Dynamic Response of Water Quality Change in the Liupan Mountain Eco-Tourism Area to the Human-Induced Tourism Disturbance
六盘山生态旅游区水质变化对人类旅游活动干扰的动态响应

Tourism has multi-scale effects on the environment. As an important landscape element of tourist destination and characterization of tourism sustainable development, the water environment has received extensive attention. The Liupan Mountain ecological tourism area is located in the boundary of Shaanxi Province, Gansu Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwestern China, showing a fragile environment and sensitivity to human activities. Based on dynamic monitoring data of water quality in the tourist season (from May to October), this study comprehensively analyzed the response of water quality change to human-induced tourism disturbance over the region by establishing the Water Organoleptic Index (WQI), Water Eutrophic Index (WEI), Water Healthy Index (WHI), and Tourism Water Environment Disturbance Index (TWEDI) from the dual perspectives of the tourism water environment disturbance index and Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) in the eco-tourism area. Results show that: 1) in the tourist season, most indicators of water quality are within the national evaluation criteria of Class II ground water while a few indicators lie in Class III ground water. The tourism water quality disturbance index value is 3 or 4 in some sections, which reflects that the disturbance has been a serious disturbance level. 2) At different sampling points of the tourism area, changes in water quality indicators have been obviously different. The water quality of the tourist core area (mainly for sightseeing) maintains a normal level. However, with the tourism way (mainly leisure) changing gradually from the upstream to the downstream, the disturbance on water quality increases accordingly; the most dramatic change happens near the hotel reception area and the folk village. 3) The LCA of tourists on water turbidity is 8.95 NTU, which demonstrates that tourists have a high requirement on water quality for eco-tourism areas and are sensitive to water quality change. 4) The TWEDI is correlated significantly with other response variables of water quality, which can be used as a simple and effective indicator to evaluate tourism system responses to disturbance. Results also show that the tourism disturbance has begun showing a negative impact on the water quality and recreational experience of tourists in some parts of the study area. Therefore, actions to regulate the construction and development should be taken. Water pollution treatment facility, and water environment monitoring and early warning systems should be built. Strategies of mitigating recreation impacts on the tourism area should be formulated so as to realize sustainable development of tourism.