Untitled Flashcards Set

/Ecological Impacts of Recreation

1. Impacts to Soils, Vegetation, Water, and Wildlife:

   • Soils: Recreational activities (e.g., hiking, biking) can compact soil, reducing aeration and water absorption (direct impact). This compaction may lead to accelerated erosion (indirect impact).

   • Vegetation: Trampling from foot traffic can directly damage plants, reducing cover and increasing vulnerability to invasive species (indirect impact).

   • Water: Boating or swimming may introduce pollutants or disturb sediment, directly affecting water quality. Sediment disruption can alter aquatic habitats (indirect impact).

   • Wildlife: Recreation can disturb wildlife (e.g., bird nesting areas) directly by scaring animals away. This may lead to stress, affecting reproduction and feeding habits (indirect impact).

2. Direct vs. Indirect Impacts:

   • Direct Impact: Immediate consequences of recreation (e.g., soil compaction).

   • Indirect Impact: Secondary effects triggered by a direct impact (e.g., soil erosion following compaction).

Newer Considerations (Air, Sound, Night Sky)

1. Examples of Ecological Impacts:

   • Air Pollution: Emissions from vehicles increase air pollutants that affect plant health and reduce air quality.

   • Sound Pollution: Noise from recreational vehicles can disrupt animal communication and increase stress levels.

   • Light Pollution: Excess lighting affects nocturnal wildlife behavior and disrupts ecosystems.

2. Four Types of Air Pollution Sources:

   • Stationary Sources: Factories or power plants (e.g., a coal power plant).

   • Mobile Sources: Cars or boats (e.g., vehicle emissions).

   • Area Sources: Cities or agricultural regions (e.g., pesticide drift).

   • Natural Sources: Wildfires or volcanic eruptions.

3. Recreation Sources of Pollution:

   • Air Pollution: Exhaust from off-road vehicles.

   • Sound Pollution: Noise from jet skis or motorboats.

   • Light Pollution: Campground lights affecting nocturnal species.

Crowding

1. Visitor Use vs. Crowding:

   • Visitor Use refers to the number of people in an area.

   • Crowding is the perception of overuse, which varies among individuals based on expectations and tolerance.

2. Factors Influencing Crowding:

   • Visitor Characteristics: Experience levels or tolerance for crowds.

   • Characteristics of Other Visitors: Behavior or noise level of other groups.

   • Situational Variables: Time of day or location.

3. Coping Mechanisms (Displacement, Rationalization, Product Shift):

   • Displacement: Choosing a less crowded area.

   • Rationalization: Accepting crowding by adjusting expectations.

   • Product Shift: Changing activity or purpose to cope with conditions.

4. Explaining Low Perceived Crowding in Surveys:

   • Visitors often use coping strategies like displacement and rationalization, so even high-traffic areas may feel less crowded due to these adjustments.

5. Recreation Manager Concern about Crowding:

   • Crowding can diminish visitor satisfaction and harm natural resources, impacting conservation and public enjoyment.

Conflict

1. Expanding Conflict in Outdoor Recreation:

   • Increased diversity in outdoor activities and visitor expectations can lead to more conflict.

2. Concern for Recreation Managers:

   • Conflicts may reduce visitor satisfaction and damage natural resources, requiring management to balance competing interests.

3. Types of Conflict:

   • Asymmetric Conflict: One group perceives conflict while the other does not.

   • Goal Interference: Occurs when one group's activities impede another’s experience.

   • Social Values Conflict: Arises from differing values, even without direct encounters.

4. Conflict Likeliness Factors:

   • Activity Style: Differences in approach to the same activity (e.g., fast-paced vs. slow-paced hiking).

   • Resource Specificity: Importance of a particular resource (e.g., specific fishing spots).

   • Mode of Experience: Different ways people enjoy nature (e.g., solitude vs. social interaction).

   • Lifestyle Tolerance: Acceptance of others' recreational choices.

