Recreational Disturbance Research Articles

Biodiversity Assessment of Trees and Shrubs at Tirunelveli’s Science Centre in Southern India: A Conservation Perspective

A comprehensive taxonomical floristic survey conducted at the District Science Centre in Tirunelveli identified 84 species of trees and shrubs, documenting each plant species with detailed information on medicinal uses, family classification, commercial importance, and population count of individual plants. The survey identified 33 families and 68 genera, with Fabaceae being the most dominant family, followed by Rubiaceae, Arecaceae, and Malvaceae. Additionally, the survey highlighted a list of vulnerable, threatened, and endangered tree species such as Cycas beddomei Dyer., Santalum album L., emphasizing the need for conservation efforts based on their spatial reach and anthropogenic pressures. These species face various threats, including loss of habitat, agriculture, pollution load, and recreational disturbances, and were assessed according to the IUCN Red List criteria. This study provides valuable insights for botanists, conservationists, and policymakers, promoting sustainable management and protection of plant biodiversity in the region.

Outdoor recreation contributes to ecological changes along coastlines: Temperate United States cases highlight key impacts and ways forward

Coastal natural areas including sandy and rocky beaches comprise some of the United States’ most critical recreational and ecological resources. Through collaboration, governmental conservation agencies and non-profits forecast that over 2 billion coastline visits occur each year. Under contemporary conditions, coastal resource overuse endangers the integrity of both social and ecological systems. Existing and mounting concerns call for different coastal zone management strategies, including research into poorly understood and emerging disturbances. This work explains how recreational disturbances influence coastal environments through wildlife behavior changes, plant dynamics, and the quality of abiotic ecosystem elements. Atlantic and Pacific cases indicate that some outdoor recreation systems strongly affect habitat quality, sensitive species, and interacting communities. New insight into outdoor recreation’s contributions to ecosystem change will inform how coastal zone management agencies can implement stronger co-existence strategies for people and nature.

Just Add Water and Stir: An Artificial Suburban Lake Develops Into an Important Moulting Site for Large‐Bodied Herbivorous Wildfowl

ABSTRACTEgø Engsø is an artificial Danish suburban lake created in 2006, primarily for nutrient retention and flood control. Expanding submerged macrophyte cover (dominated by Stoneworts Chara spp. and Pondweeds Potamogeton spp.) attracted moulting concentrations of 600 mute swans Cygnus olor, 1100 greylag geese Anser anser and 280 Canada geese Branta canadensis. These unexpected additions to the avifauna benefit from reliable food supplies and effective protection from recreational disturbance on and near the water surface. Egø Engsø is a model of enabling intense human activity at a waterbird moulting site, and confirming appropriate planning can accommodate multiple functional objectives following wetland creation.

A new cognitive conservation model for understanding Malaysian birders’ behaviour towards birds

ABSTRACT Birdwatching as a subset of ecotourism can produce recreational disturbance. This research aims to assess the validity and reliability of a formative conservation model regarding disturbance behaviour towards birds. This model uses cognitive theories to identify the key factors influencing behavioural intention towards disturbance behaviour on birds among Malaysian birdwatchers. We present the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), the theory of normative conduct, and the cognitive hierarchy model in the Predictor Bird Conservation Model (PBCM). The data was collected from 421 Malaysian birdwatchers using a field survey. The model was tested using the partial least squares (PLS) approach. This model provides managerial implications for determining the cognitive influential factors on intention towards target behaviour. Ten hypotheses are proposed and tested. The results showed subjective norms (SN) had the greatest substantial variance among other predictors of the study model. However, attitude and perceived behaviour had the lowest variance towards the intentions for target behaviour. The study contributes to existing literature regarding the implication of the TPB. This research also focuses on non-consuming behaviour which is considered critical for its potential for social pressure effect.

