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Sunday, February 15, 2015

Excess parking at some Denver sports stadiums

Sports stadiums in Denver suffer from excess parking, creating unattractive concrete spaces, heat islands, and missed economic opportunities, according to a new study from the University of Colorado Denver.

"We tend to think the more parking, the better," said Wesley Marshall, PhD, PE, assistant professor of civil engineering at the CU Denver College of Engineering and Applied Science. "But too much parking can be as bad as too little."

The study began as a research project for CU Denver engineering student Alejandro Henao and was recently published in the Transportation Research Record, Journal of the Transportation Research Board. Historically, sports teams and their host cities have had difficulty determining parking needs. So the researchers set out to see how Denver stacked up, focusing on Coors Field, the Pepsi Center, Sports Authority Field and Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

Henao gained hands-on experience surveying all four sporting venues, noting the number of available parking spaces, number of people arriving per car, examining aerial images, and talking to facilities managers and spectators. The baseball park and the basketball/hockey arena were surveyed during weekday games while football field and soccer stadium data were collected during Sunday contests.

Coors Field saw just 60 percent utilization of its 3,800-space parking lot during an average game. Including the 2,400 off-site parking spaces, a total of 4,080 of 6,200 spaces were used. The auto occupancy for Coors Field was 2.4 persons per car.

The Pepsi Center had 75 percent of its 4,534 parking spots occupied during the game. Some 3,000 off-site parking spaces at nearby Elitch Gardens and the Auraria Campus were available with 70 percent of those taken. A total of 5,200 spaces out of 7,534 were used and 2.2 persons arrived per car.

Dick's Sporting Goods Park saw its 5,100 space parking lot about 90 percent full on game day. Event auto occupancy was 2.8 persons.

Sports Authority Field had 6,599 parking spots on-site and another 3,500 available within a half-mile of the stadium. The lots were completely full shortly after the game began. The scarcer supply seemed to spur increased carpool rates because it also experienced the highest auto occupancy with 3.0 persons per car.

While game day parking for the football stadium did not result in excess parking, the researchers also considered parking usage at off-peak times. Marshall and Henao said the Broncos play only eight regular football games and a maximum of a dozen home games a season. Annual revenue from their parking spaces is around $1.6 million but the opportunity cost in terms of land value is approximately $99 million, which results in only a 1.6% annual return.

According to Marshall, this doesn't take into account the negative impact of excess parking on pedestrians, land values, local businesses, and the character of downtown neighborhoods.

While the Pepsi Center and Coors Field are utilized more often that Sports Authority Field, thousands of spaces still sit unused on most days. Lots could easily be opened for other purposes such as residential or business developments, park-and-rides, or for what Marshall calls park-and-pedals, which allow bicyclists to park and continue their journey downtown by bike. These solutions could also reduce land being consumed by parking in the downtown core.

Reducing stadium parking is also an option. Some 600 spaces were recently removed at Coors Field to allow for light rail construction without creating a parking shortage. In fact, parking personnel at the stadiums told Henao that they hardly noticed a difference because the lots only fill up for one or two games a year.

The researchers urged teams and cities to rethink assumptions about parking since less parking spots have not resulted in less attendance. People still go to games but are more likely to carpool or find another mode of transportation, especially when the stadium is downtown. Less parking also allows for other development to fill that space, resulting in higher property tax revenues.

Marshall and Henao said the study suggests parking supply and cost are key components in travel behavior for sporting events.

"By transforming inefficient parking into better economic investments, we can simultaneously incentivize increased carpool rates and other modes of transportation, which can help provide a more positive experience for spectators as well as for downtown businesses, residents, and visitors," they said.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Colorado Denver. The original article was written by David Kelly. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Serengeti highway would disrupt world's greatest migration, conservationists warn

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) are requesting that the Government of Tanzania reconsider the proposed construction of a commercial road through the world's best known wildlife sanctuary -- Serengeti National Park -- and recommend that alternative routes be used that can meet the transportation needs of the region without disrupting the greatest remaining migration of large land animals in the world.

At issue is the proposed Arusha-Musoma highway, slated for construction in 2012. According to the proposed route, the highway would bisect the northern portion of the park and jeopardize the annual migration of wildebeest and zebra, a spectacle comprising nearly two million animals. The Serengeti is a World Heritage Site and is universally regarded as one of world's great natural wonders.

"The Serengeti is the site of one of the last great ungulate migrations left on Earth, the pre-eminent symbol of wild nature for millions of visitors and TV viewers, and a hugely important source of income for the people of Tanzania through ecotourism," said Dr. James Deutsch, Executive Director of the WCS's Africa Program. "To threaten this natural marvel with a road would be a tragedy. We implore the Tanzanian government -- known around the world for its commitment to conservation -- to reconsider this proposal and explore other options."

"A commercial road would not only result in wildlife collisions and human injuries, but would serve to fragment the landscape and undermine the ecosystem in a variety of ways," said Prof. Jonathan Baillie, Director of Conservation Programmes for ZSL, which partners with WCS in the long-term monitoring and conservation of Serengeti's cheetahs. "To diminish this natural wonder would be a terrible loss for Tanzania and all future generations."

WCS and ZSL are two of numerous organizations -- including the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) -- in growing opposition to the proposed road.

Supporters of the proposed road point to the need for linkage between the districts of Serengeti and Loliondo and the national road system, as well as a need for increased transport infrastructure between the coast and the hinterland. However it is possible to achieve these objectives without bisecting the Serengeti.

Conservationists predict that building the road through Serengeti National Park would not only result in a catastrophic decrease in numbers of wildebeest, zebra, and other species as a result of the interruption of the migration. It could also potentially cut Kenya's Masaai Mara National Reserve off from the migration, jeopardizing that country's most important tourism destination.

WCS, ZSL, and other conservation groups acknowledge and support Tanzania's need for infrastructure development, specifically to benefit the country's industries and agricultural markets. An alternative southern route, they assert, would better meet these objectives, and provide more benefits for more people while maintaining the integrity of Tanzania's foremost wildlife attraction and the tourism dollars it generates.

"We recognize that there is an obvious need for infrastructure development in Tanzania," said Markus Borner, Africa Program Director for FZS which has worked in the Serengeti since the 1950s. "A far better option than the current proposal is placing a road to the south of the park. Such a road would be both cheaper to construct and would serve a much larger number of people without interrupting the migration and jeopardizing the iconic status of the Serengeti National Park."

Sea level rise may take economic toll on California coast, study predicts

California beach towns could face hefty economic losses caused by sea level rise in the next century, according to a new state-commissioned study conducted by economists at San Francisco State University. The study forecasts the economic impact of sea level rise on five communities: Ocean Beach in San Francisco; Venice Beach and Malibu in Los Angeles; Carpinteria in Santa Barbara County; and Torrey Pines State Reserve in San Diego County.

Funded by the California Department of Boating and Waterways, the study examines the cost of coastal storm damage and erosion, both of which are expected to increase as sea levels rise. It also forecasts the economic impact of sea level rise on tourism and natural habitats, as beaches that have been narrowed by erosion lose their appeal to visitors and their ability to sustain wildlife.

The results suggest that visitor hotspots like Venice Beach could lose up to $440 million in tourism revenue between now and 2100 if sea levels rise by 4.6 feet (1.4 meters), a projection specific to the California coast, based on recent scientific studies. At San Francisco's Ocean Beach, accelerated erosion could cause up to $540 million worth of damage.

