Thousands of tourists go to protected areas. Many of them move from one area to another and use the same backpacks, raincoats, boots, pants. .. even without cleaning them enough. What mechanism or substance can be used to clean the visitors without damaging the elements that they carry... but reducing human-mediated risk dispersal?
An interesting question. Trouble is it would be almost impossible to police controls and ensure that visitors adhered to the protocols. And given that we are still not making much progress in impeding purposeful introductions of damaging species, I am not sure how much success we could hope to have to halt inadvertent ones.
However, to answer your specific question on mechanisms/substances, I believe that the Australian Customs Services apply a very rigorous screening process/protocol for visitors at airports to identify those with a high likelihood of carrying potentially damaging biota (e.g. the will impound or clean excessively muddy boots). Perhaps you could look further into that?
Boot cleaning stations with brushes and disinfectant 'baths' can be placed at entrances (e.g. attachment).
New Zealand includes inspections.
Inspectors evaluate shoes and boots for materials clinging to them. From experience, they do take them and wash them.
http://www.customs.govt.nz/inprivate/onyourarrival/quarantine/Pages/default.aspx?s=2
I may add an experience from South Africa (attached). High efforts in hygiene and eradication of an invasive alien plant have been largely ineffective. On the other hand, I have researched in several old world National Parks (Europe & Africa) without a formal entrance at their access roads, thus measures as described for New Zealand and Australia cannot be implemented. Nonetheless these NPs, unprotected against invasive species are not invaded. How come?
the previous comments about NZ and Australia are controls at the border, which is easy for countries without land borders. In Australia they have measures to stop the spread of pests (e.g. fruit fly) between states. In NZ we had a brief campaign to prevent spread of Varroa between islands and currently there is an ongoing campaign to slow the spread of Didymo. Both relied heavily on education and signage. In parts of Australia they had (probably still do) washdown areas for vehicles exiting forests to slow and hopefully contain the spread of Phytopthora. In NZ we have several islands with no introduced mammals. Visitors must be part of an organised group and there are stringent controls and inspections on clothing (seeds) and baggage (rodents, seeds, invertebrates). In general though there are no controls for National Parks just education to hopefully prevent accidental introductions. Some NZ farmers require visitors (including the neigbours) to walk through an Iodine footbath to prevent introduction of bacteria that cause lameness in sheep. There are also inspection programs for aquatic plants at boat entry points where that is a risk.
Unfortunately there doesn't appear to be an easy catch-all; methods are targeted at the threat organisms and primary forms of introduction. Education is still our number one tool.
Thak all. I appreciate your words.
We have protected areas where thousands of people get into, almost at the same time.
Only for an apart zone we can do control (se attachment) but only for quitridiomicosis..
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