Abstract

What are physical activities in the natural environment? Where do they come from? And in particular, what is their impact on the ecosystems where they take place? How are they changing? Where are they going?
These questions and many other related issues have prompted us to present this short special section on physical activities in the natural environment from a number of standpoints. Our intention is to provide a critical analysis of these practices in diverse natural environments in the light of the important technological, social, economic, cultural and mindset changes that are taking place today. With this modest but enthusiastic contribution we hope to provide a necessarily brief yet also thought-provoking vision which seeks to pose questions and foster critical thinking in the academic and professional community about the immediate prospects for these activities in all their fields of action.