Sustainable Soil Management in Ski Areas: Threats and Challenges

Abstract

Abstract:The skiing industry often represent the main contribution to mountain regions' economy, by providing several economic benefits and the improvement of services and infrastructure. Ski resorts also play a crucial role as an impacting factor, causing severe changes on Alpine landscape and ecosystems. In particular ski runs construction and operation have considerable impacts on alpine soils, influencing their chemical and physical properties which affecting the establishment and development of plant communities. The work provides a description of the changes in soil properties and the related effects on vegetation. It aims furthermore to investigate the recent best practices applied for a successful soil restoration after ski runs construction, which may contribute to a sustainable use of mountain soils and ecosystems. Based on the current regulatory framework, this review gives a global overview on how, in Europe and specifically in Italy, the sustainable use of soils is considered during the construction and management of ski runs. As the framework is still lacking of specific rules regarding soil protection and management on ski runs, the present work wishes to provide recommendations in order to fill this gap, favoring the effective application of best practices for soil protection during ski run construction and maintenance.

Mid and long-term ecological impacts of ski run construction on alpine ecosystems

“…Construction and its related infrastructural demands, especially at high elevation, can degenerate the soil ecosystem to the early stages of primary succession (parent materials outcrop) if pre-existing soil horizons are not effectively managed 21 . An important factor in avoiding excessive depletion of the ecosystem and securing the success of the restoration is the duration of the construction period coupled with appropriate topsoil management.…”

“…During the snow free period, cutting or grazing of vegetation is the most widely recommended management technique 20,21 , with the exclusion of the highest elevations where grazing could accelerate erosion and reduce the recovery rate. The level of initial disturbance, combined with restoration techniques and the chosen ski run management, can greatly influence the time needed for disturbed mountain slopes to recover and self-sustain 11,19 .…”

Integrating erosion risk into forest management in Catalonia, Spain

“…Other significant factors increasing soil erosion risk are forest fires, which destroy the vegetation cover and can alter the soil's physical properties (Thomas et al 1999;Johansen et al 2001;Pardini et al 2004;Hyde et al 2007;Cannon et al 2010). In addition, recreation activities and associated infrastructures, such as hiking trails (Selkimäki and Mola-Yudego 2010), ski tracks (Pintaldi et al 2017) as well as grazing on forest pastures (Strunk 2003) can contribute to soil erosion on forest lands. Erosion processes are not always due to human activities but can also be significant in untreated forest, especially on steep slopes receiving intensive rainfall (Hartanto et al 2003;Morgan 2005).…”

Come to the dark side! The role of functional traits in shaping dark diversity patterns of south‐eastern European hoverflies

“…Multiple studies have demonstrated the sensitivity of these habitats (Ruiz et al, 2009;Gilardelli et al, 2013). The main reasons for the vulnerability of this vegetation type are increased human impact through infrastructural development (Pintaldi et al, 2017) and high levels of grazing (Firm et al, 2009). Moreover, patches of alpine and subalpine habitats are usually small and fragmented.…”