Date of Award

Spring 2026

Abstract

As outdoor recreation surges in popularity, human-made sound reaches even the most protected places. In the United States, the National Park Service is mandated to preserve natural soundscapes, which are a key ecosystem service. Yet many aspects of soundscape management remain underexplored, including the integration of visitor perspectives into strategies to minimize human-made sound in national parks. In 2025, the non-profit organization Leave No Trace and the National Park Service Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division collaboratively outlined new Soundscape Guidelines, urging visitors to minimize their impact on natural soundscapes. Previous research suggests that educational signage can reduce human-made sound in parks and protected areas. In our study, we established an experimental sign treatment by posting the new Soundscape Guidelines at select trailheads in Saguaro National Park, Tucson, AZ, US. Then, we utilized public participation GIS to investigate where visitors considered three different human-made sounds—music, loud talking, and aircraft—acceptable and unacceptable to hear within park boundaries. Our results revealed that PPGIS response patterns were shaped by visitor profiles, sound type, and location; that perceptions of acceptable and unacceptable anthropogenic sound varied spatially across Saguaro National Park; and that overall, the Soundscape Guidelines played a non-significant role in shaping visitor rankings of human-made sound acceptability. Based on our results, trailheads and certain mixed-use areas may be effective locations for sign placement. Collectively, our findings underscore the role of individual subjectivity and context in soundscape perception. By integrating visitor-informed spatial data, park and protected area managers can develop more effective soundscape conservation strategies.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

First Advisor

Lauren A. Ferguson

Second Advisor

Brian Peterson

Third Advisor

Laura Kloepper

Degree Name

Master of Science

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