Environmental Heritage Research Articles

Water and Sediment Bacterial Communities in a Small Mediterranean, Oxygen-Stratified, Saline Lake (Lake Alboraj, SE Spain)

Lake Alboraj, located in southeast Spain, was declared natural Microreserve and included into European Natura-2000 Network due to its contribution to environmental heritage. Unfortunately, the ecological status of the lake has changed dramatically, mainly due to the lowering of water table caused by groundwater abstractions for irrigation. It is a permanent small karstic lake whose surface has reduced in the last decades to nearly the third part of its historical water level. The water column shows a marked seasonal oxycline, that splits an aerobic upper layer (epilimnion) from an anaerobic layer below (hypolimnion). Sequencing 16S rRNA gene amplicons and applying chemical tools at epilimnion, hypolimnion and sediment, showed a clear gradient in the bacterial community structure, which support the co-existence of assimilatory and dissimilatory microbial mediated reactions. Results allows to infer that microbial stratification could provide various physical and chemical environments at different depths in the water column related to biogeochemical reactions providing N-S-C- recycling processes.

Introduction: Heritagizing Asian cities: space, memory, and vernacular heritage practices

ABSTRACT Urban visions of modernity and nostalgia constitute two competing visions of the good life in Asia, which are both materialised in urban neighbourhoods. When and where old historic neighbourhoods are not razed to be replaced by highrises, modern residential blocks and shopping malls but instead retained, it is often under the banner of heritage. This theme section considers heritagization of Asian cities against the backdrop of modernisation and (sub)urbanisation, in articles focusing on Kolkata, Beijing, Hanoi and Taipei. The articles explore local people’s multiple experiences within lived environments in terms of modernity and heritage, not so much by focusing on how different visions of modernity and nostalgia are materialised through the label of heritage, but by describing and analysing the modalities of such nostalgia among different groups of people, as expressed and mediated in different forms and practices. We propose to capture the diverse cognitive, memorial, affective, emotional and imaginative aspects of heritage on the part of the people living with that heritage in terms of vernacular heritage, which we define as cultural heritage that is conceived, perceived, experienced, imagined and practiced by different groups of ‘lay people’ with varying connections to specific heritage sites, environments and practices.

Діяльність підприємств сільського зеленого туризму: іноземний досвід і національні особливості

Abstract. Introduction. Modern rural green tourism on a global scale is not only a tourist product, but also an alternative, non-agricultural form of employment in rural areas, which can solve a number of socio-economic and demographic problems. Therefore, although the reasons for the emergence of rural green tourism in the world are basically the same, in different countries the factors of its organization and development are individual and specific. Along with the countries that already have a positive experience of rural green tourism, there are many countries that actively use this experience and have significant achievements in this activity. Ukraine also belongs to such countries. In foreign countries, rural green tourism is a mature tourist destination that has passed certain stages of formation, and therefore has valuable experience that is necessary for its development in Ukraine. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to study the experience of organization and management of rural green tourism in the world and the possibility of its application in Ukraine, as well as to identify and systematize the positive and negative consequences of its implementation. Results. It is established that rural green tourism today is one of the promising areas of development of the tourism industry in foreign countries, the rapid development of which in the last year due to quarantine restrictions. It combines a wide range of different types of tourism based on the use of natural, historical and other features of rural resources. The basic concepts of rural green tourism development are presented, the geography of its distribution in the world is considered. The experience of development and management of rural green tourism in the leading countries in this area is systematized. It is established that the accelerated development of rural green tourism can play the role of a catalyst for structural adjustment of the economy of both the region and the country as a whole; ensure demographic stability and address the socio-economic problems of the rural population. It is determined that the development of rural green tourism in Ukraine cannot be effective without taking into account foreign experience. The regions of its distribution in Ukraine are studied. The main directions and prospects of rural green tourism development in Ukraine are systematized taking into account the experience of foreign countries. Conclusions. A study of the world experience of using such a branch of the tourism industry as rural green tourism, allowed us to conclude that on a global scale it is an effective tool for sustainable socio-economic development of rural areas and their infrastructure. The use of this tool has both positive and negative effects, but the positive effect that it has on the livelihoods of local people, preservation of historical and cultural heritage and ecological environment, are undoubtedly colossal requires deep study and experience in implementing advanced countries - further distribution and application, including on the territory of Ukraine. This will give a significant impetus to the development of the national economy by increasing the level of filling the budgets of local governments and the state budget, stopping migration processes and restoring labor potential, improving the material well-being of the rural population and more.

