Linking biological monitoring and wildlife ecotourism: a call for development of comprehensive community-based projects in search of sustainability

Rural and indigenous communities are increasingly acknowledged as main actors of both wildlife ecotouristic and biological monitoring programs. Still, little consideration has been paid to the impacts of engaging in both types of community-based programs simultaneously. Here we discuss the connection that exists between biological monitoring and wildlife ecotourism and highlight the relevance of linking both activities through comprehensive community-based projects. We rely on birds and two emblematic experiences from indigenous communities of Mexico for setting up our recommendations. Then, we explore the relationships that exist among several components of wildlife ecotouristic and biological monitoring activities. Monitoring efforts might have positive impacts on wildlife ecotourism. Some areas of significance include the assessment of the effects of wildlife ecotourism on biodiversity, the determination of the spatial and temporal variation of the target biological populations, the estimation of the probabilities of observing target species, and the definition of management guidelines for conserving populations. In turn, wildlife ecotourism might benefit biological monitoring programs by providing funding, self-employment opportunities, contextualized objectives, and promoting the autonomy of communities. Our recommendations could be adjusted to different wildlife groups and diverse cultural contexts. We encourage the collaboration between wildlife ecotouristic and biological monitoring practitioners to foster comprehensive and self-sustaining community-based projects.