Recreation as a transformative experience: Synthesizing the literature on outdoor recreation and recreation ecosystem services into a systems framework

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Outdoor recreation is a type of recreation that occurs in, and depends on, the natural environment. Ecosystem services are the benefits people receive from ecosystems. The outdoor recreation research (ORR) field has developed a detailed understanding of the recreation experience but has not developed a full understanding of the contribution of the natural environment to those experiences. Recreation Ecosystem Services (RES) is a newer area of research that highlights the contribution of the natural environment for recreation. The integration of these lines of research can improve our understanding of how the natural environment contributes to outdoor recreation benefits and outcomes. In this conceptual synthesis paper, we outline the evolution of outdoor recreation management to identify key theories and central concepts related to the biophysical setting in ORR. We then summarize contributions from RES, emphasizing the role of the natural environment in this research. Subsequently, we highlight key elements from systems theory and present the idea of transformation as a central element in outdoor recreation. We present a framework that captures central ideas from the ORR and RES fields and highlights the dynamic nature of transformative outdoor recreation experiences embedded in social-ecological complex adaptive systems. A more holistic systems view of outdoor recreation can help researchers and managers envision the bigger picture of how outdoor recreation land management contributes to recreation benefits and ecosystem services. If we understand the full complexity of the recreation system, we are better situated to address specific components in meaningful ways.