Perceptions and Consequences of Socioenvironmental Vulnerability Due to Tropical Cyclones in Los Cabos, Mexico

Climate change has resulted in severe consequences of hydrometeorological phenomena. The municipality of Los Cabos, Mexico, has been the most affected in the state of Baja California Sur by these hazards due to its location on the southern tip of the peninsula, being exposed with approximately 192 km of coastline; it is an environmental heritage that has made the area a primary tourist attraction in Mexico, which has caused a rapid growth in population with little knowledge about cyclone activity. In addition, there is limited knowledge regarding social indicators that measure vulnerability due to tropical cyclones. Based on the above, the objective of this study was to capture community perceptions about vulnerability related to tropical cyclones and to compare the results with real impacts and their index of socioenvironmental vulnerability, which includes indicators of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, to provide useful information to form strategies to mitigate risk. Data were collected through a questionnaire-survey in 335 randomly selected households; we applied a probability model to the perception analysis and calculated an index to categorize vulnerability. We found differences between perceptions and real affectations, with 64% of households categorized as being highly vulnerable to tropical cyclones, and we detected a lower perception about damage suffered to their households. The variables related to knowledge and local or foreigner status were predictors of vulnerability perception. We included georeferenced data on flooding hazard maps as a strategy for adaptation.

Obsidian from the Site of Piano dei Cardoni, Ustica (Palermo, Italy): Preliminary Results on the First Occupation of the Island

Abstract New investigations on Ustica (Palermo, Sicily) originated from the need to improve our knowledge of the island’s archaeological and environmental heritage. Through field surveys, particular attention was paid to human occupation in the Neolithic phases and focused on the less investigated southern side of the island. The systematic survey of the area of Piano dei Cardoni in 2018 brought to light a new Middle/Late Neolithic site, already partially documented in the literature. The island was settled for the first time during these phases, as also testified from the area of Punta Spalmatore. The presence of Serra d’Alto, incised dark burnished, and Diana styles suggests that the site and the archaeological assemblage dates from the mid to late 5th millennium BC, as confirmed by AMS dating. In addition to pottery, obsidian artifacts were also recovered, and a preliminary study of these materials is presented here. Portable XRF analyses on a sample of 41 obsidian artifacts, representing a high percentage of the lithic assemblage compared to chert tools, show that the provenance of the raw material is Gabellotto Gorge (Lipari) and Balata dei Turchi (Pantelleria). These results provide new insight into broader regional debates about obsidian technology and its exchange during the Neolithic and open an important consideration for sites that are far from the raw material sources.

Volumetric Video in Augmented Reality Applications for Museological Narratives

Cross-reality technologies are quickly establishing themselves as commonplace platforms for presenting objects of historical, scientific, artistic, and cultural interest to the public. In this space, augmented reality (AR) is notably successful in delivering cultural heritage applications, including architectural and environmental heritage reconstruction, exhibition data management and representation, storytelling, and exhibition curation. Generally, it has been observed that the nature of information delivery in applications created for narrating exhibitions tends to be informative and formal. Here we report on the assessment of a pilot scene for a prototype AR application that attempts to break this mold by employing a humorous and playful mode of communication. This bespoke AR experience harnessed the cutting-edge live-action capture technique of volumetric video to create a digital tour guide that playfully embellished the museological experience of the museum visitors. This applied research article consists of measuring, presenting, and discussing the appeal, interest, and ease of use of this ludic AR storytelling strategy mediated via AR technology in a cultural heritage context.

