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Typical impacts in parks and reserves include soil erosion and compaction, damage to vegetation, disturbance to wildlife, water pollution, increased fire frequency, vandalism and noise.
- Ralf Buckley
- 1991
Impacts on the natural environment may usefully be considered in three main categories: those associated with transport and travel; those associated with accommodation or shelter; and those associated with recreational activities per se. Major impacts on the physical and biological environment in each of these categories are summarised in Tables...
- Ralf Buckley
- 1991
- Untold Stories. The term "national park" conjures up thoughts of big, natural landscapes like Grand Canyonand Yosemite. But two-thirds of the National Park Service's 392 areas were created to protect historic or cultural resources, from colonial Boston to New Mexico's Chaco Canyon.
- Crumbling History. National parks protect the historic buildings in which America’s history was made, places like Independence Hall, Ellis Island, and the San Antonio Missions.
- Wildlife Management. No park exists in isolation, and that fact is becoming increasingly clear as the areas surrounding parks are developed for living space, agriculture, mining, forestry, and more.
- Foreign Invaders. National parks are inviting places, especially for non-native species that can cause havoc once they move in. Plants and insects often hitchhike to our shores on boats or airplanes while other species, like snakes, are intentionally imported for the exotic pet trade.
- Cooling Urban Heat Islands
- Minimizing Flooding and Improving Water Quality
- Cleaning The Air
- Useful Resources
- References
Parks and trees are one of the most effective ways to combat extreme heat. A recent study in Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., showed that on one of the hottest days last summer, parks were a cooling oasis — as much as 17 degrees cooler than parts of the city lacking trees and green space. In addition, the cooling benefit of parks can exte...
Parks that incorporate water-smart landscaping features (called “green infrastructure”) can reduce flooding and protect water quality. Green infrastructure can filter as much as 95 percent of major pollutants out of stormwater runoff. Research has also shown that green infrastructure features, such as rain gardens, can reduce stormwater runoff by a...
Urban tree canopy in parks and along city streets is estimated to remove 711,000 metric tons of air pollution annually (a $3.8 billion value) and sequester more than 90 million metric tons of carbon (CO2 equivalent). That’s the equivalent of removing more than 19 million cars from the road for one year. Urban trees also filter particulate matter fr...
The 10-Minute Walk Campaignis a growing nationwide movement to ensure there’s a great park within a 10-minute walk of every person, in every neighborhood, in every city across America. More than 23...“Extreme Weather.” National Climate Assessment. Accessed September 25, 2018.“Extreme Heat.” Ready.gov. Accessed September 25, 2018.“Climate Effects on Health.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. July 26, 2016. Accessed October 02, 2018.Parks are key to ensuring the health of our environment because they play a critical role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, providing clean water and clean air, and enabling conservation of natural resources.
Parks and protected areas offer a variety of ecosystem services and promote opportunities that enhance human health and well-being. However, these benefits may be jeopardized when overcrowding degrades environmental and social conditions in parks.
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Oct 4, 2020 · Disturbance to ecosystems in parks and protected areas from nature-based tourism and recreation is increasing in scale and severity, as are the impacts of climate change—but there is limited research examining the degree to which these anthropogenic disturbances interact.
