Outdoor Recreation Activities in Nature Protection Areas – Situation in Germany
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Working Papers of the Finnish Forest Research Institute 2 http://www.metla.fi/julkaisut/workingpapers/2004/mwp002.htm Outdoor recreation activities in nature protection areas – situation in Germany Stefan Türk, Edwin Jakob, Alexander Krämer & Ralf Roth Institut für Natursport und Ökologie, Deutsche Sporthochschule Köln, Germany [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Abstract: Within a research project of the Federal Nature Conservation Agency, the Institute of Outdoor Sports and Environment points out new developments in outdoor activities in several German landscapes significantly used for sports activities. Therefore two different types of landscape analysis were chosen: First the monitoring of selected sports activities in landscapes with special equipment respectively high frequented by sportsmen (top-spot method) and second the recording of the real utilisation of near-natural landscapes (area method). The results of the scientific analytics were combined with sociological knowl- edge to describe the development of outdoor recreation in different sport activities (e.g.: canoeing, climbing, paragliding or canyoning). Considering these results the possibilities and the limits of modern concepts of guidance are discussed. Convenience offers, the use of police law or the establishment of a new outdoor culture (depending on Scandinavian standards) will attach great importance to minimize stress and interference in natural landscapes. It is shown that the changes in outdoor activities offer the possibility for a sustainable use of the German countryside for recreation as well as for environment. The Significance of Outdoor Sporting even booming. Other sports, like skiing for example, Activities continue to be popular. Apart from the sportsmen and women, who are traditionally organised in clubs, Fun, self-realisation, independence, spontaneity, and there is a significant number of people who pursue individuality combined with nature experience are the new outdoor trend sports. the key characteristics of modern sports. Most of the It is very difficult to estimate the number of outdoor activities satisfy these current demands of people who pursue these sports though, as their society. The growing popularity is reflected by the popularity is often short-lived. It is easier to make number of members in sport clubs which offer out- assumptions with respect to the development capac- door sporting activities. ity (Table 1). In Germany sports such as climbing, horseback riding and scuba diving are increasing and golf is Table 1. extension, stage and prospect of development of new outdoor activities. Extension Stage of development Sport Prospect of development (in relation to other activities) (Lamprecht & Stamm 1998) canyoning low, only commercial saturation continuity, no further increase carving very high diffusion/saturation no public relevance ice climbing very low innovation no public relevance, kitesurfing medium innovation/diffusion well, replace surfing mountainbiking extremly high saturation no further increase, small decline nordic-walking low innovation booming, well increase snowshoeing low diffusion slow increase snowboarding very high saturation consistent high wakeboarding medium diffusion limited by sport facilities Whitewater-rodeo low diffusion Small public relevance 171 Working Papers of the Finnish Forest Research Institute 2 http://www.metla.fi/julkaisut/workingpapers/2004/mwp002.htm Methodology Land Use Analysis Spatial Requirements The land use analysis of outdoor sporting activities Outdoor activities and all the new trends have spatial was done in four steps: requirements and affect nature and the landscape as much as the constantly changing behaviour of the 1. Analysis of the activity areas and opportunities by user groups. Possible consequences are: using existing data and collecting new data. – the development of new areas, Among other reasons outdoor activities distin- – different intensity of utilisation in areas already guish themselves from other sporting activities used for sporting activities because they do not depend on special facilities. – longer duration of activities The natural landscape serve as a sporting facility. – added up effects of multiple use, which exceed As a result, the utilised river, rock or the ground the overall effects of single utilisation itself, as well as the provided infrastructure (paths – leaving traditional sport areas or clearings) represent opportunities for sporting – making other or less use of previously utilised activities. Increasingly, such opportunities are areas created for the purpose of outdoor sporting activi- – shorter duration of activities ties. To evaluate the possible effects of selected 2. Analysis of existing spatial data relevant to nature sporting activities, which depend on certain land- protection and landscape management. scape structures, areas all over Germany were ana- Protected areas, biotopes, habitats and the overall lysed. Detailed spatial analyses are based on case scenery are important to nature protection and studies, adopting two different approaches: landscape management. Conservation targets The first approach looked at the land use of differ- regulate which forms of utilisation are permitted ent selected sports in areas that are particularly or prohibited. suitable and therefore frequently used (the so-called 3. Analysis of the actual land use through sporting ‘top spot’ approach). ‘Top spots’ are those areas, activities. which offer good or excellent conditions for one or Land use can generally be described with the help several related outdoor activities. In Germany there of information about place and time. This is also are top spots for almost all of the outdoor sporting true for the use of nature and the landscape, activities. although the essential information is the kind of The second approach examines the utilisation of utilisation. The spatial analysis is based on sur- nature and the landscape in selected outdoor sporting veys and mapping. The following factors are areas and regions (the so-called ‘model area included: approach’). – used area This double approach made it possible to describe – spatial extent of utilisation the complex land use patterns, especially regarding – time and duration multiple use, in a relatively easy way. The model – intensity of utilisation areas and top spots were selected according to the – peak times following criteria: 4. Combining all geometric and factual data by – quantity and extent of different outdoor activities employing Geographic Information Systems – which sports were pursued (GIS). – availability of geographic data, as well as To illustrate, link up and evaluate all the collected information on nature protection and the sporting spatial data GIS ArcView 3.2 and ArcMap 8.1 by activities ESRI are applied. Official topographic maps with – familiarity with the area of the people collecting the scales of 1:50.000 and 1:25.000, as well as the data digital orthophotos und digital terrain models form In the regions Obere Rur and Siegaue, both in the the basis. The data is available from the respective federal state North Rhine–Westphalia, canoeing was State Surveying Offices or the Federal Office of examined, to analyse climbing the red sand stone Nature Protection. rocks of the Rureifel, North Rhine-Westphalia were looked at (Stumpf 2002). Studies on paragliding were undertaken in Oberallgäu, Bavaria (Olbrich 2002). Results Water bodies in the Cologne area are top spots for The research project analysed the outdoor activities scuba diving (Hoffmann 2001) and the island canoeing, climbing, paragliding, scuba diving and Norderney, Lower Saxony is most suited for surfing surfing, as well as hiking, mountain biking and snow (Lutz 2002). Hiking, mountain biking and snow sports. For each sporting activity some of the results, sports were analysed in the low mountain ranges which are relevant to future land use development, Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg and Sauerland, are presented in the following. North Rhine-Westphalia (Roth & Krämer 2000, Roth A detailed presentation of all the results found for et al. 2001). each sport, as well as an in depth description of the 172 Working Papers of the Finnish Forest Research Institute 2 http://www.metla.fi/julkaisut/workingpapers/2004/mwp002.htm specific demands placed on the landscape would go is very likely that smaller rocks are increasingly used beyond the scope of this article. The complete results for climbing activities as well. are published in the research report (Roth et al. Many climbers spend the larger part of their vaca- 2004). tions climbing and are very mobile. Often, they visit climbing areas abroad. Southern France, north Italy, Kayaking and Canoeing Switzerland and Sardinia are especially popular. Observations indicate an increase of canoeing, espe- Even journeys to far away places are fairly common cially on weekends, and a big demand for high (Thailand, USA). quality services and attractive offers. Canoeing is easy to learn and canoes can be rented even without Paragliding prior experience. Furthermore canoeing is supported The development of new materials (e.g. improved by politics (cf. Ministerium für Wirtschaft des canopies) enable more paragliders to stay in the air Landes Brandenburg 2001). for longer and use the thermals more efficiently. Nevertheless, the targets of the tourist sector do Even if the conditions are not optimal, altitudes not comply with the efforts of nature