Natural Park Management Research Articles

Visitors’ Perceptions towards the Sustainable Use of Forest Areas: The Case of Istanbul Belgrade Nature Parks

The main purpose of this study is to analyze how stakeholders’ perceptions of sustainable land use and the management of natural parks affect land management planning, with a focus on park visitors. This study was carried out in July 2019, during a period of high visitor numbers at the Belgrade Forest nature parks, as reported by the park manager. It involved evaluating participants’ knowledge about the specific natural park they visit and the organization managing it. The results show that the mode of transportation significantly influences this knowledge. Visitors who walked or drove to the park demonstrated a greater understanding of the park and its management. A visit to a nature park typically involves anticipation, planning, the visit itself, participating in activities, returning, and reflecting on past experiences. Visitors are drawn to the Belgrade Forest nature parks because of their cleanliness, family-friendly atmosphere, peacefulness, proximity, uniqueness as a green space in Istanbul, wooded areas, and suitability for sports. The study also reveals that the characteristics of nature parks, such as park amenities, distance, transportation options, and reasons for visiting, contribute to visitors’ happiness, especially affecting younger visitors between the ages of 19 and 30. These findings highlight the varied nature of visitors’ impressions after their visit, depending on their individual characteristics. In conclusion, this detailed analysis offers valuable insights to guide strategic park management efforts aimed at promoting sustainability and enhancing visitor experiences in the Belgrade Forest areas of Türkiye.

A novel mind-set in primate experimentation: Implications for primate welfare.

We emphasize the importance of studying the primate brain in cognitive neuroscience and suggest a new mind‐set in primate experimentation within the boundaries of animal welfare regulations. Specifically, we list the advantages of investigating both genes and neural mechanisms and processes in the emergence of behavioral and cognitive functions, and propose the establishment of an open field of primate research. The latter may be conducted by implementing and harmonizing experimental practices with ethical guidelines that regulate (1) management of natural parks with free‐moving populations of target nonhuman primates, (2) establishment of indoor‐outdoor labs for both system genetics and neuroscience investigations, and (3) hotel space and technologies which remotely collect and dislocate information regarding primates geographically located elsewhere.

第5報告 自然公園管理者の立場から見た森林スポーツ（2018年国土緑化推進機構「緑と水の森林ファンド」助成シンポジウム 森林スポーツ新時代─森林利用・山村振興の新たな可能性─）

第5報告 自然公園管理者の立場から見た森林スポーツ（2018年国土緑化推進機構「緑と水の森林ファンド」助成シンポジウム 森林スポーツ新時代─森林利用・山村振興の新たな可能性─）

ヨーロッパの自然公園における関係主体の関与 : イギリス,ドイツ,イタリアの事例

ヨーロッパの自然公園における関係主体の関与 : イギリス,ドイツ,イタリアの事例

Iron Gates Natural Park - Administration and Management

This paper analyzes the management and administration of one of the largest, beautiful and complex natural parks from Romania, the Iron Gates Natural Park. The management plan is a frame of integration of the biodiversity conservation problems and protection of the natural and cultural environment that also supports socio-economic development of Iron Gates Natural Park. It is also an instrument of dialog between the institutions which coordinate this area. The management plan is a document approved by H.G 1048/2013 and it resulted after consulting the interested factors of the area (city halls, local and central authorities, civil society). The administration of Iron Gates Natural Park has a new structure, founded in 2003 and is working as a subunit of Forest-National Administration (Romsilva), which assures the necessary personal and equipment for administrating the area. The area has the status of: Natural Park, Natura 2000 and Ramsar site. The forest represents 65% of the total area, 98% being a state property. Analysing Iron Gates Natural Park documents (Iron Gates Natural Park management plan, scientific council and park administration documents, visits and observations within park), we can conclude that the park has a good administration leaded by the scientific councils, who also achieved many successful European projects.

