[article]
| Titre : |
Impact of outdoor winter sports on the abundance of a key indicator species of alpine ecosystems |
| Type de document : |
Imprimé |
| Auteurs : |
Patrick Patthey ; Sven Wirthner ; Natalina Signorell ; Raphaël Arlettaz |
| Année de publication : |
2008 |
| Article en page(s) : |
1704-1711 |
| Langues : |
Anglais (eng) |
| Catégories : |
[CBNPMP-Thématique] Impact sur les paysages
[CBNPMP-Thématique] Sports et activités de pleine nature
|
| Note de contenu : |
Sommaire : 1.Tourism and leisure activities have increased continuously all over the world during the pastdecades, exerting a growing pressure upon naturally fragile ecosystems, such as mountainoushabitats. Recent studies have established that disturbance by outdoor winter sports (e.g. skiing,snowboarding and snowshoeing) is a source of stress for wildlife. This may in turn affect itsabundance, but we still lack quantitative evidence.2.Wetested the effect of outdoor winter sports (ski lifts and related recreational activities) on theabundance of the alpine black grouse Tetrao tetrix, a vulnerable indicator species of the timberlineecosystem, the favoured habitat for outdoor winter sports in the European Alps.3.Generalized linear models and a model selection approach were used to rank environmentalfactors influencing black grouse abundance and to make predictions about population status in thetheoretical absence of ski resorts. We modelled the number of displaying cocks along censustransects in spring, as a function of habitat characteristics (vegetation structure and typology),ski lift density and hunting pressure at 15 natural sites (none or a very low level of anthropogenicdisturbance) and 15 ski resorts in the south-western Swiss Alps.4.Ski lift density and habitat typology were the principal determinants of black grouse abundance,whereas hunting pressure had no discernable effect. Ski lifts and related winter sport activitieshad a strong negative effect on the number of displaying cocks, which may have led to a mean 36%reduction of local abundance in ski lift areas, as determined after controlling for the confoundingeffect of habitat type.5.Synthesis and applications. Conservation action plans for black grouse should aim at reducingthe multiple negative effects generated by outdoor winter sports (ski facilities and related wintersport activities). First, vegetation patchiness (i.e. a mosaic of grassy shrubland with scattered trees)should be maintained along ski runs. Secondly, wintering preserves where human access is bannedor strictly limited should be promoted within ski resorts. Spatially explicit human–wildlife conflictmaps can be constructed from the present model to allow delineation of those areas likely to becomeeffective protection areas. |
| Lien pérenne : |
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2008.01547.x  |
| Permalink : |
https://biblio.cbnpmp.fr/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=148161 |
in Journal of applied ecology > 45 [01/01/2008] . - 1704-1711
Patthey, Patrick, Wirthner, Sven, Signorell, Natalina, Arlettaz, Raphaël
2008
Impact of outdoor winter sports on the abundance of a key indicator species of alpine ecosystems.
Journal of applied ecology, 45: 1704-1711.
|
Impact of outdoor winter sports on the abundance of a key indicator species of alpine ecosystems in Journal of applied ecology, 45 ([01/01/2008])
