Some peculiarities of functional zoning in specially protected natural territories: case study of the Tunkinsky National Park, Russia

Abstract

As the global ecosystem protection agenda continuous to unfold, the topic of functional zoning of protected areas’ remains the subject of intensive discussions. The paper discusses the essence, specific features, key factors and actions taken to improve the functional zoning of national parks in Russia. On the example of the national park “Tunkinsky” it is shown how the functional zoning has changed since its creation and what factors influenced this process. The paper presents analysis of natural, historical, cultural, socio-economic, tourist-recreational and organizational conditions for functional zone allocation in the Tunkinsky National Park, as well as changes in the composition, naming, and area of the functional zones in the national park. Using the data from geolocation services, such as photos with a given geolocation posted by tourists in social networks, and GPS tracks of tourist routes, the authors prove the validity of changes in the functional zoning of the National Park, with an increase in the recreational zone, providing an optimal combination of nature conservation, tourist and recreational and economic functions was proved.