افشین دانه کار

Recognizing and mapping the sensitivity of forests to fires is crucial for the preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity. This study, utilizing the time-series capability of Landsat 8 satellite imagery and developing an efficient model within the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, managed to map the sensitivity of Kurdistan province forests to fires over the the past decade, from 2013 to 2023, in two study areas located in the Marivan, Sarvabad, and Baneh counties. It provided valuable information for land use management and effective resource allocation to prevent and mitigate the impacts of forest fires in the Kurdistan region. The Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) index was applied to pre- and post-fire season images to detect forest fires. To enhance classification results, areas such as vegetation, residential zones, and water bodies were highlighted as non-fire regions. The Random Forest (RF) model within the GEE platform was employed to achieve the highest classification accuracy. Appropriate training samples were derived from the highlighted results, and image classification using the RF model with 50 decision trees was performed on the GEE platform.To ensure the reliability of the selected training samples, the fire mapping results were compared with point-based fire data from the Kurdistan Province Natural Resources Department. The classification results for the two forest study areas- Marivan and Sarvabad regions in 2016, 2018, and 2020, and the Baneh region in 2018-demonstrated an overall accuracy of 99% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.97. The findings of this study underscore the capability of Landsat 8 imagery in mapping forest fire susceptibility and confirm the acceptable accuracy of the RF model in this context.

The ecological security of tourism provides a new research framework and practical tools for analyzing sustainable regional development. This facilitates the development of high-quality tourism and also protects natural ecosystems. Therefore, ecological security plays an important role in examining biological resources about society, economy, and environment and, especially concerning protected areas, can provide vital information for habitat conservation and conservation strategies. This study aimsto assess the ecological security of tourism based on the establishment of a driver framework and pressures in the Hara protected area.

In the present study, the ecological security and vulnerability of tourism were assessed based on the DPSIR model framework in the Hara protected area. Accordingly, by considering five key factors ("Driver", "Pressure", "State", "Impact", "Response"), the effective indicators on the ecological security of tourism were examined and analyzed in this protected area. For this purpose, a list of effective indicators that can affect the ecological security of tourism was prepared based on previous documents and studies and according to the opinions of specialists and experts.

The results revealed that the highest ecological security of tourism is visible in the east of Khorkhoran island and the west of Sayeh Khosh habitat, especially in the central areas of mangrove forests, and in contrast, the lowest level is related to the north and south of the area around Marduv island, Khamir Lashtqan and coastal Qeshm due to the expansion of various human activities. In addition, the results of the classification of ecological tourism security showed that the Hara protected area has 68.56 percent of the ecologically safe tourism class and 32.43 percent of the unsafe class. The evaluation of the indicators affecting the ecological security of tourism also indicates that the highest score among the "drivers" is related to the increase in construction with a value of 64.3, among the "pressures" is the index of excessive harvesting of branches and feeding of wandering camels with a value of 88.4, among the "state" indicators is the level of vegetation density with a value of 22.3, among the "responses" coefficients is the prevention of branching and provision of fodder for livestock (especially camels) with a value of 18.3. According to the results, the status index in the mangrove forests of the island and the Khorkhoran Strait has the lowest value due to the limited development of human activities, while the highest state index is observed in the north, south of the region and the centers of human activity development. Also, the highest impact index is related to the surroundings of ports, commercial and tourist piers, coastal areas and tourism development centers. Accordingly, in areas that are the centers of human activity development, the driving, pressure and impact indices have increased, resulting in a decrease in ecological security in the region.

Based on the results obtained, the most threats to the ecological security of tourism are related to uncontrolled human activities and also insufficient supervision over the development and exploitation of ports and piers in the region. Therefore, controlling these pressures and threats requires integrated planning and management at the regional level. In this regard, the results of this study can help decision-makers and planners in developing a management plan and taking strategic measures in this area by providing a range of key factors and indicators affecting the ecological security of tourism in the Hara protected area.

The ecological capacity evaluation is an estimate of the land's capabilities and limitations for macro-land use development, which determines and grades the environment's capacity for the establishment of uses by measuring the ecological characteristics of the land. In this regard, in the present study, the evaluation of the ecological capacity and balance measurement of 11 land uses (including urban and rural development, industrial development, irrigated and rainfed agriculture development, pasture development, cold water and warm water aquaculture development, the development of concentrated tourism (tourist) and extensive (nature tourism) and forestry development) in Tehran-Alborz urban complex based on ecological criteria and spatial indicators identified based on theoretical studies and literature review were discussed. Then, while compiling the letter model for the users, the spatial indicators of each user were mapped and integrated with the form of mathematical models with the logic of Boolean algebra and the layers of each index in the geographic information system (GIS) environment. According to the results, the areas with potential for the development of nature tourism (extensive tourism) occupied the largest area (72.17 percent). In addition, based on the distribution of protected areas, wildlife refuges, and no-hunting areas in the region, 28% of the studied area has ecological limitations for the development of uses. Also, according to the protection considerations, 81936 ha of the area have a ban on physical development and 1850080 ha have restrictions on physical development. The results obtained from the evaluation of the ecological capacity of the development of macro-land uses in this region can be used as a platform for the balanced development of uses and a tool to identify existing imbalances to measure the ecological capacities and limitations of the region for the development of macro-land use, the possibility of multiple exploitations. From the programmable capacities, it helps to identify the considerations of natural hazards and the sensitivity of the environment in the development of uses, as well as an estimate of the balancing power of the uses in the studied area.

The tourism industry has been able to quickly find a special place all over the world ‎due to its numerous attractions and economic benefits. So that it can be considered an ‎achievable goal in the path of sustainable development. The high importance of ‎tourism and the need to promote it has led many researchers to know more about the ‎factors influencing it, among which, undoubtedly, weather is an integral part of ‎tourism. Because tourists always seek to visit places where they feel the least ‎dissatisfaction. The close relationship between climate and tourism has led to the ‎formation of discussions about climate comfort. Temperature, radiation, precipitation, ‎wind, humidity, and fog can be mentioned among the different climatic elements that ‎have a direct relationship in creating tourist comfort. In this regard, due to the ‎vulnerability and biological sensitivities of the mangrove habitats and coastal wetlands ‎of Nayband Bay, as well as due to having landscapes with aesthetic, educational and ‎recreational values and the necessity of developing nature tourism activities in ‎national parks, it is necessary that the climatic conditions for the activity to identify ‎nature tourism in this area. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the comfort climate of tourism and identify the suitable months for the ‎presence of tourists, to obtain high tourist satisfaction and experience ‎on the one hand, and on the other hand, achieving correct planning for more ‎protection and least damage to the region. Based on this, the tourism climate in the ‎mangrove forests of Naiband Bay was investigated using TCI and PET indicators.‎

