Visitor monitoring and visitor impact assessment in protected areas: the Vůznice National Nature Reserve case study
Abstract
The Vůznice National Nature Reserve in the Křivoklátsko Protected Landscape Area (Central Bohemia) is a well-preserved forest area with the only short pathway where tourists are allowed. In the rest of the area the attendance and the passage are prohibited by Act on the Protection of Nature and the Landscape No. 114/1992, as amended later.
Nevertheless, many visitors walk illegally into the area's prohibited parts, due to easily passable paths and roads there. The aim of this study was 1) to examine the importance of the different ways of the visitor monitoring for specially protected area management; 2) to describe the illegal tourism in central part of the Vůznice NNR; 3) to estimate possible impact of tourism on the endangered plant species, vegetation and birds (as a decision-making tool for proposal on establishing another tourist pathway within the area).