Nature-based Recreation Research Articles

A Comprehensive Review of Blue-Green Infrastructure Concepts

Climate change is expected to result in more intense and longer-lasting droughts and increase in the frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events. The combination of drought followed by intense rainfall increases the risk of severe flooding, with impacts on a range of natural and anthropogenic systems, including infrastructure (road washouts, damage to houses), and impacts on agriculture (soil erosion, and loss of crops and livestock). Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) is an interconnected network of natural and designed landscape components, including water bodies and green and open spaces, which provide multiple functions such as: (i) water storage for irrigation and industry use, (ii) flood control, (iii) wetland areas for wildlife habitat or water purification, among many others. This paper provides a review of information on the impact of BGI on environments, particularly on water resources, and vegetation. Efforts have been made to review the BGI development situation in different countries. Based on the research reviewed, the authors suggest the following as priorities for future research into the environmental impacts of BGI: determining the feasibility of BGI, and determining the impacts of applying the BGI for major regions where there have been considerable nature-based recreation and tourism resources.

Underprivileged Youths’ Participation in Nature-Based Outdoor Recreation: Motivations, Constraints, and Barriers

Underprivileged Youths’ Participation in Nature-Based Outdoor Recreation: Motivations, Constraints, and Barriers

Multi-site interactions: Understanding the offsite impacts of land use change on the use and supply of ecosystem services

Managing the impacts of land use change on ecosystem services is essential to secure human wellbeing; but is a task often complicated by landscape-scale spatial dynamics. In this study, we focus on one type of spatial dynamic: multi-site interactions (MSI), which we define to occur when a change in the supply or use of an ecosystem service at one site affects that service at a second site. In search of empirical evidence of MSI, we reviewed 150 papers on one ecosystem service—nature-based recreation. We found many studies assessed impacts of land use change on this ecosystem service, but only 2% of studies quantified changes in its supply or use across multiple sites. Given this limited evidence in the literature, we propose a novel framework to describe the pathways through which MSI emerge and their likely consequences for ecosystem services across multiple sites. We illustrate the utility of this framework for understanding impacts on three other services: crop pollination, fuel wood production and flood mitigation. Obtaining empirical evidence of MSI is an important next step in ecosystem service science, which will help identify when interactions among sites emerge and how they can be best managed.

Coupling visitor and wildlife monitoring in protected areas using camera traps

The global rise in nature-based recreation and tourism brings an increasing need for research on visitor activity in protected areas. Understanding the nature, distribution, and intensity of visitor activity can lead to better management of protected areas, potentially improving visitor experience while reducing impacts on the environment. Although passive infrared cameras (i.e., “camera traps”) are now a standard monitoring tool for wildlife researchers, they are less commonly applied by recreation social scientists for visitor monitoring in natural areas. Because study objectives differ between these two applications, protocols for camera placement also vary.In this study we optimized camera traps to quantify human trail-based activity while meeting established wildlife-oriented protocols. The method streamlines the data collection process, thus making visitor monitoring data more accessible. We first determined the wildlife-appropriate camera position optimal for capturing human trail use through a field test, in which we varied the speed of biker movement, camera angle, and distance to the trail. The optimized camera protocol was 1–2m from the trail edge, oriented 20° to the direction of movement, where the target is moving slower than 8 kph. We then experimentally tested this optimized camera protocol in a field setting along an unpaved, multi-use trail typical of many outdoor recreation locations. Two pairs of cameras were set following the optimized protocol while two pairs were set with a randomized protocol as the control. Compared with field observations, optimized camera traps recorded 82% of pedestrians (p<0.05) and 75% of mountain bikers (p>0.05). There was also a difference in performance between camera models, with the best model recording 86% and 97% of pedestrians and bikers, respectively. We conclude that camera traps can accurately quantify human trail-based activity while being set to wildlife science standards, reducing the cost of collecting visitor use data and producing high-resolution human-wildlife interaction data. Management ImplicationsMotion-triggered camera traps can be used to efficiently collect data on humans and wildlife through a single data collection process. Camera traps should be calibrated with field-based observation and positioned according to the following guidelines: located where traffic moves slower than 8 kph, oriented at a shallow angle to the direction of movement, and placed at knee-height on trees within 1-2m of the trail edge. It should be noted that camera traps might under-sample quickly moving visitors such as bicyclists. This cost-effective method can provide long-term data useful for monitoring both human trail-based activity and wildlife presence.

