Mountains National Park Research Articles

Tourism-generated energy use characteristics and sustainability transitions

Mountain tourism destinations are characterized as significantly impacted by their remoteness, seasonal climatic variations, and fragile ecosystems. These factors greatly influence the development, distribution, and consumption of energy sources in the tourism sector. With the increasing popularity of mountain parks and protected areas as tourism destinations, it is critical to understand the interplay between tourism development (e.g. expansion of tourism facilities), patterns of energy sources (diversity and consumption levels) in the tourism sector, and overall sustainability of resources use at the destination level. Current literature reveals a dearth of research on energy issues in mountain protected areas, which is somewhat surprising as energy and resource consumption issues are becoming more important from a climate change perspective. This paper examines contemporary energy use patterns in the Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) National Park of Nepal. A mixed methods is applied to analyze development trends and transitions in energy use. Data were collected based on questionnaire surveys of tourism facilities, complemented by semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that energy sources used in the facilities have gone through a significant change, from a firewood-dependent tourism center to increasing use of alternative sources including liquified petroleum gas (LPG) and hydroelectricity. About one-third of the facilities did not use firewood. The heterogeneous geographic distribution of the facilities affects the spatial use of energy sources. Furthermore, we argue that the coordination efforts between the national park administration and local communities, the growth of tourism, the construction of hydropower plants, and the advancement of transportation are the leading causes of the changes in energy use patterns. Knowledge of the energy use characteristics and drivers influencing the energy transitions can inform future policies that promote a low-carbon economy in mountain destinations.

Influence of atmospheric state on variability of long-term residual ambient sound level measurements in a subalpine valley.

Two natural influences on the acoustic environments of mountainous parks and communities are flowing water and shifting weather. A central purpose of the acoustic measurement design used by the United States National Park Service is to provide spectral estimates of residual ambient sound level metrics at a seasonal time scale. Acoustic monitoring sampling methodologies are often designed using a sequence of similar measurements. When source and residual ambient spectra overlap, an estimate of variability in the latter is beneficial to successful monitoring design. The observed and modelled effects of atmospheric state on sound level are analyzed to reveal variability due to these effects at a long-term monitoring site in Denali National Park, Alaska. The analysis of variability incorporates a covariate that is otherwise challenging to estimate in remote settings: vertical temperature gradients in the atmospheric boundary layer. Results reveal inversions (positive gradients) in the atmosphere ≥30% between 19:00 and 09:00. Inversion strengths above 0.06 °C/m are associated with 10-15 dB increases in sound level over hourly time scales. Because inversions tend to occur during otherwise quiescent times of day, they ultimately reduce seasonal variability at the site and corresponding uncertainty in noise metrics for transportation noise arriving from varied directions.

The Characteristics of Visitor Behavior and Driving Factors in Urban Mountain Parks: A Case Study of Fuzhou, China

Previous studies have focused on the linear relationship between recreation behavior and environmental variables. However, to inform the planning and design of recreational spaces, it is essential to understand the factors that contribute to differences in the spatial distribution of recreation behavior. This study investigates the characteristics of visitor behavior in urban mountain parks in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China. It describes the distribution of tourist numbers and the diversity of behaviors in these parks and explores the landscape driving factors of visitor behavior, as well as the interaction effects between the factors from the perspective of spatial driving forces. The results indicate that (1) The observed behaviors in the three parks are primarily access behaviors. The number of visitors and the diversity of behaviors show a high level in the morning and evening and a low level in the midday. (2) There was minimal variation in behavioral composition and behavioral diversity among the study plots of different elevation gradients in the three parks. However, the contrasts between different landscape types were more pronounced, with impermeable plazas exhibiting the highest behavioral diversity and park roads demonstrating the most homogeneous behavioral diversity. (3) The impact of environmental factors was more pronounced than that of landscape pattern factors. The environmental factors that most strongly influenced passing, dynamic, and static behaviors were spatial connectivity value, hard space proportion, and number of recreational facilities, respectively. In contrast, the hard space proportion was the strongest driver of behavioral diversity. Moreover, the interaction between the hard space proportion and spatial connectivity value was more pronounced in driving behavioral diversity, as well as the three behaviors.

