History Of Conservation Research Articles

Bordering on Asian Paintings: Dye Analysis of Textile Borders and Mount Elements to Complement Research on Asian Pictorial Art

Mount components and textile borders represent important elements of Asian paintings. However, they are often side-lined or not considered an integral part of the original piece, as they may be later additions or may have been replaced during historic conservation or mounting interventions. Nevertheless, evidence is sometimes present that textile borders are contemporaneous to the production of the paintings they frame or, in the case of paintings found in archaeological contexts, to the time of deposition. Even when not contemporaneous with the paintings, the mount textiles are often of significant historic interest in themselves, showing a range of complex textile techniques and materials, and highlighting the re-use of fabrics. In all these cases, the study and reconstruction of the original colours of the borders enable further understanding of the holistic visual impact originally intended for the composition, as well as of the role of colour itself, which was used to emphasise, complement or contrast important pictorial themes or motifs in the paintings. Furthermore, the identification of dyes and dyeing techniques has the potential to support the production date and provenance of the paintings. In this study, the textile borders and some additional mounting elements of six paintings (late 9th–10th century CE) from the Library Cave, Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang, China, one rare Korean portrait painting dated 1789 CE, and two Tibetan thangkas (18th century) were investigated with the aim to identify the dyes present. Fibre optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) was used to obtain information non-invasively and, when sampling was possible, high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was used to obtain molecular identification of the dyestuffs employed in their production. Typical Asian dyes, such as gromwell (Lithospermum erythrorhizon), sappanwood (Biancaea sappan), safflower (Carthamus tinctorius), turmeric (Curcuma longa) and pagoda tree flower buds (Sophora japonica), were identified. Some of the dyeing techniques were commensurate with the geographical and temporal provenance assigned to these pieces. Considerations about fading and discolouration of the dyes enabled valuable additional information to be obtained that complements the evidence gleaned from the study of the paintings and informs conservators and curators on best practices in the preservation and display of these precious and delicate artworks.

Overcoming racism in the twin spheres of conservation science and practice.

It is time to acknowledge and overcome conservation's deep-seated systemic racism, which has historically marginalized Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) communities and continues to do so. We describe how the mutually reinforcing ‘twin spheres’ of conservation science and conservation practice perpetuate this systemic racism. We trace how institutional structures in conservation science (e.g. degree programmes, support and advancement opportunities, course syllabuses) can systematically produce conservation graduates with partial and problematic conceptions of conservation's history and contemporary purposes. Many of these graduates go on to work in conservation practice, reproducing conservation's colonial history by contributing to programmes based on outmoded conservation models that disproportionately harm rural BIPOC communities and further restrict access and inclusion for BIPOC conservationists. We provide practical, actionable proposals for breaking vicious cycles of racism in the system of conservation we have with virtuous cycles of inclusion, equality, equity and participation in the system of conservation we want.

Actual condition of civil servants participation on historic conservation in their non-working hours

Actual condition of civil servants participation on historic conservation in their non-working hours

Current situation and planning tasks of historic conservation while surmounting the landscape conflict in TOMONOURA

Current situation and planning tasks of historic conservation while surmounting the landscape conflict in TOMONOURA

The process of historic conservation based on resident consciousness in Weishan, Yunnan

The process of historic conservation based on resident consciousness in Weishan, Yunnan

A 3D modeling workflow to map ultraviolet- and visible-induced luminescent materials on ancient polychrome artifacts

A 2D visualization approach for ensembles of images comprising RGB and luminescence photographs is traditionally used for studying the structure and chemistry of 3D polychrome ancient objects. Here, a method is presented for visualizing material composition of an object in 3D, providing artistic production information, conservation history, and virtual enhancement of faded, concealed and weathered decoration. The approach is based on the fusion of 2D luminescence forensic photographs with RGB images acquired using principles of structure-from-motion photogrammetry to build 3D models. Its potential is demonstrated in a study of a polychrome Hellenistic terracotta funerary head vase, in which three models of the vase were produced: (1) photorealistic; (2) visible-induced luminescence, mapping Egyptian blue and madder lake; and (3) ultraviolet-induced visible luminescence, revealing surface condition and previous conservation interventions. The workflow advances current approaches in modeling chemical signatures of luminescent pigments, extending their traditional 2D viewing platform into 3D.

