Effects of off-highway vehicles on avian abundance and diversity in a designated vehicular recreation area

Cole, Jerry S.; Michel, Nicole L.; Siegel, Rodney B.; Somilleda, Nicolas

doi:10.5751/ace-01422-140209

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…ORV activity was found to reduce total shorebird abundance (Tarr et al, 2010) but only reduced the abundance of 2 of 18 species of breeding songbirds (Barton and Holmes, 2007). Further, a study at a recreational area in California found non-negative effects on community-level bird abundance and no discernable effect on diversity in both the winter and spring (Cole et al, 2019), suggesting that effects of ORV use on bird communities may vary depending upon the habitat, driver behavior (e.g., speed, direction, etc. ), or species-specific responses.…”

Section: Impacts On Vertebrates Birdsmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Treatments for experimental studies (n = 10) involved driving four-wheel drive vehicles (n = 8), ATVs (n = 2), and/or motorcycles (n = 4) a specified number of times over the experimental area. (Assaeed et al, 2019); (D) ORV trail in Douglas-fir forest in the interior of British Columbia, Canada (Photo by: Laura Ploughe) (E) ORV trail in a chapparal in California, USA (Cole et al, 2019).…”

Section: Soilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Find New RoadsTM? A Systematic Review on the Impacts of Off-Road Vehicle Activity on Soil, Vegetation, and Wildlife

Ploughe

Fraser

2022

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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The global use of off-road vehicles (ORVs) in natural environments has accelerated rapidly over the last few decades, resulting in significant social and environmental consequences. As the demand, use, and promotion of light-duty ORVs like all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), motorcycles, four-wheel drive trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) increases in remote wilderness, the landscape is becoming fragmented into disorganized and destructive networks of trails and roads. Substantial ecological impacts to a wide range of ecosystem structures and functions will likely result from ORV activity. Applying a global systematic review, we examine 105 publications about plant, soil, and wildlife responses to ORV traffic in different habitats to help guide the direction of future research, monitoring programs, and mitigation efforts. Most studies investigated impacts to animals, followed by soils, then vegetative responses. Soil studies primarily focused on physical impacts to the soil (i.e., compaction, erosion, rut depth), but some studies suggest that soil chemical and biological properties may also be impacted by ORV traffic. The literature on plant responses to ORV activities primarily explored vegetation loss, although impacts on the plant community were also investigated. Animal studies investigated impacts of ORV use on invertebrates, mammals, birds, and to a lesser extent reptiles/amphibians, including population-level, community-level, and behavioral responses. Overall, research on environmental impacts of ORV traffic is biased to coastal and desert ecosystems in the northern hemisphere (primarily in the US), often does not address mechanisms that may produce ecological impacts (e.g., intensity of vehicular disturbance and ecosystem- or species-specific sensitivity to ORV activities), and frequently focused on short-term responses. More research is needed to understand the mechanisms that cause the different responses of soil, plant, and animals to ORVs over the long-term in a broad range of ecosystems to support real-time management and conservation efforts.

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Section: Impacts On Vertebrates Birdsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Soilsmentioning

confidence: 99%