Intended as a guide for wildlife managers and ecotourism operators as well as interested
ecotourists this book addresses the biological principles governing how ecotourism affects
wildlife. The introductory chapters focus on four key responses to human visitation-behavioral
physiological ecological and evolutionary. Readers will discover ecotourism's effects on
biodiversity in connection with various industries that are habitat or taxonomically specific:
fish tourism (including both freshwater and marine) marine mammal tourism the huge industry
centered on terrestrial animals and the well-studied industry of penguin tourism. Given that
the costs and benefits of ecotourism cannot be meaningfully assessed without understanding the
human context particular attention is given to how ecotourism has been used as part of
community development. In closing the book synthesizes the current state of knowledge
regarding best practices for reducing human impacts on wildlife. The final chapter highlights
key research questions that must be addressed to provide more evidence-based guidelines and
policy.
