Effects of tourism disturbance on habitat quality and population size of the Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus)
Qinghua Luo A B E , Yingjie Song B C , Xiao Hu B D , Shenhai Zhu B , Han Wang B C and Hongbing Ji A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, People’s Republic of China.
B Hunan Engineering Laboratory for Chinese Giant Salamander’s Resource Protection and Comprehensive Utilisation, Jishou University, Zhangjiajie 427000, People’s Republic of China.
C Key Laboratory of Hunan Forest Products and Chemical Industry Engineering, Jishou University, Zhangjiajie 427000, People’s Republic of China.
D College of Biological Resource and Environmental Science, Jishou University, Jishou 416000, People’s Republic of China.
E Corresponding author. Email: lqh700930@126.com
Wildlife Research 45(5) 411-420 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR17092
Submitted: 30 June 2017 Accepted: 24 April 2018 Published: 22 August 2018
Abstract
Context: Tourism is becoming one of the largest and fastest growing industries in many countries. Increasing tourism exerts serious impacts on the habitats of wildlife in nature reserves.
Aims: To ascertain how tourism affects the habitat of the Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus), especially water quality and population size.
Method: An experiment was conducted to investigate the influences of different tourism disturbance intensities on the habitat quality and population size of the Chinese giant salamander in the Hunan Zhangjiajie Chinese Giant Salamander National Nature Reserve. Habitat characteristics, water physicochemical properties and microbial abundance were analysed, and population size estimated.
Key results: The results showed that high levels of tourism disturbance (>100 000 visitors per year) had negative effects on habitat quality. These effects included increased noise and abundance of aquatic microbes, increased concentration of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) and a reduction of dissolved oxygen (DO) in water. The abundance of Escherichia coli could be regarded as an indicator of tourism disturbance on Chinese giant salamander.
Conclusions: It is concluded that: (1) the habitats were much noisier with increasing numbers of tourists, which might directly reduce the population size; (2) tourism indirectly disturbs the salamander population by increasing TN and TP, and reducing DO in the water; and (3) tourism might take in pathogenic microbes to the water habitats, which could cause disease for the salamander population.
Implications: Although tourism development might reduce local poverty, such efforts must consider the deterioration of habitats for wildlife, especially for this endangered animal species. Moreover, the intensity of tourism disturbance needs be reduced (by controlling the number of tourists) to achieve the coordinated development of tourism and wild animal protection.
Additional keywords: water quality, Hunan Zhangjiajie Chinese Giant Salamander National Nature Reserve.
References
Akeju, T. O., and Awojobi, K. O. (2015). Enumeration of coliform bacteria and characterization of Escherichia coli isolated from staff club swimming pool in lle-Ife, Nigeria. Microbiology Research 6, 26–30.| Enumeration of coliform bacteria and characterization of Escherichia coli isolated from staff club swimming pool in lle-Ife, Nigeria.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
APHA (1999). ‘Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater’. 20th edn. APHA, AWWA: Washington, DC.
Cui, H. T. (2001). Landscape pollution: a problem need to be solved urgently. Shengtaixue Zazhi 20, 60–62.
Cunningham, A. A., Turvey, S. T., Zhou, F., Meredith, H. M. R., and Guan, W. (2016). Development of the Chinese giant salamander Andrias davidianus farming industry in Shaanxi Province, China: conservation threats and opportunities. Oryx 50, 265–273.
| Development of the Chinese giant salamander Andrias davidianus farming industry in Shaanxi Province, China: conservation threats and opportunities.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fei, L., Hu, S. Q., Ye, C. Y., and Huang, Y. Z. (2009). ‘Fauna Sinica: Amphibia.’ (Science Press: Beijing.) [In Chinese]
Ferguson, E., Mosto, P., Nordone, N., Perez, C., and Wojs, J. (2000). Algae as water quality indicators for a dystrophic pond. Journal of Phycology 36, 22.
| Algae as water quality indicators for a dystrophic pond.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ferraro, P. J., and Hanauer, M. M. (2014). Quantifying causal mechanisms to determine how protected areas affect poverty through changes in ecosystem services and infrastructure. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 111, 4332–4337.
| Quantifying causal mechanisms to determine how protected areas affect poverty through changes in ecosystem services and infrastructure.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Gao, X. M., Ma, K. P., Chen, L. Z., and Li, D. Q. (2002). The effects of tourism on species diversity of subalpine meadows in Dongling mountains areas, Beijing. Shengwu Duoyangxing 10, 189–195.
