Solid Earth, 7, 115–128, 2016 www.solid-earth.net/7/115/2016/ doi:10.5194/se-7-115-2016 © Author(s) 2016. CC Attribution 3.0 License. Trail impact monitoring in Rocky Mountain National Park, USA J. Svajda1, S. Korony1, I. Brighton2, S. Esser2, and S. Ciapala3 1Matej Bel University, Banska Bystrica, Slovakia 2Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, Colorado, USA 3Academy of Physical Education, Krakow, Poland Correspondence to: J. Svajda (
[email protected]) Received: 23 October 2015 – Published in Solid Earth Discuss.: 6 November 2015 Revised: 11 January 2016 – Accepted: 13 January 2016 – Published: 26 January 2016 Abstract. This paper examines impacts of increased visita- trails are often a source of negative impacts on the persis- tion leading to human trampling of vegetation and soil along tence of threatened, endangered, rare and keystone species several trails in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) to (Ballantyne and Pickering, 2015). Trampling, especially in understand how abiotic factors and level of use can influence tundra ecosystems, may lead to altered environmental con- trail conditions. RMNP is one of the most visited national ditions, including decreased infiltration capacity and nutri- parks in the USA, with 3.3 million visitors in 2012 across ent cycles in soils, and more extreme temperatures at the 1075 km2 and 571 km of hiking trails. 95 % of the park is soil surface (Chrisfield et al., 2012). To date, large amounts designated wilderness, making the balance between preser- of research are focused on the impact of visitors on soil vation and visitor use challenging. This research involves the and vegetation including monitoring and modeling (Dixon application of trail condition assessments to 56 km of trails et al., 2004; Farell and Marion, 2001; Monti and MacK- to determine prevailing factors and what, if any, connection intosh, 1979; Godefroid and Koedam, 2004; Özcan et al., between them exist.