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Process-based insights into differential erosion mechanisms on hiking and mountain biking trails: Evidence from
1Research and Development Office, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong.
None:
Soil erosion associated with trail-based recreational activities poses persistent ecological and management challenges in protected areas, yet many existing studies remain outcome-focused and provide limited insight into how rainfall translates into surface runoff and sediment export under natural conditions. This study addresses this gap through year-long monitoring of six bounded soil plots installed on co-located mountain biking, hiking, and unmanaged trails in a subtropical country park in Hong Kong. Using linear mixed-effects models, the study examined rainfall-runoff-sediment responses and compared erosion patterns among trail types within a consistent environmental setting. Results showed that both 15-day cumulative rainfall and maximum daily rainfall were significant positive predictors of surface runoff and sediment yield, with maximum daily rainfall providing stronger explanatory power for runoff generation. Rainfall-runoff relationships did not differ significantly among trail types, whereas sediment yield on hiking trails exhibited significantly lower sensitivity to rainfall than on mountain biking trails, indicating higher rainfall amounts for sediment initiation. Empirical onset summaries further illustrated differences in runoff and sediment onset conditions among trail types. By integrating process-oriented field monitoring with a controlled co-located comparative design, this study provides new insights into rainfall-runoff-sediment relationships under natural conditions and offers a robust framework for understanding erosion processes across different trail uses in subtropical protected areas.
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