Human Impacts Within and Adjacent to Park Biological Impacts of Near-Park Development on Populations of Animals Lack of Basic Data- Insufficient Understanding of
Denali National Park and Preserve currently receives over 600,000 person days of visitor use per year in an area with grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) densities as high as 32 bears/1000km 2 (Dean 1987, Keay unpublished data). As visitation to Denali continues to increase, so will the potential for impact...
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1998
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.383.4727 http://www.arlis.org/docs/vol1/122932428/appendix@20a.pdf |
| Summary: | Denali National Park and Preserve currently receives over 600,000 person days of visitor use per year in an area with grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) densities as high as 32 bears/1000km 2 (Dean 1987, Keay unpublished data). As visitation to Denali continues to increase, so will the potential for impacts to bear populations. Grizzly bears and black bears (U. americanus) are unpredictable animals that can seriously threaten human safety (Herrero 1985). In Denali National Park, many people have the opportunity to observe grizzly bears in their natural environment. In 1989, 95 % of park visitors using the visitor transportation system were able to observe grizzly bears along the park road (Machlis 1990). The park provides a valuable opportunity for the public to foster an appreciation and understanding of bears. This appreciation and public support could enhance efforts to conserve threatened bear populations in other areas. Despite the legal protection of grizzly and black bears within the wilderness portion of the park, the bear population continues to face impacts from human activities inside park boundaries and throughout surrounding areas. Within and adjacent to the park, bears must adapt their behavior to a variety of widely dispersed human influences. These influences include garbage dumps, garbage incinerators, food caches, human developments, frontcountry hiking and camping, backcountry hiking and camping, existing and proposed road use, development, and legal and illegal harvest. These influences have potential to |
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