Alterations in carbon and nitrogen cycling mediated by soil microbes due to the conversion of karst mountainous forests into urban parks

The conversion of mountainous karst forests into urban parks necessitates a critical analysis of its impact on existing ecosystems, particularly regarding soil microbial diversity and its role in carbon and nitrogen cycling. Our study targeted three established mountain parks in Guiyang, China, to discern the effects of habitat alteration and park age on the soil microbiota’s functional genes. The findings indicated pronounced differences in functional gene profiles between original remnant forests and created greenspaces. The artificial green spaces exhibited a heightened presence of genes related to aerobic methane oxidation, anaerobic carbon fixation, denitrification and nitrification, indicating that artificial green spaces may cultivate soil microbial communities with enhanced metabolic versatility. We revealed a positive correlation between soil nitrogen levels and the abundance of genes involved in various processes of the carbon and nitrogen cycles in these artificial green areas, highlighting the critical role of nitrogen in influencing the structure of microbial communities. Soil chemical properties (namely C, N, P, K content) and habitat type emerged as the most consequential for the gene composition related to the carbon and nitrogen cycles. The co-occurrence networks of functional genes constructed for these cycles suggest a tendency towards synergistic microbial interactions. To safeguard the interplay between human recreation and the conservation of native ecosystems, we recommend the integration of native flora preservation and meticulous soil condition management into the strategies for developing urban mountain parks.

Biology and ecology of a deep cave nesting spider wasp, Ageniella evansi Townes, (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), in Arizona

ABSTRACT Cavernicolous populations of the spider wasp Ageniella evansi Townes, 1957 (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) nest deep within limestone caves at Colossal Cave Mountain Park near Tucson, Arizona, USA. These remarkable populations are the only truly cavernicolous pompilid wasps currently known. As many as 79 females were documented nesting simultaneously within Arkenstone Cave. The facts that the wasps do not nest near cave entrances but only deep within the interior of the caves, are philopatric to each occupied cave and have been present each year for decades confirm their cavernicolous behaviour as subtroglophiles. Studies conducted for over 30 years revealed many insights into the behaviour of these wasps in addition to their nesting deep within limestone caves, including: intraspecific and interspecific competition, plasticity in host selection, precision solar navigation, evidence that some form of communal nesting may be present and behaviour suggestive of rudimentary cognition in the species. This study demonstrates the importance of assessing all animals found in caves as potential ecological elements and not focusing solely on exotic troglobiotic species.

Impact of transforming karst mountainous forests into urban parks on plant diversity patterns.

The conversion of urban montane forest resources into urban parks requires careful assessment to understand its impacts on plant diversity over time. This study aims to enhance urban biodiversity conservation strategies by analyzing how habitat type and park age affect woody plant diversity. We surveyed woody plant species in 60 sample plots across two different habitats (remnant forest vs. artificial green space) within three mountain parks in Guiyang, China, established at different times. The alpha diversity of saplings/seedlings was significantly higher in remnant forests than in artificial green spaces. Artificial green spaces exhibited more homogenous woody plant composition compared with remnant forests. Newer parks showed greater variation in plant composition between the two habitats than older parks. Indicative species in remnant forests were predominantly native, whereas those in artificial green spaces were mainly ornamental species. The transformation of karst mountainous forests into urban parks leads to the homogenization of woody plant composition and impedes the regeneration of saplings/seedlings. Therefore, it is crucial to manage these conversions carefully and strive to preserve as many native species as possible to support urban plant diversity conservation.

Environmental Factors Structuring Diatom Diversity of the Protected High Mountain Lakes in the Kaçkar Mountains National Park (Rize, Turkey)

