Ultimate Environmental Threshold (UET) method in a marine environment (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Australia)

• Published in: Landscape and urban planning Vol. 15; no. 3; pp. 327 - 336
• Main Authors: Kozlowski, Jerzy, Rosier, Johanna, Hill, Greg
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 1988; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Marine; Ecosystem
• ISSN: 0169-2046; 1872-6062
• DOI: 10.1016/0169-2046(88)90056-4

The article concentrates on problems which result from tourism development in attractive and fragile natural environments and presents a planning method which may assist developers and managers to reduce the possible environmental damage to a realistic minimum. The method, based on the concept of “Ultimate Environmental Thresholds” (UETs), has been recently tested in a marine environment on a group of islands in the Capricornia Section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) in Australia. Major development problems can be identified in the GBRMP: (1) zoning plans lack detailed assessment of spatial allocation of development on islands; (2) the need to ensure that the development of activities and facilities is sustainable are not satisfactorily met. In the discussed application only “territorial” UETs are derived from the analysis of interrelationships between tourist activities/facilities and major environmental elements: geomorphological structure; vegetation and fauna followed by the analysis of uniqueness; resistance and transformation of these elements. This is the first application of the UET method to a group of islands (previous applications have been carried out for mountain environments and for single islands). The process is described in some detail along with the principles leading to the definition of UETs. In conclusion the validity of the method in its application to a group of islands is confirmed and directions for further research, derived from the problems encountered, are identified and presented. The need to develop computer graphics for more complex applications is emphasized as is the need for more empirical research so that other types of constraints can be defined on a sound ecological base. There is also a strong indication that the most important advancement of the UET method could eventuate if it is used in conjunction with other methods such as Siro-Plan or Recreation Opportunity Spectrum which determine optimum suitability of resources for various activities/facilities.