+Eco-Tourism Notes

Unit-1 Introduction
Concept of Tourism:
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), tourism entails the
movement of people to countries or places outside their usual environment for personal or
business/professional purposes. These people are called visitors.

Meaning Of Tourism:
Tourism, the act and process of spending time away from home in pursuit of recreation, relaxation,
and pleasure, while making use of the commercial provision of
services.The business of providing services such as transport, places to stay,
or entertainment for people who are on holiday.

Tourism may be defined as the movement of the people from their normal place of residence to
another place (with the intention to return) for a minimum period of twenty-four hours to a
maximum of six months for the sole purpose of leisure and pleasure.

Tourism, the act and process of spending time away from home in pursuit of recreation,
relaxation, and pleasure, while making use of the commercial provision of services.

Concept of Eco-Tourism:
The World Tourism Organisation defines Eco-Tourism as,” All nature-based forms of tourism in
which the main motivation of the tourists is the observation and appreciation of nature as well as
the traditional cultures prevailing in natural areas.

Ecology:
Ecology is the study of organisms and how they interact with the environment around them. An
ecologist studies the relationship between living things and their habitats.

Ecology is a branch of science, including human science, population, community, ecosystem

and biosphere. Ecology is the study of organisms, the environment and how the organisms
interact with each other and their environment.

Definition of Ecology
• From Greek “oikos” meaning “house”
or “place to live”
• The scientific study of the interactions
between organisms and their environment
(Ernest
Haeckel 1869)
• “Ecology is the scientific study of the
interactions that determine the distribution
and
abundance of organisms” (Krebs 1972)
“The scientific study of the distribution
and ab
Definition of Ecology
• From Greek “oikos” meaning “house”
or “place to live”
• The scientific study of the interactions
between organisms and their environment
(Ernest
Haeckel 1869)
• “Ecology is the scientific study of the
interactions that determine the distribution
and
abundance of organisms” (Krebs 1972)
“The scientific study of the distribution
and ab
Definition of Ecology
• From Greek “oikos” meaning “house”
or “place to live”
• The scientific study of the interactions
between organisms and their environment
(Ernest
Haeckel 1869)
• “Ecology is the scientific study of the
interactions that determine the distribution
and
abundance of organisms” (Krebs 1972)
“The scientific study of the distribution
and ab
Definition of Ecology:
According to Haeckelian form,”Ecology is the study of the relationship between organisms and
environment”.

Taylor defined ecology as “the science of all the relations of all the organisms in relation to all
the environments”

Scope of Ecology:
Ecology is a multidisciplinary science. Because of its focus on higher levels of the organization
of life on earth and on the interrelations between organisms and their environment, ecology
draws heavily on many other branches of science, especially geology, geography, meteorology,
climatology genetics, chemistry, physics, biology, math’s and now even computer science.
Ecologists aim to explain the distribution, life processes and adaptations amongst the organisms.
Further it tries to analyze the movement of energy flow and successive growth and development
of organisms. It tries to comprehend the nature of biodiversity and its complexity. Alongwith
understanding the interrelation and interdependence of the organisms, ecologists are also
concerned about manner in which manipulation and misuse of non-living organisms by human
population is taking place, ruining the balance.

Fundamentals of Ecology:
Fundamental ecology, or basic ecology, is the study of organismal diversity and of the
interactions between organisms and their abiotic and biotic environments [1]. Its main goal is to
advance knowledge and understand- ing, and its results, even if sometimes predictable, are not
known with certainty in advance.

Biotic and Abiotic Factors

The main aim of ecology is to understand the distribution of biotic and abiotic factors of living
things in the environment. The biotic and abiotic factors include the living and non-living factors
and their interaction with the environment.

Biotic components
Biotic components are living factors of an ecosystem. A few examples of biotic components
include bacteria, animals, birds, fungi, plants, etc.

Abiotic components
Abiotic components are non-living chemical and physical factors of an ecosystem. These
components could be acquired from the atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere. A few
examples of abiotic components include sunlight, soil, air, moisture minerals and more.
Living organisms are grouped into biotic components, whereas non-living components like
sunlight, water, topography are listed under abiotic components.

Importance of Ecology or Ideas of Ecology

Conservation of Environment

Ecology helps us to understand how our actions affect the environment. It shows the individuals
the extent of damage we cause to the environment.

Lack of understanding of ecology has led to the degradation of land and the environment. It has
also led to the extinction and endangerment of certain species. For eg., dinosaurs, white shark,
mammoths, etc. Thus, the study of the environment and organisms helps us to protect them from
any damage and danger.

Resource Allocation

With the knowledge of ecology, we are able to know which resources are necessary for the
survival of different organisms. Lack of ecological knowledge has led to scarcity and deprivation
of these resources, leading to competition.

Energy Conservation

All organisms require energy for their growth and development. Lack of ecological
understanding leads to the over-exploitation of energy resources such as light, nutrition and
radiation, leading to its depletion.

Proper knowledge of ecological requirements prevents the unnecessary wastage of energy

resources, thereby, conserving energy for future purposes.

Eco-Friendliness

Ecology encourages harmonious living within the species and the adoption of a lifestyle that
protects the ecology of life.

Laws of Ecology:
The First Law of Ecology: Everything Is Connected to Everything Else. There is one ecosphere
for all living organisms and what affects one, affects all. “When we try to pick out anything by
itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” John Muir
The Second Law of Ecology: Everything Must go Somewhere. There is no “waste” in nature
and there is no “away” to which things can be thrown. Any waste produced in one ecological
process is recycled in another. A core principle for the Circular Economy.

The Third Law of Ecology: Nature Knows Best. Humankind has fashioned technology to
improve upon nature, but any human change in a natural system is, says Commoner, “likely to be
detrimental to that system” And in the context of chemicals of concern we are looking to
eradicate from buildings. “The absence of a particular substance in nature, is often a sign that it
is incompatible with the chemistry of life”

The Fourth Law of Ecology: There Is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch. Exploitation of nature,
will always carry an ecological cost and will inevitably involve the conversion of resources
from useful to useless.

Functions of Eco-system:
The order of living organisms in a community in which one organism consumes other and is
itself consumed by another organism to transfer energy is called a food chain. Food chain is also
defined as “a chain of organisms, existing in any natural community, through which energy is
transferred”.
Every living being irrespective of their size and habitat, from the tiniest algae to giant blue
whales, need food to survive. Food chain is structured differently for different species in
different ecosystems. Each food chain is the vital pathway for energy and nutrients to follow
through the ecosystem.

