Trails for the Three of Us: Trail Design Planning Using Temporal and Dynamic Relationships Between Plants, Animals, and Hikers
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Date
2021-03-24
Authors
Andrus, Erica
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Abstract
Introducing trail systems into a protected natural area that has undergone habitat
restoration sends alarms to ecologists and cheers from avid hikers. Habitat
assessments help map which plants and animals need protection; however, it is
difficult to translate this information to the trail design process. There is a need for an
approach to trail design that views habitats as a dynamic relationships between species
across scales, space, and time. This project introduces a framework that addresses the
often-overlooked challenge of not only which species to design for, but also when
specific design strategies are appropriate. Through temporal and spatial mapping this
project examines sensitive times of plants’ and animals’ life cycles and their expected
response to an introduction of trails. This mapping supported the creation of a
framework that allows designers to evaluate and prioritize options for future public
trails in ecologically rich landscapes. This research uses the Willamette Confluence
Preserve in Springfield, Oregon, where public trails currently do not exist, as a site to
test the feasibility of this framework. This new framework is transferrable to use on
other sites and habitat types and is an opportunity for future research.
Description
Committee Chair: Chris Enright
Keywords
hiking, trails, trail planning, animal habitat, plant habitat, restoration