Pilot Testing of a Sampling Methodology for Assessing Seed Attachment Propensity and Transport Rate in a Soil Matrix Carried on Boot Soles and Bike Tires

Land managers of natural areas are under pressure to balance demands for increased recreation access with protection of the natural resource. Unintended dispersal of seeds by visitors to natural areas has high potential for weedy plant invasions, with initial seed attachment an important step in the dispersal process. Although walking and mountain biking are popular nature-based recreation activities, there are few studies quantifying propensity for seed attachment and transport rate on boot soles and none for bike tires. Attachment and transport rate can potentially be affected by a wide range of factors for which field testing can be time-consuming and expensive. We pilot tested a sampling methodology for measuring seed attachment and transport rate in a soil matrix carried on boot soles and bike tires traversing a known quantity and density of a seed analog (beads) over different distances and soil conditions. We found % attachment rate on boot soles was much lower overall than previously reported, but that boot soles had a higher propensity for seed attachment than bike tires in almost all conditions. We believe our methodology offers a cost-effective option for researchers seeking to manipulate and test effects of different influencing factors on these two dispersal vectors.

Assessing Nature-Based Recreation to Support Economic Development and Environmental Sustainability Extension Programs

In support of community development, natural resource, and other Extension programs, the research reported here aimed to identify current and potential outdoor recreational opportunities in the St. Johns River Basin, an inland area in northeastern Florida. We identify the characteristics of the visitors participating in the recreational activities and discuss opportunities to enhance tourism experiences. Similar research can be implemented in other U.S. regions to document the benefits provided by water resources to local and regional economies.

Spatial and Temporal Dynamics and Value of Nature-Based Recreation, Estimated via Social Media.

Conserved lands provide multiple ecosystem services, including opportunities for nature-based recreation. Managing this service requires understanding the landscape attributes underpinning its provision, and how changes in land management affect its contribution to human wellbeing over time. However, evidence from both spatially explicit and temporally dynamic analyses is scarce, often due to data limitations. In this study, we investigated nature-based recreation within conserved lands in Vermont, USA. We used geotagged photographs uploaded to the photo-sharing website Flickr to quantify visits by in-state and out-of-state visitors, and we multiplied visits by mean trip expenditures to show that conserved lands contributed US $1.8 billion (US $0.18–20.2 at 95% confidence) to Vermont’s tourism industry between 2007 and 2014. We found eight landscape attributes explained the pattern of visits to conserved lands; visits were higher in larger conserved lands, with less forest cover, greater trail density and more opportunities for snow sports. Some of these attributes differed from those found in other locations, but all aligned with our understanding of recreation in Vermont. We also found that using temporally static models to inform conservation decisions may have perverse outcomes for nature-based recreation. For example, static models suggest conserved land with less forest cover receive more visits, but temporally dynamic models suggest clearing forests decreases, rather than increases, visits to these sites. Our results illustrate the importance of understanding both the spatial and temporal dynamics of ecosystem services for conservation decision-making.

Willingness to Pay for Maintenance of a Nature Conservation Area: A Case of Mount Wilhelm, Papua New Guinea

&lt;p&gt;Ecosystem services that are not traded on markets contribute to human wellbeing however their economic value is not well known and research is required to reveal it. This paper reports on a study of willingness to pay (WTP) for the maintenance of Mount Wilhelm by urban residents and socio-economic factors influencing it. The possibility of developing an ecotourism strategy that could generate benefits for local are discussed. The data were obtained from questionnaire and personal interviews of residents of Kundiawa, which is the capital of Simbu Province, Papua New Guinea. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logit regression model. The results showed that 92% of the respondents were willing to pay for maintenance of Mount Wilhelm and they would pay an average of 7.4 Papua New Guinea Kina (US$ 2.5) each year. The respondents who belonged to high income group had the highest WTP, followed by those who were willing to give out part of their land for conservation. Approximately 62% of the respondents would pay ≥10 Papua New Guinea Kina (PGK), which is equivalent to the amount charged as access fee to Mount Wilhelm by the locals living around it. The willingness to pay ≥10 PGK was influenced by income, education, importance of forests and willingness to give up land for conservation. The findings will contribute to land use planning and design of nature-based recreation that meets societal demands.&lt;/p&gt;

Synergies between biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision: Lessons on integrated ecosystem service valuation from a Himalayan protected area, Nepal

We utilised a practical approach to integrated ecosystem service valuation to inform decision-making at Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park in Nepal. The Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-based Assessment (TESSA) was used to compare ecosystem services between two alternative states of the site (protection or lack of protection with consequent changed land use) to estimate the net consequences of protection. We estimated that lack of protection would have substantially reduced the annual ecosystem service flow, including a 74% reduction in the value of greenhouse gas sequestration, 60% reduction in carbon storage, 94% reduction in nature-based recreation, and 88% reduction in water quality. The net monetary benefit of the park was estimated at $11 million year-1. We conclude that: (1) simplified cost-benefit analysis between alternative states can be usefully employed to determine the ecosystem service consequences of land-use change, but monetary benefits should be subject to additional sensitivity analysis; (2) both biophysical indicators and monetary values can be standardised using rose plots, to illustrate the magnitude of synergies and trade-offs among the services; and (3) continued biodiversity protection measures can preserve carbon stock, although the benefit of doing so remains virtual unless an effective governance option is established to realise the monetary values.

