Effect of Quantitative Characteristics of Hydrology and Topography on the Spatial Distribution Pattern of Nomad Camps in Kermanshah Province

Authors
A. Azmi
A. Maleki
H. Marabi
H. Rahimi
Department of Geography, Literature and Human Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Abstract
The reason for this study was the lack of a coherent work on the role of quantitative characteristics of hydrology and topography in determining the spatial distribution pattern of nomad camps in Iran. In this investigation, Kermanshah Province, in west of Iran, was studied. Quantitative hydrology and Topography indices of the province including Heterogeneity Index (TRI), Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), Altitude, slope, slope direction, stream distance, ridge distance, spring distance, formation type, Topographic Position Index (TPI), Surface Relief Ratio (SRR), and Compound Topographic Index (CTI) were calculated. To determine the results, Pearson correlation and linear regression (for parametric data) and LOWESS regression (for non-parametric data) were used between hydrology and topography data and the camps’ area. Then, the type of spatial distribution pattern and spatial pattern type radius of the camps were determined for each one of the above-mentioned factors using Moran’s Autocorrelation Index and Ripleys’ K Function, respectively. There was a significant relationship between the TPI index (the steep slope landform) and the camps’ area. In sum, the first priority in determining the regular pattern of nomads in the Kermanshah Province considers two heterogeneity and slope indices, and the second priority is among the rest of hydrology and topography indices. The nomads’ almost identical choices in selecting location of their camps are dependent on access to non-jagged lands, flat lands, the places with more than 600 m distance from the ridges and less than 500 m from the streams and 2 km distance from the springs, special ranges of TWI, CTI and SRR indices, the altitude range of 1,400 to 2,000 m above sea level, and establishment in the Landform 3 range of the TPI index and limestone formation.

