ABSTRACT
This chapter explores some applications of ecological concepts to recreation behavior in natural resource settings. Most ecology texts contain sections on human population growth, pollution, and resource depletion. In the field of recreation research, there is growing recognition that human recreation behavior must be understood in relation to the environment in which it takes place, and that the concepts and theories of ecology may contribute to that understanding. Recreation research has produced models for predicting how people will choose among recreation sites having various attributes. Another area of ecology that may be applicable to recreation is landscape ecology. Outdoor recreation frequently involves movement, both as travel to reach a suitable recreation site and as part of the recreation activity on the site. Research on mathematical models of ecosystems suggests ways of ecologizing logit models to represent dynamic interactions among populations of recreationists engaging in different activities.