Food chains were first introduced by the African-Arab scientist and philosopher Al-Jahiz in the
9th century and later popularized in a book published in 1927 by Charles Elton.
A food chain starts with a producer such as plants. Producers form the basis of the food chains.
Then there are consumers of many orders. Consumers are organisms that eat other organisms.
All organisms in a food chain, except the first organism, are consumers.
Plants are called producers because they produce their own food through photosynthesis.
Animals are called consumers because they depend on plants or other animals for food to get
energy they need.
In a certain food chain, each organism gets energy from the one at the level below. In a food
chain, there is reliable energy transfer through each stage. All the energy at one stage of the
chain is not absorbed by the organism at the next stage.
Trophic Levels in a Food Chain
Trophic levels are different stages of feeding position in a food chain such as primary producers
and consumers of different types.
Organisms in a food chain are categorized under different groups called trophic levels. They are
as follows.
Producers (First Trophic Level) − Producers otherwise called autotrophs prepare their food by
themselves. They form the first level of every food chain. Plants and one-celled organisms, some
types of bacteria, algae, etc. come under the category of Autotrophs. Virtually, almost all
autotrophs use a process called photosynthesis to prepare food.
Consumers − At the second trophic level, there are consumers who depend upon others for food.
 Primary Consumers (Second Trophic Level) − Primary consumers eat the producers.
They are called herbivores. Deer, turtle, and many types of birds are herbivores.
 Secondary Consumers (Third Trophic Level) − Secondary consumers based at the third
trophic level eat plants and herbivores. They are both carnivores (meateaters) and
omnivores (animals that eat both animals and plants). In a desert ecosystem, a secondary
consumer may be a snake that eats a mouse. Secondary consumers may eat animals bigger
than they are. Some lions, for example, kill and eat buffalo. The buffalo weighs twice as
much as the lions do.
 Tertiary Consumers (Fourth Trophic Level) − Tertiary consumers are animals eating
other carnivores. The secretary bird in Africa and the King Cobra specialize in killing and
eating snakes but all snakes are carnivores. The leopard seal eats mostly other carnivores -
mainly other seals, squids, and penguins, all of which are carnivores.
Decomposers − Decomposers which don’t always appear in the pictorial presentation of the
food chain, play an important part in completing the food chain. These organisms break down
dead organic material and wastes. Fungi and bacteria are the key decomposers in many
ecosystems; they use the chemical energy in dead matter and wastes to fuel their metabolic
processes. Other decomposers are detritivores—detritus eaters or debris eaters.
Understanding the food chain helps us know the feeding interrelationship and interaction
between an organism and the ecosystem. It also enables us to know the mechanism of energy
flow in an ecosystem.
Strategies to ecosystem management
1.Command and control management
In the context of natural systems, command and control management attempts to control nature
in order to improve [[natural resource extractions, establish predictability, and reduce threats.
[20]
Command and control strategies include the use of herbicides and pesticides to improve crop
yields;[20] the culling of predators to protect game bird species; and the safeguarding of timber
supply, by suppressing forest fires
2. Natural resource management
Natural resource managers initially measure the overall condition of an ecosystem, and if the
ecosystem's resources are healthy, the ideal degree of resource extraction is determined, which
leaves enough to allow the resource to replenish itself for subsequent harvests.The condition of
each resource in an ecosystem is subject to change at different spatial and time scales, and
ecosystem attributes, such as watershed and soil health, and species diversity and abundance,
need to be considered individually and collectively.[36]
3.Adaptive management:
is based on the concept that predicting future influences and disturbances to an ecosystem is
limited and unclear. Therefore, an ecosystem should be managed to it maintain the greatest
degree of ecological integrity and management practices should have the ability to change based
on new experience and insights.[
4. Strategic management

As it relates to ecosystem management, strategic management encourages the establishment of

goals that will sustain an ecosystem while keeping socioeconomic and politically relevant policy
drivers in mind.[2] This approach differs from other types of ecosystem management because it
emphasizes stakeholders involvement, relying on their input to develop the best management
strategy for an ecosystem.
5. Landscape-level conservation
s a method that considers wildlife needs at a broader landscape scale when implementing
conservation initiatives. n human-dominated landscapes, weighing the habitat requirements of
wild flora and fauna versus the needs of humans presents challenges. [52] Globally, human-
induced environmental degradation is an increasing problem, which is why landscape-level
approaches play an important role in ecosystem management.
[53]
Traditional conservation methods targeted at individual species may need to be modified to
include the maintenance of habitats through the consideration of both human and ecological
factors.[53]
Bio-Diversity:
Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you’ll find in one area—the variety of animals,
plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each
of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to
maintain balance and support life. Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need
to survive: food, clean water, medicine, and shelter.
Biodiversity describes the richness and variety of life on earth. It is the most complex and
important feature of our planet. Without biodiversity, life would not sustain.
 Importance of Biodiversity
Biodiversity and its maintenance are very important for sustaining life on earth. A few of the
reasons explaining the importance of biodiversity are:

Ecological Stability
Every species has a specific role in an ecosystem. They capture and store energy and also
produce and decompose organic matter. The ecosystem supports the services without which
humans cannot survive. A diverse ecosystem is more productive and can withstand
environmental stress.

