Evaluation the capabilities and uses of Geomorphosites (Case study: geomorphosites of Tabas County)

Today, Geotourism is one of the responsible tourism sections and it is predicated regions with geologic and geomorphologic attracts. Geotourism and geomorphotourism is the new branch of responsible tourism that is based use of geological and geomorphological attractions. In addition attracts, the geotourism consider cultural, economic and ecological values. Responsible tourism emphasizes the conservation of natural resources and human tourism. In fact, purpose of geotourism is economic and social development of local community and ecologic protection of natural resources by geomorphosites. All geomorphologic, cultural and tourism heritage of geotourism emanate in form sites that called geomorphosite. Geomorphosites are landforms that have involved special values caused human insights and those provide important condition in order to tourism activities development and special infrastructures in a region and have importance about understanding geohistory. Geomorphosites can present scientific, conservational and tourism values and affect in cultural, ecological and economic condition. Conservation is one of the basic conceptions in a geomorphosite. Geoconservation emphasizes management of geologic features with scientific, cultural, tourism, educational and tourism values. Geoconservation concept is approximately equal with geologic heritage because it relate with collection of activities in order to decision and geoconservation in special place. Both concepts geoconservation and geologic heritage is discussed as recent concern in the geotourism researches in recent years. In generally, total tourism values consist scientific, conservational and tourism values that affect together. Final purpose of geotourism is economic, tourism development in a region and preservation scientific, conservational values and improving tourism values. Therefore, in order to achieve this purpose, it is essential that geomorphosites are assessed with different criteria and in past years, it present and designed different methods for this aseessment. Tabas County in Khorasan Jonobi province is one of the suitable regions for geotourism development in the country. Because Tabas County is located between two vast desert regions (Dashte-loot and Markazi Kavir), desert and arid regions of Tabas county is seclude and its capabilities scientifically is not analyze. According to this concern, in this research, geotourism of Tabas County is assessed by using sustainability concept and tourism and economic development. In order to assess geotourism capabilities of geomorphosites, different methods is presented I recent years that these menthods has focused mainly conservation value and improve scientific and tourism values. In this paper, Assessment geomorphosites is performed for Tabas County. With having several and variety periods of geology and different geomorphologic landforms, Tabas County is recognized as geology great region in Iran. Desert trait in this county and historical and cultural landscapes and attracts also with geomorphologic potentials is caused that this region is recognized as one of the suitable geotourism regions. One of the spatial traits in the Tabas County is natural variety that in addition of desert condition the county, part of this county involves mountain area in Shotori region and also ecological area in Naybandan region. In order to assessment geotourism, I the first stage, geologic and geomorphologic features and landforms is assessed and according to Spatial and subjective distribution in features, finally is determined 50 features as geomorphosite for assessment geotourism of Tabas County. These geomorphosites consist 24 geomorphosite in arid and desert area, 17 geomorphosite in mountain area in Shotori region and 9 geomorphosite in ecological area in Naybandan region. In order to assess these geomorphosites, GAM method is applied. This method is designed by Mr Vujicic (2011). In this method, several main value and criteria is used. This method involve these values: Rarity, Representativeness, Knowledge on geoscientific issues, Level of interpretation, Viewpoints, Surface, Surrounding landscape and nature, Environmental fitting of sites, Current condition, Protection level, Vulnerability, Suitable number of visitors, Accessibility, Additional natural values, Additional anthropogenic values, Vicinity of emissive centers, Vicinity of important road network, Additional functional values, Promotion, Organized visits, Vicinity of visitors center, Interpretative panels, Number of visitors, Tourism infrastructure, Tour guide service, Hostelry service, Restaurant service. These criteria involve value from 0 to 1 that consist degrees and grades of suitability and unsuitability. In order to assess geomorphosites the Tabas County, the first, many experts related with tourism, geology, geomorphology that recognize Tabas County, is determined and these experts have assessed values and criteria this paper for each of the geomorphosite by surveying and observe it. Finally, value of each geomorphosite determined for each criteria. By using cooperation total of values, final value of each geomorphosite determined. Final results shows that geomorphosites Derenjal outcrop, Sarzamin Siah, Shotori alluvial fan, Mazino coal phenomenal and Rig Shotoran are determined as the most suitable geomorphosites. Therefore, large scale geomorphosites has higher value. Scientific value of Mazino coal phenomenal is related with pale ology and having famous in national level. Sarzamin Siah and Rig Shotoran have much variety and good perspective. In final stage, geomorphosites are assessed separately with scientific, conservational and tourism values. Scientific, conservational and tourism values are chosen from GAM method and their values are determined for geo,orphosites. final results shows that geomorphosite Derenjal phenomenal in scientific value, geomorphosite Korit valley in conservational value and geomorphosite Roohe marghom Lake in tourism value is determined as suitable geomorphosites. Geotourism planning is realizing tourism uses and conditions amd potentials for each geomorphosites. According to results, geomorphosites Derenjal outcrop, Sarzamin Siah, Naybandan crag fault, Kalmard old low height mountains, Darin unconformity and Halvan sandy hills are determined as tourism goods that present for tourists. Other geomorphosites should be improved scientific, conservational and tourism values for serve tourists. Also results shows that there is not Proportion between different value geomorphosites. Although it should notice that don’t conservation actual earth heritage in Tabas county and local communities have very small share in the result of tourism. This is due to lack of facilities and officials decisions making to development of geotourism and improving tourism.