Factors that contribute to community members’ support of local nature centers

Nature centers can serve as valuable community institutions if they are seen as providing important services to the community. Through survey research in communities surrounding 16 nature centers in the United States, we examine the attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs that drive hypothetical support for nature centers from local residents. Respondents who recognized centers as institutions that provide opportunities for leisure and connection with nature; contribute to civic engagement; and bolster local economies, community pride, and aesthetics reported the greatest likelihood of donating, volunteering, or responding to threats at local centers. Additional predictors of support included positive evaluations of staff members, perceptions of positive attitudes toward the center held by other community members, familiarity with center activities, pro-environmental attitudes, and past donation or volunteering. The findings highlight the potential returns for centers that expand their activities and operations beyond more traditional roles of providing nature-based outdoor recreation and environmental education experiences.

Economic value of a non-market ecosystem service: an application of the travel cost method to nature recreation in Sweden

ABSTRACTMost ecosystem services that are not traded on markets contribute to human welfare; however, these services are often undervalued due to the fact that their economic value is not well known. Accounting for the value of these services can help in making decisions that enable efficient use of environmental resources. This paper reports on a study of recreational trips to nature areas, the economic value of recreation in nature and factors influencing such trips. It also aimed to explore the possibilities of designing a nature-based recreation management strategy that could meet societal preferences and demands for recreation amenities. Data were obtained from a survey that involved Swedish residents who were randomly selected from a national register and were analysed using a negative binomial regression model. The results showed that the average frequency of trips to nature areas was 80 trips annually and the average travel cost for a trip to these areas was 117 SEK (16 USD). Forest-dominated areas were the most frequently visited and mountainous areas the least. Trips to mountain-dominated areas had the highest travel cost, followed by water-dominated areas, with forest areas the lowest. The consumer surplus for a trip to a nature area was 526 SEK (72 USD). The frequency of trips to nature areas was influenced by factors such as travel cost, type of nature area, travel time to and time spent at the nature area, recreational activity, income and dwelling place. If the aim of the Swedish policy on outdoor recreation (i.e. Right to Public Access) is to increase the frequency of trips to nature areas, facilities that could help reduce travel costs to these areas should be provided. Nature areas should be managed towards meeting societal preferences and demands for recreation. The findings could assist ecosystem managers in land use planning processes and in designing a sustainable nature-based recreation strategy.

Urban Fringe Bushwalking: Eroding the Experience

ABSTRACTUrban fringe areas are vital resources for urbanized populations, but are under pressure to meet demand for a variety of land uses, including recreation. Bushwalking is a form of nature-based recreation experience founded on antiauthoritarianism, egalitarianism, and immersion in the Australian bush. An online and telephone survey gathered perceptions of bushwalking club members regarding their experiences on the urban fringe in Western Australia. Results reveal perceptions that the bushwalking experience is being eroded due to confinement into “tame” settings. Respondents perceived themselves as custodians of nature subject to inconsistent, unfair management treatment, fueling an existing bushwalker suspicion of authority. The article poses a challenge for urban fringe natural resource managers to harness the potential of bushwalking club members by overcoming negative perceptions and sharing common goals. The implication is that certain types of recreation could represent a natural resource management asset, rather than a threat to be managed.

A quantitative assessment of policy options for no net loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the European Union