"Sea level rise will send reverberations throughout local and state economies," said Philip King, associate professor of economics at San Francisco State University. "We also found that the economic risks and responses to a changing coastline will vary greatly over time and from beach to beach."

The findings suggest that the cost and type of damage will vary depending on a community's economy, geography and local decisions about land use. For example, if sea level rises by 4.6 feet, Malibu beaches could lose almost $500 million in accumulated tourism revenue between now and 2100. Revenue losses would be much smaller at San Francisco's windswept Ocean Beach ($82 million), which attracts fewer visitors per year.

In addition to mean sea level rise, the study estimated the economic impact of more extreme flooding. Coastlines are already at risk of low-probability coastal storms -- like 100-year floods -- but higher sea levels are expected to extend the depth and reach of these floods, increasing the damage to homes, businesses and public infrastructure.

"In California, our coastline is one of our most valuable natural resources," King said. "More than 80 percent of Californians live in coastal communities, and California's beaches support local economies and critical natural species."

King and co-authors Aaron McGregor and Justin Whittet hope the findings will inform local planning efforts to evaluate and respond to sea level rise. "Understanding the kind of impact sea level rise will have is important for deciding what adaptive action to take," King said. "Seawalls have become the de facto policy for dealing with erosion and sea level rise but our findings suggest that other policies such as beach nourishment or where possible, allowing the coastline to retreat, could be more cost effective."

King and colleagues conducted their analysis primarily using secondary data, an approach which allowed them to calculate the economic impact of sea level rise at a fraction of the cost and time taken to complete the more commonly used shoreline hazard assessments.

Below is a summary of the key findings:

Ocean Beach (north of Sloat Boulevard), San Francisco County

Based on a sea level rise estimate of 4.6 feet (1.4 meters) by 2100, Ocean Beach could lose:

$19.6 million in damages caused by a 100-year coastal flood damaging homes and contents. This is an increase of 200 percent from the present day risk of a 100-year flood, which is $6.5 million$82 million in tourism spending and local and state tax revenue losses (accumulated between now and 2100) caused by a narrower, eroded beach attracting fewer visitors$16.5 million in habitat and recreation losses, caused by erosion reducing the beach area by 92 percent (53 acres lost). Ocean Beach provides a habitat for native species such as the Western Snowy Plover, a bird that is federally listed as a threatened species$540 million caused by land, buildings and infrastructure being lost or damaged by erosion and subsidence

Venice Beach, Los Angeles County

Based on a sea level rise estimate of 4.6 feet (1.4 meters) by 2100, Venice Beach could lose:

$51.6 million in damages caused by a 100-year coastal flood damaging homes, commercial buildings and contents$439.6 million in tourism spending and local and state tax revenue losses (accumulated between now and 2100) caused by a narrower, eroded beach attracting fewer visitors$38.6 million in habitat and recreation losses, caused by erosion reducing the beach area by 16 percent

Zuma Beach and Broad Beach, Malibu, Los Angeles County

Based on a sea level rise estimate of 4.6 feet (1.4 meters) by 2100, Zuma Beach and Broad Beach could lose:

$28.5 million in damage caused by a 100-year coastal flood damaging homes, commercial buildings and contents$498.7 million in tourism spending and local and state tax revenue losses (accumulated between now and 2100) caused by narrower, eroded beaches attracting fewer visitors$102.3 million in habitat and recreation losses caused by erosion reducing the beach area

Carpinteria City and State Beach, Santa Barbara County

Based on a sea level rise estimate of 4.6 feet (1.4 meters) by 2100, Carpinteria City and State Beach could lose:

$10.7 million in damages caused by a 100-year coastal flood, damaging homes and contents, and commercial structures$164.7 million in tourism spending and local and state tax revenue losses (accumulated between now and 2100) caused by a narrower, eroded beach attracting fewer visitors$31.3 million in habitat and recreation losses caused by erosion reducing the beach area$300,000 caused by upland areas being lost or damaged by erosion and subsidence

Torrey Pines City and State Beach, San Diego County

Based on a sea level rise estimate of 4.6 feet (1.4 meters) by 2100, Torrey Pines City and State Beach could lose:

$5 million in damages caused by a 100-year coastal flood, including damage to homes and contents, cars and roads$99 million in tourism spending and local and state tax revenue losses (accumulated between now and 2100) caused by a narrower, eroded beach attracting fewer visitors$20.2 million in habitat and recreation losses caused by erosion reducing the beach area by 100 percent$348.7 million caused by land, road and railway lines being lost or damaged by erosion and subsidence, including damage to the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor

"The Economic Costs of Sea-Level Rise to California Beach Communities" was authored by Philip King, associate professor of economics at San Francisco State University, and research staff Aaron McGregor and Justin Whittet.

The study was commissioned and funded by the California Department of Boating and Waterways and peer-reviewed by the California Ocean Science Trust on behalf of the Ocean Protection Council.

Cite This Page:

San Francisco State University. "Sea level rise may take economic toll on California coast, study predicts." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 September 2011. .San Francisco State University. (2011, September 13). Sea level rise may take economic toll on California coast, study predicts. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 14, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110913092424.htmSan Francisco State University. "Sea level rise may take economic toll on California coast, study predicts." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110913092424.htm (accessed February 14, 2015).

Urbanization: 95% Of The World's Population Lives On 10% Of The Land

A new global map released? by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre and published in the World Bank’s World Development Report 2009, measures urbanisation from the new perspective of Travel Time to 8,500 Major Cities. The map fills an important gap in our understanding of economic, physical and even social connectivity.

In the absence of agreement on the meaning of "urbanisation", the European Commission and the World Bank are proposing a new definition based on a unique mapping of “Accessibility” called the Agglomeration Index.

Key findings suggest that:

we passed the point at which more than half the world’s populations live in cities around the turn of the Millennium (2000) - much earlier than the 2007/8 estimate;more than half of the world's population lives less than 1 hour from a major city, but the breakdown is 85% of the developed world and only 35% of the developing world;95% of the world's population is concentrated on just 10% of the world's land; butonly 10% of the world's land area is classified as "remote" or more than 48 hours from a large city.

Leen Hordijk, Director of the Institute for Environment and Sustainability of the EC's Joint Research Centre, whose scientists prepared the new map, commented: "We have risen to the challenge of combining various information sources with the latest mapping technologies to produce a unique and timely product for the World Bank. Our map raises the question: For how much longer will remote ecosystems remain remote? Many are crucial to the healthy functioning of our planet."

How does the mapping work?

Digital maps of road, river and rail transport networks, population data, satellite-derived maps of land cover and terrain and information on border crossing times are combined using advanced geographical modelling techniques. For example, the time it takes an individual to travel to a city from 100 km away is calculated from precise knowledge of the terrain he or she must cross whether it is by foot, road, rail or river.

Taking scientists twelve months to complete, the result is a global map of travel time to over 8,500 major cities. This, in turn, allows scientists to establish a new globally consistent measure - the Agglomeration Index - which will facilitate the work of the World Bank and other international organisations when monitoring the effects of urbanisation.

The world's population is concentrating in cities

The human population is more concentrated than ever before. Europe’s urban sprawl gradually fades as we move eastwards into the steppes of central Asia, soon to re-emerge into the dense networks of people and places in India, China and Japan. The attraction of Australia’s coasts is dramatically revealed, while North America appears to adopt a grid system not just for its streets and road networks, but for distribution of the cities themselves.

Cities exercise enormous control over national economies - even the global economy. They provide jobs, access to the best cultural, educational and health facilities and they act as hubs for communication and transport. Of course, they also cluster massive demands for energy, generate large quantities of waste, and concentrate pollution as well as social hardship.

