Research Article Open Access

The Impact of Tourist Destinations on Wildlife in Northern Finland

Abstract

The expansion of tourism in natural areas can have various effects on wildlife species due to urban development, fragmentation of landscapes, and increased disturbance. I conducted a study to examine the potential effects of tourist destinations on four forest grouse and five mammalian species in northern Finland. I analyzed density data obtained from wildlife counts conducted in late summer and mid-winter carried out by hunters between 1989 and 2006. The data was collected in 88 wildlife triangles, each with a length of 12 km, within a 40 km radius around ten tourist destinations in northern Finland. I found that the densities of mountain hare (Lepidus timidus) and mustelid species were negatively correlated with the distance to a tourist destination. On the other hand, the densities of adult grouse, juvenile grouse, mountain hare, and mustelids were positively correlated with the area of mixed forests surrounding the destinations. The densities of adult and juvenile grouse were positively correlated, while the densities of pine marten and mustelids were negatively correlated with the area of agricultural land surrounding the destinations. The densities of the studied wildlife species varied among the destinations and years. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the current recreational activities have not caused significant changes in the wildlife in the areas surrounding the tourist destinations studied, when measuring the occurrence and abundance of species. The location of a destination, predator densities, and the landscape structure around the destinations were found to have the most significant impact on the density of wildlife species.

Esa Huhta

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