human impact on glacier national park

Partial COVID-19 closure of a national park reveals negative influence of low-impact recreation on wildlife spatiotemporal ecology, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-27670-9. Given the strong proclivity for carnivore movement along roads and trails, alterations in timing of use of these structures may be a key mechanism of coexistence12,42. GNP borders provincial and national parks in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, to the north, the Blackfeet Indian Reservation to the east, the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex to the south, and the Whitefish Range managed mostly by the US Forest Service to the west. Download the official NPS app before your next visit. Consequently, protected area managers now view human recreation as a major conservation issue8, albeit one with limited data to support management recommendations. The Iceberg Lake, Ptarmigan Tunnel and Swiftcurrent Pass trails would be accessed at the west end of the project area via the horse access trail that bypasses the construction. Change Biol. -The Going-to-the-Sun Road, one of the most scenic roads in North America, is a National Historic Landmark. Miller, S. G., Knight, R. L. & Miller, C. K. Wildlife responses to pedestrians and dogs. Glacier National Park encompasses some of the most diverse wildlife populations in North America. MacKenzie-Bailey goodness of fit tests indicated that models generally fit the data well, with c-hat values less than 1.5 for all species except wolves (2.56), the species with the lowest sample size. The project was also supported in part by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, McIntire-Stennis Project 1018967. "Animals in national parks impacted by even just a few people." Have any problems using the site? Nevin, J. 38, 6070 (2014). But the conga lines of tourists and cars are getting longer. 27, 37183731 (2021). -Glacier is one of the few places in the contiguous 48 states that continue to support natural populations of all indigenous carnivores and most of their prey species. Glaciers and snowpack feed hydrologic activity throughout the summer. In 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) published a study where they analyzed aerial images from 1966, 1998, 2005, and 2015 to assess changes over time in the surface area of Glacier National Park's 37 named glaciers. Grizzly bear density in Glacier National Park. For example, ranchers kill bison all the time just outside the borders of Yellowstone National park for fear that their cattle will contact brucellosis. & Grace, R. C. Behavioral momentum and the law of effect. Laundr, J. W., Hernndez, L. & Altendorf, K. B. Wolves, elk, and bison: reestablishing the landscape of fear in Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A.. Can. Pract. -Glacier National Park and Waterton Lakes National Park offer an opportunity for both countries to cooperate peacefully to resolve controversial natural resource issues that transcend international boundaries. Unlike study areas for much of the existing literature on wildlife response to human recreation10,17,18, GNP is a relatively intact ecosystem harboring nearly a full suite of native mid- to large-sized mammals. Baker, A. D. & Leberg, P. L. Impacts of human recreation on carnivores in protected areas. Human Impact on National Parks . . In 2009, 285 million people spent a collective 1.25 billion hours inside the national parks, the highest numbers since 2000, according to NPS figures. School of the Environment, Washington State University, PO Box 642812, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA, National Park Service, Glacier National Park, PO Box 128, West Glacier, MT, 59936, USA, You can also search for this author in ADS Integrated impacts of climate change on glacier tourism 23, 7390 (2000). Eagles, P. F. J., McCool, S. F. & Haynes, C. D. Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas: Guidelines for Planning and Management Vol. To estimate the expected number of sites occupied and 95% CIs in year 1 and 2, we used 10,000 bootstrap simulations (i.e., 10,000 random binomial draws to determine if each site was occupied or not based on the conditional occupancy estimate). Day hiking would be facilitated for the trail system from the Swiftcurrent Area, according to a release from park officials. Large carnivore response to human road use suggests a landscape of coexistence. Following recent studies that exposed man-made and climate-caused deterioration at two iconic American attractions, environmentalists are concerned about the health of all 58 U.S. national parks. Soule, M. E. et al. We are grateful to the Blackfeet Nation for permitting NPS administrative travel across the reservation during the 2020 covid closure, without which this study would not have been possible. Moreover, the increased use of daytime hours by fox when the park was open to recreation could also be a response to the increased nighttime activity of coyotes during the same period, a sign of behavioral release43. Sci Rep 13, 687 (2023). Procko, M., Naidoo, R., LeMay, V. & Burton, A. C. Human