Recreation Conflict Research Articles

Behavioral Conflicts in Urban Greenway Recreation: A Case Study of the “Three Rivers and One Mountain” Greenway in Xi’an, China

The current greenway systems in China are relatively homogenous, whereas recreational groups and their needs are highly diverse. This discrepancy has resulted in increasingly severe behavioral conflicts during greenway recreation. However, scholarly research on behavioral conflicts in greenway recreational activities is lacking. Recreationists’ perceptions of conflict negatively impact their evaluation of the recreational experience, thereby limiting the ecological and recreational benefits of greenways. Therefore, it is crucial to categorize these conflicts, understand their formation mechanisms, and identify influencing factors, so as to put forward targeted management strategies for greenway construction. This study selected urban segments of greenways along the Wei and Feng rivers in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China. Field observation, semi-structured interviews, and NVivo 12 three-level coding were used to investigate and analyze the main types of behavioral conflicts perceived by various recreational groups on urban greenways and the factors influencing these perceptions. The results indicate that the primary types of behavioral conflicts are danger perception, space occupancy, environmental damage, and noise disturbance. Younger groups, highly educated individuals, local residents, and those with exercise as their primary recreational purpose are more likely to perceive conflicts. In addition, recreationists also focus on the completeness of greenway infrastructure, the richness of green landscapes, and the adequacy of behavior management. These findings can help greenway managers and planners understand the perception of recreational conflicts, enabling the formulation of targeted design strategies and management measures to mitigate these conflicts in urban greenway recreation.

Cultural and space-based factors influencing recreational conflicts in forests. The example of cyclists and other forest visitors in Freiburg (Germany)

More and more people are visiting forests for recreational and leisure purposes. Against this backdrop, conflicts have become rampant mainly due to limited spaces and conflicting recreational expectations. Recreational conflicts have the tendency to diminish the satisfaction that a visitor derives from leisure activities in the forest. This is a challenge not only to forest management but also to tourism product development. The study investigates recreational conflicts in forests by conducting a nationwide online survey. Conflicts were described based on how intensively they are discussed in public, how emotionally they are treated, and based on the willingness of the respondents in finding solutions to the conflicts. In order to investigate the factors that contribute to conflict genesis, the example of conflicts between cyclists and other forest visitors was researched by an on-site survey in Freiburg (Germany). The results show that cultural factors influence conflict genesis. For example, the activity style of recreationists and their mode of experience play an important role in conflict genesis. Both are cultural factors, when following a value-based understanding of culture. However, not are recreational conflicts judged as highly emotional; instead, they seem to be an expected part of forest visits. The study concludes with recommendations for tourism product development and forest management.

From backyards to the backcountry: Exploring outdoor recreation coping strategies and experiences during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand.

This paper explores the impacts that the New Zealand government's lockdown measures to contain the COVID-19 virus during 2020 had on the activity and experiences of outdoor recreationists in New Zealand. Concepts related to coping strategies such as rationalisation, displacement and substitution, have been used frequently to explain the behavioural changes and processes involved in outdoor recreation when disruptions arise such as crowding and recreational conflict. However, such concepts have rarely been applied to rapid on-set disruptors such as pandemics. This paper adopts coping strategy theory to help document the strategies adopted by outdoor recreationists in response to the national lockdown in 2020. Based on a qualitative analysis of twenty interviews with outdoor recreationists in New Zealand, various coping mechanisms such as temporal, activity, and spatial displacement are identified. These include increased appreciation for outdoor settings, discovery of local activities and microadventures, and increased walking activity across the restricted, reaction and reset periods. Outdoor recreation coping strategies may contribute to increased resilience to disruptive and rapid on-set events and enhance understanding of how recreationists respond and adapt to disruption. This research presents a unique insight of coping strategies adopted in response to the national lockdown that may have implications for participation and management of outdoor recreation in New Zealand in the coming years. This paper also offers a new perspective on the behaviourist tradition in the field of outdoor recreation which may be fruitful for future research examining rapid on-set disruptions and crises.

