Natural Heritage Research Articles

Bridging Natural and Cultural Heritage Management: Recommendations for Present and Former Raised Bog Areas

ABSTRACT Raised bogs (peat moss-dominated wetlands) are under environmental pressure but valued for their specific biodiversity and climate-mitigating potential. Strong efforts to restore these unique ecosystems contrast with a limited focus on cultural heritage management in bogs, putting their exceptional cultural heritage at risk. We take a new perspective on cultural heritage management in bog remnants and make recommendations for measures synergetic to their natural and cultural heritage. We focus on tangible cultural remains on the surface of bog remnants and surrounding former bog areas in the Netherlands, where bogs have long been under exceptional use and environmental pressure. To reach this objective, we first (1) explore the range and diversity of tangible cultural remains on the land surface through analysis of three case studies, (2) conduct a systematic inventory of how such cultural remains are currently incorporated in land management in and around 17 bog remnants, and (3) based on that develop a range of recommendations for improved integral management. We illustrate how preserving and displaying cultural remains can be aligned with the achievement of ecological goals in bog nature reserves.

Can Sustainability and Biodiversity Conservation Save Native Goat Breeds? The Situation in Campania Region (Southern Italy) between History and Regional Policy Interventions

The Campania region has a genetic heritage, both vegetal and animal, of great scientific interest, but many genetic resources risk extinction or abandonment. Thus, from a sustainability perspective, their conservation is very important and represents an imperative to allow future generations to satisfy their needs just as we are doing today. The aims of the present paper were to describe the current consistency and importance of goat farming in Italy and in the Campania region and to study its trend from 1861 to understand whether the policies for the sector implemented over time have been sufficient to conserve goat biodiversity. To these ends, the latest available data of the national livestock register of the Italian Ministry of Health, those of the different available Italian agricultural censuses, and historical–cultural documents published over time for the livestock sector were acquired and consulted to describe the goat sector and reconstruct its temporal trend. The results showed that in Italy there are just over 1,000,000 goats (the same consistency as 60 years ago), 50% of which are distributed in the southern regions, and 50,616 farms with goats, 43% of which are extensive. In this contest, the Campania region represents approximately 5% of the national goat population. The continuous decrease in the size of the national and regional goat heritage since the 1920s is the result of the agricultural policy instruments implemented for the livestock sector over time, which have effectively excluded the goat sector. Two small increases in the number of caprines were registered: the first in 1980s, when the Italian scientific community realized that the native goat genetic types, its milk and its organoleptic and dietary qualities could constitute a wealth of endogenous resources that needed to be valorized; the second, in the last decade, due to the actions of sustainability and biodiversity conservation implemented at the national and regional level. At the same time, today the goat sector continues to have a marginal role in the national and regional agricultural economy, and the survival of native goat farming is essentially ensured by sustainable rural communities conceived as the custodians of biodiversity.

National Forgetting in the American South: White Innocence and the Racial Violence of Historic Places

Abstract: Using a cultural landscape approach, this study examines all National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) sites in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, located in the southern United States. The NRHP recognizes sites representative of “our” national heritage by listing them on this registry. From analysis of these records and related archival materials and observations garnered from field visits to select historic sites in the parish, this study interrogates the officially-designated memorial landscape of the American South. We find that preservation and re-use practices of NRHP-sites have engaged in racialized “purposeful forgetting” (Roberts 2020) and reinforced power relations while enabling the appropriation of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) labor and culture.

Accessing vicarious nostalgia and memorable tourism experiences in the context of heritage tourism with the moderating influence of social return

