The impact of protected area establishment on biodiversity via tourism pressure: a case study in Three-river-source National Park, China

Establishing protected areas (PAs) and sustainably developing PA tourism are critical for balancing biodiversity conservation (SDG 15) and poverty alleviation (SDG 1). However, the mechanisms by which the establishment of PAs influences tourism and, consequently, biodiversity remain unclear, particularly regarding the differing impacts within PAs and their surrounding areas. This study examines Three-River-Source National Park in China and its surrounding areas to analyze the effects of PA establishment on biodiversity via tourism pressure from 2005 to 2020. The results show that PA establishment notably improves biodiversity within the PA by alleviating tourism pressure. PA establishment increased biodiversity by approximately 5.8 %. However, in certain surrounding areas, the reduction in tourism pressure negatively affected biodiversity, likely due to the weakening of tourism as an alternative livelihood and the reinforcement of traditional livelihoods that harm biodiversity. This study enhances the understanding of the mechanisms through which PA establishment influences tourism pressure and biodiversity, offering insights for optimizing tourism development and biodiversity conservation strategies in PAs to support the achievement of SDG goals.