Global ETD Search

1	The Effectiveness of Trail Mitigation and Theory-Grounded Signage in an Economical Approach to Reducing Social Trail Behaviors January 2018 (has links) abstract: Trails perform an essential function in protected lands by routing visitors along planned, sustainable surfaces. However, when visitors deviate from official trails in sufficient numbers, it can lead to the creation of social trails. These visitor-created pathways are not sustainably designed and can severely degrade both the stability and appearance of protected areas. A multitude of recreation motivations among visitors and a lack of resources among land management agencies have made the mitigation and closure of social trails a perennial concern. A sustainable, economical strategy that does not require the continual diversion of staff is needed to address social trails. In this study, two techniques that stand out in the research literature for their efficacy and practicality were tested on a social trail closure in South Mountain Park, a high-use, urban-proximate mountain park in Phoenix, AZ. A research design with additive treatments utilizing the site management technique known as trail mitigation, sometimes referred to as brushing in the literature, followed by theory-grounded signage incorporating injunctive-proscriptive wording, an attribution message, and a reasoning message targeting visitor behavioral beliefs, norms, and control was applied and assessed using unobtrusive observation. Both treatments reduced observed off-trail hiking from 75.4% to 0%, though traces of footsteps and attempts to re-open the trail revealed the existence of unobserved “entrenched” users. With entrenched users attempting to reopen the trail, trail mitigation represented an effective but vulnerable approach while the signage represented a long-lasting “hardened” approach that provides an educational message, management’s stance on the closure, and which might put social pressure on the entrenched user(s). / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Community Resources and Development 2018 Environmental management Recreation Hiking trails Informal trails Off-trail hiking Recreation impact Social trails Visitor behavior
2	Modeling the Ecological Consequences of Visitor Behavior in Off-Trail Areas Dispersed Recreation Use D'Antonio, Ashley L. 01 August 2015 (has links) Parks and protected areas are often created to protect important social, ecological, or cultural resources from impairment. In the United States, a large majority of these parks and protected areas are also public land where recreational activities such as hiking or scenic driving are allowed. Managers of many parks and protected areas must therefore try to protect resources while also allowing for recreation use that may put these resources at risk for damage. The field of recreation ecology is interested in understanding how recreation use in parks and protected areas can sometimes cause ecological impacts to vegetation, soil, wildlife, water, air, and soundscapes. This information is then used to help managers prevent undesirable ecological change. When visitors to parks and protected areas leave designated sites such as trails or roads, there is a greater chance that ecological impacts will occur. The studies presented here are designed to help managers better understand how visitor behavior off of designated trails may result in damage to plant communities. These studies examine data on both the social aspects of recreation use (such as visitor behavior and the number of visitors recreating) and the ecological aspects (specifically the plant communities found at popular recreation destinations). By looking at social and ecological data together, these studies can predict locations in parks or protected areas where ecological impact may occur as a result of recreation use. Managers can use these predictions to better allocate resources and time to managing recreation use at locations that are most at risk of impairment. Modeling Ecological Consequences Visitor Behavior Off-trail Areas Dispersed Recreation Use Life Sciences
3	Zoo exhibit design: the influence of animal visibility on visitor experience Plaatsman, Michelle 09 September 2008 (has links) Naturalistic exhibits have become popular among zoo designers as well as zoo visitors. However, one problem associated with naturalistic exhibits is that many times visitors cannot see the animals. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the effect of this lack of visibility on visitor experience. Other goals of this study were 1) to theorize the relationship between visitor experience and exhibit design, 2) to present the implications of this study on current practices in zoo exhibit design, and 3) to provide a series of design recommendations which will enhance current design practices. The results of this study suggest that there is a significant relationship between animal visibility and visitor experience. Most importantly, the results indicate that animal visibility can significantly influence how visitors use the interpretive materials associated with the exhibits. These results are important because a primary zoo objective is visitor education through sign readership. The most valuable contributions made by this study are 1) the theory proposed in this thesis which provides designers a stronger theoretical foundation from which to begin the design of zoo exhibits, 2) the findings provide additional empirical data in identifying qualities of exhibits which stimulate visitors to read, and 3) the findings provide researchers additional evidence concerning what factors of an exhibit are most significant in influencing visitor attitudes. / Master of Landscape Architecture zoo design exhibit design naturalistic exhibits interpretation visitor survey visitor behavior visitor education visitor attitudes visitor satisfaction LD5655.V855 1996.P533
