Evaluation of ecological potential of outdoor recreation development in Gaz forests of Varamin city using multi-criteria evaluation approach and GIS

The arid and semi-arid areas in the south of Varamin city are one of the areas that are prioritized for the implementation of tourism development and conservation programs due to soil erosion conditions, excess livestock grazing and destruction of pastures and vegetation. Therefore, the purpose of this research is a comprehensive evaluation of the ecological conditions to evaluate the environmental potential of recreation in this area. For this purpose, first, soil and vegetation samples were taken from sample plots from all three areas of Dolat Abad, Shokar Abad and Fakhr Abad in Varamin, and the required data and maps were prepared. Soil samples were collected and important soil parameters were determined in each sample and maps of these parameters were prepared. Then, the evaluation of the environmental potential of tourism was done by the method of intersecting ecological maps. For this purpose, the mapping of ecological factors, including slope, aspect, height, density of vegetation, precipitation, and temperature, as well as soil texture, was done. They were classified and coded according to the degree of desirability for wide recreation and then superimposed, and finally, the 1st and 2nd grade capacity classes and the unfavorable classes were created from the combination of these layers. In terms of totality and summation of ecological factors affecting the potential of tourism, Shakarabad region has more potential than the other two regions of Fakhrabad and Daulatabad. In general, what has caused the difference and superiority of tourism in Shakarabad region compared with the other two regions is the soil factor, which has caused the development of tourism in Shakarabad region to be higher than the other two regions. Another important factor is the land use and the proximity of this area to the desert protected area, which itself provides a high potential in the Shakarabad region for the development of outdoor recreation. The results of this research showed that by combining the multi-criteria evaluation method and the geographic information system and considering all the ecological factors, the real potential of outdoor recreation in forest areas and reserves can be determined.