Thesis (M.S. - Watershed Management)--University of Arizona. / Includes bibliographical references.

Conflict among recreationists in natural resource settings is a long-term problem that continues to grow in many areas. This study was conducted to provide an assessment of conflict between hikers and horseback riders in the Mount Rogers High Country of Virginia. Conflict was examined using three separate measures: crowding, impacts and interference. Examination of an index measure of conflict revealed that 64% of hikers experienced conflict toward horseback riders, while only 3% of horseback riders reported conflict due to hikers. Because of the clearly asymmetric nature of the conflict, the conflict predictor variables (past experience, wilderness involvement, place attachment and perceived similarity) were examined for the hiker population in the study. Discriminant analysis revealed that the model tested can predict with more than 68% success whether hikers will experience conflict due to horses. The perceived similarity of values variable was shown to be the most important and perceived similarity of socio-economic status the second in importance in explaining conflict. Hikers that perceived horseback riders to be different from themselves in how they value the High Country and in their socio-economic status were more likely to experience conflict with horseback riders than hikers that perceived horseback riders as similar to themselves. Measures of past experience and wilderness involvement were also significant predictors of conflict. However, relative to the perceived similarity items, these variables did not contribute much information or "predictive power" to the model. The two place attachment factors, place identity and place dependence, were not significant in the model. / Master of Science

Reclamation has been required since the mid-1970s in Florida and many other states that mine land for phosphate. While often controversial, land reclamation has involved a variety of technologies and regulations which often reflect the complexity of economical ecological and political forces involved in the decision-making process. Most often reclamation procedures are dictated by economic constraints and less often by environmental concerns. In 1982, Borden, inc. donated a 6.040 7 acre abandoned phosphate mine, located within Polk County In Central Florida, to the State of Florida. In 1989, the site was designated by the State of Florida as a state recreation area known today as Tenoroc State Recreation Area. The Area currently provides facilities for hiking, picnicking, and horseback riding with a particular emphasis on quality fishing within its manmade lakes. lt is the intent of the state to integrate land reclamation functions with the recreational potentials of the site thus providing a public use area that will generate support revenue (Scruggs 1992). The primary difference between the reclamation activities at Tenoroc and those reclamation activities of today is the lack of a conceptual plan. For the most part reclamation at Tenoroc has been planned as stand-alone projects with minimal foresight of the needs for future recreational uses, drainage patterns, or continuing reclamation activities. At this point a conceptual master plan is needed to integrate hydrological and land reclamation functions with the recreational potentials of the site into a framework for future management and development of Tenoroc. The goals and objectives of this study are as follows 1 To produce a plan for the restoration of Tenoroc State Recreation Area which will address the reclamation of natural systems with an emphasis on wildlife habitat and landscape diversity. 2 To provide for safety and recreation of visitors and staff, and 3. To develop a plan for a unique, educational and recreational experience that will fulfill the objectives of the Florida Department of Natural Resources. The process of reclamation starts the moment man begins to explore the earth for its minerals. Since mining is here to stay reclamation should be looked upon as a continuation of succession of the landscape, rather than repair of a damaged landscape. By approaching reclamation holistically, as just another step in the mining process; through proper planning, management and program, the strife for achieving a balance between our quality of life and our sustainability become that much more of a reality. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pennsylvania State University, 2009. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. Thesis advisor: Robert P. Brooks.

Thesis--University of Wisconsin--Stevens Point, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 99).

