Natural Heritage Values Research Articles

Bridging the nature–cultural heritage gap: evaluating sustainable entanglements through cemeteries in urban Asia

The expanding footprint of urban Asian settlements and increasing living standards have put pressure on cemetery sites. Public health narratives and the sanctity associated with death matters in Asian urban landscapes have fed into the rhetoric of cemeteries as undesirable heritage spaces. Often lacking protection, many cemeteries have been exhumed, cleared, and relocated to allow room for new developments and infrastructure, risking the survival of this quiet element of the urban cultural patrimony. Within an Asian context, synergies between nature and cultural heritage preservation are not prevalent in major cities like Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok. In light of increasing recognition of urban cemeteries as multi-valued sites with both natural and cultural heritage values, this paper turns to deconstructing the nature–cultural binary and the concept of entanglement to frame an investigation of collaborative interactions. A focused study on Asian urban cemeteries follows, examining existing trends and adapted mix uses and highlighting the region’s unique conservation challenges. The analysis reveals three major typologies encapsulating the region’s current nature–cultural heritage entangled preservation approaches: sustainable compromises, memories, and everyday sustainability. To conclude, the paper distils respectful alternative futures for these spaces to be better integrated into the modern textures of the cities, unlocking functional recourses to destruction or oblivion.

Theme Exploration and Sentiment Analysis of Online Reviews of Wuyishan National Park

The study aimed to explore the relationship and interaction between humans and nature in specific areas. Latent Dirichlet allocation topic recognition and SnowNLP sentiment analysis were used to extract the topics and analyze the sentiments from visitors’ online reviews of Wuyishan National Park. The conclusions were as follows: (1) The tourists mainly expressed positive emotions toward Wuyishan National Park, and the tourists acknowledged its ecological environment and natural and cultural heritage value. (2) The tourists’ comments focused on four themes: tourism activities and facilities, natural and cultural heritage value, characteristic tourism products, and tourism management and services. Natural experience was the main tourism activity in Wuyishan National Park, while cultural activities were related to the tea culture. (3) The tourist facilities, ticket and reservation mechanism, and management and services of Wuyishan National Park were the main concerns of the tourists. The study suggested that Wuyishan National Park could be transformed from a tourist destination into a comprehensive national park that provides recreational experiences and environmental education. This should be conducted by (1) developing detailed natural and cultural education and experience products and (2) improving public service functions and enhancing the public welfare of the national park.

Temporal scale imbrication and its importance for interpretation in geocultural sites in Jebel Dahar (Southeast Tunisia)

Geocultural sites combine a high cultural and natural heritage value and are particularly suitable for the interpretation and promotion of cultural and natural heritage. Based on previous geoheritage inventories, this paper analyzes seven geocultural sites in Jebel Dahar (Southeast Tunisia) from the perspective of temporal interrelationships. Through a synthesis on the development of the natural landscape of Jebel Dahar and its occupation by human beings, the work focuses on the importance of the interweaving of temporal scales in the analysis and interpretation of geocultural sites. A specific methodology in four steps is proposed: (i) a synthesis on the components of the site in the form of a text; (ii) a summary table built according to a temporal scale composed of six periods (geological, geomorphological, prehistoric, historical, present and future); (iii) a graphical representation of the interweaving of these temporal scales; (iv) a cartographic representation of the results of the analysis. Steps (iii) and (iv) were applied only to the geocultural sites of Matmata-Beni Issa and Douiret. The paper also emphasizes the importance of the interweaving of temporal scales in the interpretation of geocultural sites. These scales could be part of the criteria for the inventory, selection, evaluation, interpretation and management of geocultural sites.

