Abstract
In recent years the delicate desert ecosystem has been challenged by increased use of off-road vehicles (ORVs) (Sheridan, 1979). Families bring dune buggies, motorcycles, and four-wheel-drive vehicles into the desert by the thousands on weekends (Luckenbach, 1975) and this motorized use of the desert has greatly affected the vegetation (Vollmer et al., 1976; Wilshire et al., 1978a, b). The main recreational uses include: (1) motorcycle races, (2) hill climbing, (3) sand dune travel, and (4) trail riding. Associated with these activities are “pit areas” where racers, hill climbers, ORV drivers, and spectators park their vehicles. After several gatherings the pit area is usually bare of vegetation and the soil is greatly compacted (Fox, 1973; Davidson and Fox, 1974; Wilshire and Nakata, 1976, 1977).
The views and conclusions contained in this chapter are based on the author’s studies or experiences and do not necessarily represent the official viewpoint or policy of any U.S. government agency.
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Lathrop, E.W. (1983). The Effect of Vehicle Use on Desert Vegetation. In: Webb, R.H., Wilshire, H.G. (eds) Environmental Effects of Off-Road Vehicles. Springer Series on Environmental Management. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5454-6_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5454-6_8
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