Central Place Foraging Characteristics of Beavers (Castor Canadensis) and Habitat Modeling in Grand Teton National Park

Abstract

A significant role of the National Park Service in the United States is the preservation of pristine landscapes. The natural landscape offers the visitor the opportunity to enjoy the wonders of nature and its processes to create beautiful vistas, soaring mountains, and the interplay of vegetation communities. The visitor to the park can be a passive recreationist and observe the landscape or be an active recreationist and experience the landscape through hiking, biking, mountain climbing and a range of other activities. The key linkage between the active and passive recreationist is the landscape that they are experiencing, in one perspective or the other. Any disruption of that natural landscape diminishes the experience. Unfortunately, the perception of the disruption varies with each individual. The trail to get to a scenic vista can be overlooked by some observers, while others believe it is an example of the devastation of human impact.