Unfortunately it is this new input of money and people that is destroying the landscape for which they come to visit. Footpaths have been worn down so much so that they have become used as water run off tracks when it rains. This scars the hill side and also makes certain areas of the hills unstable for public use; this will in the long term detrimentally affect the attractiveness of the area for tourists. Water pollution, noise pollution, over fishing and the use of powered craft are the main consequences of tourism on the lake itself. Motor sports create a large wake that eats away at the embankments of the lake damaging it and therefore destroying riverside habitats, as well as noise pollution and water pollution that come from the large engines. These are just not detrimental to the local wildlife and the water supply but they also deter residents and tourists who come to the loch for a peaceful break or life.
As a result of this many strategies have been emplaced to combat as many of the conflicts as possible. Set paths which are layered with rocks and stone to protect them from ware have been emplaced but at the cost of the local council (1,000,000 upkeep a year). This is a constant job that needs a large amount of investment for little visual benefit just maintenance. Stone water breaks have also been emplaced to cause water run off to flow onto the heath rather than down the paths. This means that the scarring effect will be minimized and natural infiltration can take place.
A speed limit has yet to be emplaced upon Loch Lomond unlike Lake Windermere though in the future this is a highly possible management technique they may have to deploy. At current fines have been emplaced for people who pollute or litter the area and parking has been restricted to certain areas to minimize the affect on unspoilt locations. Stretches of beach have also been set aside form the tourist areas where boats cannot launch or park. Infact there is now only 1 landing/deploying beach with jetty’s that can be used for free now on the populated western side of Loch Lomond. As a benefit of this large amounts of money are generated that are put straight back into the economy and therefore increase the amount of money that can be spent on preserving the environment.
Lake Windermere is another example of a large lake within the United Kingdom that has had problems with over population. Windermere is 12 miles long and 1.5 miles wide and used to support the largest water sports economy in the UK. The lake itself is surrounded by mountains and a large variety of traditional northern villages such as Bowness and Coniston. Bowness its self has grown to be the largest of the developments and has become somewhat of a tourist “honey pot” for the older visitor.
Lake Windermere faced the same problems as Loch Lomond does now. Destructive wake, noise, pollution and path erosion. Though they have had a rather more offensive strategy towards there problems. A rather controversial speed limit has been placed upon the lake of 10 mph for powered boats. This has virtually destroyed the tourism base for water sports and as such has diverted a lot of visitors towards the previously mentioned Loch Lomond where no such ban exists. Although these measures may seem extreme they have relieved stress off of attractions such as the fells where footpaths where becoming visually damaging and where distracting the attention away from the visitors.
A new type of visitor now comes to Windermere, Windsurfing has now become the big sport on the lake a predictions have said that this sport alone with canoeing and other now powered watercraft may be able to revive the now dwindling economy.
Footpath management is now emplace, this means that footpaths are now clearly defined and soak away ditches running across the paths have been emplaced made of rock. As well as rock paths and layered stones on steeper paths so that the soil underneath is not removed. These new techniques have worked very well. At present there is still a conflict between the two tourist and lake user groups. One group is happy with the ban whereas the other wishes the lake to have the speed limit lifted. Though this is not a scenario that will be accepted by the national park which has the larges majority and therefore make overall decisions.
Arches national park in America is an area of outstanding natural beauty. It is found in North America where these sorts of attractions attract visitors from all over the world. The park its elf contains over 17 large arches and is set out by a series of roads and paths for different types of users. Until recently arches national park was supplying for a demand far over what could be expected and that of which it could provide for.
Various amounts of damage where caused including soil erosion due to trampling by walkers, damage to the arches by high visitor numbers touching and climbing the arches, traffic congestion, cars parking on areas of specialist interest, overcrowding and 4by4’s destroying the vegetation. As such something had to be done. Firstly different areas where set aside for different types of visitors including pedestrians, hikers, motorised, 4by4’s, primitive areas and sensitive areas. Each area or path has its own purpose and legislations. By separating the different kinds of tourist confrontations due to overcrowding can me minimized.
A social indicator test was also used to determine what a tourist or visitor felt was unacceptable. This was done by showing visitors 40 photos each with different amounts of people on and then they where asked to give each picture a rating from -4 to +4 . After a detailed research base was constructed it was found that no more than 30 visitors should be allowed at a site at any one time.
