Cultural Landscape Conservation by evaluating the factors affecting them;Research by using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)

Cultural landscape is a concept that includes cultural and natural values that reflect the interaction between man and nature throughout history. These landscapes are valuable places that reflect the identity and history of a region and its inhabitants. Therefore, the protection of cultural landscapes and its values is very important. Because cultural landscapes reveal the evolution of man and his skills in how to use the land, these landscapes are gradually evolving and undergoing changes. Nature, as one of the constituent elements of cultural landscapes, is constantly transforming itself. In the protection of cultural landscapes, the dynamics of landscapes should be considered and sought to protect it. If only a fixed state of landscapes is protected in landscape protection, then these landscapes will lose their dynamism. Identifying the factors that change cultural landscapes and using them as an important parameter in the conservation process leads to management of change.Research question: What is the relationship between strengthening and weakening the factors that change cultural landscapes and their protection and decline, and what are the most influential factors in the development of cultural landscapes?

Researchers have so far studied meaning of cultural landscapes and why they are protected. However, in order to take practical action in the protection of cultural landscapes, along with theoretical issues, identifying the components that affect these landscapes is a key issue. In addition to identifying the components that affect these landscapes, attention to the course of change and their evolution should also be considered. This article intends to evaluate the components affecting cultural landscapes, evaluate the components that affect them, and prioritize these components. This prioritization of effective components is considered by a group of experts in order to better conservation them.

To achieve the mentioned goal, the collection of theoretical data on the subject with the library method has been obtained and as a result, a comprehensive knowledge of studies and components affecting cultural landscapes has been obtained. This knowledge has led to the development of the necessary criteria for questioning experts. Based on the extracted criteria, a relevant questionnaire has been prepared and a group of cultural landscape experts has been consulted about them. Finally, after summarizing the results of the questionnaire, the indicators were weighted using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP).The most important findings and conclusions of the study: The findings indicate that indicators related to natural and cultural factors, can make the most changes in cultural landscapes. In addition, the changing factors are separated from the maximum to the least impact on changing a cultural landscape. This prioritization can be a more serious consideration for conservationists in controlling change. In conservation planning, actions are usually formed at three levels: short-term, medium-term and long-term. Prioritizing factors, especially in categorizing actions on these three scales, can be very useful; Because it will reduce the damage to more important aspects. Continuing protection by focusing on higher priority factors, will protect the more prominent aspects of the landscape.