Chieh-Lu Li

Ethnicity as a Variable in Leisure Research

The purpose of this study is to examine the usefulness of ethnicity as a construct in leisure research. In particular, we are interested in the degree to which presumed ethnic groups exhibit internal cultural homogeneity. In 2002, the visitors to the Angeles National Forest (ANF) near metropolitan Los Angeles were surveyed. Using purposive sampling at sites known to be heavily used by visitors with diverse ethnic backgrounds, we obtained a sample of 444 Anglos, 312 Hispanics, and 319 Asians (overall n = 1,174). We examined whether the three nominal ethnic groups, Anglos, Hispanics, and Asians, were homogeneous in terms of cultural values as measured by Hofstedes (1980) instrument. We assume that if distinctive ethnic subcultures exist then they should be identifiable by specific measures of languages, religion, family structure, cultural values, and the like. We used cultural consensus analyses to test the homogeneity of the three ethnic groups. The results of cultural consensus analyses showed that none of the three ethnic groups and none of the subgroups we examined within the three ethnic groups were homogeneous in terms of the cultural values. Discussion of the findings and research implications are suggested.

The Effects of Specialization and Gender on Motivations and Preferences for Site Attributes in Paddling

Few empirical studies have examined the relationships between specialization level, gender, motivations, and preferred environmental setting. The purpose of our study was to examine the influence of specialization and gender on motivations and preferences for site attributes among canoeists. Subjects consisted of 663 canoeists from 11 paddling organizations. Results showed that high specialists differed from low specialists in the rated importance of selected motivations and preferences for site attributes. Findings also indicated that male paddlers were more specialized than females. In addition, gender was related to the motivations and the site attributes. Females placed more emphasis on the motivations of experiencing nature, relaxation, social contact, and the site attributes of social-skill and wilderness. Males placed more importance on new sites.

A Cross-Regional Comparison of Recreation Patterns of Older Hunters

We studied outdoor recreation patterns among older hunting license holders in Pennsylvania and Colorado to better understand aspects of five trends that promise to impact outdoor recreation preferences, behavior, and management priorities: Sunbelt population growth, declining residential stability, urbanization, aging, and increasing levels of formal education. Results of our mail survey showed that the samples were similar in age, gender, and ethnicity, but Pennsylvania respondents were more likely to have lived their entire lives in the state and had spent more of their adult lives in rural areas. On the other hand, Pennsylvania respondents were less likely to have attended school beyond high school. Pennsylvania respondents hunted more frequently and were more likely to gather wild foods. Colorado respondents were more likely to fish, and they participated in more nonconsumptive activities. Education, rural/urban differences, and residential stability had a limited ability to predict differences in consumptive activities. Age, education, and residential stability predicted differences in nonconsumptive activities. Results suggest that cultural differences between regions may be more important than socio-demographic characteristics for understanding of outdoor recreation patterns in the past, present, and future.

Services for Culturally Diverse Customers in Parks and Recreation

Changes in racial and ethnic composition due to the increasing diversity in the United States are confronting managers of parks and recreation areas. Since cultural values influence perceptions and behaviors, studying cultural values among different groups is important for understanding perceptions of service quality and parks and recreation behavior. The purpose of this essay is to advocate the exploration of the relationship of cultural values and perceptions of service quality in the context of parks and recreation research.

Aboveground carbon contents and storage of three major Taiwanese conifer species.

This research presents estimations of the aboveground carbon storage of 3 major Taiwanese conifer species: Taiwan red cypress (Chamaecyparis formosensis Matsum.), Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don), and China fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.). The percent carbon content (PCC) of the biomass of different tree portions was determined for these species. We found that the PCC was higher in the foliage of all species, while the PCC in other portions of the trees varied with tree species, and the mean PCC of trees increased with the diameter class for both Taiwan red cypress and China fir. At the tree level, using the method based on determining the PCC of different tree portions (the PCC method) and the conventional method (using 50% as the carbon content) to estimate carbon storage of trees revealed significant differences for all species by the t-test for paired comparisons. The conventional method showed higher estimates of carbon storage than the PCC method by 3.96, 1.83 and 0.89% for Taiwan red cypress, Japanese cedar, and China fir, respectively. A allometric models were developed to estimate the carbon storage of the 3 species based on the diameter at breast height (DBH). Moreover, the transformation coefficients between the volume and aboveground carbon storage of trees by a linear regression model were 309.05, 274.33 and 190.34 kg m^(-3) for Taiwan red cypress, Japanese cedar, and China fir, respectively.

A Multi-Ethnic Comparison of Perceptions of Forest Recreation Service Quality

This study examines perceptions of service quality on an ethnically diverse national forest adjacent to a large metropolitan area, specifically looking for differences among whites, Hispanics, and Asians. Published studies of recreation and ethnicity have focused primarily on activity participation rates and patterns. The literature contains few cross–cultural comparisons of perceived service quality in a forest recreation setting. Data from a purposive convenience sample of recreationists (n=1,075) visited Angeles National Forest, California, US, includes 444 whites, 312 Hispanics, and 319 Asians. The results reveal that compared to whites and Hispanics, Asians are most distinct in service quality ratings after controlling for generational effects. In particular, Asians tend to perceive lower service quality. The implications of these findings are discussed as they relate to the role of cultural values and service quality measurement in recreation management.