Trampled by Tourism

Nature-based tourism is an exceptional way to explore a new region of the world on foot, and in theory, presents an environment-friendly option to navigate (Li et al., 2005). A popular example of nature-based tourism is hiking. There are areas in the world (such as Hawaii) that insist on exploration through the means of hiking to reach a breathtaking destination.

However, if these trails are not consistently maintained at frequent intervals with quality care, then each tourist and visitor of popular hikes will leave damaging impacts on the surrounding environment.

Novel figure 1: There was found to be only one plant species,
Juniperus Communis, that was advantageous on a trampled trail.
Created with data collected from (Torn et Al., 2009).  

One large component of hiking trails that is heavily affected by the action of “trampling” is native vegetation on the trails (Torn et al., 2009). The act of trampling directly harms vegetation and handicaps their growth through actions such as being flattened beneath sturdy hiking boots and stuck beneath their soles. Species that rendered vulnerable to hikers were broad-leaved forbs, dwarf shrubs with shallow roots, club moss, and lichens (Torn et al., 2009). Interestingly enough, species that survived in an environment with trampling were those with sharp needles or needle-like leaves that decreased the approach of hikers within the region these species were located (Novel figure 1).

Table 1 shows the ability of species to regenerate
after the initial onslaught of trampling

Resilience and degree of regeneration are keys to how well a plant species can resist disturbance brought on by hikers. 

Table 1(Monz, 2002) depicts a large trend of species’ inability to regenerate back to their initial population size.

Also, the increase of hikers on a trail can lead to wider problem trails (Li et al., 2005). Wider trails mean a larger area of trail for visitors to trample on, in addition to the path extending beyond its intended border (located between the unpaved region of untouched nature and the trail itself). The latter could lead to disturbance from trampling into areas that do not observe hardly any foot traffic, resulting in further disturbance for vegetation located into those regions.

Trampling also damages the environment of plant species and creates one that is not suitable for them. An example of this would be the removal of organic matter in soil (Tornet al., 2009), and soil erosion.

Some solutions to counter the effects of trampling can be found here. 

Sources:
Table 1: Monz, Christopher A. "The Response of Two Arctic Tundra Plant Communities to Human Trampling Disturbance." Journal of Environmental Management 64.2 (2002): 207-17.
Li, Wenjun, Xiaodong Ge, and Chunyan Liu. "Hiking Trails and Tourism Impact Assessment In Protected Area: Jiuzhaigou Biosphere Reserve, China." Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 108.1-3 (2005): 279-93.
Törn, A., A. Tolvanen, Y. Norokorpi, R. Tervo, and P. Siikamäki. "Comparing the Impacts of Hiking, Skiing and Horse Riding on Trail and Vegetation in Different Types of Forest."Journal of Environmental Management 90.3 (2009): 1427-434.