Economic Importance
Biodiversity is a reservoir of resources for the manufacture of food, cosmetic products and
pharmaceuticals.
Crops livestock, fishery, and forests are a rich sources of food.
Wild plants such as Cinchona and Foxglove plant are used for medicinal purposes.
Wood, fibres, perfumes, lubricants, rubber, resins, poison and cork are all derived from different
plant species.
The national parks and sanctuaries are a source of tourism. They are a source of beauty and joy
for many people.

Ethical Importance
All species have a right to exist. Humans should not cause their voluntary extinction.
Biodiversity preserves different cultures and spiritual heritage. Therefore, it is very important to
conserve biodiversity.
Bio-diversity Conservation:
Biodiversity conservation is the protection and management of biodiversity to obtain resources
for sustainable development. Biodiversity conservation has three main objectives: To preserve
the diversity of species. Sustainable utilization of species and ecosystem.
Conservation of Biodiversity
Biodiversity conservation refers to the protection, preservation, and management of ecosystems
and natural habitats and ensuring that they are healthy and functional.

The three main objectives of Biodiversity Conservation are as follows-

 To protect and preserve species diversity.

 To ensure sustainable management of the species and ecosystems.

 Prevention and restoration of ecological processes and life support systems

 There are two types of Biodiversity Conservation. They are In-situ and Ex-situ conservation.

(A) In-situ Conservation of biodiversity

It is the conservation and protection of all endangered species in the ecosystem at all
levels within their natural habitat. The natural ecosystem is protected and maintained through
this method.
Advantages of In-situ conservation
The advantages of In-situ conservations are as follows:

1. In-situ conservation of biodiversity is less expensive because species are preserved in their
natural habitats.
2. Many species can be protected and preserved simultaneously.
3. The development and evolution of species in their natural ecosystem take place in a better
way as they can adjust to different environmental conditions more easily.
In-situ conservation takes place in National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves
and Sacred Groves.
(a) National Parks
The National Parks are small parks managed, created and protected by the government which
are used for the conservation of species. In these parks, human activities are
prohibited. Some examples of national parks in India are:
National Parks State

Kaziranga National Park Assam

Kanha National Park Madhya Pradesh

Bandipur National Park Karnataka

Ranthambore National Park Rajasthan

(b) Wildlife Sanctuaries

The Wildlife Sanctuary is an area where wild animals and plant species are protected. These
are also under the control of development, but some human activity such as timber
harvesting, cultivation, wood collection and other forest products are allowed in these
areas without any interference to conservation projects. These are places of attraction and
visited by tourists. Some examples of wildlife sanctuaries in India are:
Wildlife Sanctuaries State

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary Kerala

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary Rajasthan

Mudumalai Sanctuary Tamil Nadu

Chilka Lake Bird Sanctuary Orissa

(c) Biosphere Reserves

Biosphere reserves are areas developed and maintained by the locals for the sustainable
development and protection of wildlife, plants, and the ecosystem. It includes the ecosystem
of both land and marine. In these reserves, tourism and research activities are
permitted. Some examples of biosphere reserves in India are:
Biosphere reserves State

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka

Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve West Bengal

Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve Uttarakhand

Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve Madhya Pradesh

(d) Sacred Groves

Sacred grooves are a special area of a forest with all the trees and wildlife venerated and
given total protection by a deity. They contribute to the preservation of our country’s
biodiversity. These sacred groves are self-sustaining mini-ecosystems, and no one is
 permitted to cut any tree or plant, kill animals and birds, or harm any form of life in this area.
These are found in several parts of India.
1. Khasi and Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya
2. Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan
3. Western Ghat regions of Karnataka and Maharashtra
4. Sarguja, Chanda and Baster areas of Madhya Pradesh
5. Nagabanas (serpent abodes), Boothasthaanas (Devi abodes) etc.
6. Kavus of Kerala
(B) Ex-situ Conservation of Biodiversity
In this type of conservation, preservation and protection of species take place away from
their natural ecosystem. In Ex-situ conservation, the endangered species are shifted to a new
habitat for their breeding and protection, including the conservation of genetic resources.
Advantages of Ex-situ conservation
The advantages of Ex-situ conservations are as follows:

1. In ex-situ conservation, organisms are completely secured from predation and poaching.
2. Ex-situ conservation helps in monitoring the health of individual organisms. According to
that, medical assistance is also given as required.
3. In ex-situ conservation, modern reproductive technology can be used, which increases the
chances of reproductive success.
Ex-situ conservation takes place in zoological parks, botanical gardens, seed banks and field
gene banks.

