Monitoring and Management of Visitor Flows in Recreational and Protected Areas Conference Proceedings ed by A. Arnberger, C. Brandenburg, A. Muhar 2002, pages 397-401

Problems of Recreational Use of the World Natural Heritage Territories (Ubsunur Hollow Example)

Elena Petrova

PhD, Senior Researcher, Faculty of Geography, Moscow Lomonossov University, 119899 Moscow, Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

Abstract: Six Russian territories are included already into UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage List. Several more territories have to be included into the List in the near future. The Ubsunuur Hollow that is situated in the very center of Asia on a border between Russian Republic of Tyva and Mongolia will be among them. This place is probably the only one in the world where almost all the Earth nature zones (including the northernmost deserts and southernmost tundra) are met on a relatively small by size territory. Besides one can meet here the unique historical monuments – numerous burial-mounds and stone steles from 2–1 Millenniums B.C. The traditional nomad stockbreeding as well as ecological tourism can develop on this territory as main types of nature use. The tourists could visit the Reserve cluster plots where they could acquaint themselves with the popular traditions and enjoy the nature. Unlike the homelike European regions the nature of the Ubsunuur Hollow has been preserved for the present in practically untouched condition. The remoteness and hard accessibility of this territory don’t contribute to the mass tourist flows attraction. In the future it is planned to organize here the recreational use by small tourist groups that will observe the strict rules of behavior. Large hotels and other massive constructions of the tourist infrastructure won’t be built here. The tourists will move mainly by horses or by feet using the existing roads and paths and will live in tents and yurts. The definite flow of the financial sources will be possible together with the pure educational effect.

INTRODUCTION Ecological tourism determines its mail goal as the awakening of interest to the Nature, creation the 6 Russian territories are included already into sense of respect for it, education of a careful UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage attitude to it, the man’s understanding of the List: Virgin Komi Forests, Baikal Lake, Volcanoes responsibility of environment preservation for the of Kamchatka, Golden Mountains of Altai, Western forthcoming generations. The eventful development Caucasus and . Such unique territories of this kind of tourism during last years is as Ubsunur Hollow, Valdai Upland, Green Belt of connected in many countries of the world with the Fennoscandia, Delta of the Lena, , intensification of the society’s attention to the Magadan Nature Reserve, Commander Islands, solving of the ecological problems that were met by Vrangel Island, Daurian Steppes, Central Sikhote- the Earth’s population. Alin. Bashkirian Urals, Kuril Islands will be There exist several types of the ecological included into the List in perspective. tourism: scientific, excursion, walking-cognitive, Ecological tourism has to become the main educational, individual and others. However all of possible type of use on those territories. It allows them assume the execution of the definite and rather managing the tourists’ flows helping them not only hard rules of behavior in nature. It means that the to receive knowledge about nature and to gain skills tourist has not to make the unfavorable influence to of communication with it, but also influence it in a the nature complexes of the territory where he minimal way. spends his free time. As soon as the ecological tourism is characterized with the lowest influence MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT OF on the environment in comparison with the other VISITOR FLOWS ON THE TERRITORIES types of nature resources use including different OF WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE. recreational activity types, it has to have the ECOLOGICAL TOURISM. preference during the process of choosing of the possible variants of development on the territories The majority of the researches understand the of World Natural and Cultural Heritage. ecological tourism as an organized type of tourism One of the most effective methods of combining the rest with the receiving of knowledge monitoring and management of visitor flows on the about the concrete territory and about the questions World Natural Heritage territories is the use of of relations between man and nature as a whole. ecological routes organized as the so cold

