Factors Affecting Herders Migration Time to Summer Rangelands (Case Study: Kouhdasht Rangelands, Lorestan Province, Iran)

The main objective of this study was to assess factors affecting early entrance and later exit of herders from summer rangelands. The study population consisted of heads of Nomads in Kouhdasht region, Lorestan province, Iran. According to Cochran formula among 1038 Nomadic families, 310 families were selected with stratified random sampling in 2015. In order to assess validity, expert's opinions were considered and face to face interviews and questionnaires were applied to collect data, and Cronbach’s Alpha was used to assess reliability. To determine the factors influencing movement calendar, the factor analysis (principle component analyses) and KMO statistics were used. The variables were ordinated by factor analysis into six factors. Results of Mann-Whitney test indicate that annual herd calving and distance of winter and summer rangelands had a significant effect on livestock entrance and exit date to the summer rangeland. Results of Kruskal-Wallis test showed that herders who had private rangeland and those who had cooperative rangelands leave summer rangelands later and in the right time, respectively. Herders whose main job was ranching had good knowledge about livestock entrance and exit date of rangeland. Results obtained from factor analysis showed that factors of tribes’ tendency to use fresh fodder for their livestock, lack of forage in the winter rangelands and increased annoying insects were effective in early migration of nomadic. The livestock weight loss and lack of places in the winter rangelands were effective in early and late exit of livestock from the summer rangeland.