Trampling Induced Disturbance of Soil Physicochemical Properties on Zijin Mountain Urban Forest Park

Due to increases in travel and tourism, the effects of trampling by humans at popular tourist sites have intensified and they can potentially negatively affect the soil quality. In the present study, we investigated the effects of various human trampling intensities on the soil quality in Zijin Mountain Urban Forest Park. The incessant growth of tourism worldwide has exacerbated the trampling of forest soils but its impacts on the quality of soil are complex and controversial. Thus we quantified the physical and chemical properties, and enzymatic activities of forest soils under different levels of human trampling (light disturbance; moderate disturbance; moderate to severe disturbance; severe disturbance; and extreme disturbance in Zijin Mountain Urban Forest Park to assess the changes in soil nutrients was altered. The results indicated that the soil water contents, and the maximum, minimum, and capillary water-holding capacities, etc., these parameters gradually decreased with greater trampling intensity increased. The soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities were significantly correlated with the vegetation coverage (P < 0.01), which had a negative effect on the soil bulk density of the soil (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the vegetation coverage (P > 0.05) had no significant impacts on the capillary porosity, pH, or catalase activity. The results obtained in this study provided a reference for soil quality improvement and ecological restoration. Intriguingly, correlations were found between human trampling and some soil properties, where moderate trampling enhanced the soil fertility levels whereas severe trampling decreased them.