Title
Improving the integration of recreation management with management of other natural resources by applying concepts of scale from ecology
Author(s)
Morse W.C., Hall T.E., Kruger L.E.
Published
2009
Publisher
Environmental Management
Abstract
In this article, we examine how issues of scale affect the integration of recreation management with the management of other natural resources on public lands. We present two theories used to address scale issues in ecology and explore how they can improve the two most widely applied recreation-planning frameworks. The theory of patch dynamics and hierarchy theory are applied to the recreation opportunity spectrum (ROS) and the limits of acceptable change (LAC) recreation-planning frameworks. These frameworks have been widely adopted internationally, and improving their ability to integrate with other aspects of natural resource management has significant social and conservation implications. We propose that incorporating ecologic criteria and scale concepts into these recreation-planning frameworks will improve the foundation for integrated land management by resolving issues of incongruent boundaries, mismatched scales, and multiple-scale analysis. Specifically, we argue that whereas the spatially explicit process of the ROS facilitates integrated decision making, its lack of ecologic criteria, broad extent, and large patch size decrease its usefulness for integration at finer scales. The LAC provides explicit considerations for weighing competing values, but measurement of recreation disturbances within an LAC analysis is often done at too fine a grain and at too narrow an extent for integration with other recreation and resource concerns. We suggest that planners should perform analysis at multiple scales when making management decisions that involve trade-offs among competing values. The United States Forest Service is used as an example to discuss how resource-management agencies can improve this integration. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
Keywords
Hierarchical patch dynamics; Hierarchy theory; Integrated decision; Land managements; Limits of acceptable change; Management decisions; Multiple scale; Multiple-scale analysis; Multiple-use management; Natural resource management; Patch dynamics; Patch size; Planning framework; Public lands; Recreation management; Recreation opportunity spectrum; Spatially explicit; United States Forest service; Conservation; Decision making; Dynamics; Forestry; Integration; Land use; Planning; Resource allocation; Natural resources management; decision making; ecological approach; integrated approach; land management; natural resource; patch dynamics; public space; recreational development; recreational management; resource management; trade-off; community ecology; decision making; environmental management; environmental protection; integration; patch dynamics; rating scale; recreation; review; social dominance; article; ecology; forestry; growth, development and aging; legal aspect; methodology; policy; risk management; standard; tree; United States; Conservation; Decision Making; Dynamics; Forestry; Integration; Land Use; Management; Natural Resources; Planning; Resource Management; North America; United States; Conservation of Natural Resources; Decision Making; Ecology; Forestry; Recreation; Risk Management; Social Planning; Trees; United States

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