5. SCORP Interaction Types and Management Approaches:

   • Complementary: Activities enhance each other (e.g., birdwatching and photography) – encourage mixed use.

   • Supplementary: Activities coexist without enhancing each other – designate shared areas.

   • Competitive: Activities compete for resources (e.g., fishing vs. swimming) – manage access times.

   • Antagonistic: Activities negatively impact each other (e.g., ATVs in hiking areas) – separate or restrict use.

6. High-Density Recreation: Areas designed for intensive, high-volume use, like popular beaches, playgrounds, or urban parks. These areas support frequent visitor interactions and may include built facilities to accommodate high foot traffic.

7. Moderate-Density Recreation: Places where moderate levels of interaction are encouraged, such as regional parks or multi-use trails. These areas provide more space and solitude than high-density areas but still support significant visitation.

8. Low-Density or Dispersed Recreation: Remote or semi-remote areas designed for low-impact, low-volume activities, such as backcountry hiking or dispersed camping. These areas prioritize natural settings and limit visitor interactions to preserve solitude.

9. Resource-Based Recreation: Recreation that is directly tied to natural resources, such as wildlife viewing, fishing, or scenic drives. The interaction here is focused on enjoying or interacting with natural features, often requiring careful resource management.

Management Approaches in SCORP

To ensure sustainable use, SCORPs employ various management approaches based on the interaction type and specific conservation or recreational goals:

1. Carrying Capacity Management: This approach limits the number of visitors or uses in a given area to prevent overcrowding and resource degradation. For example, implementing permit systems for high-use trails helps control visitor numbers and maintain environmental quality.

2. Zoning and Spatial Planning: Zoning divides areas into zones with designated purposes (e.g., conservation zones, recreational zones). This approach helps manage different types of activities in suitable areas, reducing conflicts and protecting sensitive environments.

3. Impact Mitigation and Restoration: This includes steps to reduce environmental impacts from recreation, such as trail maintenance, erosion control, and habitat restoration projects. This approach is particularly important in areas with resource-based recreation.

4. Education and Outreach: Informing visitors about responsible recreation practices, such as Leave No Trace principles, helps reduce negative impacts from activities. This approach is effective across all interaction types and promotes sustainable use.

5. Adaptive Management: This is a flexible, ongoing approach where management practices are adjusted based on monitoring and feedback. For example, if a specific area shows signs of degradation, managers may restrict access or implement additional protections.

6. Partnership and Collaboration: SCORP often involves partnerships with local communities, conservation organizations, and user groups to support recreational goals and share management responsibilities. Collaborative efforts enhance resource availability and public engagement.

A releasor-cue normative violation occurs when a small or seemingly minor action goes against established social or environmental norms, often subconsciously prompting others to follow suit. In this case, picking a wildflower is a small action that violates environmental norms, potentially encouraging others to do the same when they see someone else doing it.

A direct management action involves rules or regulations that directly limit or control visitor behavior, often with immediate and enforceable consequences. Fines are a direct action because they impose an immediate penalty for violating specific rules, clearly enforcing behavior by discouraging non-compliance. 

Zoning is a direct management practice because it involves designating specific areas for particular types of activities or levels of use. By defining areas where certain activities are allowed, restricted, or prohibited, zoning directly manages visitor behavior and resource use in a structured way.

The peripheral route to persuasion relies on superficial or secondary cues rather than the content or strength of the message itself. This approach often emphasizes aspects like the attractiveness, credibility, or popularity of the message source, rather than a detailed analysis of the message content.

In contrast, the central route to persuasion would involve a focus on the message content and lead to more lasting changes in attitudes or behaviors.

Indirect management actions aim to influence visitor behavior subtly without directly restricting or mandating specific actions. Entrance fees are an indirect method because they serve as a deterrent or an influence on visitation levels, encouraging people to consider the cost but not directly controlling or enforcing specific behaviors once they are inside.