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Educational Nature Paths. This comprehension category of the route are fixed. In a case of reaching appeared at first in the beginning of the XX Century of the maximum possible load on any of the paths in the USA. The first Educational Nature Path had the visitors are offered to use another route or they been opened in 1922 as a pedestrian path via the are stopped in the starting point. In necessity the Appalachian ridge thanks to the forester Benton recreational capacity could be raised with the help MacKey’s proposal. It was named by him «the of the Educational Paths. It could be reached by the Reserve for the Pedestrians» and became very improving of the paths, by growing of duration and popular rather soon. Later on such paths appeared extension of the routes and by the widening of the also in other regions of the USA and in many other paths network. countries of the world (V.P.Chizhova, E.G.Petrova, A.V.Rybakov, 1985). UBSUNUR HOLLOW EXAMPLE The pedestrian path created in Crimea in 1916 in 7 Km from Sudak city could be counted as a first Ubsunur Hollow is situated in the very center of path of this type in Russia. It received a name of Asia on a border between Tyva Republic and “Golitsynskaya” because its construction had been Mongolia (between 48-50 degrees North Latitude done due to the instructions of the Prince and 91-99 degrees East Longitude) (Figure 1). It is L.S.Golitsyn. However that path had been created probably the only one place in the world where mainly for the admiring of the natural objects and almost all the Earth natural zones are met on a for active leisure and is closer by its character to the relatively small territory (the extension of the tourist paths than to the educational ones hollow from North to South is just about 160 km, (V.P.Chizhova and others, 1989). The natural paths from West to East – 600 km). The hollow bottom received their real wide spread in Russia only (1000 м above the sea level) is occupied by sand beginning from the 1970s. The Staff members as and clay deserts. They are changed by sandy and well as the students of the Faculty of Geography of dry steppes. Higher by the mountain slopes they the Moscow State Lomonossov University also took change into forest steppes and on the heights of an active part in their construction. 1500-2300 m – to the forest belt. The different The Educational Nature Paths are in reality the types of forests are presented in it: on the North special tourist routes. From one side they allow to slopes there are mixed forests, in the river valleys – show the visitors the nature of the particular larch, spruce, poplar forests, in other places – cedar territory in all its beauty and peculiarity, to acquaint forests. In the high mountain belt the mountain them with the local nature sights and to give them tundra predominate. The meadow vegetation the necessary ecological knowledge. From the other develops in the places where snow is collecting and side they are constructed in such a way that the the ground waters are coming out. And at last most vulnerable parts could be protected from the higher in the mountains one can observe snows and undesirable invasion. That’s why the Educational glaciers. Paths answer to the ecological tourism goals in the Such a landscape diversity appearance is obliged whole sense. It is very important to include into to the unique geographical position of the hollow. such paths the most typical for the region and the From all sides it is surrounded by mountains: from most interesting and informative objects during a the North – by the East and West Tannu-Ola ridges process of choosing. At the same time the path has and by Sangilen Plateau; from the South – by to go round, for example, the habitat places of the Bulan-Nuru and Khan-Khukhey ridges; from the rare animals, the nesting places of birds with the West – by Tsagan-Shibetu ridge and by Turgen-Ula purpose of not trouble them. The information about Massif (Mongolian Altai); and at last from the East the path and about the represented objects on it the hollow is closed by the watershed with the could be placed either on special information Delger-Muren river valley. The role of the “inner billboards placed directly on the path or in booklets. sea» that receives all the waters from the mountains The detail path plan with all the points-stops as well is played by the salty lake of Ubsunur, that gave its as the necessary explanations are placed in the name to the whole hollow. The closed character of booklets The tourists receive such a booklet and the hollow stipulates its microclimate: the warmth walk by path independently or accompanied by the and humidity are spread unevenly. The bottom is instructor. warming by the sun larger than slopes and summits According to the different ecological tourism of the surrounding mountains. At the same time types the Educational Paths with different functions they receive the larger precipitation amount. and level of complexity (for specialists, students, pupils, parents with children, pensioners and so on) could be created. The whole chain of such paths’ use on a concrete World Natural Heritage territory helps to regulate the recreational load on it. The visitors’ monitoring is conducted by their registration on entrance or in the starting point of the path. Simultaneously not only the visitors’ number but also their arrival purpose and choosing

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Figure 1. Study area: Ubsunur Nature Reserve. Cluster Plots: 1. Mongoon-; 2. Ubsunur; 3. Oruku-Shinaa; 4. Aryskannyg; 5. Yamaalyg; 6. Ular; 7. Tsuger Els (S.Mikhailov & E.Petrovskaia / Greenpeace Russia).

