Question

Protected area managers notice unacceptable levels of impacts at several sites, and they decide their response should be to limit the number of visitors that can enter the protected area. Why would this not be likely to address the issue of impacts?

Answer 1

There are many different types of visitors to protected areas. They may be official guests to national park; researchers working in a strict nature reserve; volunteers assisting with a national park work program; educational groups learning about special natural or cultural heritage; or people who conduct their business
within a protected area including contractors and shop owners. Importantly, visitors also include tourists and recreational.

The growing numbers of visitor impact issues that - confront protected area managers today are characterised by an array of complexities and uncertainties and occur in a context of changing environmental conditions and varying levels of organisational capacity. As a result, protected area managers are challenged to understand the nature of the issues and the potential solutions.

A range of visitor impacts and explore the variety of frameworks for assessing and managing these impacts. Social and community impacts of tourism are an important consideration in planning and responding to the impacts of visitors on protected areas.Visitor impacts on the environment. Visitors in protected areas have a wide range of environmental impacts including on soils, plants, animals and aquatic systems ; For animals, impacts can include:

i. changes to animal behaviour and physiology such as triggering flight responses in birds

ii. changes to breeding patterns and success such as damage to ground-nesting birds

iii. introduction of novel animals (domesticated animals including grazing)

iv. damage and removal of habitat

v. killing animals either deliberately (fishing, hunting) or accidentally (road kill).

Impacts on plants may include:

i. direct damage from trampling

ii. removal of vegetation during the construction of infrastructure

iii. changes in composition as a result of the introduction of novel species.

iv. changes in the abiotic environment that affect plants.

v. habitat fragmentation from trails and other infrastructure

vi. landscape-level fires started deliberately (arsonists) or accidentally (campfires) by visitors.