Biodiversity Hotspots and Visitor Flows in Oulanka National Park, Finland

Oulanka National Park, Finland aims to ensure nature conservation while providing high quality visitor experiences. The growth of outdoor recreation and nature tourism, however, has fueled concern about consequent pressures on the natural resources of the park. This analysis assessed the spatial relationship between biodiversity hotspots and visitor distributions within Oulanka National Park. Known occurrences of rare or threatened species (lichen, moss, fungi, and vascular plants) within the park were used as indicators of biodiversity. Areas with a high density of threatened and endangered species (i.e. biodiversity hotspots) were identified through kernel density analysis and compared to the spatial distribution of visitor use within the park. Results indicate important habitats for endangered species are often located nearby or on the edge of high visitor use zones leaving them vulnerable to human impacts. Further research will investigate the relationships between visitor experiences at specific spots and acceptance of nature management measures.