An investigation into the response of the soil ecological environment to tourist disturbance in Baligou

Construction of single factor response model

It is affected by tourists, disturbing factors, and the natural factors of the landscape itself.The influence factor of the increase and decrease changes was determined primarily through the sampling point soil collection analysis.

Soil ecological environment comprehensive response evaluation index model

Tourism disturbance has a multifaceted impact on the soil ecological environment. This research considers the response evaluation of soil single factor based on the comprehensive consideration, combined with the processing and analysis of related data.According to the comprehensive evaluation model of soil environments proposed by Liu, Qin & Xie (2006). In this way, the comprehensive response of different influencing factors to the soil ecological environment of the Baligou Scenic Spot under different tourism disturbance intensities was evaluated. The index evaluation model is expressed as: (1)${\displaystyle \text{SRI}=\sum _{i=1}^{i^{-1}}{w}_i\sum _{j=1}^9\frac{S_{ij}-S_{oj}}{S_{oj}}.}$

Among them, it represents the comprehensive response evaluation index of the soil ecological environment of the scenic spot; j represents the number of indexes of influencing factors, taking 9 weight indicators such as soil bulk density, water content, porosity, soil compactness, pH value, soil pH, enzyme activity and organic matter. S_ij is the measured value of the jth impact factor in the ith sample soil.

Response of leaf litter and soil brightness to tourism disturbance

In the selected 6–10 m background area of tourism activities in the scenic transect, through the observation of the soil surface and vertical section of the background area, it can be seen that the vegetation on the soil surface is well protected, and there are generally residual litter on the soil surface. The thickness of the obtained data generally ranges from 0 to four cm (Table 2). There is a humus layer of about two cm in some samples in the outer edge area. The litter layer is sensitive to tourism disturbance. The reason may be that the litter layer is attached to the soil surface and has a loose structure. Environmental conditions such as tourism trampling, manual cleaning and even strong wind will affect the accumulation and decomposition of the litter layer process.

In areas where there is frequent tourist activity, soil erosion is more evident due to the trampling of tourists and the accumulation of tourist garbage. This disturbance can cause the soil surface to become exposed, leading to rocky desertification in some cases. As a result, vegetation on the soil surface and within the soil profile can become scarce. The reduction of vegetation and tree leaves leads to a decrease in the decayed rot layer of animals and plants. This reduction in organic matter content of the soil components can result in an increase in soil brightness and chroma. In areas of tourist activity, vegetation and litter become less visible, and the root system can also be significantly reduced compared to non-disturbed areas. Ultimately, the decrease in vegetation and litter can cause a reduction in soil organic matter content, leading to an increase in soil brightness and chroma.

According to soil color is one of the most important characteristics to observe when observing soil morphological characteristics. According to soil color and cross-sectional shape, the change in soil performance can be detected. and the change law of soil performance is detected according to soil color and cross-sectional shape. The soil brightness was compared using the Mensell soil color chart, and it was found that the color of the surface soil in the sample area of Baligou in the wet state was as follows: brown (7.5YR4/3), but the buffer zone and background area were relatively less affected by human interference, and the soil color was changed from brown to dark brown (7.5YR3/3) and dark brown (7.5YR2 /2) after color card comparison data (Table 2).

The response of soil bulk density to the disturbance of tourism trampling

The findings indicated that soil bulk density increased in a favorable direction as tourist disturbance intensity increased. The soil bulk density exhibits a decreasing tendency as one travels more and farther from the touristy region. Table 3 displays the results of the collection and examination of the particular soil samples.

The response of soil water content to the disturbance of tourism trampling

It can be seen from Table 3 that the data analysis and sorting through the analysis software SPSS shows that the soil moisture content in the disturbance area with large tourist activity is the lowest (30%), followed by the buffer zone, and the background area has the highest water content (67%).

Response of soil porosity to trampling disturbance

One of the key metrics for assessing soil structure is soil porosity. The looseness of the soil in the picturesque location and the greatest amount of air and water that may be accommodated are both determined by the porosity of the soil. If the soil porosity is smaller, the soil capacity is smaller, and the soil is compact and not loose. On the contrary, the opposite is true. By comparing the samples in the interference area, buffer area and background area, it is found that the soil porosity in the background area is much larger than that in the interference area and buffer area (Fig. 1). It shows that the background area with long distance interval has larger soil capacity, loose soil and good soil structure.

Response of soil compaction to trampling disturbance

One of the key components of the depiction of soil attributes is soil compaction, commonly referred to as soil hardness or soil penetration resistance. Sampling and data reading of the soil in the sample region revealed that the interference area, buffer zone, and background area of soil compaction were all present (Fig. 1). The soil hardness in the disturbance zone is much greater than that in the background zone and buffer zone. The data show that in the background area spaced far away, the soil hardness is the least, the soil is loose, and the soil structure is in good condition. The soil hardness in the interference area with a large value is relatively large, and compacting the soil will prevent the infiltration of water, thereby reducing the absorption and utilization rate of soil water and fertility, and further affecting the growth of plant roots in the scenic area.

Response of soil pH to tourism disturbance

The sampling results of the sample area showed that the soil pH value was the highest in the disturbance area with dense tourists. With the increase of the edge distance, the pH value of the soil chemical properties in the sample area decreased due to the reduction of human interference factors such as tourists trampling on the background area (Fig. 1). The results of multiple comparisons showed that the pH of soil samples was in the order of tourism interference area >buffer zone >background area.

Data collection and analysis of sample regions in various parts of the nice location reveal that soil enzyme activity responds more visibly to tourist disturbance (Fig. 2). The invertase and catalase activities in the soil demonstrated that the interference region was noticeably larger than the background area and that the interference area was greater than the buffer area and the background area. The exact reverse is true in terms of urease activity performance, suggesting that the interference region, buffer area, and background area are all less than the long-distance background area. Human interference had less impact on the alkaline phosphatase activity, and the results showed no significant changes.

