RECREATION RESEARCH PROGRAM

Recreation research has been a focus at the Leopold Institute since its inception. In fact, the precursor to this Institute, the Forests Service's Wilderness Management Research Unit, Intermountain Research Station, focused extensively on recreation and wilderness research.

RESEARCH GOALTo understand the effects of recreation use and recreation management strategies on wilderness attributes.

The Institute's Program Charter provides the most recent guidance for our Recreation Research Problem Selection and Justification.

PRIMARY RESEARCH EMPHASIS

Within the realm of recreation, we have identified three broad topics of particular interest: 1) to understand the basic dimensions of human experiences in wilderness; 2) to improve and evaluate educational programs that promote low-impact behaviors; and 3) to understand, manage, and restore recreation impacts. A substantial proportion of research currently focuses on these three topics, which were selected following extensive study of research needs and numerous exchanges with managers and researchers. Research in this field is designed to help managers balance the need to provide recreation opportunities while mitigating ecological impacts.

1. Human experiences. The US Wilderness Act mandates that wilderness areas provide opportunities for primitive and unconfined recreation, as well as for solitude, and research is needed to understand these human experiences. Recent research in this area includes determining:
1. how wilderness experiences are unique;
2. the sources of conflict between different user types;
3. the costs and benefits of restricting use;
4. the characteristics or impacts of day-users;
5. how commercial and private boat users and trip characteristics compare;
6. whether fees influence decisions to visit wilderness or alter visitor experiences.

2. Wilderness education is often used as a way to accomplish management objectives. Effective education can improve visitor experiences, provide information about backcountry conditions and hazards, reduce visitor impacts to wilderness, and enhance support for wilderness conservation. Recent education research includes:
1. summarizing of wilderness education programs across the United States;
2. describing education techniques, including their implementation and effectiveness;
3. assessing the effectiveness of trailside bulletin boards with low-impact messages;
4. identifying obstacles that limit compliance with low-impact messages;
5. evaluating low-impact education curriculum for school students.

3. Ecological Impacts and recreation continue to be extensively studied by Leopold Institute researchers, including campsite impact and recovery, human and packstock trampling impact and recovery, and suggested monitoring and restoration techniques. Recent research addresses:
1. response of arctic tundra to trampling;
2. impacts of use intensity on environments of varying durability;
3. relative impacts of llamas, horses, and hikers on established trails or meadows;
4. campsite impacts to vegetation and soil;
5. resistance of vegetation types around campsites;
6. visitor perception of impacts; and
7. trends in campsite distribution.

FURTHER INFORMATION ON OUR RECREATION RESEARCH:

• RESEARCH PRIORITIES

• RESEARCH PROJECTS - Searchable Database

• PROJECT DETAILS & RESOURCES

• PUBLICATIONS (Leopold Institute)

• WILDERNESS VISITOR AND RECREATION IMPACT DATABASE

OTHER RESOURCES:

• Defining, Managing, and Monitoring Wilderness Visitor Experiences: An Annotated Reading List.. Volume 2 of the Linking Wilderness Research and Management Series.

• Recreation Fees in Wilderness and Other Public Lands: An Annotated Reading List.. Volume 3 of the Linking Wilderness Research and Management Series.

• Backcountry Recreation Impacts to Wildlife (Draft, revised July 2006). Volume 5 of the Linking Wilderness Research and Management Series.

• Carrying Capacity, Visitor Management and Science.. Papers presented at a special session of the George Wright Society, 2003

• HOT TOPICS:
• Day And High-Density Recreation Use
• Recreation User Fees
• Recreation Use Estimation

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