Comparative Conservation Strategy Efficacy for Grus japonensis and Grus americana: A Post-Policy Implementation Assessment

Southeastern Texas/northern Alberta and northeastern Japan are homes to populations of two extremely similar species of cranes with similar conservation histories. The whooping crane of North America, specifically the Aransas–Wood Buffalo (AWB) migratory flock, and the red-crowned crane of Hokkaido were both pushed to the brink of extinction with surviving populations numbering 21 and 33 individuals, respectively, in 1952. Both species have been subjects of focused rehabilitation efforts led by national governments. While both governments relied on a variety of conservation methods throughout their programs’ histories, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) focuses mainly on habitat management, while in Japan the Ministry of the Environment (MoE) and its predecessors lean most heavily on a direct population management strategy via a long-standing winter artificial feeding program. The recovery histories of these two similar species provide a unique opportunity for comparing and contrasting the relative efficacy of two primary endangered species management approaches: habitat management versus direct population management through artificial feeding. An initial review of these two case studies reveals indications that artificial feeding in periods of lean food availability resulted in much faster overall population recovery in Japan, with the red-crowned crane population expanding at a rate approximately 11% to 26% faster than the AWB whooping crane population over a 68-year period reviewed in this study. Today Japan’s red-crowned crane population is more than triple the size of North America’s AWB whooping crane population: 1,900 red-crowned cranes by 2020 according to the Red-Crowned Crane Conservancy (RCCC), versus 506 AWB whooping cranes as of 2019 per FWS. These results suggest Japanese conservationists may have uncovered a method for ensuring faster population recovery in an endangered species: sustained long-term artificial feeding during times of least forage availability. Further lessons can be drawn from how these two species respond to changes currently underway in both programs. Much remains unknown. Additional research is necessary to eliminate other variables that could explain these population growth outcomes. But an early post-policy implementation assessment points to the artificial feeding campaign in Japan as the reason for the differences in historical population recovery.

Large Differences in Livelihood Responses and Outcomes to Increased Conservation Enforcement in a Protected Area.

Despite the popularity of integrated conservation and development approaches to protected area management, adjacent communities increasingly face livelihood dilemmas. Yet understanding of how market processes and conservation enforcement interact to influence livelihood responses remains limited. Targeting eight villages in Nam Et-Phou Louey (NEPL) National Park in northern Lao PDR, we draw on survey data with 255 households, 93 semi-structured interviews, and meso-level data on village conditions to examine how residents navigate associated livelihood dilemmas. A cluster analysis reveals five livelihood types with divergent capacities to engage in market development and cope with enforcement pressures. We show how market linkages, historical conservation interventions, and local access conditions shape livelihoods and differences between villages. Our approach yields a nuanced picture of how global conservation efforts result in an uneven distribution of costs and benefits at local scales. Conservation measures must account for highly divergent capacities to cope with access loss and diversify livelihoods.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10745-021-00267-4.

Different cultures, different images: a comparison between historic conservation area destination image choices of Chinese and Western tourists

ABSTRACT Using three Hangzhou Grand Canal historic conservation areas as the gaze fields, this study delineates differences in the image choices of visitors from cross-cultural backgrounds. Analysis of tourist-generated content, including destination image (DI) dimensions and frequency, suggests that Chinese tourists prefer human attractions and experiencing neighborhood life, while Western tourists prefer natural scenery and participating in tourist activities. The research also spotlights the phenomenon of the ‘tourist gaze circulatory.’ Tourists’ differentiated pursuits and on-site tourism experiences can influence the projection of DI, and the altered DI will in turn affect subsequent tourists. Based on this notion, suggestions are made for the in-depth development of the Canal’s historic conservation areas, differentiated for the different gazes of Chinese and Western tourists; and for a guide to help Western tourists experience Chinese urban life and enrich their gaze objects, with a view to protecting and enhancing world cultural heritage.

The political ecology of wildlife conservation and trophy hunting in human-dominated landscapes of southern Africa: a review

Drawing from a historical conservation perspective and political ecology, this review mediates the growing debate on wildlife conservation and hunting, especially inhuman-dominated landscapes of Africa. The focus is to 1) trace how socio-political changes during and after colonization transformed the hunting and wildlife conservation discourse in southern Africa, and 2) to address how previous conservation injustices were addressed through benefit-based approaches like CAMPFIRE, adopted in Zimbabwe after colonization. Some 144 published journal articles, books and other source materials were consulted. The review indicates that political changes in southern Africa profoundly transformed the conservation and trophy hunting narrative. This narrative had varied impacts and outcomes for different groups of people. Although a number of benefit-based approaches, like CAMPFIRE reflected a complete departure from past conservation policies, they continue to attract praise and criticisms since opinions differ among stakeholders, especially over extractive activities like trophy hunting and its associated benefits. I conclude that political developments impacted on conservation and trophy hunting in a profound way and that although post-colonial, pro-community conservation programs have inherent weaknesses, to a greater extent they addressed past conservation-based injustices. Continuous monitoring and area-specific adaptive management of wildlife and its sustainable management is recommended for long-term conservation benefits and community livelihoods.

