Impacts Of Tourism Development On Species Diversity And Structure Of Plant Communities In Taibai Mountain Forest Park In Shannxi Province, China

The endangered biodiversity caused by rapid global environmental deterioration has made it a worldwide focus of attention how to protect biodiversity in most effective way. The tourism development is an inevitable issue any forest park has to face. The revealment of impact of tourism development on biodiversity, the harmonization of relations between conserving natural resources and developing tourism and the win-win realization of protection and utilization now become an indispensible prerequisite for effective protection and sustainable management of natural resources in forest parks. Therefore, it is of vital importance to study impact of different types of tourism disturbance on plant diversity and vegetation and to quantize the relations between tourism disturbance and plant diversity and vegetation.Based on plot investigation of various typical locations like ski resort, road, temple, tourism channel, plank and cableway in Taibaishan Forest Park, this study analyzes the ways and the impact degrees of tourism disturbance and characteristics of community structure and biodiversity under such disturbances. This study also demonstrates the correlation of three factors such as types of tourism disturbance, vegetation response and vegetation restoration. Preliminary conclusions are as follows:1. After tourism development is conducted, there is a distinct change in species diversity index and species composition and a simplification in community structure in such locations as ski resort, road, cableway, emple, tourism channel, plank; No distinct change is found in community structure in tourism channel, plank though a distinct change in biodiversity and species compositions in above two locations compared with tourism channels, in plank regions the tourist activities exert no apparent impact on community structure, plant diversity index and species composition but an perspicuous impact on shrubs and herbs. Many constructive species like Toxicodendron vernicifiuum, Betula albo-sinensis, Betulacea ealbosinesis var.septenrionlis, Abies fargesii have disappeared;Many hygrophilous and shade-tolerant species such as Impatiens balsamina, Viola biflora, Polemonium coeruleum, Rhodiola kirilowii, Cystopteris montana, Parnassia viridiflora have disappeared or lost their ecological dominance obviously; Many species of strong resistance like Populus purdomii, Salix matsudana , Pueraria lobata, Rubus pungens var. indefensus, Rubus amabilis, Artemisia dubia, Poa orinosa have appeared or increased their ecological dominance obviously ; Androphile such as Malus pumila, Carduus crispus, Picris hieracioides, Polygonum macrophyllum, Epilobium hirsutum, Saussurea iodostegia, Fragaria vesca have appeared or increased in quantity obviously.2. The different types of tourism disturbance exert different impact on the forest park. In those disturbance factors, the construction of ski resort exerts the most severe impact, the construction of roads and cableways the second severe impact, the correlated activities of temples less serious impact and the correlated activities of tourism channels and planks give the least impact. The development and construction of tourist programs brings the most severe destruction and the longest persistent impact although it lasts comparatively a short time. Also, the correlated activities of tourists have comparatively less but sustained and accumulating impact.3. There is a distinct vegetation degradation in tourism disturbing regions. The authority of the forest park has taken countermeasures like artificial afforestation to restore the natural resources but achieved had no apparent effects on the whole. The concrete suggestions follows:(1)Related norms and specifications of eco-tourism must be strictly observed to conduct eco-tourism activities.(2)Necessary protective facilities should be installed to regulate tourists'act.(3)Scientific research in this respect should be reinforced to restore the damaged uncovered earth surface.(4)Cooperation with scientific research and education institutions must be strengthened to monitor impact of tourism on plants and vegetation.