The problem of trail erosion and degradation is increasing in severity due to the environmental characteristics of mountains and increasing number of hikers. Most of the research methods on trail damage are based on statistical inference of data obtai...
The problem of trail erosion and degradation is increasing in severity due to the environmental characteristics of mountains and increasing number of hikers. Most of the research methods on trail damage are based on statistical inference of data obtained from trail equidistant measurements. In this study, we tried a new methodology to analyze the type and degree of degradation along the entire trails of the Chilseon valley in Mt. Jiri by combining geolocation information and field videos. The data and results were databased and mapped for future research and trail management. The trails were categorized into seven types: bridge, deck, boulder, rock, rock+soil, and soil. Trail degradation was found to be strong(3.3%), medium(3.8%), weak(9.7%), and healthy(83.2%). Through this study, trail damages, previously perceived as points on a landscape, have been reconceptualized as linear features. It is expected that the concept will be expanded toward a two- or three-dimensional space topography and soil data contributing to trail management.