Determination of carrying capacity in protected areas; siklik nature park example

Determining the social and physical carrying capacities of Sıklık Nature Park, located in Çorum province and declared as a Nature Park in 2009, constitutes the main goal of this study. It aims to create a visit management model that will transfer the natural and cultural values of the park to future generations, observing the balance of protection and use. The study was carried out in four basic stages. In the first stage, field research was conducted in the study area. Then, relevant literature sources were meticulously examined and the necessary data were collected. In this context, a review of previous similar studies and a detailed observation of the features of Frequency Nature Park were included. In the third stage, Social Carrying Capacity (SCC) was evaluated. For this evaluation, a survey was conducted with 402 people who visited Nature Park, the data obtained was evaluated and SCC was calculated. The results showed that the SCC for Daily Picnic Area-1 was 2250 visitors/day, the SCC for Daily Picnic Area-2 was 1050 visitors/day, and the SCC for the Scenic View Point was 244 visitors/day. In the final stage, Physical Carrying Capacity (PCC) calculations were made. These calculations included the FCC of the Nature Park's Daily Use Zones, the PCC of the View Observation Terrace, and the PCC of daily recreation activity areas. PCC for Daily Use Area-1 has been determined as 6172 visitors/day, and PCC for Daily Use Area-2 has been determined as 2880 visitors/day. In total, the PCC of the park is calculated as 9052 people. As a result, the daily number of visitors to the Nature Park is 325, while the carrying capacity is 480 people. According to the calculated value, it was determined that the carrying capacity was not exceeded. As a result of the study, in light of the data, suggestions were made to eliminate the deficiencies identified in the nature park, and a sustainable visit management model was also proposed.