1. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments1 The importance of wilderness and wildland Lecture outline: n experiencing wilderness n wilderness values n wilderness and sustainability n seminar: why is wilderness necessary for global survival?

2. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments2 1. Experiencing wilderness n Wilderness as: - a state of (wild) nature? Ecological definitions Socio-psychological definitions - a state of mind? - an experience? “Wilderness is what men think it is.” (Nash, 1982) “One man’s wilderness is another’s roadside picnic ground.” (Nash, 1982)

3. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments3 2. Wilderness values n Multiple values ascribed to wilderness - Natural ecosystems wildlife habitat - Scientific gene pool natural laboratory - Sociological recreation psychological

4. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments4 “I had trouble deciding on where the wildest place I have ever been is, since the wildest place and what felt like the wildest place may necessarily not coincide. I eventually decided to opt in favour of the latter, as it was a more interesting experience!”

5. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments5 “..the island is not very big but there was still a sense of remoteness at times and being in certain parts of the landscape could still make you feel very small and insignificant.”

6. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments6 “Looking out and seeing nothing but trees and rocks until the horizon made it feel wild. It is such an enormous area with no human interruption… I remember it being almost silent too, apart from the sound of a few birds and other wildlife.”

7. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments7 “…being out in a wilderness has a certain satisfaction about it. It gives you a chance to get some fresh air and helps to relieve some of the stress of living in modern civilisation.”

8. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments8 “Compared to the U.K. the area was a wilderness; there were no roads, footpaths or houses to be seen during the six weeks, if we needed to be rescued it could take days or even weeks, and the fact that a riffle needed to be carried around with party in order to ensure our safety against wild animals all added to the wilderness experience.”

9. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments9 “I think that Rannoch Moor has shaped my idea of wilderness as being a place where I am completely alone and very vulnerable to what nature can throw at me, also being a place where you can see no refuge or way out makes it feel very desolate.”

10. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments10 n Preservation on the basis of value - many wilderness values based on use - e.g. US Wilderness Act (1964) that wilderness is to be preserved for the... “use and enjoyment as wilderness... (by) the American people of present and future generations.” - “Anthropocentric” view - most threats to wilderness from human use - need to understand wilderness use in order to manage effectively 2. Wilderness values (cont’d)

11. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments11 n Types of use: - many types of wilderness use - variety of use reflects variety of values - varying dependence n Problem: - how measure degree of wilderness dependency? - subjective 2. Wilderness values (cont’d)

12. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments12 n Categories of wilderness use: - recreational - commercial - scientific - educational - therapeutic/developmental 2. Wilderness values (cont’d)

13. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments13 n Recreational use - Most obvious and common - Greatest impact - Greatest management challenge - Wilderness recreational activities:recreational hiking and horse riding river trips mountaineering ski touring hunting and fishing 2. Wilderness values (cont’d)

14. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments14 n Impact varies with group sizegroup size n Sub-categories of recreational activities: - public - commercial - indirect n Most peoples experience is indirect 2. Wilderness values (cont’d)

15. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments15 n Indirect recreational use - Second-hand enjoyment through: TV programmes and films reading material and lectures staying at resorts near to wilderness - 3 associated wilderness values: 1. option value (option to visit) 2. existence value (knowing its out there!) 3. bequest value (saving it for out children) 2. Wilderness values (cont’d)

16. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments16 n Clawson (1963) - more to the wilderness experience than just being there n Phases of wilderness experience: Phases - planning and anticipation - travel to wilderness (outbound) - being there - travel from wilderness (the return home) - recollection (memories) 2. Wilderness values (cont’d)

17. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments17 n Scientific use - Wilderness as a laboratory offering natural and unmodified conditions - Increasing importance with shrinking wilderness areas - Wilderness dependent - Examples: pollution monitoring predator-prey relations global environmental change 2. Wilderness values (cont’d)

18. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments18 n Educational use - Wilderness often used for education:education field trips study areas for theses/dissertations source of instructional examples - Specialist courses teaching wilderness skills and values NOLS in USA Outward Bound in UK 2. Wilderness values (cont’d)

19. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments19 n Commercial use - Commercial uses include: Commercial mining and oil/gas logging water developments livestock grazing recreational developments - Limited in number - Zero (mostly) wilderness dependency 2. Wilderness values (cont’d)

20. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments20 n Therapeutic/developmental use - Wilderness setting for therapeutic and personal development programmes - Deliquents and mentally ill (supposedly) benefit from such programmes: relief from everyday stresses group support and independence - Normal healthy people also benefit: Normal personal development and self discovery self reliance and personal awareness 2. Wilderness values (cont’d)

21. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments21 Thought: What about wilderness for wilderness’ sake? i.e. a “biocentric” view

22. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments22 3. Wilderness and sustainability  Uneven distribution of wilderness - spatial pattern and scale - maps  Scarce resources need protection  Protection requires management  Wilderness management is COMPLEX  Many problems - many potential solutions - compatibility issues - depending on geographical context and institutional setting

23. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments23 13 principles of wilderness management 1.Manage as one environmental extreme 2.Manage as a composite resource 3.Manage under a non degradation concept 4.Set carrying capacities to prevent unnatural change 5.Manage in co-ordination with adjacent lands 6.Apply only minimum tools to achieve objectives 7.Focus on threatened sites/damaging activities 8.Involve the public in all stages 9.Manage users rather than the environment 10.Manage to produce environmental and human benefits 11.Favour wilderness dependent activities 12.Guide management with written plans 13.Monitor to evaluate effectiveness of actions

24. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments24 3. Wilderness and sustainability (cont’d) n The “Management Paradox” - To manage or not to manage? let nature take its course or ‘play’ at nature - Risk of degradation vs loss of true wilderness - Paradox: don’t manage - loose wilderness manage - loose wilderness - Compromise required

25. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments25 Question: What is the answer to the management paradox?

26. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments26 n Sustainable use and/or sustainable development? - sustainable use of the wilderness resource appropriate/careful management within carrying capacities non-degradation principle in co-ordination with adjacent lands using minimum intervention tools favour wilderness dependent activities - development of new habitats/wildlands “Re-wilding” or habitat re-creation E.g. The Wildlands Project http://www.wildlandsprojectrevealed.org/ 3. Wilderness and sustainability (cont’d)

27. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments27 Thought: OK, but why do we NEED wilderness?

28. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments28 Reading Hendee et al (1990) Wilderness management. Fulcrum Publishing, Colorado. [esp. Chapters 3-5, 14-16] Brockman, F & Merriam, L.C (1973) Recreational use of wildlands. McGraw-Hill, New York. Hampton, B & Cole, D (1988) Soft paths. Stackpole Books.

29. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments29 Workshop “In wildness is the preservation of the world” Henry David Thoreau Discussion: Why is wilderness necessary for global survival?

30. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments30 Task n Research and example of a wilderness ecosystem - Search the web for: Web site focusing on example of wilderness ecosystem (e.g. deserts, mountains, polar, marine, etc.) - Think about the following: what makes that particular ecosystem ‘wild’ how does it differ from human dominated/modified systems? what are the key processes, relationships or trends that make it interesting? - Submit web link in email by Monday

31. Lecture 2GEOG3320 – Management of Wilderness Environments31 Next week... 3. Wilderness ecosystems n What: flora and fauna n Where: biogeographical zones and ecosystem mosaics n Processes: cycles, pyramids and relationships n Trends: extinctions, re-introductions and climate change n Workshop: Guest lecture by Mark Fisher, Self-Willed Land