Keywords

Subjects

1. Abedi Sarvestani, A. 2014. Investigating Outdate Spring Migration among Nomads of Fars Province. Geogr. Res., 29(4): 28-43.
2. Akbaroghli, F. and Velayati, S. 2007. Investigating the Position of Natural Factors in Establishment of Rural Settlements (Case Study of Rural Settlements of Kopeh Dagh-Hezarmasjed Highlands). Geography (Iranian Geographical Association), 13: 45-66.
3. Amanollahi Baharvand, S. 1981. Nomad in Iran. Aghah press, Tehran.
4. Chatty. D. and Sternberg, T. 2015. Climate Effects on Nomadic Pastoralist Societies, Disasters and Displacement in a Changing Climate. Forced Migration Rev., 49: 25-27.
5. Endreny, T. A. and Wood, E. F.2003. Maximizing Spatial Congruence of Observed and DEM- Delineated Overland Flow Networks. Int. J. Geogr. Inform. Sci., 17: 699–713.
6. Fazelnia, G., Rajaei, M. and Hakim Doust, S.Y. 2012. An Analysis of Natural Factors Affecting the Distribution and Establishment of Rural Settlements in the Sirjan County. J. Manage. Syst., 16: 109-124.
7. Gessler, P. E., Moore, I. D., McKenzie, N. J. and Ryan, P. J. 1995. Soil-Landscape Modeling and Spatial Prediction of Soil Attributes. Int. J. GIS, 9(4): 421-432.
8. Ghadiri-masoum, M., Jafar-bigloo, M., Mousavi-ruzan, S. M. and Bakhshi, Z. 2013. The Role of Physical Factors upon Spatial Distribution of Rural Settlements in Torbat-Jam. J. Space Econ. Rur. Dev., (2): 33-54.
9. Hajipour. S., Barani, H., Yeganeh, H. and Abdei Sarvestani, A. 2016. Factors Affecting Herders Migration Time to Summer Rangelands (Case Study: Kouhdasht Rangelands, Lorestan Province, Iran). J. Rangeland Sci., 7(3): 199-209.
10. Jafar-bigloo, M., Ghadiri Masoum, M., Mousavi Rouzan, S. M. and Bakhshi, Z., 2013. The Role of Natural Factors in the Spatial Distribution of Rural Settlements of Torbat-e Jam City, J. Space Econ. Rural Develop., 2(2): 54-33.
11. Li, Y., Liu, C., Zhang, H. and Gao, X. 2011. Evaluation on the Human Settlements Environment Suitability in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of Chongqing Based on RS and GIS. J. Geogr. Sci., 21: 346–358.
12. Maleki, A., Marabi, H. and Rahimi, H. 2016. An Analysis of Topographic Position Index (TPI) in Sanandaj – Sirjan Zone and Broken Zagros Zone. J. Quantitative Geomorphol. Res., 1: 129-141.
13. Mayer, B. 2015. Managing “Climate Migration” in Mongolia: The Importance of Development Policies, Climate Change in the Asia-Pacific Region. Part of the Series Climate Change Management, PP. 191-204
14. Mazaheri, K. 2006. Central Zagros and Local-Regional Communication Paths (Derived from the Report of Chapter II of Archaeological Investigation and Identification of Darehshahr County). Vol. 3, Archive of Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research, Ilam, 22 PP.
15. Mousavi, M., Nazmfar, H. and Aftab, A. 2013. Investigating the Role of Natural Factors in the Geographical Distribution of Population and Urban Settlements Using GIS and Geoda (Case Study: West Azarbaijan Province). J. Geogr. Environ. Stud., (5): 80-98.
16. Nourozi, Hayati, M., D. 2017. Sustainability of Livelihoods among Farmers Community in Kermanshah Province, Iran: A Comparison of Farmers’ Attitude Based on Their Characteristics. J. Agr. Sci. Tech., 19: 1099-1113
17. Organization of Iranian Nomads.2017., Nomads of Kermanshah Province, www.ashayer-ks.gov.ir
18. Organization of Management and Planning.2017. Crowd Statistical of Kermanshah Province, www.mpo-ksh.ir
19. Pike, R. J. and Wilson, S. E. 1971. Elevation Relief Ratio, Hypsometric Integral, and Geomorphic Area Altitude Analysis. Bull. Geol. Soc. Am., 82: 1079-1084.
20. Rahmani, M. 2004. Analysis of the Effect of Natural Factors on Spatial Distribution Pattern of Rural Settlements and Population of Amol City, Crowd j., 12(49):141-152.
21. Rajabi, D., Mousavi, S. F. and Roozbahani A. 2019. Application of Hydro-Economic Model in Optimal Distribution of Agricultural Water under Drought Conditions (Case Study: Irrigation Networks Downstream of Zayandehrud Dam). J. Agr. Sci. Tech., 21(3): 729-745
22. Riley, S. J., DeGloria, S. D. and Elliot, R. 1999. A Terrain Ruggedness Index that Quantifies Topographic Heterogeneity. Intermountain J. Sci., 5(1-4).
23. Seto, K. C. and Fragkias, M. 2005. Quantifying Spatiotemporal Patterns of Urban Land-Use Change in Four Cities of China with Time Series Landscape Metrics. Landsc. Ecol., 20: 871–888.
24. Tignor, R., Adelman J., Aron S., Brown P., Elman B., Kotkin S., Liu X., Marchand S., Pittman H., Prakash G. Sh., and Tsin, B., M. 2010. Worlds Together, Worlds Apart: A History Of The World: From The Beginnings Of Humankind To The Present, Volume (1): One-Volume, SBN: 978-0-393-93492-2
25. Wei, W., Shi, P., Zhou, J., Feng, H., Wang, X. and Wang, X. 2013. Environmental Suitability Evaluation for Human Settlements in an Arid Inland River Basin: A Case Study of the Shiyang River Basin. J. Geogr. Sci., 23: 331–343.
26. Weiss, A. 2001. Topographic Position and Landforms Analysis. Poster Presentation, ESRI User Conference, San Diego, CA.
27. Zhang, Zh., Xiao, R., Shortridge, A. and Jiaping, W. 2014. Spatial Point Pattern Analysis of Human Settlements and Geographical Associations in Eastern Coastal China: A Case Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 11: 2818-2833. doi: 10.3390/ijerph110302818.
Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 22, Issue 1
January and February 2020
Pages 67-79