No place to call home: Distribution patterns of the tufted ghost crab, Ocypode cursor, populations in nature reserves, Israel, Eastern Mediterranean

Abstract The once plentiful population of the tufted ghost crab, Ocypode cursor, a legally protected species, suffered a steep decline along the densely populated Mediterranean coast of Israel. Here we assessed the effects of recreational disturbance on crab populations in three sandy shore nature reserves and adjacent bathing beaches with differing accessibility during the summers of 2020–2021, employing burrow counts and burrow opening diameter as proxies for population abundance and population size structure. A total 6270 burrows were identified, counted and their opening diameter measured during the study period. The number of burrows was greatest close by the waterline and diminished landwards; this landwards decline was notable in the smallest burrows (<20 mm), representing the youngest population fraction. Comparison of population abundance between the surveyed nature reserves and adjacent bathing beaches revealed greater numbers in the former. However, a pronounced postweekend reduction in the number of burrows was apparent in nature reserves during both survey years, across sites and months and clearly indicates elevated recreational activity. The number of burrows in the nature reserve nearest to main population centres and abutting a popular bathing beach was smaller compared with the peripheral nature reserves. We observed no postsunrise activity of adult crabs, though in strictly access‐restricted beaches, crabs were active diurnally. We thus suggest that the crabs shifted their diel activity patterns as avoidance response to chronic anthropogenic disturbance, enduring a forced curfew and a temporal habitat loss. If the sandy nature reserves are to function as true refugia for the tufted ghost crab, restorative management is to include significant conservation and mitigation intervention measurements/actions.

Recreational Disturbance of River Sediments During Base Flow Deteriorates Microbial Water Quality

Recreational Disturbance of River Sediments During Base Flow Deteriorates Microbial Water Quality

Waterbird community changes in the Wilderness Lakes, South Africa (Part 3 of 3): Diving piscivores and scavengers

Estuarine waterbodies typically support diverse and abundant waterbird communities. However, global environmental degradation as a result of anthropogenic activities is leading to species level changes in biodiversity, with top predators such as piscivorous waterbirds being particularly vulnerable to ecosystem changes. The study aimed to document long-term spatial and temporal patterns of abundance of piscivorous and scavenging waterbirds in the Wilderness Lakes Complex (WLC) in the Garden Route National Park, South Africa, and where possible identify potential causes for observed trends. The abundance of waterbirds on these wetlands was determined biannually from 1992 to 2019, with counts conducted from a boat following a standardised route. Historical waterbird abundance data from the 1980s were also used to describe long-term abundance changes. Eight of the species exhibited seasonal variability in abundance with most, excluding Common Tern Sterna hirundo, being more abundant in winter. Substantial changes occurred in the abundance of several species over the four-decade study period, notably increases in Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis and Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus, and decreases in Common Tern and Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis. Long-term abundance trends indicate a combination of declining, increasing, and stable populations. Although some species have undergone contrasting abundance changes on different waterbodies in the WLC the dominant pattern was a similar direction of change on most or all waterbodies and in different seasons. Local reasons for changes probably include loss of sandbanks, changing prey availability, and the absence of recreational disturbance on some waterbodies.Conservation implications: Drivers of changes in the abundances of piscivores are likely to be multifaceted, functioning on multiple spatial and temporal scales, and affecting different species in different ways. Recommended local corrective actions include managing emergent macrophyte encroachment on sandbanks, reducing recreational disturbance, managing processes affecting indigenous fish stocks, and protecting nesting sites.

Macrophyte habitat selection by moulting mute swans and the effect of recreational disturbance in the largest Baltic Sea lagoon

Moult, the process of replacing old feathers with new, is a critical event in the annual cycle of all bird species. In the Curonian Lagoon, situated in the south-eastern Baltic Sea, recreational activities and shipping lanes occur in close proximity to the staging areas of waterfowl. Knowledge on the habitat use of these birds however is scant. In this study, we combined visual observations, satellite telemetry and the distribution of macrophytes to study habitat use by moulting herbivorous mute swans (Cygnus olor) and analysed how the localities of the swans depended on the distribution of macrophyte habitats and anthropogenic activities. Our data highlighted the most important swan staging areas within the Lithuanian part of the Curonian Lagoon, this specifically being mostly shallow areas (<1-metre depth) with diverse and high-density coverage of submerged vegetation dominated by charophytes and pondweeds. The submerged macrophyte habitats in water depths of 1–2 m and stands of clasping-leaf pondweeds were considered less important for swans. Our results showed that mute swans exploited only half the most suitable habitat areas for feeding. Based on indirect assessment of the relationship between the abundance of swans and disturbance by kitesurfing and boating, we discuss possible impacts on their moulting grounds. Knowledge on both selection of moulting grounds and habitat use by waterbirds is necessary for effective management and biodiversity conservation.

