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Applying Social Science to Outdoor Recreation Management

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Title: Monitoring recreational use in the Eastern Lake Ontario Dune and Wetland Area Author: ESF Administrative Last modified by: ESF Administrative – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Applying Social Science to Outdoor Recreation Management


1
Applying Social Science to Outdoor Recreation
Management
  • Diane Kuehn
  • SUNY ESF

2
Todays presentation
  • What is social science?
  • How does social science apply to outdoor
    recreation management?
  • Case study Eastern Lake Ontario Dune and Wetland
    Area

3
What is social science?
  • Science that studies society and the
    relationships of individuals within society.
  • Generally includes
  • Sociology
  • Psychology
  • Anthropology
  • Political Science

4
Why is social science different from other types
of science?
  • Non-laboratory settings common
  • Quasi experimental designs common
  • Qualitative methods frequently used

5
Social science research methodologies
  • Qualitative data collection
  • Interviews
  • Observations
  • Focus group sessions
  • Quantitative data collection
  • Surveys
  • Counts (e.g., of users, recreational license
    holders, etc)

6
How is social science related to outdoor
recreation research?
  • Study sociology and psychology in recreational
    settings.
  • Research topics can include
  • Interactions between recreating individuals
  • Factors that motivate individuals to recreate
  • Environmental impacts of individuals on areas
    used for recreation

7
How is social science research in recreation
implemented?
  • Identify issue (i.e., research question)
  • Identify user groups
  • Assess setting for research
  • Identify most suitable data collection methods
  • Conduct research
  • Identify how to apply results to setting

8
Case study Eastern Lake Ontario Dune and
Wetland Area (ELODWA)
9
(No Transcript)
10
  • 7 Public Areas
  • 3 state wildlife management areas
  • 2 state parks
  • 1 state natural area
  • 1 TNC preserve

11
History of collaboration
  • Early 1980s
  • High visitor-caused impacts to dune ecosystem
  • Fragmented ownership
  • State county agencies
  • NGOs
  • Private property owners
  • Funding needed for dune education and protection
  • Ontario Dune Coalition
  • Informal committee structure

12
The Coalitions primary concern
  • How can environmental impacts from visitor use be
    minimized?

13
Early efforts
  • Identified areas with erosion
  • Identified and implemented visitor management
    strategies

14
Visitor management
15
Visitor management
16
Visitor management
17
Interpretive Program
Signage
18
Interpretive Program
Guidebook and brochures
19
Interpretation Program
Dune Steward Program
20
The Coalitions next concern
  • Are our management strategies working?

21
Three approaches to evaluation
  • Visitor use study
  • Visitor survey
  • Photomonitoring study

22
Purposes of Visitor Use Study
  • To assess trends in visitor use.
  • To identify locations where use is concentrated.
  • To identify factors that influence visitor use
    (e.g., weather).
  • To create a strategy for monitoring use in the
    future.

23
Methods
  • Review existing data
  • Assess each property open to the public
  • Based on access points and observed use,
    designate Zones

24
Indirect Count Method
  • For each zone, collect
  • Full counts on randomly selected days
  • Daily spot counts
  • Weather data
  • An equation was calculated for each zone in each
    public area. For example

Visitor Use a b1(Day) b2(Spot Count)
25
Developing a monitoring protocol
  • Data found to be significant in determining total
    visitor use
  • Day of the week (weekend, weekday)
  • Daily spot count

26
Results
Eastern Lake Ontario Dune Area
Estimated number of visitors
27
Results
Public areas within ELODWA
Estimated number of visitors
28
Results
Sandy Pond Natural Area
Estimated number of visitors
29
Purpose of visitor survey
  • To identify visitor demographics.
  • To identify interpretive media used by visitors.
  • To identify if the ELODWAs interpretive message
    was being successfully communicated to visitors.

30
Visitor survey
  • 2-page on-site survey completed in 1997 and
    2003/04
  • 1997 93 visitors surveyed
  • 2003/04 359 visitors surveyed

31
Demographic Results
  • 93 of respondents from NY
  • 40 from Jefferson or Oswego Counties
  • Group composition
  • Family (44)
  • Friends (23)
  • Family Friends (23)
  • Alone (10)
  • Repeat visitors 80
  • Length of stay/visit 5 hours

32
Results
33
Results
  • Small interpretive signs
  • 91 (2003/04) had seen the signs.
  • 93 (of the 91 above) indicated that signs
    encouraged them to stay out of the dunes.
  • Approval of signs
  • 83 yes, 16 neutral, 1 no

34
Results
35
Results
  • Is message getting across?
  • Used open-ended questions
  • 78 (2003/04) and 94 (1997) stated that beach
    grass anchors sand.
  • 93 (2003/04) and 98 (1997) were able to
    identify one visitor behavior that causes erosion

36
Purposes of Photomonitoring
  • To identify changes in vegetative cover on dunes.
  • To identify changes in dune profile.

37
Photomonitoring
  • 35 sites throughout ELODWA between 1997 and 2005
  • 5-point scale of changes in dune appearance
  • 0 no change
  • 1 less than 25 vegetation cover change on
    exposed sand
  • 2 25 to 50 vegetation cover change
  • 3 over 50 vegetation coverage change
  • 4 complete vegetation coverage increased
    dune profile

38
Results
  • Ratings of 2 to 4 in 74 of sites

Rating 4, Sandy Pond Natural Area
39
Results
  • Ratings of 2 to 4 in 74 of sites

Rating 2, Black Pond WMA
40
Results
  • 9 slight change (rating of 1)
  • 17 had no change (rating of 0)

Rating 1, Black Pond WMA
41
Outcomes of study
  • Data collection protocol established
  • Interpretive message is getting across to most
    visitors
  • Positive changes in dune vegetation and profile
  • Future management strategies
  • Refocus of ELODWA staff on remote zones
  • Staffing increased in Lakeview
  • Additional efforts needed at Deer Creek
  • Similar study proposed for Salmon River

42
In conclusion
  • Social science is useful for land use management
    because
  • Its focused on both the users the environment.
  • It can be used to identify management strategies
    that take into account users.
  • It can provide balance between the needs of users
    and of the environment.

43
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