The altitude of the habitat is one of the important regulators of species survival. Kaçkar Mountains National Park is located in the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. This is the first study on the benthic diatom flora of the high mountain lakes in Kaçkar Mountains National Park, which is situated between 2782 and 3075 m a.s.l. A total of 84 diatom species were identified from benthic communities of 15 habitats in summer (19 July, 28 August) and autumn (10 September) months of 2020. The genus Pinnularia (thirteen species) formed the basis of the taxonomic list, followed by Eunotia (five species), Navicula (five species), and Frustulia (four species) genera, respectively. The waters in all the studied lakes were fresh, low-saline, with low-alkaline or circumneutral pH and organically uncontaminated, as evidenced by prevailed bioindicator groups. Statistical methods and comparative floristic results confirm the role of the lake altitude for the diatom species distribution. The species richness of the studied lakes was higher in lakes with lower altitudes. The statistical approach also revealed the potential for an increase in the number of species in high mountain lakes if the study of the diatom flora of the Kachkar Mountains National Park is continued and the species composition of the lakes is replenished. Further studies will be needed to continue exploring this pattern. To protect studied high mountain lakes, their ecological conditions must be constantly monitored in the Kaçkar Mountains National Park.

Hydrological Cost – Benefit Analysis of Stormwater Management Strategy in Northern Coastal Mountain Parks

Hydrological Cost – Benefit Analysis of Stormwater Management Strategy in Northern Coastal Mountain Parks

Evaluation of Freshwater Water Quality with Indexes and GIS-Based: A Case Study, Güren Stream (Küre Mountains National Park, Western Black Sea Basin, Turkey)

Evaluation of Freshwater Water Quality with Indexes and GIS-Based: A Case Study, Güren Stream (Küre Mountains National Park, Western Black Sea Basin, Turkey)

Importance of stemflow to soil water replenishment in a montane forest of Popa Mountain Park, Myanmar

Stemflow (SF), rainwater that reach the ground by flowing down along the branches and trunk, is important in maintaining soil water content (SWC) and recharging groundwater in a forest. This study aims to investigate the importance of SF to soil water replenishment in a montane forest. Measurements of gross rainfall, SF at 9 trees, SWC at two different points for two soil depths and infiltration rates at the two points were carried out in Popa Mountain Park (PMP) in 2019. SF rates in PMP were high ranging from 4.0% to 18.8% of total gross rainfall. Mean SWC near the tree were 18.5% at 5 cm depth and 21.7% at 15 cm depth, respectively, while those outside the canopy area were 11.4% and 9.0%, respectively. SWC near the tree were significantly higher for both soil depths. Similarly, significant higher infiltration rate was found near the tree. Near the tree, infiltration rate exceeded the amounts of individual rain events helped to store more rainwater as SWC in deeper soil layers. In PMP, thus, vegetative cover particularly forested areas are expected to have hydrological advantages in restoring rainwater through a large amount of infiltrated SF into the soil.

Analysis of similarity among national parks in Korea: A comparison of habitat composition and species presence–absence data (Lepidoptera, aquatic insects, and higher plants)

AbstractA list of species of Lepidoptera, aquatic insects, and higher plant species inhabiting 22 National parks in Korea was compiled. A similarity analysis was performed to compare all National parks, and cladograms were constructed. In the case of higher plants, those inhabiting the Hallasan region were categorized as a separate group, while the plants living in National parks located near the southern and western coasts formed one group, and other terrestrial National parks were divided into two groups as follows: the Taebaek Mountain range/adjacent mountain group and the others group. Species of Lepidoptera, which appear to be related to plants, in the Hallasan, Taebaeksan, Taeanhaean, and Bukhansan mountains were each classified independently, and those in the Hallyeohaesang, Dadohaehaesang, Naejangsan, and Byeonsanbando in the southern and western parts of Korea were classified as a single group. In case of aquatic insects, those in the Hallasan, Taeanhaean, and Bukhansan region were categorized in independent groups, and other terrestrial National parks were placed in one group with high similarity. A similarity analysis was performed through a detailed classification of the habitats in National parks revealed that marine‐coastal National parks particularly showed low similarity with other mountainous National parks. In addition, other terrestrial National parks were further grouped into large and small National parks. Comparing the subject map that divided Korea into climate, vegetation, and topography, some marine‐coastal National park areas were confirmed to be distinguished from other areas. Furthermore, similarity analysis revealed that Gangwon‐do and Baekdu‐Daegan regions in Gyeongsangbuk‐do were categorized into one group with high similarity.

