Recreation ecology began in the 1960s to measure the impacts of recreation on ecosystems. Area of environmental impact is an important objective to assess recreational impact. However, few researchers have examined the trends of these impacts over time. This study measures the environmental area of impact at eight climbing areas, in Red River Gorge, Kentucky, over a six year period, to determine impact trends. The results of this research will help recreation ecologists and land managers understand environmental impacts over time, and possibly predict future impact scenarios. The hypothesis of this research is the total mean area of impact at the climb areas in 2007 and again in 2013 will change insignificantly. The findings support this hypothesis. Six of the eight climb areas resulted in insignificant change in area of impact over six years. Application of mitigation strategies by land managers may therefore be more effective at reducing impact areas. Longer duration impact trend studies should be conducted to verify there is a consistent impact threshold at climb areas. Determination of this threshold, and how to build a predictive model, should also be considered in the future. Also, further research replicating this study should be conducted at climbing areas with different environmental and social conditions.
","abstract_html":"<p>Recreation ecology began in the 1960s to measure the impacts of recreation on ecosystems. Area of environmental impact is an important objective to assess recreational impact. However, few researchers have examined the trends of these impacts over time. This study measures the environmental area of impact at eight climbing areas, in Red River Gorge, Kentucky, over a six year period, to determine impact trends. The results of this research will help recreation ecologists and land managers understand environmental impacts over time, and possibly predict future impact scenarios. The hypothesis of this research is the total mean area of impact at the climb areas in 2007 and again in 2013 will change insignificantly. The findings support this hypothesis. Six of the eight climb areas resulted in insignificant change in area of impact over six years. Application of mitigation strategies by land managers may therefore be more effective at reducing impact areas. Longer duration impact trend studies should be conducted to verify there is a consistent impact threshold at climb areas. Determination of this threshold, and how to build a predictive model, should also be considered in the future. Also, further research replicating this study should be conducted at climbing areas with different environmental and social conditions.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Walendziak, Nicholas"],"institution":"Eastern Kentucky University","degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Master's","degree_discipline":"Recreation and Park Administration","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:25Z","subjects":["Climbing","Land Use Planning","Recreation Ecology","Recreation Impacts","Recreation Resource Management","Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright 2015 Nicholas Walendziak"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/239","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Walendziak, Nicholas"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Recreation and Park Administration"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Kentucky University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Climbing","Land Use Planning","Recreation Ecology","Recreation Impacts","Recreation Resource Management","Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2015 Nicholas Walendziak"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/239"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Recreation ecology began in the 1960s to measure the impacts of recreation on ecosystems. Area of environmental impact is an important objective to assess recreational impact. However, few researchers have examined the trends of these impacts over time. This study measures the environmental area of impact at eight climbing areas, in Red River Gorge, Kentucky, over a six year period, to determine impact trends. The results of this research will help recreation ecologists and land managers understand environmental impacts over time, and possibly predict future impact scenarios. The hypothesis of this research is the total mean area of impact at the climb areas in 2007 and again in 2013 will change insignificantly. The findings support this hypothesis. Six of the eight climb areas resulted in insignificant change in area of impact over six years. Application of mitigation strategies by land managers may therefore be more effective at reducing impact areas. Longer duration impact trend studies should be conducted to verify there is a consistent impact threshold at climb areas. Determination of this threshold, and how to build a predictive model, should also be considered in the future. Also, further research replicating this study should be conducted at climbing areas with different environmental and social conditions.
"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Longitudinal variation in environmental impact at rock climbing areas in the Red River Gorge limits of acceptable change study area, Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Walendziak, Nicholas"],"dc:description.abstract":["Recreation ecology began in the 1960s to measure the impacts of recreation on ecosystems. Area of environmental impact is an important objective to assess recreational impact. However, few researchers have examined the trends of these impacts over time. This study measures the environmental area of impact at eight climbing areas, in Red River Gorge, Kentucky, over a six year period, to determine impact trends. The results of this research will help recreation ecologists and land managers understand environmental impacts over time, and possibly predict future impact scenarios. The hypothesis of this research is the total mean area of impact at the climb areas in 2007 and again in 2013 will change insignificantly. The findings support this hypothesis. Six of the eight climb areas resulted in insignificant change in area of impact over six years. Application of mitigation strategies by land managers may therefore be more effective at reducing impact areas. Longer duration impact trend studies should be conducted to verify there is a consistent impact threshold at climb areas. Determination of this threshold, and how to build a predictive model, should also be considered in the future. Also, further research replicating this study should be conducted at climbing areas with different environmental and social conditions.
"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/239"],"dc:publisher":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2015 Nicholas Walendziak"],"dc:source":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"],"dc:subject":["Climbing","Land Use Planning","Recreation Ecology","Recreation Impacts","Recreation Resource Management","Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration"],"dc:title":["Longitudinal variation in environmental impact at rock climbing areas in the Red River Gorge limits of acceptable change study area, Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Recreation and Park Administration"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Kentucky University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:25Z"}