A Study on Wetland Visitors' Awareness of Ecology and Their Needs

The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between wetland visitors' consciousness of ecology and their needs and thereby, provide for some effective measures to manage them. For this purpose, 3 study points were set up: "wetland visitors' consciousness of ecology and their needs", "differences of such consciousness depending on their demographic variables" and the "relationship between such consciousness and their needs". To this end, Upo Wetland visitors were surveyed for an empirical analysis. The visitors' awareness about ecology was measured with Dunlap's 15-item NEP Inventory, while their needs were analyzed in reference to Maslow's 7-Step Human Desire Ladder. The survey was conducted at Upo Wetland for 3 days, and as a result, a total of 228 questionnaires were returned. The results of this study can be summarized as follows; First, the visitors' consciousness of ecology and their needs were higher than the normal level. In terms of their consciousness of ecology, their awareness of the ecological crisis potential and anti-humanism was highest. In terms of their needs, the aesthetic need was highest, followed by the cognitive one. On the other hand, the needs for self-achievement and self-esteem were lowest; except them, the higher the needs were positioned at Maslow's ladder of desire, and subjects were more responsive to them. As a result of analyzing the correlation between the subjects' consciousness of ecology and their needs, it was found that the correlation was negative in some sub-areas, while being positive in other sub-areas. After all, the ratio of the sub-areas having a positive correlation was as 3 times high as that of the sub-areas having a negative correlation. Even as for the correlation coefficient values, they were higher in the positive sub-areas, which suggests that the correlation between wetland visitors' consciousness of ecology and their needs were positive, although at a lower level, in overall terms. As a result of comparatively analyzing visitors' needs by dividing them into 3 sub-groups depending on the levels of their consciousness of ecology, it was found that the higher their consciousness of ecology was, their needs were higher. Overall, wetland visitors' awareness of ecology was higher than the normal level, and it was estimated that such awareness would continue to increase. Hence, it could be inferred that their needs, particularly, their aesthetic and cognitive ones would continue to increase, too. Accordingly, it is deemed important to manage the wetland landscape making use of its visual resources, while continuing to provide the visitors with the contents fulfilling their need for knowledge.

습지 방문객의 생태의식과 이용욕구 연구

본 연구는 습지 방문객의 효과적인 관리를 위해 그들의 생태의식과 욕구구조의 연관성 규명을 목적으로 시작하였다. 이를 위해 '습지방문객의 생태의식과 이용욕구수준의 파악', '방문객의 인구통계학적 특성이 생태의식에 미치는 효과', '생태의식과 이용욕구와의 연관성 규명'을 연구문제로 설정하였다. 실증분석은 우포늪 방문객 대상의 설문조사로 진행하였다. 방문객의 생태의식은 던랩(Dunlap)의 15개 NEP 척도로 측정하였고, 이용욕구는 매슬로우(Maslow)의 7단계 욕구를 활용했다. 우포늪에서 3일간 조사한 끝에 총 228부의 설문지를 확보하여 본 분석에 사용하였다. 연구 결과, 방문객들의 생태의식과 이용욕구는 보통 이상의 높은 수준이었다. 생태의식에서는 생태위기 가능성과 반인간주의에 대한 반응이 높았다. 이용욕구에서는 심미적 욕구가 가장 높았고, 그 다음은 인지적 욕구였다. 자아실현욕구와 자존의 욕구는 가장 낮았는데, 이 둘을 제외하면 대체로 욕구 위계가 높을수록 높은 반응을 보였다. 생태의식과 이용욕구는 상관성 분석 결과, 부(-)적 상관과 정(+)적 상관이 섞여 있었으나, 정적 상관의 비율이 3배 이상 높았다. 상관계수도 정적 상관계수가 더 높게 나타나, 생태의식과 이용욕구는 낮은 수준의 정적 상관관계 중심으로 형성되어 있다고 볼 수 있다. 방문객의 생태의식에 따라 상중하의 3개 집단으로 분류하여 이용욕구를 비교 분석한 결과는 생태의식이 높을수록 이용 욕구도 높게 나타났다. 연구 결과, 습지 방문객의 생태의식은 보통 이상의 높은 수준인데, 향후 지속적인 증가가 예상되었다. 따라서 이용욕구 또한 계속 높아질 것이며, 특히 심미적 욕구와 인지적 욕구가 커질 것으로 예상된다. 따라서, 습지의 시각적 자원을 활용한 경관관리가 중요함을 알 수 있다. 아울러 방문객의 지적 욕구를 채워줄 수 있는 컨텐츠가 지속적으로 제공되어야 할 것으로 판단된다.