Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Assistant Prof., Department of Forestry, Ahar Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tabriz, Ahar, I. R. Iran
2
Associate Prof., Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, I. R. Iran
3
Prof., Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, I. R. Iran
Abstract
Nowadays, importance of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) has been increased. However, there is no comprehensive information about these products. The purpose of this study was to list and prioritize NWFPs of Arasbaran forests economically. To do so, all information related to the harvest, consumption, sales, and processing of NWFPs and other economic activities were collected by surveying at the household and village levels. For better distribution of samples within the study area, all the villages were grouped into three categories using factor analysis in SPSS software. The grouping was based on six effective indicators related to forest activities (area percentage of village forests), livestock (number of livestock per household) and agriculture (irrigation-fed land surface of household), natural conditions (altitude from sea level), literacy and employment (total employment rate and the female literacy rate). After estimating the sample size with Cochran formula, household samples was randomly selected within all groups covering all altitudes ranges. The collected species were ranked using mean annual economic benefits of harvest at household level. The results showed that fruit of 13 species was harvested by local people. In terms of economical prioritization, cornelian cherry, walnut, and sumac are the most important species with 6370, 6317, and 1270 thousand Rials, respectively. Further researches are required to rank the NWFPs in terms of production potential and to reveal their role in local economic development.
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