World Heritage, Hydropower, and Earth’s Largest Freshwater Fish

The Mekong River is one of the most biodiverse, productive rivers in the world, supporting more than 1000 fish species and the livelihoods of tens of millions of people. The spatial dynamics and population status of many Mekong fish species, especially megafishes, are poorly understood. Therefore, this information is rarely incorporated into environmental risk assessments for large infrastructure projects, such as mainstream hydropower developments, which have been accelerating rapidly in the Mekong Basin. In this study, we present initial findings from the ongoing, collaborative, transnational acoustic telemetry monitoring of nearly 300 tagged fishes representing 27 species, which yield important insights into the potential impacts that proposed hydropower dams would have on populations of ecologically and economically important fish species. Included in these data are more than ten months of hydrophone records tracking the location of a 300 kg giant freshwater stingray, Urogymnus polylepis (Bleeker, 1852), currently the world’s largest known freshwater fish, used to detect its migration behavior and distribution patterns. The telemetry data, combined with fisher surveys used to gather local ecological knowledge, provide evidence that the proposed dams would fragment the existing populations of this iconic species as well as those of other fish species that support river food web balance and local food systems. Furthermore, the existence of giant freshwater stringray populations and other unique megafauna reinforces the universal natural heritage value of the stretch of the Mekong River between the Lao People’s Democratic Republic/Cambodia border and the city of Kratie. This stretch of river is located between two proposed megadams, the 900 MW Stung Treng Dam and the 2300 MW Sambor Dam. However, the Cambodian Ministry of Environment has also proposed this area for designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Biosphere Reserve). The documentation of the movement of migratory fishes through this reach of the river using acoustic telemetry, the surprising discovery of the world’s largest freshwater fish, the potential threat posed by dam construction, and the management ramifications of UNESCO World Heritage Site designation underscore the importance of scientific research and community involvement in landscape-scale development decisions. The decisions made today will affect the fate of this global biodiversity hotspot, the world’s most productive inland fisheries, and the livelihoods of millions of people throughout the Lower Mekong Basin.

What Fundamental Indicators Should Be Used to Measure the Change in the Historic Urban Landscape Approach

Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) identifies an urban area due to its cultural and natural values and the qualities of its historical plane. Within this context, this article aims to determine and categorize these values used in the HUL approach as indicators. The research question focuses on finding specific indicators used in the HUL approach to measuring change beyond considering natural and cultural heritage values in the landscape context. These indicators in 228 peer-reviewed publications implementing the HUL from 2008 to 2021 are assessed. The six-step inclusive and exclusive theoretical framework is established as a method in this article to detect the inadequate implementations of HUL in case studies. The initial finding of this article is that the adequacy of using the HUL approach in publications is questionable as the implementation of the HUL approach processes was incomplete or misunderstood in most of them. Only 29 articles of the 228 publications implemented the HUL approach in its entirety. The other finding is that when the change measurement indicators in the HUL approach are examined, it is evident that natural indicators were the least used group compared to cultural and identity indicators. Each cultural, natural, and identity indicator group should be utilized evenly to implement the HUL approach adequately. This article presents a fundamental indicator list that includes cultural, natural, and identity groups for correctly using the HUL approach.

Environmental Factors Driving the Spatial Distribution Pattern of Venerable Trees in Sichuan Province, China.