Assessing Public Perception on Protected Areas in Iron Gates Natural Park

Iron Gates Natural Park, situated in the south-western part of Romania is protected for its remarkable landscape, high biological diversity and unique habitats. The paper assesse the public perception on protected areas in Iron Gates Natural Park and explore perceptions of local residents and local authorities’ attitudes towards protected areas and conservation activities. Most respondents held a positive attitude towards protected areas and the analysis of their attitudes and perceptions revealed potential conflicts that might affect biodiversity conservation and protected area management. The main problems are the limited knowledge and a poor communication with authorities which implies a lack of local participation in conservation activities. Based on our studies, some recommendations are given for improvement of Iron Gates Natural Park management due to the importance of the local community involvement in conservation activities.

写真投影法とGPS を併用した利用者が評価する風景の調査手法の構築

Investigating visitors preferences is important for supporting landscape planning and management of natural parks, we must understand what landscapes visitors prefer and where those landscapes generate. Thus, it is necessary to create evaluation methods, and “Visitor employed photography” has been regarded as one of the useful method. This study conducted two kinds of investigation with a view to create a more effective survey method that utilizes Visitor employed photography. The first investigation aimed at efficiency using a social network service (SNS) and smartphones as survey tools. The second approach aimed to locate the evaluated landscapes through GIS analysis within the site. For this approach, respondents carried Smartphones built in GPS units to get the geospatial information. The overall objective was to verify these procedures and create a method to understand landscapes that visitors prefer. The survey was conducted on Gwanaksan Urban Natural Park, in Seoul, South Korea. Sixty respondents were participated in on-site survey and 921 photos with geospatial information were collected. GIS analysis of these photos clarified five hot spots and its spatial characteristics and landscape that visitors prefer. In this way, this study yielded significant information for creating a method to understand landscapes that visitors prefer.

Water and Wind Erosion Risk in Natural Parks –A Case Study in “Las Batuecas– Sierra de Francia” and “Quilamas” Protected Parks (Central System, Spain)

This paper presents a mapping procedure for risk mapping of water and wind erosion, whichhelps to identify protective measures needed in the planning and management of natural parks. The map of water erosion risk was developed by combining the original and revised universal soil loss equation methodologies (USLE-RUSLE), and the map of wind erosion risk was developed using Quirantes’ method. Using GIS techniques allows parametric characterisation of the factors involved in the processes of soil degradation. The validation procedure was carried out in two natural parks in the Spanish Central System. Integration of the two maps resulted in a risk map of water and wind erosion. This mapping shows a high risk of water erosion in areas of high slopes and elevations with little agricultural activity and undulating reliefs. The risk of wind erosion is lower in sectors with analytical and textural high erodibility and low vegetation cover.

Cartographic Procedure for the Analysis of Aeolian Erosion Hazard in Natural Parks (Central System, Spain)

AbstractCartographic analysis of the hazard of erosion is a useful tool for the planning and management of natural parks, helping to establish measures for protection and correction. Such parks, which offer spectacular landscape views and natural beauty, must be conserved with all their resources. Accordingly, park managers must have the cartographic tools for hazard planning, which is necessary for the rational and sustainable handling of human activities and the establishment of preventive and corrective measures. The present work describes a cartographic procedure using GIS that determines the risk of aeolian erosion. The method was applied to two protected natural parks in the central mountain system in Spain. This cartographic method revealed a weak risk of hazard of erosion in low‐lying areas or valley floors, with increasing risk in areas of deflation. These areas were explored by mapping geomorphological domains and slopes, characterising different surficial deposits: colluvium, piedmonts, debris cone, alluvial fans and river terraces. Aeolian erosion on cultivated surfaces with gentle slopes was observed to be low, but in sectors with little agricultural activity and undulated reliefs, the hazard of erosion is important owing to the high analytical and textural erodibility and scant vegetation cover of these sectors. These parameters were studied on the basis of the mapping of soils and soil profiles. Additionally, the cartography of vegetation and the wind index in the cartographic procedure allowed for the different degrees of aeolian erosion to be better quantified. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mapping Snow Avalanche Risk Using GIS Technique and 3D Modeling: Case Study Ceahlau National Park

