SynthesisPloS one2016
Effects of Recreation on Animals Revealed as Widespread through a Global Systematic Review.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
41 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Are Human Super-Predators Always Super-Scary? A Meta-Analysis of Wild Animal Behavioural Responses to Human Interactions.Ecology letters · 2025Pooled it
- Ecological impacts of water-based recreational activities on freshwater ecosystems: a global meta-analysis.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2021Pooled it
- Mammals tolerate harmless human presence: Lessons from COVID-19 lockdown on Barro Colorado Island, Panamá.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Human pressure and protection gradients reshape diel activity patterns of terrestrial mammals.BMC ecology and evolution · 2026Article
- Use of species' responses to cryptic anthropogenic disturbances for monitoring biodiversity outcomes in tropical forests.Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology · 2026Article
- Hunting and Outdoor Recreation Affect Large Herbivore Activity Patterns More Than Natural Predators in a Human-Dominated Landscape.Ecology and evolution · 2026Article
- Threats to conservation from artificial-intelligence-generated wildlife images and videos.Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology · 2026Article
- Impacts of Tourism on Wild Elephant Behavior in a Protected Area: Thresholds for Sustainable Wildlife Viewing.Ecology and evolution · 2026Article
- The Wolverine Project: Evaluating Cumulative Effects Within the Land of Ktunaxa Using the One Heart Method.Environmental management · 2025Article
- Temporal displacement of the mammal community in a protected area due to hunting and recreational activities.Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America · 2025Article
- Alert distance as a measure of tolerance and effect of human intervention on the behaviour of Rhinoceros unicornis in Kaziranga National Park.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Understanding and Predicting Population Response to Anthropogenic Disturbance: Current Approaches and Novel Opportunities.Ecology letters · 2025Review
- The influence of human presence and footprint on animal space use in US national parks.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2025Article
- Assessing the Environmental Impacts, Condition and Sustainability of Mountain Biking Trails in an Urban National Park.Environmental management · 2025Article
- Ecological Insights From Camera Trapping Span Biological Taxa, and the Globe.Ecology and evolution · 2025Article
- White-tailed deer limit their spatio-temporal overlap with hikers in a protected area.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Daily Activity Patterns and Overlap Activity of Medium-Large Mammals in Sülüklü Lake Nature Park, Western Black Sea Region, Türkiye.Ecology and evolution · 2024Article
- Assessing the Co-Occurrence of European Pine Marten (Ecology and evolution · 2024Article
- Body mass mediates spatio-temporal responses of mammals to human frequentation across Italian protected areas.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2024Article
- Insights from a 31-year study demonstrate an inverse correlation between recreational activities and red deer fecundity, with bodyweight as a mediator.Ecology and evolution · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Outdoor recreation is typically assumed to be compatible with biodiversity conservation and is permitted in most protected areas worldwide. However, increasing numbers of studies are discovering negative effects of recreation on animals. We conducted a systematic review of the scientific literature and analyzed 274 articles on the effects of non-consumptive recreation on animals, across all geographic areas, taxonomic groups, and recreation activities. We quantified trends in publication rates and outlets, identified knowledge gaps, and assessed evidence for effects of recreation. Although publication rates are low and knowledge gaps remain, the evidence was clear with over 93% of reviewed articles documenting at least one effect of recreation on animals, the majority of which (59%) were classified as negative effects. Most articles focused on mammals (42% of articles) or birds (37%), locations in North America (37.7%) or Europe (26.6%), and individual-level responses (49%). Meanwhile, studies of amphibians, reptiles, and fish, locations in South America, Asia, and Africa, and responses at the population and community levels are lacking. Although responses are likely to be species-specific in many cases, some taxonomic groups (e.g., raptors, shorebirds, ungulates, and corals) had greater evidence for an effect of recreation. Counter to public perception, non-motorized activities had more evidence for a negative effect of recreation than motorized activities, with effects observed 1.2 times more frequently. Snow-based activities had more evidence for an effect than other types of recreation, with effects observed 1.3 times more frequently. Protecting biodiversity from potentially harmful effects of recreation is a primary concern for conservation planners and land managers who face increases in park visitation rates; accordingly, there is demand for science-based information to help solve these dilemmas.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.