Impacts of experimental trampling by hikers and pack animals on a high-altitude alpine sedge meadow in the Andes

Autores
Barros, Ana Agustina; Pickering, Catherine Marina
Año de publicación
2015
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Background: Damage to alpine plant communities is likely to occur when hikers and pack animals trample vegetation. Currently, there is limited research that quantifies and compares impacts from these activities. Aims: A manipulative experimental protocol was used to assess damage to alpine meadows by pack animals and hikers in the Aconcagua Provincial Park, Andes, Argentina. Methods: Vegetation height, overall cover, cover of dominant species and species richness were measured immediately after, and 2 weeks after different numbers of passes (0, 25, 100 and 300) by hikers or pack animals in an experiment, using a randomised block design. Results: Pack animals had two to three times the impact of hiking on the meadows, with greater reductions in plant height, the cover of one of the dominant sedges and declines in overall vegetation cover after 300 passes. Impacts of pack animals were also apparent at lower levels of use than for hikers. These differences occurred despite the meadow community having relatively high resistance to trampling due to the traits of one of the dominant sedges (Carex gayana). Conclusions: Pack animals caused more damage than hikers to the alpine meadow, but the scale of the difference in short-term impacts depends on the characteristics of the plant community, the amount of use and the vegetation parameters measured. Use of the meadows by hikers and pack animals should be minimised as these meadows are scarce, and have high conservation values.
Fil: Barros, Ana Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Griffith University; Australia
Fil: Pickering, Catherine Marina. Griffith University; Australia
Materia
Aconcagua
Alpine Sedge Meadow
Andes
Horses
Mules
Recreation Ecology
Trampling
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/59506

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network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Impacts of experimental trampling by hikers and pack animals on a high-altitude alpine sedge meadow in the AndesBarros, Ana AgustinaPickering, Catherine MarinaAconcaguaAlpine Sedge MeadowAndesHorsesMulesRecreation EcologyTramplinghttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1Background: Damage to alpine plant communities is likely to occur when hikers and pack animals trample vegetation. Currently, there is limited research that quantifies and compares impacts from these activities. Aims: A manipulative experimental protocol was used to assess damage to alpine meadows by pack animals and hikers in the Aconcagua Provincial Park, Andes, Argentina. Methods: Vegetation height, overall cover, cover of dominant species and species richness were measured immediately after, and 2 weeks after different numbers of passes (0, 25, 100 and 300) by hikers or pack animals in an experiment, using a randomised block design. Results: Pack animals had two to three times the impact of hiking on the meadows, with greater reductions in plant height, the cover of one of the dominant sedges and declines in overall vegetation cover after 300 passes. Impacts of pack animals were also apparent at lower levels of use than for hikers. These differences occurred despite the meadow community having relatively high resistance to trampling due to the traits of one of the dominant sedges (Carex gayana). Conclusions: Pack animals caused more damage than hikers to the alpine meadow, but the scale of the difference in short-term impacts depends on the characteristics of the plant community, the amount of use and the vegetation parameters measured. Use of the meadows by hikers and pack animals should be minimised as these meadows are scarce, and have high conservation values.Fil: Barros, Ana Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Griffith University; AustraliaFil: Pickering, Catherine Marina. Griffith University; AustraliaTaylor & Francis Ltd2015-03info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/59506Barros, Ana Agustina; Pickering, Catherine Marina; Impacts of experimental trampling by hikers and pack animals on a high-altitude alpine sedge meadow in the Andes; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Plant Ecology & Diversity; 8; 2; 3-2015; 265-2761755-0874CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1080/17550874.2014.893592info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17550874.2014.893592info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2025-09-29T09:47:50Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/59506instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982025-09-29 09:47:51.025CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Impacts of experimental trampling by hikers and pack animals on a high-altitude alpine sedge meadow in the Andes
title Impacts of experimental trampling by hikers and pack animals on a high-altitude alpine sedge meadow in the Andes
spellingShingle Impacts of experimental trampling by hikers and pack animals on a high-altitude alpine sedge meadow in the Andes
Barros, Ana Agustina
Aconcagua
Alpine Sedge Meadow
Andes
Horses
Mules
Recreation Ecology
Trampling
title_short Impacts of experimental trampling by hikers and pack animals on a high-altitude alpine sedge meadow in the Andes
