Recreational Optimized Management Plan, a Tool to apply Carrying Capacity Concept in Sustainable Management of Recreational Areas

Increasing recreational use of natural areas can harm both the environmental resources and the quality of the visitor experience. Determining how much recreational use can ultimately be accepted in a natural area is often addressed through the concept of carrying capacity. It is a useful concept for environmental and resource management and the interaction of human activities with the environment. Different approaches to recreational carrying capacity analysis, along with other techniques for evaluation of land resources have been developed and applied in different recreational regions all around the world, and all of them rely on formulation of indicators and standards of quality of environmental resources and the visitor experience. This paper explains the concept of carrying capacity, compares different approaches and models concerning recreational carrying capacity and then presents the Recreational Optimized Management Plan framework and its components to be used in natural areas of Iran, including a program of research designed to help to achieve a sustainable management in recreational areas. The Framework based on three steps: Defining Management Strategy, Management Plan and Carrying Capacity Estimation.