Page 108 - A bird’s-eye view of recreation - Rogier Pouwels
P. 108

 A bird's-eye view of recreation
6.2.2 Connect knowledge along a clarity–complexity axis
One of the main trade-offs in the relationship between credibility, salience and legitimacy is clarity versus complexity (Sarkki et al. 2013). In conflict situations, tools may be rejected for various reasons. Simple tools may lack credibility because they are imprecise and do not exactly describe the local situation. Complex tools may be rejected because they lack transparency and are therefore not recognized as legitimate. So how do we find a middle way between these two opposing views?
In Chapters 2 and 4 I showed how complex spatial statistic methods can be used to develop simple tools and rules of thumb. To be useful to managers these tools need to give answers to their questions and translate information into their professional language (Cash et al. 2003). In Chapter 2 I derived rules of thumb for the main factors that determine the visitor densities in nature areas. I used complex statistical methods to determine the features that together best explain visitor densities. These complex methods are needed as all these features interact and together account for differences in visitor densities (Shoval et al. 2010). However, these complex methods are difficult to interpret. For the most important features I used simpler statistical methods to relate their impact on visitor densities. The results can be used to derive rules of thumb and help site managers when they discuss measures with stakeholders, such as the temporary closure of car parks or parts of the path network. They can use this information to indicate where visitor densities might exceed accepted limits derived from recreation frameworks (McCool 2016) or bird conservation targets (Eken et al. 2004, Hoffman et al. 2010). The complex statistical model can be used to assess these impacts in more detail, which might be needed in situations where the potential conflict is delicate.
In Chapter 4 I used statistical methods to derive dose–impact relations between visitor densities and the population sizes of three heathland species; Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), Stonechat (Saxicola torquata) and Woodlark (Lullula arborea). Scientific knowledge indicates that visitors have an impact on the breeding bird densities of all three species (Vos and Peltzer 1987, Liley and Clarke 2003, Mallord et al. 2007). To increase the salience of the derived dose–impact relations I used concepts site managers are used to working with: the number of visitors groups per hectare per year as the dose variable and the number of breeding pairs per hectare as the impact variable. This allows site managers to estimate the visitor densities they need to aim for in order to realize local population targets for these species.
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