Redefining 'urban'

By using travel-time as a unit of measurement, the map of Travel Time to Major Cities represents accessibility through the easily understood concept of “how long will it take to get there?” Accessibility links people with places, goods with markets and communities to vital services. Accessibility - whether it is to markets, schools, hospitals or water - is a precondition for the satisfaction of almost any economic need. Furthermore, accessibility is relevant at all levels, from local development to global trade.

Because of advances in transport systems and networks we are better connected than ever before. This new map demonstrates how accessible some parts of the world are, indicating increased opportunities for travel, trade, communication and interaction.

This map also serves as a stark reminder that the price of greater connectivity is that there is little wilderness left. While only 10% of the world is more than 48 hours from a large city, our wilderness has shrunk to the highest of the mountains, such as the Plateau of Tibet and the extremes of the high latitudes, such as the boreal forests and ice sheets. Even the deserts and tropical forests are not the inaccessible wild lands they once were.

Thrill-seeking holidaymakers may be putting dolphins at risk

Tourists wanting to watch and swim with dolphins are now being urged to keep their distance in a bid to protect both the animals and the local communities whose livelihoods depend on them.

A study of bottlenose dolphins living off the coast of Zanzibar has found that the many tourist boats operating in the area are harassing the animals, preventing them from resting, feeding and nurturing their young.

The research, led by Dr Per Berggren of Newcastle University, also highlights swimming with dolphins -- in particular where tourists swim in very close and try to touch the dolphins- as being incredibly stressful for the animals.

Printed March 16 in the academic journal Endangered Species Research, the authors say regulation of the dolphin tourism industry is "urgently needed" to minimize the potential long-term negative impact on the animals.

Dr Berggren, who joined Newcastle from Stockholm University earlier this month, explained: "The current situation in Zanzibar is unsustainable. The local community is dependent on tourism -- and therefore the dolphins -- but unless the activity is regulated the animals will leave.

"Our study found that whenever the tourist boats were present the dolphins were very unsettled and spent less time feeding, socialising or resting. This has a negative impact, not only on individual animals, but on the population as a whole and long term it could be devastating.

"The problem is that any change needs to be tourist-driven. Many visitors will pay drivers extra in tips to steer their boats in close, herding the dolphins so they can dive right in amongst them. Our message is, keep your distance and put the dolphins first."

Dolphin-watching was introduced off the South coast of Zanzibar in 1992. Today it is one of the few places in the world where tourism has completely replaced the traditional dolphin hunt -- an activity which threatened the local population of around 150 bottlenose dolphins.

"Abolishing the hunts was a major breakthrough and dolphin watching offered a humane, sustainable alternative," says Dr Berggren.

"Unfortunately, without regulation, dolphin tourism brings with it its own challenges."

Watching the dolphins over a period of 40 days, the research team found that in the presence of the tourist boats, the time the dolphins spent resting dropped from 38 per cent of the time to 10 per cent while the time they spent foraging and socialising dropped from 19 and 10 per cent to just 10 and 4 per cent, respectively.

Meanwhile, travelling behaviour more than doubled in proportion, from 33 to 77 per cent, becoming by far the most dominant activity state during interactions with tourist boats.

"Overall, the dolphins are using more energy than they are taking in because they aren't resting or feeding as much but are swimming more as they try to avoid the tourist boats," explains Dr Berggren, based in the School of Marine Science and Technology at Newcastle University.

"Zanzibar is a wonderful place, the dolphins are incredibly interesting and between July and October there are also breeding humpbacks in the area. I would recommend that anyone go there for a holiday and support the local community but act responsibly and ask operators to follow existing guidelines."

Compromise needed on roads through sensitive wild areas

Compromise solutions must be found when it comes to roads built through sensitive tropical and subtropical areas, say experts writing in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on August 18. While developing nations need to deploy adequate transportation infrastructure to develop mineral and energy resources, the researchers write, governments too often put development ahead of wildlife without thinking about the long-term consequences.

"Roads are increasingly being built and upgraded through protected areas, especially in the tropics and subtropics, where there are so many species needing protection," says Tim Caro of the University of California, Davis.

Those roads often act like fences, keeping smaller animals from dispersing across them at all, Caro says. Larger animals that do venture across are at risk of becoming roadkill. As a case in point, Caro and his colleagues note that an animal is killed along a 14-kilometer stretch of road in Brazil's Morro do Diabo State Park once every 4 days. Those deaths add up, accounting for an annual population loss of 8%-20% per year for midsized to large mammals within the park, including ungulates, carnivores, and the highly endangered black lion tamarin. On the other hand, roads with lower speed limits, gentle gradients, and natural cover can be much less devastating to wildlife, as the scenic roads of Yellowstone National Park show.

"Until now, conservation biologists have used top-down, outside pressure to try to convince governments to restrict rampant infrastructural development, a strategy we suspect will only work in high-profile parks and world heritage sites," Caro's team writes. "Our goal here is to present alternative, compromise solutions for environmentally viable infrastructure development that may ultimately have greater chance of success across different geopolitical contexts."

The researchers call for four measures to help mitigate tensions between roads and protected areas. Those measures include:

Early involvement of infrastructure engineers and natural resource managersCareful, case-by-case consideration of each road projectEffective enforcement of traffic speed and volumerigorous national and international policies that make development aid contingent upon long-term analyses of the costs associated with road development

Caro says that citizens can do their part, too, by pushing companies to act in ways that are best over the long haul.

"People need to ask themselves: How will the protected area network be in 100 years with roads through it?" Caro says. "Pressure needs to be applied to industry and road construction companies to look beyond short-term gain and think of the country's natural heritage."

British medical tourists seeking treatment overseas without sufficient information, advice

A team of researchers has found that British people traveling abroad for medical treatment are often unaware of the potential health and financial consequences they could face.

The researchers say this can, in some cases, have catastrophic effects for individual patients.

At least 63,000 UK residents travel abroad for medical treatment each year. However, the study led by the University of York, and involving the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Royal Holloway University, the University of Birmingham and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, concludes that many people are embarking on medical tourism without understanding the risks involved.

These include a lack of redress in many countries should things go wrong, and the costs of non-emergency care at home to rectify poor outcomes of treatments received overseas. Many people, the researchers say, are unaware that under current NHS eligibility and commissioning rules, individuals may be personally liable for these costs.

The research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research (NIHR HS&DR) Programme. The study looked at the effects on the NHS of British nationals going abroad for services including dentistry, bariatric (weight-loss) surgery, fertility services and cosmetic surgery.

Principal Investigator Dr Neil Lunt, from the University of York's Department of Social Policy and Social Work, said: "We found that many people are embarking on medical tourism with insufficient information and advice, with consequences ranging from troublesome to catastrophic.

"A sample of patients revealed that while some patients had minor or no problems following treatment abroad, others faced severe health problems which in some cases were exacerbated by an inability to ensure continuity of care or obtain patient records to address patients' needs."

The researchers conclude that GPs need support and training to enable them to advise patients not only on the broad consequences of medical tourism, but also the implications of specific forms of treatments which may present particular concerns. Bariatric (weight-loss) surgery and fertility treatment are highlighted as particular areas of concern.

They also recommend that more information and advice is provided to potential medical tourists. This, they say, needs to be packaged and disseminated so it will reach those who may not consult their GP or a specialist website before traveling.