impacts on mammals in and around a protected area before, during, and after COVID-19 lockdowns. We used program R 4.0.2. The Effects of a Warming Climate on Glacier National Park Brain Sci. In this case, we were interested in changes in occupancy of sites between the first year that was closed to recreation and the second year that was open to recreation. National parks and wilderness areas aren't just seeing more visitors during the high season. Public comment can be submitted online and the project's story map can be found by searching "Swiftcurrent" at parkplanning.nps.gov. Google Scholar. Daily activity overlap of each species between the year open and closed to human recreation. Occupancy estimation and modeling (Elsevier, 2018). Even several species with generally high coefficients of overlap (mule deer, white-tailed deer, snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus)) had less diurnal activity when the park was open to recreation based on a visual examination of the activity overlap graphs (Fig. On private land outside Utahs Bryce Canyon National Park, a coal company has been cleared to launch a 440-acre strip mine that, ecologists say, could pollute waterways and send dust clouds over the park. 8 (IUCN, 2002). 79, 14011409 (2001). We considered time to independence as one-minute, meaning that if a human was photographed more than once at a camera within one minute only the first detection was included. We selected a best-fitting model for each species with AIC. Wildl. Red fox response may be driven by recreation-induced changes in coyote ecology. Ridout, M. S. & Linkie, M. Estimating overlap of daily activity patterns from camera trap data. In GNP, where both species are abundant46,47, it is possible that subordinate black bears display temporal avoidance of dominant grizzly bears, and then spatial avoidance of high intensity recreation. Odds of detection declined in the year open to recreation by a factor of 0.60, 0.57, 0.58, and 0.67 for black bear (Ursus americanus), coyotes (Canis latrans), moose and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), respectively and by a factor of 0.82, 0.92, and 0.81 for every 10 additional triggers of a human at a camera for elk (Cervus canadensis), lynx (Lynx canadensis), and marten (Martes americana), respectively (Table 3). MathSciNet ScienceDaily. IE 11 is not supported. In response, we predicted that some mesocarnivore and ungulate species would exhibit increased detection and space use in areas with higher recreation, following mesocarnivore release (mesocarnivores can be released from competition with apex predators and become more abundant;20,21) and human shielding theories (prey congregate in areas of high human activity to avoid risk from predation or competition from larger carnivores that are more human adverse;22,23). Redistribution, human shields and loss of migratory behavior in the crown of the continent. To test for the influence of recreation on wildlife spatial distribution we ran dynamic occupancy models27, which required repeated estimates of detection/non-detection at a site. The full richness of the experience is so profoundly enhanced by that sense., When the NPS was created in 1916 to oversee the parks, the understanding was the federal agency would maintain and protect those sanctuaries, Nimkin added. J.S.W. "In those areas, then, wildlife can live their natural lives unaffected by people.". Glacier is at the core of the "Crown of the Continent" ecosystem, one of the most ecologically intact areas remaining in the temperate regions of the world. Glacier National Park officials are taking public comment on the project until July 30 at 11:59 p.m. Park officials want to know how the project would affect visitor experience in that area and in Glacier National Park overall, as well as how the park can mitigate impacts to the visitor experience during the construction period. Ecol. As a second analysis of how human recreation impacted intensity of use at each camera, we calculated the number of independent detections of each species at each camera trap during the course of the entire summer in a given year (note that this differs from the data used to estimate detection probability in the occupancy models, which just indicates detection or not in every 10-day interval). Biol. -Glacier has the finest assemblage of ice age alpine glacial features in the contiguous 48 states, and it has relatively accessible, small-scale active glaciers. At NPS, Olson said rangers (and signs) have long urged visitors to stay on the marked trails and to park in designated areas and ride shuttles through the parks. The eastern half of the park was closed to the public, but typically receives a high level of summer recreation (primarily hiking). Two species (bighorn sheep and red fox) had significantly greater counts of detections in response to recreation (Table 3). Another possibility is that exposure to human hunting or persecution outside the park for highly mobile individuals could be influencing their response to humans inside the park, though the degree to which individuals captured on our cameras are exhibiting transboundary movements is unknown. At Glacier, Grand Canyon and Zion national parks, bus systems now help ease traffic congestion, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make a park visit more fun and relaxing. -Designated a Biosphere Reserve under United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) The Man and the Biosphere Program in 1976. Best of all, you wont have to fight the crowds along the way. Glob. World of Change: Ice Loss in Glacier National Park - NASA Earth Observatory Lewis, J. S. et al. An increase in sightseeing flights could eventually fill the canyon with the background drone we have in our cities, Nimkin said. AI for Earth camera trap image processing API (2020). 