OICC Press Journal of Rangeland Science 2423-642X 16 3 2026 09 30 An Interpretive Structural Model for Balancing between Biodiversity Protection and Local Livelihoods in the Almabolaq Protected Area, Hamadan Province, Iran 10.57647/JRS.2026.1603.22 EN Aminollah Sahab Mahmoodi Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran Mohammad Reza Gili Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran Iman Saeedi Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8749-3829 Journal Article 2026 09 30 Protected areas worldwide face hard trade-offs between biodiversity conservation and supporting local livelihoods. This study was conducted to integrate the Fuzzy Delphi and Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) to evaluate socio-economic threats in Almabolaq protected area, Hamedan province, Iran, in 2023. This research was based on expert input from 16 specialists, who identified 10 key threats, including overgrazing, land-use changes, burning of shrubs, and the use of pesticides, which substantially contributed to biodiversity loss. The fuzzy Delphi analysis of 21 factors using triangular fuzzy numbers (Definite Value threshold = 3.65) revealed that among the 10 threats, overgrazing, with a value of 4.58 ± 0.14, accounted for 11.6% of the total threats, had the highest rank. The ISM modeling organized these threats into a four-tier strategy: Level 1: prioritize education and awareness. Level 2: had focused on strengthening legal oversight and managing population pressures. Level 3: emphasized enhanced management practices and social awareness, and Level 4: emphasized specific conservation interventions, such as determining grazing boundaries and promoting sustainable practices. Notably, community engagement emerged as the most influential strategy, effectively linking conservation objectives with local socio-economic needs.By explicitly addressing these trade-offs, our study provides actionable recommendations for policymakers and protected area managers, offering a practical framework to balance ecological integrity with sustainable human development.