Towards a framework for driving sustainable urban regeneration with ecosystem services

Rapid urbanization has caused significant challenges for environmental protection and historical conservation, leading to severe problems in sustaining healthy built and natural environments. Adopting new approaches to sustainable urban regeneration (SUR) is essential and could provide effective and efficient solutions to these problems. In this study, the critical concepts of SUR were investigated, and a conceptual framework was developed to implement SUR by leveraging different types of ecosystem services (ESs). Delphic hierarchy process was used to identify and measure the dimensions, sub-dimensions, and criteria of SUR that were identified from the literature and categorized into ES types. Next, these items were validated and assessed by 21 international scholars to be included in the proposed conceptual framework of ES types. The three main dimensions of SUR in this framework are quality of place, quality of life, and good governance. Also, the five types of ESs include regulating, provisioning, supporting, cultural, and economic services. The findings of this study can help local authorities as well as urban planners and designers to gain a better understanding of the significance of ES capabilities in the implementation of SUR in urban areas.

EcoDragons: A Game for Environmental Education and Public Outreach.

Simple SummaryWe face serious ecological and societal issues that require a rethinking of our approaches to involving the public in problem-solving and decision-making. Researchers need help from community scientists to gather data and generate fruitful discussions to tackle planetary problems. However, the establishment and maintenance of strong links between scientists and society require innovative ways of communication outside conventional educational institutions. Here, we propose a game that teaches the players the basics of ecological thinking when approaching environmental issues and biodiversity conservation. The game is called EcoDragons and it uses dragonflies as the main biological entity to colonize, establish and maintain biodiversity in an empty landscape that regularly faces climatic and anthropogenic disturbances. While the current EcoDragons was based on European dragonflies, the concept is highly adaptable to dragonflies of other regions (changing the species names), or even to other taxonomic groups. Besides the various pedagogical benefits, the game has the potential to foster public engagement in biodiversity conservation and community science.Environmental education is crucial to tackling the pressing ecological and societal issues on our planet. Although there are various ways to approach environmental education and raise public awareness, games are potentially an effective vehicle of knowledge and engagement because they vulgarize the scientific information in a universal ‘language’ and bring people together. Here, we designed a game, EcoDragons, that integrates principles of ecology, biological conservation, life history, and taxonomy. The protagonists of the game are dragonflies and damselflies. The aim of the game is to colonize habitats with different species and use ecological processes (e.g., predation, competition, and mutualism) and conservation measures (e.g., restoration and reintroduction) to face random environmental disturbances (e.g., climate warming, drought, pollution, and biological invasion). The version of the game presented in this paper was based on European species. The game includes 50 species (25 dragonflies and 25 damselflies). The winner of the game is the one who occupies more habitats, establishes and maintains the largest number of species, and solves more anthropogenic disturbances. EcoDragons has a global outreach potential to educate the public about ecology, conservation, and organismic life history, and will probably engage people in environmental advocacy.

Measuring the Degree of Balance between Urban and Tourism Development: An Analytical Approach Using Cellular Data

This study presents an analytical approach for measuring the degree of balance between urban and tourism development, which has been previously analyzed qualitatively and was difficult to measure. With the help of 1012 million cellular data records generated by 20 million users in two weeks, we tracked the behavior of residents, commuters, and tourists at a set of historical conservation areas in central Shanghai. We calculated the degree of balance and visualized it via ternary graphs. Moreover, the relationships between key urban features derived from multi-sourced urban data and balanced degrees of tourism development were analyzed via multinomial logistic analysis. Insights gained from this analysis will help to achieve a more scientific decision-making process toward balanced urban development for historical conservation area. Achievements in this study contribute to the development of human-centered planning through providing continuous measurements of an “unmeasurable” quality.

Un/Making Assets: The Institutional Limits to Financialization

This article contributes to contemporary debates within the financialization and assetization literatures by examining the sale of tax credits in U.S. property markets over the last twenty years. Whereas the vast majority of research on financial assets focuses on the income-generating aspects of property, this article considers a more holistic approach to assets. Through detailed empirical analysis of syndication in historic tax credit and conservation easement markets, we demonstrate how assets are not just sources of income or cash flow but also—critically—sources of expense reduction. Drawing from relevant U.S. tax law and related legal provisions, we trace three interlocking components in the assetization process: enabling and disabling legislation, the structures and typologies of property ownership, and the actors that make deals happen. By starting with asset creation, rather than assumed geographies of investment, we bridge the rural–urban divide to reveal new geographies of finance sourced directly from the state. Although the tax sheltering dimensions of assets are unique in this regard, the state retains the capacity to unmake assets that lack “economic substance.” As such, this article offers a new direction forward—a legal-institutionalist framework—that foregrounds the state as setting and enforcing the limits to financialization.

