Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2005. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 113 p. : ill. (some col.), col. maps. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 74-76).

Recent research in the field of tourism has demonstrated that the endorsement of the indigenous population is essential for the development, successful operation and sustainability of tourism. Achieving the goal of favorable community support for the tourism industry will require an understanding of how residents formulate their perceptions of the impact of tourism and their attitudes toward tourism. The purpose of this study was to examine the interplay of elements that affect host community resident attitudes toward tourism. The principles of social exchange theory provided the framework for a tourism exchange system model which posits that tourism is a system of exchanges of resources between the tourist, the host community, and the tourist business and service sector. The research demonstrated that a propitious attitude toward tourism is a function of a favorable exchange position which is viewed as a desire to enter into or maintain a tourism exchange relationship. / Ph. D.

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The ecology of raccoons (Procyon lotor) in High Knob Recreation Area, Virginia was studied from 1988 to 1990. Thirty raccoons were trapped and radio-collared, and 123 raccoons were collected from hunters and subsequently necropsied. Hunting was the primary cause of adult mortality. The annual survival rate was 0.54 according to a method described by Pollock et al. (1989). The finite rate of increase as calculated from life and fecundity tables was 0.929 indicating the population may have been decreasing slightly. Most raccoons examined were in good condition based on two condition indices. Good condition of these raccoons is likely related to the areas’ excellent mast crops in 1988 and 1989. Only 77% of live-trapped and 80% of hunter-collected raccoons produced litters. Lower productivity in High Knob raccoons as compared to other studies is believed to be habitat quality related. Acorns (Quercus spp.) and beech nuts (Fagus grandifolia) were the most important food items making up 29.2% and 20.8% of aggregate weight, respectively. Home range sizes were larger among males (649.1 ± 112.6 ha) and females (239.0 ± 40.0 ha) at High Knob than home range sizes reported from high quality habitats, which may reflect the poorer quality of habitat at High Knob. Home range overlap was extensive. On average, 67% of each home range was overlapped by 3 to 4 other home ranges. Activity and movements were depressed during the winter. Consistent use by raccoons of any particular forest stand type in relation to its availability was not found at High Knob. This is probably because of the homogeneity of the forest stand types. It is unlikely that raccoon populations will ever be as high at High Knob as in lowland areas due to poor habitat suitability. / Master of Science

Around the sports world, a considerable shift and trend reversal from organized club-based sportsengagement to unorganized forms of sport participation, also known as informal sports, is taking place. As a result, Swedish communities allocate funds from tight budgets for informal sports facilities and encourage investments due to concerns that fewer children and young people are active in sports clubs and that physical activity is no longer seen as an obvious part of leisure activities. However,previous research shows that such interventions often fail to effectively engage the sedentary and inactive target demographic, instead offering additional opportunities for individuals who are already physically active to engage in sports. When the pandemic broke out and authorities recommended avoiding shared indoor spaces many chose to spend their new found free time outdoors in recreational areas. This study's aim was to generate knowledge about engagement in informal sports in recreational areas and its relation to individuals’ sports backgrounds. During four observation occasions a participatory observation study was conducted to obtain a broader picture of the various individuals who visits a recreational area in a city in northern Sweden. The results suggest that sports background and athletic experience play a significant role in determining who visits the recreational area for informal sports. These visitors are not a societal group that policymakers should be concerned about in terms of promoting a healthy lifestyle.

I examined the population genetic structure of three known subspecies of Glaucomys sabrinus from Appalachia, Washington State, and two previously unexamined populations from Mount Rogers National Recreation Area (MRNRA) in Southwestern Virginia. Mean FST (0.107) and an AMOVA (P G. sabrinus subspecies populations in the southern Appalachians are genetically differentiated. Glaucomys sabrinus at MRNRA were less inbred than expected. Gene flow, a consensus tree based on Nei's genetic distance, elevated heterozygosity and morphometric data suggest that the MRNRA G. sabrinus population is an intergrade of the two recognized Appalachian subspecies, G. s. fuscus and G. s. coloratus. I compared inbreeding and the level of parasite infestation in the two MRNRA populations of G. sabrinus and found that Whitetop Mountain (150 ha habitat) was more inbred than the population on Mount Rogers (400 ha habitat, P Strongyloides robustus were greater in the more fragmented Whitetop Mountain population, although the difference was not statistically significant (P= 0.278). A Mantel comparison of genetic diversity and parasite infestation among individuals did show a highly significant negative correlation (P G. sabrinus form a unique insular population with high genetic diversity that is nonetheless susceptible to increased inbreeding, and elevated parasitism caused by fragmentation. MRNRA G. sabrinus should retain endangered species status.