title_full Impacts of experimental trampling by hikers and pack animals on a high-altitude alpine sedge meadow in the Andes
title_fullStr Impacts of experimental trampling by hikers and pack animals on a high-altitude alpine sedge meadow in the Andes
title_full_unstemmed Impacts of experimental trampling by hikers and pack animals on a high-altitude alpine sedge meadow in the Andes
title_sort Impacts of experimental trampling by hikers and pack animals on a high-altitude alpine sedge meadow in the Andes
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Barros, Ana Agustina
Pickering, Catherine Marina
author Barros, Ana Agustina
author_facet Barros, Ana Agustina
Pickering, Catherine Marina
author_role author
author2 Pickering, Catherine Marina
author2_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Aconcagua
Alpine Sedge Meadow
Andes
Horses
Mules
Recreation Ecology
Trampling
topic Aconcagua
Alpine Sedge Meadow
Andes
Horses
Mules
Recreation Ecology
Trampling
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Background: Damage to alpine plant communities is likely to occur when hikers and pack animals trample vegetation. Currently, there is limited research that quantifies and compares impacts from these activities. Aims: A manipulative experimental protocol was used to assess damage to alpine meadows by pack animals and hikers in the Aconcagua Provincial Park, Andes, Argentina. Methods: Vegetation height, overall cover, cover of dominant species and species richness were measured immediately after, and 2 weeks after different numbers of passes (0, 25, 100 and 300) by hikers or pack animals in an experiment, using a randomised block design. Results: Pack animals had two to three times the impact of hiking on the meadows, with greater reductions in plant height, the cover of one of the dominant sedges and declines in overall vegetation cover after 300 passes. Impacts of pack animals were also apparent at lower levels of use than for hikers. These differences occurred despite the meadow community having relatively high resistance to trampling due to the traits of one of the dominant sedges (Carex gayana). Conclusions: Pack animals caused more damage than hikers to the alpine meadow, but the scale of the difference in short-term impacts depends on the characteristics of the plant community, the amount of use and the vegetation parameters measured. Use of the meadows by hikers and pack animals should be minimised as these meadows are scarce, and have high conservation values.
Fil: Barros, Ana Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Griffith University; Australia
Fil: Pickering, Catherine Marina. Griffith University; Australia
description Background: Damage to alpine plant communities is likely to occur when hikers and pack animals trample vegetation. Currently, there is limited research that quantifies and compares impacts from these activities. Aims: A manipulative experimental protocol was used to assess damage to alpine meadows by pack animals and hikers in the Aconcagua Provincial Park, Andes, Argentina. Methods: Vegetation height, overall cover, cover of dominant species and species richness were measured immediately after, and 2 weeks after different numbers of passes (0, 25, 100 and 300) by hikers or pack animals in an experiment, using a randomised block design. Results: Pack animals had two to three times the impact of hiking on the meadows, with greater reductions in plant height, the cover of one of the dominant sedges and declines in overall vegetation cover after 300 passes. Impacts of pack animals were also apparent at lower levels of use than for hikers. These differences occurred despite the meadow community having relatively high resistance to trampling due to the traits of one of the dominant sedges (Carex gayana). Conclusions: Pack animals caused more damage than hikers to the alpine meadow, but the scale of the difference in short-term impacts depends on the characteristics of the plant community, the amount of use and the vegetation parameters measured. Use of the meadows by hikers and pack animals should be minimised as these meadows are scarce, and have high conservation values.
publishDate 2015
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2015-03
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/59506
Barros, Ana Agustina; Pickering, Catherine Marina; Impacts of experimental trampling by hikers and pack animals on a high-altitude alpine sedge meadow in the Andes; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Plant Ecology & Diversity; 8; 2; 3-2015; 265-276
1755-0874
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/59506
identifier_str_mv Barros, Ana Agustina; Pickering, Catherine Marina; Impacts of experimental trampling by hikers and pack animals on a high-altitude alpine sedge meadow in the Andes; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Plant Ecology & Diversity; 8; 2; 3-2015; 265-276
1755-0874
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1080/17550874.2014.893592
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17550874.2014.893592
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Taylor & Francis Ltd
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Taylor & Francis Ltd
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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