Can we predict visitor movement? Using step selection function analysis to map high probability camping areas in a remote Alaskan wilderness

Recreational use of parks and protected areas (PPAs) can have significant impacts to resources that can be difficult to mitigate. Cost-effective planning tools are needed to help managers anticipate where recreation disturbance is likely to occur. Tools from wildlife ecology may be helpful in meeting this information need, especially for large, remote PPA that experience sporadic use. We employed step selection function (SSF) analysis as a novel and flexible tool to identify areas with high probabilities of recreational disturbance. We fit SSFs to model environmental and experiential factors associated with campsite selection among backcountry kayakers in two regions of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (GLBA) in Alaska, USA. We hypothesized campers would select sites that offer bare, flat ground, are close to freshwater sources, and maximize experience-related attributes of glacier and scenic viewing while minimizing exposure to large vessels. Campers in both regions selected sites offering a combination of experiential and environmental site characteristics; however, not all factors were significant in the best fitting models. Site selection probabilities increased with increases in bare, flat ground and as distance to the nearest glacier decreased. In one region, selection probability also increased with increases in scenic viewshed. Using modeled relationships, we generated predictive maps of relative selection strength to locate areas within GLBA with high potential for camping based on site characteristics. Our results can be used to prioritize monitoring, target restoration efforts, or implement management actions to prevent camping-related resource impacts.

Assessment of Pinus sylvestris L. forests state near Krasnoyarsk (case study of the Karaul'noe forestry)

The research was conducted in Pinus sylvestris L. stands near Krasnoyarsk (subtaiga zone). The aim of the study is to assess the current state of recreational pine forests. Research methods included detailed forest pathological examination on six research plots, assessment of recreational disturbance (digression stage) by the transect method, integral assessment of forest health, graphical and correlation analysis. Recreational disturbance of the studied pine forests corresponds to I-IV stages of digression. From 1 to 40% of ground on the research plots has been trampled down. The vitality spectra of forest stands are characterized by right-sided asymmetry; the proportion of weakened trees is high in severely disturbed pine stands. With an increase in the recreational stress, the state of pine forests worsens significantly, and the proportion of dead trees increases. The absence of a significant relationship between the average health index and the stock of dead wood indicates that trees mortality cannot be used as an indicator when assessing the current state of recreational pine forests, which is explained by wood debris removal. The relative growing stock of healthy trees (with no signs of weakening), however, is an informative indicator.

Invertebrates in the diet of collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) nestlings in transformed forest ecosystems of north-eastern Ukraine

The diet composition of collared flycatcher nestlings, Ficedula albicollis (Temminck, 1815), in the transformed forests of northeastern Ukraine was investigated to present an argument for conservation management actions that could benefit the species. Food pellets were collected from nestlings in four study sites with differing levels of recreational disturbance over 10 breeding seasons. The invertebrates they contained were identified, divided into trophic groups and compared across sites. A total of 1,160 food pellets were collected, containing 3,253 invertebrates from 294 species. Insects comprised 83% of the prey, with the most abundant orders of Diptera, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. The smallest diversity of prey species was found in samples from the most disturbed site. The qualitative composition of the prey items showed that zoophages were the most frequent trophic group encountered, followed by phytophages, saprophages, polyphages, and necrophages. However, the order of trophic group frequency varied between sites. Although collared flycatchers forage within a limited area, their diet is characterized by a wide diversity of prey, and they exploit all forest layers. Key words: collared flycatcher, diet, trophic links, zoophages, phytophages, saprophages, necrophages, polyphages

Synecology diagnostics methodology transformations of the structural and functional organization forest ecosystems

