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Vehicle damage caused by recreational use of coastal dune systems in a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) on the west coast of Ireland

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Abstract

This study investigates the vehicle damage caused by recreational use on three coastal dune systems on the west coast of Ireland. Using aerial photographs taken in 1973, 2000, 2004 and 2006 in conjunction with ecological surveys, the impacts of recreational activities were assessed. The results show that the overall area of tracks increased more than threefold between 1973 and 2007 with the exception of one site where restricted access resulted in a subsequent reduction in the number of tracks. The study further shows that most recreational activities at the sites were water-based, with most traffic movement directed towards the shore and the highest density of tracks being within the first few hundred meters of the High Water Mark. The results of this study are discussed in the context of visitor management strategies for coastal conservation sites under recreational pressure.

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Abbreviations

cSAC:

candidate Special Area of Conservation

EU:

European Union

GIS:

Geographical Information Systems

HWM:

High Water Mark

JNCC:

Joint Nature Conservation Committee

NPWS:

National Parks and Wildlife Service

OSi:

Ordnance Survey Ireland

SAC:

Special Area of Conservation

SNH:

Scottish Natural Heritage

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology through the EMBARK Initiative. Thanks are also given to the National Park and Wildlife Services, especially Ger O’Donnell for their cooperation throughout the project. The authors wish to thank the respondents of the survey, plus the members of the Applied Ecology Unit of the National University of Ireland, Galway for their support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Ecology Unit, Centre for Environmental Science, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland

    Gesche Kindermann & Michael J. Gormally

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  1. Gesche Kindermann
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  2. Michael J. Gormally
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Correspondence to Gesche Kindermann.

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Kindermann, G., Gormally, M.J. Vehicle damage caused by recreational use of coastal dune systems in a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) on the west coast of Ireland. J Coast Conserv 14, 173–188 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-010-0102-7

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