%X Degradation of walking tracks, mainly due to sheet  erosion associated with hiking activities, damages the  natural and recreational value of protected natural areas.  Senda Schmidt is a popular trail located on the northern  slope of the Sierra de Guadarrama (Central Spanish  System), that shows high denudation morphologies on  account of accelerated soil-erosion processes basically  caused by human influence (trampling by continuous  trekking), resulted in exposed roots. Previous works  have used dendrogeomorphological methods in this trail  to estimate rates of sheet erosion based on the changing  morphology of  tree rings (from concentric to eccentric)  when root is exposed. This study aims to evaluate soil  erosion reconstructing the first year of root exposure by  analyzing changes in wood anatomical parameters within  growth rings. Additionally, different multivariate  statistical approaches were used in order to determinate  the influence of different environmental factors affecting  the variation in velocity of the sheet erosion processes.
%I International Association of Geomorphologist
%C Melbourne, Australia
%A Jose Maria Bodoque del Pozo
%A Juan Antonio Ballesteros Cánovas
%A Juan Manuel Rubiales Jimenez
%A José F. Martín-Duque
%A Maria del Mar Genova Fuster
%A Andrés Díez-Herrero
%B Proceedings of 7th International Conference on Geomorphology (ANZIAG)
%T Re-evaluating sheet erosion rates in a popular trekking trail  located at the Spanish Central System
%L upm5606
%D 2009