Effect of Recreational Trails on Forest Birds: Human Presence Matters

Abstract

Outdoor recreational activities are increasing worldwide and occur at high frequency especially close to cities. Forests are a natural environment often used for such activities as jogging, hiking, dog walking, mountain biking, or horse riding. The mere presence of people in forests can disturb wildlife, which may perceive humans as potential predators. Many of these activities rely on trails, which intersect an otherwise contiguous habitat and hence impact wildlife habitat. The aim of this study was to separate the effect of the change in vegetation and habitat structure through trails, from the effect of human presence using these trails, on forest bird communities. Therefore we compared the effects of recreational trails on birds in two forests frequently used by recreationists with that in two rarely visited forests. In each forest, we conducted paired point counts to investigate the differences between the avian community close (50 m) and far (120 m) from trails, while accounting for possible habitat differences, and, for imperfect detection, by applying a multi-species N-mixture model. We found that in the disturbed (i.e., high-recreation-level forests) the density of birds and species richness were both reduced at points close to trails when compared to points further away (−13 and −4% respectively), whereas such an effect was not statistically discernible in the forests with a low-recreation-level. Additionally we found indications that the effects of human presence varied depending on the traits of the species. These findings imply that the mere presence of humans can negatively affect the forest bird community along trails. Visitor guidance is an effective conservation measure to reduce the negative impacts of recreationists. In addition, prevention of trail construction in undeveloped natural habitats would reduce human access, and thus disturbance, most efficiently.

Correlates of avifaunal diversity along the elevational gradient of Mardi Himal in Annapurna Conservation Area, Central Nepal

“…Point count method (Bibby et al 2001) was used for counting the number of bird species. Birds observed and heard within 50 m radius were recorded from a fixed point in a center (Petit et al 1995;Ralph et al 1995;Bötsch et al 2018). A digital range finder was used to estimate the 50 m radius.…”

Diversidad de mamíferos y aves en bosques de coníferas bajo manejo en el Eje Neovolcánico Transversal

“…Además, en 20 estaciones se captaron imágenes de 33 personas, principalmente recolectores de hongos y cazadores; así como 60 perros, un hato de 15 reses y tres caballos con jinete. Esto indica una constante actividad humana y de animales domésticos en la zona, con un posible efecto negativo en la fauna, como cacería ilegal, depredación por perros, la alteración de su conducta habitual y el deterioro de su hábitat (Bötsch et al, 2018;Buxton et al, 2018).…”

You Can’t See the Woods for the Trees: Invasive Acer negundo L. in Urban Riparian Forests Harms Biodiversity and Limits Recreation Activity

“…Areas along rivers, overgrown with dense vegetation of riparian forests and plentiful shore vegetation, are highly attractive to visitors [82]. Such natural ecosystems are exposed to high numbers of visitors and serve as recreation areas, but they are also subject to increased trampling and consequent biodiversity loss [80,[83][84][85]. The preservation of biodiversity may then contradict the ability of residents to freely and actively use the space.…”