Purpose Heritage tourism is an increasingly popular form of tourism that allows individuals to connect with the past and immerse themselves in cultural and historical narratives. Hence, the purpose of this study is to explore the intricate relationships among vicarious nostalgia (VNOS), memorable tourism experiences (MTEXs) and their collective influence on tourists’ behavioral intentions (BINTs). Additionally, this study examines the moderating effect of social return (SN) in the context of heritage tourism. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered using a self-administered questionnaire from 259 tourists visiting heritage sites in Jaipur. The proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling. Findings The results confirmed that VNOS had a significant positive impact on BINT in the context of heritage tourism. The causal relationship between VNOS and BINT was fully mediated by MTEX. The results further verified that the presence of SN strengthens the association between MTEXs and BINT. Practical implications This research will guide the firms associated with heritage tourism to target specific cohorts interested in heritage tourism. Policymakers may find it easier to create unique offerings and packages that appeal to visitors interested in historical sites and produce memorable travel experiences. One key implication is to create “social media friendly spaces” at different locations of the sites. To increase tourism, managers may use the findings from this research to create plans for the ethical promotion and protection of cultural and natural heritage sites. Originality/value Overall, this research advances the understanding of the role of VNOS in heritage tourism by elucidating its cognitive and emotional aspects and their subsequent influence on the memorability of tourist experiences and BINT s. Additionally, by considering the moderating effect of SN, this study provides a comprehensive view of how these factors collectively shape tourists’ decisions and actions in the context of heritage destinations. This research has been conducted in the heritage city of Jaipur (North-Western India), which, surprisingly – despite its popularity as a heritage tourism site – has not been sufficiently explored in the scholarly research.

BASEBALL TEAM CORPORATE IDENTITY DESIGN: ARTISTIC AND TRADITIONAL CULTURE ASPECTS

The purpose of the article is to analyze the design of baseball team logos and create an original baseball club logo based on the identified trends. The analysis of the logos of baseball teams in the United States, China and Ukraine showed that the logos mainly depict elements related to baseball; elements of national cultural heritage; the name or monogram of the team. At the same time, the logos of baseball teams in the United States and China have pronounced features of shape, icon and color scheme. Baseball team logos in the USA often use a round shape. Blue and red are popular colors. The logos of Chinese baseball clubs mainly have a combined structure of the emblem, which accommodates the mascot of the club (zoomorphic or anthropomorphic), a baseball tool and the name of the club. The logo colors of Chinese baseball teams are black, white and warm colors: red, orange and yellow. Blue is also used. Based on the results of the analysis, elements of the corporate identity of a baseball club were developed: logo, branded colors, branded font. The main components of the corporate identity project are sports equipment, printing and souvenir products.

Immersive virtual reality experiences: boosting potential visitor engagement and attractiveness of natural world heritage sites

ABSTRACT Natural world heritage sites as destinations can have multiple orientations, namely cognitive (learning), affective (hedonism), and sustainability (nature). This study investigates how potential visitors can be attracted to such destinations using virtual reality (VR). Using the Sundarbans mangrove forest (Bangladesh) as a case, and adopting customer engagement and TAM as underlying theories, we collect data from 316 subjects to investigate how ease of use, perceived usefulness, and enjoyment of VR experiences affect intention to visit. In doing so, we reveal that psychological, but not behavioural, engagement serves as a mediator in explaining intention to visit in the context of VR.

Theologically Inspired and Supported Patriotism as a Component of Poland’s National Security. Concept of Research and its Social Application

The article presents a concept of research and its social application concerning the creation and modelling of theologically inspired and supported patriotic attitudes in the Polish historical and security-related context. It concerns patriotism which, primarily, refers to Poland’s national heritage, theology, Catholic social science and national responsibility; secondly, it is directed at a sovereign economic development locally and on the international arena; thirdly, it shapes pro-societal and pro-defence attitudes; fourthly, it takes into account contemporary challenges linked with the environment, demography, migrations and “temporal challenges”. The text is classified among the papers on conceptualization of research projects in the area of security studies, social policies and political science, account being taken of the contexts and problem references to theology, history and cultural anthropology.

