The primary objective of this study was to detect vegetation disturbance resulting from visitor use by using remote sensing. A pre-classification change detection analysis based on the normalized difference vegetation index was utilized to measure the amount of vegetation cover changes at Cadillac Mountain summit, Acadia National Park, Maine. By analyzing new remote sensing data collected in 2010 and 2018, we compared the vegetation conditions at the summit (experimental site) with a nearby site with little or no visitor use (control site). Additionally, the study was designed to examine vegetation cover changes between 2001–2007 (the first time frame) and 2010–2018 (the second time frame). Similar to the results observed in the first time frame, the experimental and control sites exhibited more vegetation increase than vegetation decrease in the second time frame. The amount of vegetation increase was 1,425m² at the experimental site and 400m² at the control site. The amount of vegetation decrease was 150m² at the experimental site and 75m² at the control site. Measurable vegetation cover changes based on the remote sensing analysis could provide baseline data for monitoring further changes over an extended period of time. The advantages of using remote sensing in detecting vegetation conditions are also discussed, along with management and research implications.

Keywords: remote sensing, recreation ecology, vegetation, visitor impact monitoring, parks and protected areas