An ecosystem is a complex set of interdependent relationships between plants, animals, humans and natural resources. A healthy ecosystem maintains a stable balance of life among species based on their behaviors, feeding practices and reproductive cycles. Ecosystems are highly sensitive to outside influences, and changes in the health or population of one species affects the entire system.
When tourists enter a destination environment, they affect the function of local ecosystems. Tourism induces changes in land use and agricultural production, as more natural resources are used in order to feed, shelter and entertain visitors. In environmentally sensitive areas, such as rain forests, wetlands and tropical coast lines, tourism can have a significant harmful impact on ecosystems, especially with regard to water pollution, deforestation and waste management problems. The Global Development Research Center explains that the seasonal nature of tourism to many destinations can exacerbate ecological harms by creating major surges in population that dramatically deplete available resources while also introducing high volumes of waste. Additionally, a sharp increase in population can have a harmful impact on water resources, soil fertility and animal habitats.
Ecological or natural tourism aims to minimize the negative environmental impact of travelers on local ecosystems. The International Ecotourism Society describes natural tourism as working to enjoin environmental conservation and local community development and travel; it also maintains that tourism can be used to protect rather than deplete natural resources. Ecological tourism contains a strong educational component and in its ideal form works to educate local inhabitants and visitors about the delicate balance of ecosystems and the value of the natural world. Ecological tourism also promotes sustainable resource use and tourist infrastructure development, emphasizing local building materials, recycling, alternative energy and sensible water-use policies.
The objective of an ecological tourism project is to protect and conserve ecosystems through research, education and tourist interactions. Ecosystem projects for tourists are as varied as the regions in which they operate but are all based on ensuring that travel has a low environmental impact and that visitors come away from their experience with a greater appreciation of the natural world. Many ecosystem projects for tourists have a volunteering component that provides tourists with service learning opportunities in areas such as wildlife protection, sustainable farming, marine conservation and community development.