Response of soil organic matter to tourism disturbance

Organic matter is an important factor affecting soil fertility. The proportion of organic matter in soil is directly related to soil properties and surface vegetation nutrition. The treading and picking activities of tourism activities cause serious damage to the litter layer and humus layer of trees in forest areas, which directly leads to the relative reduction of the amount of plants returned. At the same time, the compactness of soil compacted by tourism activities such as trampling directly affects the growth and development of plant roots, which will cause the decrease of organic matter content. In addition, the change of soil physical and chemical properties will reduce the number of some animals and microorganisms beneficial to the soil, and also lead to the reduction of soil organic matter content in the local soil. With the increase of the distance from the walking path in the sampling zone, the content of organic matter in the soil increased. The results of multiple sample comparisons of the six sample areas showed that the disturbance area was significantly affected, while the variation range of data in the background area and buffer zone was small (Table 4). Human disturbance such as tourist trampling reduces the content of organic matter in the soil.

Response of soil heavy metal content to tourism disturbance

The conclusions of the extraction and comparison of the soil’s heavy metal content in the sample area demonstrate that the levels of the heavy metallic components Hg, Cd, As, Pb, and Cr are all low and that the comparative content is below the national standard limit in the three tourism attractions.However, due to the influence of human trampling and infrastructure construction in the sample area, the content of Pb and Cr in the sample soil showed a regular trend. The data in Table 5 shows that the highest value of Pb interference area is 29.434 mg kg⁻¹, and the minimum value is 20.016/mg kg⁻¹.

The overall performance is interference area>buffer area>background area, and its regular performance is that the concentration of the heavy metals Pb and Cr in the soil increases with proximity to the main trail, as well as with the level of human involvement.

Combined with the integration model of tourism + ecological disciplines, the internal and external adjustment of ecological scenic spots

At the time node of long and short vacations, tourists in the scenic spot tend to spout during the holidays, and then the interference of human factors causes pressure and damage to the natural ecological environment of the scenic spot (Guo et al., 2019). Zhu, Wang & Sun (2021) and Zhang & Zhao (2016) pointed out in the relevant literature that in the peak tourist season, tourists should be guided and separated in time and space, and the number of tourists during peak periods should be strictly controlled to avoid excessive interference by tourists and exceed the self-purification of the soil ecosystem in the scenic area. ability to cause irreversible damage to the soil ecological environment. In terms of internal factors, the interference effect of ecology on the carrying capacity of the ecological environment should be actively explored, and the physical and chemical properties of the scenic soil should be tested experimentally according to the integration of tourism, soil science, and ecology to further determine its response to the soil ecological environment. It provides a scientific basis for the rational development of scenic eco-tourism planning and the ecological environment’s protection and management of scenic spots.

Reasonably plan the ecological layout of scenic spots and strengthen spatiotemporal monitoring of soil environment

On the basis of the original distribution of scenic spots in the scenic spot, rationally plan the layout of its functional divisions, and fully consider the habits and diffusion characteristics of tourists. Through the analysis of tourists’ space routes, functional areas such as scenic trails, sightseeing bridges and rest areas can be reasonably planned. For example, the construction of “return” type tourist loops and gridded wide tourist trails can effectively divert and evacuate crowded people, and avoid excessive concentration of tourists and excessive trampling on the soil in local areas of the scenic spot, resulting in strong negative interference with soil performance. At the same time, it advocates the concept of green ecology and environmental protection, compares the materials of the trails, lays durable wooden boards, pebbles, and bionic wood and stone materials, and sets up extended railings to reduce the ecological damage to the extended area of the trail caused by travel interference.

The main reason for the decline of soil environmental quality in scenic spots caused by tourists’ human disturbance is external factors such as human trampling (Hu & Huang, 2016). The passenger flow is monitored in real time. If the passenger flow is large, the carrying capacity of the soil environment may be insufficient, and the passengers will be evacuated in time. While monitoring the passenger flow, various index factors (soil compactness, porosity, pH, litter layer thickness, etc.) of the soil in the scenic area are monitored, and remedial response measures are taken in time for changes in soil environmental factors.

Strengthen the publicity and cultivation of environmental awareness and increase public participation

While experiencing the physical and mental enjoyment brought by the natural environment of the scenic spot, tourists strengthen their awareness of ecological environmental protection (Xiu, Chen & Huang, 2019). Encourage residents around the scenic area to feel the ecological and economic benefits brought about by protecting the ecological environment by participating in the development and management of natural ecological resources in the scenic area. Through the words and deeds of the scenic spot managers and destination residents, the surrounding propaganda and education are presented to the tourists, so as to improve the tourists’ consciousness of protecting the natural ecological environment of the scenic spot, and advocate the instillation of green tourism, eco-tourism and low-carbon tourism awareness, so as to reduce the risk of excessive disturbance and destruction of scenic spots.

Introduce ecological improvement governance system to improve soil ecological balance

Taking into account the negative impact of tourists’ trampling and other factors on the soil in the scenic area, especially in the case of tourist disturbance areas, soil ecological improvement techniques in forest areas, ecological farmland or paddy fields should be introduced. At present, soil improvement technologies and methods are relatively concentrated in farmland irrigation and water conservancy improvement technology, biological improvement technology to prevent soil erosion by planting green manure, and chemical improvement technology to interfere with soil pH (Liu, Li and Xu, 2020; Zhu, Ren and Tang, 2020).. The scenic spot’s soil ecology is systematically managed through soil improvement techniques and methods in order to achieve soil ecological balance.