Nature tourism|An electric bike does more damage than one powered by muscle power. A mountain biker and route planner answers questions about responsible cycling.
National parks attract Finns to refresh themselves, and mountain bikers have also found their way to nature. However, deviating from the route and skidding can damage vegetation and soil.
Mountain biker Veikko Virkkunen tells how you can take care of the national park with your own driving style. He has designed routes in Metsähallitus’ nature services.
Is cycling allowed in national parks?
“Basically, everyone’s rights are also valid in protected areas, and cycling is in principle possible in national parks. However, many of them have limitations.
They can apply to mountain biking, if it is considered that it harms protected species or, for example, the safety of visitors. For example, mountain bikers may be directed to their own route.”
How does a national park differ from unprotected nature?
“National parks and other protected areas are established by law. It is precisely defined which species or habitat types are protected in the area. This is a key difference compared to, for example, a privately owned forest.
When planning routes to the national park, it must be taken into account that important species and habitats are not harmed by the use.
Does mountain biking damage nature?
“It is possible, especially if the cyclists ride outside the routes for one reason or another.
For example, Rokua National Park has a lot of dry fabric terrain. There, even one drive is enough to destroy the vegetation and lichen of the field layer. Only sandy soil remains.
Then, once the passage has been passed, it encourages others to follow the same trail. It can take decades for the lichen to grow back in the destroyed places.
Cycling consumes more soil than hiking.
Finland’s national parks have many trails that are intended for all users. They are not always as durable as paths developed solely for pedalling.
Cycling on slopes, in particular, eats up the soil heavily. There are many examples of how summer rain periods and bikes cause soil erosion and muddy trails.
Similarly, the movement of soil during rain can increase in lowlands where cycling has taken place. In those places, the bottom has softened.
Cyclists may also be carried by flash riders.
According to the equipment, infected seeds can germinate in the national park and at worst displace its original species. The same problem may apply to walkers, but cyclists usually travel longer distances than pedestrians.”
Are the animals disturbed?
“According to research, all recreational use affects animals. Large mammals in particular begin to avoid the vicinity of access routes.
Nature is disturbed by the establishment of the route, i.e. its first use. If, for example, a hundred more people come to a path that is already in operation, it won’t have much of an effect.
The use of game cameras by mammals and birds has been studied in Canada. It was the cyclists who caused the biggest change in the animals. They ran away from pedestrians more than other user groups. Motorized off-road vehicles had the next highest impact.
The study in question did not speculate as to what could be causing this. However, as a background observation, the researchers noticed that cyclists moved in larger groups than hikers.
Speed usually explains why animals tend to avoid cyclists.”
Does the type of bike matter?
“The so-called fat bikes don’t wear the terrain quite as much as the narrow tire fillers. The pressure of wide tires is distributed more widely on the ground, and the need for braking is also lower.
A recent phenomenon are electric mountain bikes, which actually strengthen all the effects of cycling on nature. They are heavy, and you can easily travel long distances with them.”
How could the harm be minimized?
“A good starting point is to understand the effects of your own driving style on the environment and the route. For example, if many people are scrambling over a puddle at high speed, eventually a hole will appear in the path.
It is also important to know on which routes cycling is allowed. The regulations of different national parks, nature parks and protected areas differ from each other. That’s why it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with which routes and where are intended for cycling before the trip.
The varying regulations are not necessarily clear to ordinary citizens, and finding them out in advance can require effort.
The best way to get information about the routes and rules of different destinations Luontoon.fifrom the website.
In principle, all users are welcome in national parks. However, it is important to be aware of the disadvantages, and the rules must be followed.”
Published in Science of Nature issue 3/2024.
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