The climatic characteristics of the studied area show the target by emphasizing the ‎effective parameters in the application of climatic indices, therefore, in order to estimate ‎the desired indices, the characteristics of the climatic variables in Asalouye station ‎during the years 2000 to 2022 were collected and sorted. One of the indicators ‎examined in this research is the TCI index, which measures the suitability of a place's ‎climate for tourism using the variables of maximum temperature, average temperature, ‎minimum relative humidity, average relative humidity, precipitation, sunny hours, and ‎average wind speed. Another index examined in this research is the PET index. The PET index for open ‎environments is the temperature in a sample room of the heat balance of the human ‎body (the metabolic rate with light work is 80 watts based on the basic metabolic rate ‎and the value of clothing conductivity equal to 9.) with skin temperature and core ‎temperature. The body is in balance in the open environment. The PET index is based ‎on the climatic data of average air temperature in centigrade, relative humidity in ‎percent, average wind speed in meters per second, average vapor pressure in ‎hectopascals, and cloud cover in octas for Asalouye station and during the statistical ‎period from 2000 to 2022. was investigated. In this research, the energy balance model ‎or MEMI for people is used to calculate PET.In this research, to increase the accuracy of the calculations and consider ‎that the calculation of some parameters such as the average radiant temperature of the ‎environment (Tmrt) cannot be done simply by climatic data such as temperature, ‎humidity and wind speed, from the software model Ray Man, which was used by ‎Andreas Matzarakis to calculate radiation fluxes.

As the results show, the TCI index indicates the suitable conditions of the tourism climate during ‎the months of December, January and February. While the least favorability of the tourism ‎climate can be seen in the months of June, July, August, Shahrivar and Mehr. The results ‎obtained from the Riemann model also indicate that the PET index for the months of November ‎and March was without cold stress and physiological stress for tourists. While the months of ‎January, Bahman and Azar are a bit cool with little cold stress and also the physiological stress ‎level of tourists. During the first half of the year, while the temperature rises significantly, this ‎region experiences a different degree of stress and thermal sensitivity in terms of physiological ‎conditions.‎

The mangrove forests of Nayband Bay attract many tourists and nature lovers from different ‎places every year due to special climatic conditions and many recreational resources, as well as ‎being located in coastal-sea areas. On the other hand, the studied area is known as one of the ‎areas under the protection of the environmental organization with high ecological sensitivities ‎and protection prohibitions, which requires proper planning for the development of tourism and ‎the presence of visitors in the area. Based on this, in the current study, the comfort climate of ‎tourism and the determination of the appropriate time for tourism activities were investigated ‎using two indices, TCI and PET. As the results of the TCI index showed, ‎‏6‏‎ months of the year ‎‎(November, December, January, February, March and April) this region has the best conditions ‎for the development of tourism activities and the presence of visitors in the region. The results of ‎the PET index also showed that the months of November and March are without cold stress and ‎physiological stress for tourists, as well as the months of January, February‏ ‏and November‏ ‏with ‎little cold stress and the degree of physiological stress are slightly cool, which are favorable and ‎suitable conditions for the development of tourism activities.

A deeper understanding of environmental vulnerability is essential for crafting effective sustainability strategies. However, data deficiencies and methodological uncertainties often obscure a comprehensive grasp of the underlying issues. This study employs Google Earth Engine (GEE)-coded satellite imagery and the Getis spatial autocorrelation test to examine spatial patterns of environmental vulnerability in 397 Iranian counties from 2011 to 2021, framed within the theoretical lens of vulnerability.The results of the Getis test reveal heterogeneous distributions and diverse vulnerability patterns across Iranian counties in various dimensions, including air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, changes in temperature and precipitation, groundwater depletion, biodiversity threats, and soil erosion, particularly in the central, southern, eastern, and northern regions. Emphasizing the role of distinct spatial patterns in terms of "sensitivity" and "exposure," this research suggests that environmental policies in Iran should be tailored to regional spatial disparities and socio-ecological characteristics.This approach can enhance adaptive capacity and mitigate environmental vulnerability in critical areas. The use of algorithmic techniques for environmental vulnerability indexing, combined with spatial data and population analysis, provides a robust framework for future research. This framework can be applied in national and regional planning to alleviate environmental pressures and improve sustainability.

Mangrove forests in Iran are spread over about 11,000 ha and in the shores of the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea, between 25º 11 to 27º 52´ from Goatar Bay in Sistan and Baluchistan province to Bardkhon in Bushehr province. These forests are valueable due to the having sensitive biophysical resources, breeding important and biodiversity. At the same time, they are in the rank of one of the most important marine sensitive areas and need proper management. The purpose of this study is to assess the risks of mangrove forests in the international wetlands of Rud-e-Shur, Rud-e-Shirin and Rud-e-Minab using the DPSIR model. Based on the studies of existing documents, as well as the opinions and experts, environmental hazards were identified in the investigation of Driving Forces, Pressures, State, Impacts and Responses models. Finally, using the Delphi phase, out of a total of 78 factors threatening of wetland, a total of 30 environmental risks were identified and prioritized. At the second stage, the intensity of the effect, the probability of occurrence and the sensitivity of the environment accepting the specified risks and threats are scored in five categories: very high, high, medium, low and very low (in the numerical range of 1 to 5) and finally using the method TOPSIS and TOPSIS Solver software were rated. The results of the study showed that 30 risky factors including 24 human and 7 environmental origin cases; put living and existence of International Wetland into danger and risk. 5 threat indicators with human origin include population growth, human activities, excessive harvesting of ecosystem services, aquaculture, and management weakness; 2 threat indicators with environmental origin include drought and climate change have been prioritized. Based on the results of risk factors rankings, human and aquaculture activities were identified in particular order with 0.912 and 0.648 coefficient as two intolerance ranks among threat indicators factors in the international wetland. Also, oil smuggling, destruction of habitat, and transmission of shrimp farming effluent into Wetland, was classified as 1, 0.87, 0.75 respectively, ranking in the first to third risk factors. According to the amount of Cli, two factors of oil smuggling and destruction of habitats are categorized in intolerable risks. Two factors of the transfer of wastewater from shrimp farms to the wetland and water pollution are categorized at the noteworthy category, as well as the countless traffic of vessels inside the lagoon and the creation of shrimp farm channels in the estuaries leading to the lagoon are in the category of tolerable risks, respectively, in the first to sixth priorities, which require control measures to reduce environmental risks. In order to protect the studied international wetland, it is necessary to promote public information about the ecological characteristics and effects of the wetland in the environment of the province, as well as the threats facing them through public education. Educating everyone about the necessity and method of protecting the environment of wetland and the effects of neglecting its destruction, drafting laws, regulations, criteria and executive standards regarding fuel smuggling, along with the appropriate executive guarantee of the government and finally the organization's forecast. Implementation guidelines and mechanisms to include environmental considerations in the country's development plans are the pillars without which the desired goals cannot be achieved.

