Coral reef conservation in Bali in light of international best practice,a literature review

Bali, Indonesia sits within the coral triangle and is internationally recognised for its high coral reef diversity. The health of Bali’s marine ecosystems has declined in recent decades, and this is thought to be due to threats from climate change, destructive fishing practices, pollution, outbreaks coral eating invertebrates, coral disease and unsustainable tourism. As a response, multiple conservation strategies have been introduced by the island’s communities, non-government organisations and governments, with the aim of preventing further decline, as well as restoring already degraded coral reefs. This literature review provides an in-depth analysis of the tools used to conserve Bali’s coral reefs, and compares them to those used in other countries. In light of international ‘best practice’ in coral reef conservation, this review makes suggestions on how Bali could better conserve its coral reef ecosystems. These include (1) increasing its designation of official Marine Protected Areas (MPAS) and strengthening management of existing ones, (2) creating an MPA network, (3) substantially reducing marine plastic pollution, (4) continuing artificial reef construction in degraded habitats, (5) continuing to develop Bali as an ecotourism destination, (6) increasing engagement in global science to inform marine conservation decision-making, and (7) developing more marine monitoring programmes.     

Ecotourism and ecological restoration

The fast pace of tourism development around the world is causing untold damage to some of the most endangered ecological systems. From Dubai to Honolulu and from Cancun to Beijing, the environmental impacts of tourism are alarming. Ecological restoration (ER) of disturbed lands should be an important approach to sensitive tourism planning. This paper addresses the need for restoring biodiversity and how ecotourism has shown to be a strong force in the field of ER. Two examples (one each of private and community based ecotourism) incorporating ER will be highlighted in this paper: Phinda Game Reserve, South Africa and the Baboon Sanctuary in Belize. We call for greater dialogue across disciplines, notably ER, conservation science and ecotourism.     

Ecotourism disturbance to wildfowl in protected areas: historical, empirical and experimental approaches in the Camargue, Southern France

Ecotourism is becoming very popular, especially in protected areas where wildlife concentrate and is easier to observe, but the consequences of associated disturbance have seldom be quantified other than in the short-term, making the sustainability of this activity untested. We combined a historical, an empirical and an experimental approach to assess the long-, medium- and short-term consequences of disturbance to wintering wildfowl (Anatidae) in a wetland of international importance in the Camargue, Southern France. In the short-term, disturbance made teal (Anas crecca) move away temporarily from observation blinds without leaving the waterbody. Wildfowl fed more after disturbance, disrupting their normal resting activities. In the medium-term, waterbodies with more tourists did not host fewer birds: conversely the most heavily disturbed one hosted the highest wildfowl density. In the long term, wildfowl numbers were not related with the number of visitors. When practiced with appropriate guiding of people, and where appropriate facilities are provided to limit human disturbance as done here, ecotourism may not affect wintering wildfowl other than reversibly in the very short term. The legitimate demand of the public for access, even in fragile protected areas, may therefore be sustainable under some conditions.     

Ecotourism for the survival of sea turtles and other wildlife

This paper discusses generally why humans should bother to conservesea turtles. In doing so, it considers both economic and non-economic reasonsand outlines threats to the existence of sea turtles and ways in which tourismmay either contribute to the conservation or decline of their populations.Turtle-based ecotourism at Mon Repos in southern Queensland is described. As aresult of a survey conducted by the authors, it is shown that turtle-basedecotourism at Mon Repos has positive social (indirect) consequences for theconservation of sea turtles. Furthermore, it is argued that ecotourismoperations at Mon Repos have positive direct impacts on the sustainability ofpopulations of sea turtles. However, using a simple model, it is emphasised thatthis impact is limited because turtles are migratory. A model is also developedto capture the possible relationship between turtle populations and thesustainability of ecotourism dependent on turtle populations, and is extended toother wildlife species. Significant interdependence exists between thesustainability of these two variables. The theory is related toCiriacy-Wantrup's social safe minimum conservation standard forspecies' survival.     

Conflicting human interests over the re-introduction of endangered wild dogs in South Africa

In South Africa, a plan was launched to manage separate sub-populations of endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in several small, geographically isolated, conservation areas as a single meta-population. This intensive management approach involves the re-introduction of wild dogs into suitable conservation areas and periodic translocations among them. To assess the attitudes towards re-introduced wild dogs, we conducted a questionnaire survey of multiple stakeholders—local community members, private landowners and tourists—in and around Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP), one of the meta-population conservation areas. Here, we document conflicting human interests over the re-introduced wild dogs. Tourists in HiP, on the one hand, expressed overwhelmingly positive opinions about wild dogs across personal details of the respondents, but especially after having seen free-ranging wild dogs. On the other hand, we found misconceptions and perceptions that were more negative among the rural population around HiP, again largely independent of personal details of the participants, although educated respondents voiced more favourable views of wild dogs. These negative attitudes were in particular due to perceived and real threats of livestock losses. In a follow-up questionnaire survey, we also discovered apparent shortcomings of a previous short-lived conservation education programme among the local communities adjacent to HiP. Consequently, the mitigation of the conflict between wild dogs and rural people requires an understanding of the conditions under which livestock predation occurs, the encouragement of practices that prevent such predation, and increasing local tolerance of co-existence with wild dogs through both economic and non-monetary incentive schemes as well as continued conservation education.     

