Increased recreational activities have a major impact on the most visited areas of coastline where feet erode the paths and vehicles the roadside verges.

Sand dunes are particularly vulnerable to trampling feet. Camping and caravanning also cause erosion.

A danger to plant and animal species
At first, plants which are sensitive to heavy trampling die out. This allows resistant plants to take over. But where bare ground is exposed, erosion by weather sets in. Erosion and disturbance cause habitats to change, and therefore many sensitive plant and animal species begin to disappear.

Minimising the damage
Such problems are not insurmountable, and the National Trust has demonstrated that it is possible to minimise the damage caused by large numbers of visitors.

At Kynance Cove, for example, careful management and erosion repairs have been carried out to enable the vegetation to regenerate at this outstanding Cornish beauty spot.