Open source acoustic model development for natural and protected environments

Natural quiet and the sounds of nature are important natural resources and experiencing them is an important aspect of outdoor recreation experiences. Anthropogenic sound can negatively impact these resources and diminish the benefits realized from outdoor recreation. On public lands where many types of recreation share trails and landscapes, the sounds produced by some types of recreation (e.g., motorized recreation) can negatively impact the experiences of others. To effectively manage public resources including natural soundscapes and recreation opportunities, public land and recreation managers need an understanding of the effects of recreation-caused sounds like those associated with motorized recreation. Acoustic models for recreation and protected areas provide an essential tool to help in predicting sound levels generated by these anthropogenic sources and can aid in studying the extent of potential recreation conflicts, while providing a definite direction to mitigate such conflicts. An open source outdoor sound propagation model integrated with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) lays out a good foundation for mapping visitor experience affected by sound sources like gas compressors and motorized recreation sounds. The results thus produced present a preliminary version of an outdoor sound propagation tool, to assist parks and state forest services in making important management decisions to refine visitor experience.

Recreation conflicts in national parks and coping behaviors of park visitors

Recreation conflicts in national parks and coping behaviors of park visitors

The Utility of GIS for Identifying Areas of Recreation Conflict for Targeted Interpretive Messaging

Past research has extensively studied interpretive messaging and visitor conflict within parks and protected areas. However, comprehensive understanding of how to identify trailside interpretive sign locations is lacking. The purpose of this study was to introduce an approach using geographic information systems (GIS) that supplements decision-making regarding sign placement. The study site was Grand Canyon National Park’s Rim to Rim (R2R) corridor. To identify sign placement locations, two analytical phases were conducted. First, GPS data loggers were distributed to visitors and their travel patterns were analyzed for spatial behaviors and spatial interactions that are known to influence the likelihood of recreation conflict. Specifically, locations with a high variance of visitor travel speeds and locations with concentrated visitor use were identified. Second, geographic data were analyzed to identify locations for a combination of features that together influence the likelihood of recreation conflict. Specifically, popular bidirectional trail segments with significant elevation change were identified. We reported these locations and areas using GPS coordinates for evaluation by future research. This research was a necessary step towards comprehensively understanding how to identify locations for interpretive signs.

노인 걷기참여자의 레크리에이션 갈등에 관한 연구

노인 걷기참여자의 레크리에이션 갈등에 관한 연구

Recreation conflict, coping, and satisfaction: Minnesota grouse hunters’ conflicts and coping response related to all-terrain vehicle users, hikers, and other hunters

Studying conflict and coping in recreation is important because some coping strategies may provoke distress, while others may lead to positive emotional changes. Building on applications of the transactional stress coping model to park visitors, anglers, and other recreation participants, we explored how Minnesota grouse hunters responded to interference by all-terrain vehicle (ATV)/off-highway vehicle (OHV) users, deer hunters, other grouse/bird hunters, general other hunters, hikers, and bear hunters. We examined relationships among interference, coping, and satisfaction for grouse hunters, and examined how hunter beliefs about ATV use related to perceptions of conflict with ATV users. Encounters with ATV users, deer hunters, other grouse hunters, and hikers lead to problem- and emotion-focused coping, including displacement, confrontive coping, and psychological distancing. Interpersonal conflict with ATVs was positively related to perceptions of interference from ATV users, while no/limited conflict was negatively related. Conflict and coping had a minimal effect on satisfaction. Management implicationsAlthough reported levels of interference from other user groups was relatively low, grouse hunters reported moderate interference from ATV users and the use of confrontive coping in response to interactions with ATV riders. Confrontive coping has been associated with increased distress, and deserves attention. However, interference from ATV users was low to moderate and most grouse hunters in the study personally use ATVs for recreation, so there is limited need for management to address conflicts between grouse hunters and ATV riders. Nevertheless, zoning for ATV-free grouse hunting could be tested in areas with reported conflicts between hunters and ATV riders.

Proactive Planning for Recreation on Protected Lands-Wildlife Management Areas in New Jersey

Individual states in the US protect lands for wildlife conservation and recreation. These state lands, often known as Wildlife Management Areas, have historically been used for consumptive recreational activities such as hunting and fishing. Today, states must consider how to appropriately manage these lands. In the State of New Jersey, we surveyed 4,198 users on-site, at WMAs, to determine their primary recreation activity, their demographics, and their willingness to pay for access to and management of these lands. Our findings indicate that there are more users participating in non-consumptive recreation activities and are willing to pay approximately $15 annually to use these WMA lands. Furthermore, many user groups are underrepresented. We recommend increasing outreach to these populations, developing a non-consumptive fee/donation system similar to existing programs in other states, and considering a management strategy that specifically targets seasonal and site use restrictions to avoid recreation conflicts.