The main directions of development of biotic diagnostics of disruption of forest ecosystems with modern methodical approaches to assessing their condition according to selection criteria are considered. The issue of indicating the state of the forest ecosystem by the structural parameters of biocomponents occupies an important position among a number of ecological and biological studies. It was established according to an analytical review of the literature. To solve the existing methodological problems of biodiagnosis of anthropogenic transformation of forest ecosystems, it is necessary to evaluate the current state, the mechanisms of their change, which are caused by environmental threats, according to various criteria, and bioindication should be carried out according to ecosystem indicators. Informative diagnostic signs of recreational disturbance of forests of various categories of functional purpose in the initial stages changes are biomorphological, ecomorphic, systematic structures of the grass layer, ecological strategies and ecological valences of species, diversity indices. From the III stage of digression, the tree stand (sanitary, vital structures, taxation indicators) and the soil surface (distribution by status categories) reveal the indicator signs. Violation of recreational and health forests and park plantations in city conditions is manifested by an increase in the contribution of evrybiont species according to edaphic factors, therophytes and species with a primary and secondary strategy, which have the R-sign, a higher index of adventitization of flora (over 20%). To diagnose the consequences of water erosion of soil in mountain systems (Carpathians, Crimea), it is advisable to use the characteristics of different layers of the tree stand and grass layer at all stages of soil erosion digression. Representatives of Poaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Asteraceae with dominance of cryptophytes and therophytes, species with CSR- and R-type strategies are representative. Indicative signs are the ratio of rhizome species to species without formations, as well as species with a creeping aerial shoot to a rosetteless type of shoot. On the gradient of increasing water-erosive transformation of the ecosystem, diagnostic indicators of the structure of ecomorphs are the edaphic factor of humidity and salt regime of the soil, but only by the change in the share of the herbaceous fractions of stenobiont and evrybiont species. Diagnostic signs of moderate and intensive soil erosion degradation are changes in the values ​​of diversity and dominance indices.

The effectiveness of bird hides in mitigating recreational disturbances of birdwatchers

Bird hides are often built to ameliorate the disturbance of birdwatchers at birdwatching sites. However, the effectiveness of such shelters is rarely evaluated. This study investigated the recreational disturbances induced by birdwatchers at Mai Po Nature Reserve in Hong Kong and examined the effectiveness of bird hides in mitigating birdwatcher impacts. A bird disturbance survey was conducted to record the disturbances caused by birdwatchers and responses shown by birds at three sampling sites in Mai Po Nature Reserve. A total of 469 observations were recorded in 25 field days from Oct 2019 to April 2020. The results indicated that bird hides significantly mitigated the frequency of disturbance and level of response of birds. With a bird hide, the frequency of disturbance was lower than the unsheltered site given that both sites have a similar level of visitation, yet, disturbance frequency was not significantly lower if the bird hide was highly utilized by birdwatchers. Birds had shown less vigorous and slower responses to disturbances at sites with bird hides than that without. On the other hand, at those sites with bird hides, birds responded at a farther distance than birds at the unsheltered site, which a longer distance may represent a greater level of disturbance. Upon disturbances, birds at the unsheltered site tended to stay in the original area, while birds around bird hides tend to settle further from the original habitat. Visual disturbances were well avoided at bird hides when compared to an unsheltered environment, however, disturbance from noise was found to be more prevalent at bird hides. Implications of these findings were discussed, and recommendations regarding the use, setting, and design of bird hides, and visitor management were given.

Effects of COVID-19 lockdowns on shorebird assemblages in an urban South African sandy beach ecosystem

Human pressures are pervasive in coastal ecosystems, but their effect magnitudes are masked by methodological limitations. Government lockdowns associated with the global COVID-19 pandemic can address this gap since lockdowns are effectively manipulations of human presence in ecosystems at scales unachievable otherwise. We illustrate this using a study on shorebirds in an urban South African sandy beach ecosystem. Data collected prior to (2019) and during the COVID-19 (2020) pandemic indicated an inverse relationship between shorebird and human numbers, but this was stronger in 2020. In 2020, human exclusion resulted in a six-fold increase in shorebird abundance relative to 2019. Following easing of lockdowns, shorebird abundance declined by 79.6% with a 34.1% increase in human density. Our findings highlight the sensitivity of shorebirds to recreational disturbance, the potential for current methodological approaches to underestimate repercussions of disturbance and the capacity for COVID-19 lockdowns to refine understanding of human-induced stress in ecosystems.

