The aim of this chapter is to introduce readers to a number of key terms
and concepts that are essential for understanding how tourism development
may be undertaken in rainforest areas and identify possible impacts
on long-term rainforest sustainability. Rainforests are complex biological
systems and uninformed use for tourism purposes may have serious unintended
consequences. For this reason, the chapter will briefly describe the
distribution of rainforests, rainforest biodiversity, key ecological concepts
and threats. Obviously a chapter of this nature can only provide a brief
introduction to the many issues that need to be considered. For a more
detailed discussion on rainforests, readers are directed to Osborne (2012),
who gives a useful overview of rainforests as well as other tropical ecosystems,
and Whitmore ( 1998), who provides a very detailed description of the
structure and functioning of tropical rainforests.
History
Editor
Prideaux B
Parent Title
Rainforest tourism, conservation and management: Challenges for sustainable development