Landscapes connectivity in river Bregalnica watershed - determining the relative importance of rural landscapes for European wildcat conservation

Peisajul cultural rural dintre Prut și Nistru. Aspecte etnogeografice

Case investigation on the construction mode of rural landscapes in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, Mengda National Nature Reserve

ContextMultifunctional rural landscapes are social-ecological systems that represent a link between nature and culture. They are characterized by the conservation and protection of ecological processes, natural resources and biocultural diversity. The conservation of these landscapes is mainly based on the establishment of Protected Natural Areas (PAs) whose regulatory schemes have often promoted their degradation.ObjectivesWe evaluate the effectiveness of the conservation strategies of the Natural Park category in the protection and maintenance of rural cultural landscapes. We analyse at a regional and local scale both the dynamics of land-uses and the socioeconomic structure of the local populations involved, identifying the main social-ecological indicators of change in the protected landscape.MethodsWe apply a methodological approach, based on geoprocessing tools and multivariate analysis, to examine social-ecological changes in rural cultural landscapes after the establishment of a network of PAs. The designed method allows us to infer the ecological and socioeconomic resilience of protected landscapes.ResultsConservation efforts have tended to underestimate rural landscapes in favour of natural ones, mainly forest systems, and have not been able to prevent the processes of abandonment and degradation of protected landscapes. A simplification of the land-use systems dependent on traditional farming practices is observed. This implies the loss of both the multifunctionality of rural landscapes and their resilience to environmental changes. The key socioeconomic indicators identified highlight the deterioration of the rurality of protected landscapes.ConclusionsOur social-ecological approach is a useful tool to evaluate the effectiveness of PAs. Protection of landscape is related to the decline of traditional agricultural systems and rewilding through land abandonment. Culturalness is necessary to promote the management and conservation of rural landscapes from a holistic perspective.

Cultivated fruits can serve as an important winter food resource for medium-sized carnivores in rural areas that experience heavy snowfall. However, studies on the food analysis of medium-sized carnivores in heavy snowfall areas, particularly on the use of cultivated fruits, are limited. We evaluated the use of cultivated fruits by medium-sized carnivores during winter in a heavy snowfall area by comparing their feeding habits in rural and forest landscapes. We conducted faecal analysis of Japanese martens (Martes melampus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in rural and forest landscapes in north-eastern Japan during periods of snow cover. Based on a faecal analysis in the rural landscape, both Japanese martens and red foxes consumed mammals, birds, fruits, and other plant material. In the forest landscape, mammals and insects were consumed by Japanese martens and mammals, fruits, and other plant material were consumed by red foxes. Our results showed that cultivated fruits, such as persimmons and apples, were a major food source in snowy environments, suggesting a wider range of available resources and overlapping feeding habits. It has been suggested that red foxes in forest landscapes move long distances (several kilometres) to consume cultivated fruits. This study suggests that cultivated fruits may also indirectly feed wildlife, even in areas with heavy snowfall.

Landscape is the visual embodiment of the human–environment relationship. It is an important field for understanding and shaping the relationship between human society and the environment, and it is also the focus of multidisciplinary attention. Rural landscape construction is of great significance to the development of rural tourism and rural revitalization. The results and preferences from landscape evaluation are an important basis for landscape construction. This paper selected 222 rural landscape short video works published on the TikTok short video platform; extracted the basic elements of rural landscapes using video content analysis and according to grounded theory; condensed 32 basic categories and 12 main categories; and formed a rural landscape system composed of three core categories: rural ecological, living, and productive landscapes. The short video user comment data were mined using ROST CM6 software, to analyze the rural landscape preferences of video viewers. The results showed that the short video users had a high overall evaluation of rural landscapes, but there were differences among the three core rural landscape preference categories. Users had a high preference for the architectural landscape and ecological landscape in the rural lifestyle landscape but raised concerns about the impact of disharmonious infrastructure and service facilities, existing security risks, and environmental health on the rural landscape. This paper suggests that we should pay attention to the construction of rural artistic conceptions and the expression of nostalgia, enhance experiences to enhance perception, and strengthen the protection of natural and cultural landscapes.