Venerable trees are important natural resources and cultural heritage, offering historical, ecological, social and economic value. However, global warming and anthropogenic activities have threatened their welfare and survival. A comprehensive understanding of their current and future spatial patterns, vis-á-vis environmental conditions, can inform the co-management of sustainable resource use and conservation. We employed the existing spatial occurrence data and environmental variables (bioclimate and elevation) to simulate the optimal habitats for venerable trees in China's Sichuan Province. We evaluated the current and future climate scenarios of 2100 with double CO2 concentration. The BIOCLIM and QGIS spatial analyses assessed the primary factors of geographical distribution. The results identified 10,720 venerable trees from 123 species, 81 genera and 42 families. Cupressus funebris dominated, with the maximum importance value, followed by Ginkgo biloba, Ficus virens var. sublanceolata, and Phoebe zhennan. The elevation distribution of tree abundance and species richness demonstrated a unimodal pattern, skewing to the low-elevation end, with a concentration in the 600-1500 m low-medium altitude. The majority of trees and excellent habitats were found in eastern Sichuan with a less harsh terrain and climate. The bio3 (isothermality) and bio7 (temperature annual range) factors significantly influenced tree occurrence. Temperature imposed a greater effect on distribution than moisture under the current climate scenario. For the future climate-change scenario, the suitable habitats were predicted to maintain an overall stable pattern, with largely contiguous expansions of better habitats. However, climate warming would shrink the excellent habitats on the plains. The findings can inform strategies and guidelines for venerable-tree conservation in Sichuan. Furthermore, vulnerable areas could be identified. The future range expansion sites could be enlisted to cultivate new trees to replenish the venerable-tree pool. Habitat patches that remain sustainable could provide refugia with the potential for protected-area designation.

OUV Analysis and Global Comparative Study of Karakoram-Pamir World Natural Heritage Potential Area

The analysis and global comparison of World Natural Heritage values are important for the assessment of World Natural Heritage and are relevant for the sustainable development of the nominated potential areas. Pamir Plateau, known as the “Spring Ridge”, with the world’s largest mountain junction—Pamir mountain junction—is known as the ancestor of mountains and the source of rivers. The nominated Karakorum-Pamir site was inscribed on the World Heritage Tentative List in 2010. In this paper, the characteristics of heritage resources in two areas of the Karakoram-Pamir heritage potential area are systematically analyzed according to the standard of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of world heritage by comprehensive analysis and geographical comparison. It puts forward that the aesthetics, geology, and biological ecology of this region are of global outstanding universal value. It is concluded that the Karakoram-Pamir Heritage Potential area meets the criteria of world natural Heritage (VII), (VIII), and (X). By comparing with 15 large mountain heritages listed in the World Heritage list, it is concluded that the Karakoram-Pamir area in Xinjiang has an OUV of world heritage and a potential of declaring world natural heritage. This study lays a scientific foundation for the declaration of Xinjiang Karakoram-Pamir as a World Heritage site.

Decline of regional ecological integrity: Loss, distribution and natural heritage value of roadless areas in Ontario, Canada

Only eight years remain to increase nature protection by 20 million ha in Ontario from 10.7% to 30% by 2030 to meet government commitments. Rapid identification and assessment of unprotected roadless areas (RAs) would help to achieve this goal by focussing natural heritage protection efforts in areas with high ecological and conservation value. In Ontario, little is known about the location and extent of RAs, thus the purpose of this study was to map and describe RAs in Ontario, and to discuss their value. Total length of roads in Ontario increased from ∼90,000 km in 1916 to ∼607,500 km in 2020 – an increase of ∼517,500 km (675%) over 104 years. Within Ontario's managed forest region (MFR; excludes the Far North), RAs declined from ∼34 million ha in 1916 to ∼18.5 million ha in 2020 resulting in a loss of ∼15.5 million ha reducing RA cover in the region to 35.6%. Doubling logging production by 2030 per a new Ontario policy could reduce RAs by as much as 20% to ∼14.8 million ha by 2030, potentially resulting in their depletion between 2090 and 2100. In 1880, woodland caribou occupied ∼43 million ha in Ontario's MFR, which declined to ∼10 million ha by 1990. Caribou occupancy in this region could be eliminated by ∼2024 and extirpated from all of Ontario by 2070. If all remaining RAs in the MFR were designated as protected areas, Ontario would achieve 92.7% of the 30 × 30 goal. RAs in Ontario continue to be degraded, fragmented and eliminated.

