Wetlands serve multiple functions as biological habitats, in climate regulation and resource production, and possess aesthetic and cultural values. Long-term interactions between humans and wetland ...ecosystems determine their social values; in this regard, the social value evaluation theories and methods are still being explored and improved. In the present study, a coastal wetland social value evaluation model was proposed using quantitative methods. A wetland social value evaluation index system including 2 first-level indicators, 8 s-level indicators, and 22 indicator factors was constructed, the index weights were verified, and the social value of the Tiaozini Wetland was evaluated. The research results show that the social value of the Tiaozini Wetland is divided into eight levels, of which the weights of tourism potential value and market potential value are 0.662 and 0.363, respectively. An imbalance between the tourism potential and market potential values was observed. Along with the societal and cultural development, natural resources should be rationally developed and utilized to realize their social value. The evaluation of Tiaozini's social value is significant for protecting the ecological environment of this coastal wetland. The results index system proposed herein can also be similarly implemented to other coastal wetland regions around the world for promoting their sustainable development.
•Coastal wetland social value evaluation model was proposed using quantitative methods.•Wetland social value evaluation index system includes various indicators.•Social value of the Tiaozini Wetland was evaluated.•Weights of tourism potential value and market potential value are 0.662 and 0.363.
Cultural and Natural Heritage (CNH) are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration, according to the UNESCO definition. Rural areas represent outstanding examples of cultural, either tangible ...or intangible, and natural heritage. While rural areas are facing a socio-economic and demographic crisis all over the world, CNH need not only to be safeguarded, but also promoted as a driver for competitiveness, growth and sustainable and inclusive development. This paper goes deeper into the study of computational methods (CMs) applied to modelling CNH in rural areas by looking at how computational methods can support CNH promotion and valorisation to transform rural areas into laboratories for the demonstration of sustainable development through improving the unique potential of their heritage. To this end, different computational methods have been studied and classified according to their scope and application area parameters, showing some correlation among the said parameters and the class of computational method. Apart from how CMs have been applied, wehether it is possible to scale up these CMs elsewhere has also been considered.
The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) serves as an integrated method and instrument that discerns the primary constraints and associated connections pertaining to the sustainable development of ...community residents. In this study, this framework has been enhanced through field investigations of the inhabitants within the “Three Parallel Rivers” World Heritage Site. Through these investigations, an empirical exploration of their livelihood capital was undertaken. It revealed that the collective livelihood capital of these residents within the World Heritage site was notably fragile, and characterized by a low degree of social integration.In the context of preserving the World Heritage Site, it was crucial for community residents to utilize ecological protection policies and compensation mechanisms to optimize and transform their livelihood capital. Additionally, it was important to focus on nurturing sustainable livelihood development, particularly in terms of human capital. This would lay the foundation for transitioning towards a sustainable livelihood model.
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•The area of home range of the crane and the deer varied greatly in different seasons;•Except in spring, the two species kept a certain distance from each other in other seasons;•This ...study proposed a refined management pattern of habitat in the Natural Heritage Sites.
The Natural Heritage Site of the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China plays a prominent role in the conservation of global biodiversity. However, with the increase in the number of species inhabiting here, the problem of competition in the habitat space of species within the heritage site has gradually emerged, which has become an important bottleneck restricting the sustainable development of the heritage site. Therefore, this study selected the typical wetland wildlife in this area, red crowned crane (Grus japonensis) and Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis), as the study objects. This study used their continuous GPS tracking data to reveal the seasonal laws of habitat selection and suitability of two typical wetland species, and analyze their spatial competition and coexistence relationship. The study results showed that the distribution of home range of the crane and the deer in spring and summer was significantly larger than that in autumn and winter. The area of the sub and most suitable area of the deer in spring was larger than that of the crane. In autumn and winter, the area of the sub and most suitable areas for the deer was small, while the area of the most suitable area for the crane was more than 50 hm2. Except in spring, the two species kept a certain distance from each other in other seasons, and their habitat selection was stable. The optimal threshold range of the crane for D_ree variable was 0–202 m in spring and 0–1200 m in summer and autumn. The deer was affected by vegetation factors in the four seasons. The threshold range of D_ree variable in spring, autumn and winter was 0–80 m, the suitable vegetation height of the deer was 2.31–2.92 m. Finally, this study proposed a refined management pattern of habitat with multiple species coexist.
In some natural parks, introducing a shuttle bus system as an alternative to private cars can help reduce congestion and protect nature. This study examines the pilot program to effectively induce ...visitors to switch to the shuttle bus, while examining the visitors’ understanding of the expansion of the restricted vehicle section in Shiretoko National Park—a World Natural Heritage site known for its rich natural resources, especially as a high-density habitat for brown bears. There are concerns about conflicts between visitors and brown bears that appear along roads. Visitor restrictions, such as limited access to transportation, limit the use of a place and alter the behavior and experience. Therefore, careful consideration is needed before introducing visitor restrictions. The results of our questionnaire survey of visitors indicated that most favored the expansion of the shuttle bus section. The choice experiment revealed that the guides on the bus and an optional experience encouraged visitors to switch to the shuttle buses. Nonetheless, awareness of the pilot program was low, and some visitors preferred their cars, indicating the need for further promotion of awareness and understanding of these new measures.
Natural heritage is formed in the process of interaction between man and nature and society, etc. The conservation of natural heritage has attracted widespread attention from the whole society. Based ...on system dynamics theory, the article investigates the mechanism of benefit distribution among the government, enterprises and indigenous people in natural heritage reserves by constructing a four-group evolutionary game model, and then explores the best cooperation strategy among the government, indigenous people and natural heritage tourism development enterprises. The results of this study show that: (1) The best results for natural heritage conservation are achieved when government, business and indigenous people take active steps together. (2) As the probability of government incentives increases, the probability of indigenous people choosing to cooperate increases. (3) As government oversight increases, companies will be more likely to choose rational development. (4) The choice of reasonable development by enterprises will positively push the indigenous people to choose the cooperative strategy. Finally, based on the above findings, the paper proposes corresponding policy recommendations.
The value of natural heritage within urban areas is nowadays gaining recognition, but there are still no clear reference frameworks to confront the complexities of their management. In this ...discussion, the challenges of the association of historical preservation and urban nature are explored through the analysis of the management of Kyoto’s waterways. The conflicts caused by the rapid modernization of Japan at the end of 19th century find in Kyoto a remarkable expression in the tensions between renovation and conservation, providing a fertile frame for discussion. Relevant achievements and shortcomings of Kyoto´s experience are here analyzed, considering how the preservation of historic landscapes affected the protection of urban rivers, the relationship between sustainability and heritage, and the new environmentally aware approaches to river improvement.
Castañar is a cave with strict visitor control measures since it was open to public visits in 2003. However, in recent years, the cave suffered two fungal outbreaks, the first in 2008 and controlled ...by cleaning the contaminated sediments and subsequent closure of the cave until 2014. The cave was reopened but limited to a maximum of 450 visitors/year. Despite these restrictions on visit, the cave experienced a second outbreak in 2021, originating from the installation of a steel grating walkway, aiming at protecting the ground sediments from the visitors’ footsteps. Here, we conducted an analysis using Next-Generation Sequencing and culture-dependent techniques to investigate the fungal communities related to the second outbreak and compare with those present before the cave suffered the outbreak. The results show that the most abundant fungi involved in the 2021 outbreak were already detected in 2020, and even in 2008 and 2009, although the main species that originating both outbreaks were different, likely due to the different carbon sources introduced into the cave.
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