Spatial and Temporal Dynamics and Value of Nature-Based Recreation, Estimated via Social Media.

ABSTRACT: Conserved lands provide multiple ecosystem services, including opportunities for nature-based recreation. Managing this service requires understanding the landscape attributes underpinning its provision, and how changes in land management affect its contribution to human wellbeing over time. However, evidence from both spatially explicit and temporally dynamic analyses is scarce, often due to data limitations. In this study, we investigated nature-based recreation within conserved lands in Vermont, USA. We used geotagged photographs uploaded to the photo-sharing website Flickr to quantify visits by in-state and out-of-state visitors, and we multiplied visits by mean trip expenditures to show that conserved lands contributed US $1.8 billion (US $0.18-20.2 at 95% confidence) to Vermont's tou

SUBMITTER: Sonter LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5017630 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature