Impacts of recreation and tourism on plant biodiversity and vegetation in protected areas in Australia

Abstract

This paper reviews recent research into the impact of recreation and tourism in protected areas on plant biodiversity and vegetation communities in Australia. Despite the international significance of the Australian flora and increasing visitation to protected areas there has been limited research on recreational and tourism impacts in Australia. As overseas, there are obvious direct impacts of recreation and tourism such as clearing of vegetation for infrastructure or damage from trampling, horse riding, mountain biking and off road vehicles. As well, there are less obvious but potentially more severe indirect impacts. This includes self-propagating impacts associated with the spread of some weeds from trails and roads. It also includes the severe impact on native vegetation, including many rare and threatened plants, from spread of the root rot fungus Phytopthora cinnamomi. This review highlights the need for more recreational ecology research in Australia.

Introduction

Nature-based tourism and recreation, including in protected areas, is increasing worldwide and in Australia (Newsome et al., 2002a; Worboys et al., 2005). Overseas, a range of direct and indirect impacts of recreation activities in protected areas on vegetation have been documented in both observational and experimental studies (see recent reviews by Liddle, 1997; Leung and Marion, 2000; Newsome et al., 2002a; Buckley, 2004a, Buckley, 2004b; Cole, 2004; Newsome et al., 2004). Some impacts cause such damage that they alter the value of areas for tourism and recreation itself. In Australia, research into recreation ecology lags behind other regions, such as North America, despite there being equal need and it being of equivalent land area (Sun and Walsh, 1998; Buckley, 2005).

Damage to the Australian flora from recreation and tourism is important, as the flora is recognised internationally as important due to its high biodiversity, endemism, ancient origins and distinctive adaptations (Barlow, 1994; DEST, 1994; Williams et al., 2001). For example, Australia is recognised as one of the world's 17 mega diverse countries with ∼23,000 native vascular plant species, ∼85% of which are endemic (DEST, 1994). There are also 14 endemic plant families, including several representing early stages in the evolution of flowering plants (DEST, 1994; Williams et al., 2001).

Unfortunately, despite this recognition of the importance of the native flora, Australia currently has the fifth highest rate of land clearance in the world which is the highest of any developed nation with more than 564,800 ha of native vegetation cleared in 2000 (Williams et al., 2001). Land clearance since European settlement has resulted in the extinction of 61 plant species with an additional 1241 plant species vulnerable or threatened with extinction (DEH, 2005).

In part, to preserve important ecosystems and maintain populations of rare and threatened species, over 80,895,000 ha (over 10% of the Australian landmass) is currently conserved in over 7720 protected areas (CAPAD, 2004, Table 1). The importance of the flora in many of these protected areas is reflected in their international recognition, with many World Heritage Areas (Worboys et al., 2005). Recently, 15 Australian biodiversity hotspots have been recognised in areas that have many endemic species and are under immediate threat from human activities (DEH, 2003).