Wilderness planning using the limits of acceptable change system : a case study of the overnight caves in the Mlambonja wilderness area of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park.
Date
2004
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Abstract
Human-induced impacts associated with recreational use in wilderness areas
have the potential to imperil the wilderness resource and the quality of visitor
experiences. One approach to address this problem is the Limits of
Acceptable Change System, which helps Protected-area managers determine
acceptable levels of resource impacts and social conditions in wilderness
areas. This study's objective was to determine the possible applicability of the
Limits of Acceptable Change System to the overnight caves in the wilderness
areas of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park. Component A of the study
discusses the ten steps of the Limits of Acceptable Change system and the
management approaches for the wilderness areas and overnight caves in the
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park. A product of Component A is a procedure
manual for inventorying indicators of resource conditions in the overnight
caves. During a brief period of field research this procedure manual was
applied to four overnight caves in the Mlambonja Wilderness area.
Component B of the study summarizes much of the information found in
Component A and examines the results from the field research.
Recommendations are made to improve the effectiveness of measuring the
resource indicators for the overnight caves in the procedure manual. This
study's conclusions indicate that the Limits of Acceptable Change System can
be applied to the overnight caves and would provide a valid management
framework to address visitor impacts
Description
Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.
Keywords
Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park (KwaZulu-Natal)--Environmental aspects--Planning., Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park (KwaZulu-Natal)--Environmental aspects--Management., Wilderness areas (KwaZulu-Natal)--Recreational use--Environmental aspects., Ecosystem management--Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park (KwaZulu-Natal), Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park (KwaZulu-Natal)--Recreational use--Environmental aspects., Environmental impact analysis--Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park (KwaZulu-Natal), Mlambonja wilderness area (KwaZulu-Natal)--Recreational use--Environmental aspects., Conservation of natural resources--Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park (KwaZulu-Natal), Theses--Environmental science.