The Mesopotamian Plain is one of the common water basins in the Middle East region, which has witnessed major ecological and hydrological changes in recent decades. Therefore, the extensive drying of the water areas of this plain has led to the widespread destruction of the region's ecosystem and the unprecedented expansion of the desert. Based on this, in this study, the trend of changes in the water areas of the inter-Nahrin plain during the last four decades using satellite images and evaluating the severity of drought and the changes in rainfall caused by it using SPI indicators. RAI and PNI were paid during the years 1989 to 2022. As the results showed, during these years, due to various factors, including climate changes, decrease in rainfall, drought, dam constructions by Turkey, etc., led to an increase in the decreasing trend in water areas and as a result, the spread of droughts. It has been done in this calvary. In addition, the drought situation during the years 1980 to 2022 based on the average rainfall and also the percentage of SPI, RAI and NPI indicates that the most droughts are related to the decades of 1990-2000 and 2007-2015 and the continuation of droughts until 2022 can be seen in the south and southeast and to some extent in the west and southwest of the country. Therefore, proper planning is needed in order to control the drought in the region and then environmental consequences such as it is necessary to increase dust and other biological consequences in the country.

Cultural understanding of societies is necessary to protect and utilize these ecosystems for a ‎sustainable benefit in the exploitation of cultural services. ‎In the mangrove forests of Khamir-‎Qeshm, cultural ‎services, especially tourism, play a very important role. Therefore, in this study, the ‎level of perception ‎of local communities and tourists was investigated regarding the biological ‎sensitivities and ‎cultural services of these forests. Data collection was conducted by a survey ‎method and ‎using questionnaires, interviews, and observation tools. The analysis of data and information was performed by a quantitative method, and descriptive and inferential statistical tests were used in SPSS software. The validity of the research was examined based on structural and formal methods, as well as its reliability using Cronbach's alpha (α = 0.9). The statistical population includes local communities and tourists, and the sample size was considered equal to 380 and 100 people, respectively. Sampling in this study was done by cluster method, taking into account the population share of each village for local communities and for tourists, in a systematic way, separating men and women. Comparing the average perception of local communities and tourists about the cultural services of the mangrove forests of Khamir-Qeshm demonstrated that the highest level of perception is related to the local communities due to their dependence on the mangrove forests in providing daily needs, and on the other hand, the sense of belonging to the place by living in the vicinity of these natural and valuable habitats. In addition, the cultural services dimensions examined in this study have a significant and direct relationship with the understanding of local communities and tourists, which indicates a significant difference between these dimensions. The direct or indirect results of cultural services dimensions also revealed that "sense of place and inspiration", "cultural diversity", and "social relations" dimensions have a positive and direct impact in both studied statistical populations. Accordingly, creating awareness and raising the stakeholders' understanding of the importance and biological sensitivities of these ecosystems can, while reducing the pressure on natural resources, improve their attitudes and tendencies toward preserving forest lands and provide more protection for these resources.

In recent decades, the Khamir and Qeshm mangrove forests in southern Iran have suffered significant destruction due to various human activities, including the construction of docks, commercial and tourism ports, deforestation, and unplanned tourism development. These forests, which provide valuable ecosystem services, have faced indiscriminate and unplanned development, as well as insufficient attention from local communities. Therefore, understanding the spatial distribution of plant species in this area is crucial for effective planning and enhancing the protection of these valuable biological resources. This study aims to identify suitable areas and model the presence of the mangrove tree species Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. in the Khamir and Qeshm mangrove forests to facilitate the restoration and proper distribution of this species.

The habitat suitability map for A. marina was prepared using MaxEnt modeling. A total of 234 points were randomly recorded using the Global Positioning System (GPS). To investigate the spatial distribution of A. marina, various environmental factors affecting its geographical distribution were analyzed using ArcGIS 10.8 software to generate maps and environmental variables. The environmental variables were selected based on theoretical foundations, previous studies, and expert opinions. The model included 18 climatic variables and 5 physical variables affecting the distribution of A. marina. The physical variables included maximum wave height, beach slope, tidal fluctuations, water salinity, and beach material (sandy-gravel, muddy, back beach (sand material)). All layers were prepared in ASCII format with a cell size of 1 km, and MaxEnt 3.4.4 software was used for modeling.

The area under the curve (AUC) obtained from the MaxEnt algorithm indicated excellent predictive power for the presence of A. marina in the study area, demonstrating the model’s ability to distinguish between suitable and unsuitable areas. The overlap of training and test data also confirmed the model’s accuracy. The contribution analysis of each environmental variable in the model showed that maximum wave height, annual average temperature, tidal fluctuations, and water salinity were the most influential variables. Specifically, maximum wave height and annual average temperature had the largest influence on the distribution of A. marina, while the minimum temperature of the coldest month had the least effect. The response curves indicated that maximum wave height (1 to 2 m) and average annual temperature (26.8°C) were the most important independent variables, with an inverse relationship to the probability of A. marina presence. As wave height and average annual temperature increased, the probability of species presence decreased. The suitability map for A. marina in the Khamir and Qeshm mangrove forests showed that the highest suitability was in areas with minimal wave height and less exposure to tidal fluctuations. Favorable areas for the presence and development of A. marina included the northern areas of Khorkhoran Islands, Mardove Island, and the northeast of the Khamir-Lashtghan habitat. In general, the species was more dispersed in areas with low wave height and minimal water level fluctuations.

The study provides key information on the impact of environmental variables on the distribution of A. marina, offering an important strategy for protecting the biodiversity and valuable resources of the species in the Khamir and Qeshm mangrove forests. The suitability map serves as essential information for planting and reviving these natural habitats.

Today, nature tourism activities are in significant demand with the aim of benefiting from natural elements and preserving nature along with providing economic benefits to local communities. The nature tourism process is dependent on the desired performance of the nature tourist, the host local community and the nature tourism tours. The continued development of nature tourism activities requires assessing the sustainability of nature tourism tours and understanding visitor satisfaction to ensure long-term sustainability in natural ecosystems. Accordingly, in the present study, a list of indicators was presented to evaluate the sustainability of nature tourism tours and their importance in the development of sustainable nature tourism in Khamir-Qeshm mangrove forests. For this purpose, 76 suggested indicators were identified and prioritized using Delphi questionnaire and analyzing experts' viewpoints. The obtained results indicate the importance of responsible tour performance towards ecotourists and also maintaining quality of the natural environment by increasing awareness and training of the ecotourists before visiting nature. The results of the indicators ranking also revealed that the highest priority is related to the environmental awareness course before the trip" and among the final coefficients, the highest rank is assigned to "managed consumption of drinking water". Likewise, 14 indicators were identified and selected as the best indicators with the highest rank. The list of identified indicators can help to identify the ideal nature tourism tours, as well as to evaluate the sustainability of their performance to obtain the satisfaction of local communities, the lasting experience of the nature tourist from the trip, and also the development of sustainable nature tourism in the mangrove forests of Khamir-Qeshm. The list of provided indicators is of great use and importance not only for the studied area, but also for other nature destinations that have the ability to develop nature tourism and conduct nature tourism tours

