Evaluating the sustainability of ecotourism by preserving plant biotourism reserves on the raised shores of the international wetland of Shidvar Island

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assisstant Prof., Dept of geogrphical Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Natural Resources, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hormozgan University.

3 Dept of Geographical Sciences, faculty of Humanities, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran

4 Department of environment, Faculty of environmental and forestry, University Putra Malaysia,,43400, Seri Kembangan. Malaysia

Abstract

The Shidvar International Wetland is one of the most important wildlife shelters in the Persian Gulf, which has recently attracted many tourists. The research was conducted in order to evaluate the sustainability of ecotourism on the shores of Shidvar Island. Three representative areas were selected due to the existence of recreational and natural facilities. After selecting the sample plots, 8 transects were created in each representative area in order to investigate the vegetation. The number of plots in each sample piece was 80 for each type. The investigation of the vegetation factors was carried out using a random systematic method. The results showed that the three studied regions differed among soil factors only in organic carbon at the 95% probability level. In terms of habitat parameters, four parameters are percentage of vegetation cover, percentage of bare soil, percentage of debris, and percentage of stones and pebbles, and in terms of vegetation parameters, four parameters are height, abundance, percentage of total cover and density of vegetation in the area without tourist pressure at the probability level. 99 percent had a statistically significant difference with the other two regions. The comparison of the averages of the parameters of height, density, percentage of cover, percentage of composition and percentage of abundance measured in three tourist areas in the studied species also formed three statistical groups in most of the factors. The findings showed that the areas where the destruction of vegetation was caused by burning plants and breaking their foliage, as well as the organic matter in the surface layer of the soil was reduced, are among the areas with high tourist pressure and the least sustainable ecotourism. The areas with raised shores in Shidvar, due to the rocky and raised shores and the lack of tourist accommodation had the highest stability.

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تالاب بین‌المللی جزیره مرجانی شیدور از مهم‌ترین پناهگاه‌های حیات وحش در خلیج‌فارس است که اخیرا مورد توجه فعالیت­های توریستی بیشتری قرار گرفته است. تحقیق حاضر به‌منظور ارزیابی پایداری اکوتوریسم در سواحل جزیره شیدور ‌ انجام شد. سه منطقه معرف، با توجه به وجود امکانات تفریحی و طبیعی مناطق ناپایدار با فشار گردشگری شدید، پایداری متوسط و پایداری کم یا بدون فشار گردشگر انتخاب ‌شد. سپس به منظور بررسی پوشش گیاهی شامل ارتفاع، تراکم، درصد پوشش، درصد ترکیب و درصد فراوانی در هر منطقه معرف، تعداد 8 عدد ترانسکت‌ ایجاد گردید. روی هر ترانسکت تعداد 10 عدد پلات، در نظر گرفته شد. تعداد پلات در هر منطقه معرف 80 عدد بود. بدین صورت بررسی فاکتورهای پوشش گیاهی به روش سیستماتیک تصادفی انجام گرفت. نتایج بررسی عوامل اندازه‌گیری شده خاک، نشان داد که سه منطقه مورد بررسی فقط در میزان کربن آلی در سطح احتمال 95 درصد با هم اختلاف داشتند. میزان ارتفاع، تراکم، درصد پوشش، درصد ترکیب و درصد فراوانی گونه‌های مورد بررسی در سه منطقه گردشگری اختلاف معنی‌دار آماری نشان داد. یافته ها نشان داد درصد پوشش گیاهی در منطقه بدون فشار گردشگران 6/91 درصد بود، در مناطق با فشار متوسط گردشگران (3/72 درصد) و با فشار زیاد گردشگران (6/62 درصد) به ترتیب 3/19 و 7/28 درصد کاهش نشان دادند. یافته ها نشان داد در مناطقی که تخریب پوشش گیاهی  ایجاد شده همچنین مواد آلی در لایه سطحی خاک کاهش یافته است، جز مناطق پرفشار گردشگر و کمترین پایداری اکوتوریستی است. مناطق دارای سواحل بالا آمده در تالاب بین المللی شیدور، به دلیل صخره ای بودن و بالاآمدگی سواحل و عدم اسکان گردشگر، پوشش گیاهی و خاک سطحی آن حفظ شده و از کمترین تخریب توسط گردشگر برخوردار بود. 

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