Skip to main content

Off-Road and All-Terrain Vehicles, Including Snowmobiling

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Outdoor Recreation
  • 1644 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter first defines off-road and all-terrain vehicles, including snowmobile, and gives illustrated examples of a range of such vehicles. It then briefly discusses the history and diversity of use of such vehicles before presenting recent data on user numbers. The final part of the chapter focuses on specific environmental impacts associated with off-road, ATV, and snowmobiles which include damage to soil and vegetation, water/air pollution and noise, and disturbance to wildlife. The final section considers the management of these activities and gives some examples of education initiatives that have been used in management attempts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 49.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 64.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adams, E. S. (1975). Effects of lead and hydrocarbons from snowmobile exhaust on brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 104(2), 363–373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Adams, J. C., & McCool, S. F. (2009). Finite recreation opportunities: The forest service, the Bureau of Land Management, and off-road vehicle management. Natural Resources Journal, 45–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anders, F. J., & Leatherman, S. P. (1987). Effects of off-road vehicles on coastal foredunes at Fire Island, New York, USA. Environmental Management, 11(1), 45–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andersen, M., & Aars, J. (2008). Short-term behavioural response of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) to snowmobile disturbance. Polar Biology, 31(4), 501.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bissix, G. (2015). A multidimensional framework for assessing the acceptability of recreational all-terrain vehicle access on community trails and local public highways. Leisure/Loisir, 39(3–4), 345–359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borneman, T. E., Rose, E. T., & Simons, T. R. (2016). Off-road vehicles affect nesting behaviour and reproductive success of American Oystercatchers Haematopus palliatus. Ibis, 158(2), 261–278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowker, J. M., Askew, A. E., Cordell, H. K., Betz, C. J., Zarnoch, S. J., & Seymour, L. (2012) Outdoor Recreation Participation in the United States–Projections to 2060: A Technical Document Supporting the Forest Service 2010 RPA Assessment. Ashville: Southern Research Station. Retrieved from www.srs.fs.usda.gov.

  • Brattstrom, B. H., & Bondello, M. C. (1983). Effects of off-road vehicle noise on desert vertebrates. In R. H. Webb & H. G. Wilshire (Eds.), Environmental Effects of Off-Road Vehicles (pp. 167–206). New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Busack, S. D., & Bury, R. B. (1974). Some effects of off-road vehicles and sheep grazing on lizard populations in the Mojave Desert. Biological Conservation, 6(3), 179–183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cambi, M., Certini, G., Fabiano, F., Foderi, C., Laschi, A., & Picchio, R. (2015a). Impact of wheeled and tracked tractors on soil physical properties in a mixed conifer stand. iForest-Biogeosciences and Forestry, 9(1), 89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cambi, M., Certini, G., Neri, F., & Marchi, E. (2015b). The impact of heavy traffic on forest soils: A review. Forest Ecology and Management, 338, 124–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cordell, K. (2012). Outdoor Recreation Trends and Futures: A Technical Document Supporting the Forest Service 2010 RPA Assessment. Ashville: Southern Research Station. Retrieved from www.srs.fs.usda.gov.

