Reports on Parks and Protected Areas

Normative Standards for Wildlife Viewing in Parks and Protected Areas

With increasing public interest in wildlife watching, there is a need to develop methods to better inform management of quality viewing opportunities. In this study, normative methods using indicators and standards of quality are applied at two diverse parks/ protected areas: a popular national park in Alaska and a lesser known wildlife refuge in New Hampshire. Three potential indicators of qua...

Protected areas – protected species?

Wild life: The elusive fosa (Cryptoprocta ferox) is the top predator in the dry deciduous forests of Madagascar, but very little was known about its biology until the 1990s. The presence of volunteer groups studying its role in the forest’s ecology has also helped to protect its habitat. (Photo: Earthwatch/ Luke Dollar.) The world’s latest national park has just been created in the east of Russ...

Parks, People, and Forest Protection: An Institutional Assessment of the Effectiveness of Protected Areas

— Are parks effective in forest conservation? This study examines data from 163 forests in 13 countries to determine the necessity of legally established protected areas for forest conservation and alternative conditions and institutions that may conserve forests. The results show no statistically significant differences in forest conditions between legally protected forests and forests governe...

How Much is Too Much? Carrying Capacity of National Parks and Protected Areas

Increasing recreational use of national parks and protected areas can impact natural and cultural resources and the quality of the visitor experience. Determining how much recreational use can ultimately be accommodated in a park or protected area is often addressed through the concept of carrying capacity. Contemporary approaches to carrying capacity – including the Visitor Experience and Reso...

Enhancing the Role of the Recreationist in the Conservation of Parks and Protected Areas by