The Potential, Development and Ecological Impact of Ecotourism in Kibale National Park, Uganda

Protected areas have great potential for recreation and ecotourism. It is surprising that relatively little work has been done on the evaluation of ecotourism potential of such areas. In many cases, recreation and ecotourism have been introduced into protected areas without prior evaluation which should have helped to reveal the ecological value and fragility of the area in the first place. It is observed in this study that development of campsites that involve much vegetation removal accounts for loss of woody species and reduces species composition in protected areas. Consequently, it is recommended that: (1) an early evaluation of the potential of natural areas should be done based on ecological information and should broadly consider the biological diversity often lost quickly through removal of vegetation during campsite development. (2) The removal of vegetation during campsite development should take into account the need for ecological preservation of protected areas much as they are deemed suitable for recreation and ecotourism. (3) Woody species composition in the recreation area should be monitored regularly to identify new or alien species that may be introduced as a result of human activities and which may ultimately destabilize the ecosystem structure and function.