Recreation Survey Results in Brown Bear Habitats, 2013

These data are the results of a modified Delphi survey in which expert opinion was solicited on the occurrence and frequency of recreational activities in brown bear habitats and their potential impacts. Twelve bear experts were surveyed and identified by either 1) their scientific publications on the impacts of one or more human recreational activity on bears, or 2) their experience in managing bear populations impacted by human recreational activities. Respondents were asked to estimate the frequency of each identified recreational activity for the bear populations they have experience with, estimate the proportion of each specific bear population exposed to each activity, and indicate the potential impacts of recreational activities in those bear populations. The frequency of occurrence of a recreational activity category and the proportion of the bear population exposed are reported from the final survey. We report the percentage of experts that noted potential for an impact on reduced survival, decreased nutritional intake, displacement, and reduced reproduction.