Application and test of an analysis model to explain impact perceptions in recreation areas.

摘要

A theoretical sampling was carried out and 825 recreationists belonging to 200 nature sport organizations in the northern and central Black Forest in Germany during the summer and autumn of 2003 to explore interactions between recreational use and impact-based visitor perceptions and reactions in the northern/central Black Forest Nature Park for integration into visitor-flow-management concepts. The Nature Park boundaries served as boundaries of the recreation system to be studied. Emphasis is given to the impact-situations of six different nature sport groups in relation to their recreational experience. Organized recreationists, which are hikers, cyclists and horseback-riders, as examples for traditional recreation activities, and joggers/walkers, hang-gliders and mountain-bikers as new leisure trends, were evaluated their recreational experience and give explanation of the various recreational impacts of nature and other users, as well as of individual recreational needs and expectations that will be tied together with the recreational experience within a recreation system. The main points considered in the study include questions on crowding and disturbing recreational factors (infrastructure, forest management and other users). It was found that the six sampled groups show differences in their socio-demographic structures as well as in impact perceptions. The main impact potentials found were disturbances caused by the infrastructure (paving, signing and erosion) and resulting norm conflicts by the type of use and landscape aesthetics. While a strong emotional attachment to the resource together with their long hiking experience mainly influences the nature-oriented hiker's impact perception, the activity-oriented mountain- bikers were significantly influenced by their activity-style in combination with their expectations. The less attached to the activity and higher the expectations of the recreation experience were, the more they felt disturbed. Independently from the activity type, out of the four motive groups, only "explore/enjoy" influences the group's impact perceptions in a positive manner. The principles of the model are mostly substantiated in the field of individual and social psychology and therefore transferable to a German recreational context. The model works well with homogenous groups like the mountain-bikers, but less with heterogeneous groups. The study presents an overview of the recreational situation in the light of social changes and their consequences for today's recreation planning and management..