Thesis (M.Sc.)--Acadia University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-64). Also available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Acadia University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-143). Also available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

No description available.

This dissertation contains two journal articles; the first article (Chapter 2) evaluates the relative influences of use, managerial and environmental factors on trail width, from a survey of all formal trails in Acadia National Park, Maine, USA. Regression analyses of trail width data focus on increasing our understanding of the relationships among visitor use, environmental and managerial factors and trail width. In particular, regression modeling was used to evaluate the relative importance of factors that influence trail width along hiking trails. ANOVA analyses demonstrate differences in trail width based on trail surface type, and the presence or absence of trail borders. A novel approach of comparing intended widths to actual widths enabled us to look specifically at the avoidable and undesirable impacts associated with having a trail that is wider than intended. Informal trails (visitor created) represent a threat to the natural resources of protected natural areas around the globe. These trails can remove vegetation, displace wildlife, alter hydrology, alter habitat, spread invasive species, and fragment landscapes. The second article (Chapter 3) examines informal and formal trails within Great Falls Park, VA, a sub-unit of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, managed by the U.S. National Park Service. This study sought to answer three specific questions: 1) Are the physical characteristics and topographic alignments of informal trails significantly different from formal trails, 2) Can landscape fragmentation metrics be used to summarize the relative impacts of formal and informal trail networks on a protected natural area?, and 3) What can we learn from examining the spatial distribution of the informal trails within protected natural areas? Statistical comparisons between formal and informal trails in this park indicate that informal trails have less sustainable topographic alignments than their formal counterparts. Spatial summaries of the lineal and areal extent and fragmentation associated with the trail networks by park management zones compare park management goals to the assessed attributes. Hotspot analyses highlight areas of high trail density within the park and findings provide insights regarding potential causes for development of dense informal trail networks. / Ph. D.

Included in this thesis are two papers describing companion studies which employed complementary methodologies to study the issue of how Acadia National Park might balance resource protection efforts and maintain quality visitor experiences on the summit of Cadillac Mountain. In the first study, stated choice analysis was used to assess visitors' preferences for alternative combinations of public access, resource protection, visitor regulation, and site hardening to manage the Cadillac Mountain summit. Results suggest that visitors consider resource protection to be a priority and are willing to accept regulation of their behavior onsite, reinforced with the use of moderately to highly intensive management structures, but generally don't support limiting public access to the summit to achieve resource protection objectives. In the second study, qualitative interviews were conducted to provide an in-depth understanding of visitor experiences on the summit of Cadillac Mountain and how site management actions designed to achieve resource protection objectives might affect visitors' experiences. Respondents indicated that the summit of Cadillac Mountain is a centerpiece of Acadia National Park, and their experiences of the mountain summit are centered around the aesthetics and naturalness of Cadillac Mountain. Several factors emerged as influencing whether site management actions are deemed appropriate by visitors and perceived to affect visitors' experiences. In particular, site management structures that were perceived to blend in with the surroundings, be constructed of natural materials and protect vegetation were considered appropriate and of little consequence to visitors' experiences. Some study participants also suggested that site management structures that provide visitors with the opportunity to freely demonstrate their choice to help protect vegetation and soils can enhance visitors' experiences. In contrast, site management structures and actions perceived as being regulatory, confining, or limiting opportunities for visitors to choose to help protect vegetation resources were considered less appropriate and more likely to negatively affect visitors' experiences. / Master of Science

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of History, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 45-59).

Thesis (M.A.)--Acadia University, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-111). Also available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.A.)--Acadia University, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-111). Also available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.A.)--Acadia University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-135). Also available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

No description available.