Pierskalla, Chad

Professor of Recreation, Parks and Tourism Resources

Dr. Pierskalla received his B.S. in Recreation Resource Management at the University of Minnesota, M.S. in Forestry (Forest Recreation) at Northern Arizona University, and Ph.D. in Forest Resources (Forest Recreation) at the University of Minnesota. His research interests are in understanding how people use, perceive and benefit from outdoor recreation areas. Social and biophysical indicators of outdoor recreation quality are derived from a better understanding of human-nature relationships. Much of his recent research supports public resource land management and tourism:

National Visitor Use Monitoring on the Monongahela, Chequamegon-Nicolet, Chippewa, Wayne, Mark Twain, White Mountain, and George Washington Jefferson National Forests
Outdoor recreation visitor use studies
Development of recreational trails
Evaluation of resource conditions and accessibility of recreational trails

Select Publications

Pierskalla, C.D., Akers, C.B., Deng, J., and Smaldone, D.A. (2021). Examining changes in recreation participation on the Monongahela National Forest over five years following the global financial crisis: An activity-based segmentation approach. Heliyon, 7: e07266.
Zhong, L., Zhang, X., Deng, J., and Pierskalla, C. (2020). Recreation ecology research in China's protected areas: Progress and prospect. Ecosystem Health and Sustainability, 6(1): 1-12.
Deng, J., and Pierskalla, C.D. (2018). Linking importance-performance analysis, satisfaction, and loyalty: A study of Savannah, GA. Sustainability, 10(704): 1-17.
Deng, J., Andrada, R., and Pierskalla, C. (2017). Visitors’ and residents’ perceptions of urban forests for leisure in Washington D.C. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 28: 1-11.
Pierskalla, C.D., Deng, J., and Siniscalchi, J.M. (2016). Examining the product and process of scenic beauty evaluations using moment-to-moment data and GIS: The case of Savannah, GA. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening , 19: 212-222.
Pierskalla, C.D., Fish, T., Schuett, M., and Stein, T. (2016). Recreation and Wilderness: In the Woods for Rest and Adventure. The Forestry Source, 21(11): 22.
Riley, C., Pierskalla, C., Burn, R., Maumbe, K., and Smaldone, D. (2015). Examining OHV user displacement at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area and Sand Lake: A ten year trend study. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 9:44-52.
Dhami, I., Deng, J. Burns, R. C., & Pierskalla, C. (2014). Identifying and Mapping Forest-Based Ecotourism Areas in West Virginia Incorporating Visitors' Preferences. Tourism Management, 42:165-176.
Pierskalla, C., Ramthun, R., Collins, A., and Semmens, K. (2013). The Discriminant Validity of Event Quality and Quantity: An Evaluation of Fishing Experiences. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 18:234-235.
Pierskalla, C.D., Schuett, M.A., and Thompson, K.A., (2011). Management perceptions of off-highway vehicle use on national forest system lands in Appalachia. Northern Journal of Applied Forestry, 28(4): 208-213.