Is downhill riding harmful to the environment?

Is downhill riding harmful to the environment?

 

What is downhill riding?

Downhill is an attempt to ride a mountain bike as fast as possible down a steep downhill track (usually on mountains).

How is downhill riding harmful to the environment?

Downhill riding can cause many animals to be scared off and lose their habitats. In addition, downhill riding will flatten many trees that are still young and small. For some downhill trails, some trees are likely to be cut down. There are some trails that are ridden hundreds of times on a good day, and that damages the forest floor. Some hunters complain that the downhill tracks interfere with their hunting, because this can also bring bad consequences for nature and forests.

How can we make downhill riding more environment-friendly?

We should build more official trails so that people stop using illegal trails. Also, we have to be careful not to build trails near nature reserves. People should try not to ride on newly built trails all the time, but rather ride on older trails that have been there for a while. It is better not to ride when it is raining and the forest floor is wet, as this will cause the tires to leave even deeper ruts. Of course, you should also not leave trash in the forest. It is important to stay on the given path and not to take any shortcuts. On the way you should avoid breaking any branches of trees (they can otherwise become more susceptible to disease) or picking any flowers.

CC0 Public Domain, https://pxhere.com/de/photo/500834