Indigenous Knowledge of Shepherds in Determining the Flammability of Vegetation: A case study of Khalkhal Semi-Steppic Rangelands of Iran

The indigenous knowledge of shepherds about the different components of the plant fuel, ways of their classification and their contribution to fire behavior helps range managers to understand fire and effective management of the rangelands. The present research aims to document the indigenous knowledge of shepherds in this regard. For this purpose, a semi-structured interview in 2020 with 17 shepherds of semi-steppe rangelands of Khalkhal in northwestern Iran was performed and data were analyzed by the note-taking method and the categorization method. Given the knowledge of shepherds, plants were categorized into three groups of carriers, retardant, and burnable. They consider the morphological traits, type and composition of vegetation, climatic factors and physiography to be effective in creation and spread of fire. Shepherds’ controlled fires are carried out with the aim of removing thorny plants to increase the length of the green period of the plants, to graze more livestock, to increase the income, to destroy the old seedlings and to rejuvenate the rangeland. Uncontrolled and deliberate fires are conducted with the aim of destroying state property, protesting against fines, unhealthy competition and conflicts between individuals, which reduce the winter forage of livestock and land grabbing. The time required for the rehabilitation of the rangelands was expressed after 6-7 years after fire. Practical suggestions could be used in participatory management system (shepherds and officials from natural resources management) for controlling fuel density using different grazing systems.