Geneletti, D., and Dawa, D. (2009). Environmental impact assessment of mountain tourism in developing regions: a study in Ladakh, Indian Himalaya. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 29, 229–242.
| Environmental impact assessment of mountain tourism in developing regions: a study in Ladakh, Indian Himalaya.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ghimire, N. P., Jha, P. K., and Caravello, G. (2013). Water quality of high-altitude lakes in the Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park, Nepal. Journal of Environmental Protection 4, 22–28.
| Water quality of high-altitude lakes in the Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park, Nepal.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Gong, J., Lu, L., Jin, X. L., Nan, W., and Liu, F. (2009). Impacts of tourist disturbance on plant communities and soil properties in Huangshan mountain scenic area. Acta Ecologica Sinica 29, 2239–2251.
Ijspeert, A. J., Crespi, A., Ryczko, D., and Cabelguen, J. M. (2007). From swimming to walking with a salamander robot driven by a spinal cord model. Science 315, 1416–1420.
| From swimming to walking with a salamander robot driven by a spinal cord model.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
IUCN (2012). The IUCN red list of threatened species. Available at http://www.iucnredlist.org/ [accessed June 2018]
Ikner, L. A., Toomey, R. S., Nolan, G., Neilson, J. W., Pryor, B. M., and Maier, R. M. (2007). Culturable microbial diversity and the impact of tourism in Kartchner Caverns, Arizona. Microbial Ecology 53, 30–42.
| Culturable microbial diversity and the impact of tourism in Kartchner Caverns, Arizona.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Jin, X. L., Lu, L., Gong, J., and Wang, L. L. (2011). Effects of tourism activities on soil macrofauna community in Mount Jiuhua scenic area. Geographical Research 30, 103–114.
Karanth, K. (2013). Tourism turf wars: debating the benefits and costs of wildlife tourism in India. Conservation news 47, 13–18.
Kaseva, M. E., and Moirana, J. L. (2010). Problems of solid waste management on Mount Kilimanjaro: a challenge to tourism. Waste Management & Research 28, 695–704.
| Problems of solid waste management on Mount Kilimanjaro: a challenge to tourism.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kerbiriou, C., Le Viol, , Robert, A., Porcher, E., Gourmelon, F., and Julliard, R. (2009). Tourism in protected areas can threaten wild populations: from individual response to population viability of the chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax. Journal of Applied Ecology 46, 657–665.
| Tourism in protected areas can threaten wild populations: from individual response to population viability of the chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Li, M., Zhang, L., Yao, J. J., Yang, M. J., and Li, C. (2008). Characteristics and exploration on water disease of mildew of giant salamander. Modern Agricultural Sciences 15, 99–100.
Luo, Q. H. (2009b). Habitat characteristics of Andrias davidianus in Zhangjiajie of China. Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao 20, 1723–1730.
Luo, Q. H., Liu, Y., Zhang, L. Y., Chen, G. J., and Tang, L. C. (2009a). Investigation on resources of Chinese giant salamander in Zhangjiajie city. Sichuan Journal of Zoology 28, 422–426.
Luo, L. T., Wan, H. L., Lan, X. P., and Li, S. X. (2011). Research advances in resource and conservation genetics of Chinese giant salamander. Guangdong Agricultural Sciences 38, 100–103.
Matsui, M., Tominaga, A., Liu, W. Z., and Tanakaueno, T. (2008). Reduced genetic variation in the Japanese giant salamander, Andrias japonicus (Amphibia: Caudata). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 49, 318–326.
| Reduced genetic variation in the Japanese giant salamander, Andrias japonicus (Amphibia: Caudata).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Medina-Muñoz, D. R., Medina-Muñoz, R. D., and Gutiérrez-Pérez, F. J. (2016). The impacts of tourism on poverty alleviation: an integrated research framework. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 24, 270–298.
| The impacts of tourism on poverty alleviation: an integrated research framework.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Meissner, A. M., Christiansen, F., Martinez, E., Pawley, M. D. M., Orams, M. B., and Stockin, K. A. (2015). Behavioural effects of tourism on oceanic common dolphins, Delphinus sp., in New Zealand: the effects of Markov analysis variations and current tour operator compliance with regulations. PLoS One 10, e0116962.
| Behavioural effects of tourism on oceanic common dolphins, Delphinus sp., in New Zealand: the effects of Markov analysis variations and current tour operator compliance with regulations.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ménard, N., Foulquier, A., Vallet, D., Qarro, M., Le Gouar, P., and Pierre, J.-S. (2014). How tourism and pastoralism influence population demographic changes in a threatened large mammal species. Animal Conservation 17, 115–124.
| How tourism and pastoralism influence population demographic changes in a threatened large mammal species.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Min, W. (2015). How to construct system guarantee for economic development of eco-tourism resources based on value compensation. Anthropologist 22, 101–112.
| How to construct system guarantee for economic development of eco-tourism resources based on value compensation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Murphy, R. W., Fu, J. Z., Upton, D. E., De, L. T., and Zhao, E. M. (2000). Genetic variability among endangered Chinese giant salamanders, Andrias davidianus. Molecular Ecology 9, 1539–1547.