5Glacier National Park officials are soliciting public comment on a proposal to close the Swiftcurrent developed area during the 2025 summer season . The most striking sight is the famous Perito Moreno Glacier. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily, its staff, its contributors, or its partners. Internet Explorer). Thus, the only major difference between the two years was the level of human recreation on hiking trails. Science 360, 12321235 (2018). But a new University of Washington-led study has found that even in remote, rarely visited national parks, the presence of even just a few humans impacts the activity of wildlife that live there. Kendall, K. C. et al. Human presence exerts complex effects on the ecology of species, which has implications for biodiversity persistence in protected areas experiencing increasing human recreation levels. Glacier's scenery dramatically illustrates an exceptionally long geologic history and the many physical processes associated with mountain building and glaciation. Fear, human shields and the redistribution of prey and predators in protected areas. Take glaciers. Garber, S. D. & Burger, J. Total Environ. Stetz, J. We also predicted that species would become increasingly nocturnal during the year with high recreation pressure (2021), echoing global trends in how species shift daily activity in response to human disturbance24. Glacier's cultural resources chronicle the human activities (prehistoric people, American Indians, early explorers, railroad development, and modern use) that show that people have long placed high value on the area. Warm summer temperatures are causing this glacier to lose about 2 to 3 acres per year, and sometimes as much as 10 acres. We only analyzed data from each camera site during periods when cameras were operational during both open and closed years. J. Mamm. MacKenzie, D. I. et al. ScienceDaily, 13 October 2022. Soc. Dynamic occupancy models allow for an examination of extinction and colonization of sites (e.g., changes in occupancy at camera stations) between seasons, while accounting for imperfect detection at each site27. Based on data collected from cameras located in other areas of the park, recreation levels can exceed 250 triggers per day, with our maximum at 160 triggers per day, suggesting even more pronounced effects could be seen elsewhere in the park. Additionally, some parks are expanding their trail networks to accommodate more visitors. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-27670-9, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-27670-9. This assumption was likely violated with highly mobile mammals. Despite the potential for simple human presence to alter mammal communities, responses documented to date are highly variable, with little ability to generalize regarding if and how human presence will exert an influence on species9. Theres no question that much of the pressure felt by our national parks originates from beyond park borders, said Steven Silberberg, a Hull, Mass.-based backpacker who has visited at least six national parks, including Yosemite. Conserv. & Letnic, M. Apex predators decouple population dynamics between mesopredators and their prey. & Fisher, J. T. Move to nocturnality not a universal trend in carnivore species on disturbed landscapes. We did include a covariate for detection probability representing human recreation levels. "On a glacier only 115 acres in size," Fagre said, "that's a huge loss.". B. Biol. Ecol. Thus, the increase in red fox detection probabilities and detection rates with human recreation could be the result of a release from competition with coyotes. Through mutual agreement, limited administrative access was allowed to National Park Service staff and permitted researchers (including this study) to drive across the reservation to access GNP, following strict travel regulations prohibiting stopping on the reservation to prevent COVID-19 transmission. University of Washington. Other studies have found negative response of recreation on cougar occupancy, especially when domestic dogs are present18 and a negative response to human development17. 