Hiking-related degradation of alpine landscape in Low Tatras national park (Slovakia) during the COVID-19 pandemic

IF 4.4 3区管理学 Q1 HOSPITALITY, LEISURE, SPORT & TOURISM

Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism-Research Planning and Management Pub Date : 2025-09-18 DOI:10.1016/j.jort.2025.100941

Michaela Žoncová, Bohuslava Hrončeková Gregorová, Matej Masný

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Abstract

The fragile alpine landscape is highly susceptible to degradation due to extreme natural conditions. An increasing number of tourists may result in additional damage, but better tools are needed to track and report it. This article documents the tourist-driven degradation of the alpine mountain area of the Low Tatras National Park (Dumbierske Tatras) in Slovakia. Easy ridge hiking trails with beautiful views and easy access to the ridge by cable car are the main attraction for tourists in this location. The main objectives of the paper are (1) to demonstrate a novel method for trail damage identification and (2) to provide a case study for a high-alpine landscape. This article compares hiking degradation from before (2018) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2021) using a Maximum Likelihood Classification GIS method. This workflow detected that new parallel trails, shortcuts, or trails to viewpoints are being created. Over two years, the trampled area increased by more than 30 % in most of study areas, leading to subsoil exposition and the loss of soil and vegetation cover. The research workflow can serve as input data for better management of the area and strategic planning of tourism development to reduce the impacts of hiking degradation on the landscape.

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2019冠状病毒病大流行期间，斯洛伐克低塔特拉斯国家公园与徒步旅行相关的高山景观退化

由于极端的自然条件，脆弱的高山景观极易退化。越来越多的游客可能会造成额外的损失，但需要更好的工具来跟踪和报告。本文记录了斯洛伐克低塔特拉斯国家公园（Dumbierske Tatras）的高山区因游客而退化的情况。轻松的山脊徒步小径拥有美丽的景色，乘坐缆车可以轻松到达山脊，这是该地区游客的主要景点。本文的主要目的是：(1)展示一种新的路径损伤识别方法；(2)为高高山景观提供一个案例研究。本文使用最大似然分类GIS方法比较了2019冠状病毒病大流行之前（2018年）和期间（2021年）的徒步退化情况。该工作流检测到正在创建新的平行轨迹、快捷方式或视点轨迹。两年多来，大部分研究区域的践踏面积增加了30%以上，导致底土暴露，土壤和植被覆盖丧失。研究工作流程可作为输入数据，以改善该地区的管理和旅游发展的战略规划，以减少徒步旅行对景观的影响。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism-Research Planning and Management HOSPITALITY, LEISURE, SPORT & TOURISM-

CiteScore

6.70

自引率

5.30%

发文量

期刊介绍： Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism offers a dedicated outlet for research relevant to social sciences and natural resources. The journal publishes peer reviewed original research on all aspects of outdoor recreation planning and management, covering the entire spectrum of settings from wilderness to urban outdoor recreation opportunities. It also focuses on new products and findings in nature based tourism and park management. JORT is an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary journal, articles may focus on any aspect of theory, method, or concept of outdoor recreation research, planning or management, and interdisciplinary work is especially welcome, and may be of a theoretical and/or a case study nature. Depending on the topic of investigation, articles may be positioned within one academic discipline, or draw from several disciplines in an integrative manner, with overarching relevance to social sciences and natural resources. JORT is international in scope and attracts scholars from all reaches of the world to facilitate the exchange of ideas. As such, the journal enhances understanding of scientific knowledge, empirical results, and practitioners'' needs. Therefore in JORT each article is accompanied by an executive summary, written by the editors or authors, highlighting the planning and management relevant aspects of the article.