A Study On The Impacts Of Ecotourism Upon Rhinopithecus Bieti In Baimaxueshan

Nature reserves that hold complete ecosystems and natural landscapes are not only places to protect wild endangered animals and plants, but also the best places for developing ecotourism. However, with more and more reserves running business of ecotourism, the negative impacts have increasingly become an issue. Finding a balance point between effective conservation and reasonable utilization of the resources in the reserves has been an important research topic. Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve has been recently running Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti) ecotourism. Negative impacts resulting from the tourism have not been found. However, because of the uniqueness of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys, it is not allowed to implement restoration measures after serious impacts appear instead, detecting problems and finding solutions at an early stage are encouraged, which will help better protect the monkeys and make the the ecotourism sustainable.The dissertation collected data on the behavior and diet of the monkeys after in07-10/2012, using focul animal sampling and ad lib sampling, and data on the status of tourism development in the Rhinopithecus bieti National Park using interviews method and questionnaire surveying. There were33families have been to investigate. Based on the knowledge about the community and the local history, we compared the use of natural resources and economic income between priori and during tourism projects. Furthermore,310questionaires have being collected to tourists,304of which were completed and returned.A family in the monkey group have been focused on, from which have been collected data on the behavioural time budgets of the monkeys in the presence of tourists and their distance to the tourists. In the meantime, the components of foods provisioned to the monkeys and the vegetation types and altitudes around/at the data collection localities have been recorded. Based on the information of community participation, the ecological conservation awareness of tourists,and tourist attractions, the options for improving the conservation management of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys have been provided.The results showed that:(1) there were197people from46families in the three natural villages in Xiang Gu Qing whose main income was from subsistance agriculture and livestock, supplemented by tourism participation and non-wood forest product collection (of a mushroom Tricholoma matsutake and others).Their tourist participation is low level. They are lack of environmental education and passion of the participation in tourism and the protection of environment. There are problems of overgrazing and deforestation in the utilization of resource.(2) Male visitors accounted for63.7%of the total number of visitors and females for36.3%. Most tourists were locally from Yunnan Province, accounting for80.2%. The major bulk of the visitors ageed20-50, which was next by those aging51-60, and further by those under20. Only a minority of visitors aged above60. Seventy-nine percent of the tourists had at least college degrees, showing self-controling ability, ecological and evnironmental conservation awareness, having knowledge about the Nationl Park, and being able to cooperate with the park staff in management. There are phenomenen of tourists feeding, shouting at Rhinopithecus biet and littering during the visiting.(3)The altitude and weather of natural factors which consist of rest, move, groom, feeding, and etc.disproportionately affect the behavior of monkeys. Meanwhile, the diet of Rhinopithecus bieti under the condition of artificial feeding changed. Resting time increased as moving time reduced, which showed that the activity distribution time of Rhinopithecus bieti depended many factors.(4)With the increase density of tourists, especially when the number is larger than30, the rest time in all age groups significantly reduce (p<0.05), meanwhile move time increased rapidly (p<0.01), which showed that the number of30is a threshold of security sense for Rhinopithecus bieti.(5) If the distance between the humans and the monkeys was less than5m, Rhinopithecus bieti moved more frequently (p<0.05) and the move time could last longer, while they showed nervous and restless. With a threshold of10m up, the monkeys’ move time significantly decreased (P<0.01), which indicated that visitors should keep10m from monkeys,and it can make the monkeys feel more safe. Reduce the influence of the humans’disturbance on the monkeys as far as possible.In general, the national park management of Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve has otained benefits in economy, ecology, and local community. However, since the tourism over the past three years, eating patterns of Yunnan snub-nosed monkey changes slightly and part of behaviors change corresponding to outside interferences.It is suggested to reduce or eliminate the negative impacts of tourism on Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys by encouraging further participation of the local community in tourism, initiating a streaming system, improving the interpretation service, strengthening conservation measures, and setting up a mechanism to monitor the impacts on the monkeys.