The impact of visitors is damaging the environment of Epping Forest

"The impact of visitors is damaging the environment of Epping Forest."

I am going to investigate throughout this coursework, if this hypothesis is true. I will do this by using the three key questions stated below:

1. What are the effects of visitors on Epping Forest?

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2. How is the forest being managed, and what are the effects of this management?

3. How successful have the management strategies been in protecting the forest from the impact of visitors?

* Epping Forest is on the urban rural fringe of South East of London, in England. There is a main road going through Epping Forest on the A104 and on the m25. You can drive through on the A104 on Wan stead or the m11 from Woodford and you can also catch the train from there. (The map above is taken from the website of Epping Forest (www.eppingforest.co.uk).

Before 1878, they used the forest to bury dead people, timber, farming, hunting, visiting and camping. They also used to cut the trees every fifteen years to make them grow bigger and healthier. (Trees are still being cut nowadays)

There are two ways of cutting the trees: Copping and Pollarding.

Copping

The above diagram shows: that the tree was cut from the bottom so that it can provide more stems and so it looks bigger.

Pollarding

The above diagram shows that the tree was cut from the top, so it can provide more stems and looks much bigger.

The day we went was very wet, therefore it was very muddy as well as very cold. The view was beautiful, but the atmosphere felt a bit eerie to me after being told to be careful of falling trees! We were told that the trees were falling because they were getting too old. Fishing, running, bike riding and feeding ducks (a great entertainment for little kids) is what attracts visitors most to Epping Forest. The forest is used for recreation by people walking, admiring the beauty of nature, by going to the pubs, riding horses, having picnics out in the sun and watching the fantastic firework display (in October).

On the day we went to the forest, we carried out a number of surveys (the surveys were carried out for us to find out more about Epping Forest). They were:

* Conversation and recreation

* Management of the Epping Forest

* Evaluation of public pressure impact

* People and car counts

Conservation and recreation survey;

It was a bout recording the percentage of the species. We had to record the tallest plant in (cm). We also had to use the Epping Forest's Tramping scale, to score a value between

(1-6) for each quadrat.

Management of the Epping Forest survey;

For the management, we had to record the recreations scores and the environment scores using the numbers (3, 2, 1, 0,-1,-2,-3) for Pillow Mounds and Robin Hood Green.

Evaluation of public pressure for impact survey;

It was about the feature of trees (how well or bad they looked), we had to circle these numbers (3, 2, 1, 0, -1, -2, -3) if it was positive or negative, we had to use these numbers for Pillow Mounds and Robin Hood Green.

People and car counts survey;

We had to count how many cars, lorries and vans go into Epping Forest as well as leaving it.

Using my own research, I will be able to find out the answers to my 3 key questions. To do that I will be using text books in the school library, central library, the internet and by seeking information from my teacher as well our surveys that we did when we went to Epping Forest

Key Question 1 - "What are the effects of visitors on Epping Forest?"

Visitors to Epping Forest

Centre 1995.

The highest amount of people that visited Epping Forest were 4023 in October 1878, this was because they visited throughout the summer and autumn, people went to pubs, ride horses, had picnics and watch the fantastic fire work display (in October). The least amount of visitors that visited Epping Forest were 739 people in December because, it was winter. The view was beautiful but the atmosphere was very cold.

The effects of visitors on Epping Forrest

Variety of Vegetation cover.

(Quadrat survey)

The divided bar graphs show that Robin Hood Green has a greater variety of vegetation cover than Pillow Mounds. Pillow Mounds however has fine grass and more bare ground, than Robin Hood Green. This could be the reason for the vegetation differences.

At Robin Hood Green there is less fine grass (49%) and more broad leaf grass (24%). The remaining area has bracken (1%), mass (6%), leaf litter (4%) bare ground (16%) and young tree (1%).

There is a lot fine grass at Pillow Mounds, because it is more resistant to tramping. Broad leaf grass dies more easily with tramping, but it is allowed to flourish at Robin Hood Green where less people go.