Using social media and machine learning to understand sentiments towards Brazilian National Parks

Protected areas (PAs) play a vital role in the conservation of natural and cultural heritage while supporting local livelihoods. However, in Brazil, where limited resources and poor effectiveness lead to negative sentiments and are leveraged as criticism towards PAs, it is necessary to better comprehend public perceptions of Brazilian PAs and identify the key factors contributing to negative sentiments. Here, we use data from online discussions about Brazilian national parks (NPs) on Twitter and sentiment analysis to explore this question. We classified the sentiment of ∼100,000 tweets collected over a twelve-year period (2011−2022) using the BERTimbau Base model. We also performed a topic modelling with the BERTopic model to identify prevalent subjects concerning Brazilian NPs. We identified 18,388 (17.30 %) posts expressing negative sentiment towards NPs, mostly associated with wildfires occurring between 2011 and 2017 and concerning government decisions impacting conservation efforts after 2019. The results revealed six prominent topics: (1) Wildfires; (2) Security; (3) Regulations; (4) Wildlife roadkill; (5) Privatization; (6) Lack of financial resources, reflecting a diverse range of negative sentiments regarding the parks, surpassing isolated events. Furthermore, examining specific topics on a per-park basis proved beneficial in identifying distinct issues and conflicts in the five most tweeted NPs, facilitating targeted conservation actions. Using social media data to better understand public perceptions of NPs can strengthen their management and governance by reinforcing their conservation initiatives and enhancing visitor experiences. Our findings underscore the value of sentiment analysis in identifying gaps and driving improvements in the management of protected areas.

Warisan Budaya Nasional Pencak Silat dalam Mewujudkan Profil Pelajar Pancasila

Education and culture are closely integrated, because education is the process of transferring culture and reflecting cultural values. Pencak Silat is one of the national cultural heritages that can transform the values of Pencak Silat art through extracurricular education in realizing a sovereign, independent, and dignified Indonesia. Extracurricular Pencak Silat activities in the Merdeka Curriculum can contribute to the development of students' potential, interests, and talents. This study uses a qualitative approach that produces descriptive data through interviews, observations, and documentation of Pencak Silat extracurricular activities in 2023 at SMP Al-Aqsyar Parung Bogor, West Java. Based on the findings in the field, the Pencak Silat art provided by the school as an extracurricular activity can optimize the profile of Pancasila Students with a local wisdom theme. The implementation strategy to strengthen the profile of Pancasila Students is reinforced by Pencak Silat art through four aspects: spiritual, art, self-defense, and sports. These four aspects can strengthen the vision of the Ministry of Education and Culture 2020-2024, which is to realize a sovereign, independent, and dignified Indonesia through the creation of Pancasila Students who are critical, creative, independent, faithful, pious to Allah SWT, have noble character, collaborate, and embrace global diversity.

Wetland landscapes in the Southern Maya Lowlands (Naachtun, Guatemala) from the ancient agroecosystems to the tropical biosphere reserve: Ecology, exploitation and management of water and soil resources, and heritage legacy

AbstractIn the Biosphere Reserve of the Maya Lowlands, the large‐scale characterisation of the current wetlands ecology and the exploitation and management of their natural resources by the ancient Maya is severely constrained by the forest. This paper presents an integrated geomatic, geoarchaeological and ecological approach, developed to overcome this obstacle in the microregion of the Naachtun Maya city. It is based on the analysis of LiDAR, and field and laboratory data. This approach has revealed the mosaic of current ecological conditions of the wetlands, thanks to the characterisation and spatial modelling of the landforms, hydrology, vegetation and soil cover. It has enabled the characterisation of numerous hydraulic and agricultural structures: 70 large reservoirs, raised fields (the largest over 1.5 km²), canals and ditches (with a cumulative length of over 300 km) and dikes. Eight morphological types of hybrid structures—hydraulic and agricultural—are described. These constructions have enabled the intensive exploitation of water and soil resources, their management and the resulting environmental risks. This study has shown that the agroecosystems of lowland areas were created as early as ~1500 B.C.E. and evolved in a polyphasic way, until a phase of radical decline around 1000 C.E. This study has made it possible to characterise the legacy of the Maya Early Anthropocene on current wetlands, as well as their important natural and cultural heritage.