| Genetic variability among endangered Chinese giant salamanders, Andrias davidianus.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Phillip, D. A. T., Antoine, P., Cooper, V., Francis, L., Mangal, E., Seepersad, N., Ragoo, R., Ramsaran, S., Singh, I., and Ramsubhag, A. (2009). Impact of recreation on recreational water quality of a small tropical stream. Journal of Environmental Monitoring 11, 1192–1198.
| Impact of recreation on recreational water quality of a small tropical stream.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Quan, H. (2003). Effect of tourism buildings on water environment and its controlling model. Dili Kexue 23, 251–254.
Robaina-Alves, M., Moutinho, V., and Costa, R. (2016). Change in energy-related CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions in Portuguese tourism: a decomposition analysis from 2000 to 2008. Journal of Cleaner Production 111, 520–528.
| Change in energy-related CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions in Portuguese tourism: a decomposition analysis from 2000 to 2008.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Roelants, K., Gower, D. J., Wilkinson, M., Loader, S. P., Biju, S. D., Guillaune, K., Moriau, L., and Bossuyt, F. (2007). Global patterns of diversification in the history of modern amphibians. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 104, 887–892.
| Global patterns of diversification in the history of modern amphibians.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Spenceley, A., and Meyer, D. (2012). Tourism and poverty reduction: theory and practice in less economically developed countries. Journal of Sustainable Tourism 20, 297–317.
| Tourism and poverty reduction: theory and practice in less economically developed countries.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
State Environmental Protection Administration, PRC. (2002). Environmental quality standard for surface water in the People’s Republic of China (GB 3838-2002). [In Chinese]
Stevens, S. F. (1993). Tourism, change, and continuity in the Mount Everest region, Nepal. Geographical Review 83, 410–427.
Su, H. J., Yu, L. F., and Ma, J. Z. (2009). Population status and history dynamics of wild Chinese giant salamander in Yanxia natural reserve in Guizhou province, China. Resources and Environment in the Yang tze Basin 18, 652–657.
UNWTO. (2016). Available at http://mkt.unwto.org/publication/unwto-tourism-highlights-2016-edition [accessed 8 June 2017].
van der Duim, R., and Caalders, J. (2002). Biodiversity and tourism impacts and interventions. Annals of Tourism Research 29, 743–761.
| Biodiversity and tourism impacts and interventions.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wang, X. M., Zhang, K. J., Wang, Z. H., Ding, Y. Z., Wu, W., and Huang, S. (2004). The decline of the Chinese giant salamander Andrias davidianus and implications for its conservation. Oryx 38, 197–202.
| The decline of the Chinese giant salamander Andrias davidianus and implications for its conservation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wang, G. X., Qian, L. L., Chen, T., Yang, X. N., and Xu, Z. X. (2015). Evaluation of tourism environmental comfort and its spatial-temporal differentiation: a case study of West Lake in Hangzhou, China. Acta Ecologica Sinica 35, 2206–2216.
Ware, H. E., Mcclure, C. J., Carlisle, J. D., and Barber, J. R. (2015). A phantom road experiment reveals traffic noise is an invisible source of habitat degradation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 112, 12105–12109.
| A phantom road experiment reveals traffic noise is an invisible source of habitat degradation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wu, F. T., Su, Q. X., Li, W. J., and Deng, R. J. (2007). Water environment factors of Chinese giant salamander habitat in Hupingshan natural reserve. Journal of Changsha University of Science & Technology 4, 94–98.
Wu, G., Zhang, Q. X., Zheng, X. X., Mu, L. F., and Dai, L. M. (2008). Water quality of Lugu Lake: changes, causes and measurements. International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology 15, 10–17.
| Water quality of Lugu Lake: changes, causes and measurements.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Zhang, L., Kouba, A., Wang, Q. J., Zhao, H., Jiang, W., Willard, S., and Zhang, H. X. (2014). The effect of water temperature on the growth of captive Chinese giant salamanders (Andrias davidianus) reared for reintroduction: a comparison with wild salamander body condition. Herpetologica 70, 369–377.
| The effect of water temperature on the growth of captive Chinese giant salamanders (Andrias davidianus) reared for reintroduction: a comparison with wild salamander body condition.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Zhao, E. M. (1998). ‘China Red Data Book of Endangered Animals: Amphibians and Reptiles.’ (Science Press: Beijing.) [In Chinese]
Zhong, L., Liu, D. Z., Xiao, T. Y., Liu, X. Y., and Chen, K. J. (2010). Aetiological isolation of the bacterial septicemia of giant salamander and its biological characteristics. Journal of Biology 27, 11–14.
