Deserts,grasslands,and forests
Many of the world's iconic wildlife watching adventure tourism destinations are grassland and forest ecosystems. Lions like savannas,tigers live in jungles. Rains in savannas and monsoon forests are commonly seasonal,and the availability of grass,the food which supports the herds and flocks,is entirely dependent on adequate rainfall every year. The great wildlife migrations of sub-saharan Africa,for example,are driven by seasonal rainfall patterns. In dry savanna grassland ecosystems,the effects of climate change are likely to be felt initially through failure of the seasonal rains,leading to widespread starvation amongst herbivore populations and probably also to desertification through overgrazing. From an adventure tourism perspective,localised areas which have slightly higher rainfall or access to permanent watercourses will be buffered against change and may even benefit as wildlife from drier areas are forced to seek food and water. In the drier areas,herds are likely to thin out,and in the longer term some substitution of species is probable. Interactions with domestic livestock,however,and the politics of parks in the face of grazing pressure around the boundaries,are likely to be critical mediating factors.