\u201cMuddying the waters: recreational conflict and rights of use of British rivers\u201d

Rivers have historically been spaces of recreation, in addition to work, trade, and sustenance. Today, multiple groups (anglers, canoeists, rowers, swimmers) vie for the recreational use of rivers in Britain. But, this paper argues, legal definitions of rights of use have not kept up with the growth of recreational river use. Focusing on two groups, anglers and canoeists, it explores the emergence of conflict between recreational users of British rivers in the twentieth century, and subsequent campaigns for universal public rights of navigation on inland waterways. As a result of conflict (real and perceived), small-scale organized groups have re-conceptualized river spaces in ways that reflect a modern engagement with, and understanding of, water through recreation. This papers foregrounds recreation as a form of water-use that generates important water-knowledge. Grounded in the Environmental Humanities, it draws on notions of legal geographies, ‘modern’ waters, and hydrocommons to suggest that small-scale conflicts on British rivers are challenging how we use, govern, and conceptualize river water.

Human Disturbance during Early Life Impairs Nestling Growth in Birds Inhabiting a Nature Recreation Area

Nature recreation conflicts with conservation, but its impacts on wildlife are not fully understood. Where recreation is not regulated, visitors to natural areas may gather in large numbers on weekends and holidays. This may increase variance in fitness in wild populations, if individuals whose critical life cycle stages coincide with periods of high human disturbance are at a disadvantage. We studied nestling development of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) in a natural area where recreation activities intensify during weekends and other public holidays at picnic and leisure facilities, but not in the surrounding woods. In nests located near recreation facilities, blue tit nestlings that hatched during holidays developed slowly, and fledged with low body mass and poor body condition. However, nestlings that hatched outside of holidays and weekends in these nest boxes developed normally, eventually attaining similar phenotypes as those hatching in the surrounding woods. Within-brood variance in body mass was also higher in broods that began growing during holidays in disturbed areas. Our results show that early disturbance events may have negative consequences for wild birds if they overlap with critical stages of development, unveiling otherwise cryptic impacts of human activities. These new findings may help managers better regulate nature recreation.

Does Zoning Winter Recreationists Reduce Recreation Conflict?

Parks and protected area managers use zoning to decrease interpersonal conflict between recreationists. Zoning, or segregation, of recreation-often by non-motorized and motorized activity-is designed to limit physical interaction while providing recreation opportunities to both groups. This article investigated the effectiveness of zoning to reduce recreation conflict in the Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area in Colorado, USA. Despite a zoning management system, established groomed travel routes were used by both non-motorized recreationists (backcountry skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers) and motorized recreationists (snowmobilers). We hypothesized that persistent recreation conflict reported by non-motorized recreationists was the result of recreation occurring in areas of mixed non-motorized and motorized use, mostly along groomed routes. We performed a geospatial analysis of recreation [from Global Positioning System (GPS) points, n = 1,233,449] in the Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area to identify areas of mixed non-motorized and motorized use. We then surveyed non-motorized recreationists (n = 199) to test whether reported conflict is higher for respondents who traveled in areas of mixed-use, compared with respondents traveling outside areas of mixed-use. Results from the geospatial analysis showed that only 0.7 % of the Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area contained recreation from both groups, however that area contained 14.8 % of all non-motorized recreation and 49.1 % of all motorized recreation. Survey analysis results showed higher interpersonal conflict for all five standard conflict variables among non-motorized respondents who traveled in areas of mixed-use, compared with those traveling outside mixed-use areas. Management implications and recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of zoning are provided.

Not in our park! Local community perceptions of recreational activities in peri-urban national parks

ABSTRACTIncreased pressure to allow more recreational activities in peri-urban national parks may impact local communities. We surveyed residents living in local communities near six peri-urban national parks (IUCN Category II) in Queensland, Australia. We assessed their sense of place, their perceptions of different types of visitors’ activities, and interactions between attitudes and perceptions. Most respondents, including national park users and non-users, perceived non-motorised recreational activities as appropriate but perceived motorised activities negatively. Overall, negative perceptions were related to a respondent's sense of place. Respondents with a stronger sense of place had more positive perceptions of non-motorised activities but more negative perceptions of motorised activities than respondents reporting a weaker sense of place. Results suggest that people identifying with their local national park may have a small ‘latitude of acceptance’ for motorised activities. We found limited displacement due to recreational conflicts; most respondents still visited these parks. The methods used here, if applied to other peri-urban national parks, could help determine a local community's recreational activity thresholds, offering park managers a way to potentially diminish conflict and enhance visitors’ experiences.

