Status of peer-reviewed literature on the human dimensions of managing wildlife habituation and food conditioning in National Parks
Hudenko HW, Siemer WS, Decker DJ. 2013. Status of peer-reviewed literature on the human dimensions of managing wildlife habituation and food conditioning in National Parks. Natural Resource Report. NPS/BRMD/NRR—2013/628. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
In 2008 the Biological Resource Management Division of the National Park Service launched a multi-faceted inquiry to inform management of human‐wildlife habituation across the National Park system. As part of the inquiry, a literature‐based review on this topic was conducted. The goal of the review was to: examine key aspects of the human dimensions of human‐wildlife habituation; identify knowledge gaps; and provide recommendations for application of this information to management. We used keyword and targeted searches of peer-reviewed literature to identify papers for this review. Our search yielded many studies that addressed issues related to habituation, food-conditioning, and management interventions related to human-wildlife interactions. After review, we synthesized the findings and grouped them into categories under common themes: the human dimensions of interventions addressing human-wildlife interactions; the human dimensions of information and education campaigns designed to influence human behavior in other park contexts; recommendations to influence human-wildlife interactions; impacts of habituation, food conditioning, visitation. Our literature review confirmed that little research has been conducted on the human dimensions of interventions designed to influence wildlife habituation and food conditioning in national parks. The majority of articles focused on wildlife and had human dimensions as a secondary component or discussed human dimensions cursorily in management implications and recommendations. We did, however, identify a substantial amount of literature that dealt with concepts, issues, or methodologies relevant to research and management of human-wildlife interactions in parks. The synthesis of this related work provides some insight to inform future human dimensions inquiry and management approaches.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Hudenko, Heather; Siemer, William; Decker, D.
- Date of Issue
- 2013-02
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- BRD , NRSS
- Keywords
- food conditioning, Habituation, Human Dimensions, human-wildlife, Visitor Impact, Wildlife, Wildlife viewing