In April of 1990 the Sebastian Inlet Tax District received a long-term (25 year) permit to conduct maintenance dredging of the navigation channel at Sebastian Inlet, Florida. Approximately 105,150 cubic meters of sediment will be removed every two years and pumped to a feeder beach immediately south of the inlet. The renourished beach, a high density nesting beach for loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtles, is within the proposed Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge and will play a critical role in the long-term maintenance of Sebastian Inlet as a navigable waterway. A turtle monitoring program was implemented by the District at the request of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The monitoring program was designed to investigate nesting behavior, reproductive success and physical characteristics of the nesting habitat on the renourished beach at Sebastian Inlet and on a control beach (Wabasso Beach). Daily nesting surveys were conducted to record all sea turtle nests and non-nesting emergences in each study area. All nests were marked, monitored throughout incubation and inventoried to determine hatching and emergence success. Data on physical parameters were collected in monthly profiles of each beach. Compaction values were recorded with a cone penetrometer along transects from the dune to mean high water line. Temperature of the ambient beach was recorded at 30 and 60-cm depths along two transects from the dune to mean high water line. Moisture and sand grain analysis were conducted monthly in 1991. Sea turtle nesting and hatching success were similar on the renourished and control beaches in 1990 and 1991, suggesting that renourishment had no adverse effect on sea turtle reproductive success. Nesting success on the renourished and control beaches, respectively, was 42.0% (N = 104) and 45.0% (N = 65) in 1990, and 62.9% (N = 165) and 62.4% (N = 118) in 1991. Hatching success on the renourished and control beaches, respectively, was 80.7% (N = 85) and 79.3% (N = 59) in 1990, and 69.1% (N = 118) and 66.7% (N = 102) in 1991. Compaction values averaged 500 PSI on the renourished beach, while values on the control were approximately 250 PSI. The higher level of compaction on the renourished beach resulted in a lack of complete nest covering, and aberrant nest chamber configurations on the renourished beach. Grain size and moisture content were similar on the renourished and control beaches. Compaction levels were not related to incompatible fill, implying that the manner in which the material was deposited resulted in the increased compaction. Beach temperatures measured at 30-cm and 60-cm depths indicated that the renourished beach was consistently 0.5°C warmer than the control beach. If the physical parameters of a subsequent renourishment project are within the findings of 1990 and 1991, there should be no adverse effect on sea turtle nesting and hatching success. The results of this project cannot be applied to other beach renourishment projects however, but should be restricted to future dredging projects at Sebastian Inlet. Although the results are not applicable to other locations, the methodologies developed to study the effects of renourishment on sea turtles could be applied to other beach renourishment situations. Future research should focus on how the physical parameters of a renourished beach affect the micro-environment within the actual nest chamber and embryonic development. / Master of Science

Thesis (M.A. in Cultural Resources Management)--Sonoma State University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 112-127) and abstract.

The graduation theses drala with the conflicts that occur in the recreation area Seč. These conflicts have been identified based on the bachelor's thesis, which carried out questionnaire surveys and situational analysis. PEST and SWOT analysis of defined environment were then processed in the thesis. These investigations revealed conflicts that hinder the optimal use of the recreational area. Based upon the current situation of the area, strategic targets, measures and tourism development plan were presented. The main goal of this thesis was to select a specific conflict in the use of Seč water reservoir for recreational activities and then prepare a proposal of project documentation. The propsal of project documentation is dealing with the lack of tourism infrastructure in the recreational area.

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