TY - CHAP

T1 - Ecological Consequences of Ecotourism for Wildlife Populations and Communities

AU - Shannon, Graeme

AU - Larson, Courtney L.

AU - Reed, S.E.

AU - Krooks, K.R.

AU - Angeloni, L.M.

N1 - Please be informed that it is Springer's policy not to allow the posting of chapters on any repository, authors' own websites or institutional websites

PY - 2017/8/21

Y1 - 2017/8/21

N2 - Ecotourism is often considered highly compatible with conservation effortsbecause it generates revenue through the nonconsumptive use of wildlife (incontrast to, e.g., fishing and hunting), while helping to foster a conservationethic among participants. However, it is becoming clear that human presencein natural areas is not without short or long-term costs. Evidence suggests thathuman presence does not only cause disturbance to the behavior of animals inthe short term but may well have population and ecological level consequencesthat affect survival, reproductive success, and the structure of ecologicalcommunities. Tourists can also impact populations of wild animals as a resultof direct mortality (e.g., vehicle strike), by providing food to attract charismaticspecies that can alter the long-term distribution and social structure ofpopulations, by degrading crucial habitats through infrastructure developmentand pollution, by introducing non-native species that displace native taxa,and by transmitting infectious diseases. Research on the impacts associatedwith ecotourism has grown rapidly during the past decade, which has greatlyimproved our knowledge of the complex relationships between disturbanceand the potential ecological costs for different wildlife species. Understandingand mitigating these impacts is particularly important for conserving speciesthat are rare, geographically isolated, and/or sensitive to disturbance while alsoenabling a sustainable ecotourism industry to thrive.

AB - Ecotourism is often considered highly compatible with conservation effortsbecause it generates revenue through the nonconsumptive use of wildlife (incontrast to, e.g., fishing and hunting), while helping to foster a conservationethic among participants. However, it is becoming clear that human presencein natural areas is not without short or long-term costs. Evidence suggests thathuman presence does not only cause disturbance to the behavior of animals inthe short term but may well have population and ecological level consequencesthat affect survival, reproductive success, and the structure of ecologicalcommunities. Tourists can also impact populations of wild animals as a resultof direct mortality (e.g., vehicle strike), by providing food to attract charismaticspecies that can alter the long-term distribution and social structure ofpopulations, by degrading crucial habitats through infrastructure developmentand pollution, by introducing non-native species that displace native taxa,and by transmitting infectious diseases. Research on the impacts associatedwith ecotourism has grown rapidly during the past decade, which has greatlyimproved our knowledge of the complex relationships between disturbanceand the potential ecological costs for different wildlife species. Understandingand mitigating these impacts is particularly important for conserving speciesthat are rare, geographically isolated, and/or sensitive to disturbance while alsoenabling a sustainable ecotourism industry to thrive.

M3 - Chapter

SN - 978-3-319-58330-3

BT - Ecotourism’s Promise and Peril

A2 - Blumstein, Daniel T.

A2 - Geoffrey, Benjamin

A2 - Samia, Diogo S.M.

A2 - Bessa, Eduardo

PB - Springer International Publishing

ER -