Dr Johanna Hanefeld, Lecturer in Health Systems Economics at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: "The people we interviewed are sometimes far from 'empowered consumers' and are failed by the current system. There is a real need for urgent policy action to address the gap in information that exists for people traveling for treatment."

The medical tourism study 'Implications for the NHS of Inward and Outward Medical Tourism' addressed four interrelated themes: patient decision-making; quality, safety and risk; economic implications; and provider and market development.

The researchers found that decision-making around outward medical travel involves a range of information sources, with the internet and information by informal networks of friends and peers, playing key roles. They conclude that medical tourists often pay more attention to 'soft' information rather than hard clinical information. They also found that there is little effective regulation of information -- be it hard or soft -- online or overseas.

Dr Daniel Horsfall, from the University of York's Department of Social Policy and Social Work, said: "We found that people traveling abroad for medical treatment are often ill-informed or under-informed and this heightens the risks associated with medical travel. For example, we found individuals willing to travel for treatments to locations that are not regulated by national laws and guidelines."

Professor Mark Exworthy, who recently joined the University of Birmingham from Royal Holloway, University of London, said: "The rise of 'medical tourism' presents new opportunities and challenges in terms of treatment options for patients and health policymakers in all countries. This study helps clarify the scale and nature of these challenges for the UK. Whilst there remains much doubt about the extent and impact of medical tourism, it is likely that these issues will become more salient in the coming years."

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of York. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

As population, interest in outdoor recreation grow, more pressure likely for northern forests

Despite just modest gains in population and participation in outdoor recreation compared to the rest of the nation, there is a strong likelihood of increasing pressure on forest and other undeveloped lands in northern states as the population grows and recreation demands shift.

"Outdoor Recreation in the Northern United States," a report recently published by the U.S. Forest Service's Northern Research Station as GTR NRS-100, evaluates recent population trends and forecasts within the context of other U.S. regions, demographic composition of population, recreation participation by residents age 16 and older, trends in activities and time spent outdoors by its youth, and the changes occurring in recreation resources, both public and private. "Outdoor Recreation" is part of the ongoing Northern Forest Futures Project in which scientists are describing current forest conditions and projecting future conditions in the 20 states extending from Maine to Minnesota and from Missouri to Maryland.

"More people engaging in outdoor recreation is a wonderful thing, but it also translates into greater demand for venues for outdoor recreation and a dilemma for the North's shrinking supply of undeveloped lands," said Michael T. Rains, Director of the Northern Research Station. "The Northern Forest Futures Project is generating information that will help natural resource managers and communities respond to this challenge."

By 2060, Federal and State parkland per person in northern states is projected to decrease to 0.13 acres, about 79 percent of the 2008 level. Currently, more than 31 percent of total land area in the North is non-Federal forest, or 1.19 acres per person. By 2060, per capita non-Federal forest is predicted to decrease to 0.88 acres per person, or 74 percent of the 2010 level, lower than all other regions and the Nation as a whole. Less than 3 percent of Federal land, about 17.9 million acres, is in the North, and about 69 percent of that is managed by the Forest Service.

Meanwhile, the population of northern states is steadily, if slowly, increasing. Between 1990 and 2009, total population in the North grew 11 percent, less than half the national growth of 23 percent. Projected growth for the North is expected to be 26 percent, much less than other regions of the nation.

While the increase in total outdoor recreation participants and total activity days was also lower than the national rate, northern states saw an increase of about 4 percent, from about 90 to 94 million, in people ages 16 and older who engage in outdoor recreation.

The activities people are pursuing outdoors are broadening from traditional sports like hunting and fishing to include activities such as orienteering, snowboarding, kayaking, off-highway-vehicle driving, and mountain biking. The report notes that new outdoor activities will undoubtedly emerge as the 21st century continues to unfold.

Today, the most popular activities in the North are walking for pleasure, attending family gatherings outdoors, gardening or landscaping, viewing/ photographing natural scenery, visiting outdoor nature centers, and picnicking. Activities oriented toward viewing and photographing nature (scenery, flowers/trees/other plants, birds, and wildlife) have been among the fastest growing in popularity.

Contrary to the widely held notion that children in today's United States are not spending time outdoors, the National Kids Survey results used in the report suggest that kids may actually spend quite a bit of time outdoors, even though significant numbers are using electronic devices when doing so.

The publication is available at: http://nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/41528

Cite This Page:

USDA Forest Service - Northern Research Station. "As population, interest in outdoor recreation grow, more pressure likely for northern forests." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 September 2012. .USDA Forest Service - Northern Research Station. (2012, September 26). As population, interest in outdoor recreation grow, more pressure likely for northern forests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 14, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120926133231.htmUSDA Forest Service - Northern Research Station. "As population, interest in outdoor recreation grow, more pressure likely for northern forests." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120926133231.htm (accessed February 14, 2015).

Human disturbances keep elk on high alert

University of Alberta researchers discovered that elk are more frequently and more easily disturbed by humans such as ATV drivers than by their natural predators like bears and wolves.

The U of A researchers, led by biologist Simone Ciuti, spent 12 months in southwestern Alberta. The study involved elk herds made up of females and their offspring. The researchers observed the animals' reactions to different rates of human disturbances in the form of traffic on nearby roads and off-road, all-terrain vehicles.

The elk in the study were found on a variety of land types -- public, private and inside Waterton National Park.

The research data showed that starting with a rate of just one vehicle passing by an elk herd every two hours, the animals became disturbed and more vigilant. In this state the elk consume less food, which can affect their health and possibly their calving success.

The researchers found that the highest level of disturbance happened on public lands where the effect of hunting and ATV use was cumulative.

Contrary to what some people might expect, elk inside Waterton National Park during the busy summer tourist season displayed less disturbance reaction than elk in more remote, unpopulated public land settings where motorized recreational activities were permitted.

Ciuti says this shows that the animals' reactions are not shaped by numbers of people but by the type of human activity they're exposed to.

Observing the elk from long distances so as not to alter their behaviour, the researchers took detailed notes documenting the frequency and amount of time the elk spent scanning the horizon for danger rather than foraging for food.

Ciuti says the U of A gave him an invaluable experience as a field biologist.

"Observing elk, especially in December, can be physically demanding, but you see things you can't even imagine, like a grizzly bear chasing an elk herd, trying to single out a calf," he said. "The U of A is the right place to be if you want to study animal ecology."

This research was supervised by U of A biology professor Mark Boyce. Followup research comparing birth rates in North American ungulates with levels of human disturbance will be conducted by researchers from the Boyce lab at the U of A.

The research was published Nov. 28 in the journal PLOS ONE.

Recession drives down U.S. national park visitation

A national recession doesn't just affect Americans' wallets. It also impacts their travel to national parks, a new University of Georgia study has found.

Recent visitation statistics released by the U.S. Department of Interior already noted the significant decrease in national park visitation -- dropping nearly 10 million since 1998 to 278 million visitors -- but this is the first study to link the drop to a bad economy. The findings could help park managers plan ahead for revenue shortfall and a decrease in visitation, particularly as the economic forecast remains bleak.

Researchers in the UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the Catholic University of Korea's department of economics conducted the new study recently published in Tourism Management.

"Economic downturns come and go, but the impact on resource conservation and visitor management could last longer," said Neelam Poudyal, an assistant professor in the Warnell School. "Therefore, understanding whether and how recession impacts visitation could inform mangers of what to expect during these tough economic times."

The study was led by Poudyal and Michael Tarrant, a Warnell School professor and director of the study abroad program Global Programs in Sustainability.