Raise the dikes and re-use the past? Climate adaptation planning as heritage practice

Across Europe, coasts are drastically being changed to adapt to relative sea level rise, which will influence coastal landscapes and heritage in many ways. In this paper, we introduce a methodological starting point for analysing the ways in which landscape architects and spatial planners engage with coastal landscapes and coastal heritage in the context of current climate adaptation projects. We test these methodologies by applying them to the Marconi dike strengthening project in Delfzijl, the Netherlands. This city’s dike fortification is an interesting case, as it offers many opportunities for re-designing heritage. The city borders the Wadden Sea area, a tidal mudflat area protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its natural and geological heritage values. The area also consists of a rich cultural landscape, which is overlooked in the public image and in local policy. We conclude that landscape architects and planners should strengthen not only the dike, but also the interpretation of the past that dominates policy and political debates in the area. We also find that the existing heritage production model of Ashworth and Tunbridge can provide some useful structure for understanding and contextualizing spatial planning for climate change as a way of doing heritage.

‘The Charm of a Thousand Years’: exploring tourists’ perspectives of the ‘culture-nature value’ of the Humble Administrator’s Garden, Suzhou, China

ABSTRACT Despite the promulgation of the UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1972, widely lauded for being the first international convention to include natural and cultural heritage, the separation of cultural and natural heritage persists. Equally, within the top-down ‘authorised’ global and national heritage systems, the values of the elite and powerful continue to be emphasised while the understanding of heritage by the general public is often downplayed or ignored. This paper analyses the travel journals of tourists who have recently visited the 拙政园 (Humble Administrator’s Garden), China, in order to explore visitor understanding of the cultural and natural values of this World Heritage listed place. The findings indicate that tourists’ experiences are connected to their personal memories, feelings and emotions in ways that integrate cultural and natural heritage meanings and values. Such interconnected ‘naturecultures’ experienced by individual tourists, we argue, is more emotional and powerful than the official UNESCO and state-sanctioned narrative.

Features of Speleothems and Natural Heritage Value of Songam Cave, DPR Korea

Features of Speleothems and Natural Heritage Value of Songam Cave, DPR Korea

Inland Salinas in Spain: Classification, Characterisation, and Reflections on Unique Cultural Landscapes and Geoheritage

With over 500 salt-making sites in inland Spain, continental salinas constitute genuine cultural landscapes with strong cultural and natural heritage values. This paper presents inland or continental salinas using artisanal techniques for the production of salt based on solar evaporation and local materials for buildings and infrastructures. Together with the environmental features of the sites, these characteristics allow harmonic enclaves perfectly integrated into their territory to be configured. This study is intended to identify, characterise, and establish a typological classification of salt landscapes in Spain. The qualitative analysis applied—based on the Landscape Character Assessment approach—also reveals an important landscape diversity and a specific salt culture and concludes with some ideas for their safeguarding and adequate use.

Quantifying the contributions of native and non-native trees to a city’s biodiversity and ecosystem services

Urban trees are appreciated for their intrinsic value and their contributions to human well-being. Here, we analysed a database of 115′686 non-forest trees (1’025 species) to quantify the present contributions of native and non-native trees to biodiversity (taxonomic richness) in the metropolitan area of Geneva, Switzerland. Non-native trees made up 90 % of species and 40 % of individuals. A subset of these individuals with more detailed phenotypic information (N = 50’718 trees; 527 species) was used to quantify five regulating ecosystem services (micro-particle capture, carbon sequestration, water interception, microclimatic cooling, and support for pollinators), three cultural ecosystem services (natural heritage, recreational, and aesthetic value) and two disservices (allergies and biological invasiveness). Non-native and native trees generated roughly identical regulating services, on a per-tree basis, as these are linked primarily to tree morphology rather than to tree-origin. Non-native trees generated cultural ecosystem services that were greater than native trees, on a per-tree basis, with the exception of the notion of “natural heritage”. For example, 79 % (163/207) of trees independently identified as “remarkable” by the canton of Geneva were non-native. Our results illustrate that non-native trees represent a significant source of biodiversity and ecosystem services both in absolute terms and on a per-tree basis. Given the empirical importance of non-native trees in many cities, and the likelihood that their importance will increase with future climate change, we suggest that non-native trees be considered in conservation assessments and strategic planning both for intrinsic reasons and for their contributions to human well-being.

