Behavioral analyzing of Alangdareh forest park visitors with emphasis on fire making and large wooden debris consumption

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Prof. of Forestry, Faculty of Forestry Sciences, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran

2 Researcher of rural development and social issues in the field of agriculture and natural resources, Gorgan, Iran.

Abstract

Background and objectives: Visitor behavior is a critical indicator of forest park management and plays a decisive role in ecotourism sustainability and harmony with nature. Many visitor behaviors have negative environmental consequences. One of the most significant destructive behaviors in forest parks is fire creation. Therefore, investigating visitor fire-making behaviors and their effects is essential for forest park planning and protection policies. This study aimed to identify and analyze the behaviors of Alangdareh Forest Park visitors in Gorgan, with a focus on fire-making and large wooden debris consumption.
Methodology: This applied study employed a survey design. The statistical population comprised tourists who made fires using wooden debris in Alangdareh Forest Park. A sample of 305 individuals was randomly selected. A researcher-developed questionnaire assessed tourist behavior across four dimensions: protection, responsibility, management, and aesthetics related to fire-making, and the reasons for fire-making. These were evaluated using 27 and 9 items, respectively, on a five-point Likert scale (1 = very disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = somewhat agree, 4 = agree, 5 = very agree). Questionnaire items were developed based on forest park documents and 25 expert interviews. Content and face validity were assessed. Convergent validity (AVE) and discriminant validity (DV) were evaluated using the Fornell-Larker criterion. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, homogeneity reliability, and composite reliability (CR). Descriptive statistics were generated using SPSS 26, and structural equation modeling was performed using SmartPLS 3.
Results: The study revealed that 54.1% of tourists had a medium to high desire to make fires in the forest park. While 55.8% demonstrated appropriate protective behaviors regarding fire-making, responsibility, management, and aesthetic behaviors were weak. The R² value from the structural equation model indicated that behavioral dimensions explained 75.1% of fire-making behaviors. All eight hypothesized paths in the model were significant (t > 1.96), indicating a good model fit. The strongest relationship was between protection behavior and fire-making (ρ = 0.010, β = 0.786, t = 2.585), and the weakest was between aesthetic preference and fire-making (ρ = 0.000, β = 0.162, t = 2.585).
Conclusion: Given the destructive impacts of tourist-initiated fires, promoting behavioral change and implementing a management system that aligns with nature can enhance responsible environmental protection behaviors. This study's findings can inform planning and policy-making for forest park managers and stakeholders to prevent, raise awareness, and mitigate the harmful effects of tourists on the natural forest environment.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 26 July 2024
  • Revise Date: 24 September 2024
  • Accept Date: 20 October 2024

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