2025/02/11 by Radenka Mitova · 1 voice · 1 citation
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Fish Ecology and Management Studies #Marine and environmental studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.3897/oneeco.10.e139690
openalex publication_date 2025/02/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
Recreational impacts on water resources are a current issue in the scientific literature, but remain insufficiently studied. This is particularly relevant to the Seven Rila Lakes (Rila National Park, Bulgaria), where recreational activities are believed to accelerate eutrophication. Given the lack of targeted research, this study investigates how hiking trails in the catchment areas of five of the lakes contribute to the deterioration of the lakes’ ecosystems. A Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was conducted to examine: (1) abiotic environmental factors and (2) key characteristics of tourist trails, alongside data for assessing the lakes' ecological status, based on Biological Quality Elements (BQE). The results indicate that, while natural factors are the primary drivers, recreational pressure has a secondary impact. It is suggested that the expansion and degradation of informal trails may introduce substances into the lake waters, causing changes in physicochemical parameters. These changes, although minor, appear to affect phytoplankton and zooplankton communities, ultimately influencing the trophic status of the lakes.The study underscores the need for regular monitoring of both the ecological status of the lakes and the trail conditions in the lakes' catchments and also visitor management measures. Further research with expanded datasets and scale is recommended to refine these findings.