The effect of recreational activities (ecotourism) on soil changes in Talesh Rangeland ecosystems

The Talesh summer rangelands is one the resorts affected by ecotourism activities at regional and national levels. This research was aimed to investigate the effects of ecotourism on soil changes. For this purpose, three recreational zones were selected in the rangelands of the study area with low, moderate, and high tourism pressure. Sampling was performed in a random systematic manner. In each zone, six transects of 10 m length were established randomly and on each transect, five quadrates of 25 cm2 were selected at a distance of two meters apart. To study soil physical and chemical properties, five soil samples were taken on each transect at a depth of 0-30 cm. The soil moisture content, volumetric moisture content, soil texture, pH, EC, bulk density, and phosphorus and potassium content were measured in the laboratory. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and Duncan's test was applied to compare the means. According to the obtained results, significant differences were found for soil moisture content, volumetric moisture content, organic matter, pH, EC, bulk density, and soil saturation percentage among the three study zones.