A Population Accounting Approach to Assess Tourism Contributions to Conservation of IUCN-Redlisted Mammal Species

Abstract

Over 1,000 mammal species are red-listed by IUCN, as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable. Conservation of many threatened mammal species, even inside protected areas, depends on costly active day-to-day defence against poaching, bushmeat hunting, invasive species and habitat encroachment. Many parks agencies worldwide now rely heavily on tourism for routine operational funding: >50% in some cases. This puts rare mammals at a new risk, from downturns in tourism driven by external socioeconomic factors. Using the survival of individual animals as a metric or currency of successful conservation, we calculate here what proportions of remaining populations of IUCN-redlisted mammal species are currently supported by funds from tourism. This proportion is ≥5% for over half of the species where relevant data exist, ≥15% for one fifth, and up to 66% in a few cases. Many of these species, especially the most endangered, survive only in one single remaining subpopulation. These proportions are not correlated either with global population sizes or recognition as wildlife tourism icons. Most of the more heavily tourism-dependent species, however, are medium sized (>7.5 kg) or larger. Historically, biological concern over the growth of tourism in protected areas has centered on direct disturbance to wildlife. These results show that conservation of threatened mammal species has become reliant on revenue from tourism to a previously unsuspected degree. On the one hand, this provides new opportunities for conservation funding; but on the other, dependence on such an uncertain source of funding is a new, large and growing threat to red-listed species.

Long-Term Monitoring of Microsporidia, Cryptosporidium and Giardia Infections in Western Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) at Different Stages of Habituation in Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas, Central African Republic

“…Funds needed to combat these threats are lacking; consequently conservation efforts based on non-consumptive use of natural resources such as wildlife tourism have become a widespread source of funding [1]–[3]. Whilst wildlife tourism currently contributes to the survival of many endangered mammals [4], a growing body of research has also highlighted significant detrimental impacts on focal animals and habitats, of which the long-term effects on wildlife remain largely unquantified. Infectious diseases pose one of the greatest threats to endangered species [5], [6] as anthropogenic disturbance and habitat alteration significantly increase the risk of disease transmission and spread amongst wildlife populations [7], [8].…”

Tourism and recreation listed as a threat for a wide diversity of vascular plants: A continental scale review

“…The current study is one of an increasing number that has systematically and quantitatively compared the relationships between the tourism and recreation industries and endangered plants and animal species (Kelly et al, 2003;Steven et al, 2011;Morrison, 2012;Morrison et al, 2012;Buckley et al, 2012;Ballantyne and Pickering, 2013;Steven and Castley, 2013). One of the few other large-scale studies evaluating the threat of tourism and recreation for plants assessed the scale of the issue for the European flora using similar methodology but data from the International Union for Conservation Red List which as similar listing criteria to that used by the Australian Government (Ballantyne and Pickering, 2013).…”

Assessing ecotourism potential of hiking trails: A framework to incorporate ecological and cultural features and seasonality

“…It is widely acceptable that ecotourism contributes to the preservation of threatened species (Buckley, Castley, Pegas, Mossaz, & Steven, 2012;Morrison, Simpkins, Castley, & Buckley, 2012;Steven, Castley, & Buckley, 2013;Steven, Pickering, & Castley, 2011) and cultural heritage worldwide (Keitumetse, 2009;Nepal, 2004). It constitutes a reliable tool to enhance local economies, especially in underdeveloped regions (Kirkby et al, 2011;Morrison et al, 2012).…”