(a) Zoological Parks

Zoological parks are places where animals are shifted from their natural habitat for
protection and breeding. It is a place where the public is allowed to visit and see these
animals. Some examples of zoological parks in India are:

Zoological Parks State

Nehru Zoological Park Telangana

Nandankanan Zoological Park Orissa

Bannerghatta Biological Park Karnataka

National Zoological Park Delhi

(b) Botanical Gardens

It is a place where species of living plants are kept. It is more like a display garden of various
plant species. They help in the promotion, study, and conservation of endangered plant
species. Some examples of botanical gardens in India are:

Botanical Gardens State

Lalbagh Botanical Garden Karnataka

 Government Botanical Garden Tamil Nadu

Lloyds Botanical Garden West Bengal

National Botanical Research Institute Uttar Pradesh

(c) Gene Banks

They are institutes that maintain stocks of viable seeds (seed bank), live growing
plants (orchards), tissue culture and frozen germplasm with the whole range of genetic
variability.
(d) Cryopreservation
The method through which live cells, tissues, organelles, or any other biological samples are
preserved in deep freeze at a low temperature of -1960C1960C is called Cryopreservation.

How can we Protect and Conserve Biodiversity?

Biodiversity conversation is very important for the present and future generations for
sustainable growth. The methods to be used for biodiversity conservation are mentioned
below:

1. Agricultural food products, timber plants, livestock, and agricultural animals should be
conserved.
2. Animals with economical values should be preserved.
3. Alternative habitats should be created for animals.
4. Overexploitation of natural resources should be prevented.
5. Poaching and hunting wild animals should be illegal.
6. Natural reserves and protected areas should be developed.
7. Deforestation should be prevented, and more trees should be planted.
8. Strict laws should be implemented and followed for the conservation of biodiversity.
9. Alternative ways should be developed to control pollution. Such as the development of
electric vehicles.
10. Reuse of waste from industries and other forms.
11. Public awareness should be created to support the conservation of biodiversity.
12. Preservation of endangered species in their natural and artificial habitat so they can be saved
from extinction.

Importance of Conservation of Biodiversity

Ecological Importance
1. Conservation of biodiversity is important to get pure air and water.
2. It creates habitat and shelter for many animals and native species.
3. It provides healthy soil for agriculture and controls soil erosion.
4. Conservation of biodiversity also helps to preserve many species which are about to go
extinct.
5. It prevents deforestation.
6. It helps to control pollution.
7. It also controls sudden climate change.
8. It provides natural beauty to our planet.
Economic Importance
1. It gives us an abundance of food products that are available in the ecosystem.
2. It helps to get timber, honey, rubber etc. and many more products from the ecosystem.
3. It also helps in getting medicines from the ecosystem.
4. It plays an important role in the development of tourism.
5. It controls the exploitation of natural resources.
6. It helps in getting resources for construction.
7. It helps in agricultural development.

Pollution:
Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful materials
are called pollutants. Pollutants can be natural, such as volcanic ash. They can also be created by
human activity, such as trash or runoff produced by factories. Pollutants damage the quality of
air, water, and land.

Types of Pollution
As stated before, there are different types of pollution, which are either caused by natural events
(like forest fires) or by man-made activities (like cars, factories, nuclear wastes, etc.) These are
further classified into the following types of pollution:

 Air Pollution
 Water Pollution
 Soil Pollution
 Noise Pollution
Besides these 4 types of pollution, other types exist such as light pollution, thermal pollution and
radioactive pollution. The latter is much rarer than other types, but it is the deadliest.