The development of road networks has detrimental effects on habitats and wildlife species, generally ‎resulting in habitat loss, fragmentation, population isolation, reduced connectivity, and gene flow ‎among species populations. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the statistics of wildlife road accidents with vehicles in different provinces of the country, as well as analyze the relationship between the number of casualties of animal species and accidents. For this purpose, firstly, the statistics of wildlife road casualties among different provinces and the highest number of wildlife species casualties were investigated from 2006-2022. Then, we analyzed the relationship between the number of accidents and the number of wildlife road casualties in the country using descriptive and inferential statistical tests (Kolmograph-Smirnov test, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and Kruskal-Wallis test). According to the results, the highest number of casualties is related to Golestan province, and the lowest number is assigned to Zanjan province. Also, the highest number of wildlife species casualties during the studied years is related to 2008 and the lowest number is related to 2018, where the highest number of road casualties occurred in medium-sized carnivores and the lowest number in large-sized carnivores. In addition, the analysis of the relationship between the number of accidents and the number of wildlife road casualties in the country indicates the existence of a significant relationship between the number of road accidents and the loss of wildlife species. This means that with the increase in the number of road accidents among different provinces, the loss of wildlife species also increases. Therefore, the use of standard methods to secure roads for the passage of wildlife and other protective measures coordinated with urban and rural development programs is essential and should be given the attention of decision-makers and the priority of planning officials.

Landscape in protected areas is an advantage of tourism in nature, and as a result, aesthetic assessment and landscape quality assessment are necessary in these areas. Although this issue is important in other outdoor recreation sites, but in protected areas where the form of tourism is eco-tourism and based on visits, it is more important. Therefore, this study was done with the aim of modeling landscape visual aesthetic quality assessment with the purpose of tourism in protected areas using artificial neural network to predict the aesthetic value of the landscape and prioritize the influential variables of the model.

The current research was carried out in the Central Alborz protected area under the management of Alborz province. In this study, in order to assess the landscape visual aesthetic quality of protected areas with the aim of tourism, a combination of comprehensive assessment perspective and the artificial neural network modeling method was used; a comprehensive assessment perspective includes the user perspective by completing the questionnaire and using 19objective variables including 15landscape objective criteria (diversity of natural and human covers,vegetation form diversity,trees composition form,water body form,color diversity,water landscape,rock landscape,roads and trails landscape,tree and shrub vegetation landscape,grassy and bushy vegetation landscape,bare and uncovered surfaces landscape,buildings and structures landscape,sky landscape,hard surface ratio,soft surface ratio) and 4criteria related to viewpoints characteristics (altitude,slope,vegetation type,vegetation coverage). For this purpose, first, homogeneous landscape assessment units were characterized using six spatial indicators (elevation,slope(%),vegetation landscape,village visibility, permanent and seasonal river visibilities). Then 100photos of the scenery of the area were taken and modeling was done using the multilayer perceptron network method. In the next step, the sensitivity analysis of the model for assessing the aesthetic quality of the landscape was done in order to prioritize and determine the most effective visual aesthetic criteria in the assessment of the visual aesthetic quality of the landscapes in the region. Finally, the decision support system for assessing the landscape visual aesthetic quality in protected areas for the purpose of tourism was designed.

The model with the structure of 19-6-1 (19input variables, 6neurons in the hidden layer, and one output variable) with Log-Sigmoid transfer functions in the hidden layer and linear in the output layer and Levenberg–Marquardt optimization algorithm, with explanatory coefficients in the three data sets, namely training, validation and test equal to 0.7, 0.75 and 0.70 were introduced as the optimal structure of the model for assessing the landscapes visual aesthetic quality of protected areas with the purpose of tourism.According to the sensitivity analysis results, the parameters of the water landscape, the composition of trees, and the vegetation coverage with the sensitivity coefficients of 0.223, 0.147, and 0.104, respectively, showed the most significant impact on the landscapes visual aesthetic quality in protected areas. The trend of the changes in the landscape aesthetic quality according to the changes in the water landscape and the trees’ composition form was that, with the increase of the mentioned variables in the landscapes of the region, the visual aesthetic quality increases in a non-linear way; thus, with 8.23% increase in the water landscape and in changing the trees’ composition form from single to group, an increase of 0.46 and 0.48 units, respectively, was observed in the landscape visual aesthetic quality. Also, the process of changing the variable of vegetation coverage showed a decrease in the landscape visual aesthetic quality of the region with the increase of the said variable.

The sensitivity analysis and identification of the most significant variables and criteria on the visual aesthetic quality of the landscapes of protected areas with the purpose of tourism showed that in order to achieve a high landscape visual aesthetic value and determine the intensive and extensive recreational zones in the protected areas, the water landscape should take the first priority of planning. The model presented in this research is a decision support system for assessing the landscapes visual aesthetic quality in protected areas for tourism and provides the possibility of predicting the visual aesthetic quality of landscapes in protected areas with similar ecological conditions and ecosystems. Also, the model presented in this study can be used in preparing the management plan and zoning of protected areas, especially in recreational zones.

Due to global warming and climate changes, the water level of the Persian Gulf has increased, and these changes have led to an increase in sedimentation level and retreat of mangroves in the Hara protected area towards land. In the present study, the trend of changes in the water level of the Persian Gulf from 2000-2023 and also the extent of mangrove forests in the Hara protected area in Hormozgan province were investigated. In this study, the fluctuation trend of Persian Gulf water using L5-TM images for the year 2000 and L8 and OLI-TIRS images for the year 2023 in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) web system. It was monitored and analyzed. In this way, the water level monitoring maps of the Persian Gulf were extracted based on the normalized difference of water zones index (NDWI) and classified into two classes, blue and non-blue. In the following, using the Kolmogorov Smirnov statistical tests and Spearman's non-parametric correlation coefficient, the relationship between the water level changes in the Persian Gulf and the extent of mangroves in the Mangrove Protected Area was investigated. According to the results, the fluctuations of the water in the Persian Gulf from 2000 to 2023 had an increasing trend, so that the sea level in 2000 was equal to 5 mm and in 2023 these changes reached 90 mm. Also, the results of the extent changes of mangrove forests in the Hara protected area indicate that this habitat has decreased in 2023 compared to 2000. The analysis of the relationship between changes in the water level of the Persian Gulf and the extent of mangroves in this area reveals that a high correlation can be seen between these two variables during the studied years. This means that there is a direct relationship between the increase in water level changes in the Persian Gulf and the decrease in the mangrove forests of the Hara Protected Area. The continuous increase in sea level and its consequences can be one of the most important reasons for the reduction of mangrove habitats in the future. Considering the importance of mangrove habitats in the Hara protected area as a provider of a wide range of ecosystem services, as well as high biodiversity, management solutions should be considered to control and reduce the consequences and risks caused by the fluctuations of the sea water in the Persian Gulf.

