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Source: https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/q/3628
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

<p>I have heard that skiers and snowboarders can do a lot of damage to an ecosystem. I am interested in the following backcountry wintersport activities and would like to do them responsibly.</p>

<ul>
<li>cross-country skiing</li>
<li>snowshoeing</li>
<li>ascending with snowshoes and descending by snowboard</li>
</ul>

<p>I have the following questions:</p>

<ul>
<li>At what snow-cover depth are little saplings, bushes and mountain-tundra vegetation protected from those activities?</li>
<li>Is it best to go to wilderness areas that are already being impacted by backcountry winter sports, or does this increase the damage done to those habitats, making it a better choice to go to places that have not been impacted?</li>
<li>What do I need to know about minimizing my impact on the local fauna?</li>
<li>Are there types of ecosystems that I should not enter at all for these activities, since any kind of disturbance could cause long-lasting damage?</li>
</ul>