Analyzing Economic Effects of Oak Trees Dieback on Villagers in Malekshahi County

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 MSc. Graduated, Department of Entrepreneurship and Rural Development, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran.

2 Associate professor, Department of Entrepreneurship and Rural Development, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran.

3 Associate professor, Department of Forest Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the economic effects of oak trees dieback on villagers in Malekshahi County. The statistical sample of the study was 216 villagers who were selected based on the Cochran formula and using the proportionate stratified random sampling method. The main tool for data collection was a researcher-made questionnaire which its content validity was confirmed using the opinions of the professors of the Department of Rural Development and Forest Sciences of Ilam University. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to determine the reliability of the questionnaire, and its value was equal to 0.87. The results of factor analysis showed that the factors of weakening agricultural and animal husbandry activities, the decline in employment, food supply problems, general poverty, declining by-products, declining tourism, declining incomes and declining beekeeping activities, were the most important economic effects of dieback of oak trees on the life of villagers. These factors explained 68.56% of the total variance. Due to the effect of oak tree decline on reducing non-wood products, the establishment of cooperatives to use these products, optimizing the utilization of non-wood products and creating sustainable employment to boost the region's economy are recommended.

Keywords


Adeli, K., Jalilvand, H., Yakhkeshi, A., Falah, A. (2008). Evaluation of forest sustainability under the influence of nomadic forestry. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 16(1), 11-23.  
Alipour, H., Chaharsoughi Amin, H., Gharib, A. (2013). The effects of drought on socioeconomic status of farmers, Case study: Wheat farmers in Nehbandan. Journal of Watershed Research, 99, 113-125.
Alavizadeh, S.A.M., Izadi, A. (2019). Analysis of the Impact of Drought on Rural Households Case: Kavirar Village of Khalilabad County. Journal of Space Economy and Rural Development, 7(1), 183-202.
Anthony, S. (2013). Drought and water policy in Australia, Global Environmental Change, 23, PP: 1615–1626.
Bablo, B., Muys, B., Negu, F., Tollens, E., Nyssen, J., Deckers, J., Mathis, E. (2009). The economic contribution of forest resource use to rural livelihoods in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, Forest Policy & Economics, 11: 109-117.
BeigMohamadi, H., Noori, S.H., Bazrafshan, J. (2005). The Impact of Droughts on Sistan's Rural Economy and Solutions to the Drought of 1997-83, Journal of Geography and Development, 3(5), 53-72.
Brèteau-Amores, S., Brunette, M. & Davi, H. (2019). An economic comparison of adaptation strategies towards a drought-induced risk of forest decline. Ecological economics, 164, p.106294.
Fatemi, M., Karami, E. (2009). Case Study of Causes and Effects of Drought. Iranian Agricultural Extension and Education Journal, 6(2), 77-96.  
Ghasemi Ghochjar, S., Jafari, A. (2104). Evaluation of appropriate components of the conceptual model of ecological monitoring of fine-scale effects in Zagros forests. Second National Student Conference on Forest Science, May 17-18, Tehran, 1-6.
Golmohamadi, F., Eslam Bonyad, A., Hasanzad Navrodi, I, Mirzaii, J. (2013). Influence of drought on drought in forest trees. Second National Conference on Environmental Protection and Planning, February 26, Tehran, 1-8.
Hamzehpour, M., Bordbar, S.K., Jokar, L., Abasi, A. (2006). Investigation of the possibility of regeneration of corm forests through direct planting of seed and seedlings. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research, 14(3), 207-220.
Hemati, B., Ajili, A. (2014). Investigating the Role of Drought in Agricultural Production and Coping Strategies. National Conference on Climate Change Engineering and Sustainable Development of Agriculture and Natural Resources, July 5-7, Hamadan, 16-16.  
