Module Three - Ecotourism Environments - Online Lesson

Public Protected Areas

Protected area: An area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means (IUCN, 1994).

A public protected area is managed by a public authority (federal, state, county or municipal government). Private protected areas are commercial or non-government businesses or organizations (NGO).

The majority of protected areas in the world are located in public protected areas.

Biosphere Reserves

An important global efforts to protect important scientific, cultural or natural locations begins with identifying these areas. The World Heritage Convention and Biosphere Reserve designations attempt to encourage countries to identify and preserve these sites. The United Nations has recognized forty-seven U.S. biosphere reserves (324 in 84 countries) through its "Man and the Biosphere" (MAB) education and research program. The program, along with the U.N's World Heritage Convention initiative, was created three decades ago and conveys "world-class" status on premiere ecological sites.

World Heritage Sites

The World Heritage Convention, (WHC), issued by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, of the United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (WHC-97/2, February 1997).

The World Heritage Convention concerns the protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage namely the irreplaceable testimonies of past civilizations and natural landscapes. Protecting natural and cultural properties of outstanding universal value against the threat of damage in a rapidly developing world.

The primary aim is to define the world-wide sites of exceptional interest and such universal value that their protection is considered to be the responsibility of all mankind and not just the country within whose boundaries they lie.

IUCN Categories and Ecotourism Compatibility

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) working with the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) has developed a protected area classification system.

I. Strict Nature Reserve/Wilderness Area: protected area managed mainly for science of wilderness protection

II. National Park: protected area managed mainly for ecosystem protection and recreation

III. Natural Monument: protected area managed mainly for conservation of specific natural features

IV. Habitat/Species Management Area: protected area managed mainly for conservation through management
intervention

V. Protected Landscape/Seascape: protected area managed mainly for landscape/seascape protection and
recreation.

VI. Managed Resource Protected Area: protected area managed mainly for the sustainable use of natural
ecosystems.

Private Protected Areas

Non-government organizations or agencies have several options in the type and level of their involvement in protected areas. Most common is the contracting of specific services such as food concessions, equipment rentals, guiding services or management.

In some countries private property rights are retained by a business or non-governmental organization. A popular and growing trend it the non-governmental ownership of protected areas by such groups as:

One reason for the growth of these areas is the publics interest in environmentalism. The ability to generate profits, provide economic diversification and local control for communities is a primary incentive for private protected areas. The majority of private protected areas are financially dependent on tourism. This makes these reserves tenuous, when the profit motive is greater than the conservation motive. These types of private arrangements may also deter governments from funding such efforts in the public system.

Distribution

Among Protected Areas: A small number of parks accounts for the majority of visitors to the protected areas.

Within Protected Areas: In the highest visited parks, most of the visitation occurs an a very small area within the park. The 95-5 rule is that about 95% of the visitors are confined to just 5% of the protected area.

Issues with Spatial and Temporal Concentration

Many protected areas were not originally intended to accommodate large numbers of visitors. With the increase dependency upon visitor generated revenues increases in visitor numbers increase the probability of negative environmental  impacts. This continues the debate over carrying capacity and the question of sustainability.

Carrying capacity: the amount of activity that can be accommodated in a specific site without causing unsustainable impacts.

The Use of Carrying Capacity

One popular approach to visitor management is carrying capacity. Carrying capacity is an attempt at determining the maximum number of visitors that is sustainable in ecological and social conditions.

Conditions necessary for the application of carrying capacities:

1) There Must Be Agreement On The Type Of Desired Social And Resource Conditions, Including The Type Of Recreation Opportunity.

2) The Recreation Activities And/Or Experiences to Be Provided Must Be Density Dependent.

3) There Must Be Agreement on The Acceptable Level Of Impact.

4) A Clear, Specific And Known Relationship Must Exist Between Use Levels And Social And Resource Conditions.

5) Use Level Must Be More Important Than Visitor Behavior In Determining The Amount Of Impact.

6) The Protected Area Management Authority Must Control Access In The Area.

7) The Protected Area Management Authority Must Have The Resources (Personnel, Financial, Information, etc.) To Administer The Carrying Capacity Limit.

8) There Must Be Agreement On The Objectives OF A Rationing System In Implementing Carrying Capacity.

9) There Must Be Agreement That The Carrying Capacity Limit Represents Either The Maximum Or The Optimum Number Of People Visiting An Area.

Limits of Acceptable Change

This system focuses on identifying acceptable and achievable resource and social conditions. The LAC recognizes the value judgements involved in identifying appropriate levels of impact and use intensity.

Nine Step LAC Planning System

1) Identify Areas' Special Values, Issues, And Concerns.

2) Identify And Describe Recreation Opportunity (ROS) Classes.

3) Select Indicators Of Resources And Social Conditions.

4) Inventory Existing Resources And Social Conditions.

5) Specify Standards For Resource And Social Conditions For Each Opportunity Class.

6) Identify Alternative Opportunity Class Allocations.

7) Identify Management Actions For Each Alternative.

8) Evaluate And Select Preferred Alternative.

9) Implement Actions And Monitor Conditions.

Modified Spaces

Ecotourism is NOT exclusively focused on undisturbed environments contained in protected areas. Many ecotourism attractions are in extensively modified areas that provide habitats for specific kinds of flora and fauna.

This includes observable wildlife. There are no estimates on the amount of ecotourism which focuses on modified venues. Modified areas include:

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