Although overall national park visitation has dropped the decrease has not been uniform, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. Yellowstone and Yosemite, for instance, have experienced notable increases in visitation between 2000 and 2011. However, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the most visited national park in the U.S., saw a 7 percent decrease in visitation over the same time period. Other state parks have seen similar or worse declines in visitation.

The increases for Yosemite and Yellowstone could be because the parks have high international recognition, Tarrant said.

"Visitation to some national parks may be incidental to tourism," Tarrant said. "For example, U.S. Highway 441 is the only main road in the Smokies and receives substantial non-tourism and thoroughfare traffic. Consequently, reduced visitation to such parks may be a function of lower vehicle miles traveled in the past decade. National transportation statistics show that traffic on U.S. 441 has had a reduction from 3.03 trillion in 2007 to 2.96 trillion miles in 2011."

The study suggests consumers cut out non-essential goods and services and visit local city or neighborhood parks rather than drive to national parks when faced with tighter budgets. In addition to gasoline prices, several indicators of recession-including a high unemployment rate, a decline in personal saving and a decrease in consumer confidence in the state of the economy-were all negatively related with national park visitation.

"While the recession affected all types of park visitation," Poudyal said, "trips involving longer timeframes and higher costs such as overnight visits, concessioner lodging and backcountry camping are likely to be hit harder than shorter and relatively cheaper trips such as day visits, front country camping, etc. This suggests a potentially disproportionate burden of the effect" of the recession on certain sectors of the national park system.

Researchers have linked many factors to a decline in park visitation, including natural disasters and the growing reliance on indoors technology for recreation, but this study was the first to examine economic factors.

Another factor to consider is that while national parks are a bargain in comparison to theme parks, they don't offer the same kind of recreation experience.

"It has been claimed that national parks are America's best idea, and there is simply no substitute for the visitor experience they provide," Tarrant said. "Moreover because they are publicly funded, national park entrance fees are discounted relative to other entrance fees to private parks across the nation."

Some researchers speculated that when money is tight, people would turn to national parks for cheaper recreation options. But that does not seem to be happening, or the substitution is perhaps limited to national parks of national and international reputation only, such as Yosemite or Yellowstone, he said.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Georgia. The original article was written by Sandi Martin. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Bicycle-friendly city infrastructure in U.S. significantly increases cycling to work by residents, which can improve health of locals

New research ties bike-friendly infrastructure changes in United States cities to increases in "active commuting" by bike-riding residents, which can improve and sustain weight[i] and reduce cardiac risk[ii]. The research comes as many of the largest U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago and Minneapolis, add hundreds of miles of bike lanes and launch bike-sharing programs, which Bicycling magazine editor calls "an indicator of an urban area's vibrancy and livability." The findings will be presented during a poster session on Nov. 4 at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting at ObesityWeek 2014 in Boston, Mass.

"Recently released Census Bureau data show that the number of people commuting by bike has increased by 60% over the past decade -- but until now, the increase has not been closely tied to a supportive city infrastructure," said senior study author Penny Gordon-Larsen, PhD, TOS Vice President and Professor of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina. "Our goal was to evaluate how the development of the Minneapolis Greenway affected the commute of residents over a ten-year period. We found that bicycle commuting increased most significantly in communities along the Greenway. These data are supportive, but not proof, that a commitment to urban cycling infrastructure can increase active commuting by bicycle."

Research led by the University of North Carolina team used previously collected data from Minneapolis, where increases in commuting by bicycle have significantly exceeded the national average over the past decade. During the same period, the city made major bicycle infrastructure changes, including the Greenway -- a trans-city, off-road trail system linking major residential and employment centers. Results show greater increases in commuting by bicycle among residents living near the Greenway. For example, the percentage of workers commuting by bike increased by 89%, from 1.8% (95% CI: 1.2, 2.4) in 2000 to 3.4% (2.9, 4.0) among those living three miles of the Greenway, while those living six miles from the greenway increased by 33%, from 1.2% (0.1, 2.4) to 1.8% (0.7, 2.9).

"While it's well known that bicycling and walking are effective physical activities to promote healthy weight and reduce cardiac risk, this type of active transportation remains more common in European cities than in North America," said Dr. Gordon-Larsen. "Some of this difference between Europe and North America can be attributed back to safety concerns associated with cycling in most North American cities, which provides even greater emphasis for infrastructure changes for North American decision-makers to provide safe active commuting routes."

TOS agrees that a population approach is one of the key pieces to combatting the obesity epidemic.

"This study reinforces the idea that the way our environment is constructed has the potential to positively impact community health," said John M. Jakicic, PhD, FTOS, of the University of Pittsburgh speaking on behalf of TOS. "As proposals are designed for new developments or the renovation of existing infrastructure, we call on architects, engineers, and city planners -- among others involved in the process -- to consider designs that make physical activity safe and accessible for the community. We've seen encouraging momentum during the past decade, and hope to see even more infrastructure changes that broadly encompass all communities to encourage active and healthy lifestyles across the U.S. and all of North America."

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Obesity Society. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Six natural wonders declared World Heritage Sites

Sangha Trinational -- shared between Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo; Lakes of Ounianga in Chad and Chengjiang fossil site in China have been inscribed on the World Heritage List, following the recommendations of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Lena Pillars Nature Park in Russia and Western Ghats in India were also added to the prestigious list by the World Heritage Committee, a 21-nation panel.

IUCN, the official World Heritage advisory body on nature, presented the findings of its comprehensive evaluations of the natural values of nine sites to the World Heritage Committee. Chad is joining the World Heritage family for the first time.

Sangha Trinational is a chain of national parks shared between Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo. Forming a broad network of well preserved and diverse landscapes, the forests and rivers are home to an outstanding diversity of plants and animals. The area hosts the largest intact populations of forest elephants and great apes, including the critically endangered Western Lowland Gorilla and the endangered Chimpanzee.

"Sangha Trinational is not a fragment but part of a much larger intact environment with good conservation prospects, and harbouring critically endangered species," says Tim Badman, Director of IUCN's World Heritage Programme. "We welcome the fact that this globally significant forest landscape has been recognized by the World Heritage Committee."

The Lakes of Ounianga consist of a series of 18 mostly freshwater lakes in the heart of the Sahara desert in northeastern Chad. Relics of a single, much larger lake occupying the basin less than 10,000 years ago, these lakes are an exceptional example of permanent lakes in a desert.

"The Lakes of Ounianga are a jewel of the Sahara, not only of overwhelming natural beauty, but a testimony to the fragile and unique equilibrium of life on earth," says Youssouph Diedhiou of IUCN's Protected Areas Programme in Central and Western Africa. "IUCN is delighted that Chad's first outstanding natural area is joining the prestigious World Heritage list."

The rocks of the Chengjiang Fossil Site, near the city of Kunming in the Yuann Province of China, are evidence of the rapid appearance and diversification of species and evolutionary development, also known as the Cambrian explosion, which took place over 530 million years ago. The exceptional remains of species recorded at Chengjiang are key to understanding the early evolution of life on Earth.

"The inscription of The Chengjiang Fossil Site on the World Heritage List recognises this iconic site, which provides direct evidence of the origin of animal diversity," says Tim Badman. "The preservation of this exceptional window on the earliest stages of the evolution of biodiversity on our planet is of great scientific importance for the future."

Lena Pillars Nature Park, known for the spectacular natural rock formations along the Lena River, is home to a wide range of rare plants and animals, including the Siberian Musk Deer, the Red Deer, the Siberian chipmunk, and 99 species of nesting birds. Located in the central part of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), it is an area with an extreme continental climate with an annual temperature range of almost 100? C, ranging from around -60? C in winter to around +40? C in summer.

