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Environmental Impacts of Camping in Low Regulatory Wilderness: Geographic Patterns in the Allegheny National Forest and their Implications for Management

Lee, Nathaniel H
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1523442960070504

Abstract Details

2018, MA, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Geography.
U.S. National Forests are experiencing increased visitor use. Though this trend has many positive outcomes, it also increases the pressure placed upon existing outdoor recreation resources. Therefore, timely and geographically targeted monitoring is essential to identifying environmental impacts from visitor activities. This study offers such an approach to allow for identification of impact severity and spatial extent, visitor behavior, perceptions, and values in the case of camping in the Allegheny National Forest. It contributes evidence that can be utilized for implementing effective mitigation measures that can help reduce impact while maintaining or increasing visitor experiences. Specifically, the goals of this investigation were to: 1) document the physical environmental impacts at each campsite, 2) assess on-site users’ perceptions and behaviors, and 3) use this data to inform recreation resource management decisions. Quantitative and qualitative methods were necessary to understand the complex nature of recreation resource management. Quantitative data were collected from three areas within the Allegheny National Forest whose designations varied between intensity of use and activity. This data displayed that impact intensity will increase with higher use and less management intervention. The qualitative data were collected through questionnaires provided to on-site users. The results of which indicated that the users were content with the current conditions of the surrounding environment and plan on returning in the future. This study reinforces the idea that management strategies must be implemented in order to maintain an ecologically healthy environment when recreation occurs within it. Of equal importance is that the management strategy should not detract from the user’s desired experience. Findings from this study emphasize the need for continual monitoring of environmental conditions and continual assessment of visitor perceptions when managing wilderness for outdoor recreation activities.
Jacqueline Curtis, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Jennifer Mapes, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Thomas Schmidlin, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
120 p.
Environmental Studies; Geography; Recreation
recreation management; camping impacts; visitor perception

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Lee, N. H. (2018). Environmental Impacts of Camping in Low Regulatory Wilderness: Geographic Patterns in the Allegheny National Forest and their Implications for Management [Master's thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1523442960070504

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Lee, Nathaniel. Environmental Impacts of Camping in Low Regulatory Wilderness: Geographic Patterns in the Allegheny National Forest and their Implications for Management . 2018. Kent State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1523442960070504.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Lee, Nathaniel. "Environmental Impacts of Camping in Low Regulatory Wilderness: Geographic Patterns in the Allegheny National Forest and their Implications for Management ." Master's thesis, Kent State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1523442960070504

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1523442960070504
357
© 2018, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Environmental Impacts of Camping in Low Regulatory Wilderness: Geographic Patterns in the Allegheny National Forest and their Implications for Management by Nathaniel H Lee is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.