5Glacier National Park officials are soliciting public comment on a proposal to close the Swiftcurrent developed area during the 2025 summer season for water and road improvements. Rutz, C. et al. National park traffic has grown steadily over the past decade, and popular parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone can easily see over a million visitors a year. Agostinelli, C. & Lund, U. R package circular: circular statistics (version 0.4-94.1 (2022). Stat. Human Impacts - Glacier Bay National Park Google Scholar. The researchers expect that in parks where animals are more accustomed to seeing people, at least some individual animals won't react as strongly to humans as in Glacier Bay. I think sometimes there is a level of complacency where we tend to think of our national parks as already being protected.. J. J. Anim. Rep. 12, 12655 (2022). Glacier National Park (GNP) in northwest Montana, USA, experienced a drastic reduction of human activity during the summer of 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. 7, 14571462 (2016). https://r-forge.r-project.org/projects/circular/. While outdoor recreation can benefit funding and support for conservation efforts53, increasing human presence from recreation can cause negative effects contrary to conservation objectives8,54. We detected 22 species of mid- to large-sized mammals in the two years, with sufficient detections of 14 species to fit dynamic occupancy models and calculate activity curves (Table 2). PLoS Biol 13, 121 (2018). Although mule deer were slightly more likely to use sites when the park was open, they had decreased probabilities of detection in the presence of recreation, suggesting mixed evidence for human shielding. Ecology 84, 22002207. It is not intended to provide medical or other professional advice. In short, we are not around long and we leave no trace. PLoS ONE 11, 121 (2016). Sarmento, W., Biel, M. & Berger, J. We document these effects even though there was likely behavioral momentum41 to overcome in how species used the GNP landscape, given that the decline of human activity with park closure was sudden and temporally constrained to one year. Conserv. Glacier's cultural resources chronicle the human activities (prehistoric people, American Indians, early explorers, railroad development, and modern use) that show that people have long placed high value on the area. Native American tribes had a strong spiritual connection with the area long before its designation as a national park. Open Ecol. Brown bears were the least impacted by human presence. Our results suggest that the dual mandates of national parks and protected areas to conserve biodiversity and promote recreation have potential to be in conflict, even for presumably innocuous recreational activities. Oikos 129, 11281140 (2020). Purpose and Significance Statements - Glacier National Park (U.S While these types of studies contribute important knowledge, it can be difficult to disentangle if documented changes in wildlife are directly due to gradients in human presence or other unaccounted for factors that may covary with human activity. Most of the infrastructure providing water to the area was originally installed in the 1960s and has been updated as needed over the past 50 years, according to the project story map. Glacier National Park officials taking public comment on proposed For red fox, the closed period had more pronounced nocturnal activity peaks and also slightly more mid-day activity. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. A Closer Look: Glaciers in Glacier National Park | US EPA & Anthony, R. G. Behavioral responses of North American elk to recreational activity. Above Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Dan Haynes believes hes at the forefront of one of those solutions: he owns and operates Scenic Helicopter Tours, which is based in Sevierville, Tenn. They would be places that our children and grandchildren would enjoy, and I think we need to uphold that bargain.. More information can be found by visiting the Montana Natural Heritage Program. We tested both a categorical variable representing closed vs open status (i.e., detection probability dropped across all camera sites equally when human recreation was allowed), and a continuous variable representing the number of human detections at a particular site (i.e., detection probability at a camera site was dependent on the level of human recreation at that specific site in the open year). We note that occupancy models assume that the population is closed to changes in occupancy status during the sampling season28, which in our case, was the summer timeframe each year when cameras were running. Today just 25 remain, and scientists believe even the largest of . Impacts of human recreation on brown bears (Ursus arctos): a review and new management tool. The national parks are facing problems from human interaction, but just how much and can we do anything to reverse the damage. The most popular and accessible parks are over run. . Nearly any level of . 