School of Geography - Theses

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    A study of the integration of science and park management in Victoria with reference to scientific mandates for national parks agencies in the United States and Canada
    Ginn, Paige ( 1999)
    Managing for competing uses within national parks has become increasingly difficult. Recreation and preservation are two uses for which national park managers must provide, however, to provide for both presents a dilemma. Recreational uses often lead to degradation of a park's natural resources, and therefore, compromises the preservation of the park. How should managers make their decisions? This thesis proposes that managers should formulate their management strategies using a scientific framework of data gathering and monitoring in the decision-making process. Management decisions should be based upon what provides the least amount of degradation to the park's natural resources. True knowledge upon which managers can make their decisions comes from a (1) scientific understanding of the park's ecosystems and (2) the impacts upon those ecosystems. Science provides the necessary information that leads to better knowledge of the parks resources. However, science has not always been incorporated in the management process. This thesis details why science is important and the reasons it has not been thoroughly integrated into the park's management process. It critiques the present-day integration of science in Victorian national park management, as well as Parks Victoria's management strategies. The thesis also examines the history of science and its integration into national park management by Victorian, the United States and Canadian agencies and the current attitude toward the integration of science and national park management within the three agencies. Several key figures in national park management were interviewed, and from these interviews, a story detailing the state of science in national parks developed.