Introducing Management Actions to Unmanaged Campsites in Daisetsuzan National Park, Japan: A Discussion Based on a Reservation System in Taiwan’s National Parks

Abstract

A limit on use is often practiced overnight in mountain national parks to reduce users’ environmental impact on campgrounds and cabins or huts, where they spend most of their time. This study aims to propose an appropriate management system to mitigate the problems observed in Daisetsuzan National Park’s unmanaged campsites. We looked into three mountain national parks in Taiwan to learn about an established campground reservation system. We collected information on campgrounds and cabins in these three national parks through a literature review and internet surveys. The distribution of campgrounds and cabins was mapped using ArcMap 10.8.1. They effectively reduced the distance between adjacent campgrounds and controlled each campground’s area. This was done by tolerating some informal sites among online reservable campgrounds. The results of the interview surveys with the three park managers showed that the reservation system helped reduce the crowding problem. Introducing a lenient reservation system, with the support of related stakeholders and park users, would be a promising option to mitigate soil erosion and overuse problems in campsites in Daisetsuzan National Park’s alpine zone and in other campsites in fragile environments worldwide.