Wildlife abundance and diversity as indicators of tourism potential in Northern Botswana

Wildlife tourism can provide economic incentives for conservation. Due to the abundance of wildlife and the presence of charismatic species some areas are better suited to wildlife tourism. Our first objective was to develop criteria based on wildlife abundance and diversity to evaluate tourism potential in the Northern Conservation Zone of Botswana. Secondly we wanted to quantify and compare tourism experiences in areas with high and low tourism potential. We used aerial survey data to estimate wildlife biomass and diversity to determine tourism potential, while data from ground surveys quantified the tourist experience. Areas used for High Paying Low Volume tourism had significantly higher mean wildlife biomass and wildlife diversity than the areas avoided for this type of tourism. Only 22% of the Northern Conservation Zone has intermediate to high tourism potential. The areas with high tourism potential, as determined from the aerial survey data, provided tourists with significantly better wildlife sightings (ground surveys) than the low tourism potential areas. Even Low Paying tourism may not be economically viable in concessions that lack areas with intermediate to high tourism potential. The largest part of the Northern Conservation Zone has low tourism potential, but low tourism potential is not equal to low conservation value. Alternative conservation strategies should be developed to complement the economic incentive provided by wildlife-based tourism in Botswana.S1 File. Data_hplvtourismareas_northern_Botswana.xlsx.http://www.plosone.orgam201

Wildlife Abundance and Diversity as Indicators of Tourism Potential in Northern Botswana

<div><p>Wildlife tourism can provide economic incentives for conservation. Due to the abundance of wildlife and the presence of charismatic species some areas are better suited to wildlife tourism. Our first objective was to develop criteria based on wildlife abundance and diversity to evaluate tourism potential in the Northern Conservation Zone of Botswana. Secondly we wanted to quantify and compare tourism experiences in areas with high and low tourism potential. We used aerial survey data to estimate wildlife biomass and diversity to determine tourism potential, while data from ground surveys quantified the tourist experience. Areas used for High Paying Low Volume tourism had significantly higher mean wildlife biomass and wildlife diversity than the areas avoided for this type of tourism. Only 22% of the Northern Conservation Zone has intermediate to high tourism potential. The areas with high tourism potential, as determined from the aerial survey data, provided tourists with significantly better wildlife sightings (ground surveys) than the low tourism potential areas. Even Low Paying tourism may not be economically viable in concessions that lack areas with intermediate to high tourism potential. The largest part of the Northern Conservation Zone has low tourism potential, but low tourism potential is not equal to low conservation value. Alternative conservation strategies should be developed to complement the economic incentive provided by wildlife-based tourism in Botswana.</p></div

Mean, standard deviation, and 95% Confidence Intervals for wildlife biomass (Large Stock Units/ 100 km²) and wildlife diversity (number of species) for sample sites with HPLV^* photographic tourism and without HPLV photographic tourism in the Northern Conservation Zone of Botswana.

<p>Analysis is based on aerial survey data from 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1999.</p><p>*High Paying Low Volume</p><p>Mean, standard deviation, and 95% Confidence Intervals for wildlife biomass (Large Stock Units/ 100 km²) and wildlife diversity (number of species) for sample sites with HPLV^{<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0135595#t001fn002" target="_blank">*</a>} photographic tourism and without HPLV photographic tourism in the Northern Conservation Zone of Botswana.</p

Ranking criteria based on the wildlife biomass and diversity to evaluate tourism potential of each grid cell in the Northern Conservation Zone of Botswana.

<p>Tourism potential: 1 = low, 2 = intermediate, 3 = high. Cut off values derived from the 95% CI for wildlife biomass (18.8–29.28; 2.47–6.35) and species (5.63–6.38; 1.21–1.64) at HPLV and non-HPLV sites respectively.</p><p>Ranking criteria based on the wildlife biomass and diversity to evaluate tourism potential of each grid cell in the Northern Conservation Zone of Botswana.</p

The number and length of transects conducted at two HPLV sites and two non-HPLV sites in the Northern Conservation Zone of Botswana, showing the mode of transport used to collect data.

<p>The number and length of transects conducted at two HPLV sites and two non-HPLV sites in the Northern Conservation Zone of Botswana, showing the mode of transport used to collect data.</p

Land use and the locations of photographic and hunting camps in northern Botswana in 2005.

<p>Sample areas to compare wildlife biomass and diversity between areas are indicated with a green overlay (High Paying Low Volume photographic tourism and red overlay (without HPLV photographic tourism, used for sport hunting). The four ground survey areas were: 1 = Macatoo, 2 = Xudum, 3 = NG/43, 4 = Nogatsaa.</p

The size of areas in the Northern Conservation Zone of Botswana with low, intermediate and high tourism potential based on aerial survey data for the dry period (1994, 1995, 1996 and 1999 surveys) and the wet period (2001, 2002, 2003, and 2006 surveys).

<p>The size of areas in the Northern Conservation Zone of Botswana with low, intermediate and high tourism potential based on aerial survey data for the dry period (1994, 1995, 1996 and 1999 surveys) and the wet period (2001, 2002, 2003, and 2006 surveys).</p

The potential for High Paying Low Volume tourism in the Northern Conservation Zone of Botswana based on wildlife biomass and diversity from 2000 to 2006.

<p>The concessions without high tourism potential areas are demarcated by a black boundary. The wildlife biomass and diversity were calculated from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks dry season aerial surveys in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2006.</p