About This Project

Millions of people use recreational trails each year. With participation in hiking projected to increase by up to 113% in the United States by 2060, new trails are continually being developed. As a result, there is great potential for ecological effects. We're using birds to understand the effects of building trails and hypothesize that changes in community composition will occur. Results will inform trail design that minimizes effects on ecosystems while increasing recreation opportunities.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Participation in outdoor recreation grew by 27% over the past 10 years and continues to grow by over 4% each year. Trail construction is constantly expanding to meet these demands. Although trail users often visit recreational trails to interact with nature, view wildlife, and explore natural features, the ecological effects of trail building are largely unknown. Since trails often travel through sensitive natural areas that serve as hotspots for biodiversity, land managers are concerned about the potential impacts on these systems. Conducting research to guide sustainable trail development will be key to ensuring that natural ecosystems provide important wildlife habitat and can be enjoyed by future generations of trail users.

What is the significance of this project?

Trail building can risk ecological degredation and impact forest ecosystems. Maine has the largest contiguous forest east of the Mississippi River, estimated at 18 million acres, that provides critical habitat for many breeding birds and federally threatened species like Canada Lynx. It provides important breeding habitat for state threatened songbirds, including blackpoll warbler and Bicknell's thrush.

To guide future trail building that minimizes ecological impacts, we will record birds as bioindicators of the changes to forests before and after trails are built. Results will significantly advance the design of trails that minimize ecological impacts and promote landscapes that support both human use and wildlife.

What are the goals of the project?

Our goal is to expand our understanding of the effects of trail building on forest ecosystems. To accomplish this, we will select 10 study sites across the state of Maine where trail building will occur and record songs of breeding birds in 2026 and 2027, before and after trails are built. We will analyze recordings for changes in bird communities caused by trail building. We will partner with state and local resource managers to ensure that our results address current issues they face. Our results will ultimately guide trail development that protects sensitive wildlife species and ecosystem integrity while increasing trail-based recreation opportunities.