Sustainable nature tourism is the most appropriate form of tourism in natural ecosystems that can lead to the protection of nature and improvement in the livelihood of local residents. Therefore, planning for the development of nature tourism should be conducted in such a way that it causes the least damage to the region and its biodiversity. In this study, with the aim of developing sustainable nature tourism in the mangrove forests of Khamir and Qeshm, the strategic planning and prioritization of the strategies presented in this area were discussed using the PESTLE-SWOT model. According to the results, among the internal and external factors, opportunities have been assigned the highest weight, as well as external factors (opportunities and threats) have more points than internal factors (strengths and weaknesses). The percentage of strategies obtained in each of the strategic areas indicated that the strategies of "participatory development of nature tourism (WO)" with 32% have the highest value among the strategies studied in this area. Thus, planners and managers should improve opportunities and reduce weaknesses in this area. Based on the prioritization of strategies, the ‎zoning strategy and development of suitable recreational activities in the area (in the scope of SO) has the highest priority and the strategy of effective management of road infrastructures and ‎the access network to the region's reservoirs (in the scope of ST) has the lowest priority.‎ Therefore, the strategic planning for sustainable nature tourism development in the unique mangrove habitats of Khamir and Qeshm requires that ecosystem services be planned within the framework of a management plan based on habitat zoning, the development of nature tourism activities in this area should be the focus of attention and planning within the boundaries of management and conservation zones.

The increased demand and consumption level of human societies has led to excessive exploitation of natural capital and increased ecological unsustainability in natural ecosystems, especially in Protected Areas (PAs). Therefore, the continuation of the process of using ecosystem services leads to an increase in ecological pressures and a decrease in the capacity of natural resources to meet human needs. Therefore, in the present study, the spatial-temporal changes in natural capital and the level of ecological sustainability in the Hara PAs from 1989 to 2021 were evaluated using the ecological footprint model. As the results revealed, tidal zones have the most increasing trend among the existing uses, and water areas show the most decreasing trend. In addition, the obtained results indicate that the extent of mangrove habitats has decreased during the studied years. Also, the performance and equivalence results among the uses of the region showed that the water areas (Aquaculture and fishing area) have assigned the highest equivalence coefficient and during this period, they show the greatest decrease in surface area. While mangrove forests with the lowest level of land use have the highest productivity coefficient. In the studied area, the ecological footprint has an increasing trend, the Biological Capacity (BC) is decreasing, and the Ecological Deficit (ED) is increasing. Thus, the ecological footprint index has increased from 1989 to 2021, which indicates the high intensity of resource use. Also, the foot depth index has an increasing trend, which indicates the increase in the intensity of natural capital consumption and the decrease in capital accumulation during the studied years. Therefore, it is necessary to change the pattern of production and consumption to create ecological balance and control unsustainability in this area. On the other hand, preventing the increase of land cover/use changes as well as the protection of natural capital requires the creation of an integrated management for sustainable development and use of natural resources according to the region's BC.

Ecological connectivity function is one of the most important types of biological connections ‎among natural ecosystems due to providing ecological connections. Habitat fragmentation and ‎the subsequent decline of landscape ecological connectivity is one of the main reasons for the ‎devastation of biodiversity. Accordingly, in the present study, using the landscape ecology ‎approach, the function and landscape ecological connectivity was evaluated in the mangrove ‎forests of Khamir-Qeshm. In this way, by identifying the ecological functions and prioritizing ‎the barrier effect, the state of ecological continuity was discussed in this area from 1989-2021. ‎The results demonstrated that the most dispersion of ecological functions can be seen in the ‎bare land‎ and the most barrier effect in the tidal area‎. According to the ecological functions and ‎the existing barriers, most of the mangrove forests of Khamir-Qeshm are under the influence of ‎ecological barriers, the reasons for which can be mentioned to the development of human ‎activities, the reduction of forest lands, and the advancement of water body and tidal area in the ‎region. The results indicate a decreasing trend in the function and ecological continuity of the ‎area, and on the contrary, an increasing trend in the barriers effect. Ecological ‎functions and continuity have a direct relationship with the density of mangrove forests, ‎meaning that with the reduction of forest habitats under the influence of environmental and ‎human hazards, the level of ecological function and continuity has also decreased. According to ‎the results, the assessment of ecological function and continuity can provide the possibility of ‎analyzing the principles of development activities to increase human well-being by maintaining ‎habitat continuity and increasing the stability of ecosystems. The results of this study, as a ‎management solution, can help to protect and plan properly in line with human activities ‎development, followed by environmental risks and consequences.

