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The effect of minimum impact education on visitor spatial behavior in parks and protected areas: An experimental investigation using GPS-based tracking.
Kidd, Abigail M; Monz, Christopher; D'Antonio, Ashley; Manning, Robert E; Reigner, Nathan; Goonan, Kelly A; Jacobi, Charles.
Afiliación
  • Kidd AM; Department of Environment and Society, Utah State University, 5215 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84332-5215, USA. Electronic address: abigail.kidd@aggiemail.usu.edu.
  • Monz C; Department of Environment and Society, Utah State University, 5215 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84332-5215, USA. Electronic address: chris.monz@usu.edu.
  • D'Antonio A; Department of Environment and Society, Utah State University, 5215 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84332-5215, USA. Electronic address: ashleydantonio@gmail.com.
  • Manning RE; Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, The University of Vermont, 81 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 50405, USA. Electronic address: robert.manning@uvm.edu.
  • Reigner N; Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, The University of Vermont, 81 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 50405, USA. Electronic address: nreigner@uvm.edu.
  • Goonan KA; Department of Environment and Society, Utah State University, 5215 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84332-5215, USA. Electronic address: kellygoonan@suu.edu.
  • Jacobi C; Acadia National Park, 20 McFarland Hill Dr., Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA. Electronic address: charlie_jacobi@nps.gov.
J Environ Manage ; 162: 53-62, 2015 Oct 01.
Article en En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26225933
The unmanaged impacts of recreation and tourism can often result in unacceptable changes in resource conditions and quality of the visitor experience. Minimum impact visitor education programs aim to reduce the impacts of recreation by altering visitor behaviors. Specifically, education seeks to reduce impacts resulting from lack of knowledge both about the consequences of one's actions and impact-minimizing best practices. In this study, three different on-site minimum impact education strategies ("treatments") and a control condition were applied on the trails and summit area of Sargent Mountain in Acadia National Park, Maine. Treatment conditions were designed to encourage visitors to stay on marked trails and minimize off-trail travel. Treatments included a message delivered via personal contact, and both an ecological-based message and an amenity-based message posted on signs located alongside the trail. A control condition of current trail markings and directional signs was also assessed. The efficacy of the messaging was evaluated through the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking of visitor spatial behavior on/off trails. Spatial analysis of GPS tracks revealed statistically significant differences among treatments, with the personal contact treatment yielding significantly less dispersion of visitors on the mountain summit. Results also indicate that the signs deployed in the study were ineffective at limiting off-trail use beyond what can be accomplished with trail markers and directional signs. These findings suggest that personal contact by a uniformed ranger or volunteer may be the most effective means of message delivery for on-site minimum impact education.
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Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Recreación / Conservación de los Recursos Naturales / Ecología / Educación no Profesional Tipo de estudio: Guideline Límite: Humans País/Región como asunto: America do norte Idioma: En Revista: J Environ Manage Año: 2015 Tipo del documento: Article Pais de publicación: Reino Unido

Texto completo: 1 Colección: 01-internacional Base de datos: MEDLINE Asunto principal: Recreación / Conservación de los Recursos Naturales / Ecología / Educación no Profesional Tipo de estudio: Guideline Límite: Humans País/Región como asunto: America do norte Idioma: En Revista: J Environ Manage Año: 2015 Tipo del documento: Article Pais de publicación: Reino Unido