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National parks around the world that are open to
the public are often admired for their
awe-inspiring natural beauty, scenery and
landscape, diverse flora and fauna, and
priceless artefacts or archaeological interests
(the Mayan ruins, for instance). They are
usually protected by government authorities and
they are popular because of their uniqueness.
The Yellowstone National Park in the USA, for
example, is known for its deep gorges, grand
canyons, active geysers and beautiful
waterfalls. The Great Barrier Reef National
Park, a marine park in Australia, showcases box
jellyfish, great white sharks, dugongs, whales,
dolphins and a
spectacular array of corals. In South
Africa, the Kruger National Park boasts of
magnificent wildlife and birds. The Serengeti
National Park in Tanzania has zebras, gazelles,
wildebeests and leopards alongside picturesque
acacia trees. The Tikal National Park in
Guatemala beckons visitors to admire its ancient
Mayan sites and lush
forests. And in Malaysia, national parks with
their abundant forests of tropical vegetation,
mangroves, mountaintop oaks, and trees are a
home to a multitude
of flowers, birds, ferns and insects.
They also
house the world's rarest and most remarkable
animal species-the Sumatran rhinoceros, the
clouded leopard, the Malayan tiger, the sun
bear, the monitor lizard, the proboscis monkey
and the orangutan. Some well-known national
parks in Malaysia are Taman Negara in Pahang,
Endau Rompin National Park in Johor, Royal Belum
State Park in Perak, Bako National Park in
Sarawak and Pulau Tiga Park in Sabah. These
natural wonders, however, may not remain so for
future generations to enjoy. Over the years,
national parks around the world have encountered
numerous preservation challenges caused by
natural and human factors. Climate change is
one big challenge with its threat of global
warming and greenhouse effect. A report released
by the National Resources Defence Council (NRDC)
and The Rocky Mountain Climate Organization
revealed that 12 national parks in the USA are
currently facing serious damage from the
increasing effects of this threat. The rise in
temperature has resulted in glaciers melting,
especially in the Glacier National Park in
Montana, USA. Temperature change has also forced
animal migration to new habitats and
this is a
loss to parks as a decline in animal species
puts their overall ecosystem at risk. The loss
of animal species is also a loss to human beings
and science as studies on certain animal species
have benefitted the fields of science and
medicine in combating
diseases. Climate change has also caused coral
bleaching in some marine parks, the
deterioration of wildlife habitats due to
species extinction and caused more occurrences
of forest fires which further threaten wildlife.
National parks also face threats from human
activities. Increasing development within parks
and around their boundaries have negatively
affected the park environment. Buildings and
factories at boundary fringes release waste and
toxic gases which are carried by the wind and
are trapped in the mountains. In turn, this air
pollution affects plants and further mars the
scenic view of national parks. This poor air
quality is further
aggravated by visitors' vehicle
emissions, camp fires and wood stoves. In
addition, water pollution has become an issue.
Water used by visitors and workers in parks to
cook, water plants and wash cars creates a
run-off that pollutes the natural water in
parks.
Visitors' attitudes and irresponsible
activities in parks have also accelerated
deterioration in some national parks.
Recreational activities such as hiking, camping
and boating pollute the air. For instance,
Biscayne National Park in South Florida is faced
with the problem of littering and the
destruction of its coral reefs. Visitors who
partied in their boats littered the water and
crashed their
boats into the coral reefs when they were drunk
(Guarneros, 2011). National parks in Sabah
encounter the same problem due to visitors jet
skiing and participating in motorised sports.
Garbage in the water is also detrimental to
coral reefs and turtle species in the park.
According to a research by the Main Research
Unit at Pulau Manukan in 1999, it was found that
47.4 percent of the collected underwater garbage
comprised plastic bags and plastic used for
domestic purposes (Maipol Spait, 2001).
Another problem in national parks is the
introduction of invasive plant and animal
species by visitors. The Everglades National
Park in Florida is in a difficult situation when
exotic animals like the Burmese python, the
Tokay gecko and the Cuban tree-frog introduced
to the park have now affected the natural
ecosystem of the park. Invasive plant species
like the Brazillian pepper and the Australian
pine have killed off or decreased the native
species in the park (Guarneros, 2011). In
Malaysia, the staff of Sabah Parks are often
left with the extra work of weeding tonnes of
dandelions from the Kinabalu Park. Despite their
efforts to remove this
invasive species over the past
decade, dandelions have continued to
persist,
especially at the higher altitudes of Mount
Kinabalu. This plant is believed to be
introduced by tourists a decade ago when they
visited Kinabalu Park as whilst unknowingly
carrying the seeds in their shoes or bags. The
dandelions appear to be displacing local plants
and are beginning to dominate Kinabalu Park by
killing off the park's native plant species (Sario,
2011).
National parks are gifts from God and should
be preserved by mankind. We should enjoy
their
natural beauty at their best now than later as
we may not know how long they will remain
intact. We can prolong their existence by
safeguarding
their beauty and their significance to science,
archeology, (Yes! the Tikal National Park for
example, contains ancient ruins of lost
civilisations) and mankind. It is the
responsibility of all to care for and preserve
these parks so that all and
posterity
can enjoy their magnificence. |
