Quantitative assessment of the effect of recreation on vegetation, forest litter, and soil compactness in forest parks of Moscow

• Published in: Moscow University soil science bulletin Vol. 70; no. 1; pp. 17 - 24
• Main Authors: Kuznetsov, V. A, Ryzhova, I. M, Telesnina, V. M, Stoma, G. V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 2015; Allerton Press; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biogeochemistry; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Ecology; ecosystems; forest litter; Forest soils; forests; Historical Geology; mineral soils; Mineralogy; Paleontology; parks; Parks & recreation areas; recreation; Vegetation; level of recreation impact; forest parks of Moscow; stage of recreation digression; recreation
• ISSN: 0147-6874; 1934-7928
• DOI: 10.3103/S0147687415010032

The quantitative characteristics of vegetation, forest litter, and soil status at different stages of recreation digression are discussed by the example of the Losinyi Ostrov and the Bittsevskii Les forest parks (Moscow). Plant cover is most sensitive to recreation impact: successions of its parameters are already seen at transition to stage II of ecosystem digression. Forest litter type is changed at stages III and IV, and a statistically significant drop in its reserves occurs at stage V. The compactness of the top mineral soil layer increases statistically by 0.24–0.28 g/cm³at rather high recreation impact at stages IV and V.