Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 MSc. graduate, Combat Desertification Department, Desert Studies Faculty, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Arid Lands Mnagement Department, Desert Studies Faculty, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran. Email
3 Assistant Professor, Combat Desertification Department, Desert Studies Faculty, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
4 Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Over the past decades, excessive and unprincipled exploitation of watershed resources (soil, water, and vegetation) has reduced their health. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the tourism value of geomorphotourist landscapes (case study: Hablehroud basin) using the Prolong model. Among the geomorphic sites in the Hablehroud region, 3 sites were selected and an identity card was prepared for each of the geomorphic sites. In this study, based on the Prolong model, a survey was conducted of a number of experts knowledgeable about the study area and visiting tourists (30 people) using a simple random sampling method. In this model, the tourism value of a place was measured by the average of aesthetic, scientific, cultural and economic values. After measuring the data, it was determined that among the three selected samples, the Vashi Gorge geosite with a tourism value of 0.54 and an average productivity value of 0.68 has the highest geomorphological tourism value. What has increased the value and importance of the Vashi Gorge is its uniqueness in the country, favorable and cool climate, geomorphological shapes and unique carvings on the rock wall of the gorge, as well as the waterfall view and the presence of a very beautiful meadow around this gorge. The Rudafshan Cave geosite with a tourism value of (0.41) was ranked second. The Khumdeh mineral spring with a hardness of (0.31) took third place. The assessments indicate that the tourism values of the geomorphological landforms of the Tangeh Vashi region are mainly due to the high value of the external beauty, cultural value, and scientific value of this landform. Factors such as difficulty of access, lack of appropriate welfare and service facilities, and lack of attention to geotourism have been effective in reducing the total calculated hardness.
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