GIS-based Evaluation Of Tianzhushan Geopark In Anhui Province

Geopark is the most effective way to protect geoheritages. In the history of theformation and evolution of the Earth, geoheritages are affected by various internaland external geological processes. Geoheritages are important components ofnatural heritages and historical cultures, and are of non-renewable, unrecoverableand typical characteristics. They have enormous value for scientifing and culturalresearch. Geoheritages can be developed to play social and economic benefits. Theprotections of geoheritages are objective requirements of social progress. Theevaluation of the heritages is the important foundation for protection, planning anddevelopment of the geoheritages resources.With the development of science and technology, geographic informationsystems(GIS) have achieved great development since the1960s, widely been usedin geological disaster forecasting, urban planning and construction, environmentalprotection, environmental impact assessment, and many other fields. GIS haspowerful functions in geographic information storage, processing, analysis anddisplay. As a tool in spatial analysis, GIS has the ability to manage, operate andanalyse object’s spatial data. Using GIS, this reaserch established an evaluationsystem of the geoheritages in the Tianzhushan Geopark. The construction of thesystem emphasized the natural and value properties, scenic-zone sizes, tourismdevelopment conditions. A spatial geodatabase for the geoheritages in the Geoparkwas established to evaluate the Geopark.This paper used three methods to evaluate the Geopark respectively. Theywere Weighted Linear Combination (WLC), Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA)and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS).Firstly, this paper usesd the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to calculate theweight of each factor in the index system, then used three evaluation methods toanalyze the Tianzhushan Geopark, and ranked the region according to the score ofthe results. Evaluation results were displayed by GIS to make the evaluationclearerand more intuitive. It got the comprehensive evaluation result from threeresults to make the evaluation results more scientific and without loss of generality.Comprehensive result was divided into three development and protection levels, they were high, average and ordinary levels. This paper evaluated the TianzhushanGeopark from natural and value properties, scenic-zone sizes, tourism developmentconditions. Finally, the paper makes suggestions for the protection anddevelopment of Tianzhushan Geopark. In the areas of the high value for protectionand development, the regions with granite landform geoheritages can be developedas a tourism zone. The regions with ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic belt andeclogites can be developed for scientific research base. The areas should beprotected properly at the same time. In the areas of the average value for protectionand development, it can be developed the water sports in the regions ofhydrological geoheritages. People can get more fun from the view.We should takeappropriate protection on the areas of the ordinary value for protection anddevelopment.It can be supported by space in other area of development.