Mosaic Landscape Structures in Relation to the Land Use of Nitra District

Abstract Mosaic landscape structures with traditional forms of land use are currently the most important landscape features, especially from the point of landscape and cultural-historical perspective. Their typical features are the alternation of the areas of narrow-field fields, meadow vegetation and permanent cultures, especially vineyards and orchards. Their presence in the territory is mainly related to the rich vineyard and fruit-growing tradition. On the territory of the Nitra district, we record the most extensive mosaic landscape structures from the south to the north-eastern part. These are heterogeneous units, typical of the rotation of small-area land management, scattered by non-woody vegetation and habitat. In the mosaic landscape structures, we also find elements of the traditional settlement architecture of the houses ‘hajloch’. Significant landscape elements in the form of mosaic structures survive thanks to the rich viniculture tradition. In the long run, however, there are changes in their use: they are often the subject of inheritance, they are converted into holiday homes or they are used for the needs of an expanding residential development. The aim of our study is to point out the dynamic and changes that occurred in the mosaic landscape structures between the two-time horizons (the 50s of the 20th century and the present). For this purpose, we use geospatial analysis to evaluate their area representation, spatial characteristics in relation to the surrounding settlement structure and selected properties of relief forms. The analysis and evaluation of the spatial diversity of mosaic landscape structures as important landscape elements play a significant role in protecting the natural and cultural heritage values of the area from the aspect of species diversity and rich gene pool, visual perception of the landscape, preservation of ecological stability of landscape, landscape potential and overall landscape diversity.

Landscape Approach towards Integrated Conservation and Use of Primeval Forests: The Transboundary Kovda River Catchment in Russia and Finland

Regional clear-felling of naturally dynamic boreal forests has left remote forest landscapes in northern Europe with challenges regarding rural development based on wood mining. However, biodiversity conservation with higher levels of ambition than what is possible in regions with a long forest history, and cultural heritage, offer opportunities for developing new value chains that support rural development. We explored the opportunities for pro-active integrated spatial planning based on: (i) landscapes’ natural and cultural heritage values in the transboundary Kovda River catchment in Russia and Finland; (ii) forest canopy loss as a threat; and (iii) private, public and civil sector stakeholders’ views on the use and non-use values at local to international levels. After a 50-year history of wood mining in Russia, the remaining primeval forest and cultural heritage remnants are located along the pre-1940 Finnish-Russian border. Forest canopy loss was higher in Finland (0.42%/year) than in Russia (0.09%/year), and decreased from the south to the north in both countries. The spatial scales of stakeholders’ use of forest landscapes ranged from stand-scale to the entire catchment of Kovda River in Russia and Finland (~2,600,000 ha). We stress the need to develop an integrated landscape approach that includes: (i) forest landscape goods; (ii) other ecosystem services and values found in intact forest landscapes; and (iii) adaptive local and regional forest landscape governance. Transboundary collaboration offers opportunities for effective knowledge production and learning.

Natural Heritage Value of Mt. Kumgang and Global Comparative Analysis

Natural World Heritage is defined as natural sites or precisely delineated natural areas of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty. Mt. Kumgang in the DPR Korea is a scenic natural area that has been nominated for Natural World Heritage status. In this paper, we present a systematic, comprehensive and comparative analysis of the geoheritage values of Mt. Kumgang according to World Heritage criteria. The aesthetic and geological values of Mt. Kumgang, which are of global importance, are documented. It is concluded that Mt. Kumgang meets World Heritage criteria (vii) and criteria (viii). Mt. Kumgang is the typical representative of the integrated rock–controlled landform with natural beauty in the granite–dominated regions, and has a remarkable landscape diversity, outstanding natural phenomena and exceptional natural beauty. Since Mt. Kumgang is mainly related with granitic terrain that was subject to glacial processes, it stands out as a significant example which reflects the geological processes of an important phase in the Earth’s history. Mt. Kumgang is compared with other mountain World Heritage sites.