Decision making based on hybrid modeling approach applied to cellulose acetate based historical films conservation

Preserving culture heritage cellulose acetate-based historical films is a challenge due to the long-term instability of these complex materials and a lack of prediction models that can guide conservation strategies for each particular film. In this work, a cellulose acetate degradation model is proposed as the basis for the selection of appropriate strategies for storage and conservation for each specimen, considering its specific information. Due to the formulation complexity and diversity of cellulose acetate-based films produced over the decades, we hereby propose a hybrid modeling approach to describe the films degradation process. The problem is addressed by a hybrid model that uses as a backbone a first-principles based model to describe the degradation kinetics of the pure cellulose diacetate polymer. The mechanistic model was successfully adapted to fit experimental data from accelerated aging of plasticized films. The hybrid model considers then the specificity of each historical film via the development of two chemometric models. These models resource on gas release data, namely acetic acid, and descriptors of the films (manufacturing date, AD-strip value and film type) to assess the current polymer degradation state and estimate the increase in the degradation rate. These estimations are then conjugated with storage conditions (e.g., temperature and relative humidity, presence of adsorbent in the film’s box) and used to feed the mechanistic model to provide the required time degradation simulations. The developed chemometric models provided predictions with accuracy more than 87%. We have found that the storage archive as well as the manufacturing company are not determining factors for conservation but rather the manufacturing date, off gas data as well as the film type. In summary, this hybrid modeling was able to develop a practical tool for conservators to assess films conservation state and to design storage and conservation policies that are best suited for each cultural heritage film.

Freshwater biodiversity in western Nepal: A review

Western Nepal is known for its rich freshwater resources that support diverse flora and fauna. Freshwater ecosystems of western Nepal provide multitudes of ecosystem goods, services (irrigation, hydroelectricity, drinking water) to humans, and provide breeding and feeding grounds for many wetland-dependent flora and fauna. But these wetlands are under tremendous pressure mainly due to anthropogenic activities. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the freshwater biodiversity, distributions of wetlands and their status in western Nepal. From this review, we found that western Nepal is rich in freshwater resources and supports diverse flora and fauna. The biologically significant Karnali River is the home of a globally endangered species, the South Asian river dolphin. We also discuss the conservation history of wetlands, identify the gaps, and further suggest priority hotspots for the formulation of future conservation strategies for these ecosystems.

Bioinspired, Cholesteric Liquid-Crystal Reflectors with Time-Controlled Coexisting Chiral and Achiral Structures.

The twisted structures of the chitin-based cuticle of beetles confer specific optical characteristics on them. Intrigued by the observation of Bragg gratings with a depth-dependent periodicity in the cuticle of Chrysina beetles, we determine the experimental conditions leading to their transcription into cholesteric liquid-crystal oligomers. We correlate the optical properties of reflectors thus produced with their internal morphology, as observed by transmission electron microscopy. With the use of a single parameter, thermal annealing time, the reflection color is made time-tunable. Different spectral bands and reflection colors from golden yellow to NIR are available, and the irreversibility of the final color is reached at the end. On the basis of the design concept and these properties, these hybrid chiral-achiral materials inspire the fabrication of smart reflective labels. When encapsulated in the package of a product to be kept under cold conditions, the label records the history of the product conservation. Two kinds of information based on color changes are recorded as follows: qualitative information reporting that the product was kept outside of the specified storage temperature and quantitative information giving an indication of the time elapsed since the temperature exceeded the storage temperature of the product.

Historic Conservation Area Policy and Partial Shrinkage in an Expanding Megacity in China: Microscale Study of 9 Jiedao with 14 Historic Conservation Areas in Old Liwan, Guangzhou, China

Abstract Historic conservation is closely connected with the phenomenon of partial shrinkage in the rapidly developing megacity of Guangzhou. Nine jiedao (subdistricts) including 14 historic conser...

Olaf Kaltmeier, National Parks from North to South: An Entangled History of Conservation and Colonization in Argentina

Olaf Kaltmeier, <i>National Parks from North to South: An Entangled History of Conservation and Colonization in Argentina</i>

Rediscovering Ancient Egypt: consideration of the legacy, ethics and aesthetics of previously restored Egyptian artefacts

National Museums Scotland’s (NMS) new permanent Ancient Egypt gallery project at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh gave an opportunity for current conservators and curators to collaboratively assess and evaluate historic conservation and restoration treatments. Restoration had been an integral element in transforming archaeological fragments from Egypt into museum display objects in the UK, and restoration often went beyond the purposes of stabilisation and preservation to the point of obscuring or distorting original features. The evaluation of these earlier restorations informed treatment decisions and became one of the major challenges for conservators. Common overarching questions were applied in deciding the appropriate approach balanced against the principles of minimum intervention set out in NMS’s conservation policy and the time and resource limitations of a capital project. The process provided an important opportunity to review the collections’ history and to reassess the museum’s conservation and curatorial aims and values. This article examines some of the issues and challenges with dealing with previously restored ancient Egyptian collections through selected case studies from the project, involving gilded coffins, stone statuary, and smaller inlaid wood and faience items.