Quantifying Trail-Induced Fragmentation in Protected Natural Areas Using Large-Scale GPS Trajectory Analysis

A novel analysis reveals that Switzerland's extensive trail network within protected areas, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch, induces minimal habitat fragmentation, affecting less than 1% of these regions. The study, leveraging large-scale GPS trajectory data and spatial analysis, found significant variation across different ecosystems, with alpine alluvial vegetation, dry meadows, and high marshes experiencing the highest fragmentation (up to 1.87%), while the Swiss National Park remained pristine (0.00%). A buffer sensitivity analysis confirmed that a 10-meter buffer provides the most ecologically relevant measure, indicating that core habitats—areas over 100 meters from trails—cover 86.7% of protected areas on average. Validation against official trail data showed high accuracy (87.3%), underscoring the reliability of crowd-sourced GPS tracks. This scalable methodology offers a reproducible approach for monitoring recreational impacts, demonstrating that Switzerland's trail network is well-managed and does not significantly fragment its protected landscapes.

Weimer, A., De Souza, M. C., & Abraham, J. (2026). Quantifying Trail-Induced Fragmentation in Protected Natural Areas Using Large-Scale GPS Trajectory Analysis. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.7089458