History & Geography

History & Geography Victor H. Matthews, Christopher T. Begg, William J. Urbrock, Joseph E. Jensen, Eric F. Mason, Fred W. Guyette, Thomas Hieke, Andrew W. Dyck, Randy C. Payne, Joseph E. Jensen, Victor H. Matthews, and Paul R. Redditt 235. [Pella] Abdelkader Ababneh, "The Site of Pella in Jordan: A Case Study for Developing Interpretive Strategies in an Archaeological Heritage Attraction," NEA 81(2018) 100-107. A.'s study explores issues relating to site interpretation and the potential benefits of improved interpretative strategies. Based on an analysis of the literature and on an exploratory study at the site of Tabqat Fahl (ancient Pella), A. offers concrete recommendations for exploring the potential of the site and improving the interpretative media choices that might be used to communicate the site's themes to visitors. The aim is to preserve the site into the future and to revitalize it by enhancing the standard of information about the natural and cultural heritage value found there. [Adapted from published abstract—V.H.M.] 236. James K. Aitken, "Introduction: A City Perspective," The City in the Hebrew Bible, 3-16 [see #705]. A. provides an introduction to the overall topic of the above volume and summaries of the individual essays making it up. His presentation is organized under three main headings: [End Page 70] The City in Ancient Israel; The Ancient and Biblical City; and The City in the Hebrew Bible.—C.T.B. 237. [Bethel] Bradford A. Anderson, "Mapping Narrative Complexity: Textual Geography, Literary Studies, and the City in the Hebrew Bible," The City in the Hebrew Bible, 55-72 [see #705]. A. explores the city in the Hebrew Bible by reflecting on the fields of textual geography and literary studies. Specifically, his study asks how these fields might contribute to an understanding of place in the canonical biblical text, given the expansive nature of the canon and the fact that particular places can be found across the disparate texts and traditions of this collection. Bethel is used as a test case by A. for his reflections and as a helpful example, given its occurrences at various points throughout the canon. Indeed, next to Jerusalem, Bethel is mentioned more than any other place name in the Hebrew Bible, occurring in texts ranging from the ancestors, to the judges, to the early monarchical period, and even briefly re-emerging in the postexilic period. Against this background, A.'s discussion proceeds along three lines. First, he highlights several ways in which interpreters have tried to make sense of the biblical portrayal of Bethel. Second, his essay explores how geographers interested in textual geography, as well as contemporary literary critics, have read space and place in literature, particularly the city in modern fiction. Finally, A. returns to biblical Bethel in order to tease out ways in which findings from textual geography and literary studies might add another dimension to our understanding of the site and the wider notion of the city in the Hebrew Bible. Here A. suggests that these fields can broaden the discussion of the biblical city by reminding us of the narrative complexity that is inherent in the depiction of place within the biblical text itself, as well as the complexity of lived experience that such places represent. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] 238. Rami Arav, "Bethsaida: The Capital City of the Kingdom of Geshur," Archaeology and History of Eighth-Century Judah, 79-98 [see #712]. In this essay, A. takes us through the history of Bethsaida, an important site in the lower Golan where he has led excavations for many years. Bethsaida began as an impressively planned capital of the kingdom of Geshur and ended in a dramatic conflagation at the hands of Assyrian soldiers. It is one of the best-preserved capital cities of the Iron Age, and as such, it offers a glimpse of urban life in the 8th-cent. Levant. The terraced layout of the mound—which is unique to this site—witnesses to expert city planning; by contrast, most towns emerged as natural outgrowths of earlier, smaller settlements. If A. is right in drawing comparisons between Bethsaida and the institutions of...

