Evaluation of Agrobiodiversity in Ilam Province (During 2004-2016)
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Environmental Sciences Vol.17/ No.4 /winter 2020 121-132 Evaluation of agrobiodiversity in Ilam Province (during 2004-2016) Mohammad Reza Asgharipour1*, Fatemeh Kamari1, Mahmoud Ramroudi1 and Yaser Alizadeh2 1 Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran 2 Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran Received: 2018.10.20 Accepted: 2019.01.05 Asgharipour, M.R., Kamari, F., Ramroudi, M. and Alizadeh, Y., 2020. Evaluation of Agrobiodiversity of Ilam Province (during 2004-2016). Environmental Sciences. 17(4): 121-132. Introduction: Diversification of agriculture is considered an important strategy to overcome the challenges faced by many developing countries due to the opportunities it offers to face heterogeneous production conditions, increase income gen- eration through entry into new markets, and risk management. Conservation of biodiversity is one of the sustainable de- velopment concepts in agriculture. Excessive attention to the number of products and the extreme use of off-farm inputs, regardless of other ecological functions of these systems, has led to the reduction of biodiversity at all levels. In this context, a comprehensive plan for monitoring crop diversity and identification of factors influencing diversification is necessary.- Ac cordingly, this study was conducted to evaluate the temporal and spatial changes in the biodiversity of agricultural systems in the Ilam province during 2004 and 2016. Material and methods: Data were gathered from statistical yearbooks and reports from the Plan and Budget Organization and Organization of Jihad Agriculture. Stepwise regression analysis was used to identify the factors influencing regional crop diversity fluctuation over time. Also, stepwise recursive regression analysis was used to evaluate the determinant fac- tors in the changes of diversity in agricultural systems. In order to evaluate the spatial variation of crop diversity in irrigated agroecosystems and its determinants factors, the Shannon-Weiner diversity index was calculated. Based on the assump- tions of the study, the influencing factors on the spatial variation of crop diversity were classified into geographical factors, climate and ecological factors, sociocultural factors, economic factors, and management factors. Then, insignificant factors on crop diversity were excluded from the model and finally, the most important determinant on variations between different regions of the province remained in the model. Results and discussion: The findings of this study revealed that over the 12-years period, the general trend in the changes of production systems was a decreasing one; so the agricultural systems’ diversity in all counties, except for Ilam and De- hloran, had decreased, of which the highest value of the Shannon-Weiner diversity index was calculated 1.90 in 2016. The main reason for this increase in diversity was the increase in the number of vegetable crops and reducing the area under *Corresponding Author. Email Address: [email protected] ارزیابی تنوع زیستی در نظامهای ... cultivation of dominant crops (wheat and barley) during the studied period. Furthermore, the main determinant factors of diversity in the agricultural systems of Ilam Province were the number of villages with inhabitants, average annual net income of a rural household, number of cooperatives, number of dusty days, agricultural land areas, number of production units, age of the beneficiary, minority percentage, amount of urea fertilizer, number of family members, and literacy rate, respectively. Conclusion: Studying the critical points in the agricultural systems of Ilam Province indicated that the top-priority ac- tions to improve sustainability and increase the diversity of these systems are educating farmers, helping them reach economic stability and improving production management and water resources management. Keywords: Agrobiodiversity, Agroecosystem, Socioeconomic factors, Species richness, Sustainability Introduction means a switch from the domination of one crop at a large scale to the production of many crops (Red- Biological diversity or biodiversity is the variation dy, 2011). Crop diversification is an instrument for of life and refers to variability in all forms, levels, development addition to being a function of sustain- and combinations of biological organization (Gas- ability, risk management and enhanced income and ton and Spicer, 2004; Gorgini Shabankare, 2015). encouragement of agricultural diversification (Ali Agrobiodiversity encompasses the biodiversity of and Abdullah Farooq, 2004; Winters et al., 2006). living organisms used in agriculture (Wood and Western Iran is dominated by