Lichens are known to be more sensitive indicators of ecosystem functioning and disturbances than any other cryptogams and vascular plant communities. Himalayan habitats, despite their stressed climates, harbor some of the unique biodiversity of the region, vital for overall ecosystem functioning and stability. Lichens, due to their desiccation tolerance, are able to survive in high altitude hab...

In order to promote an increased ability to compare results from different studies, a standard protocol for controlled trampling experiments is suggested. The procedure will provide information on both damage to vegetation in response to short-duration trampling and subsequent recovery over a one-year period. Changes in vegetation cover, vegetation height, bare ground cover, and the cover of in...

The purpose of this study was to establish what effects soil trampling impacts may have had on tree growth and plant community succession at subalpine elevations in the North Cascade Mountains of Washington. While soil penetrability of an impacted site was not different from that of control sites, other soil characteristics were significantly different. Species diversity was greater at the impa...

More and more visitors are attracted to protected areas nowadays, which not only bring about economic increase but also seriously adverse impacts on the ecological environment. In protected areas, trails are linkage between visitors and natural ecosystem, so they concentrate most of the adverse impacts caused by visitors. The trampling problems on the trails have been received attentions in the...

A global concern for coastal ecosystems is the predicted rise in sea-level which salt marshes must keep pace by increasing surface elevation sufficiently. Variables that control this change need to be identified predict adaptability of future rise. Many European are grazed livestock and these heavy grazers can biocompact soil, a process often underestimated studies assessing long-term survival ...

Water redistribution has a profound influence on dryland ecosystem function. This hydrological function is largely regulated by ecosystem engineers including biological soil crusts (biocrusts) which produce run-off, and burrowing animals, such as the greater bilby, whose pits capture water. We estimated the relative importance of these two ecosystem engineers in determining infiltration rates i...