A Study of Biological Diversity to Develop the

Educational Coastal Ecotourism Site in Muangkluang

Sub-district,

Kapur District, Ranong Province

Supaporn Suksileung

Chwit Attasat

Apiradee Suantan

Nalena Prapiraksit

Rakchanok Koto*

Kapur District

- Wetland of Laem-Son National Park and Kapur Bay

- Abundance Biodiversity and tremendous habitats of endemic species

- The Ramsar Site in order of 1183 since October 14, 2002

- Ranong Biosphere Reserve from

UNESCO since 1997

Muangkluang Sub-district, Ranong Province

Muangkluangcommunity

Lack of biodiversity

database

Implementation of the biodiversity knowledge

into educational tourism activities

The conservation of natural

resources and environment

Development and promotion for ecotourism in

community

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

• To study the diversity of natural resources in

order to promote ecotourism destination in the coastline of Muangkluang sub-district• To develop the guidelines for

establishing an educational coastal ecotourism site

• To assess the operational results of the

educational program in the community

MATERIALS AND METHODS1. Study Area: Muangkluang Sub-district, Kapur District, Ranong,

Thailand

1. Laem Son beach 2. Koh Maprow 3. Koh Nok Hook 4. Koh Thoa 5. Koh Piak Num Yai 6. Koh Piak Num Noi 7. Ao Rai 8. Cage Culture in Mangrove 9. Laem Now Area 10. Ao Khoei

Sampling Plots

2) Population Sampling :

1) 19 related individuals who have been involved in planning, managing, and participating of tourism administration

at Coastal Ecotourism Site in Kapur District (For creating the educational site and tourism activities development)

2) 27 participants - 17 general tourists

- 10 academic personnel (For assessment of tourism activities)

3. Research Procedures

3.1) Biodiversity Survey

3.2) Educational Site and Tourism Activities Development

3.3) Assessment of Tourism Activities Arrangement

3.1) Biodiversity Survey• the specimens from 10 locations were collected in 3

Kingdoms ; Protista, Plantae and Animalia

• 3 types of algae; green algae, brown algae and red algae

• 2 classes of coastal flora; monocots and dicots

• 13 Phyla of aquatic fauna;• echiura • phoronida • Mullusca• brachiopods • Echinodermata• chrodata

• porifera• cnidaria • Platyhelminthes• Nemertea• arthropoda• annelida• sipuncula

3.2) Educational Site and Tourism Activities Development

• To provide academic supports to local communities

• To arrange focus group discussion for stakeholders

• To plan and manage of tourism activities within the area.

3.3) Assessment of Tourism Activities Arrangement

• To manipulate a pilot project based on tourism management for the coastal resources learning of local people

• To operate the activities 2 times – the operation was included 17 general tourists. – the operation was participated by 10 academic personnel

from several disciplines of science, business, and tourism.

RESULTS OF

THE STUDY

1) The biodiversity of living organisms– the living organisms of 3 Kingdoms were found in

this study

Kingdom Animalia

• 283 species • 154 genera • 13 phyla

Kingdom Plantae

• 21 dicot species

• 2 monocot species

Kingdom Protista

• 4 species of green algae

• 4 species of brown algae

• 3 species of red algae

• The living organisms in the coastline area of Muangkluang Sub-district, Kapur district, Ranong province were entirely found 317 species.

Protista

Plantae; Sea grasses

Plantae; Monocotyledons

Plantae; Dicotyledons

Animalia

Identified to 13 phyla 154 families and 283 species

phylum species phylum species

Porifora 2 Echiura 1

Cnidaria 11 Phoronida 1

Platyhelminthes 1 Mollusca 78

Nemertea 1 Brachiopoda 1

Arthropoda 63 Echinodermata

24

Annelida 7 Chordata 88

Sipunculida 2 Total 283

Animalia

1. Laem Son beach 2. Koh Maprow 3. Koh Nok Hook 4. Koh Thoa

5. Koh Piak Num Yai 6. Koh Piak Num Noi 7. Ao Rai 8. Cage Culture in Mangrove area 9. Laem Now Area 10. Ao

Khoei

128

52

97

83

37

18

22

18

25

77

3.2) Educational Site and Tourism Activities Development

• To provide academic supports to local communities

• To arrange focus group discussion for stakeholders

• Pre-manual for studying the biodiversity in coastal line of Muangkluang Sub-district

• Poster of diversed organism

Services provid-ing of the mod-

erators

Facilities Outcomes of academic services

Total0

1

2

3

4

5 3.94

3.09

4.13.71

Assessment Results of Knowledge Distribution to Local Community

1) the tourism development should be based on the 4 important components

1. area

4. Participatio

n

2. Managemen

t

3. activities and

procedures

2) the suitable interpretations and activities

Suitable interpretations Suitable activities

1. a manual of biodiversity

database

1. transact survey to study biodiversity along the coastline area

2. natural trails tacking 2. taking fishery boats along natural tails to survey biodiversity,

3. animal habitat charts 3. kayaking along natural trails to survey mangrove forest biodiversity

4. local guides 4. taking fishery boats to learn fisherman life style

5. information center 5. reforesting mangroves activities

• To manipulate a pilot project based on tourism management for the coastal resources learning of local people

3) Assessment of tourism activities arrangement in the educational site

3.1) Results of Tourist Participants’ Opinion Survey

4.4

4.45

4.5

4.55

4.6

4.65

4.74.69 4.69

4.62

4.5

4.63

3.2) Results of Academic Personnel Participants’ Opinion Survey

4.44.454.5

4.554.6

4.654.7

4.67

4.554.52

4.58

The final manual of Biodiversity database

CONCLUSION

AND

DISCUSSION

• The living organisms of 3 Kingdoms composed of totally 317 species of Protista, Plantae, and Animalia were found

• Dominant spices of the aquatic fauna in this area are composed of 4 phyla

– 4 species of sea cucumber – 3 species of jelly fish – 2 species of tube worm– 1 specie of tongue shell

Biodiversity Survey

CONTD.• After Tsunami disaster some species were found in this

area; - Tongue shell- Razor clam- Nudibranch- Some reef fish

It was assumed that the occurrence of these species might be brought from coral reef off Kapur coast 

Educational site and tourism activities development

• The results of focus group discussion illustrate that the tourism development should be based on the

4 important components (Ceballos-Lascurain, 1998)– 1) area – 2) management – 3) activities and procedures– 4) participation

• a successful developing and promoting of ecotourism in the community should be based on local people participation (Tungchitwattana, 1996).

Assessment of tourism activities arrangement in the educational site• They were held in order to navigate a pilot

tourism project for coastline resources learning together with local guide. At first, the participants were general tourists and later were academic personnel.

• The results show that the tourist participants and academic personnels have very much agreed with this project.

• The most agreed aspect was community services providing followed by the service outcomes.

CONTD.• An educational site is meaningful for supporting

education even though learners are not at class room (Good, 1973).

• The important principles of educational site should be based on reality of places and conditions and there should be located of discipline management center in order to establish an effective and diverse educational site (Wannapong, 1998).

• This research covers the feature of the principle of ecotourism.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION