ABSTRACT While the economic contributions of forests to rural livelihoods are well-documented, the critical socio-ecological thresholds beyond which forest degradation becomes irreversible remain poorly quantified. This study moves beyond conventional livelihood analyses to develop integrated degradation indices based on household-level exceedance of sustainable ecological thresholds. Using survey data from 209 rural and nomadic households (51% nomadic, 49% sedentary) in the Hamian-Zaroon region of Kouhdasht County, we quantified two key degradation indicators: Wood Consumption Sustainability Index (WCSI) and Grazing Pressure Index (GPI). Ecological thresholds were calculated as 12.17 m3/year for wood (based on forest growth rate of 0.7 m3/ha/year and accessible area of 17.4 ha/household) and 0.8 livestock units/ha/year for grazing. Our findings reveal alarming degradation patterns: 99.04% of households exceeded sustainable wood consumption limits (average consumption: 23.62 m3/year vs. sustainable threshold: 12.17 m3/year), while 60.77% maintained livestock herds beyond rangeland carrying capacity. Path analysis identified distinct driver pathways: household size (standardized β = 0.38, p < 0.01) and livestock value (standardized β = 0.307, p < 0.05) directly increased degradation pressure, while education level exerted significant indirect effects through its positive influence on off-farm income (total standardized effect: −0.41). K-means cluster analysis revealed a household typology with four distinct types: Energy-Crisis Degraders (32.5%), Commercial Pastoralists (22.5%), Multi-Pressure Degraders (38.3%), and Transitional Households (6.7%). Spatial analysis shows wood consumption hotspots near forest edges (β = -0.004, p < 0.01) and grazing hotspots in nomadic pastoral areas. This research introduces a threshold-based framework for forest degradation assessment in fragile socio-ecological systems.
