Evaluation of environmental capabilities of Miankaleh wetland

Miankaleh wetland is one of the critical complex ecosystems which is a very important internationally-recognized refuge for migratory birds. Furthermore, regarding its ecological characteristics, this wetland has been chosen as biosphere reserve by Man and the Biosphere(MAB) program committee. This wetland is considered as a wildlife refuge and was listed as a protected area in 1969. The goal of protected areas management is not only protection but also their biophysical resources can be used to some extent. These exploitations should be along with integrated management plans and based on their ecological resources. Therefore it is essential for these areas to have a comprehensive environmental management plan. In this study significant environmental resources in the study area were identified, analyzed and tabulated, then environmental capability of the area were evaluated. Land units were made by overlaying different made layers and set a basis for next decision making. The ecological Zones (Core, Buffer, Recreation and Reclamation) were determined. The results showed that there are 387 ecological environmental units with three different zones as conservation, recreation and forestry zones in this area.