3, 620623 (2007). Financial support for ScienceDaily comes from advertisements and referral programs, where indicated. To calculate total number of independent detections, we considered time to independence as one-hour. The park is considering hiker transport to facilitate access to the trail system. -Achieved provisional Gold Tier designation as Waterton-Glacier International Dark -Sky Park through the International Dark Sky Association. But the findings do shed light on a reality that's likely playing out at national parks and wilderness areas across the country: More people are visiting these areas than ever before, and the presence of humans is almost certainly impacting the behavior of animals that live there. Sci. A COVID-19 closure within a popular, biodiverse and heavily protected National Park, provides an ideal situation to examine if and how presumably low-impact recreation (i.e., hiking as the primary activity) affects wildlife. Glacier is at the core of the Crown of the Continent ecosystem, one of the most ecologically intact areas remaining in the temperate regions of the world. To provide opportunities to experience, understand and enjoy the park consistent with the preservation of resources. On the interpretations of joint modeling in community ecology. University of Washington. A continental scale trophic cascade from wolves through coyotes to foxes. But how does our presence impact the animals we hope to see? -Designated Waterton-Glacier International Peace park in 1932, joining Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada and Glacier National Park in the United States. Santos, F. et al. Frey, S., Volpe, J. P., Heim, N. A., Paczkowski, J. 2). Environ. "There's been increasing recognition of how much just the presence of humans in these places, and our recreating there, can impact wildlife," said senior author Laura Prugh, associate professor in the UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. Glacier National Park (GNP) in northwest Montana, USA, experienced a drastic reduction of human activity during the summer of 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. The song of a bird and roar of a waterfall are all part of Glacier's natural soundscape. & Boyce, M. S. The role of human outdoor recreation in shaping patterns of grizzly bear-black bear co-occurrence. The impacts of COVID-19 lockdown on wildlife in Deccan Plateau. Mazerolle, M. J. AICcmodavg: Model selection and multimodel inference based on (Q)AIC(c). Brooks, M. E. et al. Estimated number of camera sites used (+ 95% CIs) by 14 mid- to large-sized mammals in a year closed to recreation and a year open to recreation based on dynamic occupancy models. Conserv. Moreover, most studies to date rely on observational data to determine how species are responding to human presence (e.g., analyzing the temporal or spatial patterns of species across a large landscape where there is a gradient of human activity, e.g.,10,11,12). Background Ice/Snow, forests, and oceans are the three major resources for the future of world tourism. During the open period average human triggers per day was 33.3 (range: 0.8164.9) and during the closed period average human triggers per day reduced to 0.67 (range: 0.062.0; there was some detection of human activity due to limited administrative access to the area during the closure; Table 1). Glob. Above many national parks, sightseeing planes and helicopters buzz. Article Evol. TREE 30, 755765 (2015). The research was published Oct. 13 in the journal People and Nature. Member parks make it a top priority to respond to climate change and move park operations in a more sustainable direction. Laundr, J. W., Hernandez, L. & Ripple, W. J. 248, 16 (2020). -Named a World Heritage Site, along with Waterton ----Lakes National Park, in 1995. Lillian experiences the rush of Glacier's Going-to-the-Sun Road, but her most illuminating stops happen on the Blackfeet reservation. Outside of red fox and coyote, the other mesocarnivores we were able to model (martens and lynx) responded negatively in some aspect to recreation, with two other rare mesocarnivores (wolverines and badgers) only being detected at our cameras during the year of park closure. Wang, Y., Allen, M. L. & Wilmers, C. C. Mesopredator spatial and temporal responses to large predators and human development in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. Thus, our dynamic occupancy modeling approach was assessing changes in probability of use of camera sites, not changes in true occupancy28. Sanderfoot, O. V., Kaufman, J. D. & Gardner, B. Thank you for visiting nature.com. Combined with naturally nocturnal habits, cougars may have had limited need to alter spatiotemporal patterns in the presence of recreation. Some for tourists, some for serious hikers, some to just drive or ride the tram through, he said. Disturbance type and species life history predict mammal responses to humans. In total, we had 2503 and 2054 detections of those 22 species in the year closed and open to recreation, respectively, with 16 of 22 species having fewer detections in the year open to recreation. COVID-19 lockdown allows researchers to quantify the effects of human activity on wildlife. USGS scientists have studied these glaciers since the late 1800s, building a body of research that documents widespread glacier change over the past century.

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