Research on Landscape Preference of Urban Mountain Park Based on Visitors’ Perception—Taking Xishan Park in Mianyang City as an Example

Research on Landscape Preference of Urban Mountain Park Based on Visitors’ Perception—Taking Xishan Park in Mianyang City as an Example

Living with leopards: an assessment of conflict and people's attitudes towards the common leopardPanthera pardusin a protected area in the Indian Himalayan region

AbstractProtected areas are important for wildlife conservation but they are also used by many local communities for livelihood activities. This often leads to conflicts and erodes the tolerance of local people for wildlife, particularly towards carnivores that prey on livestock. To enhance conservation success and improve the social carrying capacity of carnivores, it is essential to understand the factors influencing such conflicts and the attitudes of people interacting with carnivores. We used structured questionnaire surveys to assess the extent of livestock mortality and community responses to common leopardsPanthera pardusin Kishtwar National Park, a relatively understudied protected area in the Greater Himalayan region of India. The mountainous Park and its surroundings have historically served as a haven for the local agro-pastoralists and transhumant pastoralists, resulting in complex human–wildlife interactions across the larger landscape. Our results showed that leopards were responsible for high livestock depredation (71 incidents in 2 years), and households with larger livestock holdings experienced a higher predation rate compared to those with smaller livestock holdings. An ordinal logistic regression model revealed that respondents’ age and period of activity in the Park significantly influenced their opinions regarding leopards. Large losses suffered by otherwise low-income households resulted in more negative attitudes towards these predators. Our study indicates that financial compensation for livestock losses is a key factor in improving human–leopard coexistence. A comprehensive, cross-sector collaborative approach would help to improve conflict resolution and promote favourable attitudes towards these predators.

Landscape Characteristics in Mountain Parks across Different Urban Gradients and Their Relationship with Public Response

Numerous researchers have demonstrated the positive impacts of urban green spaces on human physiology and psychology. In mountainous urban regions, mountains have often been preserved as green spaces during urban sprawl, owing to the limited costs associated with development. While the landscape elements of these mountain parks exhibit differences depending on their locations, the nature and effects of such differences on the public’s physiological and psychological perceptions remain unclear. Therefore, we employed panoramic cameras and semantic segmentation (PSPNet-based training algorithm) to analyze the composition of landscape elements in mountain parks along an urban gradient (i.e., urban areas [UA], suburban areas [SA], and exurban areas [EA]). Concurrently, open-ended questionnaires and portable physiological monitors (ErgoLAB 3.0 Portable physiological monitoring equipment) were utilized to examine relationships between specific landscape elements and the public’s physiological and psychological responses. Our findings revealed that: (1) Urban park landscapes possessed high proportions of paved areas, humanistic vibe, vegetation hierarchy, and vegetation color richness, alongside lower scene clutter; suburban mountain park landscapes were characterized by heightened contemporary ambiance and wide viewshed area; and exurban mountain park landscapes exhibited high green view indices, expansive water surfaces, broad view area, and low scene clutter. (2) HRV and EMG differed significantly between mountain parks situated across the urban gradient. EMG also significantly varied across landscape types. All four psychological perception metrics showed significant distinctions across the three urban gradients and three green space categories. It further highlighted the importance of naturalness perception in urban mountain parks. (3) Viewshed area, average sight distance, architecture, enclosure, humanistic vibe, contemporary elements, vegetation color richness, trees and shrubs, distant hills, and scene clutter showed significant effects on both physiological and psychological outcomes. However, the application of these findings needs additional refinement tailored to the typology of the landscape. (4) To provide practical insights for constructing diverse green space typologies, we employed partial correlation modeling to eliminate covarying factors and developed a perception feedback model for public physiological and psychological indicators. Our findings elucidate relationships between landscape elements and the benefits of urban forests for public physiology and psychology. By shedding light on these connections, we further understand how landscape elements shape human perceptions of mountainous urban forests. These results offer valuable insights for shaping policies that promote favorable urban forest landscapes while also advancing landscape perception research through the use of semantic segmentation and portable physiological monitoring.

