Evaluation of ecotourism in the forests surrounding Zaribar wetland using Geographic information system (GIS)

The most valuable wetland ecosystem in Kurdistan province is Zaribar Lake in the west of Iran near Marivan city. It is surrounded by forest in north of Zagros that belong to Irano-Anatolian Hotspot in the world. These forests are valuable for conservation of water and soil, prevention from soil erosion, preparing suitable weather condition and Ecotourism, because of attractive places such as Zaribar Lake and Bashmagh border (border of Iran and Iraq). The purpose of this study is evaluatingforest surrounding Zaribar Wetland for ecotourism. In this study, 151 micro ecosystems identified and evaluated for ecotourism besed on specific model that made for this study. After evaluating ecological capability, socio economic resources such as present land use, income from land use, infrastructure, rate of unemployment, transmittal of live stock etc, final map of ecotourism capability prepared. At the end from total area of the study area (8236.5ha) 10.84% capable is for Intensive recreation class2, Intensive recreation class3 with 12.32%, extensive recreation class1 with 10.56% and 0.81% for Extensive recreation class2.