Dependence of Changes in Soils on Trails and their Impact Zones from a Level of Recreational Impact in Forest Parks in Moscow

Abstract

Based on a case study of Moscow forest parks Losinyi Ostrov and Bitsevskii Les, the paper presents a quantitative assessment of changes in the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils on trails in these parks and in linear trailside (pritropinochnye) zones depending on the recreation load level. It is shown that soil properties differ in their sensitivity to recreation. The widths of impact zones range from 20 to 100 cm from the edges of trails depending on the sensitivity of the soil property, recreation load, and type of biogeocenosis.