{"id":329,"date":"2015-02-03T10:47:08","date_gmt":"2015-02-03T10:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tool-besafe.pensoft.net\/?p=329"},"modified":"2017-02-22T14:05:28","modified_gmt":"2017-02-22T14:05:28","slug":"recreation-and-biodiversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/besafetool.euprojects.awt-2.arphahub.com\/index.php\/2015\/02\/03\/recreation-and-biodiversity\/","title":{"rendered":"Recreation and Biodiversity"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Thematic<\/strong>Topic<\/strong>
\n(i) Biodiversity<\/span> underpins outdoor recreation<\/em><\/strong>
\nOutdoor recreation is an important leisure activity for large proportions of the population in most countries.\u00a0 Whether it is water, forests, mountains, or a mix of many ecosystems<\/span>, people love the experience of being closer to nature.<\/p>\n

Nature-based recreation, involving interactions with and appreciation of the natural environment, largely depends on environmental attributes such as species richness, diversity of habitats and general environmental quality. Some activities such as angling or birdwatching depend very directly on specific parts of biodiversity.\u00a0 Others such as walking, biking and watersports rely on the ecosystem<\/span> more generally.<\/p>\n

The aesthetic qualities of natural areas that underpin visitor experiences are in part due to the range of biological diversity occurring within an area, directly through the sights and sounds of nature. The BESAFE review on aesthetic values showed that the biodiversity elements most recognised by stakeholders<\/span> as key for recreation and aesthetic services were fauna and flora species, particularly birds, fish and mammals. \u00a0In the Andalusia national parks case study (Spain) the role of traits such as the visual attractiveness of flowers and foliage were highlighted, and particular species, such as water birds, were stated as the \u201ckey attractions\u201d of tourism activities; the presence of native traditional livestock breeds was also important.<\/p>\n

Of course, the appreciation of these species is dependent on underpinning supporting services, habitat and environmental quality, including clean air and water quality provided by the regulating functions of ecosystems. These benefits<\/span> are often influenced by a wider ecosystem than the direct area used for recreation – for example, biodiversity in whole catchments provides water quality for boating, swimming, angling and waterside walks downstream. \u00a0Managing and valuing these large-scale impacts is challenging.<\/p>\n

(ii) Biodiversity-Recreation conflicts<\/em><\/strong>
\nAlthough pleasing landscapes with high levels of natural ecosystem function will enhance visitor values, many recreation activities can conflict with conservation objectives, in particular conservation of pristine and semi-natural areas.\u00a0 Some conflicts can be quite extreme, for example ski resort development.\u00a0 More generally, some more moderate level of conflict is to be expected. This can arise through infrastructure (e.g. car parks, visitor centres), emissions and impacts from activities (e.g. oils, chemicals, exhaust emissions, noise and bank erosion from motorised boating), waste (e.g. litter, lost fishing gear) and simply using the area (e.g. path erosion, trampling plants, picking flowers).\u00a0 Most of these impacts will tend to increase with greater numbers of users, and high intensity recreation is likely to have an impact on biodiversity conservation. The environmental impacts, and visitor congestion itself, can in turn damage the recreational experience.\u00a0 An example of specific trade-off arises in the Andalusia National Parks (Spain) case study, where there is conflict between non-extractive uses of species conseravtion and spiritual values, seen as important by conservation professionals and tourists, and recreational hunting, which is important for local stakeholders in both Do\u00f1ana and Sierra Nevada protected areas. To reduce the conservation and recreation conflicts, visitor management strategies are extremely important.<\/p>\n

Usefulness: Recreation-based arguments<\/span> for conservation<\/strong>
\nThe benefits of recreation, tourism and aesthetic experience supported by biodiversity can be expressed through a range of arguments, which may, alone or in combination, be suited to different audiences and different contexts:<\/p>\n