A mixed-method approach for measuring environmental impacts in nature-based tourism and outdoor recreation settings.

The research presented in this article is a response to the need for expanding traditional approaches to the study of human use and environmental impacts in natural resource-based tourism and recreation settings. The National Park example provided herein examined abiotic, biotic, and cultural (social) dimensions using a mixed-method approach to study tourism and recreation impacts in the backcountry. The study demonstrates how biophysical and sociocultural research methods can be systematically employed to expand traditional impact monitoring and assessment models and consequently advance understanding of recreation and tourism impacts on the environment through an integrated interpretation of the results. Specifically, the findings of the study provide an example of a multimethod strategy for assessing visitor impacts in backcountry settings, and demonstrate the benefits of an integrated approach for identifying and mediating backcountry impacts.