Ecological Consequences of Recreational Use – Trapper Lake Basin

Project ID: J9W88030010

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Partner Institution: Western Washington University

Fiscal Year: 2003

Initial Funding: $7,000

Total Funding: $7,000

Project Type: Research

Project Disciplines: Biological

National Park: North Cascades National Park

Principal Investigator: Bach, Andrew

Agreement Technical Representative: Rochefort, Regina

Abstract: This research has been developed as a collaborative case study to explore the effects of recreation on the ecological integrity of wilderness areas. Trapper Lake Basin provides an opportunity for a unique case study involving quantitative field assessments of the effects of sustained recreational use on vegetation cover, species composition and soils. It is hypothesized that recreational activities in a sub-alpine ecosystem contribute to a noticeable reduction in ground-cover vegetation and measurable compaction of soils. Both of these factors may threaten the overall ecological integrity of the basin.