Except the natural originality the Ubsunur well as taiga species (Siberian deer, brown bear, Hollow is a monument of the historical and cultural lynx, wood-grouse and tawny owl) inhabit those heritage. People started to settle this territory places. beginning from the early Pleistocene (there is a data The Ular cluster with the taiga, forest tundra and about discoveries dated at the period of 350 tundra (the southernmost tundra in the world) thousand years ago). Till nowadays the majority of vegetation groups, is situated in the eastern outskirts the very interesting archeological monuments, such of the Sangilen mountain massif. The animal hood as sacrificial-commemorative burial-mounds from here differs by richness and diversity. Snow the Neolith epoch, burial-grounds and “prayer leopard, brown bear, wild boar, glutton, wolf, lynx, stones” from the Skiffs epoch, the large number of otter, marten, , badger, Siberian weasel, musk- steles, stone man statues as well as rock carvings deer, Siberian roe, Siberian deer, , as well and the ancient people encampments are preserved as wood grouse, hazel grouse, black grouse among here. Only in the Tyvinian part of the hollow 15,000 birds are met there. burial-mounds were discovered and described under The northernmost sandy deserts in the world are the governance of Pr. V.Bougrovsky (Global…, represented in Tsuger-Els cluster. It is possible to 1996). observe here the whole complex of sand dunes The nature reserves with cluster (isolated) beginning from those that completely lost the structure were created in 1992 – first in Russian and vegetation and blow with the wind till the dunes then in 1993 – in Mongolian parts of the Ubsunur fixed with elm and other desert plants. The Hollow. The Russian Ubsunur Nature Reserve inhabitants of those places: steppe hare, rough- consists of seven plots that present most brightly the legged jerboa, Jungarian hamster and such rare main types of the region ecosystems. Five of them species as Roborowski hamster and long-tailed are of great interest for the ecological tourism. gopher, among reptiles – variegated agama, small The westernmost, the most remote and the most sandy boa, among birds – steppe and bearded hardly accessible plot have the name of Mongoon- partridges, bustard. Midday sandy snake could be Taiga. The eternal snow and large glaciers (the met on the unfixed sands. In some places one can unusual phenomena for such an arid region) are find tarbagan that became rare. The real birds’ lying here on a height of 3970 m. Lower than kingdom or fresh water lake Tore-Khol is situated glaciers one can find the Alpine moss-lichen in the buffer zone of that plot. The nesting places meadows, and in valleys – forests created by dwarf of red hawk, black kite and gray heron are located birch and palmate bush. Such a rare species as snow on its shores, as well as many species of the water leopard has been preserved here as well as Siberian birds as swans, been and gray gooses, cormorants, roe, Altaian argali (the largest sheep in the world), lake and gray gulls are met there. From time to time and gray marmot. Among birds the most interesting the great black-headed gulls were marked. During species are Altaian snowcock, Alpine ptarmigan, the flight period the egret, gray crane, different black vulture and banded goose. kinds of sandpipers are rather usual. The Aryskannyg-Khem cluster (with the plots of The Yamaalyg cluster represents the peculiar mountain tundra, sub alpine meadows, mountain granite island among wavy steppe lowland. The taiga and forest steppes in lower places) is situated ornithological complex of the Outlier Mountains on the southern slopes of the East Tannu-Ola ridge. and rocks is also rather rich. Such rare birds of prey The typical tundra animal and bird species, such as as falcon-hobby, falcon-saker, peregrine, shot-toed wild reindeer, ptarmigan and Mongolian plover as eagle are of special value. The kestrel and long-