EVALUATION OF THE BARK BEETLE GREEN ATTACK DETECTABILITY IN SPRUCE FOREST FROM MULTITEMPORAL MULTISPECTRAL UAV IMAGERY

Abstract. Forests have always been a major concern for public authorities given their significant role as a resource for timber production, as well as for climate regulation. The infestation of bark beetles poses a challenging problem in forests, causing tree mortality, reduced timber quality, and ecosystem disruption. Multispectral imagery (MS) captured from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly employed for forest health assessment and have been extensively used to map the tree mortality caused by bark beetles. However, its utilisation for the identification of the initial stage of infestation known as "green attack" when infested trees do not display any visible symptoms yet, is still uncertain. This study is innovative in the ways it works with so far rare dense and comprehensive time series of MS UAV imagery starting in the initial month prior to the infestation and before the development of the Bark Beetle (BB) infestation visual symptoms, aiming to evaluate the detectability of bark beetle (Ips typographus L.) green attack. The study area predominantly covered by Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) is located in the Krkonoše Mountains National Park, in the Czech Republic. From May to August 2022, a total of nine MS UAV datasets were acquired with a DJI Phantom 4 MS sensor. The research question is whether infested trees exhibit significantly different changes in the spectra compared to healthy trees at an early stage. The detectability of green attacks was statistically investigated along with the underlying factors (flowering, growth of new shoots) that can affect the accuracy of detection. The results showed a distinct reduction in tree vitality of the infested trees in the late summer season and later stages of infestations. Based on our findings, we conclude that the proposed methods using UAV MS images can be employed to map local infestations and evaluate the tree vitality throughout the season, but the early detection of the green attack stage (in the absence of visible symptoms at the crown level) of Bark Beetle infestation from UAV MS data remains unfeasible. The precision of the detection using statistical methods can be further investigated using a time series of UAV hyperspectral images that offer a higher spectral resolution.

The Role of One Health Approach Research for the Conservation of Endemic Wild Animals and Mitigation of Future Public Health Threat in Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia.

One of the things that made the Bale mountains park attract international attention is the home of many endemic wild animal including the world rarest canid, Ethiopian wolf. However, the park's major issues, especially public health study, wildlife and environmental sanitation, have not been adequately researched. The main objectives of the review is to highlight the study needed for prevention of animal and human health threat at Bale mountains national park. The water (river) rises from the park is used for drinking by the people downstream. As human approach to new area of the park, there is a chance for infected with new pathogens which may cause for newly emerging outbreak of the disease. The endemic animal in the park is infected with many disease from different reservoirs such as another wild animal and environment they reside in. As an example the Ethiopian wolf which listed as critically endangered species of the animal is infected with many disease which are transmitted from the rodents, carcass, stray dogs, human and the environment specially water bodies. Due to that infectious disease in rodents, stray dogs, human lives in the park and presence of pathogenic agents in water bodies should be investigated for prevention and controlling of infectious disease which could be causes extinction of the Ethiopian wolf. Wildlife waste is major water pollutants which may excreted and released from large animals to rodents found in Bale mountains national park. The pathogen from wild animal and human can made contamination of water bodies rise from mountainous area of the Bale and flow to the downstream can easily made the pathogen transported to lowland area of Ethiopia and Somalia which results a health risk of livestock, wild animal and human. Thus integrated research related to identification of pathogens found in wild animal, human lives in surrounding the park, and presence of pathogen in environment of the park (water bodies, soil) should be performed.

A study of the thermal comfort in urban mountain parks and its physical influencing factors

Urban thermal comforts are increasingly holding people's attention due to global warming and urban heat islands. Urban parks can absorb sunlight radiation, which reduces air temperature, improving urban microclimates. Various factors in the park are confirmed to be effective in heat mitigation. However, there are few studies on thermal comfort in urban mountain parks, and mountain areas might cause peculiar climatic conditions owing to their particular landforms. To fill this gap in the research, this study explored thermal comfort in mountain parks and the environmental factors that would affect thermal comfort. A field measurement in the summertime (July & August) of 2018, it was found that trees, the river, and the area of parks could adjust the thermal comforts of mountain parks. Their effects varied throughout the day, and the impacts of trees were most pronounced at noon and late afternoon, while the influence of rivers and park areas was most pronounced at noon. Increasing the leaf area index by 1 point could result in decreases in physiological equivalent temperature, land surface temperature, and solar radiation level by 3.90 °C, 2.69 °C, and 270.10 W/m2, respectively. The findings have practical implications for future urban mountain park design works.

