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Implications of outdoor recreation for wildlife conservation in protected areas

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dc.contributor.authorLarson, Courtney Louise, author
dc.contributor.authorCrooks, Kevin R., advisor
dc.contributor.authorReed, Sarah E., advisor
dc.contributor.authorKnight, Richard L., committee member
dc.date.accessioned2015-08-27T03:57:20Z
dc.date.available2015-08-27T03:57:20Z
dc.date.issued2015
dc.description.abstractOutdoor recreation is an ecosystem service provided by most protected areas worldwide, and it is usually assumed to be compatible with conservation goals. Since participation in outdoor recreation is growing globally, this presents a dilemma for conservation planners and protected area managers who must manage this demand for recreation while working to protect species. In this thesis, I present the results of a systematic review that summarizes and analyzes the scientific literature on the effects of recreation on animals (Chapter 1). I then describe the findings of a field study in which my co-authors and I measured and modeled recreation in a network of reserves in order to understand variability in human use of reserves (Chapter 2). An increasing number of studies are discovering negative effects of recreation on animals. My co-authors and I used a systematic review process to analyze 218 articles on recreation impacts on wildlife, without restrictions on geographic area, taxonomic group, or recreation activity. We quantified trends in publication rates and outlets, identified major knowledge gaps, and assessed evidence for negative and positive effects of recreation. Although publication rates are low and knowledge gaps remain, the evidence was clear with over 93% of reviewed articles documenting at least one effect of recreation on wildlife. Birds (39% of articles) and mammals (37%) were the focus of the majority of recreation studies, whereas research on 1) amphibians, reptiles, and fish, 2) locations in South America, Asia, and Africa, and 3) responses at the population and community levels was lacking. Although responses are likely to be species-specific in many cases, some taxonomic groups (e.g., passerine birds, shorebirds, ungulates, and coral) had more evidence of an effect of recreation. Counter to public perception, non-motorized activities had more evidence of a recreation effect than motorized activities, and snow-based activities had more evidence of an effect than other activities. In the second chapter, we sought to understand the variation in recreation activity at a network of reserves in San Diego County, California. We empirically measured spatial and temporal variability in recreation to identify biophysical and socioeconomic factors that influenced activity patterns. We measured recreation with remotely-triggered cameras and an expert opinion survey, and we used random forest models to identify important factors and make predictions to unsampled reserves. Accessibility variables (e.g., numbers of housing units, parking lots, and entrances), trail density, and the number of nearby reserves were important variables with strong positive relationships with visitation levels. This predictive model has applications for reserve planning as human populations continue to grow, and can be used to compare species exposure to recreation to prioritize future study and potential conservation interventions. Understanding the variability in visitation patterns can help inform protected area management policies that will more effectively balance human recreation with biodiversity conservation.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifierLarson_colostate_0053N_12966.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10217/167000
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2000-2019
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.subjectprotected areas
dc.subjectsystematic review
dc.subjectwildlife
dc.subjectrecreation
dc.subjectconservation
dc.subjectvisitation
dc.titleImplications of outdoor recreation for wildlife conservation in protected areas
dc.typeText
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineEcology
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

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