Hiking in protected areas bad for wildlife: study

Recreation activities in protected areas, such as hiking, may negatively impact wildlife by causing animals to flee, taking time away from their feeding and expending valuable energy, a new study has warned.
Researchers from Colorado State University and Wildlife Conservation Society in the US reviewed 274 research published between 1981 and 2015 on the effects of recreation on a variety of animal species across all geographic areas and recreational activities.
Nature-based, outdoor recreation is the most widespread human land use in protected areas and is permitted in more than 94 per cent of parks and reserves globally.
Inspiring an estimated 8 billion visits per year to these areas, outdoor recreation is assumed to be compatible with conservation. Increasingly, however, negative effects of recreation on wildlife are being reported.

Protected areas include national parks, wilderness areas, community conserved areas, nature reserves and privately-owned reserves.
"People generally assume that recreation activities are compatible with conservation goals for protected areas. However, our review of the evidence across wildlife species and habitat types worldwide suggests otherwise," said lead author Courtney Larson from Colorado State University.

Out of the 274 reviewed articles, more than 93 per cent indicated at least one impact of recreation on animals, the majority of which, or 59 per cent, were negative.
Surprisingly, studies of hiking and other non-motorised activities found negative effects on wildlife more frequently than studies of motorised activities.

"These findings do not mean that everyone should hop on an ATV instead of going for a hike," said Larson.
"Since motorised activities generally cover a larger area, their influence on animals can be more widespread. They can also result in other environmental impacts, such as soil loss and vegetation disturbance," said Larson.
Researchers found decreased species diversity, survival, reproduction or abundance of species, and behavioural or physiological disturbance, such as decreased foraging or increased stress, as the negative impacts.
Negative effects were documented most frequently in the studies for reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates.
Positive effects of recreation on wildlife were frequently observed on birds in the crow family and mammals in the rodent order. These effects included increased abundance and reduced flight responses.

The study appears in the journal PLOS ONE.