A method for calculating environmental sensitivity to walker trampling in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

Abstract

AbstractA walking-track management strategy has been prepared as a framework to manage the impacts of walkers in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, Australia. The main components of the strategy include: a system of categorizing tracks, based on the zoning of the area and the level of track infrastructure; an education campaign; monitoring impacts on existing tracks; and research into the impacts of walkers in various environments. This chapter examines how sustainable carrying capacities might be calculated for walking areas in the Tasmanian wilderness, based on walking-track monitoring, walker-impact trampling trials and sensitivity mapping. This information can be used to estimate at what level user quotas may need to be set, or intensive management measures applied, to maintain ecological sustainability of specific areas. Experimental trials have been established to examine the effects of different trampling intensities and the effects of spreading walker traffic over different time periods. These trials have been established at sites of varying altitude, slope, aspect, bedrock geology, soils and vegetation communities. The areas represent typical montane and alpine walking environments in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Over a period of 5 years, data have been collected on impacts on vegetation and soils and subsequent recovery, to provide an environmental framework for management decisions. From these data it is possible to assess the sensitivity of vegetation communities to trampling impacts, and to extrapolate recovery data for the different plant life-forms present. The geographical information system (GIS) mapping programmes MapInfo Professional and Vertical Mapper provide an efficient means of geographically representing likely impacts at various usage levels over large areas.