Conservation and sustainable use of natural ecosystems, as well as paying particular attention to cultural services, are the basis for increasing the quality of life and achieving well-being. The interaction between biological and cultural diversities makes them stronger and protecting them is essential to ensure a sustainable balance in social and ecological systems. Therefore, it is not possible to understand and protect natural ecosystems without recognizing cultures related to them. From an economic (material) point of view, it is necessary to make the right decisions to get the most benefit from environmental services. However, deep cultural (non-material) attitude followed by cultural valuation based on reflecting the spiritual dimensions of the ecosystem should also be considered as cultural services of the ecosystem. As a result, the interaction between the biological and cultural diversities of the ecosystem strengthens both of them in the three domains: physical, psychological and social. Finally, a sustainable balance will be established. Ecosystem cultural services are advantages that ecosystems provide for human well-being through shaping identities, gaining experiences, and providing facilities. More precisely, ecosystem cultural services are non-material benefits that humans obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflectance, recreation, and aesthetic experiences. According to the definitions stated in the ecosystem services policy to determine the programs (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment), cultural services are classified into ten categories: cultural heritage, educational values, recreation and ecotourism, social interactions, knowledge systems, spiritual and religious values, inspiration, aesthetic values, cultural diversity and a sense of place. Art, which is one of the non-material benefits that humans get from the ecosystem as a cultural service, is placed in the category of symbolic (inspiring) values of cultural services. Therefore, focusing on the category of art, as a symbolic value and a cultural service, as well as creating an artistic dialogue as an intermediate discussion between two material and non-material approaches to the ecosystem, which evaluates questions and challenges and provides reinterpretations, can define the meaning of a topic, problem or place or lead to specific decisions, and as an illustration that has epistemological dimensions, can also focus on culture and its conceptualization and be effective in the sustainability of the ecosystem. Environmental art is a type of art that has an important role in natural ecosystems because of its interactive approach in this field. Due to its visual structure, the art makes it possible to create a dialogue between nature and the audience, as well as understand the cultural dimension of the ecosystem. Also, it causes spiritual enrichment, cognitive development and aesthetic experience of the environment and creates a set of experiences that lead to the recognition of many different advantages of the ecosystem for the establishment of cultural practices and cognitive and non-cognitive interactions between people and their landscapes, positions and life spaces. The main goal of environmental art can be considered as creating a context for establishing stable harmony between humans and natural elements through education and interpretation of natural processes, reviving damaged environments, providing new courses of action for coexistence with the surrounding environment, and interdisciplinary participation in society. Considering the importance of education in environmental art, people's participation is one of the basic events of this process, and environmental art is based on such relationships. Therefore, the part of people's life that is influenced by culture and nature should be investigated with environmental art. Environmental art is based on the interaction between humans and the environment as well as environmental perception, it relies on cultural issues and is established based on reflecting the attention to environmental issues. On the other hand, it was stated that cultural services, that have an intangible and interpretive nature, are obtained from the interaction between humans and their ecosystem and are based on the quality of perception. Therefore, commonalities in the concepts related to cultural services and environmental art and the alignment of these concepts make it possible for them to influence each other in a natural context. In order to provide new perspectives on understanding the human-environment relationship, and more precisely, to provide solutions for improving the human-environment relationship by measuring the impact of art and culture, it is necessary to conduct interdisciplinary research. The results will undoubtedly develop culture, increase people's awareness of environmental restoration and conservation and encourage them to protect and restore it. Anzali Wetland is one of the tourism hubs in Gilan province; in terms of environment, culture and economy, it has remarkable impacts on the local residents and provides them with a variety of cultural services. According to the concept of environmental art and its obvious form in nature as nature art, a proper context has been provided for the use of this type of art in linking the cultural services of this aquatic ecosystem with social and cultural benefits for the native community. To analyze this relationship, it can be useful to measure the perception of local communities around this wetland about its cultural services. The aim of this research is to evaluate the impact and efficiency of environmental art on the understanding of Anzali Wetland cultural services from the perspective of knowledgeable experts, by using a new perspective on the relationship between suburbanites and nature in the context of Anzali Wetland and also determining the perceptual territories for various cultural services that originate from this relationship. It also aimed to find new courses of action for the compatible and resilient coexistence of the local community and wetland nature, as well as provide the basis for the promotion of the perception of Anzali Wetland cultural services and the conservation and sustainable use of this valuable and damaged ecosystem. In this research, suburbanites of Anzali Wetland were interviewed. The obtained data were prepared for the relevant experts in the form of questionnaires. This method was used with the aim of investigating the performance of environmental art and its appropriate type in the perception of local communities about the cultural services of the wetland. The results showed that the effectiveness of environmental art is more in understanding Cultural Heritage, Education and Social Interactions. Based on the results and also considering that the level of perception for these three services was found to be low, it can be concluded that environmental art can be useful in improving the perception of these services. Among 4 innovative types for environmental art, the "In Nature" type, in which the artwork is created and presented in the context of nature, has been recognized as more appropriate for the perception of most cultural services. In this research, most information has been collected by field, and some by library, methods; they presented by descriptive analytical method.

Developing sustainable nature tourism tours in natural ecosystems requires planning ‎with a view to the future and minimal damage to the region and its biodiversity. Therefore, the ‎current study aimed to present scenarios for developing ‎sustainable nature tourism tours with a future research approach in the mangrove forests of Iran. ‎

Design/methodology/approach:

 This study is applied in terms of purpose and analytical-exploratory in nature and ‎method. Information was collected based on theoretical studies and existing records. Data ‎analysis was also conducted through the methods of structural analysis and scenario planning in ‎MicMac and Scenario Wizard software. ‎

According to the results, 41 indicators play a key role in sustainable nature tourism tours. Among the indicators, maintaining the quality of the environment has the most ‎influence, and the index of the employee activity record is the most effective. The total ‎acceptable scenarios include 88 situations, of which 56% are favorable, 32% are static, and 12% have a critical situation. ‎

The analysis of the scenarios showed that the first group provides the ideal conditions for ‎the development of sustainable nature tourism tours in the mangrove forests of Iran, and the ‎scenarios of this group indicate a positive and developing situation for sustainable nature ‎tourism tours in this region.

‎Originality/value: 

Developing sustainable nature tourism tours requires the performance of nature tourists ‎and nature tourist tours in natural ecosystems that cause the least damage to the region and ‎valuable biological reserves. The basis of developing future research scenarios for the ‎development of sustainable nature tourism tours in the mangrove forests of Iran is based on ‎maintaining the quality of the environment and optimal use of resources by increasing ‎education and improving the culture of nature tourism among nature tourists and the local ‎community.‎

Forests are one of the renewable natural resources and national capitals of every country that provide a wide range of goods and services. Since the lives of local communities and their livelihood are directly and indirectly dependent on forest ecosystems, the management and protection of these natural habitats is an important issue for planners and decision-makers. Today, these valuable resources are threatened by numerous human and natural factors. With the development of technology, industry, and significant population growth, the exploitation and destruction of these natural areas to provide raw materials, space, and food are increasing progressively, leaving irreparable damages in recent years. Accordingly, the present study was carried out to identify the type of use and the degree of local communities’ dependence on the Khamir-Qeshm mangrove forests. The study also seeks to analyze the relationship between the livelihood dependence of local communities and the exploitation extent of these forests. Khamir-Qeshm mangrove forests account for reserves, shelters, feeding and nursing places for many plants and animals. These natural habitats are also the main source of providing ecosystem services for local communities and residents of the edges of these forests. Thus, the ecosystem services of mangrove forests in the studied area are an important tool to show issues such as the livelihood dependence of communities living on the edge of the habitats, the importance of food security, income, health, and sustainable development of human activities. In this regard, the present study complements other studies in terms of the importance of the exploitation of natural mangrove habitats and the use of each of these services in the lives of local communities and residents of the edges of forests. In particular, the areas that are closer to the villages are not of good quality and need more protection.

In the current descriptive-analytical research, data were collected through questions and interviews with local communities. The statistical population of the research consisted of local communities, and a sample size of380 people was calculated in the studied area, which was sampled by the cluster method considering the population of each village. The validity of the research to measure the appropriateness of the questionnaires prepared by structural and formal methods was determined through the opinions of experts and specialists, and its reliability was measured using Cronbach's alpha in SPSS software. The result is statistically confirmed and acceptable, with α = 0.9.