399 PETROVA: PROBLEMS OF RECREATIONAL USE OF THE WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE TERRITORIES legged buzzard are widespread there. The steppe ecological tourism implies not only research of the horned owl and eagle owl are not rare. The whole natural peculiarities of the territory but also the complex of the cultural-historical monuments is acquaintance with traditional way of living of the located in the southern part of the massif. The local population. Scientific tourism may be divided compact burial place with about 350 burial grounds into observation and photographing (video and stone steles from 2-1 Millenniums B.C. was shooting) of birds, small mammals, insects, plants, discovered there (Petrova E.G., Petrov A.V., 2000). nature sights as well as of archeological If the Ubsunur Hollow will be recognized as the monuments. World Natural and Cultural Heritage territory, the Unlike the lived-in regions of , the nature intensive economic activity will be excluded here of the Ubsunur Hollow has been preserved for the completely. The traditional nomadic cattle breeding present in practically untouched condition. as well as the above-mentioned ecological tourism Remoteness and hard accessibility of this territory could develop on this territory as the main types of create the natural obstacles for the mass tourism nature use. development here. Therefore the territory does not The nomadic cattle breeding remain the main have a task of tourist flows limitation for a while economic activity in the Ubsunur Hollow for more yet. On the contrary the territory possesses the task than two and a half thousand years. It is most of tourists attraction here. At present the amateur adapted to the local natural peculiarities. Mainly tourism now exists in a stage of development and sheep, as well as goats, cattle, horses and yaks are industrial tourism – in a stage of formation. Institute breaded here. One can find there also the camels of Geography of Russian Academy of Sciences that normally were breaded by Tyvinians at grass together with Greenpeace Russia and Faculty of all the year round. For their winter camps the Geography of the Moscow State Lomonossov nomads traditionally choused steppes and southern University elaborated the scheme of the ecological slopes of the forest belt, for spring camps – the tourism development in the hollow and conducted good heated slopes with southern exposition. The an expedition via possible routes. upper part of the mountain steppe belt and Alpine Problems of Tourism Development: zone as well as upper reaches of larger rivers served • Lack of tourism development plan for the as summer pasture grounds. The hollow bottom hollow territory; with rich grasses and good watering places served • Difficulties of tourists delivery (lack of direct as autumn pasture grounds. The seasonal pasture flights to Tyvinian capital city Kyzyl, lack of changing helped not only to provide animals with regular bus communication between Kyzyl and feed better, but also gave the possibility for Erzin – the administrative center of the Nature vegetation to restore, made lower its treading by Reserve); cattle as well as the soil compression, didn’t lead to • Insufficient development of the recreational the development of the erosion processes. infrastructure: there is no auto transport for Nomad cattle-breeders depended very much traffic operations, lack of tourist bases; from nature. That’s why they treated to it with care • Lack of local tourist companies and economic from the ancient times. They probably were faced possibilities; with the ecological problems more than once and • Lack of necessary management level of tourism for centuries developed the definite ecological development. culture of a balanced co-existence with the However, the originality of these places, their environment. Tyvinians had the rituals of worship obvious value as for scientific research as for the to the sky, water, fire and wood. Many lakes and purposes of the ecological education and training springs, mountain tops and passes, as well as will undoubtedly contribute to the ecological ancient monuments – steles, burial-grounds were tourism development here in the near future. Nature sacred for them and had the cult importance. It Reserve leaders and local administration are contributed to the preservation of the steppe concerned with this process. Tourists including ecosystems, conservation of many plants and foreigners will be able to arrive here individually or animals’ populations, that are rare and small in in small groups being accompanied by guides from number in other regions (Global…, 1996). That is the number of local inhabitants (Nature Reserve why the conservation and rebirth of the popular staff) to visit all the main cluster plots of the traditions in Nature Reserve is not contrary to the Reserve as well as those interesting places, that nature preserve status of the territory and were not included yet into the protected natural contributes to its maintenance. territories composition. The unique natural peculiarities of the Ubsunur The recreational use by small tourist groups (4- Hollow, existence of historical, archeological and 10 persons) is planned to be organized here in the cultural monuments, traditional nomadic way of future with maintenance of strict rules of behavior life, its ethnographical peculiarities, popular home in the natural environment by them. The numerous crafts give the wide opportunities for development routes with different duration (beginning from 4 of different kinds of ecological tourism in the days till 3 weeks) are worked out. The tourists will Hollow: 1) proper ecological tourism; 2) ethno- move mainly by horses and by feet using the ecological tourism; 3) scientific tourism. Ethno-

