Treesearch

A number of trends are altering the role of science in natural resource management. These trends include the growing political power of science, the recognition that most natural resource problems are extremely complex and not prone to uni-dimensional solutions, and the increasing need to integrate an understanding of the human component into the planning and decision-making process. A sampling of the various roles of the social sciences and the types of questions amenable to social science are examined.

In a preliminary investigation of environmental reasoning, Hispanic and Anglo-American visitors were interviewed during the summer of 1991 in two National Forests near Los Angeles. A bilingual research technician approached parties visiting the sample sites and, after a brief introduction, requested that they participate in the study. No more than two persons from each party were interviewed, and a total of 132 interviews were conducted. The data collected during the interviews were evaluated by using theoretical frameworks of environmental ethical reasoning based upon the moral reasoning...

A cultural identity construct for use in recreation re-search was developed. Findings from a survey of 233 university students in San Francisco, suggest that ethnic identity can be quantified and is an important factor influencing differences in vacation travel participation, motivations and barriers. The method used can be applied in diverse multi-cultural settings.

Sunday, October 20, 1991, will be remembered as the date of America’s most costly urban-wildland fire (FEMA 1992) and one of the worst fires involving loss of life and property since the Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906 (OFD 1992). The magnitude and range of what is simply referred to as the “Tunnel Fire” is far beyond the experience of any living American firefighter. Only those who fought the Chicago Fire last century and those who battled the Great Fire in San Francisco would be able to identify with this conflagration and firestorm.

The recreational use of the Tonto National Forest, Arizona was investigated by using data on ethnic and racial subgroups. The Tonto is a Class 1 urban proximate forest adjoining the large, culturally diverse population of the Phoenix. An on-site survey of 524 recreating groups found sufficiently large numbers of Anglos (n=425) and Hispanics (n=82) who participated in our study. Analyses indicated Anglos sought more equipment-oriented experiences, while Hispanics sought experiences centered around basic site services and facilities. The marginality hypothesis and ethnic assimilation...

The fire safety of a home in the wildland/urban interface is influenced by several factors-one of which is the presence and proximity of vegetation to the home. Landscaping may either provide a significant barrier to fire spread and thus potentially increase a home's fire safety or favor fire spread and reduce a home's fire safety. However, fire safety of vegetation is not the only criterion a homeowner or landscape designer uses when selecting plants for use in a yard. Other criteria include drought resistance, erosion prevention, and esthetics.

Past research on ethnicity in outdoor recreation has focused on park use and participation in recreation activities. Explanations of differences in park use and participation rates by minorities and non-minorities have emphasized the marginality and ethnicity hypotheses. A different approach can be used that emphasizes visitor's expectations and preferences for appropriate behaviors at an urban proximate forest recreation site. Four social regularities are identified based on birth place and ethnic identity: cross cultural, United States indigene, Mexican born Hispanic, and Hispanic. The...