Construction of Sustainable Territories and the Multiple Dimensions of Sustainability: An Assessment of Urban and Environmental Instruments in the Juqueri-Cantareira Sub-basin of the São Paulo Metropolitan Region

This article explores the relationship between legal frameworks, urbanization, and environment in the context of metropolitan fringes. The focus of study is the Juqueri-Cantareira sub-basin, a strategic territory for the ecosystemic balance of the São Paulo Metropolitan Region (SPMP), Brazil. This region is also home to critical natural remnants and watersources protected by Law and encompasses smaller cities undergoing intense urbanization out of step with prevailing instruments of urban and environmental planning. The article examines the limits and challenges of the urban and environmental instruments proposed for a section of the Juqueri-Cantareira sub-basin, particularly those lying within the protected area for Spring recovery (Alto Juquery). It is assumed that municipal Master Plans and the Specific Law for Protection and Recovery of Springs (State Law 15.790/2015) should be within the framework of an integrated planning process, in which sustainability is systemic and has multiple dimensions. A qualitative assessment methodology was adopted that covers four dimensions of sustainability (political, environmental, territorial, and socioeconomic) in an analysis of the urban instruments of the cities of Caieiras, Franco da Rocha and Mairiporã, and of the environmental instrument—the Specific State Law for the Protection and Recovery of Springs. The study sought to determine how these instruments articulate and incorporate these dimensions to promote strategies contributing to sustainable development and addressing socio-spatial inequalities in the region. The results revealed that, although the instruments analyzed addressed, to a greater or lesser extent, the dimensions of sustainability defined for the study, a sectoral fragmented view prevailed, as did the model of a sprawling city. The planning process should be reviewed to provide an integrated vision of regional scope to value the territory, environmental heritage and local communities, favoring their sustainable development.

Review of the medicinal potential of the Flora of Embu-Verde Environmental Preservation Area

The Atlantic Forest Biome is essential for 72% of the Brazilian population, but only a small part of the population has knowledge and values this environmental heritage. This biome is under constant threat; thus, strategies and actions are needed for its preservation and conservation. The Embu-Verde Environmental Preservation Area (EPA) concentrates a big part of the remaining biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest, and because it is close to the largest urban center in the country, it is increasingly threatened. The use of plants as a medicinal tool has been explored since the beginning of mankind. In fact, many of the compounds used in the health area derive from the flora. In this context, this study aimed to identify the medicinal potential of the EPA Embu-Verde flora, from the perspective that it is necessary to know to be able to preserve. Based on previous studies registering the biodiversity of EPA Embu-Verde, all the species of flora listed were investigated to identify its medicinal potential. We show here that of the 202 native species identified in the EPA Embu-Verde, there are 35 species of 23 botanical families that presented medicinal potential. The Myrtaceae family was the most cited, and its anti-inflammatory potential was the most prominent, moreover, several other uses were reported for the remaining flora. The medicinal potential of the flora of EPA Embu-Verde is still underestimated, therefore the recognition of medicinal species by the population is important. The preservation of the flora is essential to guarantee the possibility of future bioprospecting studies that will investigate the therapeutic potential of the still unknown medicinal species.

Cultural Heritage and Obia

The historic centre of a town is its oldest and original core. It needs special protection in order to ensure the conservation of its historical, artistic and environmental heritage. In Italy, the definition of historic centres and the protection of their cultural heritage evolved in time, up to the current special attention for the historical aspects. The main threats to historical centres are real estate speculation and mass tourism. The purpose of this study is to catalog and monitor historic centers over time, in the context of urban planning. High-resolution satellite images and geographic information systems (GIS) offer new tools for urban planning and also for cultural heritage themes. “Real time” evaluation of urban structures, cartographic updating, monitoring of the progress of major works, with particular regard to cultural heritage, are made possible by the use of high-resolution images, which facilitate the identification of changes in urban and non-urban areas. The technique of Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA) has been used for image analysis and interpretation. OBIA allows a good interpretation of the scene captured by sensors thanks to classification-based segmentation and extraction of complete objects and their topological relations. This yields to a classification similar to the output of human photo-interpreter, but with a better reproducibility and homogeneity. In this paper we describe, through an application example, the potentiality and the difficulties of this technique and some results. The whole information obtained from segmented and categorized satellite images has been structured in a proper GIS, so that it can be overlaid with other environmental data. Information structuring and special metaheuristic analyses allow to study and monitor historic centers and cultural heritage. This methodology allows to identify the places at risk that need priority restoration; moreover it allows to keep track of changes that occurred over time