EnviroScopY SA, PSE - A – EPFL, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland E-mail: covasnianu.adrian@gmail.com Received November 4, 2009 This study consisted in a precise mapping project (GPS field campaign, on-screen digitization of the topographic maps at 1:5.000 scale and updated with ASTER mission) of the Ceahlau mountain area in Romanian Carpathians in order to address the snow avalanche risk management, surveying and monitoring. Thus we considered the slope, aspect, altitude, landforms and roughness resulted from a high resolute numerical terrain model (31 square km at 1: 5.000 scale resulted in a spatial resolution of 3 m by the help of Topo to Raster tool). These parameters were calibrated after a model applied into Tatra Mountains and used over Ceahlau Massive. The results were adapted and interpreted considering to the European Avalanche Hazard Scale. This work was made in the context of the elaboration of Risk Map and is directly concerning both in the security of tourism activities but also in the management of Natural Park Ceahlau. The extension of this method to similar mountain areas is ongoing and finally the work has also an educational purpose. Key words: GIS, ASTER sensor, avalanche risk, natural park management, 3d modeling. 1. INTRODUCTION

Conservation and recreational values from semi-natural grasslands for visitors to two Italian parks

According to integrated natural resources management, interrelated resources have to be managed by maintaining their environmental quality, and visitors are stakeholders who have to be involved in natural park management decisions. In this paper we simultaneously examine the conservation and recreational values from grasslands for visitors to two Italian Regional Parks. A contingent valuation survey was carried out in 2007 for estimating non-use benefits to visitors from a grasslands conservation project in these parks. Two scenarios were considered: the present landscape composed of grasslands and forests, and a hypothetical scenario of forests without grasslands. Respondents were asked the quality rating of the parks as places for recreational activities, and their willingness to donate (WTD) per year to a project for maintaining the status quo. Results show that the majority of respondents give a high rating to these parks, are in favour of the project implementation, and willing to donate mainly for the benefit of future generations. Among the WTD determinants, by estimating a Tobit model and a two-stage model, giving a high quality rating to the park for recreational activities corresponds to a higher WTD for grassland conservation. This seems to suggest that the recreational motivation tends to coincide with the need to conserve habitats and biodiversity, and that the decision maker should pay specific attention to the maintenance of the quality of the recreational activities as well as the maintenance of a diversified landscape in these parks.

Obtención de fuentes cartográficas para la gestión de Espacios Naturales Protegidas (ENP): Parque Natural de Urbasa y Andía (Navarra)

Nature Park of Urbasa and Andia is located in the Northwest of Navarra. It is a natural area with significant geological, biological and ecological aspects, which enabled its declaration as a Natural Park, to ensure their conservation in harmony with traditional and new uses of enjoyment of nature. It has an area of 21,408 hectares, whose territory is occupied mainly by beech forests and mountain pastures, and given its nature was appointed SCI (Site of Community Importance). For his statement as a Natural Park, was developed the Management Plan of Resources Natural (MPRN), which establishes the basic rules for the activities that take place in this space. Also, approved the Plan of Use and Management (PUM) (Boletin Oficial de Navarra, 2002), which defines the standards, guidelines and criteria for use of territory. The main objective of this work is the application of GIS methodologies for obtaining information sources, mainly mapping that can be used to support the management of the natural park. Therefore, in some cases proposed methodologies have been applied by other authors and, in others, their own methodologies. It is intended that the use and application of the mapping results obtained that can improve various aspects of natural park management, either optimizing the mechanisms of action when dealing with a fire (Fernandez-Couto, 1998; Alejo et al., 2000), whether in action to prevent soil erosion. Another secondary objective is to obtain maps for tourist use and/or educational-informative, with the ultimate aim of attracting visitors to the natural park and make them partakers of his beauty. This is the case, for example, the mapping of location and description of points of landscape interest (Moreno and Garcia-Abad, 1996; Madiedo and Bosque, 2006). To obtain data, the Mapping Service of Navarra provides in format �shape� the georeferenced limits and 1:10000 scale aerial photographs. It has also used information from the Corine Land Cover project that develops the creation of a database 1:100000 land use in the European Union and has as main objective, the capture of digital data and geographic images collected through the series of Landsat and Spot satellites. The main problem with this project, which was designed to a very large area, it is that in local scales does not always work well. Therefore, this information was completed with that obtained by aerial photography and map habitats.

