An extension of the recreational carrying capacity concept : a procedure for recreation resource allocation in the planning of natural landsapes

Investigating the recreational carrying capacity of a new coastal national park in South Africa was the initial problem to be addressed. However, an examination of the concept and attempts to operationalize it shows clearly that it is illusory. Instead, the problem is conceived of as a process in which decisions about the allocation of recreation opportunities in the landscape must be made. ·The dissertation examines the complexities of decision-making in the face of multiple objectives, a spectrum of values, the uncertainties of predicting environmental impacts and the influence of the subjective values and preferences of decision makers. This leads to the conclusion that a framework is required to guide the recreation opportunity allocation decision process. This framework is to be systematic, comprehensive and above all, explicit. The subjective nature of the decision process is given overt recognition, and the role of science in environmental decision-making put in perspective. A tiered recreation planning system is proposed. At the scale of a single area such as a national park, two levels of planning are seen as necessary. The dissertation is largely concerned with elaborating an area-level procedure for allocating recreation "packages" or opportunities in the landscape. The procedure proposed combines the approach of the Limits of Acceptable Change planning system with techniques from decision analysis, to structure the subjective aspects of the process, and techniques of land evaluation to systematize the ecological basis for recreation planning in landscapes of particular conservation importance. A second, detailed level of planning at the site and recreation activity scale is proposed as being necessary, but is not developed further in the dissertation. The Limits of Acceptable Change process defines a range of recreation opportunity classes in terms of social and resource conditions and managerial approaches necessary to maintain these conditions. Environmental quality standards for each class are formulated to monitor compliance with the objectives for each class. These recreation opportunity classes must be allocated in the landscape. A decision tree is constructed to expose the actual process by which recreation opportunity classes are spatially designated. The decision-tree comprises a tiered series of questions, the answers to which are decided by explicitly defined decision rules or criteria. The basis of these decision rules are the analyst's interpretation of the data available on the system. This decision-making process was tested on the Weskus National Park at Langebaan on the Cape West coast of South Africa. It was found to be effective in allocating recreation opportunities in the landscape, and offers a defensible planning strategy for conservation agencies operating under time and financial constraints in the face of an increasingly environmentally aware and articulate public.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Environmental and Geographical Science

Year dc:date.issued

1992

Author dc:creator

• Henderson, Caroline M

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Fuggle, Richard Francis

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17323

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/17323