Effectiveness and Economic Valuation of Productive Function in Combat-Desertification Projects (Case Study: Se-Qaleh – Sarayan)

Ghasemi Aryan, Yaser; Salajagheh, Sosan; Eskandari Damaneh, Hadi; Shahraki, Mohammadreza; Farashiani, Ebrahim; Yari, Reza; Razavi Salim, Farhad

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Volume 12, Issue 25 (3-2025)

PEC 2025, 12(25): 223-236

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Effectiveness and Economic Valuation of Productive Function in Combat-Desertification Projects (Case Study: Se-Qaleh – Sarayan)

Yaser Ghasemi Aryan ^*

, Sosan Salajagheh²

, Hadi Eskandari Damaneh³

, Mohammadreza Shahraki⁴

, Ebrahim Farashiani⁵

, Reza Yari⁶

, Farhad Razavi Salim⁷

Desert Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran, Desert Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran , ghasemiaryan@ut.ac.ir
2- Department of Planning – Management and HSE, College of Environment, University of Tehran, Iran
3- Desert Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
4- Researcher of rural development and expert in agricultural economics and natural resources of Golestan Governorate, Iran
5- Conservation and Protection Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
6- Natural Resources and Watershed Management Division, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Mashhad, Iran
7- Expert of International Center for Comprehensive Watershed Management and Biological Resources, Natural Resources and Watershed Management Organization, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: (2258 Views)

Research gaps in valuing desert ecosystem goods and services, as well as the lack of explanation regarding the effectiveness of combat-desertification projects from social, economic, and ecological perspectives, have led to an oversimplified view of their importance compared to other ecosystems. In this regard, the present study was conducted to evaluate the ecological and economic effectiveness of the productive function of desertification countermeasure projects in the Se-Qaleh Sarayan region of South Khorasan Province. Ecological effectiveness was assessed based on changes in vegetation cover percentage and the economic value of forage production. Remote sensing images from the Landsat satellite (30 m resolution) from 1990 to 2023 and the Modified Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (MSAVI) were used to analyze vegetation restoration and development. The hedonic method was used to estimate the economic value of forage production. Production was measured using the double-sampling method. Plant types in the study area were identified, and representative areas for each type were determined. Five 300 m transects were established using a random-systematic method, and five plots were sampled along each transect. Data from the National Rangeland Plant Forage Quality Project were used to estimate metabolizable energy in digestible dry matter (TDN) and to derive regression relationships between TDN and livestock input prices. The results showed that the MSAVI index increased from 0.057 in 1990 to 0.22 in 2023. Spatial changes indicated that the index value increased from the north and northwest to the east and southeast of the study area, influenced by the region's prevailing winds. Valuation results revealed that five plant types dominated by Haloxylon species were established in the study area, producing 1,851.5 tons of forage annually (current year's production, including 30% of the permitted exploitation limit). The economic valuation of forage production showed that the study area's value was 226.8 billion Rials, equivalent to 21 million Rials per hectare in 2023. Overall, the management and operation of combat-desertification projects, emphasizing conservation principles, can successfully link the conservation goals of experts with the livelihood goals of stakeholders.

Article number: 15

Keywords: Evaluation, Economic valuation, South Khorasan Province, Ecosystem goods and services

Full-Text [PDF 2004 kb] (679 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2024/11/16 | Accepted: 2024/12/8 | Published: 2025/04/23

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Ghasemi Aryan Y, Salajagheh S, Eskandari Damaneh H, Shahraki M, Farashiani E, Yari R et al . Effectiveness and Economic Valuation of Productive Function in Combat-Desertification Projects (Case Study: Se-Qaleh – Sarayan). PEC 2025; 12 (25) : 15
URL: http://pec.gonbad.ac.ir/article-1-1003-en.html

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