Effects of a Short-Term Trampling Experiment on Alpine Vegetation in the Tatras, Slovakia

Veronika Piscová, Michal Ševčík, Juraj Hreško and František Petrovič
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Veronika Piscová: Institute of Landscape Ecology of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Akademická 2, 949 10 Nitra, Slovakia
Michal Ševčík: Faculty of Natural Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Trieda A. Hlinku 1, 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia
Juraj Hreško: Faculty of Natural Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Trieda A. Hlinku 1, 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia
František Petrovič: Faculty of Natural Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Trieda A. Hlinku 1, 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-15

Abstract: Over the past decades, outdoor recreation in mountains has become progressively more important and as a result human induced potential damage has increased. Alpine communities are particularly susceptible to human recreational activities, such as tourist trampling. Although there are a number of studies that explicitly assess the effects of trampling on alpine communities, they do not reflect on terrains with a rich topography and the presence of more communities in very small areas. In this study, effects of short-term trampling on some alpine communities in the Tatras, the highest mountains of the Carpathians, were studied experimentally. Vulnerability to disturbance was compared among plant communities in terms of resistance and resilience, which are based on cover measurements. With proximity to trampling intensity, we found a significant decrease in plant cover and abundance of deciduous shrubs, lichens, and mosses. These results demonstrate that human trampling in alpine communities has major negative impacts on lichen and moss abundance and species richness. A short-term trampling experiment required several years of community regeneration. Therefore, management plans should discourage hiking activity off paths and restrict recreational activities.

Keywords: tourist trampling; alpine vegetation; Tatras; resistance of vegetation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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