Public pressure evaluation survey

Robin Hood Green

Pillow Mounds

The two bar graphs show that in both Robin Hood Green and Pillow Mounds natural features look beautiful. In Robin Hood Green there is not a lot of surface erosion, this is because there are few litter bins. The air pollution is clean. There is a lot of traffic. It is not noisy because, there are a few people. Also a lot of developments are taking place. In Pillow Mound there is erosion. The air pollution is clean, not a lot of traffic and there is also a huge amount of noise and people around. Few developments are also taking place.

Tallest plants

Robin Hood Green Pillow Mounds

I had found out the two tallest plants in Robin Hood Green and Pillow Mounds while I was doing my variety of vegetation cover one of them was 20cm and the other one 30 cm.

Key question2- "How is the forest being managed and what are the effects of this management?"

It is important to manage the Epping Forest by the wooden pillars that are put up on the road side. This is very good because it will stop the cars from riding on the vegetation and damage the forest. In Robin Hood Green and Pillow Mounds there are bridle ways and hard surface paths, which is also very good so we do not damage the forest by walking on its vegetation. There are signs in Robin Hood Green and Pillow Mounds which shows information about whish direction to take. There are logs topers to stop cyclists because, cyclists damage the vegetation and fritting the horses. The gates that were surrounding the visitor's center were put there to make the visitor's center look beautiful.

Robin Hood Green recreation score

Pillow Mounds recreation score

These two graphs show Robin Hood Green and Pillow Mounds Recreation score of the management. As I can see there are not a lot of people who park their cars on the road or through the forest this is because, there are ditches next to the park so cars can not go through the forest. There is a lot of litter bins in Pillow Mounds but there are a few in Robin Hood Green this is because they want to decorate the forest with less bins "I find that less litter bins are not good for the environment, because litter bins can get full easily and if someone wants to throw rubbish in it will fall on the ground; creating more rubbish.'' There are by-law signs, so people know what is going on in the forest.

There are horse riders in Pillow Mounds and Robin Hood Green which also damages the forest. That is because the horses walk into vegetation and also make erosion. The fences were put in Robin Hood Green and Pillow mounds because it would help the cattles to survive. The tea huts in Robin Hood Green and Pillow Mounds are coloured green. This has a very good effect on the visitors, by making them feel that even if they go and have a cup of tea, they are still in the forest. It looks very good; as if the tea huts are trees or plants that were not known before just because of its colours. There is an information center, where visitors can ask and find out any help which they might need. Footpaths are there so we can walk on them instead of tramping on the vegetation.

There are also toilets to execrate waste because if we use the forest as toilets, by then the forest will be damaged.

Robin Hood Green Environment score

Pillow Mounds Environment score

These two graphs show Robin Hood Green and Pillow Mound environment score of the management. As I can see most of the people park their cars on the road. There are ditches next to the car park so that the cars can go through the forest. There are litter bins to put litter in. People can find by-law signs, if they want to know what is going on in the forest. Horse riders step on vegetation and damage the forest. Fencing next to car park are there to stop cars going on the grass and through the forest. The tea huts are in Robin Hood Green and Pillow Mounds so people can have tea. The information center is in the Epping Forest for visitors to get information about the forest. Footpaths are there so we can walk on them. There are toilets so we can execrate waste.

Key question3:How successful have the management strategies been in protecting the forest from the impact of visitors?

The best examples of the environment that had worked best were;

* Ditches next to the park because, it will stop the cars going through the forest and damage the vegetation.

* The forest information center is for visitors who want to know more information about the Epping Forest.

* Tea huts are for people who want to drink tea, and have some free time.

* Footpaths are there so we can walk on them instead of tramping on the vegetation.

The area of the forest that has been damaged is Pillow Mounds which I think was done on purpose so more people are attracted to Robin Hood Green. The way I found out this was because I did a soil compaction and the results were that Pillow Mounds is more damaged than Robin Hood Green

Soil compaction

Robin Hood Green Pillow Mounds

I had to do soil compaction in Robin Hood green and Pillow mounds. The diagram above shows the heist soil compaction in Robin Hood Green and Pillow Mounds in centimeters.

Conclusion

The Hypothesis was the impact of visitors which damages the environment of Epping Forest.

1. What are the effects of visitors on Epping Forest?

The effects of visitors is damaging the environment

2. How is the forest being managed, and what are the effects of this management?

The forest is being managed by running pubs and running tea huts, so that more money is provided.