The Biodiversity Strategy of the European Union includes a target to “ensure no-net-loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services by 2020”. Many policy options can be envisioned to achieve such a no-net-loss target, mainly acting on land use and land management. To assess the effectiveness of such policies at a European Union (EU) scale, we simulated land use changes and their impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services indicators. We analysed a Business–as-Usual scenario, and three no-net-loss scenarios. The no-net-loss scenarios included measures that aim to reduce negative impacts of land use change on biodiversity and ecosystem services, by better implementation of existing biodiversity conservation measures (Scenario 1); and enhancement of existing measures (Scenario 2); and offsetting residual impacts on areas of high biodiversity and ecosystem service value (Scenario 3).Results show that none of the scenarios achieved overall no-net-loss. Compared to a Business-as-Usual scenario, the no-net-loss scenarios reduced the overall degree of land cover change at EU level, hence reducing impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services in large parts of the EU. The more comprehensive no-net-loss scenarios resulted in a gain of natural land cover. Moreover, natural areas became better connected, especially in peri-urban areas as a result of impact avoidance and offsetting. Richness of farmland bird species was projected to increase. Measures included in the no-net-loss scenarios had net positive effects on pollination and carbon sequestration, neutral effects on crop production, erosion prevention and flood regulation, and negative effects on nature-based recreation, compared to Business-as-Usual. In particular circumstances policy measures invoked displacement effects in land use allocation, reducing the effectiveness of the measures. This was primarily the case for flood regulation services throughout the EU.This study differentiates the potential effectiveness of a no-net-loss policy framework in three manners: (i) considering biodiversity and ecosystem services simultaneously; (ii) in the light of existing policies and land use pressures; and (iii) in different land use contexts across the EU. Taken together, we conclude that achieving no-net-loss for biodiversity and ecosystem services throughout the EU remains challenging given high land use demands. Nevertheless, in large parts of Europe there appears room for improvement for certain kinds of biodiversity and ecosystem services compared to Business-as-Usual, while still meeting other land use demands.

The Participation of Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults in Nature-Based Recreation

ABSTRACTThis investigation considers the participation of children, adolescents and young adults in nature-based recreation. We draw upon the recreation narratives of forty-seven adult recreationists in the activities of tramping, angling, hunting and mountaineering, obtained from in-depth interviews. In particular, the study considers the transitions from childhood through adolescence to young adulthood, and examines how our participants maintained their participation, or alternatively, disengaged from their activity over this period. The paper provides empirical support for the role of family, and early exposure to nature based recreation in fostering enduring participation. Failing this, the role of school, club and outdoor organizational support and mentoring, right through to tertiary study was highlighted. We also identify a critical role for unstructured outdoor play for young children in nature. The paper discusses challenges for this, and for mentoring, in both formal and informal senses, as pathways into nature-based recreation in an increasingly risk averse society.

Nature-based tourism and climate change risk: Visitors’ perceptions in mount desert island, Maine

Climate change poses many risks for nature-based recreation and tourism, especially in protected areas and parks. This paper discusses visitor risk perceptions of climate change and its impacts, and their potential consequences for nature-based tourism destinations such as national parks. An online survey was used to assess visitor risk perception on the likelihood of climate change impacts to affect Mount Desert Island (MDI)-Acadia National Park in the next 10 years, and potential risks those impacts could pose to visitors. Environmental impacts such as extreme weather and sea level rise were perceived by respondents as the most likely effects of climate change to MDI in the next 10 years. Conversely, respondents’ risk perceptions of climate change impacts as threats to visitors showed an increased importance of other environmental impacts such as increased presence of mosquitoes and ticks; with extreme events as the key risk to visitors. However, perceptions that pose potential personal risk to visitors gained in significance when considering their influence on travel behavior, including impacts such as disease outbreak and water scarcity. Factor analyses with varimax rotation identified four climate change impact factors associated with perceived vulnerability, perceptions of risk, and influence on future travel to MDI; the four factors generated were: weather patterns, impacts on wildlife, access and health, and physiological and safety needs. Results from cluster analysis yielded three segments: Skeptics, Believers, and Cautious. Segments were significantly different in how they perceived the vulnerability of the area to the effects of climate change, perceived risks, and changes that may influence travel behavior. Management implicationsThe present study has important implications for nature-based tourism management, particularly as associated to protected areas, such as national parks. Consequently, protected area managers may discuss whether the effects of climate change and visitor perceptions could be included in the overall management and monitoring efforts. Climate change most likely will influence travel behavior to national parks and other protected area categories, impact how visitors perceive potential personal risks and threats associated with their travel, and will impact the natural environment and infrastructure tourism relies on. Furthermore, diverse perceptions hold by travel segments, different visitor perceptions based on demographics (age, gender, and income), and seasonal influence in travel should be considered in the management of tourism activities within protected areas.

Nature-Based Recreational Therapy for Military Service Members: A Strengths Approach

Nature-based interventions have long been used as a strengths-based approach to aid in positive human development. The use of these interventions is underpinned by a strong knowledge base; however, little information exists with regard to the use of nature-based recreation therapy (RT) interventions as a strengths-based approach for working with military service members. This article provides an overview of typical treatment options for injured service members, explores the theoretical and conceptual foundations surrounding nature-based programming, reviews existing research literature on the use of nature with veterans, and offers a conceptual model for nature-based RT interventions for military service members. Recommendations and implications for practice and research are discussed.

