Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 7, 2026
08:07
Traditional Trail Making Test Modified into Brand-new Assessment Tools: Digital and Walking Trail Making Test
Published on: November 23, 2019
11.9K
Comparing impacts between formal and informal recreational trails
Catherine Marina Pickering1, Patrick Norman1
1Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Southport, Gold Coast, Queensland 4222, Australia.
Journal of Environmental Management
|February 23, 2017
Summary
Recreational trails impact vegetation composition, with wider, hardened trails like gravel and tarmac favoring different plant species. Further research is needed to compare trail impacts on conservation areas.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Conservation Biology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Recreational trails are extensive in natural areas, raising concerns about their ecological impacts.
- Understanding how different trail types affect adjacent vegetation is crucial for conservation management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effects of four recreational trail types on adjacent vegetation in a high conservation value area.
- To assess differences in vegetation cover, growth forms, species richness, and composition among informal and formal trails.
Main Methods:
- Vegetation surveys were conducted using quadrats along the edges of narrow informal, medium informal, gravel, and tarmac/concrete trails.
- Control sites away from trails were used for comparison.
- Plant species composition, vegetation cover, and growth form cover were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Vegetation cover, growth form cover, and species richness were similar between trail edges and control sites.
- Wider trails, specifically gravel and tarmac/concrete, altered plant species composition compared to controls.
- Tarmac and gravel trails supported different plant species compositions.
Conclusions:
- While overall vegetation cover and richness may not differ, trail type significantly influences plant species composition.
- Hardened trails (gravel, tarmac) can lead to shifts in plant communities, favoring specific species.
- Trail management should consider construction and maintenance impacts, and hardening may not always be the best approach for conservation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:29Levels of Use of a GIS
424
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) operate across three levels of application, each representing an increasing degree of complexity: data management, analysis, and prediction. These levels reflect the expanding functionality and versatility of GIS technology in handling spatial data for diverse purposes.Data ManagementAt its foundational level, GIS serves as a tool for data management, enabling the input, storage, retrieval, and organization of spatial data. This level is often employed in...
424
01:17Design Example: Analyzing Capacity Contours for Flood Risk Assessment
346
Flood risk assessment involves careful planning and analysis to ensure the safety of communities near water retention structures. Capacity contours are a vital tool in this process, as they illustrate the potential spread of water at specific levels in a given area. In the context of building a bund across a small valley, these contours play a critical role in evaluating the safety of nearby residential areas.In this example, the bund is intended to store stormwater in the valley. The engineers...
346
02:30Naturalistic Observations
17.9K
If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. However, people might change their behavior in unexpected ways if they know they are being observed. How do researchers obtain accurate information when people tend to hide their natural behavior? As an example, imagine that your professor asks everyone in your class to raise their hand if they always wash their hands after using the restroom. Chances...
17.9K
01:28Design Example: Joints in Concrete Pavements
584
Concrete pavement joints are essential for maintaining the structural integrity and longevity of pavement by controlling where and how the pavement cracks. These joints can be categorized based on their functions, such as contraction or control joints, construction joints, isolation joints, and expansion joints.
Contraction joints are typically formed by sawing a groove into the concrete shortly after it has hardened. This creates a weakened vertical plane, deliberately encouraging cracking at...
Contraction joints are typically formed by sawing a groove into the concrete shortly after it has hardened. This creates a weakened vertical plane, deliberately encouraging cracking at...
584
01:17Design Example: Alignment of a Road Line Using GIS
372
The alignment of a road line using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a critical process in civil engineering, combining advanced technology with practical decision-making. This methodology begins with the collection of geospatial data, including information on land cover, geomorphology, drainage patterns, slope, and contour details. Such data is typically acquired through satellite imagery and GIS tools, offering a comprehensive understanding of the terrain.Once the data is gathered, it...
372
02:31Habitat Fragmentation
21.7K
Habitat fragmentation describes the division of a more extensive, continuous habitat into smaller, discontinuous areas. Human activities such as land conversion, as well as slower geological processes leading to changes in the physical environment, are the two leading causes of habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation process typically follows the same steps: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition.
21.7K