3. How successful have the management strategies been in protecting the forest from the impact of visitors?

They have been very successful.

Agree or disagree?

I do fully agree with the hypothesis, the impact of visitors on Epping Forest does damage the environment, in many numbers of ways (which I have included in my answers for the key questions which I have used). The forest is now being well managed, so the environment of Epping Forest is under safe hands.

Evaluation

My first survey was about Public pressure impact we had to use a worksheet and a pen. The equipment that we used were a quadrat 2*30tape. My second survey was the management of Epping Forest; we used a work sheet and a pen, which we used to fill our options in.

My third survey public pressure impact, we used the work sheet and the pen, and we had to fill in our opinions.

It was raining our worksheet got wet, so we had to hide it from the rain.

My results might differ from those results which are obtained at a different time of the day, or at a different time of the year; this is because different people are found at different times.

We can try and make the results as fair as possible, by going to Epping Forest once a week or once a month, our overall average results differ from our own results because using a quadrat makes it slightly different. For example; I might put the quadrat slightly in a different place or in a different way.

To get a clear idea about the forest, we can stay there for more time and find out more research about the forest or we can ask many people who work there or visits.

The part where my work went very well in was the public pressure impact survey and management of Epping Forest because we had to use our own opinions.

I will make the forest better if I had more time and more people helping me, by building hotels out of wood which is from the Epping forest trees, so the colour of the hotel is suited to the forest, this might have a great effect on the visitors; because they would feel as if they are in a very different place where everything looks a lot alike.

Key question3:How successful have the management strategies been in protecting the forest from the impact of visitors?

The best examples of the environment that had worked best were;

* Ditches next to the park because, it will stop the cars going through the forest and damage the vegetation.

* The forest information center is for visitors who want to know more information about the Epping Forest.

* Tea huts are for people who want to drink tea, and have some free time.

* Footpaths are there so we can walk on them instead of tramping on the vegetation.

The area of the forest that has been damaged is Pillow Mounds which I think was done on purpose so more people are attracted to Robin Hood Green. The way I found out this was because I did a soil compaction and the results were that Pillow Mounds is more damaged than Robin Hood Green.

Soil compaction

Robin Hood Green Pillow Mounds

I had to do soil compaction in Robin Hood green and Pillow mounds. The diagram above shows the heist soil compaction in Robin Hood Green and Pillow Mounds in centimeters.

Conclusion

The Hypothesis was: ''The impact of visitors is damaging the environment of Epping Forest.''

4. What are the effects of visitors on Epping Forest?

The effects of visitors is damaging the environment

5. How is the forest being managed, and what are the effects of this management?

The forest is being managed by running pubs and running tea huts, so that more money is provided.

6. How successful have the management strategies been in protecting the forest from the impact of visitors?

They have been very successful. A lot of developments took place.

Agree or disagree?

I do fully agree with the hypothesis, the impact of visitors on Epping Forest does damage the environment, in many numbers of ways (which I have included in my answers for the key questions which I have used). The forest is now being well managed, so the environment of Epping Forest is under safe hands.

Evaluation

My first survey was about Public pressure impact we had to use a worksheet and a pen. The equipment that we used were a quadrat 2*30tape. My second survey was the management of Epping Forest; we used a work sheet and a pen, which we used to fill our options in.

My third survey public pressure impact, we used the work sheet and the pen, and we had to fill in our opinions.

It was raining our worksheet got wet, so we had to hide it from the rain.

My results might differ from those results which are obtained at a different time of the day, or at a different time of the year; this is because different people are found at different times.

We can try and make the results as fair as possible, by going to Epping Forest once a week or once a month, our overall average results differ from our own results because using a quadrat makes it slightly different. For example; I might put the quadrat slightly in a different place or in a different way.

To get a clear idea about the forest, we can stay there for more time and find out more research about the forest or we can ask many people who work there or visits. We can also just observe the people there; where they put the rubbish, where they walk and all sorts of questions.

The part where my work went very well in was the public pressure impact survey and management of Epping Forest because we had to use our own opinions.

I will make the forest better if I had more time and more people helping me, by building hotels out of wood which is from the Epping forest trees, so the colour of the hotel is suited to the forest, this might have a great effect on the visitors; because they would feel as if they are in a very different place where everything looks a lot alike.

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