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Neighbors to nature: A case study of recreation-wildlife co-existence in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Published Article

United States

Publication date: April 17, 2026

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Researchers used trail cameras along non-motorized recreational trails in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to assess how expanding outdoor recreation affects mammals. While many species coexist with recreation, elk and moose showed temporal and spatial avoidance, highlighting the need for adaptive management.

Subject Tags

  • Wildlife
  • Ecosystem management

Abstract

Outdoor recreation can have negative effects on wildlife if it is not well managed. In many natural areas recreation is expanding rapidly and managers need localized information about recreation and wildlife trends to plan for current and future use. We monitored medium to large mammal and human activity to assess impacts of recreation and inform management, deploying 27 trail cameras along multi-use non-motorized recreational trails for 2.5 years in a heavily used area within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, USA. A diverse mammal community coexists alongside intense recreational use, and while many species do not appear to respond negatively to current levels of recreation, moose showed temporal avoidance and elk showed both temporal and spatial avoidance of recreation. Foot traffic—including hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing—had a stronger negative effect on wildlife than other activities, while some species overlapped with high levels of cyclist and dog activity. Our results reflect positively on the potential for outdoor recreation and many mammal species to coexist in our study area, although there is much we do not understand and current recreation patterns are unlikely to remain static. Management strategies including seasonal trail closures, visitor education initiatives, and continued monitoring will be critical to balancing recreational access with conservation priorities.

Citation

Larson, C. L., Bloom, T. D., Egan, A., Farris, T., Gersh, K., Merigliano, L., ... & Turner, H. (2026). Neighbors to nature: A case study of recreation‐wildlife co‐existence in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Conservation Science and Practice, e70263.

TNC Authors