Whitewater Boater and Angler Conflict, Crowding and Satisfaction on the North Umpqua River, Oregon

User satisfaction has frequently been used to evaluate outdoor recreationists’ quality of the experience. Similarly, recreational conflict has been important in previous literature as an approach to providing for a better understanding of conflict. This article examined potential conflict between whitewater boaters and anglers on the North Umpqua River. Our goal was to test the influence of ingroup and outgroup conflict and perceived crowding on trip satisfaction. Two multiple regression analyses found that the overall trip satisfaction of boaters and anglers was negatively influenced by perceived crowding. There was very little conflict intensity, and the zoning approach seemed to minimize in- and outgroup conflict. In this case the river is seen as a well-managed river recreation setting.

Exploring surfers’ perceptions of municipal regulations using grounded theory

The growing popularity of surfing has created management challenges for administrators who want to ensure the enjoyment and safety of beach goers. Virginia Beach, Virginia is one place where surfing has been popular for many years. We explored local resident surfers’ opinions on municipal surfing regulations through focus groups. Using grounded theory, we developed the Surfer Perceptions and Navigation of Regulations Model based on the following themes: positive aspects of regulations, regulations leading to crowding in the surfing areas, enforcement of the surfing regulations and confusion about the regulations and surfers’ navigation of surfing regulations. While we discovered similarities with our findings and other concepts in the recreation literature (crowding, displacement and recreational conflict), we also found support for our results in the surf culture literature. The results of this study could be used to inform quantitative research on surf management practices.

Exploring outdoor recreation conflict׳s role in evolving constraints models

Following recommendations to cross-fertilize leisure constraints and recreation conflict research, this project proposes contributions to the leisure literature in two areas: (1) it advances the study of outdoor recreation conflict by empirically testing the role of motivations in coping with outdoor recreation conflict and (2) it further develops the discussion of the relationships among motivations, constraints, coping, and participation. Analysis of data from hiker surveys in Minnesota, USA, revealed that: (1) constraints, coping, and motivations directly impacted outdoor recreation participation, and (2) coping did not mediate the relationship between constraints and participation. Whereas data do not elucidate the roles among these variables, they do empirically support the relationship between constraints and conflict. Hence, findings suggest the need for future constraint investigation to include motivation and coping indicators. Management implicationsIn outdoor recreation settings, managers can expect conflict affiliated with visitor interactions resulting in visitor stress and constraints to participation. In response, managers can expect experienced hikers to use mostly cognitive strategies that will not impact participation days. However, displacement used in this sample positively and directly impacted visitor outdoor recreation participation days, as did the motives of challenge and viewing nature. Therefore, planning for displacement is prudent and monitoring the social, economic, and environmental impacts is important. Similarly, anticipating the impacts of this displacement on staffing and educational efforts should be attended to.

Perceptions and Responses to Conflict: Comparing Men and Women in Recreational Settings

This study explored if incidence of and coping response to recreation conflict differed between men and women. The socio-psychological literature offers inconclusive evidence on this, and two hypotheses have emerged. The situational hypothesis attributes coping differences to the nature of the conflict whereas the dispositional hypothesis attributes coping differences to inherent differences between men and women. To test these two hypotheses, data were collected from 521 cross-country skiers and 451 hikers. Factor analysis, t-tests, and analysis of covariance found that men reported more visitor interaction and trail quality conflicts than did women while hiking, but only more trail quality conflicts when cross-country skiing. In their response to conflict, no significant difference in coping strategies emerged between men and women. Findings provide tentative support for the situational hypothesis of coping, strengthen the existing research on coping, and add to the literature on women's recreational experiences.

