Evaluation of the ecological effect of tourism development on vegetation landscapes in Mount Wutai

Tourism development on Mount Wutai significantly alters vegetation landscapes, with ecological effects varying by distance from human activity. Research reveals that plant communities transition from highly disturbed areas (e.g., residential and commercial zones) to less impacted regions (e.g., shrub-grass and forest-shrub-grass zones), showing increased landscape importance values (LIV), species diversity (SD), and ecological integrity (EIV). Conversely, human-adapted species ratios (PS) and tourism impact indices (TII) decline with distance from tourist hotspots. The study’s multi-layered evaluation system—comprising 27 indicators across four dimensions—demonstrates that while some plant groups (e.g., Populus spp.) thrive in disturbed environments, others exhibit resilience only in low-tourism zones. Spatial analysis further links development intensity to topography and site distribution, with the strongest impacts observed in southern and northeastern directions. These findings underscore the need for targeted conservation strategies to mitigate tourism’s ecological footprint while preserving Mount Wutai’s biodiversity.

NIU Liqin, 牛莉芹, & CHENG Zhanhong, 程占红. (2018). Evaluation of the ecological effect of tourism development on vegetation landscapes in Mount Wutai. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 38(10). https://doi.org/10.5846/stxb201701120099