Economic and Ecological Evaluation of Medicinal Plant Exploitation and Forage Production in Kabudcheshmeh Summer Rangeland

Document Type : Scientific Letters

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Rangeland Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

2 Research Instructor, Natural Resources Research Devision, Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center of Mazanderan, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Sari, Iran.

10.22092/irn.2025.369109.1642

Abstract

One of the uses of rangelands is the exploitation of medicinal plants. There are varying perspectives on this issue. In many cases, there is a strong emphasis on the export of medicinal plants harvested from rangelands. However, considering that these plants represent valuable genetic reserves—and that native and endemic medicinal species offer a relative and competitive advantage over non-native species—direct harvesting from rangelands is generally not recommended. Instead, the focus should be on expanding the cultivation of medicinal plants in abandoned or low-yielding agricultural lands and rainfed fields, using improved and high-yielding varieties. Deciding whether to continue or halt the harvesting of medicinal plants from rangelands requires foundational data. At present, comprehensive information on the ecological suitability of rangeland habitats for medicinal plant exploitation is lacking. Consequently, current harvesting practices are often not based on environmental compatibility or sustainable yield limits of the habitat. In some cases, medicinal plants are harvested without regard for their environmental requirements or the carrying capacity of the ecosystem. This study was therefore conducted with the aim of ecologically and economically evaluating the exploitation of medicinal plants and forage production in the summer rangelands of Kabudcheshmeh, a representative rangeland in the southern Alborz region. According to the findings, the suitability of the area for medicinal plant harvesting, based on ecological, economic, and social criteria, was rated as low (S3), while its suitability for forage production and livestock grazing was rated as high (S1). These results indicate that not all rangeland habitats are appropriate for medicinal plant exploitation. Thus, a more sustainable approach is recommended—one that involves conserving genetic resources by minimizing harvesting, enforcing controlled and capacity-based utilization, and implementing restoration practices where necessary. Widespread exploitation of medicinal plants across all rangeland areas is not advisable. This issue should be carefully considered by both research institutions and executive bodies when formulating policies related to medicinal plants.

Keywords

References

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Iran Nature
Volume 10, Issue 1 - Serial Number 50
May and June 2025
Pages 49-57

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