自然保护区生态旅游对野生动物的影响

目前中国的很多自然保护区开展了生态旅游,但这类活动对野生动物的影响研究却十分薄弱,因此十分有必要在介绍欧美、澳洲学者的研究进展基础上,针对我国的研究现状,提出该领域的研究方向、监测和管理策略.自然保护区的生态旅游活动主要有野生动物观赏、徒步行走、摄影、野外宿营、山地车或雪地车、电动或机动艇游湖、溪涧漂流、环境教育、社区访问等,旅游活动类型、范围、强度、时空分布等是影响对野生动物干扰大小的主要因素.生态旅游对野生动物的影响包括直接影响(个体的行为反应和生理指标改变、繁殖力降低、种群分布和物种组成的改变等)和间接影响(生境破坏、外来种散布和环境污染等).国外生态旅游对鸟类的影响研究较多,主要集中鸟类的惊飞反应、取食、能量消耗、繁殖等方面;对兽类影响的研究主要集中在行为、生理指标改变、种群数量等方面.我国未来的研究应注重收集基础性研究数据和深入探讨一些理论与应用问题,要运用多种技术手段对自然保护区野生动物的行为、生理、种群动态、物种多样性、生境质量、游客的时空分布、态度和行为等进行长期监测,而后将其结果应用到野生动物、生境以及游客的管理决策中去.另外,研究中应重视自然科学和社会科学的多学科交叉融合.

Impacts of ecotourism on wildlife in nature reserves: monitoring and management

Presently, ecotourism is planned or developed for many nature reserves in China, but the studies of these impacts on wildlife are few. A framework for monitoring and managing the effects of ecotourism on wildlife in Nature Reserves in China should be proposed, based on reviewing the literature from scientists in Europe, U.S., and Australia. Ecotourism activities in nature reserves include wildlife viewing, hiking, all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, camping, motor-boating, floating, interpretation, or visiting local community. Pattern, intensity, scope, temporal and spatial patterns of ecotourism activities are factors influencing the impacts on wildlife. Ecotourism activities can have a direct impact on wildlife, as measured by: behavioral and physiological changes, low reproduction, population abundance and distribution changes, community changes in species composition and interrelationships. Indirect impacts include: habitat destruction, exotic species dispersal, and environmental pollution. There are plenty studies about ecotourism impacts on birds, mainly focus on the flight responses, feeding, energy expenditure, and reproduction; the impacts on mammals mainly focus on behavior, physiological index, population size. Due to the lack of research on ecotourism impacts, it is necessary for China to collect large basic data, and discuss some important questions about theory and application, and establish monitoring systems in reserves to measure wildlife behavior, physiology, population dynamics, and distribution; habitats, environmental quality; temporal and spatial characteristics, as well as the attitudes, and behavior of visitors. Monitoring methods include control area comparison for different levels of tourism intensity before and after development, to determine its long-term effect. Ecological research and monitoring should be applied to wildlife, habitat, and visitor management strategies used by nature reserves. The natural and social sciences should be merged to study the interaction of wildlife and visitors.