Visitors’ Attitudes Toward the Expansion of Alternative Shuttle Bus System in Shiretoko National Park

In some natural parks, introducing a shuttle bus system as an alternative to private cars can help reduce congestion and protect nature. This study examines the pilot program to effectively induce visitors to switch to the shuttle bus, while examining the visitors’ understanding of the expansion of the restricted vehicle section in Shiretoko National Park—a World Natural Heritage site known for its rich natural resources, especially as a high-density habitat for brown bears. There are concerns about conflicts between visitors and brown bears that appear along roads. Visitor restrictions, such as limited access to transportation, limit the use of a place and alter the behavior and experience. Therefore, careful consideration is needed before introducing visitor restrictions. The results of our questionnaire survey of visitors indicated that most favored the expansion of the shuttle bus section. The choice experiment revealed that the guides on the bus and an optional experience encouraged visitors to switch to the shuttle buses. Nonetheless, awareness of the pilot program was low, and some visitors preferred their cars, indicating the need for further promotion of awareness and understanding of these new measures.

Animalism in the Design of Clothes of the ХХ and Early XXI Centuries

The article presents an overview and systematisation of fashion design projects using animalistic motifs. The purpose of the study is to identify the manifestations of animalistic images in costume and the differences in their meanings in different historical periods. The research methodology is based on the application of methods of source, art, aesthetic, structural and compositional analysis. The scientific novelty lies in highlighting the stages of animalism development in the twentieth – early twenty-first centuries and identifying its main manifestations in costume. The results of the study are based on empirical material from designers and fashion houses that actively used and developed animalism in their work. Conclusions. As a result of the study, we conclude that there are various ways of manifesting animalism in fashion design, from copying animal images entirely to introducing their individual parts into the design or using photographs and artistic images. And while in the early twentieth century, costumes used mostly elements of animal skin, fur and feathers, and exotic animals and birds emphasised the status of the elite strata of society, with the development of technology and the spread of mass production of clothing, imitation gradually became popular. The destruction of the natural environment and the dominance of the artificial one led to the spread of fashion inspired by wildlife. Gradually, a style direction in fashion design was formed, which is now considered «fantasy classics». Over time, animalistic motifs have become visual carriers of «eco-fashion» and «eco-consciousness», reminding us of the need for significant transformations in the global consciousness of humanity. The flourishing of animalism in recent decades reflects the socio-cultural trends in society. The symbolism and interpretation of animalistic images in costume design reflects the care and desire to preserve the natural heritage in a world that is increasingly influenced by technological development.

The cultural sector in Polish economy in the regional approach

Motivation: In recent years, the impact of cultural factors on the economic development has been analysed. This research concerns the impact of culture on the labour market, the growth of innovation and creativity, participation in creating added value of GDP, stimulating exports, although the cultural sector also affects the development of tourism, entertainment and improvement in the quality of life of residents. Currently, the cultural sector is treated as a long-term economic investment affecting the development of the country.Aim: The goal of the article is to evaluate the functioning of the cultural sector in Poland. This assessment has been made on a regional basis.Results: To achieve the purpose, data of the GUS (Central Statistical Office in Poland) were analysed. The data concerned expenses allocated to culture and national heritage — they included individual types of cultural institutions and number of cultural sector entities in 2018–2021. The results of the analysis of the cultural sector have been presented in tables and diagrams. Using an agglomeration method, the Polish provinces were grouped according to values of the analysed categories of expenses allocated to culture and national heritage in the provinces in year 2021. It was noticed that the development of the cultural sector in Poland is uneven, concentrated in the country’s capital, which is typical for less developed countries. Therefore, main barriers to the development of the cultural sector in Poland were identified. The most important obstacles were: underfunding, lack of systemic solutions to support the demand for cultural goods, unfavourable legal and financial conditions for creators of culture, lack of support for cooperation between public and private cultural sector, dependence of the development of the cultural sector on politics, as well as lack of social acceptance of the cultural policy. Culture is also negatively affected by the processes of globalization, commercialization and recently the Covid 19 pandemic.

PUBLIC SAFETY AND ITS CONSTITUTIONAL MEANING

Taking up the issue of security involves determining the scope of the state’s obligation to implement it. The above-mentioned task was included among other equally important goals recognized by the constitutional legislator, which included safeguarding the independence and inviolability of its territory, ensuring human and civil freedoms and rights, safeguarding the national heritage and ensuring environmental protection, guided by the principle of sustainable development. Given that the legislator takes into account the multiplicity of categories of public security, it seems important to determine the scope of constitutional dispositions relating to this state task and to determine their nature.