wheat culture ac- Lenne, 1999; Love and Spaner, 2007; Yousef et al., counting for 70.5 percent of the total cultivated area 2018). There are about 391,000 vascular plant spe- (MAJ, 2016). Researchers emphasize crop diversifi- cies currently known to science (Willis and Bach- cation to generate employment and poverty reduc- man, 2016), of which only 1500 species have been tion (Rahman and Kazal, 2015). Local farmers in used in agriculture and three-grain food; wheat, rice, Iran grow multiple crops with wheat to meet cash re- and maize produce more than half of the food energy quirements and subsistence (Koocheki et al., 2004; consumed by humans (FAO, 1998; Khoshbakht and Mahdavi Damghani et al., 2007). However, cultiva- Hammer, 2008). tion expansion of non-cereals (e.g. oilseeds, pulses, The universal transition into intensively exploited fodder, fibers, vegetables, and fruits) and medicinal landscapes has led to a considerable reduction in plants is slow, although they are more beneficial agricultural plant biodiversity, especially for tradi- than wheat cultivation. Since the 1979 revolution, tionally extensive agroecosystems in developing attempts in the expansion of wheat-based agroeco- countries (Jafari et al., 2018; Asgharipour et al., systems to achieve self-sufficiency of food grain 2019; Amiri et al., 2019). Diversification of agri- has mainly been paid off in current years across the culture is considered as a principal policy to con- country (Salehi Arjmand et al., 2009). There are con- quer the problems experienced by a great number cerns that the attainment in self-sufficiency of food of developing countries because of the opportunities grain may have come at a cost of losing agricultural it provides for increased revenue generation, tack- system diversity of the country, which potentially ling heterogeneous production situations, conserve threatens agricultural sustainability. valuable water and soil resources, alleviate poverty, Conservation of crop species or agrobiodiversity is and risk reduction (Winters et al., 2006; Bhattacha- crucial because of the need to develop crops for re- ryya, 2008). Agriculture diversification refers to de- gional adaptation, prevent the loss of adapted eco- veloping substantial crop or enterprise-mix in favor types, and broaden the genetic resources of crop of valuable and more advantageous enterprises. It plants (Cooper et al., 2001; Love and Spaner, 2007). فصلنامه علوم محیطی، دوره17، شماره4، زمستان 1398 122 اصغری پور و همکاران The epidemic of the southern maize leaf blight and of origin for the domestication of many grain crops the great famine of Irish potato are examples of the and animals (Harlan, 1977). Despite the long history treats of a small genetic resources (Harlan, 1972; of agriculture and the past share of its domestication Bursh, 2004). Agrobiodiversity value is important to world food production, a few research has been for farmers and plant breeders from dissimilar as- done to understand the previous achievements, ex- pects. Agrobiodiversity may be valued due to use istent situation, and the future perspective of crop values, option values and existence values (Pardey production in the province. To bridge this gap, this et al., 1998). Use values are the current effect of ge- study used a broad range of climatic, socio-cultural, netic resources on the crop yield. Option values re- economic and managerial factors to recognize deter- flect further unknown use, such as resistance to new minants of agricultural systems diversification at the diseases. Existence value is related to the consent regional scale in Ilam Province covering a period of people derive from knowing that diversity exists 12 years (2004–2016). In addition to developing the (Bellon, 1996; Love and Spaner, 2007). Conserva- empirical modeling, the analytical framework of the tion of agrobiodiversity is a requisite for developing study and conclusion was presented. sustainable agriculture because it permits breeders Material and methods to address variable environmental issues (such as climate change). Study area Ilam province is located west of Alborz mountains, There is a need for comprehensive monitoring of between 32º 03’ N to 34º 02’ N and 45º 40’ E to 48º agricultural system diversity and recognize factors 03’ E with an area of about 20137 square kilometers. influencing diversification. Few studies were con- The majority of the area is composed of highlands ducted on the analysis of crop-based agricultural and mountainous regions between the Zagros Moun- production system diversification in Iran. Koocheki tains, which lead down to low-lying plains with et al. (2008) provided an overview of the agricultural steep slopes. There are 14 perennial rivers in the diversity based on comprehensive analysis of wheat-