Comparing webshare services to assess mountain bike use in protected areas

The increasing use of protected areas for recreational activities requires better and faster monitoring technics to help park managers deal with, and avoid, unwanted impacts. Previous work showed that GPS tracks voluntarily uploaded or created in sport dedicated webshare services might be a good information source to spatialize recreational activities. This study compares data from two webshare services, GPSies.com and Wikiloc.com, regarding mountain biking in Sintra-Cascais Natural Park (PNSC). Although the amount of data for PNSC's from both services is different, similar results can be drawn, providing quality information for monitoring purposes, on a low human and time resources budget. Crossing that information with road networks, habitat charts, among others can help park managers to identify where unwanted conflicts and impacts are more likely to occur. This approach can provide support to park authorities' decisions and actions for the sustainable use of recreational activities within protected areas.