Type: report

Article abstract: Many of the places where wildlife thrive in California are the same as those valued for recreation and other human activities, and demand by the public is increasing for recreational access to public lands, waterways, and ocean resources. To inform ongoing management of human activity and support future decisions regarding public access and designated use of reserve lands in California, we implemented a study of the possible effects of human recreation on wildlife populations in the San Diego County Natural Community Conservation Plan (NCCP) reserve system. The overall goal of our research was to assess the degree to which human use of NCCP reserves may be affecting Covered and sensitive species while also providing recreation opportunities and experiences for San Diego residents. Our specific objectives were to: 1) Validate a landscape-level spatial model of the intensity of human use among NCCP reserves; 2) Develop and test a citizen science approach for collection of fine-scale human use patterns within a reserve; 3) Implement an observational study in a gradient design to relate spatio-temporal variation in human activity to the occurrence and relative abundance of reptiles and mammals; and 4) Conduct a before-after control-impact (BACI) experiment to monitor the response of reptile and mammal species to changes in human activity patterns.