The Impacts of Recreation

The impacts of erosion in Mendocino, CA

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The level of impact on ecosystems usually depends on the form of recreational activity.  Off road vehicles are more destructive than hikers, while horse back riders provide more force to the ground than other walkers. The ground pressure exerted by a horse’s hoof with a rider on its back is 27 times as much as that of a walker. Consequently, horse riders reduce land cover about twice as fast as walkers, and three times as fast on a slope (Weaver and Dale, 1978). Horse trails are also often twice as wide as regular walking trails. Studies have shown that the more a trail is utilized, the wider it becomes. Wider trails are more damaging to the surrounding ecosystems, as foliage is trampled and wildlife patterns are disrupted. Furthermore, trails that are in more rainy climates may be more susceptible to erosion than dry trails, as Wilson et al. have demonstrated. A particular problem when it comes to any type of recreation involves off-trail use, which often can result in parallel tracks and widening of existing trails (Thurston 2001). 
            Hiking can also prove detrimental to trail ecosystems. Studies show that as trampling increases, leaf litter decreases. The more a trail is used, the wider it becomes and the more vegetation that is damaged. Vegetation cover loss occurs rapidly even at low levels of trampling and more slowly at high levels (Cole 1987). The same can be said of species diversity, which decreases rapidly at low levels and more slowly at high levels. Further evidence indicates that species in areas with dense overstoreys, such as forests, are slow to adapt resistance to disruptive activities. According to Wilson and Seney,"Trampling often increases the bulk density of the soil, which, in turn, decreases soil porosity and changes moisture content, aeration, and the availability of soil nutrients in ways that contribute to further losses of existing vegetation along trails (Wilson and Seney 1994)."

Erosion caused by off-road vehicle use

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Accelerated erosion rates are the logical consequence of such vegetation loss. Even low levels of use for a relatively brief period of time may prove irrevocably damaging for an ecosystem, with nearly 100 percent species loss (Liddle 1997). Studies have shown that vegetation loss reaches a maximum after just two seasons of trampling, or less than a year of use (Cole 1987). However, rapid recovery of the ecosystem could usually be expected when further recreational activity is not allowed. As well, terrain plays a role in the impacts of recreational activities. Hikers are usually more constrained by trails with border shrubs and trees, while they may wonder off the path in open areas or prairies (Bright 1986). 
            The impacts of other activities are more varied. Motorcycles operating uphill usually leave a narrow rut which increases the size and velocity of erosion runoff (Wilson and Seney 1994). However, motorcycles moving downhill often caused less erosion than hikers and horses, which tend to loosen soil when on a descent. Several authors have suggested that to minimize such erosion, motorcycles ascend gentle slopes and descend steep slopes, while hikers and horse ascend steep slopes and descend gentle slopes.
            Rock climbing also may prove destructive to cliff ecosystems. In a study published in the Canadian Journal of Botany, Michael Farris concluded that total plant cover was significantly diminished in three climbed locations in Minnesota (Farris 1998). Already fragile species were particularly susceptible to disturbance by humans. Camping as well can prove detrimental to ecosystems, as human activity is localized around one central area. In some fragile ecosystems, such as the desert, the aftereffects of camping, even for one night, may be visible for years. However, many management planners actively seek the dispersal of campsites to protect the destruction and overuse of a site (Douglass 2000). Campsites may also be detrimental to ecosystems when located too closely to the shoreline, as excessive trampling can lead to erosion.