Further clarification of interpersonal versus social values conflict: Insights from motorized and non-motorized recreational river users

This study examined interpersonal conflict and social values conflict among motorized and non-motorized river recreational users at a relatively low use recreation area in interior Alaska. Previous methodologies for operationalizing social values conflict are not conceptually clear and may result in individuals being classified into the wrong conflict typology. This study addressed these conceptual problems by: (1) introducing a new conflict typology to differentiate between social values conflict and latent problem behaviors and (2) by uniformly applying a non-behavior based measure to classify social values conflict. Data were collected using an on-site survey of motorized (n=26) and non-motorized (n=63) river recreational users at multiple put-in/take-out locations. To the extent that conflict existed, social values conflict was the most prevalent. A small but perceptible number of respondents in both user groups reported a latent-behavior conflict. The results of this study were compared to the results of studies using previous methodologies. Differences were found between the number of non-motorized respondents who were classified into the no conflict and social values conflict typologies. Management implicationsUnderstanding the underlying causes of recreation conflict is essential to implementing an effective management response. Research has increased our understanding of conflict, yet the refinement of measures continues. This study investigated measurement issues regarding interpersonal vs. social values conflict and the impacts on management recommendations.•Correctly identifying conflict as interpersonal or social values is crucial to selecting the most appropriate management response.•Future studies of recreation conflict should also include evaluations of latent-behavior conflict to identify users who simply have a problem with another’s behavior even though it is not evident as interpersonal or social values conflict.•Evaluations of social values conflict should focus on non-behavior based measurements.•Managers should apply a combination of management strategies to reduce conflict among river recreational users.•Education efforts can be used to reduce social values conflict by broadening general understanding among users and dispelling myths. It can also be used to communicate generally accepted practices that can reduce or eliminate interpersonal and latent-behavior conflict.•Zoning and alternative management strategies such as alternative infrastructure development can be used to reduce interpersonal conflict by limiting interactions between users, enhancing recreational opportunities, and maintaining quality recreational experiences for multiple use types.

Willingness to travel to avoid recreation conflicts in Danish forests

Conflicts among forest visitors have direct effects on the quality of a recreational experience. As the number of visitors to forests close to residential areas increases, as well as the number of different activities, so does the potential for perceived conflicts. According to the literature, expanding knowledge of conflict characteristics and their causes is important for recreation planners and managers who aim to reduce conflicts.In the present study, different forest user groups were identified and categorised according to their pursued activities, and for each group, causes of conflict were identified. Furthermore, a choice experiment was constructed to estimate the distance visitors are willing to travel to encounter few visitors as opposed to many visitors, and thereby potentially experience fewer conflicts. Comparing the marginal willingness to travel (WTT) of different user groups suggests that some groups have a WTT further than the average to reach a forest with ‘Few’ visitors. The average WTT to reach a forest area with ‘Few’ visitors. ‘Mountain bikers,’ ‘Peace and nature lovers’ and ‘Horse riders’ are willing to travel 4km more than the average per visit to reach a less crowded forest. At the other end of the scale, we find that people who are doing physical exercise are willing to travel 2km less than the average to reach a less crowded forest.

Beach Carrying Capacity: The physical and social analysis at Costa de Caparica, Portugal

Silva, S.F. and Ferreira, J.C., 2013. Beach Carrying Capacity: The physical and social analysis at Costa de Caparica, Portugal In: Conley, D.C., Masselink, G., Russell, P.E. and O’Hare, T.J. (eds.), Proceedings 12 th International Coastal Symposium (Plymouth, England), Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 65, pp. 1039-1044 ISSN 0749-0208. The bathing-tourism phenomenon on Costa de Caparica beaches has evolved into mass tourism, compromising environmental preservation and socioeconomic balance. The aim of the study focuses on the use of management tools, such as carrying capacity, expanding to associated surfing activity in the water, as surfers are also users. This tool operates in available surface area and utilization rates, and it is also strongly influenced by the interconnection of analysis methodologies under protection of areas of higher sensitivity, and within the recreational conflict and behavioral response of users. For physical carrying capacity a head-count of users (surfers and beachgoers) was made at two different Costa de Caparica beaches, assessing their spatial distribution. After that, conflicts were analysed and sand dunes’ vulnerability were studied. Finally, through GIS, areas of use were delimited and by utilization rates the advisable maximum number of users for each area was obtained. Social carrying capacity was conducted through 322 personal interviews, looking at coastal perception and beach usage. The observations made during the summer months showed that user rates were 26m 2 and 54m 2 per use on the sand area and, 250m 2 and 660m 2 per user on the water plane for surfers. The comparison of physical and social carrying capacity showed an overcrowding phenomenon, which translated into a degree of discomfort for users, especially for surfers. This paper explores the physical dimension of the beaches and the perception of users, and the need to integrate the water plane as a part of the beach carrying capacity into the beach plans.