The impact of recreational hiking on the redwood forest
Gothier KC. 1980. The impact of recreational hiking on the redwood forest. Humboldt State University
To assess impacts of hiking in redwood forest areas, the author used four experimental methods in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Among them, root analyses showed that small roots are particularly affected; observation of plant occurrence showed differences between trails and off-trail areas; and a simulated compaction test indicated that maximum compaction levels found on real trails were reached relatively quickly. The author concludes that recreational hiking does have a significant impact. Includes suggestions for further study, 10 tables (soil density, biomass, multivariate analyses), 6 figures (sites, effects on soils), and appendix (synthesis tables of the vegetation data).
- Type
- Academic
- Authors
- Gothier, Kirk
- Date of Issue
- 1980-06
- Publisher
- Humboldt State University
- Units
- REDW
- Keywords
- Hiking, Human Impact, Management, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park Redwood National Park CA, Soil Compaction, Thesis