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Comparing the impacts of hiking, skiing and horse riding on trail and vegetation in different types of forest.
Abstract: Nature-based tourism in protected areas has increased and diversified dramatically during the last decades. Different recreational activities have a range of impacts on natural environments. This paper reports results from a comparison of the impacts of hiking, cross-country skiing and horse riding on trail characteristics and vegetation in northern Finland. Widths and depths of existing trails, and vegetation on trails and in the neighbouring forests were monitored in two research sites during 2001 and 2002. Trail characteristics and vegetation were clearly related to the recreational activity, research site and forest type. Horse trails were as deep as hiking trails, even though the annual number of users was 150-fold higher on the hiking trails. Simultaneously, cross-country skiing had the least effect on trails due to the protective snow cover during winter. Hiking trail plots had little or no vegetation cover, horse riding trail plots had lower vegetation cover than forest plots, while skiing had no impact on total vegetation cover. On the other hand, on horse riding trails there were more forbs and grasses, many of which did not grow naturally in the forest. These species that were limited to riding trails may change the structure of adjacent plant communities in the long run. Therefore, the type of activities undertaken and the sensitivity of habitats to these activities should be a major consideration in the planning and management of nature-based tourism. Establishment of artificial structures, such as stairs, duckboards and trail cover, or complete closure of the site, may be the only way to protect the most sensitive or deteriorated sites.
Publication Date: 2008-10-18 PubMed ID: 18930578DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2008.08.014Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article studies the impact of hiking, skiing, and horse-riding activities on forests in northern Finland and the changes these activities cause in vegetation as well as trail characteristics.
Research Methodology and Environment
The researchers investigated the effects of three different activities – hiking, cross-country skiing, and horse riding – on specific trail characteristics and surrounding vegetation in northern Finland. The study was carried out in two different research sites throughout the years 2001 and 2002, evaluating the depth and width of existing trails, as well as vegetation density and variety both on the trails and in the neighboring forests.
Findings Based on Recreational Activity
The study revealed that the type of recreational activity significantly affects trail conditions and vegetation. For instance:
- Horse trails displayed a similar level of depth as hiking trails even though the former had a significantly lower number of annual users – a figure around 150 times lower than that of the latter.
- Cross-country skiing proved to be the least harmful activity in terms of trail wear due to the snow that covers and protects the trail during winter.
- Areas used for horse riding had more forbs and grasses, many of which do not usually grow in the forest. This implies that horse riding can introduce new plant species into the forest environment which could, over time, change the structure of neighboring plant communities.
Vegetation Cover Differences
The study noted differences in vegetation cover dependent on activity:
- Hiking trails had little or no vegetation cover at all, demonstrating the severe impact this activity can have on vegetation.
- Horse riding trails had a lower vegetation cover than the surrounding forests but maintained a greater cover than hiking trails.
- Ski trails had no discernible difference in vegetation cover compared to the surrounding areas, further emphasizing the minimal impact this activity has on local vegetation.
Suggested Management Practices
In conclusion, the authors suggest that type of activities and the environments’ sensitivity to these activities should be a crucial factor in planning and managing nature-based tourism. If required, introduction of artificial structures like stairs, duckboards, and trail covers, or even complete closure of particular sites might be necessary to safeguard highly sensitive or already-deteriorated sites.
Cite This Article
APA
Törn A, Tolvanen A, Norokorpi Y, Tervo R, Siikamäki P.
(2008).
Comparing the impacts of hiking, skiing and horse riding on trail and vegetation in different types of forest.
J Environ Manage, 90(3), 1427-1434.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2008.08.014 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences, Saarijärventie 21, FIN-40200 Jyväskylä, Finland. anne.torn@jamk.fi
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Conservation of Natural Resources
- Ecosystem
- Environment
- Finland
- Horses
- Skiing
- Trees
- Walking
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Smith I, Velasquez E, Norman P, Pickering C. Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the popularity of protected areas for mountain biking and hiking in Australia: Insights from volunteered geographic information. J Outdoor Recreat Tour 2023 Mar;41:100588.
- Gea-García GM, Fernández-Vicente C, Barón-López FJ, Miranda-Páez J. The Recreational Trail of the El Caminito del Rey Natural Tourist Attraction, Spain: Determination of Hikers' Flow. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021 Feb 12;18(4).
- Niu L, Cheng Z. Impact of tourism disturbance on forest vegetation in Wutai Mountain, China. Environ Monit Assess 2019 Jan 17;191(2):81.
- Barros A, Marina Pickering C. How Networks of Informal Trails Cause Landscape Level Damage to Vegetation. Environ Manage 2017 Jul;60(1):57-68.
- Barros A, Monz C, Pickering C. Is tourism damaging ecosystems in the Andes? Current knowledge and an agenda for future research. Ambio 2015 Mar;44(2):82-98.
- Kidd KR, Aust WM, Copenheaver CA. Recreational stream crossing effects on sediment delivery and macroinvertebrates in southwestern Virginia, USA. Environ Manage 2014 Sep;54(3):505-16.
- Monz CA, Cole DN, Leung YF, Marion JL. Sustaining visitor use in protected areas: future opportunities in recreation ecology research based on the USA experience. Environ Manage 2010 Mar;45(3):551-62.
- Kangas K, Tolvanen A, Kälkäjä T, Siikamäki P. Ecological impacts of revegetation and management practices of ski slopes in northern Finland. Environ Manage 2009 Sep;44(3):408-19.
- Su H, Jiang H, Stewart CA, Clark D, Liu S, Manzitto-Tripp EA. Depth effects of trail development on herbaceous plant diversity and stress responses through flavonoid accumulation. Stress Biol 2025 Jun 9;5(1):40.
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