Geographic Interpretation: the Role of Spatial Knowledge in the Interpretation of Natural Resources
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by The Research Repository @ WVU (West Virginia University) Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports 2006 Geographic interpretation: The role of spatial knowledge in the interpretation of natural resources Heidi Leigh Bailey West Virginia University Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd Recommended Citation Bailey, Heidi Leigh, "Geographic interpretation: The role of spatial knowledge in the interpretation of natural resources" (2006). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 2462. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/2462 This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by the The Research Repository @ WVU with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you must obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in WVU Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports collection by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Geographic Interpretation: The Role of Spatial Knowledge in the Interpretation of Natural Resources Heidi Leigh Bailey Thesis submitted to the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences at West Virginia University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Recreation, Parks and Tourism Resources David Smaldone, Ph.D., Chair Robert Burns, Ph.D. Gregory Elmes, Ph.D. Morgantown, West Virginia 2006 Keywords: Interpretation, Geography, Resource Management, Wildland Fire, Maps, Schema, Cognitive Mapping, Spatial Knowledge, Visitor Studies Abstract Geographic Interpretation: The Role of Spatial Knowledge in the Interpretation of Natural Resources Heidi Bailey A surge of interest in geographic information has stemmed from the recent proliferation of Geographic Information Systems, Global Positioning Systems, and web-based tools such as Google Earth. This growing interest in geographic information has many implications for natural resource interpretation. Visitor centers and interpretive centers have long been sources of geographic information – providing maps and exhibits depicting a site or region. Such displays come in all shapes and sizes and in a variety of media, including maps, models, projections, animations and dioramas. Yet missing from the field of interpretation is research on the effectiveness of these tools in conveying geographic information to visitors. A need for research on visitors’ understanding of geographic and spatial concepts has also surfaced in the social science literature on wildland fire. Researchers have repeatedly intimated a lack of knowledge by the public regarding the size of fires. Interpretation is used as a tool to increase knowledge about fire effects and to influence attitudes towards fire policy. Using interpretation to communicate spatial concepts pertaining to fire is therefore a logical extension. The recent shift to ecosystem management has created a need to communicate to the public about the nature of landscape-level processes. This raises the question of how people perceive large landscapes and how they learn about large-scale spaces. In the study reported in this thesis, the spatial cognition of National Forest visitors was researched through the use of a survey. Visitors to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon were sampled from March - April, 2006. These visitors were asked about their cognitive representations of forest environments and their perceptions of the size of a recent fire. Three methods were adapted from research on human cognition: schema representations, cognitive mapping, and language structure. The results revealed a significant difference between male and female perceptions of fire size and a general lack of knowledge concerning fire size for both groups. This thesis also reviews the literature on spatial cognition and provides a theoretical and empirical basis to suggest strategies for interpretation. Principles of geographic interpretation are outlined, and the terms geointerpretation and sense of space are suggested and defined. Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................ii Table of Contents.........................................................................................................iii List of Tables ...............................................................................................................v List of Figures ..............................................................................................................vi I. Wildland Fire and Interpretation.......................................................................................... 1 Introduction............................................................................................................................... 1 Historical Overview................................................................................................................ 3 The Geography of Fire............................................................................................................ 6 Social Science Research on Fire............................................................................................... 8 Overview................................................................................................................................. 8 Spatial Context...................................................................................................................... 10 Fire and Interpretation........................................................................................................... 12 Objectives and Research Questions ...................................................................................... 15 II. A Review of Literature with Implications for Interpretation ......................................... 16 Geographic Interpretation ..................................................................................................... 16 The State of the Field.............................................................................................................. 18 Acquiring Spatial Knowledge ................................................................................................ 22 Spatial Cognition..................................................................................................................... 27 Schema.................................................................................................................................. 28 Cognitive Maps..................................................................................................................... 29 Language............................................................................................................................... 30 Indirect Experience of Space ................................................................................................. 31 Type ...................................................................................................................................... 32 Theme ................................................................................................................................... 33 Levels.................................................................................................................................... 35 Design ................................................................................................................................... 35 Text ....................................................................................................................................... 36 Visuals................................................................................................................................... 37 Interaction ............................................................................................................................. 38 Synthesis................................................................................................................................... 43 III. Methodology.....................................................................................................................45 Visitor Study............................................................................................................................ 45 iii Purpose of Study................................................................................................................... 45 Research Design.................................................................................................................... 45 Research Questions............................................................................................................... 45 Survey Design....................................................................................................................... 46 Study Location...................................................................................................................... 50 Spatial Data Sources