Article Instance

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{
    "pk": 48462,
    "title": "Carrying Capacity in the Great Lakes National Parks",
    "subtitle": null,
    "abstract": "This paper explores the concept of carrying capacity as applied to recreation management in the Great Lakes national parks. Carrying capacity is defined as the threshold of use beyond which the impacts of visitor activity exceed acceptable levels. Heberlein categorizes carrying capacity into four types—physical, facilities, ecological, and social—each with distinct management implications. While ecological capacity has historically received the most attention, the author argues that social capacity, which considers the quality of visitor experience, is often more critical and overlooked. Using analogies such as sports games, Heberlein emphasizes that different recreational activities have different optimal group sizes and encounter thresholds. He advocates for strategies such as activity separation, informed visitor choice, and differentiated park zones to manage these capacities effectively. By identifying preferred and tolerable levels of visitor interaction and structuring opportunities accordingly, park managers can better preserve both natural resources and recreational experiences. The author concludes that thoughtful, low-cost interventions based on understanding user expectations can enhance park use without requiring major resource investments.",
    "language": "eng",
    "license": {
        "name": "",
        "short_name": "",
        "text": null,
        "url": ""
    },
    "keywords": [],
    "section": "Article",
    "is_remote": true,
    "remote_url": "https://escholarship.org/uc/item/73v1x08x",
    "frozenauthors": [
        {
            "first_name": "Thomas",
            "middle_name": "A.",
            "last_name": "Heberlein",
            "name_suffix": "",
            "institution": "",
            "department": ""
        }
    ],
    "date_submitted": null,
    "date_accepted": null,
    "date_published": "1982-06-01T07:00:00Z",
    "render_galley": null,
    "galleys": [
        {
            "label": "PDF",
            "type": "pdf",
            "path": "https://journalpub.escholarship.org/gwf/article/48462/galley/36498/download/"
        }
    ]
}