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Environmental Impacts of Recreation in Parks and Reserves

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Perspectives in Environmental Management

Abstract

National parks and conservation reserves are subject to increasing levels of recreation and tourist pressure. These produce environmental impacts associated with travel, accommodation and recreational activities. Typical impacts in parks and reserves include soil erosion and compaction, damage to vegetation, disturbance to wildlife, water pollution, increased fire frequency, vandalism and noise. To minimise the environmental degradation associated with tourism and recreation may require: appropriate land-use zoning; regulation and surveillance of access and activities; direct physical protection of particular areas; and education both on-site and elsewhere. In addition, it is important to provide incentives to encourage low-impact types of recreation, such as contemplative, naturalist and wilderness travel activities; and discourage high-impact types such as sporting and social activities, use of motorised vehicles, and accommodation involving building and engineering construction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Griffith University Gold Coast, Queensland, 4215, Australia

    Professor Ralf Buckley

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  1. Professor Ralf Buckley
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© 1991 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Buckley, R. (1991). Environmental Impacts of Recreation in Parks and Reserves. In: Perspectives in Environmental Management. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76502-5_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76502-5_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-53815-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-76502-5

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