According to the obtained results, the Khamir-Qeshm mangrove forests are mostly used for food consumption, including harvesting wild honey, catching aquatic and edible invertebrates (for home use, restaurants, and selling in the market), hunting birds, and harvesting fodder for feeding livestock (camels). On the other hand, the lowest amount of consumption belongs to harvesting wood from mangrove forests for the construction of pavilions and residential houses. According to the obtained averages, the highest priority in the use of Khamir-Qeshm mangrove forests is assigned to food consumption, followed by tourism, handicrafts, pharmaceuticals, fuel consumption, and construction from the highest to the lowest priority, respectively. In other words, food consumption, especially fishing and aquaculture, is the first priority in this region, and other activities such as tourism, due to the limited time suitable for tourists in the region, making handicrafts, pharmaceutical consumption, fuel consumption, and construction due to the low market demand and necessary facilities have lower efficiency and priority. In addition, the employment of the residents of the area shows the level of livelihood dependence of the local communities on the mangrove forests of Khamir-Qeshm, who exploit these natural habitats for their livelihood and daily needs. In general, the income of most local communities is provided by fishing, although they are also engaged in other activities such as boating, tourism, boat building, and creating ecotourism lodges and beach restaurants. The results of the analysis of the relationship between subsistence dependence and the amount of exploitation of these forests indicate a significant and direct relationship between these two factors. This means that the exploitation level of these forest habitats increases with the increased demand and livelihood needs of local communities. As one of the most important natural resources, mangrove forests have a direct relationship and an undeniable place in providing livelihood, welfare, and comfort to human societies. On the other hand, these forests should always be the focus of planners and decision-makers due to their essential role in strengthening the livelihood and development of human societies.

Considering the protection status and biological sensitivities of the studied area, ‎the continuation of this type of exploitation causes heavy damage to the forests of the area ‎and endangers their survival for future generations. Therefore, management policies and ‎arrangements should be considered to reduce the exploitation of mangrove forests by local ‎communities and to protect and sustain these natural habitats. In addition to this training, ‎informing and empowering local communities in the development of local businesses and ‎increasing their income can help reduce people's livelihood dependence on forests.‎

The present study aims to identify areas with the highest ecological sensitivity and high priority in protection. In this context, Golestan national park was zoned using spatial indicators and multi-criteria decision-making methods based on linear relationships. Based on the characteristics (level of sensitivity, vulnerability and development capacity), the type of use and management goals, the region has six main zones, including Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 7, and Zone 8. Additionally, Zone 9 was considered a biosphere reserve for this national park. The results of weighting and prioritization of indicators also indicate that in zone 1, the indicators of "habitat integrity" and "uniqueness of the habitat", in zone 2, the indicators of "representativeness of the habitat", "presence or dependence", “protected species," and "habitat importance" have the highest weight and priority. In zones 3 and 4, the focus is on the "recreational resources" index, and in zone 7, it is on the "facilities and infrastructures" index. Finally, the results of combining zones and zoning of the region showed that in Golestan National Park, the largest area of ​​the region is allocated to zone 1 (29% of the park), while the smallest area is allocated to zone 7 (1% of the park). The results of this study showed that national parks and protected areas can be zoned based on three categories. In this area, the safe zone (zones 1 and 2) includes 55%, the non-physical development zone (3 and 8) encompasses 41%, and physical development zone (4 and 7) comprises 4% of the park area.

Global warming has disrupted the climate balance in recent decades, causing extensive changes in different regions worldwide. In other words, climate change has influenced all biological processes by changing the temperature, precipitation, and other climatic variables’ patterns, leading to alterations in the ecosystem’s function and biodiversity loss, especially in dry and semi-arid regions. On the other hand, climate change is regarded as a main threat to mangrove forests, bringing about consequences such as increased sea levels, the occurrence of sea storms, alterations in precipitation patterns, increased temperature, and decreased coverage area of mangrove habitats. Therefore, simulating and predicting the prospective changes in the climate of mangrove forests can offer valuable suggestions for controlling the adverse effects of climate change and reducing the vulnerability of such natural ecosystems.

This study sought to simulate precipitation, and minimum, maximum, and average temperature rates in the mangrove forests’ biosphere reserve throughout the observation period (1996-2022) and the future period (2022-2050) using the data collected from the HadCM3 General Circulation Model (GCM) and the SDSM under RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios. In addition, the De Martonne method was used to identify the climate of the study area during the observation and future periods.

A comparison of the results obtained for the observation and the baseline periods (1996-2022) indicated that the obtained values of the investigated climatic parameters enjoyed great accuracy, with the highest and lowest levels of model validation belonging to the average and maximum temperature rates, respectively. Furthermore, the predictions made for temperature changes for the 2022-2050 period, as compared to the 1996-2022 period, suggested that the average temperature would rise under both the RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios. Additionally, the results indicated that the area’s maximum and minimum temperature rates would experience the highest increase, particularly in July. On the other hand, the results showed that the average precipitation would decrease throughout the 2022-2050 period in the Hara biosphere reserve under RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios, with the highest and lowest decreasing trends of precipitation belonging to January and July under the RCP2.6 scenario and the RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively. Furthermore, according to the results obtained from the De Martonne aridity index, the climate type of the region for observation and future periods (under the investigated scenarios studied) was classified under the dry category, with no changes being observed for the future period. 

Discussion and conclusion:

Considering the growth conditions dominating the Iranian mangroves’ habitats in hot and dry regions, the results of the study indicated that compared to other human-induced phenomena, climate change had turned into a serious degradation threat to such habitats. In this regard, the study found that the average temperature would increase in the future, especially during the warm seasons of the year, which in turn may affect the biological and ecological conditions of the mangrove forests of the region. Therefore, a high correlation was found between the changes in mangroves and plant communities of the Khamir and Qeshm region and the changes in drought intensity and temperature increase, indicating that the area of the region’s mangrove plant communities has decreased in recent decades due to continued drought. Accordingly, it could be argued that the prospective drought periods would exert considerable influence on the structure of the habitats and the spatial distribution of the mangrove forests. The results of the study also suggested that climate change was considered one of the major known threats to the mangrove forests’ Hara biosphere reserve. Therefore, simulating and predicting such changes can provide useful knowledge concerning the trend of temperature and precipitation changes (as the main climatic parameters) in these natural stands, helping to set appropriate measures for preserving and restoring such invaluable biological reserves. Furthermore, in the management plans of this region, climate change can be considered in the region’s management plans to reduce the destructive effects of those changes.

