A system of formal trails is a core and essential type of infrastructure in protected woodland and forest areas that facilitates visitor access and supports sustainable recreational opportunities and experiences. Recreational activities can include but are not restricted to: walking and trekking, bicycling, horse riding, camping and backpacking. Recreation - related impacts in protected natural areas are an increasing concern for land managers, who are generally, guided by mandates requiring the preservation of natural areas and provision of recreational space (Hammit and Cole 1998).
Mentioned in a study by Wimpey and Marion (2010) protected area managers often construct and maintain trails condoning the requisite ecological disturbance and concentrate visitor traffic onto durable substrates with the intention of preserving natural conditions in other adjacent areas. However, impacts associated with trail use can conflict with preservation orders, therefore challenging land managers to implement effective visitor and resource management strategies.
An earlier study by Marion et al (1993) stated; managers of the National Park Service (NPS) identified trail impacts as a significantly widespread challenging problem. The study presented findings of soil erosion being the most widespread impact, with 44% of land managers indicating it as a significant problem in most areas. Such challenges are likely to continue if trail-recreation uses continue to expand (Olive and Marion 2009).
In agreement, published by Natural England (2013); in edition 1 of the monitor of engagement with the natural environment; the national survey on people and the natural environment annual report 2012-2013; presented statistically significant year-on-year ch...
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...arrows trail traffic as opposed to open fields and meadows. The study by Marion (1994) confirmed three significant impacts on trail width: 1) wet soil was the most significant increase in trail width, 2) a strong positive correlation between trail width and gradient, indicating that steep sloping trails were significantly narrower, 3) mid-slope trails were significantly narrower.
AIMS
Authorisation of construction and maintenance of trails often specifies the trail characteristics, it can recommend trail corridor clearing dimensions and trail width. We define the trail corridor width as the gap in vegetation, usually tree or boundary lined which supports the trail itself. Trail width is defined as the portion of the trail corridor that directly supports the recreational traffic. Tread width is defined as the centre (most heavily trafficked) as depicted in Fig. 1.
Committee on Senate Energy and National Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. 3 June 2003: ESBCO. Mission Viejo Library., Mission Viejo, CA. 31 July 2005. http://web31.epnet.com/citation.
The course is run on a variety of surfaces, none of which come close to ideal . Around 10% is run on rough dirt roads while 10% is run on old dirt roads which are now overgrown with grass. Approximately 20% is run on rough trails with 40% being on old abandoned trails which are said to be easily mistaken for the deer trails that are actually better. The remaining 20% is run on no trails at all but is actually bushwhacking through the forest.
The effects of deforestation around my home and throughout my state are becoming more evident every day. When a deer or other wild game loses its home, they move into cities, urban areas, and parks; thus causing issues with the human population. Most people living in Illinois have hit or nearly killed a deer driving on Southern Illinois roadways. This common occurrence could be kept at bay or maybe even avoided if the deer and wild game had more space to reside. There are many points that coincide with this reality but the main issues are the small subtle ones that affect everyday life and are often overlooked. Picture the Illinois we will leave for our children. Do you see a lush green forest or miles and miles of concrete and steel?
Imagine a scenic, wild landscape with animals that roam freely, cascading waterfalls, and mountains that seem to scrape the pale blue sky. This is what one thinks when first hearing the name Yosemite National Park. Unfortunately, the reality is completely opposite. Yosemite is now under a federally regulated Class 1 area under the Clean Air Act, which is equivalent to the pollution of Los Angeles (“National Parks Service”). It is a sad comparison to the past John Muir, who first documented Yosemite Valley, to today’s reality. The condition of Yosemite National Park should be introduced to the American public in order to protect its historic beauty and significance, eliminate current pollution, and prevent future repercussions.
spanned millions of acres, is now a mere 1,800 mile National Park, dedicated to preventing the
... environmentally safe. Second I think it is important to keep our national parks open to the people but this has shown the need to protect them to a point so our children and grandchildren can enjoy these National Parks in the future. Third, It is nice to see that the case studies go on. Without this research we would not have a direction to go although expensive, I think it is well worth it. The research needs to be compiled correctly by professionals and have no bias or slanted opinions contaminate the overall conclusion to the study.
Every year, over nine million hikers and adventure seekers travel to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park making it the most visited national park in the United States. There are abundant reasons for this, but many popular reasons include over 150 hiking trails extending over 850 miles, a large portion of the Appalachian Trail, sightseeing, fishing, horseback riding, and bicycling. The park houses roughly ten thousand species of plants and animals with an estimated 90,000 undocumented species likely possible to be present. It is clear why there was a pressing interest in making all this land into a national park. My research was started by asking the question; how did the transformation of tourism due to the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park affect surrounding cities such as Gatlinburg and Sevier County, and in return, its effect on the popularity of the park?
