Topic Essays
From the week of March 9, 1998

A Good Word for Ecotourism
Marisa Bueno

Ecotourism is defined as a form of environmentally and culturally responsible travel to an area where tourism benefits the local people. While it can be argued that the cultural and ecological impact of tourism on "unspoiled" areas of the world is exploitative and damaging (see Susan Howell's topic essay), it can also be argued that ecotourism in it's ideal form, can greatly benefit areas where beautiful waterfalls, rainforests, deserts, coastlines and other scenic vistas, are pristine. Local companies, stores, and restaurants can advertise their services, special crafts, and precious resources the world over to draw people who will appreciate being surrounded by beauty and nature. The local people can establish tourist activities which serve to educate visitors about the fragile or endangered beauty of areas, such as The Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, without hurting their ecosystems. As visitors are introduced to and learn more about these wonders of the world, they often take an interest in their preservation. More and more national parks and protected areas are now putting a percentage of the money made off of tourism towards preserving the land in it's natural state.

There are further cultural and economic benefits as well. A visitor's exposure to the different peoples and lifestyles of the world can help increase cultural awareness and cultural appreciation. Economically speaking, many of the areas that would be perfect for the ecotourism industry are in rural parts of the world. The local populations in the rainforest often live in farming communities and do not have the same economic prosperity as more industrialized areas. Ecotourism can offer local people ways to make money using the unpolluted beauty of the places they live as an alternative to making money by destroying the places they live to build up industry. Ecotourism can help people and the environment to thrive together.

 

Ecotourism may not be the answer to our problems!
Susan Howell

While ecotourism has many benefits, such as bringing money into the local community and allowing people to see remote areas that would otherwise have been inaccessible, there are some pitfalls to the idea of turning our ecologically significant areas into tourist attractions.

If you were going to visit the Great Barrier Reef of Australia where would you probably stay in a hotel or resort. Where would you probably eat in a restaurant. And in case you got bored of snorkeling day after day you would probably want some other entertainment.

The promotion of ecotourism is also the promotion of development for an area. As hotels, restaurants, bars, and stores are being built up, the natural area that attracted visitors in the first place is being eroded. As the trend of people wanting to visit pristine remote areas increases, so does the number of businesses that cater to those customers. Of course more rainforest must be cut down first to make way for these buildings. Where does your money go? Yes, it may be thrown into the local economy, but most of it goes towards the above businesses, not towards protecting the natural surroundings.

Even if it is assured that the natural attraction is protected, the many people visiting will surely erode the surroundings. One person hiking on a trail make not have an effect, but 3000 hikers wears away a forest. Hundreds of people touching coral on the reef also has a negative effect. The carrying capacity of a natural wonder is not considered once people get wind of it.

Ecotourism may have a negative effect on the local people as more foreigners visit and development is increased. The local people may experience a change in their lifestyle as different demand are made in the area. Crime may accompany development, prices of many goods may increase, and in the case of native peoples, land may be lost and traditions hard to follow when people are walking through your backyard. As foreigners enter the area they bring with them items from their country which are coveted by the locals who in turn promote ecotourism in order to acquire these commodities.

So there are pros and cons to ecotourism and the answer might be moderation.

 

Tolga Scrub
Research Update by Sara Wilson

As part of our case study on rainforest fragmentation, we are looking at a very small patch of forest called the Tolga Scrub. The Tolga Scrub is a unique forest type and the only patch left of this particular structure in the area. It is completely isolated from other pieces of rainforest and is bordered by farmland, industrial factories and roads. There is even fragmentation inside the forest by paths and a road which runs through the middle. Animals and plant seeds have problems getting across this road and risk being run over if they try. Another problem with the Tolga Scrub is that the trees on the edge are dying because of the effect of wind and pollutants.

All these things negatively effect the health of this forest, but there is an even bigger problem in the picture. Bats! It is estimated that up to 100,000 bats live in the north end of this forest. The bats roost in the trees during the day, hanging by their toes, black leathery wings wrapped around them while they screech and chatter. Some of them fly low around the canopy, looking like the winged monkeys from the Wizard of Oz. Unfortunately these bats are destroying the trees they are roosting in. They knock off branches and leaves and weigh down the trees, often till they break. The bats may be destroying the Tolga Scrub, but the question is, where else can they go?

As a group we have been trying to determine the effect of the bats on the Tolga Scrub. We have been trying to estimate the number of bats, the type and tree height they like to hang out in, the amount of leaves and branches they are knocking off, and the reason why they are not living in the southern section of the Scrub. All of these take a lot of time and patience to research along with the willingness to risk the thorny wait-a-while plants and the painful stinging trees. It has been great to see how field research is done and complex problems are investigated.