Recent years have shown a renewed interest in backpacking, hiking, and other outdoor recreational activities that encourage individuals to trek into the wilderness. While this has the benefit of connecting individuals to the environment, it has some negative impacts as well. From careless campers littering to causing wild fires, getting the public to the wild can result in disturbed environments. Data collection of plant species composition in these wild areas and gathering specimens can also negatively impact the local environment by treading on plants, compacting soil, and spreading invasive species. The question becomes, is collecting data on plants from near trails sufficient for understanding plant composition in the general wilderness area?
Results/Conclusions
Initial data collection on plant compositions from near trails (within 3 feet) and far from trails (farther than 3 feet) shows that while there is noticeable differences in plant species composition, taking into account invasive species can result in an accurate understanding of local plant species composition. 100 plots were set up in the Sawtooth Range in Idaho to count plant species composition, with half being near a trail and half far from a trail. The plots near a trail had higher rates of containing invasive species, both in species number and amount. However, up to 90% of plots shared native plants at similar concentrations. This would mean that staying near the trail can be a viable method to understand plant species composition in a given area without treading on potentially sensitive wilderness areas.