Recreating and Protecting Southeast Ireland’s Cultural and Environmental Heritage

The Creadan Head Archaeological Project (CHAP) utilizes four decades of archaeological research on the earliest settlement of Ireland, some 10,000–12,000 years ago, as the basis for a heritage-tourism project in County Waterford, Ireland. Using best practices, CHAP is integrated into County Waterford’s economic development and heritage plans to provide opportunities for local community members to participate in the construction of their own heritage and ultimately making the region a Heritage and Ecotourism destination that includes videography, museum exhibits and heritage trails. The project team partners Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT, Republic of Ireland) with Geoarchaeology Associates (GAI, US) with a wide variety of local, national and international stakeholders including Waterford Treasures Museum, Waterford County Council, Waterford Chamber of Commerce.

MuMIA: Multimodal Interactions to Better Understand Art Contexts

Cultural heritage is a challenging domain of application for novel interactive technologies, where varying aspects in the way that cultural assets are delivered play a major role in enhancing the visitor experience, either onsite or online. Technology-supported natural human–computer interaction that is based on multimodalities is a key factor in enabling wider and enriched access to cultural heritage assets. In this paper, we present the design and evaluation of an interactive system that aims to support visitors towards a better understanding of art contexts through the use of a multimodal interface, based on visual and audio interactions. The results of the evaluation study shed light on the dimensions of evoking natural interactions within cultural heritage environments, using micro-narratives for self-exploration and understanding of cultural content, and the intersection between human–computer interaction and artificial intelligence within cultural heritage. We expect our findings to provide useful insights for practitioners and researchers of the broad human–computer interaction and cultural heritage communities on designing and evaluating multimodal interfaces to better support visitor experiences.

Digital games in the museum: perspectives and priorities in videogame design

ABSTRACT There is growing interest in the incorporation of digital games as part of the suite of offerings in museum education in heritage environments. Digital games are seen as ways of recreating historic worlds, affording empathetic and affective engagement, and increasing interest in and understanding of historical periods or processes, working in complementarity with material exhibitions and artefacts on display. Stakeholders engaged in the development of digital games, however, may have different views of what constitutes significant knowledge and priorities. This paper reports on findings from a pilot study that investigated key concerns for three groups involved in designing a game – museum educators, maritime archaeologists and games designers – that foregrounded the construction of history, history as constructed and processes of historical research. The paper explores the differing values and priorities underlying the perspectives of each group, and the implications of these for museum education, and the design of the game.

Cyber-Archaeometry: Novel Research and Learning Subject Overview

The cyber archaeometry concerns a new virtual ontology in the environment of cultural heritage and archaeology. The present study concerns a first pivot endeavor of a virtual polarized light microscopy (VPLM) for archaeometric learning, made from digital tools, tackling the theory of mineral identification in archaeological materials, an important aspect in characterization, provenance, and ancient technology. This endeavor introduces the range of IT computational methods and instrumentation techniques available to the study of cultural heritage and archaeology of apprentices, educators, and specialists. Use is made of virtual and immersive reality, 3D, virtual environment, massively multiplayer online processes, and gamification. The VPLM simulation is made with the use of Avatar in the time-space frame of the laboratory with navigation, exploration, control the learning outcomes in connection to the archaeometric multisystem work. The students evidently learned to operate the VPLM following operations made via visual and home-made scripting, gaining experience in synergy, teamwork, and understanding. The resulting meaningful effects of the cyber-archaeometry with virtual operations and virtual hands, texts, and video equip students especially for e-learning with the required basic knowledge of mineralogical examination, which help to understand and evaluate mineral identification from material culture and provides readiness and capacity, which may be refined in a real polarized light microscopy (PLM) environment.

