Identifying and explaining the role of different factors in the participation of the stakeholders for restoration of Nodushan rangelands in Yazd province.

In rural society, various factors play a role in the participation of local communities in the conservation of natural resources. Among them, stakeholders have the central role of participation. Natural resources are considered economic sources, and their restoration and conservation are considered the basis for human activities for the current and future generations. These factors include social factors, economic factors, and cultural factors, which are known as norms. Most experts believe that participation is determining factor in the process of growth and development in developed and developing societies. Therefore, to prevent the degradation of rangelands, a comprehensive plan must be designed by various organizations and departments to monitor the exploitation and utilization of rangelands, and this depends on the participation of the stakeholders. To protect and restore rangelands, organizations must be aware of the norms that affect local collaborative behaviors. This study aims to identify the norms that influence the pastoralists' participation and determine the contribution of each of their components in the conservation of Nodushan rangelands, Yazd province. In this study, we assessed the impact of norms, including social, economic, and cultural factors as independent variables, on the amount of beneficiaries' participation as a dependent variable. The method was descriptive-analytical in the form of a questionnaire based on a five-option Likert scale. The sample size included 104 rangers and random sampling. After checking the reliability and validity of the questionnaire, the path analysis method was used to rank the independent variables. The results showed that the social factor 0.857, the economic factor 0.633, and the cultural factor 0.144 had the highest total impact and also the direct and indirect impact on the rangers' participation. The method of exploitation in rangelands, the amount of income of beneficiaries, and the awareness and experience of stakeholders had the priority. Spearman's correlation coefficient between independent variables and pastoralists' participation showed that the social and economic factors have a positive and significant correlation coefficient with the dependent variable of pastoralists' participation. Therefore, it was suggested that the social and economic factors should be considered as the most important indicators of attracting beneficiaries' participation in planning for the restoration of rangelands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]