GIS based ecotourism potential assessment in Munessa Shashemene Concession Forest and its surrounding area,Ethiopia |
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| Institution: | 1. Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise, Arsi Branch Munessa Shashemene Forest Enterprise, Ethiopia;2. Hawassa University, Department of Biology, Ethiopia;3. Hawassa University, Wondo Genet College of Forestry & Natural Resources, Ethiopia;1. Department of Industrial Engineering, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Babol, Iran;2. Kent Business School, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom;3. Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, Via per Monteroni, 73047, Lecce, Italy;1. Institute of Plant Production and Agroecology in the Tropics and Subtropics, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstr. 13, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany;2. Hawassa University, School of Natural Resource and Environmental Studies, P.O. Box 128, Shashemene, Ethiopia |
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| Abstract: | This study aims to understand GIS based ecotourism potential of Munessa Shashemene Concession Forest and its surrounding area in Ethiopia. Landsat images from 2009/2010 and 2013 were used to drive baseline data including land cover, land use, stream and road. Elevation based agro-ecology and slope map were derived from SRTM DEM. Rapid wild animals survey, identifying the location of known historical, cultural and unique features were carried out in the filed with the help of key-informants. A suitability model was designed in GIS environment to assess the suitability of an area for tourism considering suitability factors such as land cover types, wild animal zone, unique features, topography and distance to a road. The result showed areas which are highly suitable, moderately suitable, marginally suitable, or unsuitable for tourism. The old giant, Podocarpus (Podocarpus falcatus) trees that serve as habitat of the endangered and endemic mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni), were identified as very high suitable areas for tourists. The highly suitable areas include forest area along the lake which is seasonally visited by mountain nyala and areas of plantation forest that are found adjacent to natural forest. These areas follow remnants of the natural forest and found along boundary between the mid-highland and the highland agro-ecologies. The agricultural land use types consisting of maize/haricot-bean and wheat/barley were evaluated as marginally suitable, nevertheless these could be considered as potential for agri-tourism. The study revealed that the concession area is found to be a suitable area with its huge potential for ecotourism development. |
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| Keywords: | Ecotourism potential GIS Mountain nyala Munessa Shashemene Concession area Podocarpus forest Suitability to tourists Ethiopia |
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