The Socio-economic Importance of an Ecolodge as a Tool for Sustainable Tourism: A Study of Obudu Mountain and Resort, Becheeve Community, Cross River State, Nigeria

Ecotourism's achievements and the opportunities it brings to the hosts' society should never be underlined by Ecolodge operations in ecotourism destinations. Conservations have turned more and more towards ecotourism as an Ecolodge operates to provide the local residents both social and economic benefits while protecting cultural and environmental heritage. The aim of this analysis is to ascertain the benefits of Ecolodge to the host community, the level of involvement of the local residents in the Ecolodge's management, and their functions in the protection and conservation of their cultural heritage and natural resources. Data were produced using the survey research design and well-structured questionnaire. Routine sampled respondents consisting of household heads, families and residents, of the community of Becheeve, Obankilu, Cross River State and the community of Host Obudu Mountain and Resort received around 400 questionnaires. The results produced were evaluated based on their degree of approval of the indices used to calculate the effect of Ecolodge, using percentages. The results were shown. The survey's findings showed that the Ecolodge provided tremendous socio-economic benefits to local communities, as well as that members of the community were actively involved in the maintenance of the Ecolodge and the protection of their cultural heritage in the study region. The report recommended community awareness program, government intervention in the provision of amenities, public and private partnership initiative, more investment on Ecolodge among others for improvement of operations and sustaining tourism in the study region and throughout the country.

Impact and Assessment of Urban Wind Environment Change on Architectural Heritage Protection

In view of the contradiction between urban construction and protection of architectural heritage, this paper analyzes the hidden dangers of wind and fire protection of architectural heritage from the perspective of wind environment impact of high-rise buildings. The wind environment simulation and fire simulation based on computational fluid dynamics are used to study the typical building heritage cases in Guangzhou. The wind environment indicators that affect the comfort, safety and fire development of the wind environment of the building heritage are explained, so as to form a strategy for evaluating the impact of wind environment of high-rise buildings on the protection of building heritage.

Integration of Cultural Digital form and Material Carrier form of Traditional Handicraft Intangible Cultural Heritage

Intangible cultural heritage is the continuous progress of human society. Intangible cultural heritage refers to various traditional cultural expressions that exist in intangible form and are closely related to the lives of the people and inherited from generation to generation. Intangible cultural heritage is a human-oriented living cultural heritage. It emphasizes human-centric skills, experience, and spirit, and is characterized by living changes. What stands out is the intangible attribute, and more emphasis on the quality that does not depend on the material form. The biggest feature of intangible cultural heritage is that it is not divorced from the special life and production methods of the nation, and it is the living of the nation's personality and national aesthetic habits. Appears. It exists on the basis of human beings, using voice, image and skills as means of expression, and passing from word to mouth as a cultural chain to continue. It is the most vulnerable part of living culture and its traditions. Therefore, for the process of inheriting intangible cultural heritage, the inheritance of people is particularly important. The traditional handicraft intangible cultural heritage is one of the best. However, with the rapid development of society, the living environment of intangible cultural heritage has changed, and the intangible cultural heritage of traditional handicraft industry is rapidly declining or even disappearing. In order to protect traditional handicraft intangible cultural heritage, this article studies the influence of the integration of traditional handcrafted intangible cultural heritage with the form of material carrier, reading and analyzing a large number of related documents using the literature survey method, and according to research needs, through the study of the content of the literature In summary, a questionnaire survey method was adopted to investigate traditional handicraft intangible cultural heritage visitors and inheritors. The results of the survey found that visitors’ satisfaction with the integration of digital forms and physical carrier forms of intangible cultural heritage projects was nearly 30% higher than that of unintegrated forms. Inheritors generally believe that integrated research has better publicity and education for traditional handicraft intangible heritage. The merged handmade intangible cultural heritage items are easy to store, retrieve and query, and at the same time help to preserve the related traditional handmade intangible cultural heritage items safely and for a long time, making the traditional handmade intangible cultural heritage items widely spread and shared around the world.

