Could Ecotourism be a Possible Cause of Reserve Devastation?
In 2000, the Dongsheng Corporation in Ordos City founded the Inner Mongolian Shizhen (World Rare) Garden Ecotourism Resort on and around ORGR. The company installed a network of Mongolian yurts, or portable huts, on the reserve to accommodate hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops to support the tourism business. The primary tourist attraction was the Ordos Relict Gulls during their nesting season from April until July. From 2000 to 2003, tourism increased sharply. The reserve management recorded approximately 260,000 visits in June 2003, the peak month of the tourist season. The tourists engaged in gull watching, speedboat riding, boat racing, and fishing. It is reasonable to assume that the noise from tourists, particularly the speedboats, disturbed the nesting birds. Other tourist activities included games, horseracing, archery, sand skiing, and sand-motor biking on the lakeshore. Most tourists made day trips from Dongsheng while others stayed at the reserve for one or two days. Th