Сoncept of M. BOICHUK and the Features of Ukrainian MODERNISM

The article is dedicated to the place and significance of the ideological and artistic concept of M. Boichuk in the formation of Ukrainian modernism, which, despite connection with the global European trends, has clear originality, conditioned with historical, social and cultural processes in Ukraine. The heritage of M. Boichuk and the art school created by him has reflected the demonstrative tendency towards the national self-determination and national culture creation. This trend has distinguished Ukrainian modernism in the context of European directivities. Unlike the European modernism, the main ideas of which are related to the affirmation of the self-worth of individuality, subjectivity and open self-expression and polemics against artistic traditions, modernism in Ukraine affirms the national originality and diversity of its culture. Founded in the conditions of statelessness and indeterminacy of the national heritage, the concept of M. Boichuk has determined the essential principles of the national tradition, where folk art and the Ukrainian Middle Ages with its unique icon painting become the main phenomena. The invention of traditions, their formalization and ideological substantiation, those have become the basis of Boichukism, describe the Ukrainian cultural space, are considered to be an impulse for the further development. M. Boichuk’s school has several stages of its history. The first period includes 1908–1910–1917 (from the Revival of Byzantine Art group created in Paris to the leadership of M. Boichuk at the studio in the newly founded Ukrainian Academy of Arts in Kyiv). The second one – 1918 – mid‑1930s, formed in the post-revolutionary Soviet decades, those have subdued it to their ideological program. Constantly preserving its defined formal and figurative principles, M. Boichuk’s concept has also reflected the ideas of the National Ukrainian Renaissance and the Soviet Korenization and Ukrainization of the 1920s. M. Boichuk’s school and the artistic movement founded by it have been abolished with the establishment of totalitarian power in the mid‑1930s. Their significance goes beyond art, relates directly to Ukrainian culture creation.

RESIDENTS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS ETHNO-TOURISM IN ULYTAU, KAZAKHSTAN

This study aims to identify the local residents’ attitude to ethno-tourism development in Ulytau region, which is located in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The research also analyses the economic, environmental, and socio-cultural impact of ethno-tourism both from positive and negative perspectives. To meet the research goals, a structured survey was constructed and distributed from February 2022 to September 2023 among locals of Ulytau. It was studied the attitude of the local population to ethno-tourism, openness and readiness for innovation and ethno-tourism. All variables of the measurement instrument were created based on a review of the relevant literature and modified to define the target group in accordance with the objectives of the study. Based on the results, local citizens are positive to develop ethno-tourism, but in sustainable way with preserving natural and cultural heritage.

Tourism Investment and Land Use Change in the Northern Piedmont of the Western High Atlas (1989-2022)

This study aimed to investigate the profound influence of tourism investment on the Northern Piedmont of the western High Atlas over 34 years in response to the escalating global trend of tourism-driven land-use changes, particularly in the Marrakesh region. In this context, the driving forces behind the significant transformation of agricultural land and bare soils into tourism-driven investments were evaluated as well as the critical role of accessibility in shaping spatial shifts. The method used high-resolution (10 m) satellite images from Spot 1 (1989), Spot 5 (2003 & 2010), and Sentinel 2 (2022) through remote sensing methods to investigate the historical land-use changes over 34 years. The results showed significant transformations in land-use based on the correlation between improved transportation infrastructure and the growth of tourism ventures, underscoring the role of roads and facilities as catalysts. The analysis suggested the need for reflection on the consequences of unregulated tourism growth, aiming to balance economic benefits with environmental and socio-cultural challenges in sensitive regions. Although tourism significantly contributed to economic development and employment opportunities, it also posed risks when not managed prudently. This underscored the need to strike a harmonious equilibrium between economic prosperity as well as preserving the unique natural beauty and cultural heritage of the region. The insights provided in this analysis had broader implications for responsible planning and management of tourism development in sensitive ecological and cultural regions. In conclusion, a thoughtful and sustainable approach was needed to safeguard the delicate balance between economic prosperity and environmental preservation.