Iran Statistics Center. (2011). General Census of Population and Housing of Ilam Province Villages. Tehran.
Jafari, Sh., Jalali Nasab, M., Irvani, H. (2013). Economic Impact Assessment of Climate Change in Agriculture. Proceedings of the National Conference on Climate Change Engineering and Sustainable Development of Agriculture and Natural Resources, July 5-7, Hamedan, 8-1.
Jamshidi, M., Noori Zamanabadi, S.H., Seidaii, S.E., Rahimi, D. (2015). Impacts of drought on the economy of rural areas of Sirvan and Chardavol. Journal of Space Economy and Rural Development, 4(3), 1-17.
Landry, J., Chirwa, W.P. (2011). Analysis of the potential socio-ecoomic impact province, Mozambique, Land Use Policy, 28: 542-551.
Mohamadi Yeganeh, B., Rezaii, H., Cheraghi, M. (2013). Analysis of the Impacts of Drought on the Economy of Rural Areas of Abarkouh (1995-2005). Journal management system, 2(6), 57-68.
Montagné-Huck, C. and Brunette, M. (2018). Economic analysis of natural forest disturbances: A century of research. Journal of Forest Economics, 32, 42-71.
Naveen, P., Cynthia Bantilan, K. (2014). Vulnerability and policy relevance to drought in the semi-arid tropics of Asia – A retrospective analysis, Weather and Climate Extremes, 3, PP: 54–61.
Organization of Forests, Rangelands and Watershed Management. (2015). Office of Public Promotion and Participation.
Piri, A. (2011). Landscape of Ilam province watershed. Publications of the Organization of Forests, Rangelands and Watersheds of Iran, Tehran, 98 p.
Pourtaheri, M., Eftekhari, A. R., Kazemi, N. (2012). The Role of Drought Risk Management in Reducing Socio-Economic Vulnerability of Rural Farmers (From the Perspectives of Officials and Experts) Case Study, Soldoz District, West Azerbaijan. Journal of Rural Research, 4(1), 1-22.
Riyahi, V., Pashazadeh, A. (2013). Economic and Social Impacts of Drought on Rural Areas of Grammy County (Case Study: Azadloo Village). Geographical Perspective on Human Studies, 8(25), 17-27.   
Salem, J. (2008). Impact of Drought on Tribal Tribal Life Process of Taheri Tribes in Tabas District. Village and Development Quarterly, 11(4), 89-124.  
Saleh, I., Mokhtari, D. (2007). Economic and Social Impacts and Consequences of Drought on Rural Households in Sistan Region. Iranian Agricultural Extension and Education Journal, 3(1), 99-114.
Shamsdini, Sh. (2014). Investigation of socio-economic consequences of drought in Iran. Second National Conference on Water Crisis, September 29, Shahrekord, 1-10.
Sobhani, Y. (2009). Environmental and socio-economic effects of drought, Proceedings of the Regional Conference on Water and Drought Crisis, Islamic Azad University of Rasht, May 30-31, 779-795.
Tavakoli, M., Pirouzi, F. (2011). A Preliminary Study of the Causes of Oak Drying in the Forests of Blooran Kouhdasht Region. Proceedings of the National Conference of Central Zagros Forests, Capabilities and bottlenecks, December 2-1, Khorramabad, 6-1.
Vargas, R., Sonnentag, O., Abramowitz, G., Carrara, A., Chen, J. M., Ciais, Ph., Correia, A., Keenan, F., Kobayashi, H., Ourcival, J.M., Papale, D., Pearson, D., Pereira, J.S., Piao, S., Rambal, S., Baldocchi, D. (2013). Drought Influences the Accuracy of Simulated Ecosystem Fluxes: A Model-Data Meta-analysis for Mediterranean Oak Woodlands, Ecosystems, 16: 749–764.
Webb, N. P., Stokes C.J., Marshall, N.A. (2013). Integrating biophysical and socioeconomic evaluations to improve the efficacy of adaptation assessments for agriculture, Global Environmental Change, 14 pp.
Young woo, S. (2009). Forest decline of the world: A linkage with air pollution and global warming, African Journal of Biotechnology, 6: 7409- 7414.
Yazdi, M.J., Moayeri, M.H., Emadiyan, S.F., Shahraki, M.R. (2012). nvestigation of Barriers and Problems of Degradation in Zagros Forests. First National Conference on Sustainable Development Strategies in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, March 20, Tehran, 1-11.
Zakeri, F., Hojati, S.M., Kiyadelbari, H. (2013). An analysis on the process of drying up and decline of Zagros forests. Third International Conference on Environmental Planning and Management, July 2-4, Tehran, 1-7.