All of the articles for class today discussed how simply taking photos of an animal in it's natural habitat can actually cause harm to the animal. I liked the point made by the scientific article that even just a little noise from a shutter can change the animals behavior. I'm not exactly sure what an anole is but they acted as if the shutter sound was a predator. By just being in their habitat we have changed their behavior.
Another impact of eco-tourism is the construction of buildings or tents that the tourists stay in. Parts of the habitat are greatly disrupted just so we can have a place to stay while we are not taking pictures of the animals and plants. On things like photo safaris we are also driving vehicles through their habitat. This may not seem like much, but what if the dust and smell left by the vehicle cause a parent to abandon their offspring?
The timing of the tourism can cause a difference in the effects felt by the wildlife. If tourists are getting to close during a sensitive time of the year they can cause disruption to a behavior pattern such as breeding or feeding. These both affect reproductive success of the animals and therefore cause changes in the population that would have otherwise not happened. On the flip side of this issue is the fact that humans are animals too and this is our planet too. We are going to have an affect on environments no matter what.
Eco-tourism offers a way to educate the general population about problems we have caused in other regions of the globe. This helps conservation efforts around the world both accomplish their goals and continue further work. Without the money from eco-tourism many conservation projects could not be done.
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