A framework for the conservation of rural ecological landscapes in the urban fringe area in Japan

In the field of landscape characterization, it is difficult to obtain the tourists’ perceptions of a landscape. To overcome these drawbacks, online available reviews and comments from tourists can be utilized as an alternative way to characterize a landscape. This study examined the rural landscape characterization in Yayou Gou Village, which is a unique attraction in Shandong, China. A qualitative content analysis was undertaken on the tourists’ comments and reviews of Yayou Gou Village on tourist websites and social media platforms, including Qnar, Meituan, Ctrip, Dianping and Sina Microblog. NVivo 12 was used for the content analysis and qualitative coding. A variety of natural, cultural, and social, perceptual, and seasonal characteristics of a rural landscape, as well as facilities and infrastructure were revealed. Cultural and social landscape characters including performance landscape and festival activities, building, educational and home-stay landscape, diet landscape, and night landscape, which are obviously richer than other aspects in this rural village. Natural, perceptual, and seasonal landscape characters are not fully exploited for rural tourism and landscape. This study suggests that natural, cultural, and social rural landscape, and facility and infrastructure were influenced by spatial, seasonal, and perceptual dimensions. Suggestions for better landscape conservation and management can be acquired through the characterization process. This study provides an innovative approach for landscape characterization with online review data from various tourists. It demonstrates that online social media data contain abundant information about the landscape that they have visited and could be well used to explore the landscape’s characteristics in rural areas.

ContextIn recent years, rural landscapes have played an increasingly important role in the fields of tourism, cultural heritage and ecology. Rural landscape research (RLR), which is characterized by diversity and complexity, has attracted more and more attention from researchers.ObjectivesThis study integrated the main research contents of RLR in the past 30 years by arranging the relevant research results and analyzing the research progress of RLR in order to understand the development trend of RLR, the distribution of research power, research hotspots and frontal research.Methods3740 relevant literatures from 1931 to 2020 were filtrated from the WoS Core Collection Database. Those papers were quantitatively data mined and qualitatively summarized by using Bibliometrics software for mapping and analysis.Results(1) The number of articles related to RLR increased exponentially over time. The average citations per paper increased fastest from 2002 to 2005. According to the characteristics of the number of articles and the average citations per paper, RLR can be divided into three stages from 1990 to 2020: the first stage is from 1990 to 1999; the second stage is from 2000 to 2008; the third stage is from 2009 to 2020. The second stage of RLR has attracted the most international attention among three stages. (2) According to the results of research strength analysis, Europe has a great influence in RLR. The Common Agricultural Policy and the European Landscape Convention are the main driving forces for the change of rural landscape in Europe. (3) At present, the five hotspots of RLR are rural landscape planning and management, cultural ecosystem services, urban-rural conflict, the sustainable development of rural cultural heritage landscape and the impact of landscape structure on habitat.ConclusionsRural landscape research was originally developed based on geography and ecology but has now developed to a comprehensive research direction of multidisciplinary and multi-methods with social, economic, culture and other elements. At present, the object of RLR covers the ecological landscape, production landscape, and cultural landscape of rural landscape system; the content of RLR has shifted from static pattern of rural landscape to dynamic evolution process, urban-rural conflict, cultural ecosystem service and multifunctional landscape trade-off; the research paradigm of RLR has changed from single dimension to multi-dimensional, and combined with “3S” technology and various landscape ecological model software. The correlation and mechanism should be studied between the rural landscape multifunctionality based on the perspective of multidisciplinary research and rural landscape system in the future, and carry out dynamic monitoring and trend simulation, so as to clarify the thinking and paths of rural landscape multi-functional trade-off and guide the sustainable development of rural areas.

