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Gewählte Doctoral Thesis:

Petra Sterl (2017): STÖRUNGSBEWUSSTSEIN UND AKZEPTANZ VON BESUCHERLENKUNGSMASSNAHMEN VON SCHUTZGEBIETSBESUCHERINNEN UND -BESUCHERN IM WINTER.
Doctoral Thesis - Institut für Landschaftsentwicklung, Erholungs- und Naturschutzplanung (ILEN), BOKU-Universität für Bodenkultur, pp 126. UB BOKU obvsg

Abstract:

Protected areas are facing the challenge of meeting two often irreconcilable goals – nature conservation und nature experience. Recreational activities are among the most significant causes for biodiversity loss. Especially in winter, they can have a dramatic impact on the survival of wildlife. Visitors to the Danube Floodplains National Park and the Gesaeuse National Park, Austria, were surveyed with regard to their awareness of wildlife disturbance. In addition, the acceptance of visitor management measures was assessed for visitors of Gesaeuse National Park. Only 40 % of the interviewees in Danube Floodplains National Park (N=271) are aware of wildlife disturbance due to recreational use; merely 12 % believe that wildlife was disturbed due to their behaviour on the day of the interview. Activities like dog walking and off-trail walking are assessed as less disturbing by dog walkers and off-trail walkers than by the other visitors. Around 40% of the interviewed ski tourers in Gesaeuse National Park (N=550) believe that wild animals are used to ski tourers. The majority of the interviewees are not familiar with the ski touring management concept; 70 % of those who are aware of it consider it a useful concept. Interviewee’s attitude towards this concept is influenced by their attitude towards the environmental impacts of ski touring, motives for ski touring, perceived constraints to the individual’s recreational activities, past experiences and the importance of the Gesaeuse to the interviewees. Only 20 % of the respondents accept temporal and spatial restrictions of ski touring. Both national parks are advised to provide information and environmental education to visitors with a view to raising awareness for the disturbance caused, as well as increasing the acceptance of visitor management measures.

Betreuer: Arnberger Arne