Evaluation of Collaborative Strategies Used in the Management of Natural Parks in Rio de Janeiro

ABSTRACT This paper presents the main conclusions of exploratory research aimed at analyzing the management of eight natural parks in the city of Rio de Janeiro. In view of the participative management guidelines proposed by Law 9985 (“NSCU”), the findings revealed that governmental agencies have, indeed, been making an effort to establish more participative management by means of advisory councils. Despite this, the initiatives have still been partially ineffective. The multiple case studies show that different forms of partnership are sustained with varied organizations; however, factors such as bureaucracy, lack of management autonomy, and the inadequate use of managing tools have hampered the expansion of such collaborative strategies.

A data envelopment analysis approach to the assessment of natural parks' economic efficiency and sustainability. The case of Italian national parks

AbstractWilderness protection is a growing necessity for modern societies, and this is particularly true for areas where population density is extremely high, for example Europe. Conservation, however, implies very high opportunity costs. It is thus crucial to create incentives for efficient management practices, to promote benchmarking and to improve conservation management. In the present paper we propose a methodology based on data envelopment analysis, DEA, a non‐parametric benchmarking technique specifically developed to assess the relative efficiency of decision‐making units. In particular, the objective of the discussed methodology is to assess the relative efficiency of the management units of the protected area and to indicate how it could be improved, by providing a set of guidelines. The main advantage of this methodology is that it allows us to assess the efficiency of natural park management not only internally (comparing the performance of the park with itself over time) but also by external benchmarking, thus providing new and different perspectives on potential improvements. Although the proposed methodology is fairly general, we have applied it to the context of Italian national parks in order to produce a representative case study. Specifically, the choice of adequate cost and benefit indicators is a very important and delicate phase of any benchmark analysis. For this purpose, a questionnaire was used to investigate the opinions of Italian national park managers and stakeholders and to define the relevant indicators for the analysis. Finally, relevant policy implications for the case study are given. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

A Study on Natural Park Management Based on Visitor' Attitude toward Visitor Experience

大雪山国立公園内の2箇所の区域を対象に, 利用者が利用体験を重視する程度と, 利用行為に伴うインパクトに対処する管理方策への支持やインパクトに対する不快感との関係について検討した。 利用者が示す態度の違いは区域間で小さかった。 しかし, 利用体験を重視する程度と管理方策の支持との関係は, 区域間で異なり, 利用者が支持する管理方策を用意するには, 区域毎に利用者が示す態度に応じた対応が求められた。 また, 対人的接触へのインパクトに比べ, 利用行為が自然環境に及ぼすインパクトについて, 対処の必要性や緊急性が高く, 利用者の不快感が強い傾向を示した。

Desert springs‐both rare and endangered

1. Springs occur in all American deserts but their distribution is patchy and they are very difficult to locate. 2. Desert spring floras and faunas exhibit high diversity but many of the included species are undescribed or poorly known. 3. The conservation value of desert spring communities involves both their biodiversity and their research opportunities, both pure and applied. The communities offer real-life results that can help understand the effects of progressive habitat loss and degradation. Thus their study reflects strongly on problems concerning the development and management of natural parks and reserves. 4. Factors endangering desert spring systems include the misuse of the spring and/or its supporting aquifer, poor conservation practices and the introduction of exotic species.