Characterizing European cultural landscapes: Accounting for structure, management intensity and value of agricultural and forest landscapes

In recent years, as the process of urbanization in china become fast,the new rural construction has a great impact on the original rural landscape pattern and appearance all over the country.How to protect the rural landscape in the new rural construction is the most concern of scholars. Introduction In the suburbs of Beijing City, rural areas are in the process of transforming from traditional agricultural landscape to modern agricultural landscape, and the rural landscape construction is facing a new opportunity.Such as, rural natural landscape and cultural landscape, from the suburbs to the outer suburbs, and Tazono Kanhikaru, orchard, forest tourism, peasant music, folk culture, rural tourism develop rapidly.This is not only an effective way to promote the adjustment of local rural industrial structure, economic development and farmers to get rich, but also on the outskirts of the city of rural development has a strong impact. Therefore, the research and analysis of landscape pattern of Yanqing Sihai Town, can provide reference for the new rural development and planning. The forest resources of Sihai Town are abundant, the vegetation is lush, the forest cover rate is 79.42%.The average temperature of Sihai Town is 4 degrees, annual rainfall is 700 550 mm.Fresh air, pleasant climate, it is a place for summer holidays and leisure tourism. Image Data Processing Image data include 2004 SPOT 5 and 2010 GeoEye 1 satellite remote sensing image data, 2005 Landse data, DEM data, Contour distribution data and national basic geographic data (including road, traffic, water system, residents, etc.) . Based on 10 m spatial resolution DEM data,through selecting some ground control points in the image,using the digital elevation model(DEM), correction of tilt correction and projection correction carried on to the image.Sampling the image into a normal shot. Mosaic multiple image into one.Through color balance, in a certain range of cutting out of the image is a positive image. Through image fusion, ortho rectification, image registration and image mosaic, Image preprocessing is done. Through setting points, lines, and planes,the vector of the image is completed. Choose a reasonable color scheme,according to the method of visual interpretation, the distribution map of land use types was obtained by correlation analysis. At last field survey and precision verification must be done. According to the distribution of sampling points, design sampling route, Land use types recorded at sampling points, through GPS positioning, according to field survey data on land use types verificate accuracy.According to land use types, Landscape is classificated . 2nd International Conference on Education Technology, Management and Humanities Science (ETMHS 2016) © 2016. The authors Published by Atlantis Press 726 Landscape Index Calculation Using FRAGSTATS 4.2 software, the main elements of rural landscape types is calculated.It is including CA,PLAND,LPI,LSI,PLADJ. Table1 The numerical value of landscape elements in Sihai (2004,2010) Index Year Cultivated land landscappe Garden landscape Woodland landscape Grassland landscape Water landscape Settlement landscape Road landscape Unused land landscape CA 2004 1456.1848 1.5834 7626.0545 654.7138 108.4825 161.3766 78.3074 34.3643 201

The Malay rural traditional village landscape in under tremendous pressure being transformed into other uses to fulfil current socio-economic needs and urbanisation. Due to various anthropogenic activities, they are being abandoned and neglected. Furthermore, people less depended on the rural landscape for the provision of food and other requirements. The conservation and preservation of traditional rural village are crucial not only to protect cultural values but also as a national heritage for future generation. In this study, we estimate the value of rural landscape through their willingness to pay (WTP) for the conservation of the Malay rural traditional landscape. This study was conducted to explore the public perspectives on the conservation value of the Malay rural traditional village landscapes, cultural value, and their willingness to pay. The findings suggested that 15.3% of respondents were willing to contribute between RM 50.01 to RM 200.00 on the conservation of the Malay traditional village landscape. The highest contribution was RM 500 000. The results also show that 30% of the respondents, were satisfied with the present situation of traditional village environment and 50% of the respondents stated that the government should be responsible for the cost of conservation of the Malay traditional village landscape.