Understanding the impact of recreational disturbance caused by motor vehicles on waterbirds: a case study from the Bundala Wetland, Sri Lanka

Understanding the impact of recreational disturbance caused by motor vehicles on waterbirds: a case study from the Bundala Wetland, Sri Lanka

РЕКРЕАЦИОННЫЙ ПОТЕНЦИАЛ ГОРОДСКИХ ЛЕСОВ Г. РОСТОВ-НА-ДОНУ

This article provides an assessment of the recreational potential of the urban forests of Rostov-on-Don on the example of the Shchepkinsky forest and the Aviator Park. Both objects are located within the city and, in turn, are a recreational "refuge" for residents of the regional center. The Rostov region is one and sparsely forested (the forest cover of the territory is only 2.5%), the main part of plantations (70%) is artificial forests. Given the pace of urbanization, the development of industry and agriculture in a million-plus city, urban forests not only perform the most important sanitary and hygienic functions (protection from wind and dust, noise reduction, soil protection from erosion processes, etc.), but are also an object of recreation for local residents. When studying the recreational value of forest park landscapes, the methodology for assessing the recreational potential of plantings developed by S.L. Rysin. The assessment of each stand was carried out according to three main indicators: forest attractiveness (age of the plantation, species composition, mixture of species, height of the stand, layering, mosaic and ornamental plantings, littering with household waste, visibility), its comfort for vacationers (relief, humidity, road and path network, accessibility, distance to a reservoir, noise) and resistance to recreational impact (sanitary condition, recreational disturbance, undergrowth and undergrowth, stability of the lower layer, soil). Recreational plantings are assigned classes of recreational value (CRC). The distribution of the territories of the studied urban forests of Rostov-on-Don by classes of recreational value in accordance with the areas is given. An assessment of the attractiveness, comfort and sustainability of plantings by compartments is given. The advantages and disadvantages of each object for the purposes of recreation are given. The recreational potential of landscape glades has been determined. The need for additional measures for the further use of forests for recreational purposes has been identified.

The hidden cost of disturbance: Eurasian Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) avoid a disturbed roost site during the tourist season

Disturbance may impact individual birds and ultimately bird populations. If animals avoid disturbed sites this may prevent them from being disturbed directly but may also negatively impact their movement patterns and energy budgets. Avoidance is, however, challenging to study, because it requires following individuals over large spatial scales in order to compare their movement rates between sites in relation to spatiotemporal variation in disturbance intensity. We studied how 48 GPS‐tracked non‐breeding Eurasian Oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus used two neighbouring roost sites in the Wadden Sea. One roost site is highly influenced by seasonal recreational disturbance whereas the other is an undisturbed sandbar. We analysed roost choice and the probability of moving away from the disturbed roost site with regard to a seasonal recreation activity index, weekends and night‐time. Oystercatchers often chose to roost on the undisturbed site, even if they were foraging closer to the disturbed roost. The probability that Oystercatchers chose to roost on the disturbed site was negatively correlated with the recreation activity index and was lowest in the tourist season (summer and early autumn), indicating that birds used the site less often when recreation levels were high. Furthermore, the probability that birds moved away from the disturbed site during high tide was positively correlated with the recreation activity index. The choice to roost on the undisturbed site implies that birds must fly an additional 8 km during one high‐tide period, which equates to 3.4% of daily energy expenditure of an average Oystercatcher. Our study tentatively suggests that the costs of avoidance may outweigh the energetic cost of direct flight responses and hence that avoidance of disturbed sites requires more attention in future disturbance impact studies. Nature managers should evaluate whether high‐quality undisturbed roosting sites are available near foraging sites, and in our case closing of a section of the disturbed site during high tides in the tourist season may mitigate much disturbance impact.

