Disturbance effects of boat-based tourism on waterbirds at the Ramsar-designated De Hoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorRyan, Peter Gen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorThomson, Roberten_ZA
dc.contributor.authorDe Blocq Van Scheltinga, Andrewen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2017-09-14T12:19:46Z
dc.date.available2017-09-14T12:19:46Z
dc.date.issued2017en_ZA
dc.description.abstractRecreation and ecotourism activities are growing in demand worldwide, especially in biodiversity hotspots. Protected area managers may seek to introduce novel activities in order to generate revenue. However, disturbance effects brought about through encounters between humans and wildlife can have negative consequences, which conflict with conservation goals. De Hoop Vlei is a large coastal lake within the De Hoop Nature Reserve. It is a Ramsar site as well as a key feature of a BirdLife Important Bird Area (IBA). Proposals for motorized boat tours and kayak tours on the vlei have been made, for which this study provides an impact assessment. Repeated counts were performed in order to characterize the waterbirds present during the high water level conditions required for boating. Birds were concentrated in areas with aquatic vegetation and shallow water, mainly along the vlei's western shoreline and southern and northern ends. Two routes were designed for boat tours that would minimize disturbance by avoiding these areas as well as breeding sites. Count data were also used to revise the Ramsar and IBA assessments, which underestimated the site's conservation value. Boat tours were monitored to estimate the number of birds disturbed, and to measure agitation distances (ADs) and flight initiation distances (FIDs) in response to the boat as well as a kayak. Post-disturbance recovery was investigated, as was the likelihood of habituation using a space-for-time substitution at a site with regular boat traffic. Boat tours did not typically disturb more than 10% of birds present at the vlei, and largely avoided disturbing species of conservation concern. Responses to the kayak were more severe than to the boat, which is most likely due to the similar speeds of the two boats are similar and the kayak is more easily perceived as a threat due to its shape and stealth, the presence of a paddler, and the consistent paddling motion. Post-disturbance recovery of species was slow and incomplete after an hour, meaning that there are likely costs for foraging opportunities and breeding if important areas are disturbed. Most species did allow a closer approach at the site with regular boating, but AD did not differ between them for most species. From these results it would be dangerous to assume that habituation will mitigate against disturbance impacts. Recommendations made included that kayak tours should not be permitted. Boat tours, with correct management, can be conducted in a manner that will not be too disruptive to birds. This study is the first to document such a large difference in responses of birds to two differing boat types, and is a rare example of disturbance of birds being studied in an African context.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationDe Blocq Van Scheltinga, A. (2017). <i>Disturbance effects of boat-based tourism on waterbirds at the Ramsar-designated De Hoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africa</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25186en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationDe Blocq Van Scheltinga, Andrew. <i>"Disturbance effects of boat-based tourism on waterbirds at the Ramsar-designated De Hoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africa."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25186en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationDe Blocq Van Scheltinga, A. 2017. Disturbance effects of boat-based tourism on waterbirds at the Ramsar-designated De Hoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africa. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - De Blocq Van Scheltinga, Andrew AB - Recreation and ecotourism activities are growing in demand worldwide, especially in biodiversity hotspots. Protected area managers may seek to introduce novel activities in order to generate revenue. However, disturbance effects brought about through encounters between humans and wildlife can have negative consequences, which conflict with conservation goals. De Hoop Vlei is a large coastal lake within the De Hoop Nature Reserve. It is a Ramsar site as well as a key feature of a BirdLife Important Bird Area (IBA). Proposals for motorized boat tours and kayak tours on the vlei have been made, for which this study provides an impact assessment. Repeated counts were performed in order to characterize the waterbirds present during the high water level conditions required for boating. Birds were concentrated in areas with aquatic vegetation and shallow water, mainly along the vlei's western shoreline and southern and northern ends. Two routes were designed for boat tours that would minimize disturbance by avoiding these areas as well as breeding sites. Count data were also used to revise the Ramsar and IBA assessments, which underestimated the site's conservation value. Boat tours were monitored to estimate the number of birds disturbed, and to measure agitation distances (ADs) and flight initiation distances (FIDs) in response to the boat as well as a kayak. Post-disturbance recovery was investigated, as was the likelihood of habituation using a space-for-time substitution at a site with regular boat traffic. Boat tours did not typically disturb more than 10% of birds present at the vlei, and largely avoided disturbing species of conservation concern. Responses to the kayak were more severe than to the boat, which is most likely due to the similar speeds of the two boats are similar and the kayak is more easily perceived as a threat due to its shape and stealth, the presence of a paddler, and the consistent paddling motion. Post-disturbance recovery of species was slow and incomplete after an hour, meaning that there are likely costs for foraging opportunities and breeding if important areas are disturbed. Most species did allow a closer approach at the site with regular boating, but AD did not differ between them for most species. From these results it would be dangerous to assume that habituation will mitigate against disturbance impacts. Recommendations made included that kayak tours should not be permitted. Boat tours, with correct management, can be conducted in a manner that will not be too disruptive to birds. This study is the first to document such a large difference in responses of birds to two differing boat types, and is a rare example of disturbance of birds being studied in an African context. DA - 2017 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2017 T1 - Disturbance effects of boat-based tourism on waterbirds at the Ramsar-designated De Hoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africa TI - Disturbance effects of boat-based tourism on waterbirds at the Ramsar-designated De Hoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25186 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/25186
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationDe Blocq Van Scheltinga A. Disturbance effects of boat-based tourism on waterbirds at the Ramsar-designated De Hoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africa. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, 2017 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25186en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentPercy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherConservation Biologyen_ZA
dc.subject.otherBiological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.titleDisturbance effects of boat-based tourism on waterbirds at the Ramsar-designated De Hoop Vlei, Western Cape, South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMScen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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