400 PETROVA: PROBLEMS OF RECREATIONAL USE OF THE WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE TERRITORIES existing roads and paths (some water and bicycle indifferent. At the same time only ecological routes are also planned), to live in tents and yurts. tourism has a right to exist here, because all the The use of the preserved popular traditions with other types of recreational activity (intensive, in the recreational purposes (in particular, the Khoomey first place) can negatively influence on the guttural singing as well as the existing elements of preservation of natural complexes of the future shamanism) looks very important. World Heritage territory. The definite inflow of the financial sources that The problem of monitoring and management of could be used for the Nature Reserve development the recreational flows doesn’t face sharply the and in perspective for the whole hollow territory territory yet because of a very small number of will be possible together with pure educational tourists. Nevertheless in future it’s not worth to effect. In conditions of rebirth of the traditional ignore the development of the monitoring system, nature use and ecological tourism development in taking into account the existing experience of other the Ubsunur Hollow it will be quite possible to popular for tourism territories. Doubtlessly it will decide the main existing problems of nature use. be possible to use the experience existing in the The illegal hunting for argali, snow leopard, other countries of the world. Correctly organized Siberian deer, roe, some species of predatory birds (not mass) tourism will allow not only to preserve (for example, falcon-saker), water birds as well as the existing slightly disturbed condition of the collecting of antlers are among the main existing natural complexes, but will also create the base for troubles. The violation of pasture grounds rotation, finance sources flow into the development of the intensive cattle pasture in river valleys and in the traditional brunches of economy in the region. foothills, especially near the settlements and in watering places, lead to the degradation of steppe REFERENCES and meadow eco-systems. Forest and steppe fires also cause a great damage. Petrova E.G., Petrov A.V. The Ubsunur Hollow: A Travel in Strengthening of the existing recreational Space and in Time. // Priroda, 2000, № 9, pp.46-51 (in Russian). infrastructure as well as the creation of its new Chizhova V.P., Petrova E.G., Rybakov A.V. “Educational Paths” objects are necessary for the development of the as One of the Environmental Education Types. // valuable ecological tourism. Big hotels and other Environmental Education in the Universities. Moscow, large constructions of the tourist infrastructure will MGU, 1985, pp. 37-47 (in Russian). Chizhova V.P., Dobrov A.V., Zakhlebny A.N. Educational Paths not be built there. However the Visit-Center of Nature. M., 1989 – 159 pp.(in Russian) organization (Center of ecological education) in Global Monitoring and Uvs-Nuur Basin. Report of IV Erzin on a base of the Nature Reserve Headquarters International Symposium on Results of International answers to the aims of the ecological tourism Biosphere Monitoring Scientific Programm “Experiment Uvs-Nuur”. M., 1996. development. It will be necessary also to equip the stationary places for tourist stops in some of the cluster plots and in their buffer zones. First of all the equipment for tents, fire places, toilets and dust- heaps need to be built on a shore of the Tore-Khol Lake that undoubtedly is the most attractive place for such purposes. It will be necessary to equip more thoroughly the stop places for the ecological tourists at the downhill of Oulug-Khaiyranan-Dag Mountain. One can find the sacred spring for Tyvinians and definite infrastructure objects that exist there already. It is essential to think about the equipment of the stationary stops and in the most remote Mongoon-Taiga cluster plot as well to acquaint the tourists with Alpine and glacier landscapes.

CONCLUSIONS AND OUTLOOK

It is possible to count as a whole that, excluding several small by size and difficult of access plots, the territory of the Russian part of the Ubsunur Hollow has significant perspectives for the development of foreign as well as of domestic ecological tourism. The unusual beauty and originality of landscapes presented here, the large number of preserved in a good condition archeological monuments will not leave anybody

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