Forest management planning to increase biodiversity in woodland (case study: forests of Northern Iran)

Abstract

This study was done in three forestry villages in Kiasar (one of the cities in Mazandaran province) to design and estimate financial plans of forestry incentive programs. To identify the interests of the people associated with the forest quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Statistical population of the research was 276 households in three villages were surveyed and 76 questionnaire data were used in the quantitative analysis. The main approach in designing incentive programs in this forest is removal or modification of livestock grazing in the forest, eliminate Galazani, reduce or cut firewood and timber harvesting to provide alternative ways. In order to devise the incentive plans with a systematic view and a cause and affect approach to the research area the facilitating factors, the pressure factors, the ongoing conditions, the effects and ultimately the answer (incentive plans) were found for the promotion of conventional management. Then financial incentive program were estimated with using valuation techniques. Harvestable crops or interest of the people from forest were valued. The result of financial evaluation indicated that the financial burden of incentive plans on Galazani elimination and wood collection, known as the major causes of forest destruction in conventional forest management,