Abstract:
The present study aims to identify areas with the highest ecological sensitivity and high priority in protection. In this context, Golestan national park was zoned using spatial indicators and multi-criteria decision-making methods based on linear relationships. Based on the characteristics (level of sensitivity, vulnerability and development capacity), the type of use and management goals, the region has six main zones, including Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 7, and Zone 8. Additionally, Zone 9 was considered a biosphere reserve for this national park. The results of weighting and prioritization of indicators also indicate that in zone 1, the indicators of "habitat integrity" and "uniqueness of the habitat", in zone 2, the indicators of "representativeness of the habitat", "presence or dependence", “protected species," and "habitat importance" have the highest weight and priority. In zones 3 and 4, the focus is on the "recreational resources" index, and in zone 7, it is on the "facilities and infrastructures" index. Finally, the results of combining zones and zoning of the region showed that in Golestan National Park, the largest area of the region is allocated to zone 1 (29% of the park), while the smallest area is allocated to zone 7 (1% of the park). The results of this study showed that national parks and protected areas can be zoned based on three categories. In this area, the safe zone (zones 1 and 2) includes 55%, the non-physical development zone (3 and 8) encompasses 41%, and physical development zone (4 and 7) comprises 4% of the park area.
Machine summary:
In most studies conducted so far, zoning has been based on the guidelines for preparing management plans for protected areas (Majnounian & Makhdoom, 1381: 52); while in the present study, by developing a decision-making model and using a multi-criteria evaluation method, the most important criteria and spatial indicators were identified in the zoning process of the region.
Considering the importance of this region, in the present study, with the aim of identifying areas with the highest ecological sensitivity and high priority in protection, zoning of Golestan National Park was carried out using spatial indicators and multi-criteria decision-making methods in linear relationships.
Geographical location of the study area Research Methodology In this study, to zone Golestan National Park, a list of criteria and spatial indicators was prepared in accordance with the geographical and ecological characteristics of the region, biological sensitivities, limitations, and legal guidelines in accordance with IUCN classification, guidelines for preparing management plans for protected areas (Majnounian & Makhdoom, 1381: 78), previous studies, reliable international documents and sources, and the opinion of experts.
Geographical location of the study area Research Methodology In this study, to zone Golestan National Park, a list of criteria and spatial indicators was prepared in accordance with the geographical and ecological characteristics of the region, biological sensitivities, limitations, and legal guidelines in accordance with IUCN classification, guidelines for preparing management plans for protected areas (Majnounian & Makhdoom, 1381: 78), previous studies, reliable international documents and sources, and the opinion of experts.
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