4	Els visitants infantils dels museus gironins en el marc d'una visita familiar i no organitzada Servitja Tormo, Lada 28 November 2012 (has links) The present research try to analyze the objectively patterns of visitor behavior focused on 5 and 12 years old kids, which visited the museums of the city of Girona in a non organized tour. We combined different methodologies for the data collection: survey, non participant direct observation and symbolic language from offered and self-administered written response. As a result, we know how children interact with museum materials, how they make relations with the different group members, how they use supplementary materials to do the visit, what itinerary they do, how they visit the rooms, what kind of texts they read, in which Units of Attention they provide more interest, what colors attract the most, what effects in their behavior can have the lighting, the noise and the temperature, what are their preferences, and in general, which are the profiles of families who visit the museums of Girona. / El present treball de recerca consisteix en estudiar i analitzar les pautes de comportament objectivables del visitant lliure entre 5 i 12 anys d’edat, que visita de forma no organitzada els museus de la ciutat de Girona. Així, mitjançant la combinació de diferents metodologies per a l’obtenció de dades (enquesta, observació directe no participant i llenguatge simbòlic a partir de resposta escrita autoadministrada i oferta), hem sabut de quina forma aquests interaccionen amb els materials, com es relacionen amb els diferents membres del grup, com utilitzen els materials complementaris a la visita, quin recorregut fan i com fan la visita a les sales, quins textos llegeixen, a quines Unitats d’Atenció presten més interès, quins colors els atrauen més, quins efectes en el seu comportament pot tenir la il•luminació, el soroll, la temperatura ambiental, quines son les seves preferències, i a trets generals, quins son els perfils de famílies que visiten els museus gironins. Museum attendance Visitantes de museos Infants Children Niños y niñas Visites no organitzades Non organized tours Visitas no organizadas Museus Visitants dels museus Museums Museos Girona, Catalunya Pautes de comportament del visitant Pattern of visitor behavior Pautas de comportament 06 37
5	Communicating science : developing an exhibit with scientists and educators Lemagie, Emily 28 October 2011 (has links) Outreach is a small, but significant component to modern research. Developing an exhibit for public display can be an effective way to communicate science to broad audiences, although it may be a less familiar method to scientists than writing papers or giving presentations. I outline the process of developing an interactive exhibit for outreach, and evaluate and discuss the effectiveness of a computer exhibit designed to communicate estuary currents and scientific modeling using Olympia Oyster restoration in the Yaquina Bay estuary as a theme. I summarize the results of this project in three primary recommendations: 1) exhibit developers should be deliberate in the decision to use a computer and only select this media if it is determined to be the best for communicating exhibit learning outcomes, 2) the design of visualizations to convey research results should be carefully modified from their scientific forms to best meet the exhibit learning outcomes and expectations of the exhibit audience, and 3) scientists should play an integral role in the development of scientific content-based exhibits, but their expertise, and the range of expertise from other members of the exhibit development team, should be strategically utilized. / Graduation date: 2012 Exhibit Exhibit Development Exhibit Design Education Marine Education Marine Interpretation Science Interpretation Informal Science Environmental Interpretation Environmental Outreach Science Education Communicating Science Estuary Interpretation Communication Outreach Science Outreach Free-Choice Learning Informal Education Informal Science Estuary Education Museum Exhibit Interactive Kiosk Computer Exhibit Computer Interface Interactive Touchscreen Kiosk Marine Science Exhibit Computer Display Interactive Exhibit Interactive Visualization Current Simulation Scientific Model Numerical Model Estuary Science Visitor Center Marine Science Center Visitor Behavior Museum Hatfield Marine Science Center Science Center Emily Lemagie Oregon Sea Grant Education Kiosk Educational Kiosk Computer Kiosk Science Communication Touchscreen Interface Backwards Design Tidulator Museum exhibits -- Oregon -- Newport Hatfield Marine Science Center

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