Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes are an innovative solution to reduce environmental degradation. However, most existing experience with PES implementation is related to the agricultural, forestry and marine sectors, and the application of PES in rangelands is limited. Although a PES could be an option to reduce rangeland degradation, there is no specific framework or experience for its implementation in Iran. Financial resources for funding the scheme are important, although funding by itself is not sufficient, and details are important in designing a successful PES system. This study aimed to design and introduce the framework of a PES scheme based on field surveys, information collection and analysis emphasising soil and water conservation functions, and identification and discussion of the challenges and obstacles facing implementation of the designed framework. After delineating the vegetation types on rangeland ecosystems, their current ecological condition was considered the baseline, and minimum and maximum payments were considered, equal to the livestock reduction compensation and the total value of the increased ecosystem services as a result of PES implementation respectively. Results suggest designing the practical steps of PES schemes is complicated despite the concept’s simplicity, and a lack of clear property rights can increase complexity and multiply the costs. Considering different socioeconomic and ecological contexts, and the detailed framework in all the processes of identification and investigation, development, pilot testing, and project operation can increase the effectiveness of PES schemes. Our findings appear useful for policy-making to balance utilisation pressure in natural areas, not only in Iran, but also in many arid and semiarid rangelands elsewhere.

生态系统服务付费（PES）计划是减少环境退化的创新解决方案。但是，执行PES的大多数现有经验与农业，林业和海洋部门有关，并且在牧场中对PES的应用受到限制。尽管PES可能是减少牧场退化的一种选择，但在伊朗实施PES尚无具体框架或经验。尽管仅靠资金本身是远远不够的，但为该计划提供资金的财务资源很重要，而且在设计成功的PES系统时，细节很重要。这项研究旨在基于实地调查，信息收集和分析（强调水土保持功能）来设计和介绍PES计划的框架，确定并讨论实施设计框架所面临的挑战和障碍。在划定牧场生态系统上的植被类型后，将其当前的生态状况视为基准，并考虑了最低和最高支付额，分别等于由于实施生态系统服务而减少的牲畜补偿费用和增加的生态系统服务的总价值。结果表明，尽管概念简单，但设计PES方案的实际步骤仍然很复杂；缺乏明确的产权会增加复杂性并增加成本。考虑到不同的社会经济和生态环境，以及在确定和调查，开发，试点测试的所有过程中的详细框架，项目运营可以提高PES计划的有效性。我们的发现似乎有助于决策平衡自然区域的利用压力，不仅在伊朗，而且在其他地区的许多干旱和半干旱牧场也是如此。