The Effect of Touristic Development on Mediterranean Island Wildlife

Abstract

Tourism constitutes a significant income source for the economies of various countries, however it is also associated with a number of negative environmental consequences. These may include the degradation of ecologically valuable stretches of both coastal and inland regions due to diffuse construction of touristic infrastructure, expansion of originally small settlements, and overexploitation of natural resources. In the Mediterranean Sea Basin, impacts on biodiversity are particularly important as the region is recognized as a major biodiversity hotspot of global importance, harboring numerous endemic species. The aim of this project was to evaluate the implications of touristic development for wildlife in a typical Mediterranean island ecosystem landscape (Naxos, Aegean Sea, Greece). Our research approach combined extensive field surveys of birds and reptiles (completed in 2016) with the creation of image-derived spatial data on built infrastructure at two distinct dates, in order to perform a statistical and spatial analysis of biodiversity and its relationship to the built infrastructure. All built infrastructure and change in that infrastructure was mapped using aerial photographs (1982) and Google Earth high spatial resolution imagery (2015). These dates bracketed a period of significant economic shift towards tourism in the region. Analysis of biodiversity data showed that birds separated into two groups (non-native versus native species), with the former tending to live closer to human development, and the latter further away from development. Reptile abundance increased monotonically with distance from human development. Presence of cats had a negative effect on reptile abundance. Species richness and diversity of both birds and reptiles rose with increasing distance from development. Transect data revealed non-linear increases in animal abundance and species composition at approximately 80-120 m away from buildings and roads. Using the image time series (1982 and 2015) which contrasted the present land use with the land use of 1982, we found that number of build structures increased by 96%, and length of roads by 113%, thus resulting in a reduction of the remaining natural habitat to 20.6% of the study site. However, within rural areas, we found that development became somewhat more clustered, a pattern which may somewhat mitigate habitat loss when compared to only a strongly diffuse pattern. The results of this study when considered against the body of knowledge from mainland systems suggest that the effects of touristic development in island ecosystems do not appear to differ qualitatively from those of mainland ecosystems. Further studies on other islands should be conducted in order to further understand developmental impacts on local wildlife.