Dead or alive: The growing importance of shark diving in the Mid-Atlantic region

In the Mid-Atlantic Azores, the emergence of a seasonal ecotourism shark diving industry strongly contrasts with a North Atlantic shark fishery for regional, national and foreign fleets. Shark diving may provide an economic alternative to fishing, promoting an ecological and economical sustainable use of these animals, favouring their conservation. Understanding socio-economic aspects of this new Mid-Atlantic industry is the first step towards its sustainability and ultimately shark conservation. Data were collected by means of questionnaire designed to solicit information on shark divers’ knowledge, socio-economic status, expenditures and expectations, conducted between July and August 2014 on Pico and Faial Islands, to 144 divers. The majority of respondents were male (71%), between 25 and 40 years (41%), mainly from Germany, Holland and Austria, and 44% visited the Azores purposely to dive with sharks. On average, 2.6 sharks were seen per dive and 97% of respondents did not perceive any form of shark aggression or threat. The estimated generated income of shark diving in 2014 for the Azores amounts to 1,983.347€ (around US$2,244.890). Such an amount may easily increase following the current rates of expansion for (eco)tourism in the Azores and the infancy of the local shark diving activity. Finally, it is worth saying that nearly 70% of participants were willing to pay an extra amount until 60€ to ensure that shark diving remains an option and more than half (53%) would like to see that amount invested in conservation.     

韶关国家级自然保护区生态旅游资源及其定量化评价

韶关市是广东省自然保护区最集中的地区.近几年来,在可持续发展发展理念的指导下,自然保护区生态旅游开发蓬勃发展.论文介绍了韶关市三个国家级自然保护区的生态旅游资源特点,探讨利用模糊数学评价指标体系进行定量评价.通过对车八岭、南岭、丹霞山三个国家级自然保护区生态旅游自然景观资源比较分析,运用三种运算方法得出了较一致的结论.结果显示南岭自然保护区资源评价最好,车八岭其次,丹霞山则相对较低.根据评价结果提出了建立生态网络、加强环境建设以及社区参与等可持续发展建议.     

生态旅游活动中游客噪声对滇金丝猴的影响

生态旅游被视为解决保护和发展的最有效手段之一,但现阶段的生态旅游开展对野生动物造成影响的程度和方式还缺乏研究。为研究生态旅游活动开展过程中产生的噪声是否会对滇金丝猴（Rinopithecus bieti）产生影响,2017年7月5日至2018年2月8日,在云南香格里拉滇金丝猴国家公园,采用10 min间隔的瞬时扫描取样法记录游客噪声、观赏距离、可见滇金丝猴总数量及其不同年龄-性别组滇金丝猴个体数量。结果显示,生态旅游行为显著增加了环境噪声值,向游客开放时段的噪声值（52.42 dB）显著高于非开放时段（47.51 dB）,且游客数量越多噪声值越大;游客的观赏距离越近可见的滇金丝猴个体数量越少,且不同观赏距离下可见的滇金丝猴个体数存在显著差异,当观赏距离在11 ~ 15 m时,游客可见滇金丝猴总数量最多（2 046只）;在1 ~ 5 m的观赏距离内,不同年龄-性别组猴的理论可见数量不同,成年雄性猴的理论可见数量最高（2.9只）,其次是青少年猴（2.2只）,成年雌猴（1.8只）和婴猴（1.6只）最低。推测,不同年龄-性别组滇金丝猴个体抵抗干扰的能力不同,成年雄性猴抗干扰能力最强,其次是青少年猴个体,成年雌性猴和婴猴抗干扰能力较弱。由此,本研究认为,现阶段香格里拉滇金丝猴国家公园的生态旅游活动增加了环境噪声,且对滇金丝猴的行为产生了一定的干扰;游客观赏距离越近、游客数量越多,干扰越大。建议在未来的生态旅游过程中,严格设立游客观赏距离,且观赏距离应在10 m以上;设立标语,提醒游客保持安静,减少噪音,从而减少对滇金丝猴的干扰。     

Factors affecting crop damage by wild boar and methods of mitigation in a giant panda reserve

In China, following the introduction of protection measures, wild boar (Sus scrofa) are returning to forested mountains they previously inhabited and conflict in villages near or within areas under protection has intensified. We studied this phenomenon around a giant panda nature reserve in the Qinling Mountains, China to determine the incidence and frequency of wild boar damage and methods of mitigation. Over a 3-year period, we found that almost half of households in the local village sustained crop damage, that wild boar frequently raided maize (Zea mays), potato (Ipomoea batatas), and wheat (Triticum aestivum) adjoining the reserve, and that boar usually raided croplands at night and preferred the actual crops. The distance between maize fields and mountains or a stream predicted the probability of a field being raided and also the severity of the damage. Local farmers used many methods to protect their crops; however, all were ineffective except increasing the presence of humans in fields.     

云南碧塔海自然保护区生态旅游开发模式研究

1　引　　言自然保护区作为生态旅游开发的主要对象 ,在发挥其旅游功能为自己的保护寻到经济支撑[1,2 ,17] ,为当地经济发展和社区人民脱贫提供资源[5,19] 的同时 ,面临一大问题 ,即如何有效地保护其自然生态环境[6] .把旅游业作为支柱产业来培植的云南省拥有各级自然保护区 10 7个 ,是中国自然保护区数量最多的省份[13] .该省把生态旅游产品作为旅游业可持续发展的主打产品 ,并十分重视旅游资源及环境的保护[19] ,采取审慎开发的态度 ,选试点进行示范区开发 ,取得经验后再逐步推广 .位于滇西北香格里拉腹地的迪庆藏族自治州州府的中甸县 ,…