Perhaps you’re among the many who have been flocking to see the colorful superbloom across our region.
But many visitors means many feet trampling across open spaces – and that can cause problems, said Joan Dudney, an assistant professor at UC Santa Barbara’s Environmental Studies Program and Bren School of Environmental Science & Management.
"We don't get a superbloom every year so that feels like such a gift," Dudney told KCLU.
Dudney said trampling just one flower could impact up to a thousand future plants, as well as hardening the soil making it harder for seeds to grow.
"You get one person walking through a field and then suddenly ten people follow and by the end of the superbloom, hundreds of people have walked through that area," she said.
"Then, the soil is a lot more compacted, it's a lot less likely that flowers can return in that region," said Dudney.
Strategies that reduce human impacts, particularly in high use areas, are critical, said Dudney.
“These strategies may include limiting visitors, creating a paid reservation system, or providing more seasonal staff to run interpretive programs,” she said.
Visitors are advised to stay on designated trails or if there isn’t one, to follow in others’ footsteps.
