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Summary of environmental impacts
Impacts associated with trampling will vary according to the
nature of the site, the soil which constitutes the feature,
and the levels and types of recreational activities.
Where access to sensitive mSAC features is
possible, walkers can cause significant soil compaction.
Car parking associated with walking activities
can cause habitat loss and damage to existing habitats through
erosion and soil compaction.
Impacts from trampling and informal car parking
are particularly acute in and around estuarine sand dunes, with
participants generally unaware of the habitats’ sensitivity.
Damage to vegetation from trampling and also from fire can be
observed in these areas.
Walkers can be a localised source of litter,
although much of the litter found on beaches and intertidal
areas originates from other landside sources or from ships.
Landside recreational activities can cause
disturbance to both plants and animals within mSAC areas. This
can be as a result of noise, species collection or the mere
presence of participants in close proximity to wildlife. Levels
of disturbance are difficult to assess as the sensitivity of
different species to disturbance varies greatly.
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Issue
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mSAC Features
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Sand dunes
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Saltmarsh
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Mud and sand flats not covered by sea water at low tide
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Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water at
all times
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large shallow inlets and bays
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Reefs
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Lagoons
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Submerged or partly submerged sea caves
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Grey seal
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Common seal
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Bottlenose dolphin
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Trampling
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l
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w
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m
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m
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m 1
|
m
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Erosion
|
l
|
l
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m
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m
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m
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m
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|
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Car parking
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l
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l
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w
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|
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m
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m
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Litter/waste3
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w *
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w *
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m
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Plant and wildlife disturbance
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l
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w
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m
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w *
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m
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w *
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w *
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m
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Fire risk
|
l
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|
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m
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m
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Key to impacts
Blank Square - not applicable
m - minimal
w - observable,
likely to be location specific
w * - observable
at certain times, minimal at other times
l - appreciable
Notes
-
rocky shores
-
unmanaged parking
- most impacts relating to litter are connected with visual
amenity rather than damage to a feature and are therefore
n/a
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