Sunil Bajpai

MSc Candidate

Madsen Building (F09), Room 434
Phone: +61 2 9351 8093
Fax: +61 2 9036 6588
Email:

Supervisor
A/Prof Deirdre Dragovich

Project title: Erosion of access tracks in Royal National Park: the Coast Walk, its Condition and Use

National parks represent efforts to preserve/conserve native flora and fauna. In addition, they also provide recreational, educational and research opportunities. Erosion affects path systems in Parks adversely and renders them degraded. Eroded, degraded trails have many undesirable effects on associated ecosystems and on the quality of visitor experience. Hence, maintenance, review, design and construction of access paths are among the essential activities of park management. New research inputs are required to improve effectiveness of path systems in Parks. This research will classify erosion severity (a measure of path systems effectiveness) on Coast Walk (an access path in Royal National Park) using field and computer modelling methods. The project proposes a comprehensive and effective methodology that has the potential of being accepted as a benchmark method for erosion quantification and for virtual stimulation of potential management remedies. The research also involves a visitor survey.

One of the major factors that bring about accelerated rate of erosion and degradation of access tracks is increased visitor numbers and a certain track use pattern that most visitors exhibit (avoiding wet surfaces, selecting the most direct route, trampling of vegetation to avoid uncomfortable sections etc). The survey aims to link visitor requirements to their track use patterns. Better understanding of visitor attitudes and behaviour may pave the way for better track designs and better visitor management strategies to influence positive visitor behaviour. The survey also attempts to find the level of agreement between calculated track erosion and visitor’s perception of this erosion.