Natural Heritage in the Republic of Kosovo: Looking for Potential UNESCO Sites

In addition to cultural heritage values, Kosovo is characterised by natural heritage values; these values identify different areas in Kosovo as potential sites for protection under UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) program and the Convention Concerning the Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage. These natural values (i.e. geomorphological, hydrological, biodiversity- and ecosystem-related) are found mainly in the massifs of Kosovo’s four mountain ranges, i.e. the Sharr Mountains, the Bjeshket e Nemuna (Albanian Alps), the Koritnik Mountains, and the Pashtrik Mountains. These regions provide the largest number of potential sites for nomination to the World Heritage List or the MAB program.Of the natural heritage values, 19 geomorphological areas of international importance were identified; additionally, 3 areas had regional (Balkan) importance, and 19 sites were caves. Furthermore, 152 glacial and nival lakes and a bifurcation (i.e. hydrological values), approximately 200 species and subspecies that are endemic to the Balkans, 8 locally endemic, 9 endemic and endemic-relict plant associations and 1 endemic animal species (i.e. biodiversity values), and ancient Beech forests (i.e. ecosystem values) were considered for conservation.Consideration of the above mentioned areas for protection under UNESCO would provide a legal framework for the protection of natural and cultural values in Kosovo as well as support their sustainable development.Additionally, protecting these areas would promote the development of environmental and educational projects and training as well as the research and monitoring of issues related to nature conservation and sustainable development at local, regional and international levels.

Perception of livestock ecosystem services in grazing areas

This study investigates how the ecosystem services (ES) linked to livestock grazing are perceived across countries. A total of 82 case studies collected from 42 countries via survey (53.7% cases from Europe and 46.3% from outside of Europe) have been analysed through a multivariate approach. In all, 18 non-provisioning ES were considered. Overall, the reported impacts of livestock grazing on the different ES were much more positive than negative. Notably, a large proportion of respondents reported either positive or very positive impacts for some cultural ES, namely cultural, historic and natural heritage (84%), knowledge systems and educational values (77%), landscape values (74%), and for some supporting and regulating ES, namely habitat provision (66%), nutrient cycling (65%), and bush encroachment/fire control (66%). Based on multiple regression analysis, geographic origin, stakeholder type and species category, as well as protection status of the grazing area, had significant effects on the perception of the impacts. Respondents reported those impacts as more positive in Europe, in protected areas and where several species were present in the grazing area. A significantly larger proportion of respondents reported recognition of ES provided by the grazing livestock population in European countries (40.9%) compared with non-European countries (23.7%). Based on the survey responses it appears that in non-European countries absence of formal recognition, especially by policy makers, is a major challenge for the continued provision of ES in grazing systems. In Europe, where such recognition is already often included in legislation, the long-term sustainability of related policies and incentives to provide such services is viewed as a major issue by the respondents.

Análisis espacio-temporal de los usos de suelo y sus presiones como herramienta de gestión integrada de cuencas. El caso de la microcuenca Tarariras, Maldonado, Uruguay

The microbasin of the Tarariras creek (Maldonado, Uruguay) covers different types of environments, from hills to coastal areas, including diverse natural, cultural and national heritage values. This basin presents different land uses (rural and urban) with specific environmental pressures. Due to its small scale and geomorphological properties, it is an excellent study model for spatio-temporal dynamics of natural and anthropic activities. Based on photo-interpretation, aerial images of 1966 and 2013 were analyzed. Major changes in the environment, activities and land uses were described and confirmed by direct observation, reaching a complete description at the basin level. Native forests were characterized through a phyto-sociologic sampling design, and selected interviews were performed. An integrated discussion of these results was carried out considering regulation and planification of land for the region. Finally, major pressures by different land uses (urbanization, exotic species in forests, sewage input and dam at the water level) were identified. Integrative approaches at basin level with cualitative and cuantitative parameters allowed to identify pressures that can exert changes (reversible or not) towards an integrated management of the socioecosystems.