Environmental damage comes in a variety of forms- from decline or geographic shifts in animal populations, habitat loss, changes in the health of plant life, changes in animal behavior, increase in plastics (micro and macro) in soil and foliage. While the environment around the Appalachian Trail has been influenced by all of these factors, the most prominent factor in southern Appalachia, is soil erosion. The climate of the southern Appalachians sees a significantly higher amount of rain than the northern trail does. The increased saturation of the soils makes the trail much more prone to erosion. Trail maintenance by local volunteer groups is critical to maintaining the quality of the trail itself, and the safety of the hikers.

Soil erosion is managed well by the installation of waterbars ( a split log place over eroding soil in a shallow V shape), and log steps to help deter eroding soil from moving further down the trail, causing more and more damage. Soil erosion is also influenced by the paths that hikers take- it's common for hikers to walk around an eroding spot on the trail floor, which over time, widens the trail and causes soils around the trail to incur even more erosion. Expansion of eroding soil damages the structure of the trail and forest floors, which have a domino effect on the environment around the trail. Destruction of soil stability caused by erosion makes erosion not only more widespread, but also makes it more difficult for plant life to become frmly rooted in the soil, and eventually may lead to increased habitat destruction.