Visualization and quantification of significant anthropogenic drivers influencing rangeland degradation trends using Landsat imagery and GIS spatial dependence models: A case study in Northeast Iran

Developing countries must consider the influence of anthropogenic dynamics on changes in rangeland habitats. This study explores happened degradation in 178 rangeland management plans for Northeast Iran in three main steps: (1) conducting a trend analysis of rangeland degradation and anthropogenic dynamics in 1986-2000 and 2000-2015, (2) visualizing the effects of anthropogenic drivers on rangeland degradation using bivariate local spatial autocorrelation (BiLISA), and (3) quantifying spatial dependence between anthropogenic driving forces and rangeland degradation using spatial regression approaches. The results show that 0.77% and 0.56% of rangelands are degraded annually during the first and second periods. The BiLISA results indicate that dry-farming, irrigated farming and construction areas were significant drivers in both periods and grazing intensity was a significant driver in the second period. The spatial lag (SL) model (wi=0.3943, Ei=1.4139) with two drivers of dry-farming and irrigated farming in the first period and the spatial error (SE) model (wi=0.4853, Ei=1.515) with livestock density, dry-farming and irrigated farming in the second period showed robust performance in quantifying the driving forces of rangeland degradation. To conclude, the BiLISA maps and spatial models indicate a serious intensification of the anthropogenic impacts of ongoing conditions on the rangelands of northeast Iran in the future.     

DESERTIFICATION ASSESSMENT USING THE ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS AND GIS IN SOUTHEAST IRAN

Studying the factors influencing desertification progress of a region and its resulting zoning can be effective in helping to reduce the damage of this phenomenon. This study attempted to investigate the factors influencing desertification progress; hence, it proceeded to zone Sistan and Baluchestan Province using three analytic hierarchy processes, Expert Choice software and a geographic information system. First, factors affecting desertification progress were checked and they were then used to determine the most important aspects in order of priority as follows: climatic elements (temperature, evaporation, wind, precipitation and humidity), morphology (topography and slope) and human factors (land cover). Then, a zoning map of desertification‐prone lands was prepared. The results showed that, in terms of hazard progress of these lands, there were five desertification hazard regions in Sistan and Baluchestan Province with an area of about 187 502 km² and high hazard regions covering approximately 29.2% of the province were located in the north of the province. High hazard regions with an approximate area of 3.20% of the total area of the province were mostly located in Saravan, Khash, and the surrounding areas; medium hazard regions with an approximate area of 19.6% were in Iranshahr and the southeastern part of the province; low hazard regions with an area of about 18.2% were in the southern parts of the province; and very low hazard regions with an approximate area of 12.7% were in Nikshahr and the southern parts of the province.     

Analyses of the Persian Gulf sea surface temperature: prediction and detection of climate change signals

Arabian Journal of Geosciences - This study was motivated by two main concerns including (a) prediction of the Persian Gulf Sea surface temperature (PGSST) anomalies using an autoregressive...     

基于卫星影像和GIS模型研究人类活动造成牧场退化的可视化和量化分析——以伊朗北部为例（英文）

Developing countries must consider the influence of anthropogenic dynamics on changes in rangeland habitats. This study explores happened degradation in 178 rangeland management plans for Northeast Iran in three main steps:(1) conducting a trend analysis of rangeland degradation and anthropogenic dynamics in 1986–2000 and 2000–2015,(2) visualizing the effects of anthropogenic drivers on rangeland degradation using bivariate local spatial autocorrelation(BiLISA), and(3) quantifying spatial dependence between anthropogenic driving forces and rangeland degradation using spatial regression approaches. The results show that 0.77% and 0.56% of rangelands are degraded annually during the first and second periods. The BiLISA results indicate that dry-farming, irrigated farming and construction areas were significant drivers in both periods and grazing intensity was a significant driver in the second period. The spatial lag(SL) model(wi=0.3943, Ei=1.4139) with two drivers of dry-farming and irrigated farming in the first period and the spatial error(SE) model(wi=0.4853, Ei=1.515) with livestock density, dry-farming and irrigated farming in the second period showed robust performance in quantifying the driving forces of rangeland degradation. To conclude, the BiLISA maps and spatial models indicate a serious intensification of the anthropogenic impacts of ongoing conditions on the rangelands of northeast Iran in the future.