Recreational beneficiaries and their landscape dependencies across national estuary program sites: Tillamook Bay (OR) and Tampa Bay (FL), USA
ABSTRACTThis study aims to characterize the value associated with nature-based recreational opportunities and identify estuarine attributes most valued by users. With the National Ecosystem Service Classification System as a framework, we assessed the relationship between recreational beneficiary su...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Ecosystems and People |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26395916.2023.2276756 |
| _version_ | 1797385488044130304 |
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| author | Chanda Jones Littles Nathaniel S. Lewis Theodore H. DeWitt Matthew C. Harwell |
| author_facet | Chanda Jones Littles Nathaniel S. Lewis Theodore H. DeWitt Matthew C. Harwell |
| author_sort | Chanda Jones Littles |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACTThis study aims to characterize the value associated with nature-based recreational opportunities and identify estuarine attributes most valued by users. With the National Ecosystem Service Classification System as a framework, we assessed the relationship between recreational beneficiary subclasses and ecological end-products available to beneficiaries in Tillamook Bay, OR, and Tampa Bay, FL estuaries. We used the InVEST recreation model to assess the spatial distribution and intensity of recreation in both estuaries, then inform site selection in subsequent analyses. We evaluated photo content and collected observational data at sites with the highest utilization. Surveys of location attributes helped determine the availability of ecosystem service ecological end-products. Ordination techniques were employed to evaluate similarities in natural and human-made attributes across stations and establish groups of stations that could offer comparable recreational experiences. Recreational ‘experiencers and viewers’ were the dominant beneficiary group, as they took the most photos and were most often encountered during passive onsite observations. Composite features (e.g. viewscapes) were the predominant ecological end-products. Counter to hypothesized outcomes, there was no detectable difference in the number of recreational beneficiaries predicted between estuaries after accounting for site-scale variability. Locations with multiple natural and human-made attributes, including access points, had more recreational users. Onsite observations also revealed a potential need for more safe and equitable access options in high-use locations. Findings highlight the importance of recreational ‘experiencers and viewers’ valuing habitat mosaics, even across vastly different geographical settings. This exploration of how humans derive well-being from coastal landscapes is crucial to ecosystem-based management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:54:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-50783a9667c04ec8bbdad636bb15a5d3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2639-5908 2639-5916 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:54:56Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecosystems and People |
| spelling | doaj.art-50783a9667c04ec8bbdad636bb15a5d32023-12-20T00:08:50ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEcosystems and People2639-59082639-59162023-12-0119110.1080/26395916.2023.2276756Recreational beneficiaries and their landscape dependencies across national estuary program sites: Tillamook Bay (OR) and Tampa Bay (FL), USAChanda Jones Littles0Nathaniel S. Lewis1Theodore H. DeWitt2Matthew C. Harwell3Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellow, Environmental Protection Agency - Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Newport, OR, USAOak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellow, Environmental Protection Agency - Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Newport, OR, USAEnvironmental Protection Agency - Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Newport, OR, USAEnvironmental Protection Agency - Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Newport, OR, USAABSTRACTThis study aims to characterize the value associated with nature-based recreational opportunities and identify estuarine attributes most valued by users. With the National Ecosystem Service Classification System as a framework, we assessed the relationship between recreational beneficiary subclasses and ecological end-products available to beneficiaries in Tillamook Bay, OR, and Tampa Bay, FL estuaries. We used the InVEST recreation model to assess the spatial distribution and intensity of recreation in both estuaries, then inform site selection in subsequent analyses. We evaluated photo content and collected observational data at sites with the highest utilization. Surveys of location attributes helped determine the availability of ecosystem service ecological end-products. Ordination techniques were employed to evaluate similarities in natural and human-made attributes across stations and establish groups of stations that could offer comparable recreational experiences. Recreational ‘experiencers and viewers’ were the dominant beneficiary group, as they took the most photos and were most often encountered during passive onsite observations. Composite features (e.g. viewscapes) were the predominant ecological end-products. Counter to hypothesized outcomes, there was no detectable difference in the number of recreational beneficiaries predicted between estuaries after accounting for site-scale variability. Locations with multiple natural and human-made attributes, including access points, had more recreational users. Onsite observations also revealed a potential need for more safe and equitable access options in high-use locations. Findings highlight the importance of recreational ‘experiencers and viewers’ valuing habitat mosaics, even across vastly different geographical settings. This exploration of how humans derive well-being from coastal landscapes is crucial to ecosystem-based management.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26395916.2023.2276756Evangelia DrakouCoastal recreationecosystem service provisioncultural ecosystem servicesrecreational servicesecosystem-based management |
| spellingShingle | Chanda Jones Littles Nathaniel S. Lewis Theodore H. DeWitt Matthew C. Harwell Recreational beneficiaries and their landscape dependencies across national estuary program sites: Tillamook Bay (OR) and Tampa Bay (FL), USA Ecosystems and People Evangelia Drakou Coastal recreation ecosystem service provision cultural ecosystem services recreational services ecosystem-based management |
| title | Recreational beneficiaries and their landscape dependencies across national estuary program sites: Tillamook Bay (OR) and Tampa Bay (FL), USA |
| title_full | Recreational beneficiaries and their landscape dependencies across national estuary program sites: Tillamook Bay (OR) and Tampa Bay (FL), USA |
| title_fullStr | Recreational beneficiaries and their landscape dependencies across national estuary program sites: Tillamook Bay (OR) and Tampa Bay (FL), USA |
| title_full_unstemmed | Recreational beneficiaries and their landscape dependencies across national estuary program sites: Tillamook Bay (OR) and Tampa Bay (FL), USA |
| title_short | Recreational beneficiaries and their landscape dependencies across national estuary program sites: Tillamook Bay (OR) and Tampa Bay (FL), USA |
| title_sort | recreational beneficiaries and their landscape dependencies across national estuary program sites tillamook bay or and tampa bay fl usa |
| topic | Evangelia Drakou Coastal recreation ecosystem service provision cultural ecosystem services recreational services ecosystem-based management |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/26395916.2023.2276756 |
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