A series of protected areas across the Western Ghats in India were added to UNESCO's list of iconic places after a persistent campaign for World Heritage status by the Indian government. Mountains, rainforests, rivers and waterfalls are all part of the 160,000 km? area, recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot. The Western Ghats are home to a number of flagship mammals including the endangered endemic lion-tailed Macaque, the endangered Asian elephant and Tiger.

"The Western Ghats and Lena Pillars are certainly regions that hold spectacular natural values, but IUCN's evaluations considered that more work was needed on these nominations to meet the standards the Convention has set in its Operational Guidelines." says Tim Badman. "We welcome these sites to the World Heritage List, but note the conservation challenges that they face will need additional monitoring by the World Heritage Committee to ensure that these sites meet the requirements that accompany listing as flagships for global conservation. IUCN is ready to assist the States in that task."

Two days ago the exceptional marine site of Rock Islands Southern Lagoon became Palau's first World Heritage Site, following IUCN's recommendation. With the new additions announced in St. Petersburg July 2 the number of natural and mixed (natural and cultural) sites is 217.

Cite This Page:

International Union for Conservation of Nature. "Six natural wonders declared World Heritage Sites." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 July 2012. .International Union for Conservation of Nature. (2012, July 3). Six natural wonders declared World Heritage Sites. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 14, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120703025233.htmInternational Union for Conservation of Nature. "Six natural wonders declared World Heritage Sites." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120703025233.htm (accessed February 14, 2015).

Study of veterans finds links between outdoor activities, improved mental health

Veterans participating in extended outdoor group recreation show signs of improved mental health, suggesting a link between the activities and long-term psychological well-being, according to results of a new University of Michigan study.

Veterans were surveyed before and after a multi-day wilderness recreation experience, which involved camping and hiking in groups of between six and 12 participants. More than half of participants reported that they frequently experienced physical or mental health problems in everyday life.

One week after the experience, veterans reported a greater than 10 percent improvement in several measures of psychological well-being, a 9 percent increase in social functioning, and a nearly 8 percent gain in positive life outlook. In some cases, the results persisted over the next month.

"The findings suggest that extended group-based nature recreation can have significant positive impacts on veterans struggling with serious health problems," said Jason Duvall, a research scientist at the U-M School of Natural Resources & Environment and one of the study's lead authors. "Although more research is needed and many questions remain, the use of extended group-based outdoor recreation programs to ease veterans' transition back into civilian life seems to be a promising approach."

The Sierra Club, a grassroots environmental organization, operates the Military Family and Veterans Initiative, which focuses on providing military service members and their families with access to outdoor experiences. The Sierra Club wanted to know whether these efforts were making a difference in the lives of veterans. The organization commissioned the study and selected SNRE because of prior research by Duvall and co-author Rachel Kaplan, a professor at SNRE, on the links between mental health and contact with nature. While both anecdotal and experimental data suggest exposure to green environments is beneficial, few studies have examined the impacts of these programs on veterans specifically.

"The Sierra Club knows anecdotally the mental, emotional and physical benefits that come from spending time in nature, particularly for returning service members for whom the outdoors can be integral to their reintegration," said Stacy Bare, Sierra Club mission outdoors director. "The results of the University of Michigan's study reinforce these beliefs and support our efforts to make these types of experiences available to more people."

Comments by veterans supported the survey conclusions.

"This trip helped me to reevaluate what's important in life," said Tim, a 52-year-old Navy veteran. "It was nice to live a week without being 'plugged in' and take in the great outdoors."

"It helped me to remember who I was and enjoy something I haven't in a long time," added Dan, a 39-year-old Army veteran.

Helping veterans cope with these issues has become important in recent years given the demands placed on military personnel and their families. In response, a number of outdoor recreation groups such as the Sierra Club, through its Military Families and Veterans Initiative, developed group-based nature recreation programs targeting veterans. Veterans may identify more strongly with activities outdoors that involve physical challenge, camaraderie and achievement of an objective -- experiences that are shared with their military service. As a result, the approach used by these programs may be more appealing than conventional clinical treatments when it comes to dealing with mental health issues. "The excursions are a supportive environment because in many ways, they recreate many positive aspects of the military experience," Duvall said. "They are outside, in a group, sharing similar mental models and, in a sense, on a mission. In that scenario, the impact of the natural environment might be heightened."

The Sierra Club chose four partner organizations as part of the study group: Higher Ground (Sun Valley, Idaho), Wasatch Adaptive Sports (Snowbird, Utah), Wilderness Inquiry (Minneapolis, Minn.), and Women's Wilderness Institute (Boulder, Colo.). Combined, the groups offered 12 programs lasting four to seven days. The excursions generally did not include formal, structured psychological counseling or therapy. Instead, the emphasis was on the outdoor programs, from fly-fishing, kayaking and whitewater rafting to backpacking and paddling.

The study sample was 98 veterans. They were surveyed one week before, one week after, and about one month after participating. In addition to assessing demographic and background information, the survey itself measured changes in psychological well-being, social functioning, life outlook, and activity engagement over time.

Another key result was that after the experience, veterans were more likely to take part in activities that involved exploration (such as learning new things or testing abilities) and helping others. The changes in well-being were also particularly strong for veterans who had initially reported more severe ongoing health issues, with the magnitude of improvements often 1.5 times that of those with less serious health problems.

"Veterans with more serious health problems seemed to benefit most," Duvall said.

Start travelling and change your life perceptions

Do we have a long-term sense of being, direction in life and well-being because of travel and tourism? Tourism psychology research has previously been concerned with tourist motivation, behaviour in and satisfaction with destination but new research explores how tourism might affect people's perceptions.

This article Does Tourism Change our Lives published in Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research looks at previous research to explain the difference of this new research, it investigates people's perceptions using four focus group discussions, MUNSH methods, Oxford Happiness Inventory and Oxford Happiness Questionnaires.

With 83 million Chinese travellers in 2012 (UNWTO) this research has been tailored to China, split between those that have travelled outside of mainland China in the previous 12 month and those that haven't. Analysis has been carried out from the results of 682 questionnaires and ten themes that were used in the focus discussion groups.

The article concludes that although there are further areas to be looked into such as the distanced travelled, destination, how tourism affects people in their everyday life, motivation and satisfaction, travel and tourism does impact younger people enabling this generation to better cope with the modern day pressure and the rapidly changing world, acquiring a more positive life outlook.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Taylor & Francis. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

At least 1 in 10 athletes injured during 2010 Winter Olympics, study finds

At least one in 10 athletes sustained an injury and a further one in 14 fell ill during the 2010 Winter Olympics, held in Canada, reveals research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Relatively little is known about the injury rate during winter Olympics, say the authors, especially as many of the competitive events, such as snowboarding and freestyle skiing, are fairly recent additions.

And the findings, which are based on reports from the lead doctors for each of the national Olympic committees, and daily returns from designated medical centres in Vancouver and Whistler, are likely to be an underestimate, they suggest.

In all, 82 doctors, looking after 2567 athletes, took part in the study. They reported a total of 287 injuries and 185 illnesses, equivalent to 111.8 injuries (11%) and 72.1 illnesses (7%) per 1000 registered athletes during the Games.

The highest risk sports were bobsleigh, ice hockey, short track, alpine freestyle and snowboard cross, for which between 1 in 8 (15%) and more than one in three (35%) athletes either sustained an injury or fell ill.

Almost one in four injuries (22%) resulted in the inability to train or compete.

