Trail Management Terminology and Decision-Making: A Conceptual and Practical Framework

Abstract

Trail management in protected natural areas seeks to maximize opportunities for outdoor recreation and the provision of cultural ecosystem services while minimizing deleterious changes to trail-associated natural resources. The field’s interdisciplinarity, drawing on recreation ecology, trail science, and restoration ecology, enriches the knowledge base and practice of trail management, yet it can also lead to inconsistent use and application of cross-disciplinary terminology. We conducted a systematic literature review with summative content analysis to examine four term sets: (i) terms for deleterious physical changes affecting trail usability (impact, damage, degradation), (ii) terms for the creation of new trails (construction, build), (iii) terms for the care of existing trails (maintenance, repair), and (iv) terms for reversing trail degradation (rehabilitation, restoration, renaturalization, recovery), whether to return a trail to functional use or to advance ecological restoration toward a designated reference. Based on this analysis, we introduce two conceptual outputs that organize terminology and map relationships among terms. Finally, to translate these outputs into practice, we present a decision-making flowchart to support managers in selecting trail interventions aligned with explicit management goals. Clarifying overlaps and transitions among principal terms can improve communication among stakeholders, help identify ecological thresholds, and guide timely choices between sustaining functional trail use and shifting toward strategies that emphasize biodiversity conservation.