Recreation-related disturbance to wildlife in California—better planning for and management of recreation are vital to conserve wildlife in protected areas where recreation occurs

Expanding levels of authorized and unauthorized non-consumptive recreation increasingly threaten sensitive biological resources in areas protected primarily or solely to conserve them. As California’s human population grows, recreational use in protected areas grows commensurately. The majority of the documented effects on wildlife from non-consumptive recreation are negative; they include detrimental changes in behavior, reproduction, growth, immune system function, levels of stress hormones, and finally, to the survival of individual animals and persistence of wildlife populations and communities. This paper provides insights from the recreation ecology literature into these recreation-related disturbances to insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals from hiking, jogging, biking, horseback riding, boating, and off-highway/ all-terrain vehicles. The documented evidence of these disturbances to wildlife reveals the flaw in the prevalent assumption that recreation is compatible with biological conservation, the dual-role protected areas’ core function. This assumption usually rests on the expectations of (1) allowing only ecologically sound siting of recreational areas and ecologically acceptable types, levels, and timing of recreation, and (2) providing sufficient monitoring, management, and enforcement of recreation to ensure the perpetuation of viable populations of focal sensitive species. However, it is rare that these expectations are met. The ultimate essential outcome of the information provided in this paper is the cessation of the extant recreation-related exploitation of dual-role protected areas. This calls for a societal course change involving: widespread, long-term, and continual multimedia dissemination of the science-based information about recreation-related disturbance to wildlife; application of a science-based approach to siting recreational areas and allowing only ecologically acceptable types, levels, and timing of recreation; and, perpetual personnel and funding explicitly for management at levels commensurate with recreational pressure. These measures would also improve the often cited economic, educational, and recreational/health benefits of dual-role protected areas.