The lowest risk sports were the Nordic skiing events, which include the biathlon, cross country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined, as well as luge, curling, speed skating and free style moguls. Although one athlete died during training for luge, fewer than one in 20 athletes in these low risk sports were injured/fell ill.

The most common injury sites were the head, spine, and knees, which were almost as likely to be sustained during training (46%) as they were during competition (54%). But three out of four injuries for snowboarding, freestyle cross skiing, short track, figure skating, skeleton and biathlon were sustained during training.

Bruising (contusions), ligament and muscular sprains were the most common types of injury. One serious tendon rupture occurred in a cross country skiing competitor. One athlete died, the circumstances of which are currently under investigation.

The injury rate was higher among women athletes (131.1/1000) than it was among the men (93.3/1000). Every fifth female athlete taking part in bobsleigh, ice hockey, snowboard cross and in freestyle cross and aerials sustained an injury.

Almost one in three men (just under 28% of registered male athletes) were injured during short track, while 17% were injured during bobsleigh, and just under 16% while playing ice hockey. One in every 10 athletes taking part in the skeleton, figure and speed skating, curling, snowboard cross and biathlon succumbed to at least one illness, almost two thirds of which (62%) were respiratory infections.

While participation in the reporting scheme was high, cross checking against other monitoring systems indicates that not all injuries were reported, prompting the authors to suggest that the figures might be higher.

Further steps need to be taken to create safer sports arenas and improve training facilities, they conclude.

Get up, get out and go: Research tackles childhood obesity

Getting children involved in finding ways to become more physically active can not only make them more aware of local recreational opportunities, but can even help increase their own physical activity.

That's the result of a study examining the role of seven national parks in contributing to the health of today's youth. The study was conducted by researchers from a variety of disciplines at North Carolina State University and other U.S. universities and funded by the National Park Service.

The researchers developed pilot programs aimed at increasing the awareness of health benefits from participating in recreational activities at national parks and increasing physical activity by park visitors.

Dr. Myron Floyd, professor of parks, recreation and tourism management at NC State, specifically examined the use of Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio by studying area middle-school students.

"We decided early on that engaging the community in activities the park had to offer would be crucial in developing this pilot program," Floyd said. "We had local 6th and 7th graders actually create the tagline to promote the program: Get Up, Get Out and Go!. The students also helped us determine what types of activities would get them interested enough to head out to the park."

The program comprised a series of events at Cuyahoga Valley National Park that began with a kickoff event, featured weekly activities such as scavenger hunts and fishing lessons, and concluded with a festival. Advertisements of the program and its events -- designed by the students themselves -- were placed in local papers, on bus boards and at health fairs.

Floyd's team compared awareness levels before and after the program and found out that the Get Up, Get Out and Go! worked. The study showed a significant increase in the level of awareness of Cuyahoga Valley National Park and its different offerings -- 31 percent before the program was implemented versus 65 percent after the program -- among the targeted youth population, with a reported increase in the percentage of participants who intended to visit a national park in the future -- 18 percent before the program versus 51 percent after the program. Researchers also reported evidence of an increase in physical activity that was associated with the program's activities.

"This study was important because it showed that engaging kids early on in the program planning process was important. A lot of the ideas we had for park activities, we quickly found out were not of interest to the children," Floyd said. "It is imperative that we engage children in finding solutions that get them to be more physically active -- whatever environment that may be in."

The research was published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health.

Journal Reference:

Christine M. Hoehner, Ross C. Brownson, Diana Allen, James Gramann, Timothy K. Behrens, Myron F. Floyd, Jessica Leahy, , Diara Spain, Daniel R. Tardona, Nicholas Ruthmann, Rachel L. Seiler, Byron W. Yount. Parks Promoting Physical Activity: Synthesis of Findings From Interventions in Seven National Parks. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2010; [link]

Tornado-chasing becomes vacation choice, researchers find

Instead of heading to the coast for vacation, people are traveling to Tornado Alley. The number of people registering to get a closer look at tornadoes is growing as vacationers trade in their beach towels for a ride with storm chasers. Labeled "Tornado Tourists" by a University of Missouri research team, these travelers are searching for an experience beyond just thrills.

Sonja Wilhelm Stanis and Carla Barbieri, associate professors in the School of Natural Resources Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, found that most of these travelers aren't just looking for risk; rather, they are seeking a unique and unconventional opportunity to enjoy nature's power and beauty.

"With the help of movies like Twister, storm-chasing has become an international phenomenon," Barbieri said. "While more than half of the surveyed travelers lived in North America, 11 percent came from Australia and nearly a third traveled from Europe to get a close encounter with a tornado."

Handling three to 10 tours per season, experienced meteorologists and trained storm chasers are serving as tour guides using sophisticated equipment to track the severe weather on the road. Typically costing between $3,000 and $5,000, not including food and hotels, the tours last one to two weeks as tour guides drive among tornado watch areas in a van.

The study found that most of the amateur storm chasers were happy with their experiences. One-third of the tourists experienced a tornado, while 50 percent spotted funnel clouds and more than 95 percent reported seeing a significant atmospheric event. Most respondents were so satisfied, they said they would take another tour and recommended tornado chasing to their friends.

"Although tornado tourism is a small niche market, the market continues to grow with help from television shows and movies," Stanis said. "Storm-chasing tours continue to develop as a part of the Midwest's tourism scene, with tours filling up as much as a year in advance."

The research team presented the first demographic and socio-psychographic profile of the tornado tourists to a national academic audience at the 2010 Northeaster Recreation Research Symposium in New York. These tornado tourists were introduced into the broader research category called "risk recreation and tourism" that includes activities such as skydiving and white-water rafting.

"Tornado tourists were found to be primarily middle-aged, single, highly educated and wealthy," Babieri said. "With this information, storm-chasing tour guides will be better able to cater to their market."

Cite This Page:

University of Missouri-Columbia. "Tornado-chasing becomes vacation choice, researchers find." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 17 September 2010. .University of Missouri-Columbia. (2010, September 17). Tornado-chasing becomes vacation choice, researchers find. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 14, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100916170921.htmUniversity of Missouri-Columbia. "Tornado-chasing becomes vacation choice, researchers find." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100916170921.htm (accessed February 14, 2015).

Scientists use Flickr photos to assess value of natural tourist attractions

Scientists affiliated with the Natural Capital Project at Stanford University have found a way to use photo-sharing site Flickr to measure where and when people are using natural areas for recreation and tourism. This information can help measure the benefits and value that these areas provide to society.

Tourism is big industry, contributing $6 billion a year to the world economy, and it's expected to grow to $10 billion over the next 10 years. While a great deal is known about how human-made tourist destinations, such as Disneyland, contribute to local economies, it has been hard to figure out the contribution of natural areas such as parks and beaches.

Tapping into the big data collected by social media sites, researchers at the Natural Capital Project utilized information from 1.4 million geo-tagged images in Flickr, and the user profiles associated with them, to see where people were going and where they were coming from. Comparing this information to data from on-site surveys at 836 recreational sites around the world, they found that the information from Flickr can serve as a reliable indicator of how many people visit a tourist attraction each year and when they are visiting. Their research was published Oct. 17 in Scientific Reports.

This is the first study to ground truth the use of social media data to predict these visitation rates.

The research shows how "information from crowd-sourced social media is revolutionizing the way we study people and understand their choices," said lead author Spencer Wood.

