A longitudinal multi-method study of recreational impacts in the Arthur Range, Tasmania, Australia

Longitudinal studies of recreational impacts can be valuable for identifying long-term trends and for assessing the long-term effectiveness of management measures designed to mitigate impacts. Several types of impact relating to recreational walking were monitored periodically in the remote and rugged Arthur Range, Tasmania, utilising a variety of techniques over a 20-year period starting in 1994. The first twelve years of the study coincided with the implementation of several management measures in the range including extensive ‘hardening’ of some tracks (trails) and campsites, local track realignments and closures, and the installation of signs encouraging walkers to ‘fan out’ on some track-free sections of the range. The monitoring programme provided information on the effectiveness of these measures and on trends in the condition of unimproved tracks, routes and campsites. The installation of camping platforms and associated infrastructure halted deterioration and facilitated recovery at several major campsites, although the recovery of devegetated sites was slow. ‘Fanning out’ forestalled track development in some parts of the range but proved ineffective even as a short-term measure on steep, confined terrain. Active deterioration continued on many unimproved track sections and campsites. Further management inputs are required if recreational impacts in the range are to be sustainable.Management implicationsThis study demonstrates the value of longitudinal monitoring programs for describing both the severity and extent of recreational impacts and the effectiveness of management measures. However, the situation in the Arthur Range exemplifies much of the ‘real world’ where, despite an abundance of data, changing policies and limited management resources have stalled efforts to achieve sustainable recreation management.Findings of the study include:
• On unimproved track sections, absolute impacts are lower but rates of change proportionally greater in many lower-use areas (consistent with the widely-reported finding that the impact-use relationship is curvilinear).
• The installation of camping platforms, hardened tracks, toilets and other infrastructure at major campsites arrested and in some cases actually reversed campsite impacts, broad-scale trampling impacts and ad hoc track development at several of those campsites.
• Some recovery of closed or disused impacted campsites occurred, but recovery was minimal or extremely slow on alpine sites that had lost most of their original vegetation cover.
• The implementation of a ‘fan out’ (dispersal) policy in selected areas met with varying success, failing to halt track development even in the short term on steep, confined sites, but proving successful on open sites with low vegetation.