Where to start? A new citizen science, remote sensing approach to map recreational disturbance and other degraded areas for restoration planning

This UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration highlights the capacity of restoration to mitigate trends in biodiversity loss and land degradation. However, many managers lack the tools they need to systematically and comprehensively identify degraded sites to prioritize restoration efforts given limited resources. We developed a novel, inexpensive, low‐tech approach for training and engaging citizen scientists to identify recreational impacts and other degraded areas within a defined unforested area. The mapping process follows four phases: (1) Landscape scans by citizen scientists using Google Earth Pro imagery; (2) A second scan of all marked sites based on high resolution aerial photography; (3) Compilation of basic information about the degraded sites; (4) Addition of associated soil type and plant communities. In the 12,375 ha McDowell Sonoran Preserve (Scottsdale, Arizona), we detected 67 new sites not previously identified by land managers, using an estimated 305 citizen scientist hours and only 30 staff hours. Each site has accompanying information including distance from nearest access point, cause of degradation, and plant and soils detail. After completion, we conducted independent field visits of 33% of the detected sites and verified degradation in all cases. We found that the remotely sensed approach provided better perspective to accurately measure the scale and original source of degradation compared with field visits. The approach can be conducted over a short period of time using citizen scientists, allows managers to undertake landscape level restoration prioritization and planning, and, if repeated, can be used to monitor changes in degradation and restoration over time.

Effects of human disturbance on postnatal growth and baseline corticosterone in a long-lived bird.

Prolonged or repeated episodes of environmental stress could be especially detrimental for developing young, via impaired growth or development. Despite this, most studies investigating the effects of human recreational and tourism activities have focused on adults. An increasing demand for nature-based tourism in remote locations means that many seabirds, which have evolved largely in the absence of predators and humans, are being exposed to novel pressures. The slow-growing semi-precocial nestlings of the European storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus experience higher mortality rates in nests exposed to human recreational disturbance. Here, we examine whether surviving nestlings reared in disturbed areas are also affected via changes in growth trajectories and baseline circulating glucocorticoids. Nestlings reared in high-disturbance areas displayed delayed mass growth, and we found weak evidence for slower rates of mass gain and tarsus growth, compared with nestlings reared in undisturbed areas. There were no differences in wing growth, consistent with prioritization of long wings, important for post-fledging survival. A tendency for a less marked age-related decline in corticosterone (CORT) in disturbed nestlings offers limited evidence that changes in growth trajectories were mediated by baseline CORT. However, disturbed nestlings could have experienced overall higher GC exposure if the acute GC response was elevated. 'Catch-up' growth enabled high-disturbance nestlings to overcome early constraints and achieve a similar, or even larger, asymptotic body size and mass as low-disturbance nestlings. While catch-up growth has been shown to carry costs for parents and offspring, the effects of disturbance were slight and considerably smaller than growth alterations driven by variation in environmental conditions between years. Nonetheless, effects of human recreational activities could be exacerbated under higher levels of human disturbance or in the presence of multiple pressures, as imposed by present rapid rates of environmental change.

The Effect of Trails on Soil in the Oak Openings of Northwest Ohio

Trails are a form of recreational disturbance affecting natural areas. Trail disturbances can cause soil degradation such as compaction, which facilitates soil erosion and overland water flow. This study analyzed the effects of four different types of trails—paved, gravel, equestrian, and hiking—on soils in the Oak Openings of Northwest Ohio, a globally rare ecosystem that harbors more than a third of Ohio's rare plant species. Bulk density and soil moisture content were measured in order to determine physical impacts of trails. Soil pH, ammonium, nitrate, phosphate, and dissolved organic C and N concentrations were measured to determine effects on soil chemistry. Finally, soil microbial biomass and exoenzyme activities were measured to determine biological responses to trail disturbances. Soils from the gravel trail were the most affected by the trail, with significant effects on chemical (PO43-concentration) and biological (phosphatase and NAG activity, and MB-N) properties. The soils near the paved trail were the second most affected after the gravel trail, with a trend toward a pH change and a significant biological (microbial peptidase activity) effect of this trail. The soils of the horse and natural trails were generally not significantly different from the soils in the surrounding ecosystem. The only significant disturbance in the horse trail was increased bulk density in the trail, while the natural hiking trail had no statistically significant differences, but trends lean toward increased bulk density and reduced microbial phosphatase activity. These results suggest that the natural and horse trails have the least impact on the Oak Openings ecosystem.Jared Hawkins and Michael N. Weintraub. 2011. “The Effect of Trails on Soil in the Oak Openings of Northwest Ohio.” Natural Areas Journal 31(4):391-399.