Modern approaches to change management in the state program of the city of Moscow “Development of the cultural and tourist environment and preservation of cultural heritage"based on kaizen technology

Modern approaches to change management in the state program of the city of Moscow “Development of the cultural and tourist environment and preservation of cultural heritage"based on kaizen technology

Natura 2000: The European Way Towards Sustainability

Since the entry into force of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) on 9 June 1994, the Natura 2000 Network has become the tool conceived by the Community authorities to lead the implementation of the environmental commitments on European territory, to which they were bound in application of their accession to international conventions. Natura 2000 pursues the conservation of biodiversity in Europe by harmonizing the conservation of natural heritage with the support and promotion of traditional human activities. The Habitats Directive formulated the principles, objectives, management measures and procedures to preserve, maintain or, where appropriate, restore biological diversity, which each State was subsequently responsible for transferring to the jurisdiction. The standard does not impose any specific method to be used in the designation of the sites, the type of management to be developed or the measures to be implemented, but it does establish control mechanisms over their application. The designation of a Natura 2000 site provides an invaluable opportunity to stimulate the sustainable rural development of the area and to promote plans and activities compatible with the conservation of habitats and protected species. Dialogue and concertation are the mechanisms to be put into practice when it comes to resolving conflicts arising from the design of management models that articulate the recovery of the environmental heritage. The model by which the Natura 2000 Network has been implemented so far in Spain, and specifically in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, has been based on technocratic-formal processes. The inclusion of the area in the Natura 2000 network tends to be perceived by the inhabitants of the rural world as a bureaucratized process, disconnected from local plans and collective projects. The considerable delay in the designation of areas protected by the Natura 2000 network has contributed to the delay in adopting appropriate measures to promote biodiversity and achieve the objective of halting biodiversity loss in Europe in the short term. Despite having redoubled efforts in favor of conservation, the processes of environmental degradation have been increasing.

The Bad and the Good-Microorganisms in Cultural Heritage Environments-An Update on Biodeterioration and Biotreatment Approaches.

Cultural heritage objects constitute a very diverse environment, inhabited by various bacteria and fungi. The impact of these microorganisms on the degradation of artworks is undeniable, but at the same time, some of them may be applied for the efficient biotreatment of cultural heritage assets. Interventions with microorganisms have been proven to be useful in restoration of artworks, when classical chemical and mechanical methods fail or produce poor or short-term effects. The path to understanding the impact of microbes on historical objects relies mostly on multidisciplinary approaches, combining novel meta-omic technologies with classical cultivation experiments, and physico-chemical characterization of artworks. In particular, the development of metabolomic- and metatranscriptomic-based analyses associated with metagenomic studies may significantly increase our understanding of the microbial processes occurring on different materials and under various environmental conditions. Moreover, the progress in environmental microbiology and biotechnology may enable more effective application of microorganisms in the biotreatment of historical objects, creating an alternative to highly invasive chemical and mechanical methods.

DIGITAL 3D MODELS OF MINERALS AND ROCKS IN A NUTSHELL: ENHANCING SCIENTIFIC, LEARNING, AND CULTURAL HERITAGE ENVIRONMENTS IN GEOSCIENCES BY USING CROSS-POLARIZED LIGHT PHOTOGRAMMETRY

Three-dimensional (3D) minerals and rocks in the form of interactive, engaging, and immersive experiences are of paramount importance to the geoscience community, researchers, students, and philomaths. Moreover, the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) crisis affecting our society in the spring of 2020 highlighted the importance of 3D material in geoscience education — compared to 2D images, the three-dimensional models provide a better way to learn and to recognize different minerals and rocks, properties, textures, etc. This paper seeks to provide a comprehensive method to create an interactive scientific, learning, and cultural heritage environment in the field of Geosciences. In this paper, we overcome most of the Structure-from-Motion - Multi-View Stereo (SfM-MVS) photogrammetry limitations, where samples with a transparent, translucent, or glossy surface are a real challenge for the feature detection algorithms of the SfM workflow. Correct lighting setup, the usage of cross-polarized light photogrammetry workflow, anti-reflection coating spray and post-processing steps are the essential ingredients for an enhanced photogrammetric study. The main output of this research consists of a comprehensive virtual 3D collection of minerals and rocks which are available online via the Sketchfab repository of the Museum of Mineralogy and Petrography “Grigore Cobălcescu” (https://sketchfab.com/MineralogyPetrographyMuseum).