Author: Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
Effects of All-Terrain Vehicles on Forested Lands and Grasslands, December 2008
Author: Effects of All-terrain Vehicles on Forested Lands and Grasslands
Author: Dexter MeadowsPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : All terrain vehicles
Languages : en
Pages : 124
Book Description
Effects of All-terrain Vehicles on Forested Lands and Grasslands
Author: Dexter MeadowsPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : All terrain vehicles
Languages : en
Pages : 124
Book Description
Effects of All-terrain Vehicles on Forested Lands and Grasslands
Author: Dexter MeadowsPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : All terrain vehicles
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
One goal of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to provide outdoor recreation opportunities with minimized impacts to natural resources (USDA Forest Service 2006). All-terrainvehicle (ATV) use on public lands is a rapidly expanding recreational activity. An estimated 11 million visits to national forests involve ATV use. This constitutes about 5 percent of all recreation visits to national forests (English 2003). When repeated ATV use occurs on undesignated trails, the impacts can exceed the lands ability to rehabilitate itself. The challenge for recreation managers is to address the needsand conicting expectationsof millions of people who use and enjoy the national forests while protecting the lands health and integrity.?In addition to a new travel management policy that restricts travel on undesignated trails, the Forest Service studied previously unused trails to determine the effects of ATV trafc on the natural resource. The studys three main questions were: Are natural resources being affected by ATV use; to what degree are natural resources being affected; and does the ATVs design make a difference in the effects? To answer these questions on a nationwide scale, the study was performed at seven locations within representative ecoregions. The ecoregions included Desert, High-elevation Western Mountains, Gulf Coastal Plains, and ?Eastern Broadleaf.?Yes, natural resources were affected by ATV trafc. At all seven locations, some portion of the previously unused trail transitioned from a low to medium disturbance class in 20 to 40 passes. Medium-disturbance occurred when two of the following three conditions were present: sixtypercent loss of original ground cover, trail-width expansion to 72 inches, or wheel ruts up to 6 inches deep. At each location some portion of the trail transitioned from medium to high disturbance in 40 to 120 passes. High disturbance occurred when two ?of the following three conditions were present: more than 60-percent loss of original ground cover, trail width exceeding 72 inches, or wheel ruts deeper than 6 inches.?Disturbance levels were caused by three independent variables: sites, trail features, and ?vehicles and tires. There was a statistically signicant difference between the number of ?passes required to transition from the low to medium disturbance class for the seven sites. ?Desert and Eastern-broadleaf ecoregions were the most susceptible to ATV trafc, and the Gulf Coastal Plain ecoregion was the least susceptible. Each ecoregion trail section that required wheelspin or slip moved quickly to increasing levels of disturbance. Compared to tight-radius curves, nearly eight times as many passes were required to produce equal impacts on straight sections, and nearly ve times as many passes were required for ?uphill or downhill sections.There were no statistically signicant differences for the sport and utility ATVs equipped with either original equipment manufacturer tires or after market tires with -inch lugs. The study concluded that the impacts from the four combinations of vehicles and tires were indistinguishable.?Following any level of disturbance, runoff and sediment generated on the ATV trails increased by 56 percent and 625 percent, respectively, compared to the undisturbed forest oor. ATV trails are highrunoff, high-sediment producing strips on a low-runoff, low-sediment producing landscape. Frequent diversions of the trail runoff onto the forest oor will reduce the amount of sediment and runoff as it inltrates into the forest oor.?The study demonstrated that ATV trafc does have an impact on natural resources. The levels of disturbance can be reduced by proper trail design and maintenance and by focusing efforts on trail sections that require extra attention. Application of this study should assist managers in planning, designing, and implementing decisions related to ATV management.
Environmental Effects of Off-road Vehicles
Author: Norma Jean LodicoPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : All terrain vehicles
Languages : en
Pages : 134
Book Description
A review of the literature separated into the form categories of scientific papers, reports, meetings and conferences, periodical articles, and state publications.
Custer National Forest (N.F.), Ashland Travel Management
Author: Custer National Forest (N.F.), Sioux Travel Management
Author: New Publications
Author: Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Forests and forestry
Languages : en
Pages : 172
Book Description
All-Terrain Vehicles
Author: Brian C. CorriganPublisher:
ISBN: 9781617288456
Category : All terrain vehicles
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), which are off-road motorised vehicles, usually with four tires, a straddle seat for the operator, and handlebars for steering control, have become increasingly popular. All-Terrain Vehicles are mainly used for recreation, but are also used in occupations such as farming and policing. ATVs are also used as primary transportation in some remote communities, such as in parts of Alaska. However, ATV fatalities and injuries have increased over the last decade and are a matter of concern to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which overseas ATV safety. This book explores how ATVs are used, their crash statistics, and sales of adult-sized vehicles for children's use. Also discussed are the effects of ATVs on forested lands and grasslands and their impact on natural resources.
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