Environmental Impact - Soil/water effects

Coleman, R. (1981). Footpath erosion in the English Lake district. Applied Geography 1: 121-131.

Abstract

Footpath erosion is a matter of concern in the English Lake District, where recreational pressure on the fells is increasing. Erosion may be expected to result from the interaction of recreational geomorphologoical and climatic forces with the inherent resistance of vegetation and soil conditions. A broad-scale survey of 485 sites on 25 paths in the Lake District demonstrated the importance of specific variables for footpath erosion. Erosion (measured as path width, extent of bare ground or maximum depth) is found to increase with the square root of the slope angle and the square of the recreation pressure. These two variables also interact with each other, while other factors, such as vegetation type, soil type and topographic position, also influence rate of erosion. A threshold slope angle of 15-17 degrees seems to separate actively eroding from stable slopes.

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