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Lloren JI, McCune JL. Testing for synergistic effects of natural and anthropogenic disturbance on ecological communities at a landscape scale. LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY 2024; 39:40. [PMID: 38410171 PMCID: PMC10895711 DOI: 10.1007/s10980-024-01844-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Context Anthropogenic and natural disturbances may interact synergistically, magnifying their individual effects on biodiversity. However, few studies have measured responses of ecological communities to multiple stressors at landscape scales. Objectives We use a long-term dataset to test for synergistic effects of anthropogenic and natural disturbance on plant community diversity and composition in a large protected area. Methods We quantified changes in plant communities over two decades in 98 plots in Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada. Fifty-three plots burned in a wildfire in the interim. We modeled the effects of wildfire, proximity to trails or roads, and their interaction on changes in species richness, community composition, relative abundance of disturbance-associated species, and colonization by exotic species. Results Interactions between wildfire and proximity to roads and trails affected all metrics except species richness. Only one interaction was synergistic: the relative abundance of disturbance-associated species following wildfire was magnified closer to recreational corridors. The other community metrics showed unexpected patterns. For example, plots with no exotic species in the baseline survey that burned in the wildfire were more likely to gain exotic species than unburned plots only when they were distant from recreational corridors. Conclusions Our study demonstrates interactive effects of natural and anthropogenic disturbance at landscape scales within a protected area. Plant community response to wildfire was influenced by proximity to recreational corridors, sometimes in surprising ways. As the frequency and severity of anthropogenic and natural disturbances both continue to rise, documenting the prevalence and magnitude of interactions between them is key to predicting long-term effects and designing mitigation strategies. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10980-024-01844-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jed I. Lloren
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4 Canada
| | - J. L. McCune
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4 Canada
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Chisholm T, McCune JL. Vegetation type and trail use interact to affect the magnitude and extent of recreational trail impacts on plant communities. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 351:119817. [PMID: 38113790 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Protected areas may prohibit large-scale deforestation and development, but still allow recreation via networks of roads and trails. Managers need to understand how the type of trail usage and the habitat the trail traverses influence the nature and extent of the trail impact. We measured the effect of trails on plant communities in a large, protected area in the southern Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. We surveyed 118 transects adjacent to trails and 24 control transects at least 100 m from trails, recording the presence and abundance of all vascular plant species. We modelled changes in species richness, community composition, and the presence of exotic species as a function of trail type, vegetation type, and the distance from the trail edge. Overall, species richness increased with proximity to trails and community composition shifted significantly, with a greater likelihood of exotic species presence closer to trails. Heightened species richness and greater probability of exotic species presence extended a greater distance from off-highway vehicle trails than from footpaths, but only in shrubland and mixed forest vegetation. In addition, exotic species at higher elevations were most often associated with off-highway vehicle trails. Our study shows that the magnitude and extent of trail impacts on plant communities varies depending on trail type, vegetation type, and sometimes interactions between the two. The high frequency and intensity of off-highway vehicle trail use likely increases both propagule pressure and the severity of disturbance, while vegetation type determines light availability and hence invasibility. Managers can use this information to prioritize trail areas for exotic species monitoring and restrict high-intensity off-highway vehicle trails to less sensitive vegetation types at lower elevations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trinitas Chisholm
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada.
| | - J L McCune
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada.
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Barros A, Aschero V, Mazzolari A, Cavieres LA, Pickering CM. Going off trails: How dispersed visitor use affects alpine vegetation. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 267:110546. [PMID: 32421663 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mountain protected areas provide a range of ecosystem services including conserving biodiversity, while often providing recreation and tourism opportunities. Unfortunately, tourists and pack animals used to transport equipment can damage sensitive alpine vegetation particularly when they leave trails. This study assessed the impacts of disturbance from off trail use on alpine vegetation in a popular park in the Andes. The effect of different levels of disturbance as well as abiotic factors on alpine steppe vegetation was assessed using generalized linear models and ordinations in 91 plots (20 m2) in the popular Horcones Valley that is used to access remote areas in Aconcagua Provincial Park in Argentina. Disturbance off trails resulted in declines in the cover of native plants, including the endemic shrub Adesmia aegiceras but increases in the cover of herbs including the non-native Convolvulus arvensis. Increased disturbance was associated with shifts from stress tolerant species to ruderal plants characterized by more acquisitive traits, including shorter plants with greater Specific Leaf Area. The research demonstrates the severity of impacts from off trail trampling including how trampling favours some species with specific traits over others and why it is important to limit off track use in areas of high conservation value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustina Barros
- Instituto Argentino de Nivología y Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA), Centro Científico Tecnológico (CCT), CONICET Mendoza, Av. Ruiz Leal s/n, C.C 330, Mendoza, Argentina.