Network complexity of bacterial community driving antibiotic resistome in the microbiome of earthworm guts under different land use patterns

Recently, the study of antibiotic resistance in the soil animal microbiome has attracted extensive attention; however, the patterns of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil and soil animals related to different land use types remain poorly studied. In the present study, soil and earthworms were collected from four different land-use types (farmland, hospital, park land, and mountain park), and 162 ARGs in the microbiomes of the soil and earthworms were quantified using high-throughput quantitative PCR. Our study showed that the abundance and number of ARGs were higher in soil samples than in earthworm guts, but earthworms as the living organisms created relatively isolated ambient surroundings, which allowed for a more heterogeneous ARGs profile. Meanwhile, land use significantly influenced the abundance, number and co-occurrence pattern of ARGs in the soil and earthworm samples. Furthermore, abiotic and biotic factors had significant effects on the ARGs profile, among which pH had a negative effect on the ARGs profiles of both soil and earthworm microbiomes, and bacterial network complexity had a positive effect on the earthworm ARGs profile. Our study provides new insights into the distribution and dispersal of ARGs in the soil animal gut microbiome under different land use patterns.

The change of green space well-being during rapid urbanization: A case study in Jinan, China, 2006-2018.

With the rapid advancement of urbanization, the green space well-being (GSWB) of developing countries faces drastic changes and is increasingly threatened. Green and residential spaces are the core elements of GSWB; however, we know very little about the interaction and combination of the two in terms of their effect on GSWB. This study identified the spatiotemporal features of GSWB and critically examined how patterns of residential-green combinations affect GSWB. Based on land-use data for Jinan from 2006 to 2018, and using the spatial measurement tool GeoDa, we found that both green and residential space have increased significantly in central Jinan. At the macro level, the spatial correlation between the two decreased significantly; meanwhile, at the micro level, there are obvious differences in time and geography. This led to differences in the distribution of GSWB between regions with high value and those with low value. We revealed that the development, preservation, and demolition of residential and green spaces influence changes in GSWB. The positive effects on GSWB come from (1) mountain park development policy in built-up areas, (2) theme park development policy in new urban areas, and (3) urban renewal and demolition policy. The negative effects on GSWB come from (1) issues remaining from prior extensive urban development, (2) the replacement of central areas driven by urban branding, and (3) the lack of supervision of nearby facilities for new housing development. To better understand changes in GSWB, it is necessary to consider its internal residential-green spatial collaboration and propose targeted response strategies. This can help to better safeguard the quality of human settlements in the process of urbanization in developing countries.

Visitation to national parks in California shows annual and seasonal change during extreme drought and wet years

This study examines the influence of drought indicators on recreational visitation patterns to National Park Service units in California (USA) from 1980 to 2019. We considered mountain, arid, and coastal park types across a climate gradient where seasonal recreational opportunities are directly or indirectly dependent on water resources. Significant departures from the normal hydroclimate, reflected by drought or unusually wet conditions, can lead visitors to change their behavior, including recreating at a different time or place. Drought conditions can facilitate earlier seasonal access at higher elevation parks, but displace visitors in other seasons and parks. Wetter-than-average conditions can displace visitors due to snowpack or flooding, but also facilitate other activities. We found a decrease in annual visitation at popular mountain parks including Yosemite (-8.6%) and Sequoia and Kings Canyon (-8.2%) during extreme drought years due to lower-than-average attendance in peak summer and fall months. Extreme wet years also had significantly reduced annual visitation in Sequoia and Kings (-8.5%) and Lassen Volcanic (-13.9%) due to declines in spring and summer use as snowpack restricts road access. For arid parks, drought status did not have a statistically significant effect on annual visitation, although extreme drought led to less use during the hottest months of summer at Death Valley, and extreme wet conditions at Pinnacles led to less visitation throughout the year (-16.6%), possibly from impacts to infrastructure associated with flooding. For coastal park units, extreme drought led to year-round higher levels of use at Redwood (+27.7%), which is typically wet, and less year-round use at Channel Islands (-23.6%), which is relatively dry, while extreme wet years led to higher levels of annual use at Channel Islands (+29.4%). Collectively, these results indicate the effect of extreme drought or wet years on park visitation varies by park depending on geography and recreational activities offered.