited from a heterogeneous group of experts. This issue especially holds in the area of the sustainable Rangeland Management. One way to deal with the diversity of opinions is to develop a fuzzy system for all experts and to combine all these so-called primary systems into one multi-fuzzy model. To derive each of the primary fuzzy systems using the knowledge of a group of administrative experts, several semi-structured interviews were held in three different areas of the Fars province in Southwest Iran. In order to find the final output of the multi-fuzzy model, we applied different voting' methods. The first method simply uses the arithmetic average of the primary outputs as the final output of the multifuzzy model. This final output represents an estimation of the Right Rate of Stocking. We also propose other (un)supervised voting methods. Most importantly, by harmonizing the primary outputs such that outliers get less emphasis, we introduce an unsupervised voting method calculating a weighted estimate of the Right Rate of Stocking. This harmonizing method is expected to provide a new useful tool for policymakers in order to deal with heterogenity in experts' opinions: it is especially useful in cases where little field data is available and one is forced to rely on experts' knowledge only. By constructing the three fuzzy models based on the elicitation of heterogeneous experts' knowledge, our study shows the multidimensional vaguenesses that exist in sustainable Rangeland Management. Finally, by comparing the final Right Rate of Stocking with its medium range, this study proves the existence of overgrazing in pastures of the three regions of the Fars province in Southwest Iran. Keywords: sustainable Rangeland Management, carrying capacity, multi-fuzzy model, heterogeneous

  • Sustainable Rangeland Management Using A Multi-Fuzzy Model: How To Deal With Heterogeneous Experts’ Knowledge
    ERIM report series research in management Erasmus Research Institute of Management, 2005
    Co-Authors: Hossein Azadi, Mansour Shahvali, J. Van Den Berg, Nezamodin Faghih
    Abstract:

    textabstractWhile fuzzy specialists usually use homogeneous experts’ knowledge to construct fuzzy models, it is much more difficult to deal with knowledge elicited from a heterogeneous group of experts. This issue especially holds in the area of the sustainable Rangeland Management. One way to deal with the diversity of opinions is to develop a fuzzy system for all experts and to combine all these so-called primary systems into one multi-fuzzy model. To derive each of the primary fuzzy systems using the knowledge of a group of administrative experts, several semi-structured interviews were held in three different areas of the Fars province in Southwest Iran. In order to find the final output of the multi-fuzzy model, we applied different ‘voting’ methods. The first method simply uses the arithmetic average of the primary outputs as the final output of the multifuzzy model. This final output represents an estimation of the Right Rate of Stocking. We also propose other (un)supervised voting methods. Most importantly, by harmonizing the primary outputs such that outliers get less emphasis, we introduce an unsupervised voting method calculating a weighted estimate of the Right Rate of Stocking. This harmonizing method is expected to provide a new useful tool for policymakers in order to deal with heterogenity in experts’ opinions: it is especially useful in cases where little field data is available and one is forced to rely on experts’ knowledge only. By constructing the three fuzzy models based on the elicitation of heterogeneous experts’ knowledge, our study shows the multidimensional vaguenesses that exist in sustainable Rangeland Management. Finally, by comparing the final Right Rate of Stocking with its medium range, this study proves the existence of overgrazing in pastures of the three regions of the Fars province in Southwest Iran.

C. C. Preez - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Soil microbial communities in different Rangeland Management systems of a sandy savanna and clayey grassland ecosystem, South Africa
    Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 2017
    Co-Authors: E. Kotzé, A. Sandhage-hofmann, W. Amelung, R. J. Oomen, C. C. Preez
    Abstract:

