A recreation ecology perspective on the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic: Potential parks and protected area impacts relating to visitor spatial use, terrestrial flora and fauna, and management

Abstract

Measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 require changes in the ways that people travel, gather, and recreate in outdoor spaces. In 2020, to limit human-to-human transmission of COVID-19, US park and protected area managers at all levels of governance implemented closures and restrictions on the types of activities and facilities available for public use. At the same time, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlined suggestions for social distancing, wearing face masks, and limiting travel and group sizes for social gatherings. This thought piece explores potential shifts in park accessibility and human behaviors that may lead to cascading impacts on visitor spatial use, terrestrial flora and fauna, and park management. We discuss potential changes in visitor spatial behavior and possible subsequent ecological impacts on terrestrial flora and fauna. Additionally, we connect these topics with management implications and emphasize adaptive management and continued monitoring to address current and future pandemic-related issues. We provide park managers, researchers, and other professionals with expected social and ecological implications resulting from managerial and behavioral shifts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, we suggest management approaches to address and monitor these impacts. This information can help shape how park managers respond to the ongoing pandemic and future human health issues that impact park visitors and flora and fauna. Finally, we offer suggestions for where prospective researchers can direct their focus, especially in areas where recreation ecology and human disease management intersect.

US national park visitor experiences during COVID-19: Data from Acadia, Glacier, Grand Teton, Shenandoah, and Yellowstone National Parks

“…These respondents changed their travel plans, and noted coping behaviors, such as arriving earlier, going to different areas of the park, exploring fewer sites, engaging in more automobile touring rather than non-motorized outdoor recreation, or ending a visit earlier than planned. These self-reported behaviors amid the pandemic are in accord with the predictions and observations of other protected area researchers (Jacobs et al 2021;Schneider et al 2021), who found that visitor coping behaviors were the result of attempting to social distance, avoid areas where masks were not being worn at a level comfortable to the respondent, or avoid crowding in general.…”

Outdoor Recreation Habits of People in Latvia: General Trends, and Changes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Increased human presence in forests has altered the movement patterns of wild animals [24]. Other possible implications include increased soil erosion on steeper slopes, changes in plant communities due to trampling, soil compaction and trail widening, and uncharacteristic animal behaviour due to littering, all reported in nature areas both in Europe and overseas [25][26][27].…”

The Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Spanish Protected Areas: the Case of Picos de Europa National Park

“…This study analyzed research papers that examined the diverse impacts of COVID-19 on protected areas. Regarding management of conserved areas, the impacts of the pandemic on decisions and strategies had cascading implications on economic, social, and ecological aspects (Jacobs et al, 2021). On operation levels, protected areas had to modify their daily routines and postpone activities that did not comply with lock-down restrictions.…”

“…Visitor flow patterns had multiple effects on visitors' experience, on local economies, on the tourism industry, on park's funding and human interaction with flora and fauna (Cheablam, Dachyosdee & Purintarapiban, 2021;Jacobs et al, 2021;Mandić, 2021;Cahyadi & Newsome., 2021;McGinlay et al, 2020). The effectiveness of visitor management was disrupted as problems on overcrowding and carrying capacity appeared.…”

“…In addition, visitors' profile changed as new tourist and nearby residents started visiting protected areas. Visitors' motivations to go to parks changed, as well as their behavior (Kupfer, Li, Ning & Huang, 2021;Ramli, Rahman & Ling, 2020;Souza et al, 2021;Jacobs et al, 2021). Negative outcomes were related to irresponsible use of the park and its facilities (such as parking issues, traffic jams, littering, walking out of marked paths, etc.)…”