  • Davies, R., Speldewinde, P. C., & Stewart, B. A. (2016). Low level off-road vehicle (ORV) traffic negatively impacts macroinvertebrate assemblages at sandy beaches in south-western Australia. Scientific Reports, 6, 24899.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dewidar, K., Thomas, J., & Bayoumi, S. (2016). Detecting the environmental impact of off-road vehicles on Rawdat Al Shams in central Saudi Arabia by remote sensing. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 188(7), 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Felton, S. K., Pollock, K. H., & Simons, T. R. (2017). Response of beach-nesting American Oystercatchers to off-road vehicles: An experimental approach reveals physiological nuances and decreased nest attendance. The Condor, 120(1), 47–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuglei, E., Ehrich, D., Killengreen, S. T., Rodnikova, A. Y., Sokolov, A. A., & Pedersen, Ã…. Ø. (2017). Snowmobile impact on diurnal behaviour in the Arctic fox. Polar Research, 36(Suppl. 1), 10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greller, A. M., Goldstein, M., & Marcus, L. (1974). Snowmobile impact on three alpine tundra plant communities. Environmental Conservation, 1(2), 101–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hallo, J. C., Manning, R. E., & Stokowski, P. A. (2009). Understanding and managing the off-road vehicle experience: Indicators of quality. Managing Leisure, 14(3), 195–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hammitt, W. E., & Cole, D. N. (1998). Wildland Recreation: Ecology and Management (2nd ed.). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hare, C. T., Springer, K. J., & Huls, T. A. (1974). Snowmobile Engine Emissions and Their Impact (No. 740735). SAE Technical Paper.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jennissen, C. A., Harland, K. K., Wetjen, K., Peck, J., Hoogerwerf, P., & Denning, G. M. (2014). A school-based study of adolescent all-terrain vehicle exposure, safety behaviors, and crash experience. The Annals of Family Medicine, 12(4), 310–316.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keddy, P. A., Spavold, A. J., & Keddy, C. J. (1979). Snowmobile impact on old field and marsh vegetation in Nova Scotia, Canada: An experimental study. Environmental Management, 3(5), 409–415.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kevan, P. G., Forbes, B. C., Kevan, S. M., & Behan-Pelletier, V. (1995). Vehicle tracks on high Arctic tundra: Their effects on the soil, vegetation, and soil arthropods. Journal of Applied Ecology, 32, 655–667.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kobryn, H. T., Beckley, L. E., Cramer, V., & Newsome, D. (2017). An assessment of coastal land cover and off-road vehicle tracks adjacent to Ningaloo Marine Park, north-western Australia. Ocean & Coastal Management, 145, 94–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lucrezi, S., Saayman, M., & Van der Merwe, P. (2014). Impact of off-road vehicles (ORVs) on ghost crabs of sandy beaches with traffic restrictions: A case study of Sodwana Bay, South Africa. Environmental Management, 53(3), 520–533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyngnes, S., & Prebensen, N. K. (2014). Sustainable and attractive motorised nature-based experiences: Challenges and opportunities. In J. S. Chen (Ed.), Advances in Hospitality and Leisure (pp. 151–171). Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Marion, D. A., Phillips, J. D., Yocum, C., & Mehlhope, S. H. (2014). Stream channel responses and soil loss at off-highway vehicle stream crossings in the Ouachita National Forest. Geomorphology, 216, 40–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muller, B. (2016). Mending man's ways: Wickedness, complexity and off-road travel. Landscape and Urban Planning, 154, 93–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mullet, T. C., Morton, J. M., Gage, S. H., & Huettmann, F. (2017). Acoustic footprint of snowmobile noise and natural quiet refugia in an Alaskan wilderness. Natural Areas Journal, 37(3), 332–349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newsome, D. (2014). Appropriate policy development and research needs in response to adventure racing in protected areas. Biological Conservation, 171, 259–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parikesit, P., Larson, D. W., & Matthes-Sears, U. (1995). Impacts of trails on cliff-edge forest structure. Canadian Journal of Botany, 73(6), 943–953.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Popovicheva, O. B., Kireeva, E. D., Shonija, N. K., Vojtisek-Lom, M., & Schwarz, J. (2015). FTIR analysis of surface functionalities on particulate matter produced by off-road diesel engines operating on diesel and biofuel. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 22(6), 4534–4544.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • RÃ¥heim, E. (1992). Registration of Vehicular Tracks on the Svalbard Archipelago. Oslo, Meddelelser NR. 122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reimann, S., Kallenborn, R., & Schmidbauer, N. (2009). Severe aromatic hydrocarbon pollution in the Arctic town of Longyearbyen (Svalbard) caused by snowmobile emissions. Environmental Science & Technology, 43(13), 4791–4795.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Royal Society for Nature Conservation. (1987). Damage to Wildlife Sites by Off-Road Motor Vehicles. Nettleham, Lincoln: RSNC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rybansky, M. (2014). Modelling of the optimal vehicle route in terrain in emergency situations using GIS data. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 18, No. 1, p. 012131). IOP Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Savage, D., Woodland, M., Eliason, A., Lipple, Z., Smith, C., Maas, J., et al. (2016). Design and validation of the 2016 University of Idaho Clean Snowmobile: A reduced speed 797cc Flex-fueled direct-injection two-stroke with active and passive noise cancellation. Retrieved from http://www.mtukrc.org/download/idaho/idaho_ic_design_paper_2016.pdf

  • Selva, N., Switalski, A., Kreft, S., & Ibisch, P. L. (2015). Why keep areas road-free? The importance of roadless areas. In R. van der Ree, D. J. Smith, & C. Grilo (Eds.), Handbook of Road Ecology (pp. 16–26). Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slaughter, C. W., Racine, C. H., Walker, D. A., Johnson, L. A., & Abele, G. (1990). Use of off-road vehicles and mitigation of effects in Alaska permafrost environments: A review. Environmental Management, 14(1), 63–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • St-Louis, A., Hamel, S., Mainguy, J., & Côté, S. D. (2013). Factors influencing the reaction of mountain goats towards all-terrain vehicles. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 77(3), 599–605.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stott, T. A., & Short, N. (1996). Erosion rates and human impacts in The Arctic Tundra: Findings from a British schools exploring society expedition to Svalbard. Geography Review, 10(2), 18–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Uberti, S., Copeta, A., Baronio, G., & Motyl, B. (2017). An eco-innovation and technical contaminated approach for designing a low environmental impact off-road motorcycle. International Journal on Interactive Design and Manufacturing (IJIDeM), 12, 1–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. (2018). ATV safety information centre. Retrieved January 2, 2018, from https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/ATV-Safety-Information-Center/.

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service. (2009). National Survey on Recreation and the Environment [Dataset]. Retrieved September 15, 2010, from www.srs.fs.usda.gov/trends/nsre/nsre2.html

  • Weaver, T., & Dale, D. (1978). Trampling effects of hikers, motorcycles and horses in meadows and forests. Journal of Applied Ecology, 15, 451–457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Webb, R. H., & Wilshire, H. G. (1983). Environmental Effects of Off-Road Vehicles: Impacts and Management in Arid Regions. New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Westcott, F., & Andrew, M. E. (2015). Spatial and environmental patterns of off-road vehicle recreation in a semi-arid woodland. Applied Geography, 62, 97–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolcott, T. G., & Wolcott, D. L. (1984). Impact of off-road vehicles on macroinvertebrates of a mid-Atlantic beach. Biological Conservation, 29(3), 217–240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tim Stott .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Stott, T. (2019). Off-Road and All-Terrain Vehicles, Including Snowmobiling. In: Outdoor Recreation. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97758-4_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics