COVID-19 pandemic impacts on conservation research, management, and public engagement in US national parks.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the timing and substance of conservation research, management, and public engagement in protected areas around the world. This disruption is evident in US national parks, which play a key role in protecting natural and cultural resources and providing outdoor experiences for the public. Collectively, US national parks protect 34 million ha, host more than 300 million visits annually, and serve as one of the world's largest informal education organizations. The pandemic has altered park conditions and operations in a variety of ways. Shifts in operational conditions related to safety issues, reduced staffing, and decreased park revenues have forced managers to make difficult trade-offs among competing priorities. Long-term research and monitoring of the h

SUBMITTER: Miller-Rushing AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8459301 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature