Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
PhD student of Rangeland Science, Department of Reclamation of Arid and Mountainous, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
2
Professor, Department of Reclamation of Arid and Mountainous, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
3
. Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Sari, Iran
4
Professor, Department of Economics and Rural Development, Gamblox Agro-Biotech, University of Liège, Gamblox, Belgium
Abstract
Land cover reflects the reciprocal relationship between humans and the natural environment and illustrates the way humans utilize land to achieve specific objectives. Changes in land cover—whether in the form of shifts between different land-use types or alterations in their spatial patterns—constitute a key component of natural resource studies. In the present research, Satellite images were classified using the Support Vector Machine (SVM) machine-learning algorithm within the Google Earth Engine platform to examine temporal changes in land cover. Analyses were conducted across three distinct time periods. The results showed that rangelands, with an area of 71,350 ha, had the largest extent among all land-use classes; however, they exhibited a declining trend over time. In contrast, bare lands, which covered 40,451 ha in 1990, showed a continuous increase, rising from 31% in 1990 to 52% in 2020. The findings indicated that the sharp decline in rangelands and forests—driven by rising land prices and the lack of economic viability in agriculture—has led to an expansion of residential and villa developments. These changes have resulted in the loss of considerable ecosystem service value, which is both economically and environmentally detrimental. Given that the average annual value of each hectare of rangeland, in terms of ecosystem services and the societal costs associated with their degradation, is estimated at approximately 4,007,717,893 Rials, the short-term profitability of certain land uses cannot justify the long-term and irreversible destruction of natural resources. Therefore, the conversion of rangelands is not economically justifiable under any circumstances. This study employed a static modeling approach; however, it is recommended that future research consider dynamic models to analyze the economic implications of land-use change.
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