After this was done a set of management actions where set up. They are as follows; if admissions exceed 30 with allowance to 33 in high season no more admissions are to be allowed till numbers have reduced. If traffic number rise the park can be closed to all except those who pre booked tickets. Heavy fines are imposed on anyone who does not park on the areas marked for parking and fines for littering are now very high. Wardens a now emplace to monitor the situation constantly.
This is definitely a success story for this example, whereby educated users have become more knowledgeable and keen to protect the environment. Also the area has now been managed well and as such previously damaged areas are now able to recover and therefore add to the once previous splendour of the area.
Another example is the Kenyan national parks especially in relation to the Masai Mara. Kenya is on the eastern seaboard of the African continent ad is placed rite in the middle. The main game reserve sae to be found in the southern part of the county mainly due to the higher accessibility and communications links. The main attractions to the area are for the big five and the savannah countryside. As the area is balanced ecosystem all intervention has a large impact on the wildlife. The needs for the area mainly are of sustainability and protection from overcrowding and poaching. The local Masai tribe also requires space and freedom from visiting tourists that disturb there way off life as well as damage there land and fodder.
The dust bowl effect is one that can be seen in large areas of Kenya; this is where tyres have worn down the tracks and dust roads until they become free of vegetation and wider and wider. This area then becomes inhospitable and leaves large scaring on the area in question. Poaching for the big five animals such as lions and rhinos can have a devastating effect. Not only will it cause them to become extinct in an area but it will also cause the influx of foreign money from tourists to deplete.
The answers are simple. A ban on poaching has now been emplaced meaning that the only guns that are allowed within the parks are those of tour guides for security reasons. Wardens also patrol the areas at day and night with power to shoot against any intruders that may cause harm or have intent to cause harm to the wildlife. This strict set of laws has cut poaching by over 95% since it was introduced in the 1990’s.
Wardens also now patrol the area making sure that all tour vehicles stick to prearranged courses and that visitor numbers do not exceed the recommended values. These values where set by the national park directors and mean that vehicles may now only go along certain routes within the park and there is a limit to the number of vehicles. There is also a tax on visitors entering the park now, this provides money to sustain the boundaries of the park and employ wardens. Especially as the area in question is over 70,000 ha and requires full time surveillance.
My final example is that of Antarctica. This is perhaps the most fragile ecosystem on the world but also the most beautiful and spectacular. The south-pole is shared between 8 major countries throughout the world of which England owns 15%, there is 7% still to be unclaimed. The demand for this area is high but also follows with a high price tag for any visitors but as such most people who visit the arctic are learned and are willing to protect the environment. “a knowledgably tourist is the best policeman in the world” is the theory and perception used by the tourist companies and the Atlantic treaty.
The Atlantic treaty was brought into power to stop and devastation occurring within the area and also to control the use of the area. Within the treaty there where various management strategies emplaced these are as follows. No visitor may stay on land for over 90minutes, no material maybe removed from the beached or land, a appointed guard must track all progress of each boa stationed on each boat to make sure courses are kept to, only prearranged courses maybe used to stop the destruction of thin ice sheets and finally no rubbish litter or waste maybe dumped into the sea or on land. This means that the ship must have facilities enabling all waste to be contained until a port is reached away from the Antarctic.
As the demands for visiting the Antarctic grow and mineral resources and food sources around the world deplete the Antarctic maybe a place that will be exploited. Although if the current 50 year treaty is extended this may never happen and would save the number one wonder of the natural world.
In conclusion I feel that there will always be conflicts between those who wish to exploit an area for its raw resources and those who wish to view and work with the resources. Though as world acceptation grows that we must save our habitats and ecosystems I feel more will be done such as the Kyoto agreement and protecting wildlife. I feel that future management strategies will include banning all motorised water sports on lakes in the United Kingdom and moving such sports to man made areas such as reservoirs where disturbing factors can be minimized. Wardens will also become more apparent in all national parks and heavier bans maybe emplaced on people who damage the environment.
After looking through all these case studies I can come to an idea that the way in which the national parks of the future will be protected is by the learning of the damage that is caused by visitors, and as such they will feel obliged to keep the areas in good condition so that many more can appreciate them. After saying that I still do feel that vats amounts of capital are required for upkeep and of which more will need to come from tourists. As such we may see memberships and tariffs enforced as compulsory charges to all national parks worldwide.