Under-utilisation of the World Heritage Cultural Landscape category? A timely question

ABSTRACT UNESCO’s Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972) (Convention) provides the highest level of international recognition for outstanding universal heritage places. While the Convention has been instrumental in aiding heritage preservation, arguably it has also reinforced a problematic ‘culture’ and ‘nature’ division in protected area management. This is not a new observation. One solution that attempted to address this issue was the introduction of the World Heritage (WH) ‘Cultural Landscape’ category in 1992. Yet, as of 2023, there are only 127 Cultural Landscape properties of the total 1157 properties on the WH List (10.9%). Poor recognition of the category appears particularly acute in some regions, such as Australia-Oceania, and in this paper, we consider this apparent under-utilisation with a systematic review of the literature about the category. Our analysis reveals significant and concerning regional variations in both use of the cultural landscape category and in research about it. In our current era, when better recognition of First Nation heritage is demanded, and when greater protection of heritage assets is required, further uptake of the Cultural Landscape category has the potential to redress these pressing societal concerns.

Low carbon emission renovation of historical residential buildings

The urgency of renovating residential buildings in heritage conservation areas while addressing carbon emission reduction and energy performance has become a concern in the context of climate change. European directives stress the importance of enhancing existing buildings to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. An approximately 100-year-old wooden apartment building in the heritage conservation area in Võru, Estonia, was designed as a nearly zero-energy building (nZEB). This study examined the impact of different renovation scenarios, considering both embodied and operational carbon emissions. During the study, the technical requirements of the National Heritage Board were developed in several aspects. The results of this study indicate that it is possible to renovate buildings in heritage conservation areas and achieve great energy performance. In addition to improving energy performance, it is possible to make the restoration of a significantly damaged exterior with intermediate repairs more cost-effective for the owner. Deep renovation of a historical wooden building decreases its carbon footprint as it leads to more energy-efficient renovation solutions. This is because operational emissions dominate over embodied emissions in a cold climate. From an environmental perspective, it is more feasible to renovate historically valuable buildings more deeply than it is to upgrade the external appearance of buildings. Renovation work to achieve an nZEB building should include insulating the thermal envelope while restoring the historical appearance and preserving the original building profile. In conclusion, this study offers a comprehensive analysis of various scenarios, including carbon footprint, energy performance, and cost optimality, related to different renovation strategies for buildings located in heritage conservation areas. There is a need to align heritage board technical requirements with the environmental perspective. Given that major renovation is more cost-effective and better at preserving the exterior appearance compared to staged renovation, the former should be preferred to ensure the owner's willingness to pay.

Nanoparticles in terrestrial sediments and the behavior of the spectral optics of Sentinel-3B OLCI Satellite images in a river basin of UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

The dangerous chemical elements associated with nanoparticles (NPs) and ultra-fine sediment particles in hydrological bays have the capacity to move contaminants to large oceanic regions. The general objective of this study is to quantify the major chemical elements present in NPs and ultra-fine particles in aquatic sediments sampled from Guanabara Bay and compare these data to values determined through spectral optics using the Sentinel-3B Satellite OLCI (Ocean Land Color Instrument) during the winter and summer seasons of 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. This is done to highlight the impacts anthropogenic environmental hazards have on the marine ecosystem and human beings. Ten aquatic sediment field collection points were selected by triangulated irregular network (TIN). Samples were subjected to analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron dispersion spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which enabled a detailed analysis using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Geospatial analyses using Sentinel-3B OLCI Satellite images considered Water Full Resolution (WFR) at 300m resolution, in neural network (NN), normalized at 0.83µg/mg. A maximum average spectral error of 6.62% was utilized for the identification of the levels of Absorption Coefficient of Detritus and Gelbstoff (ADG443_NN) at 443m-1, Chlorophyll-a (CHL_NN) (m-3), and Total Suspended Matter (TSM_NN) (g m-3) at 581 sample points. The results showed high levels of ADG443_NN, with average values as high as of 4444m-1 (summer 2021). When related to the analyses of nanoparticulate sediments and ultrafine particles collected in the field, they showed the presence of major chemical elements such as Ge, As, Cr, and others, highly toxic to human health and the aquatic environment. The application of satellite and terrestrial surveys proved to be efficient, in addition to the possibility of this study being applied to other hydrological systems on a global scale.