Wildland recreation disturbance: broad-scale spatial analysis and management

Wildland recreation that does not involve animal harvests (non-consumptive recreation) often influences various components of natural systems, including soils, water, air, soundscapes, vegetation, and wildlife. The effects of non-consumptive recreation on wildlife have typically been assessed at spatial scales that are not only much smaller than the overall distributions of this disturbance but also much smaller than the areas that species use during a season or year. This disparity in scales has prevented effective assessment and management of broad-scale recreation disturbance for many species, especially wildlife. We applied three software systems (ArcGIS, FRAGSTATS, and Conefor) to demonstrate how metrics commonly measured by landscape ecologists can be used to quantify broad-scale patterns of non-consumptive recreation. Analysts can employ such metrics to develop predictive models of how recreation disturbance - by itself and in additive or interactive combinations with other landscape characteristics - may affect wildlife responses across large areas. In turn, these models can inform decision making in broad-scale recreation management.