Distribution patterns of visitors in large areas: a problem of measurement and analysis

When studying the ecological impacts of outdoor recreation the most appropriate way of estimating recreation intensities must be chosen. In the study project ‘Effects of outdoor recreation on breeding birds’ it was not only necessary to know the total number of visitors in a study area, but also their pattern of dispersal. The two methods used are described and discussed here: the ‘numberplate method’ and the ‘bicycle transect method’. After describing and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods, an improved counting method based upon both methods is proposed. This new method still requires further research, but it appears to offer good prospects for recreation researchers and site managers.