"No one has been able to crack the problem of figuring out visitation rates and values for tourism and recreation without on-site studies until now," said Anne Guerry, lead scientist at the Natural Capital Project. Until now, researchers had to rely on local surveys and head counts to get this type of visitation information. Using social media to get ideas of where people are visiting, and where they are coming from, is faster, less expensive and better for looking at changes over time and space.

This new approach provides the chance to clarify what attracts people to natural areas, and to determine if changes in ecosystems lead to changes in visitation rates. It also holds the promise of better natural area management because land-use planners, park managers and government officials can use the information on visitation rates to better manage their lands for the people who use them.

Learning-based tourism an opportunity for industry expansion

New research suggests that major growth in the travel, leisure and tourism industry in the coming century may be possible as more people begin to define recreation as a learning and educational opportunity -- a way to explore new ideas and cultures, art, science and history.

Some of this is already happening, although the expansion of tourism in much of the 20th century was often focused on amusement parks and tropical resorts -- not that there's anything wrong with them.

But in a recent study published in the Annals of Tourism Research, experts say that increasingly affluent and educated people around the world are ready to see travel in less conventional ways, and that lifelong learning and personal enrichment can compete favorably with sandy beaches or thrill rides.

"The idea of travel as a learning experience isn't new, it's been around a long time," said John Falk, a professor of science education at Oregon State University and international leader in the "free-choice learning" movement, which taps into personal interests to help boost intellectual growth beyond what's taught in schools and through formal education.

In the 1700s and 1800s, a "Grand Tour" of Europe was considered an educational rite of passage for upper-class citizens of the gentry or nobility, in which months of travel throughout the continent offered education about art, culture, language, everything from history to science, fencing and dancing.

There may not be as much demand today to perfect one's skills with a sword, but the concept is the same.

"For a long time the travel industry has been focused on hedonistic escapism," Falk said. "That's okay, but as more and more people have the time, means and opportunity to travel, a lot of them are ready to go beyond that. There are many other interesting things to do, and people are voting with their feet.

"You're already seeing many tour operators and travel agencies offer educational opportunities, things like whale watching, ecotourism," Falk said. "The National Park Service does a great job with its resources, teaching people about science, geology and history. The push for more international travel experiences as a part of formal education for students is an outgrowth of this concept.

"We're convinced this is just the beginning of a major shift in how people want to spend their leisure time, and one that could have important implications for intellectual and cultural growth around the world," he said.

Among the observations the researchers make in their study:

More leisure time and lower relative cost of travel near the end of the 20th century has opened the door for people to consider different types of recreation focused on intellectual engagement.A growing appetite for lifelong learning is being underserved by the existing tourism industry.A major expansion of learning-based tourism will require both participants and the tourism industry to overcome a long-standing bias that recreation and education are opposite ends of the spectrum -- to accept that learning can be fun.The cultural impact of "being there" makes for a memorable learning experience of great personal value to participants, and is often just the beginning of a continued interest in a topic.People seek experiences that are sensation-rich, alter their view of the world, or instill a sense of wonder, beauty and appreciation.A down side to travel and learning can occur if tourists use the experience to reinforce colonialist, racial or cultural stereotypes.Tourism activities are most successful if the participant feels active and engaged, rather than just receiving a recitation of facts to correct a "knowledge deficit."

Collaborators on this research were from the University of Queensland in Australia.

"It is expected that tourism will become ever more centered upon a quest for something larger, something more personally fulfilling," the researchers wrote in their report. "It is argued that the quest for knowledge and understanding, enacted through travel, will continue to be a dominant theme of the new century."

Researchers warn of the 'myths' of global medical tourism

A team of British researchers, led by the University of York, is warning governments and healthcare decision makers across the globe to be wary of the myths and hype surrounding medical tourism.

In an article, to be published in the journal Policy & Politics by Policy Press, the researchers challenge the idea that ever greater numbers of patients are prepared to travel across national borders to receive medical treatment.

'Medical tourism' is where people leave their own country to seek medical treatment abroad. They are typically treated as private patients and the costs are fully recouped. This is distinct from 'health tourism' where there is not always an intention to pay.

In the article, the authors, who include academics from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Royal Holloway University, and the University of Birmingham, looked beyond the NHS and the UK to address the wider international issues of medical tourism, examining how other countries are addressing this global phenomenon.

They describe 'three myths' of medical tourism: the rise and rise of medical tourism; enormous global market opportunities; and that national governments have a role to play in stimulating the medical tourism sector through high-tech investment.

The researchers say these three widely-held assumptions cannot be backed up with hard evidence but are encouraged by interested parties such as healthcare providers, and brokers and facilitators who act as intermediaries between providers and patients.

Lead author Dr Neil Lunt, from the University of York's Department of Social Policy and Social Work, said: "In the past decade or so, the global health policy literature and consultancy reports have been awash with speculations about patient mobility, with an emphasis on how ever greater numbers of patients are traveling across national jurisdictions to receive medical treatments.

"Yet authoritative data on numbers and flows of medical tourists between nations and continents is tremendously difficult to identify. What data does exist is generally provided by stakeholders with a vested interest rather than by independent research institutions. What is clear is that there exists no credible authoritative data at the global level, which is why we are urging caution to governments and other decision-makers who see medical tourism as a lucrative source of additional revenue.

"Our message is: be wary of being dazzled by the lure of global health markets, and of chasing markets that do not exist."

The paper was informed by a research project funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research (NIHR HS&DR) Programme. It uses the findings from a two-year study into the impact of medical tourism on the UK's health system to make broader observations which the researchers believe apply to medical tourism globally.

The report authors argue that in terms of medical tourism, a level playing field does not necessarily exist and they challenge the view of open and global markets. Networks, history and relationships, they say, may explain a great deal about the success of particular destinations.

Dr Daniel Horsfall, from York's Department of Social Policy and Social Work, who carried out the statistical analysis for the study, said: "We found that historical flows between different countries and cultural relations account for a great deal of the trade. The destinations of medical tourists are typically based on geo-political factors, such as colonialism and existing trade patterns. For example, you find that medical tourists from the Middle East typically go to Germany and the UK due to existing ties, while Hungary attracts medical tourists from Western Europe owing to its proximity."

The team of researchers has already published an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report on their findings, while Dr Lunt has delivered their message of caution to the World Health Organization and the Portuguese and Ukraine Governments. On 6 November, Dr Lunt will be a speaker at a professional networking event organised by the magazine Scientific American which will address trends in medical tourism.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of York. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Excess parking at some Denver sports stadiums

Serengeti highway would disrupt world's greatest migration, conservationists warn

Sea level rise may take economic toll on California coast, study predicts

Urbanization: 95% Of The World's Population Lives On 10% Of The Land

Thrill-seeking holidaymakers may be putting dolphins at risk

Compromise needed on roads through sensitive wild areas

British medical tourists seeking treatment overseas without sufficient information, advice

As population, interest in outdoor recreation grow, more pressure likely for northern forests

Human disturbances keep elk on high alert

Recession drives down U.S. national park visitation

Bicycle-friendly city infrastructure in U.S. significantly increases cycling to work by residents, which can improve health of locals

Six natural wonders declared World Heritage Sites

Study of veterans finds links between outdoor activities, improved mental health

Start travelling and change your life perceptions

At least 1 in 10 athletes injured during 2010 Winter Olympics, study finds

Get up, get out and go: Research tackles childhood obesity

Tornado-chasing becomes vacation choice, researchers find

Scientists use Flickr photos to assess value of natural tourist attractions

Learning-based tourism an opportunity for industry expansion

Researchers warn of the 'myths' of global medical tourism

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