Wildlife response to recreational trail building: An experimental method and Appalachian case study

Abstract

Trail networks are common infrastructure in protected areas for visitors to exercise, connect with nature, and learn about natural and cultural resources. However, there are concerns that the presence and construction of trails affect the quality of wildlife habitats, extending human disturbance into secluded areas. In this study, we developed a before-after control-impact experimental design to investigate the impacts of new trail construction on six terrestrial vertebrate species in an Appalachian protected area in the U.S. Using camera traps, we monitored animal use of the study area before, during, and after construction, on the trail, near the trail, and at a control site. Our results indicate statistically significant impacts of trail building and presence on four common species. During trail construction, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) decreased their activity on and/or near the trail, while raccoons (Procyon lotor) increased activity on the trail. These three species returned to the area at pre-building levels once trail construction was complete. After trail building, eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) showed decreased use of the trail area. We also observed altered timing of daily activity patterns for squirrels and deer, both diurnal species. Deer activity became more spread throughout the day within the near-trail zone during construction. After the trail was complete, squirrels shifted activity to earlier in the day, after sunrise and prior to the peak of recreational activity. We conclude that while trail building may alter habitat quality for some species, this mostly occurred during the construction phase, and was fairly minor for our study species. To minimize impacts, we suggest that trail building be restricted to a short time period during a season when species of concern are least sensitive. Our use of control sites allowed us to distinguish experimental effects from natural population fluctuations, and should serve as a foundation for future work investigating the effects of trails and other linear human disturbances on wildlife communities, especially in sensitive habitats and ecosystems.