...hat it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us" ("Greenpeace usa," 2014). By closely viewing the reasons for national parks, the definition of wilderness, a critique of reasons to build or not build roads in a national park, a comparison of preservation, cost-analysis, and conservative approaches to the environment, I feel that the best approach is preservation. This preservation approach would not eliminate access to the park but seek to control public access to protect the natural environment. The end result would allow the current generation to enjoy Yellowstone Park and make sure that future generations could as well. In speaking about wilderness, Robert Nash may have expressed it best when he said, “Its preservation is not only one of the best ideas American culture ever had; it may be a better one than we ever knew” (Nash, 2001).
Landscape fragmentation can be characterized as a break up of a continuous landscape into more smaller, less-connected patches by roads, clearing for agriculture, commercial and residential development, and timber harvesting. Clear-cutting can break up mature, contiguous forest until the clear-cut area has regenerated to a point that it does not act as an ecological barrier to interior species or species that rely on continuous, mature forests. Much of the work that has sought to measure landscape pattern and habitat fragmentation comes out of the disciplines of conservation biology and landscape ecology (Theobald 1998). These disciplines are founded on the premise that landscape patterns strongly influence and are influenced by ecological processes (Forman and Godron 1986).
The 205-thousand-square-mile Appalachian Mountain range, which spans from Eastern Canada to northern Alabama, boasts North America’s oldest mountains (formed approximately 400 million years ago), the highest peak of the eastern United States (Mount Mitchell), industrial production opportunities and leisurely recreation. The range includes the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky mountains (NCSU, n.d.). A range of recreational activities such as fishing in freshwater streams, camping, biking the Blue Ridge Parkway, skiing and hiking are available in the region. One popular hiking location is the 2,184-mile Appalachian Natural Scenic Trail, which is the longest walking trail in the eastern United States (United States. National Park Service, 2014). Its rich natural capital offers a plethora of resources, allowing production to range from small-scale agricultural establishments to larger industrial outputs of metal and timber. Approximately 80 percent of land has been used for the coal and logging industry since the 90’s (Little, 1995). Though the commercial utilization of the mountains has boosted the economy of Appalachian towns and cities, it has also degraded the range aesthetically and commercially.
It is early in the morning; the majestic Elk bugles in the distance. The sun is kissing the tops of the peaks with the most beautiful gold, and painting the clouds rose red. The men and women who enjoy the outdoors whether it is hunting or just hiking help make these types of moments possible. Hunting and the ecosystem is tied closely to conservation of land and animals. The articles of “Hunting and the ecosystem” written by the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Department (SDGFP), and “Facts and statistics on wildlife conservation” written by Roger Holmes, director of the Fish and Wildlife, touch on how hunting is important in the environment to keep a good balance in the ecosystem. They also point out how hunters do more than any other organization for wildlife and environment. Our country was created by outdoors men who hunted and they passed their knowledge of the outdoors to their kids. Hunting has worked its way down from the generation and we should learn to “pass it on” Hunting is great for the environment and wildlife and should be preserved for the ages to come.
...trails form part of the passage. Today the Rails-to-Trails Movement is shifting its focus westward while continuing to improve and build new trails in the Mid-Atlantic (Sanders).
As tourists wander the trails of Mesa Verde National Park they might see wild horse and elk competing for the same water source. Wild horses from the nearby Ute Mountain Ute Reserve wander into Mesa Verde on a daily basis. The horses have been around since the opening of the park in 1906, but with recent water shortages from drought, there is not enough water to fulfill the needs of all the animals in the park. Since the horses are considered trespassing, the National Park Service and The Bureau of Land Management are trying to find a way to keep the horses away from the park. The wild horses of Mesa Verde National Park deserve to live in the park even though the horses have caused some complications within Mesa Verde, and the National Park Service needs to provide better management services for the horses.
The Appalachian Trail has much unique history. Benton MacKaye is known as the founder of the trail (“Appalachian”). Friends encouraged MacKaye to write an article putting the idea in place (Fisher 5). MacKaye had many supporters that organized the Appalachian Trail Conference, where they laid out more specific plans for the trail (Appalachian). Benton MacKaye is not the only person who is credited for the Appalachian Trail. Raymond Torrey rallied the hiking community and negotiated the trail to consist of public and private land (Kates). The building of the trail was done by mostly volunteers who worked on it from 1921 to 1937 (Kates). The first section of the trail opened in October 1923 in New York (“Appalachian”). It is hard to imagine the expansion of the Appalachian Trail was no more than an idea.
Outdoor recreation has been around for more than 80 centuries. Throughout the years, outdoor recreation has evolved in many different aspects. Outdoor recreation began as a tool for survival strategies, such as hunting and fishing. As the years have passed, people went on to hunt and fish as a form of recreation. As a population, we can concur that outdoor recreation has many positive attributes such as personal satisfaction and enjoyment, as well as negative aspects that could amount to the costly engagement in outdoor recreation activity.