In a 3 year recreation impact monitoring study, visitor use and trampling effect parameters (soil hardness, soil pH, soil moisture, and transect of trail surface) along the 4.2-km-distance Bei Da Wu mountain trail in southern Taiwan were systematically recorded. According to data analysis, results from monitoring indicate that the average difference of trail transect for a 5 cm width within a 12-month period range from 1.15 to 1.31 cm. The slope gradient along the trail and the average difference of trail transect have positive correlation (p<0.001). Due to seasonal changes in precipitation, visitor use explained very little of the variance in soil loss. Precipitation was positively related to soil loss on the mountain trail (F value 4.481, p<0.00l). Visitor use significantly explained the variance of soil hardness F value 8.26, p<0.00l). Annual visitation for this trail was more than 13,000 visitors. The amount of visitor use is increasing as the overnight facilities improve. The majority of visitors come from nearby metropolitan areas. As publicity and over-night facilities improve, an increasing number of visitors will accelerate the degradation of trail conditions; meanwhile, long term monitoring program is necessary.
In a 3 year recreation impact monitoring study, visitor use and trampling effect parameters (soil hardness, soil pH, soil moisture, and transect of trail surface) along the 4.2-km-distance Bei Da Wu mountain trail in southern Taiwan were systematically recorded. According to data analysis, results from monitoring indicate that the average difference of trail transect for a 5 cm width within a 12-month period range from 1.15 to 1.31 cm. The slope gradient along the trail and the average difference of trail transect have positive correlation (p<0.001). Due to seasonal changes in precipitation, visitor use explained very little of the variance in soil loss. Precipitation was positively related to soil loss on the mountain trail (F value 4.481, p<0.00l). Visitor use significantly explained the variance of soil hardness F value 8.26, p<0.00l). Annual visitation for this trail was more than 13,000 visitors. The amount of visitor use is increasing as the overnight facilities improve. The majority of visitors come from nearby metropolitan areas. As publicity and over-night facilities improve, an increasing number of visitors will accelerate the degradation of trail conditions; meanwhile, long term monitoring program is necessary.