Marina, which is called a small harbor, recreational harbor, or harbor area, is a port space for mooring and settling small and recreational boats. Environmental features and considerations will be lost in the location of this category of ports, along with its environmental, service, and economic consequences. Kish Island is one of the active islands in the field of tourism in the country, in addition to the activities of many light and semi-light boats in the field of coastal-marine tourism, the activity of individual light boats is also growing on this island. Kish Island is vulnerable in terms of the habitat of coral reefs and sea turtle nesting sites, and the high density of constructions on the island makes it challenging to build a marina in terms of its support services. The purpose of this research is to choose the most suitable option for the construction of a marina on the coastal strip of Kish Island and to prioritize the possible options in order to identify a suitable place for the development of tourism in Kish in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. For this purpose, location criteria, consisting of 8 (4 features and 4 characteristics), characteristics, and potential areas have been determined. Then, from the analysis of the networks using the Super decision software, the identified zones have been prioritized. According to the results of the network analysis, the use options of the coastal areas, the access ways in the back bank, the distance from the promenades and entertainment centers, as well as the possibility of accessing the infrastructure network, are determined with the highest weight and criteria.Based on the findings of this research, 4 areas were identified and in total, 4.3 km (10.5%) of the 41 km long coastline of Kish Island was determined to be suitable for the construction of a marina, which is about 2 km (4% long line Coastal) has the highest merit for marina development.

Because biological diversity and cultural diversity, while independent of one another, reinforce one another and because cultural services are a significant factor in raising the quality of life and human well-being, a correct understanding of all ecosystem services, but especially of cultural services, is necessary for the protection and sustainable exploitation of natural ecosystems. One of Iran's most significant natural ecosystems is Anzali Lagoon, and through contact with its neighbors, traditions, and lifestyles exclusive to this water body have developed, giving the locals a sense of culture and identity. Aiming to provide a basis for the development of regional culture and, by extension, appreciation and conservation of this natural environment, the present study aims to assess how marginal people of Anzali Wetland perceive its cultural services. Fieldwork and library research were both used for this project. A questionnaire with 109 descriptive statements and a 7-point Likert scale was created based on the categorization of the millennium ecosystem of cultural services and the perceptual territory for each. It was sent to 100 persons from 18 settlements around the wetland. Experts confirmed the questionnaire's validity; Cronbach's alpha revealed the questionnaire's reliability to be 0.99; and inferential analysis was conducted using the sign test. The findings revealed that perceptions of aesthetics and sense of place are highest, of knowledge systems, recreation, and ecotourism are middle, and of the remaining cultural services, perceptions are lowest.

Determining the comfortable climate of each area plays a very important role in the development ‎and growth of tourism. In this study, according to the tourist acceptability of the area and the ‎variety of recreational activities, it is necessary to investigate the right time for the presence of ‎tourists as well as the development of tourism activities in this area. Accordingly, in the present ‎study, the comfort climate of tourism was examined using Baker and Terjung indices. The data ‎collection was done through the Meteorological Organization and Bushehr Asaluyeh station for 22 ‎years (2020-2022). The results of the Baker index showed that in this region, 5 months of the year, ‎including January, February, March, November, and December, the environmental conditions for ‎recreational activities are mild and pleasant days with cool nights, as well as hot and tolerable days ‎with mild nights. And pleasant, suitable. According to the results obtained from Tarjung (day and ‎night comfort coefficient, wind effect coefficient during day and night), the best time for ‎sightseeing in this area is the months of November, December, February, and March for tourism in ‎this area. Considering that the studied area is a protected area, determining the right time for tourism ‎can help to plan correctly to attract tourists and generate income for local communities along with ‎protecting this area as much as possible.‎

Sustainable nature tourism development in each area requires a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of economic, social, and cultural issues and factors. Today, on a global scale, it has been accepted that nature tourism should be related to ecology, conservation from the environment, and long-term appropriate use of nature with minimal change in the balance of the environment, it should be natural and harmful. When travel becomes one of the indicators of tourists' satisfaction, the fulfillment of tourists' goals and desire for travel will increase the number of tourists who visit these areas frequently. To induce a sense of closeness to the charms of nature and native communities, and primarily this causes them to be attracted to these areas. In this regard, the Khamir and Qeshm mangrove forests are one of the natural and valuable ecosystems that have attracted the attention of planners and visitors as the main destinations for nature tourism development. Nature tourism in these habitats has been expanded as leisure activities of tourists in nature and based on purposeful trips with cultural and spiritual visits and impressions of natural attractions and enjoyment of various phenomena in the area. Due to the increasing population growth and the high demand of visitors to the development of nature tourism activities in virgin and coastal ecosystems, as well as the lack of proper planning for the development of sustainable nature tourism in the Khamir and Qeshm mangrove forests habitats led to this research. To further protect these habitats, the factors affecting the development of sustainable nature tourism should be identified and investigated from the view of tourists who travel to this area for various purposes.

The research method is descriptive-analytical, and the required information was collected through documentation, survey, and completing the questionnaire. The statistical population of the research are tourists and nature walkers who travel to the Khamir and Qeshm mangrove forests to spend their free time and visit the area. The sample size of tourists was calculated using Cochran's formula and with a confidence factor of 90% for questioning. In this regard, 100 questionnaires were randomly distributed among tourists. The results were analyzed according to the questionnaires measured by the Likert scale method, using descriptive and inferential statistical tests in SPSS software. First, the normality of the data was checked using the Kolmograph-Smirnov test, and considering that the data were non-normal, thus, using non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, goodness of fit, and Independence), and the inferential factor analysis.

The results showed that there is no correlation and significant relationship between gender, age, and education with the number of visits to tourist attractions in the area. While a direct and significant relationship was observed between the income level of tourists and the number of times they visited. Also, visitors' knowledge of the destination can be effective in visiting in nature tourism. The results of the independence test also indicate that one of the reasons for not visiting or the low number of visits to mangrove forests Khamir and Qeshm is the insufficient knowledge and low level of awareness among tourists of the natural attractions of this area. Therefore, there is a direct and significant relationship between these two factors, and lack of recognition of the natural capabilities of the region is also effective in the visit of tourists. In addition, the analysis of the goals and desire of tourists to visit the Khmir and Qeshm mangrove forests showed that the highest factor load obtained is related to the aesthetic aspects and diverse perspectives in the area. In general, the main goal of tourists visiting these habitats is to take advantage of the natural attractions and pristine and beautiful landscapes of the area.

In the development of nature tourism, one of the most important factors is the demand of tourists and nature walkers to travel and their goals of visiting the destination. Awareness of this issue can lead to proper planning to protect natural resources and also obtain the satisfaction of tourists from traveling to these natural destinations. According to the results obtained, according to the tourist's viewpoint, the main factor in the development of nature tourism in the Khamir and Qeshm mangrove forests is the natural attractions and landscapes in this area, whose nature tourism capabilities have led to an increase in the demand and desire of tourists to visit this area. Therefore, considering that the investigated area is one of the areas under environmental protection with high species richness and valuable biological reserves, the development of nature tourism should be carried out within the framework of the principles of sustainability and under the power and capacity of the area, as well as the environmental requirements in it to be observed. In this regard, with proper planning and a comprehensive tourism plan, it is possible to develop sustainable nature tourism and increase the economic income of the area.