This paper addresses how a digital heritage project can impact the research and interpretation of a large-scale rural cultural landscape in the United States. Due to the size and scope of rural landscapes, large-scale documentation methods are critical to advancing landscape conservation and preservation initiatives. Using an in-progress online project to document a 1935 US federally sponsored program, the Prairie States Forestry Project (PSFP), the authors show how diverse visual and textual data can be spatialised to construct a map reading of landscape change over time. To date, the PSFP is one of the largest afforestation projects in the history of the United States; the United States Forest Service and thousands of landowners undertook a series of cooperative planting agreements to plant over 200 million trees over seven years in approximately 33,000 shelterbelts from the panhandle of Texas to the North Dakota border. Due to a lack of coordinated monitoring, shelterbelt location and status was unknown, and the original archival material remained unpreserved. In the case of the Prairie States Forestry Project, the process for digitising and disseminating previously inaccessible primary source documents is an act of preservation that creates opportunities for future large-scale landscape conservation projects. The application of the archival mapping method and resulting PSFP datasets can be incorporated by individuals working on heritage documentation such as Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) reports, National Register nominations, or Cultural Landscape Reports for the National Parks Service. The dataset could also be used by private groups such as cooperative conservation land managers.

Assessing the Visual Quality of Rural and Urban-fringed Landscapes surrounding Livestock Farms

Elements of the rural natural landscape have the great significance for the residents of the city and suburban area in terms of their functionality, sanitary, aesthetic and environmental criteria. Counting the huge influence of the city on the socio-economic development of the suburban area, there are huge changes in the natural environment of the suburb, rural landscapes, which perform various functions, which determines the need for their study, accounting, evaluation, protection and conditions of transformation. The article analyses approaches to the study of types of rural landscapes, criteria for their typing, taking into account economic (agricultural), social (population density, pendulum migration) and environmental (fertility, soil degradation, man-made load) indicators. As a result of the study, the types of rural landscapes of the suburbs of Odesa were determined: disturbed landscapes (geographically these landscapes are located in close proximity to the city border and are characterized by active construction, including elite cottage buildings, a large percentage of pendulum migrations, industrial and infrastructural functions and a small number of recreational facilities); degraded (neglected landscapes-characterized by eroded soils, with low yields. There are abandoned plots of countryside house cooperatives. There are slopes, ravines, and gullies in the terrain); agricultural (occupy almost half of the territory of the adjacent administrative districts. The zone of influence of the city has become a prerequisite for active farming, development of processing industry); recreational (valuable – are formed mainly from water and forest resources with recreational objects aimed at the development of tourism. The main reasons for changing landscapes in the suburbs should be called: excessive unjustified use of natural resources: soil, reservoirs, forests; soil and water pollution; removal of garbage and waste from cities to unorganized landfills; non-compliance with crop rotation rules; improperly applied mineral fertilizers and pesticides; extremely high anthropogenic load on individual territories. This study can serve as a starting point for the formation of typology, planning the development of suburban territories, including the development of tourism within them. We consider it appropriate not only the selection of the types of rural landscapes of the suburbs, but also conduct appropriate zoning, given its features and landscape types for sustainable management, conservation and restoration of natural resources (land, water, forest), efficient use of land taking into account geoecological situation.

Based on a combined approach of Analytic Hierarchy Process and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation, this study constructs a rural landscape evaluation system for the Hong Fanchi Spring area in Jinan, China. The research aims to systematically evaluate the cultural landscape quality, identify key factors affecting landscape value, and propose targeted protection strategies. Through literature review, expert interviews (n=18), and the Delphi method, a four-level hierarchical evaluation framework was established with 4 criterion-layer and 14 sub-criterion-layer indicators. Data collected from 389 valid questionnaires across six towns were analyzed using SPSS 27.0. Results revealed an overall cultural landscape evaluation score of 2.77 (on a 5-point scale), indicating below-average quality and considerable room for improvement. Among the four landscape types evaluated, Village Cultural Landscape ranked highest (2.80), followed by Planting Cultural Landscape (2.79), Religious Cultural Landscape (2.77), and Spring Water Cultural Landscape (2.75). The study identified cultural value (weight: 30.61%) and historical value (28.28%) as the most influential indicators, while public recognition (C9) demonstrated the greatest variation across landscape types. Based on these findings, six targeted recommendations are proposed, including classified protection priorities, enhanced community participation, improved legal frameworks, cultural-economic integration, strengthened environmental management, and promotion of sustainable development practices. This evaluation framework provides a reference model for other rural cultural landscape assessments and management strategies.