Air Pollution
Air pollution refers to the release of harmful contaminants (chemicals, toxic gases, particulates,
biological molecules, etc.) into the earth’s atmosphere. These contaminants are quite detrimental
and in some cases, pose serious health issues. Some causes that contribute to air pollution are:

 Burning fossil fuels

 Mining operations
 Exhaust gases from industries and factories
The effects of air pollution vary based on the kind of pollutant. But generally, the impact of air
pollution ranges from:

 Increased risk of respiratory illness and cardiovascular problems

 Increased risk of skin diseases
 May increase the risk of cancer
  Global warming
 Acid rain
 Ozone depletion
 Hazards to wildlife
Among the other types of pollution, air pollution is theorized to have a planet-wide implication.
Scientists have even speculated an apocalypse-like scenario where air pollution if left unchecked,
can bring about an extreme form of global warming called the runaway greenhouse effect.
Though this is purely speculative, it is a phenomenon that has already occurred on.

Water Pollution
Water pollution is said to occur when toxic pollutants and particulate matter are introduced into
water bodies such as lakes, rivers and seas. These contaminants are generally introduced by
human activities like improper sewage treatment and oil spills. However, even natural processes
such as eutrophication can cause water pollution.
Other significant causes of water pollution include:

 Dumping solid wastes in water bodies

 Disposing untreated industrial sewage into water bodies
 Human and animal wastes
 Agricultural runoff containing pesticides and fertilisers
The effects of water pollution are very pronounced in our environment. Furthermore, toxic
chemicals can bioaccumulate in living beings, and these chemicals can travel their way up the
food chain, ultimately reaching humans.
Among the other types of pollution, water pollution has severe consequences on humans. For
instance, in 1932, a grave case of water pollution incapacitated the inhabitants of an entire city in
Japan with neurological diseases and mental illness for many decades. However, the immediate
cause was not apparent but was eventually attributed to acute mercury poisoning. Methyl
mercury was dumped into the surrounding bay and had ultimately bioaccumulated inside the
fish. The local population then consumed these fish, and this resulted in the manifestation of ill
effects and neurological diseases.
Other consequences of water pollution include:

 Disruption of the ecosystem

 Threats to marine life
 Increased risk of water-borne diseases
 Increases toxic chemicals (such as mercury) in water bodies
 Eutrophication
Soil Pollution
Soil pollution, also called soil contamination, refers to the degradation of land due to the
presence of chemicals or other man-made substances in the soil. The xenobiotic substances
alter the natural composition of soil and affect it negatively. These can drastically impact life
directly or indirectly. For instance, any toxic chemicals present in the soil will get absorbed by
the plants. Since plants are producers in an environment, it gets passed up through the food
chain. Compared to the other types of pollution, the effects of soil pollution are a little more
obscured, but their implications are very noticeable.
Some of the common causes of soil pollution are:

 Improper industrial waste disposal

 Oil Spills
 Acid rain which is caused by air pollution
 Mining activities
 Intensive farming and agrochemicals (like fertilisers and pesticides)
 Industrial accidents
The effects of soil pollution are numerous. Specific wastes, such as radioactive
waste become particularly hazardous when they are not well-contained. A well-documented
example is a nuclear accident in Chernobyl, which has left an area of 2,600 km 2 uninhabitable for
several thousand years.
Other effects of soil pollution include:

 Loss of soil nutrients, which renders the soil unfit for agriculture
 Impacts the natural flora and fauna residing in the soil
 Degrades vegetation due to the increase of salinity of the soil
 Toxic dust (such as silica dust) can cause respiratory problems or even lung cance

Noise Pollution
Noise pollution refers to the excessive amount of noise in the surrounding that disrupts the
natural balance. Usually, it is man-made, though certain natural calamities like volcanoes can
contribute to noise pollution.
In general, any sound which is over 85 decibels is considered to be detrimental. Also, the
duration an individual is exposed plays an impact on their health. For perspective, a normal
conversation is around 60 decibels, and a jet taking off is around 15o decibels. Consequently,
noise pollution is more obvious than the other types of pollution.
Noise pollution has several contributors, which include:

 Industry-oriented noises such as heavy machines, mills, factories, etc.