| | - Valeria Aschero
- Instituto Argentino de Nivología y Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA), Centro Científico Tecnológico (CCT), CONICET Mendoza, Av. Ruiz Leal s/n, C.C 330, Mendoza, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Ana Mazzolari
- Instituto Argentino de Nivología y Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA), Centro Científico Tecnológico (CCT), CONICET Mendoza, Av. Ruiz Leal s/n, C.C 330, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Lohengrin A Cavieres
- Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160C, Concepción, Chile; Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Santiago, Chile.
| | - Catherine M Pickering
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Science and Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 4222, Australia
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Pickering CM, Norman P. Comparing impacts between formal and informal recreational trails. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2017; 193:270-279. [PMID: 28226263 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2016] [Revised: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Globally there are hundreds of thousands of kilometres of recreational trails traversing natural areas of high conservation value: but what are their impacts and do impacts differ among trails? We compared the effects of four common types of recreational trails [(1) narrow and (2) medium width informal bare earth trails and (3) gravel and (4) tarmac/concrete formal trails] on vegetation adjacent to trails in a high conservation value plant community that is popular for mountain biking and hiking in Australia. Plant species composition was recorded in quadrats along the edge of the four types of trails and in control sites away from trails. Vegetation cover, the cover of individual growth forms, and species richness along the edges of all four types of trails were similar to the controls, although the wider trails affected plant composition, with the tarmac and gravel trails favouring different species. With very few comparative studies, more research is required to allow managers and researchers to directly compare differences in the severity and types of impacts on vegetation among trails. In the meantime, limiting damage to vegetation on the edge of hardened trails during construction, use and maintenance is important, and hardening trails may not always be appropriate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Marina Pickering
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Southport, Gold Coast, Queensland 4222, Australia.
| | - Patrick Norman
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Southport, Gold Coast, Queensland 4222, Australia
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Hardiman N, Dietz KC, Bride I, Passfield L. Pilot Testing of a Sampling Methodology for Assessing Seed Attachment Propensity and Transport Rate in a Soil Matrix Carried on Boot Soles and Bike Tires. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2017; 59:68-76. [PMID: 27747366 PMCID: PMC5219006 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-016-0773-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Land managers of natural areas are under pressure to balance demands for increased recreation access with protection of the natural resource. Unintended dispersal of seeds by visitors to natural areas has high potential for weedy plant invasions, with initial seed attachment an important step in the dispersal process. Although walking and mountain biking are popular nature-based recreation activities, there are few studies quantifying propensity for seed attachment and transport rate on boot soles and none for bike tires. Attachment and transport rate can potentially be affected by a wide range of factors for which field testing can be time-consuming and expensive. We pilot tested a sampling methodology for measuring seed attachment and transport rate in a soil matrix carried on boot soles and bike tires traversing a known quantity and density of a seed analog (beads) over different distances and soil conditions. We found % attachment rate on boot soles was much lower overall than previously reported, but that boot soles had a higher propensity for seed attachment than bike tires in almost all conditions. We believe our methodology offers a cost-effective option for researchers seeking to manipulate and test effects of different influencing factors on these two dispersal vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nigel Hardiman
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NZ, UK.
- Lincoln International Business School, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, LN6 7TS, UK.
| | | | - Ian Bride
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NZ, UK
| | - Louis Passfield
- School of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NZ, UK
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Ballantyne M, Pickering CM. The impacts of trail infrastructure on vegetation and soils: Current literature and future directions. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2015; 164:53-64. [PMID: 26342267 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Revised: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Reflecting the popularity of nature-based activities such as hiking and mountain biking, there are thousands of kilometres of recreational trails worldwide traversing a range of natural areas. These trails have environmental impacts on soils and vegetation, but where has there been research, what impacts have been found and how were they measured? Using a systematic quantitative literature review methodology, we assessed the impacts of trails on vegetation and soils, highlighting what is known, but also key knowledge gaps. Of the 59 original research papers identified on this topic that have been published in English language peer-reviewed academic journals, most were for research conducted in protected areas (71%), with few from developing countries (17%) or threatened ecosystems (14%). The research is concentrated in a few habitats and biodiversity hotspots, mainly temperate woodland, alpine grassland and Mediterranean habitats, often in the USA (32%) or Australia (20%). Most examined formal trails, with just 15% examining informal trails and 11% assessing both types. Nearly all papers report the results of observational surveys (90%), collecting quantitative data (66%) with 24% using geographic information systems. There was an emphasis on assessing trail impacts at a local scale, either on the trail itself and/or over short gradients away from the trail edge. Many assessed changes in composition and to some degree, structure, of vegetation and soils with the most common impacts documented including reduced vegetation cover, changes in plant species composition, trail widening, soil loss and soil compaction. There were 14 papers assessing how these local impacts can accumulate at the landscape scale. Few papers assessed differences in impacts among trails (7 papers), changes in impacts over time (4), species-specific responses (3) and only one assessed effects on plant community functioning. This review provides evidence that there are key research gaps including assessing informal trails, comparing trail types, landscape and temporal scale impacts, functional responses and impacts on threatened ecosystems/species. A more diverse geographic spread of research is also required including in regions experiencing rapid growth in tourism and recreation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Ballantyne
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland 4222, Australia.
