Characterizing backcountry camping impacts in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA

This study investigates resource impacts on backcountry campsites in the Gr eat Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. Study objectives were to enhance ou r understanding of camping impacts and to improve campsite impact assessmen t procedures by means of multivariate techniques. Three-hundred and eight c ampsites at designated backcountry campgrounds, and 69 additional unofficia l campsites were assessed. Factor analysis of 195 established campsites on eight impact indicator variables revealed three dimensions of campsite impa ct: area disturbance, soil and groundcover damage, and tree-related damage. Four distinctive backcountry campsite types were identified, three of whic h were derived from cluster analyses of factor scores. These four backcount ry campsite types characterize the intensify and areal extent of resource i mpacts, and they vary in locational and environmental attributes. At an agg regate level, different campsite types contributed unequally to the cumulat ive level of impact. The dimensional structure and typology developed in th is study demonstrates that campsite impacts can be viewed and examined holi stically with the use of multivariate methods. Implications for assessment procedures, management and further research are discussed. (C) 1999 Academi c Press.