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Cited by 82Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesRecreation, Leisure, Wilderness ManagementBotany and Plant Ecology Studies

Assessing the impact of human trampling on vegetation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental evidence

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Pescott, Oliver L., Stewart, Gavin B.·2014·PeerJ
DOI 10.7717/peerj.360PMC PMC4017817

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Abstract

Vegetation trampling resulting from recreation can adversely impact natural habitats, leading to the loss of vegetation and the degradation of plant communities. A considerable primary literature exists on this topic, therefore it is important to assess whether this accumulated evidence can be used to reach general conclusions concerning vegetation vulnerability to inform conservation management decisions. Experimental trampling studies on a global scale were retrieved using a systematic review methodology and synthesised using random effects meta-analysis. The relationships between vegetation recovery and each of initial vegetation resistance, trampling intensity, time for recovery, Raunkiaer life-form (perennating bud position), and habitat were tested using random effects multiple meta-regressions and subgroup analyses. The systematic search yielded 304 studies; of these, nine reported relevant randomized controlled experiments, providing 188 vegetation recovery effect sizes for analysis. The synthesis indicated there was significant heterogeneity in the impact of trampling on vegetation recovery. This was related to resistance and recovery time, and the interactions of these variables with Raunkiaer life-form, but was not strongly dependent on the intensity of the trampling experienced. The available evidence suggests that vegetation dominated by hemicryptophytes and geophytes recovers from trampling to a greater extent than vegetation dominated by other life-forms. Variation in effect within the chamaephyte, hemicryptophyte and geophyte life-form sub-groups was also explained by the initial resistance of vegetation to trampling, but not by trampling intensity. Intrinsic properties of plant communities appear to be the most important factors determining the response of vegetation to trampling disturbance. Specifically, the dominant Raunkiaer life-form of a plant community accounts for more variation in the resilience of communities to trampling than the intensity of the trampling experienced, suggesting that simple assessments based on this trait could guide decisions concerning sustainable access to natural areas. Methodological and reporting limitations must be overcome before more disparate types of evidence can be synthesised; this would enable more reliable extrapolation to non-study situations, and a more comprehensive understanding of how assessments of intrinsic plant traits can be used to underpin conservation management decisions concerning access.

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  • The responses of vegetation to trampling are influenced by factors such as trampling intensity, frequency, distribution, season, weather, species, habitat, growth form, and soil type.

    “The responses of vegetation to trampling are influenced by factors such as trampling intensity (number of human trampling passes), frequency (trampling passes per time period), distribution (whether trampling passes are dispersed or clumped for a particular frequency), season, weather, species, habitat, growth form, and soil type (Pescott and Stewart, 2014).”

    From Towards integrated management of sandy anthropogenic shores: Developing tools for the exploration of human-natural interactions (2025) · cites this paper as Pescott and Stewart, 2014

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Pescott, O. L., & Stewart, G. B.
Affiliations
  • UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (GB)
  • Newcastle University (GB)
ORCID
Venue
PeerJ
Publisher
PeerJ
Published
2014-05-01
Volume
2
Pages
e360
ISSN
2167-8359 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.7717/peerj.360
PMC
PMC4017817
OpenAlex
W2109256039
Cited by
82
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 4 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 1
FWCI
0.52
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • PeerJ (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • NERC Open Research Archive (Natural Environment Research Council) (acceptedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Newcastle University ePrints (Newcastle Univesity) (cc-by)
Funders
Natural Environment Research Council (ceh020009)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness Management
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
Keywords
recreation impacts, vegetation recovery, Raunkiaer life forms, hemicryptophytes, geophytes, chamaephytes, vegetation resistance, trampling intensity, recovery time, plant community resilience, conservation management, habitat degradation

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