Monitoring vegetation changes at Treble Cone Ski Field, New Zealand Research Completed
Title
Monitoring vegetation changes at Treble Cone Ski Field, New Zealand
Lead Author
Wardle, K & Fahey, B
Organisation(s)
Landcare Research, Department of Conservation
Publication Year
2002
Publisher
Department of Conservation
Contacts
Abstract
A vegetation monitoring programme based on 30 transects was initiated at Treble Cone Ski Field in 1997 to determine the nature and extent of damage to cushionfields resulting from grooming and skiing. These transects were resurveyed in 2000 to determine temporal changes in groundcover classes, species frequency, and biomass of selected tall species in response to snow grooming and skiing over three winters (1997-99). In addition, the soil temperatures regime on a groomed and a non-groomed slope were compared to determine whether snow compaction on groomed sites may inhibit soil microbial activity. Direct damage by groomer blades and tracks to cushion plants substantially reduced total vegetation cover and cover of live cushion plants. There were, however, no significant differences in total species occurrences for any of the vegetation life-form categories among groomed, skied, and undisturbed sites in either 1997 or 2000. Moss cover had significantly increased across all transects between 1997 and 2000, with the greatest increase taking place on groomed transects; occurrences of lichen, live dicotyledon herbs, and dead cushion plant species had increased across all sites. There was a significant decrease in the occurrences of dead woody dicotyledons and monocotyledons. Those areas along the transects which had been damaged through grooming or skiing in 1997 had not increased in extent in 2000. No significant changes in species composition of cushionfields were attributed to grooming or skiing.
Keywords:
Ski Field, Skiing, monitoring, Winter sports, Snow, New Zealand, Treble Cone Ski Field, Environmental effects, Alpine, Conservation, Otago, Harris Mountains, Case study, Department of Conservation
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Added
June 21, 2012