Evaluating the structure and use of hiking trails in recreational areas using a mixed GPS tracking and graph theory approach

Taczanowska, Karolina; Moreno, Luís Millán González; García‐Massó, Xavier; Muhar, Andreas; Brandenburg, Christiane; Toca-Herrera, José L.

doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2014.09.011

Cited by 63 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…It is possible that skiers may have changed their behaviors by feeling observed. This problem is a subject of discussion in recreation monitoring studies using GPS tracking to document visitor behavior in protected areas [19,23,39]. However, so far there is no empirical confirmation of this thesis.…”

Section: Limitations Of the Proposed Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our study builds upon our previous work [39], applying graph theoretical approach to analyze the structure and function of a recreational system, using as an example a network of designated backcountry skiing zones.…”

Section: General Meaning Of the Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Network analytic tools, although highly recognized in other disciplines such as sociology, economics, transportation, computer science, and medicine [6], are still underrepresented in the domain of recreation research [39]. Most of the studies related to outdoor recreation using graph theoretic analysis methods focus on the physical structures of recreation systems [40][41][42].…”

Section: General Meaning Of the Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analyzing Spatial Behavior of Backcountry Skiers in Mountain Protected Areas Combining GPS Tracking and Graph Theory

et al. 2017

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Mountain protected areas (PAs) aim to preserve vulnerable environments and at the same time encourage numerous outdoor leisure activities. Understanding the way people use natural environments is crucial to balance the needs of visitors and site capacities. This study aims to develop an approach to evaluate the structure and use of designated skiing zones in PAs combining Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking and analytical methods based on graph theory. The study is based on empirical data (n = 609 GPS tracks of backcountry skiers) collected in Tatra National Park (TNP), Poland. The physical structure of the entire skiing zones system has been simplified into a graph structure (structural network; undirected graph). In a second step, the actual use of the area by skiers (functional network; directed graph) was analyzed using a graph-theoretic approach. Network coherence (connectivity indices: β, γ, α), movement directions at path segments, and relative importance of network nodes (node centrality measures: degree, betweenness, closeness, and proximity prestige) were calculated. The system of designated backcountry skiing zones was not evenly used by the visitors. Therefore, the calculated parameters differ significantly between the structural and the functional network. In particular, measures related to the actually used trails are of high importance from the management point of view. Information about the most important node locations can be used for planning sign-posts, on-site maps, interpretative boards, or other tourist infrastructure.

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Section: Limitations Of the Proposed Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: General Meaning Of the Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: General Meaning Of the Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Analyzing Spatial Behavior of Backcountry Skiers in Mountain Protected Areas Combining GPS Tracking and Graph Theory

et al. 2017

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“…Even so users may go off trail and the result may be extensive damage to vegetation in a landscape [41]. For example, in the Danube Floodplains National Park in Austria 61% of hikers used designated trails, 21% used non-marked paths and 18% went off-trail [42]. There may be penalties for going off-trail but policing may be scant.…”

Section: Tourists and Wildlife In Each Other's Footstepsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Walking in Each Other’s Footsteps: Do Animal Trail Makers Confer Resilience against Trampling Tourists?

Croft

2019

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Modern humans, and other hominins before them, have walked across the landscapes of most continents for many millennia. They shared these landscapes with other large animals, especially mammalian herbivores and their predators, whose footsteps defined trails through the vegetation. Most of the diversity in the wild species is now concentrated in protected areas and visited by large numbers of tourists who may walk amongst them. This review examines the literature about medium-large animal and tourist trampling impacts to uncover any marriage between animal ecology and nature-based tourism research. Methodology is comparable. Animal ecology has focused on the propagation of grazing and trampling effects from a point source (usually water). Tourism research has focused on trail structure (formal/informal, hardened, wide/narrow) and the propagation of effects (especially weeds) into the hinterland and along the trail. There is little research to substantiate an evolutionary view of trampling impacts. At least tourists venturing off formed trails may reduce impacts by following animal trails with caveats, such as risk of encounters with dangerous animals and disruption of animal behavior. This is an under-studied topic but a fertile ground for research, aided by modern tools like trail cameras and geographically enabled devices borne by tourists.

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“…Other approaches allow researchers to map the intensity of use of different routes (visitor flows) based on the preferences of tourists. is research is done in terms of the implications for sustainable development and destination management (Edwards, Griffin 2013;Meijles et al 2014;Wolf, Hagenloh, Cro 2012;Bielański et al 2018;Taczanowska et al 2014), and for the creation of innovative tourist typologies (Beeco et al 2013;Shoval et al 2015;Grinberger, Shoval, Mc Kercher 2014;Hallo et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visitor profiling using characteristics of socio-demographic and spatial behavior as tools to support the management of protected mountain areas

et al. 2018

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Protected mountain areas are attractive tourist destinations, and the number of visitors to these areas is increasing. The extension of cable car operations into the summer season is a challenge for some protected areas. Our study focuses on visitor profiles and is based on the characteristics of socio-demographic and spatial behavior of cable car users of the Chopok area (Slovakia). The methods used involve recording visitors’ itineraries through the use of GPS loggers and conducting post-trip interviews with the study participants. In order to better understand visitors’ spatial behavior, the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and trip itinerary parameters was analyzed. Additionally, three distinct visitor profiles based on cluster analysis were found in the investigated sample. The results can be used to enrich our knowledge concerning the spatial behavior of tourists in mountain environments, and more directly, for the management of cable car destinations located within protected areas.

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Evaluating the structure and use of hiking trails in recreational areas using a mixed GPS tracking and graph theory approach

Cited by 63 publications

References 26 publications

Analyzing Spatial Behavior of Backcountry Skiers in Mountain Protected Areas Combining GPS Tracking and Graph Theory

Analyzing Spatial Behavior of Backcountry Skiers in Mountain Protected Areas Combining GPS Tracking and Graph Theory

Walking in Each Other’s Footsteps: Do Animal Trail Makers Confer Resilience against Trampling Tourists?

Visitor profiling using characteristics of socio-demographic and spatial behavior as tools to support the management of protected mountain areas

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