2.2.2 Environmental Impacts of Countryside Recreation

Countryside recreation benefits individuals, local economies and conservation schemes but it can also have a detrimental effect on the natural environment. As with tourism, recreation is often very resource demanding and everything from transport to trampling can have an impact on the countryside. Recreational use of natural areas causes ecological change, but the severity of the impact is determined by a combination of factors. The type of recreational activity, its scale, frequency, the time of year and weather conditions, will all affect the extent of the impact. Equally important is the habitat type and the stability of the ecosystem in which the activity takes place. Coastal sand dunes for example are internationally recognised as being particularly susceptible to recreational pressure. Activities such as unregulated scrambling can have a huge and long-term impact on such habitats whereas infrequent walking across flat grassy vegetation is likely to cause far less damage. The following section outlines the main impacts caused by physical presence on rights of way.

The most common environmental impacts associated with rights of way are path erosion, disturbance to wildlife and trampling. Footpath erosion is a growing problem in some areas; particularly where paths have been worn rather than constructed and have poor surface drainage. Some of the most extreme cases of visitor pressure on footpaths exist in National Parks. Dovedale, a limestone dale in the Peak District National Park, attracts two million visitors each year, an average of 5,400 per day. The four-mile long footpath along the River Dove provides the opportunity for leisurely recreation in the countryside and is used by 750,000 people every year. On busy summer Sundays, 250,000 people visit the area, 2000 of them crossing the river on the stepping-stones every hour. Such numbers have obviously led to tremendous pressure on the path and alteration to the nature of the dale. Costs to maintain the footpaths through the valley are estimated at £10,000 per year, without taking into account the extra cost of stiles, bridges, gates, walls and buildings. Serious erosion has also caused problems on the Pennine Way, which has had to be diverted in places as part of a £3 million repair programme (Croall, 1995).

Despite its remoteness, Scotland has also seen widespread footpath damage, particularly in mountainous areas. The Cairngorms, Ben Nevis, Loch Lomond and other honeypot areas encounter similar problems to those in England and Wales at certain times of the year. Until the 1960s the problems were confined to areas easily accessible by public transport such as Ben Lomond and the mountains of the Arrochar (STCG, 1992). Now the problem is increasingly widespread and its extent is difficult to assess. A report by the Scottish Tourism Co-ordinating Group (1992) identified the main factors behind the increase as:

Footpath erosion in Scotland has been costly, with one estimate of the national repair bill being £750,000 (Croall, 1995). Other costs include ecological damage, slope instability and the increased difficulty and danger of walking on the paths. Path development also reduces the sense of wildness and has a negative visual impact.

As with path erosion, trampling tends to take place in a few popular areas and very little disturbance is seen elsewhere. Trampling can cause a loss of plant species diversity and new access paths can increase the demands for additional stabilisation work. It is difficult to separate the effect of trampling on plant growth, survival and regeneration from habitat influences and external conditions. For example in a study by Farr and Rogers (1994) on the vegetation of the Scilly Isles, the most vulnerable areas are those that combine heavy use with exposure to the natural elements. On the north west coast of Shipman Head (Bryher), strong winds, salt-spray, and a heavily used path have imposed a limit on growth and regeneration. Some plant species such as the plantains are resistant to trampling whereas others are very intolerant. Visitor use can therefore result in a characteristic "path" vegetation occurring. If a path is well used vegetation may cease to grow as the compaction of the soil reduces porosity and infiltration capacity. This is not thought to be a widespread problem in Scilly; in fact the results of Farr and Rogers' study suggest that natural processes have been more significant than human activities in bringing about vegetation changes. Gorse and bracken have spread at the expense of more vulnerable species, aided to some extent by trampling but also as a result of a reduction in grazing by rabbits after repeated myxomatosis epidemics.

Few research studies specifically examine the relationship between the recreational activity and a habitat or species, although a review of the recreational impact on birds can be found in Sidaway (1994). As with trampling, the impact of recreation on fauna is often difficult to separate from that caused by natural processes. Disturbance to breeding, roosting or feeding birds on mudflats, saltmarsh and other coastal habitats is a particular problem on the Island, due largely to the high level of recreational pressure on the coastline. These problems tend to be exacerbated where dogs have access to, or close to, the areas used by the birds. The Island's coast also has extensive designation of protected sites, including European Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and a Special Protection Area (SPA).

The presence of humans can also cause disturbance during key times of the year. The Island's County Ecologist has identified times of the year when the caterpillars of the Glanville Fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) congregate on the short vegetation of sections of the coastal path. The caterpillars are in danger of being trampled on by path users during these times. When important times of the year or sensitive areas are identified, people should be encouraged to be careful, particularly by keeping dogs on the lead. If recreational users follow well-signposted rights of way and are aware of any special care they need to take, the impact of their physical presence is likely to be reduced.