 Transportation noises from vehicles, aeroplanes, etc.
 Construction noises
  Noise from social events (loudspeakers, firecrackers, etc.)
 Household noises (such as mixers, TV, washing machines, etc.)
Noise pollution has now become very common due to dense urbanisation and industrialisation.
Noise pollution can bring about adverse effects such as :

 Hearing loss
 Tinnitus
 Sleeping disorders
 Hypertension (high BP)
 Communication problems
Ecological footprint:

The Ecological Footprint measures how fast we consume resources and generate waste compared
to how fast nature can absorb our waste and generate resources.
Examples
The Ecological Footprint measures how fast we consume resources and generate waste compared
to how fast nature can absorb our waste and generate resources.

Ecological footprint (EF), measure of the demands made by a person or group of people on
global natural resources. It has become one of the most widely used measures of humanity’s
effect upon the environment and has been used to highlight both the apparent unsustainability of
current practices and the inequalities in resource consumption between and within countries.

The ecological footprint (EF) estimates the biologically productive land and sea area needed to
provide the renewable resources that a population consumes and to absorb the wastes it generates
—using prevailing technology and resource-management practices—rather than trying to
determine how many people a given land area or the entire planet can support. It measures the
requirements for productive areas (croplands, grazing lands for animal products, forested areas to
produce wood products, marine areas for fisheries, built-up land for housing and infrastructure,
and forested land needed to absorb carbon dioxide emissions from energy consumption). One
can estimate the EF, measured in “global hectares” (gha), at various scales—for individuals,
regions, countries, and humanity as a whole. (One hectare equals 2.47 acres.) The resulting
figures can also be compared with how much productive area—or biocapacity—is available.

Each city, state or nation’s Ecological Footprint can be compared to its biocapacity, or that of the
world.If a population’s Ecological Footprint exceeds the region’s biocapacity, that region runs
a biocapacity deficit. Its demand for the goods and services that its land and seas can provide—
fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, wood, cotton for clothing, and carbon dioxide absorption—
exceeds what the region’s ecosystems can regenerate. In more popular communications, we also
call this “an ecological deficit.” A region in ecological deficit meets demand by importing,
liquidating its own ecological assets (such as overfishing), and/or emitting carbon dioxide into
the atmosphere. If a region’s biocapacity exceeds its Ecological Footprint, it has
a biocapacity reserve.
Relationship between Tourism & Ecology:

Tourism is based on the environment; Tourism has and will always devour the natural resources.
Tourism is the main factor carrying out the natural environment in both positive and negative
aspect. Even simplest form of tourism like visiting a zoo consumes environmental resources such
as animals, birds or plants. Such a kind simple form of tourism also renders constructive as well
as unconstructive effects. The negative effect cases might be the capturing animals from their
natural habitat and keeping them in a zoo, whereas positive aspect can be that by capturing the
animals they are getting protected against hunters and other environmental conditions that can be
critical to them. In various other smaller or greater impressions tourism has both negative and
positive effects, but more important is to understand the actual destruction or refurbishments
causing from tourism towards environment.

It is understandable that human involvement with environment tend to use the resources, if it
can’t help to make them grow at least they can be saved from future damages by use of
intelligent human behaviour. Study of tourism environment is about understanding the cause and
effect rule and to imply theories to protect the environmental loss due to mass tourism. It is also
significant that Tourism should place along with the higher quality of environment and
environment shall get benefit from it not the damage. No doubt every human action has its own
pros and cons and fragility of nature resources must not be seriously harm by it. Tourism is
without a doubt among the world’s highest profitable industries (whether on the cost of
environment) and relationship between tourism and environment can get equilibrate if financial
profits gets used for the conservation programs or environmental sustainability.

Positive Impacts of Tourism on Environment

1. It promotes investment in conservation of natural habitats.

2. It thus in turn, contributes to the stability of the ecosystem.
3. In developing countries, it discourages deforestation and over-fishing in large water
bodies.
4. It contributes to creating awareness of the value of environment for humans.