Desktop Method to Map and Assess Environmental Impacts of Formal and Informal Mountain Biking Trails in an Urban National Park

Abstract

Recreational trails, including informal trails created by visitors, have a range of ecological impacts, but mapping and assessing these impacts can be expensive and time-consuming. It is increasingly possible to harness publicly available data posted by park visitors to fitness platforms and combine it with other spatial and field data to help prioritise management actions and enhance conservation and visitor experiences. Here we outline and then apply such a desktop methodology to assess the extensive network of formal and informal mountain biking trails in a popular urban national park in Australia. Across Nerang National Park on the Gold Coast, 31.4 km of formal and 36.2 km of informal mountain bike trails were identified and assessed using data from the popular fitness platform Trailforks and existing trail records from managers. Informal mountain biking trails were mostly in the higher and more remote parts of the Park on steeper slopes and were generally less popular than the formal trails closer to the main entrance. The informal trails have resulted in the loss of 0.8% of vegetation, increased fragmentation and potentially disturb wildlife across 13% of the Park, with some informal trails traversing an important wetland catchment. The results demonstrate the scale and nature of potential impacts of informal trails, which have doubled the area of trails in Nerang National Park. They highlight the need for specific management actions, such as closing and restoring informal trails, particularly when poorly designed and in areas of high conservation value.