Abstract
While outdoor recreationists often report increases to their well-being for time spent in nature, the mechanisms through which local ecologies affect human health have been difficult to quantify, and thus to manage. We combine data from pre-post salivary cortisol measures, GPS tracks, visitor photos, and surveys from 88 hikers traversing several types of landscape within peri-urban public lands in southwest Idaho, USA. We find that time in biodiverse riparian areas and areas of perceived aesthetic value correlates with decreases in salivary cortisol and improved well-being for hikers. Wildlife sightings were not associated with changes in salivary cortisol, but were associated with riparian travel and aesthetic preferences, indicating an indirect pathway for ecosystem services. Additionally, wildlife sightings decreased on high-use days, even though hikers did not perceive a negative impact of their recreational activity. These results suggest that cultural and physiological ecosystem services of nature depend on the ecological community of the area. Preferential visitation and high service value of riparian areas by hikers and wildlife alike target shared riparian areas as hot spots for management efforts to promote both ecological and human health within an increasingly urbanizing world.
Highlights
While outdoor recreationists often report increases to their well-being for time spent in nature, the mechanisms through which local ecologies affect human health have been difficult to quantify, and to manage
We investigate these interactions in a peri-urban recreational area on public lands in the Boise Foothills located in southwest Idaho, USA
After taking into account the effects of cortisol’s diurnal cycle and hiker demographics, we found that cortisol decreased in hikers who recreated through more riparian areas (n = 55, F1,52 = 8.575, P < 0.01) (Fig. 1A), and who perceived the aesthetic quality of the surrounding landscape to be high
Summary
While outdoor recreationists often report increases to their well-being for time spent in nature, the mechanisms through which local ecologies affect human health have been difficult to quantify, and to manage. Wildlife sightings decreased on high-use days, even though hikers did not perceive a negative impact of their recreational activity These results suggest that cultural and physiological ecosystem services of nature depend on the ecological community of the area. By connecting human well-being benefits to landscape ecology, we hope to bring novel insights into the mechanisms and relationships behind nature restorative effects, as well as pathways for preserving the many services provided by outdoor recreational areas. Countermanding their societal benefits, outdoor recreation activities are associated with negative environmental consequences such as the degradation of habitat and disturbance to w ildlife[13]. We tied hiker activity back to land management and evaluated perceived recreational impact, wildlife observance, and visitation rates within the greater context of conservation
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