Current stand structure and composition, biomass levels and distributions, stand level foliage surface area (LAI) estimations, and mortality and growth patterns were determined using consistent sampling methodology for a network of 142 (20 m x 20 m) permanent plots at three southern Appalachian spruce-fir sites (Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area (NRA) of Virginia, the Black Mountains of North Carolina, and the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina). Baseline conditions were documented to accommodate future efforts to determine actual phenomena of forest decline in a highly disturbed ecosystem. Information on structure, composition, and growth and mortality trends were combined to develop a model to predict forest change for the next two decades. Past studies indicated that undisturbed spruce-fir species distribution tended to follow an elevation gradient: red spruce (Picea rubens Sargent) dominance changing to Fraser fir (Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poiret) dominance as elevation increased. Current stand composition at the Black Mountains and the Great Smokies also showed a shift from spruce to fir; however, Mt. Rogers NRA was an exception to that trend. As fir abundance increased with elevation there were increasing levels of balsam woolly adelgid-caused (Adelgid piceae Ratz.) mortality at the Black and Smoky Mountains where there was a greater proportion of standing dead fir than live fir. Unlike these two sites, Fraser fir on Mount Rogers still had escaped major damage from the adelgid. Projected leaf area index (LAI)(m²/m²) was developed for spruce, fir and yellow birch (Betula lutea Michaux f.), based on predicted foliage weight from overstory biomass equations, as a quantifiable measure of forest productivity. Primarily old-growth spruce-fir stands at the Great Smoky Mountains had an average LAI (11.9) significantly greater than stands at Mt. Rogers NRA (9.1) or the Black Mountains (8.3) which both have a patchwork of disturbance histories. Some conversion to increased hardwoods may have occurred in second growth stands at lower elevations with a resulting lower leaf area capability. At higher elevations (1830-1980 m), LAI was predicted to decrease if the remaining adelgid-infested fir die for both virgin and logged sites. Past studies have inferred information on mortality patterns from assessment of standing dead stems density. Overstory annual mortality was directly measured each year from 1985 and 1989 and found to vary among the four dominant overstory species; mountain-ash (Sorbus americana Marshall) had the highest rate (6.4 %), followed by fir (5.8 %), birch (2.7 %), and spruce had the lowest (2.1 %). Results suggested that enumerations of standing dead trees should not be used to assess mortality patterns since a substantial proportion (20-30 %) of all trees that died, fell to the ground in the same year, and were never part of the pool of standing dead stems. Comparisons of fir diameter distribution indicated that at sites where the balsam woolly adelgid was causing significant fir mortality, stand structure was shifting because of the elimination of larger (> 35 cm DBH) live fir stems. Prediction of individual tree mortality using logistic regression was unsuccessful for birch and mountain-ash, while equations to predict spruce and fir mortality depended on crown condition (amount of intact needles), as a predictor variable. Since an accelerated rate of change in stand structure has been predicted to occur with increased mortality and reduced growth rates, a short-term (twenty year) projection model of forest composition and structure was developed. Individual tree basal area increment equations for red spruce, Fraser fir, and yellow birch, along with ingrowth and mortality information were combined to provide predictions starting from the year 1989 and ending in 2009. Where the adelgid has been dominating fir mortality patterns for several decades, such as in the Black Mountains, little overall change is expected. For most elevations basal area is projected to be stable while stem densities decrease. In the Smokies, where little fir is found at or below 1675 m elevation, stand structure is predicted to change little during the 20 year period. However, the highest elevations of the Smokies are predicted to eventually be similar to the current stand structure of high elevations of the Black Mountains. The adelgid infestation of the peaks of the central Smokies lagged by twenty-some years behind the Black Mountains and the model predicts a deterioration of fir as well as spruce in that area. / Ph. D.

Recent research has emphasized the importance of rail-trails for various activity experiences and economic benefits. Past research has not, however, examined rail-trail opportunities with other trail opportunities in order to understand whether specific management efforts are needed for this type of setting and its users. This study investigated the differences between rail-trail users and general trail users with respect to socio-demographics (age, income, gender, income, community type), use characteristics (frequency of visitation, miles traveled to the site, group size, past experience with the area), expenditures (total and specific types), and trail/activity meanings (satisfaction, setting appraisals, place attachment, activity involvement, mode of experience). The study included a variety of camping and day-use areas within the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. On-site interview and mail survey data were obtained from 235 trail respondents from May through October, 1993. Findings revealed few group differences with respect to socio-demographics and trail meanings. Use characteristics and expenditures, however, demonstrated differences as rail-trail users tended to be day-users who traveled shorter distances, participated in trail activities for fewer hours and within smaller groups, and tended to spend more on hotel accommodations and restaurants than general trail users. Management implications relate to assisting the economic base of local communities by attracting more non-local rail-trail users and encouraging them to stay longer in the region. Recommendations for further research suggest assessing benefits and motivations with respect to specific trail opportunities in order to reveal greater group differentiation. A discussion on the joint effects of variations in activities at the two trail settings is also addressed. / Master of Science

Thesis (M.S.)--Humboldt State University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 53-55). Also available via Humboldt Digital Scholar.

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