LAUSR

Abstract Recreational activities on, in and along freshwaters (e.g., boating, bathing, angling) positively contribute to human well-being, but can concurrently stress aquatic ecosystems. While outdoor recreation, aquatic ecosystems and human well-being form coupled social-ecological systems, inherent fluxes and interactions between these have rarely been properly quantified. This paper synthesizes information on links between water-based recreational activities, effects on freshwater ecosystems integrity and recreational quality and proposes a novel framework for assessment and integrated management. This framework is based on understanding relationships between recreational quality, demand and use and recreational use-induced impacts on ecosystem state and function as well as ecological and social carrying capacities. Current management approaches of freshwater ecosystems addressing economic, environmental or recreational aspects are poorly linked and harmonized, and are further constrained by inadequate...