A Review and Synthesis of Recreation Ecology Research Findings on Visitor Impacts to Wilderness and Protected Natural Areas

The 50th anniversary of the US Wilderness Act of 1964 presents a worthy opportunity to review our collective knowledge on how recreation visitation affects wilderness and protected natural area resources. Studies of recreation impacts, examined within the recreation ecology field of study, have span...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of forestry 2016-05, Vol.114 (3), p.352-362
Main Authors: Marion, Jeffrey L, Leung, Yu-Fai, Eagleston, Holly, Burroughs, Kaitlin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ecology
Global positioning systems
GPS
Human influences
Land use planning
Natural resources
Recreation
Studies
Water quality
Citations: Items that cite this one
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Summary:The 50th anniversary of the US Wilderness Act of 1964 presents a worthy opportunity to review our collective knowledge on how recreation visitation affects wilderness and protected natural area resources. Studies of recreation impacts, examined within the recreation ecology field of study, have spanned 80 years and generated more than 1,200 citations. This article examines the recreation ecology literature most relevant to wilderness and backcountry, with a focus on visitor impacts to vegetation, soil, wildlife, and water resources. We also review relationships with influential factors, such as the amount of use, visitor behavior, and vegetation type. An understanding of these impacts and their relationships with influential factors is necessary for land managers seeking to identify acceptable limits of impact or selecting management actions that will effectively avoid or minimize resource impacts.
ISSN:0022-1201
1938-3746
DOI:10.5849/jof.15-498