Skiing Industry's Impact On The Alpine

In a world that is increasingly affected by pollution, development, and climate change, it is imperative that industries with substantial, adverse environmental impacts make efforts to regulate and minimize them. In this paper, I discuss the alpine skiing industry’s relationship to the alpine ecosystem and the environment as a whole. I use conclusive environmental research to analyze the effects of ski resort development and management on the alpine ecosystem, assess the alpine environment's relationship with climate change, and interpret the role ski resort management plays in protecting and sustaining the environment. I pay specific attention to the effects of grading trails on vegetation and soil, and the consequential impacts on alpine

The most substantial impacts are incurred during the initial development, or the later expansion, of the ski area. The processes of creating trails and infrastructure require the clearing of trees, vegetation, and other protrusions; this then alters wildlife habitats and alpine watersheds (Marshall). Additionally, there are concerns regarding the use of artificial snow supplements. Artificial snow deviates from natural snow in its physical and chemical properties. These deviations cause alterations to the snowpack, which in turn affect the growing season, and cause chemical changes to the soil, which then affect interactions between soil, plants, and wildlife

The impact alpine development has on vegetation growth and soil composition adversely affects native wildlife populations. In a study done by researchers for the Journal of Applied Ecology, it was confirmed that habitat alterations, specifically the density of ski lifts and reduction of native vegetation growth, have significant negative impacts on wildlife abundance. The researchers focused specifically on the black grouse, an indicator species in the alpine timberline region where many winter recreation facilities concentrate and were able to provide quantitative evidence that chairlifts and winter sports have negative impacts on alpine indicator species. Through a complicated model, they were able to determine that black grouse abundance in ski resorts is approximately 36% lower than natural areas (Patthey, 1708). In another study, it was found that alteration of vegetation composition and structure when making ski runs suppresses reptile populations (Sato, 319). Ski resort’s modifications of native vegetation have significantly impacted the abundance of fauna as far as up to 1500 meters away. The development of facilities results in several factors that influence wildlife abundance: habitat alteration, higher predation rate, increased disturbance by humans which induces high-stress levels, and increased mortality from collision with cables