WHAT IS THE OVERALL APPROACH USED TO MONITOR WILDERNESS CHARACTER?
This monitoring protocol hierarchically links selected tangible aspects of wilderness character to specific indicators and measures, as shown in the figure. The two elements of this figure inside the box are taken directly from the 1964 Wilderness Act, while the four elements outside the box were developed for this monitoring protocol. The Section 2(c) Definition of Wilderness (in the box below) is used to identify specific qualities of wilderness that are related to the concept of wilderness character. Each of these qualities of wilderness is then sequentially divided into a set of monitoring questions, indicators, and measures. Monitoring questions set specific monitoring goals, indicators are the types of information used to answer each monitoring question, and measures are the numeric values that are measured or derived to quantify change over time in the indicator. In this conceptual model the downward-pointing arrowheads show that the concept of wilderness character drives selection of all the subsequent elements and ultimately the data that are collected. The upward-pointing arrowheads show how data collected on the measures are used to evaluate successively higher elements in the model.
The Section 2(c) Definition of Wilderness is used to focus wilderness character monitoring because this definition directs management of Congressionally designated wilderness. In addition, legal and wilderness scholars refer to this legislative definition to understand Congressional intent for the meaning of wilderness character (Rohlf and Honnold 1988, McCloskey 1999, Scott 2002). Based on this statutory definition the following four qualities were chosen to represent the general concepts and ideals, and sometimes subtle distinctions, that in combination distinguish wilderness from all other lands:
- Untrammeled - This quality monitors human activities that directly control or manipulate the components or processes of ecological systems inside wilderness
- Natural - This quality monitors both intended and unintended effects of modern people on ecological systems inside a wilderness since the area was designated.
- Undeveloped - This quality monitors the presence of structures, construction, habitations, and other evidence of modern human presence or occupation.
- Outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation - This quality monitors conditions that affect the opportunity for people to experience solitude or primitive, unconfined recreation in a wilderness setting; it does not monitor visitor experiences per se.
For more information, please see the following:
References Cited in This Section
Wilderness Character Monitoring:
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