Effects of different management regimes on mangrove ecosystem services in Java, Indonesia

Over half of the mangroves in Indonesia have been degraded or converted for aquaculture. We assessed the consequences of management decisions by studying the effects of different management regimes on mangrove ecosystem services in Java, Indonesia. A novel typology of management regimes distinguishes five main categories: natural, low intensity use, high intensity use, mangroves converted for aquaculture and abandoned aquaculture. Eleven specific management regimes were distinguished, based on legal status, management activities and aquaculture indicators. We assessed and verified matching ecological characteristics per regime. We identified key ecosystem properties underpinning service provision and ‘state’ and ‘performance’ indicators for seven ecosystem services: food, raw materials, coastal protection, carbon sequestration, water purification, nursery and nature-based recreation. Service provision was estimated and scored for each regime by relating their ecological characteristics with ecosystem service indicators. Natural mangroves scored highest for most services, except for food. High food production in aquaculture occurs at the expense of other services. Transitions between management regimes were illustrated to show consequences of management decisions. This study shows the merits of quantifying multifunctionality of management regimes in mangrove systems. Our findings contributed to a common vision among Javanese decision makers to include mangrove ecosystem services in their sustainable coastal management plan.

Depolderisation policy against coastal flooding and social acceptability on the French Atlantic coast: The case of the Arcachon Bay

This article details the results of a social survey concerning “depolderisation”, conducted in the Arcachon Bay on the south-western French Atlantic coast. Depolderisation consists of reopening polders to the sea via tidal gates, creating breaches in the dikes or dismantling them altogether. Although this technique has rarely been used in France, in comparison with the UK or the USA, it has begun to arouse interest, especially in the wake of storm Xynthia which in 2010 heavily damaged the French Atlantic reclaimed coast. In the Arcachon Bay, researchers have demonstrated that managing flooding risk through depolderisation leads to ecosystemic benefits, such as a more flexible sea defence through the restoration of saltmarshes, biodiversity enhancement and nature-based recreation. They have also investigated the social acceptability of depolderisation – the main topic of this article. Several methods were used to analyse this acceptability: thorough interviews, a questionnaire survey answered by 675 polder users and inhabitants and a survey on their willingness to pay. The results show that the local people and some of the stakeholders are largely opposed to depolderisation, preferring the reinforcement of sea dikes. This refusal is not linked to a fear of the sea but to a deep attachment to local polders and their uses, and to the slow pace of national policy development on coastal risk management. The fact that similar results have been obtained in other European countries confirms some of these results. This article is a contribution to the debate initiated in developed countries on more flexible or natural ways of managing coastal risks and adaptation to climate change, and on the social obstacles that hinder renewed and sustainable coastal policies.

Modelling preferences for nature-based recreation activities

This research contributes to a better understanding of visitors’ preferences and behavioural patterns in national parks and protected areas. A conceptual model is proposed to explain why visitors prefer particular nature- or culture-based activities. It integrates three components – outdoor recreation participation, expectancy-value and environmental attitudes. The New Environmental Paradigm is used to capture environmental attitudes, and the motivations for travelling to parks are based on the push and pull motivation factors. Structural equation modelling is used to test the proposed model using data from 401 domestic visitors to Portuguese parks and other protected areas. Results show that nature-based sports are influenced by motivation to do adventurous sports and by social norms; the pro-environmental attitudes, the motivation to enjoy nature and the influence of others affect the interest in interpretation activities; the model’s strongest impact on recreation activities is from culture-related motives.

Walk on the wild side: estimating the global magnitude of visits to protected areas.

How often do people visit the world’s protected areas (PAs)? Despite PAs covering one-eighth of the land and being a major focus of nature-based recreation and tourism, we don’t know. To address this, we compiled a globally-representative database of visits to PAs and built region-specific models predicting visit rates from PA size, local population size, remoteness, natural attractiveness, and national income. Applying these models to all but the very smallest of the world’s terrestrial PAs suggests that together they receive roughly 8 billion (8 x 109) visits/y—of which more than 80% are in Europe and North America. Linking our region-specific visit estimates to valuation studies indicates that these visits generate approximately US $600 billion/y in direct in-country expenditure and US $250 billion/y in consumer surplus. These figures dwarf current, typically inadequate spending on conserving PAs. Thus, even without considering the many other ecosystem services that PAs provide to people, our findings underscore calls for greatly increased investment in their conservation.