    Soil nutrient supply in Rangelands depends on the maintenance and performance of soil microbiological communities. In this study we investigated how different Rangeland Management systems affects the structure and function of soil microbial communities in the clayey grassland and sandy savanna ecosystems, South Africa. These ecosystems differ in climate, soil and vegetation, with the sandy savanna ecosystem being drier, and encroached by bush. Soils were sampled under continuous and rotational grazing systems along a gradient with increasing grazing pressure. Analyses comprised of enzyme activities and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA). The results revealed that the clayey grassland ecosystem displayed elevated enzyme activities and PLFA contents compared with the drier, sandy savanna ecosystem, irrespective of the Rangeland Management practices, likely because soil texture played a significant role in maintaining microbial communities. However, when microbial activity was normalized to carbon, nitrogen and microbial biomass, specific enzyme activities were significantly higher in the sandy savanna ecosystem, indicating a more efficient functioning of microbes here. Furthermore, these microbial parameters were more sensitive to grazing pressure in the clayey grassland ecosystem than other chemical or physical soil properties, whereas in the sandy savanna ecosystem this was not the case. Decreasing the grazing pressure on Rangeland, as, e.g., done by commercial farmers practicing rotational grazing, appeared to stimulate microbial performance and thus microbial mediated nutrient mineralization with positive consequences on plant growth.

  • Rangeland Management effects on soil properties in the savanna biome, South Africa: A case study along grazing gradients in communal and commercial farms
    Science & Engineering Faculty, 2015
    Co-Authors: Alexandra Sandhage-hofmann, E. Kotzé, C. C. Preez, L. Van Delden, M. Dominiak, H.j. Fouché, H.c. Van Der Westhuizen, Roelof J. Oomen, Wulf Amelung
    Abstract:

    Although the savanna biome of South Africa is a major resource for Rangeland Management, little is known about how differences in Rangeland Management systems affect soil properties in such biomes. Near to Kuruman, commercial farms have practiced rotational grazing for decades. In communal areas of former homeland Bophuthatswana, similar strategies were used prior to 1994. Nowadays, a continuous grazing system is common. We hypothesized that these changes in Management affected soil properties. To test this, we sampled soils at communal and commercial land along a gradient with increasing distance to water points. The results revealed that communal systems with continuous grazing showed enlarged spatial gradients. The soils were depleted in most nutrients close to the water relative to those of commercial systems. In contrast, as the distance to the water increased, the nutrient stocks of these communal systems were higher. Changes in soil nutrient stocks were related to a zone of increased bush encroachment (up to 25%). Specific analyses (phosphorus fractions, particulate organic carbon, δ 13 C) confirmed that the soils of the communal grazing systems benefited from the shift of grass-dominated to bush-dominated system with woody Acacia vegetation, while the Rangeland degraded in the sense that it lost palatable grass species.

  • Rangeland Management impacts on the properties of clayey soils along grazing gradients in the semi-arid grassland biome of South Africa
    Journal of Arid Environments, 2013
    Co-Authors: E. Kotzé, C. C. Preez, Alexandra Sandhage-hofmann, J.-a. Meinel, Wulf Amelung
    Abstract:

    The grassland biome of South Africa is a major resource for livestock farming; yet the soils of these Rangelands are stressed differently by various Management systems. The aim of this study was to investigate how basic soil properties respond to different Management systems. For this purpose we sampled Rangeland Management systems under communal (continuous grazing), commercial (rotational grazing) and land reform (mixture of grazing systems) farming. Within each of these systems a grazing gradient was identified with decreasing grazing pressure with increasing distance to the water points. Results showed that communal farms with continuous grazing were generally depleted in the respective nutrient stocks. The depletion increased with rising grazing pressure. Along that line there was a breakdown of macroaggregates with losses of the C and N stored therein. However, the commercial farms also exhibited a decline of macroaggregates and their associated C content nearby the water points. Aggregate fractionation is a sensitive indicator for detecting the beginning of soil degradation in this biome; yet, degradation was less pronounced under the rotational grazing of the commercial farms than under communal property right conditions. Hence, soil analyses confirm that fences and appropriate grazing periods are needed to manage these Rangelands sustainably.