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Wells FH, Lauenroth WK, Bradford JB. Recreational Trails as Corridors for Alien Plants in the Rocky Mountains, USA. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2012. [DOI: 10.3398/064.072.0408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Vogler F, Reisch C. Genetic variation on the rocks - the impact of climbing on the population ecology of a typical cliff plant. J Appl Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2011.01992.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Nemec KT, Allen CR, Alai A, Clements G, Kessler AC, Kinsell T, Major A, Stephen BJ. Woody Invasions of Urban Trails and the Changing Face of Urban Forests in the Great Plains, USA. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2011. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-165.2.241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Wimpey J, Marion JL. A spatial exploration of informal trail networks within Great Falls Park, VA. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2011; 92:1012-1022. [PMID: 21129844 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2009] [Revised: 10/07/2010] [Accepted: 11/09/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Informal (visitor-created) trails represent a threat to the natural resources of protected natural areas around the globe. These trails can remove vegetation, displace wildlife, alter hydrology, alter habitat, spread invasive species, and fragment landscapes. This study examines informal and formal trails within Great Falls Park, VA, a sub-unit of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, managed by the U.S. National Park Service. This study sought to answer three specific questions: 1) Are the physical characteristics and topographic alignments of informal trails significantly different from formal trails, 2) Can landscape fragmentation metrics be used to summarize the relative impacts of formal and informal trail networks on a protected natural area? and 3) What can we learn from examining the spatial distribution of the informal trails within protected natural areas? Statistical comparisons between formal and informal trails in this park indicate that informal trails have less sustainable topographic alignments than their formal counterparts. Spatial summaries of the lineal and areal extent and fragmentation associated with the trail networks by park management zones compare park management goals to the assessed attributes. Hot spot analyses highlight areas of high trail density within the park and findings provide insights regarding potential causes for development of dense informal trail networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Wimpey
- Research Associate, Virginia Tech, Department of Forest Resources & Environmental Conservation (0324), Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
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Gentili R, Sgorbati S, Baroni C. Plant Species Patterns and Restoration Perspectives in the Highly Disturbed Environment of the Carrara Marble Quarries (Apuan Alps, Italy). Restor Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-100x.2010.00712.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Pickering CM, Hill W, Newsome D, Leung YF. Comparing hiking, mountain biking and horse riding impacts on vegetation and soils in Australia and the United States of America. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2010; 91:551-62. [PMID: 19864052 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2009.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2009] [Revised: 09/15/2009] [Accepted: 09/21/2009] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Hiking, horse riding and mountain biking are popular in protected areas in Australia and the United States of America. To help inform the often contentious deliberations about use of protected areas for these three types of activities, we review recreation ecology research in both countries. Many impacts on vegetation, soils and trails are similar for the three activities, although there can be differences in severity. Impacts include damage to existing trails, soil erosion, compaction and nutrification, changes in hydrology, trail widening, exposure of roots, rocks and bedrock. There can be damage to plants including reduction in vegetation height and biomass, changes in species composition, creation of informal trails and the spread of weeds and plant pathogens. Due to differences in evolutionary history, impacts on soil and vegetation can be greater in Australia than in the USA. There are specific social and biophysical impacts of horses such as those associated with manure and urine, grazing and the construction and use of tethering yards and fences. Mountain bike specific impacts include soil and vegetation damage from skidding and the construction of unauthorised trails, jumps, bridges and other trail technical features. There are gaps in the current research that should be filled by additional research: (1) on horse and mountain bike impacts to complement those on hiking. The methods used need to reflect patterns of actual usage and be suitable for robust statistical analysis; (2) that directly compares types and severity of impacts among activities; and (3) on the potential for each activity to contribute to the spread of weeds and plant pathogens. Additional research will assist managers and users of protected areas in understanding the relative impacts of these activities, and better ways to manage them. It may not quell the debates among users, managers and conservationists, but it will help put it on a more scientific footing.
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