Abstract: | Geographers have made substantial contributions to the field of recreation ecology, the study of recreational impacts on the environment, despite the absence of a uniquely geographic perspective. Knowledge about recreation impact is still rudimentary and open to further contributions by geographers. Three areas where geographic methods seem particularly useful are (1) understanding the spatial variability of site susceptibility, (2) analyzing spatial distributions of impact, and (3) integrating social and ecological concerns in the development of management programs. |