United States Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 160 N. Stephanie St., Henderson, NV 89074, USA; Department of Biology, 601 University Drive, 312 Supple Science Bldg., Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA.
United States Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 160 N. Stephanie St., Henderson, NV 89074, USA.
J Environ Manage. 2017 May 15;193:448-457. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.02.033. Epub 2017 Feb 24.
Public land policies manage multiple uses while striving to protect vulnerable plant and wildlife habitats from degradation; yet the effectiveness of such policies are infrequently evaluated, particularly for remote landscapes that are difficult to monitor. We assessed the use and impacts of recreational vehicles on Mojave Desert washes (intermittent streams) in the Chemehuevi Desert Wildlife Management Area (DWMA) of southern California. Wash zones designated as open and closed to off-highway vehicle (OHV) activity were designed in part to protect Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) habitat while allowing recreation in designated areas. OHV tracks were monitored in washes located near access roads during winter and early spring holidays - when recreation is typically high - and at randomly dispersed locations away from roads. Washes near access roads had fewer vehicle tracks within closed than open zones; further away from roads, OHV tracks were infrequent and their occurrence was not different between wash designations. Washes were in better condition in closed zones following major holidays as indicated by less vegetation damage, presence of trash, and wash bank damage. Furthermore, the frequency of washes with live tortoises and their sign was marginally greater in closed than open wash zones. Collectively, these results suggest that low impacts to habitats in designated closed wash zones reflect public compliance with federal OHV policy and regulations in the Chemehuevi DWMA during our study. Future monitoring to contrast wash use and impacts during other seasons as well as in other DWMAs will elucidate spatial and temporal patterns of recreation in these important conservation areas.
公共土地政策在努力保护易受退化影响的植物和野生动物栖息地的同时，管理着多种用途；然而，这些政策的有效性很少得到评估，尤其是对于那些难以监测的偏远景观。我们评估了休闲车在加利福尼亚州南部切梅休维野生动物管理区（DWMA）莫哈韦沙漠冲刷区（间歇性溪流）的使用和影响。冲洗区被指定为对越野车（OHV）活动开放和关闭，部分是为了保护莫哈韦沙漠龟（Gopherus agassizii）的栖息地，同时允许在指定区域进行娱乐活动。在冬季和早春假期（娱乐活动通常较高）期间，在靠近入口道路的冲洗区以及远离道路的随机分散位置监测了越野车的轨迹。靠近入口道路的冲洗区封闭区的车辆轨迹比开放区少；离道路越远，越野车的轨迹就越不频繁，而且它们在冲洗区的出现也没有区别。主要节假日过后，封闭区的冲洗条件更好，表现为植被破坏减少、垃圾存在和冲洗堤损坏减少。此外，封闭冲洗区中生活龟及其痕迹的出现频率略高于开放冲洗区。总的来说，这些结果表明，在切梅休维 DWMA 中，指定的封闭冲洗区对栖息地的低影响反映了公众对联邦越野车政策和法规的遵守。未来的监测将对比其他季节以及其他 DWMA 中的冲洗使用和影响，阐明这些重要保护区中娱乐活动的空间和时间模式。
