Natural Landscape Research Articles

Anomalous scaling of branching tidal networks in global coastal wetlands and mudflats

Branching networks are key elements in natural landscapes and have attracted sustained research interest across the geosciences and numerous intersecting fields. The prevailing consensus has long held that branching networks are optimized and exhibit fractal properties adhering to power-law scaling relationships. However, tidal networks in coastal wetlands and mudflats exhibit scaling properties that defy conventional power-law descriptions, presenting a longstanding enigma. Here we show that the observed atypical scaling represents a universal deviation from an ideal fractal branching network capable of fully occupying the available space. Using satellite imagery of tidal networks from diverse global locations, we identified an inherent “laziness” in this deviation—where the increased ease of channel formation paradoxically decreases the space-filling efficiency of the network. We developed a theoretical model that reproduces the ideal fractal branching network and the laziness phenomenon. The model suggests that branching networks can emerge under a localized competition principle without adhering to conventionally assumed optimization-driven processes. These results reveal the dual nature of branching networks, where “laziness” complements the well-known optimization process. This property provides more flexible strategies for controlling tidal network morphogenesis, with implications for coastal management, wetland restoration, and studies in fluvial and planetary systems.

‘Where the Wild Things Are’: The Medieval Augustinian Order’s Perception of Nature between Tree Lore and Environmental History

Abstract This article examines how medieval woodlands around Augustinian convents could convey messages of power. In the thirteenth century, the papacy threatened the Augustinian friars with suppression on the grounds of their ‘lack of antiquity’. Previous scholarship showed that, in reaction to this, the friars developed a fictive past in which they claimed to have been founded by St Augustine. This article shifts attention away from human agencies to the environment. It argues that natural landscapes, most prominently woodlands, were key resources which could be used as powerful assets when asserting the antiquity of the Order. The two cornerstones of this investigation are a cluster of hermitages around Siena with a sacred ilex forest, the claimed dwelling place of the eremitical predecessors of the Augustinian friars, and the convent of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome, erected on the locus of an ‘evil walnut tree’ above the tomb of Nero. This study examines how these key spiritual centres used woodlands to display antiquity and prestige. Further attention is paid to convents on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea to show how the sea could be perceived as equivalent to the forest. A close analysis reveals that Augustinian convents were often situated in a liminal position framed between the urban fabric and natural landscapes, such as the forest and the sea. This article thus illuminates how, in a similar way to secular rulers and their palaces, the Augustinian friars used the natural environment in strategic ways to enhance the power of their convents.

MAGUS (Model for the Analysis of Geomorphological Urban Systems): From Conception to Validation on the Historic City Center of Turin (Italy)

This study introduces and tests the MAGUS (Model for the Analysis of Geomorphological Urban Systems), a GIS-based methodological framework designed to analyze the complex interplay between urbanization and natural landscapes. Focusing on the historical evolution of Turin city center (Italy), the research employs an interdisciplinary approach to examine how urban expansion has interacted with pre-existing geomorphological features. The study leverages historical documents, digitized and georeferenced within a cartographic space, to reveal the relationships between natural and anthropogenic landforms from the Roman period through the 20th century. A key innovation of MAGUS is the integration of Multi-Temporal Markers (MTM) and Volumetric Unit of Building (VUB), which enhances the accuracy of historical data analysis. The results demonstrate that urbanization significantly alters the natural landscape in the historic city center of Turin, where the stratification of urban expansion phases partially obscures the original landform. By overlaying topographical data with historical urban expansion maps, the research highlights the concealed geomorphological elements beneath Turin’s urban fabric. This interdisciplinary study not only contributes to the field of urban geomorphology but also provides a foundation for future research into the impacts of urbanization on natural landscapes, which is increasingly critical as urban populations continue to grow.

Prominent Increase in Air Temperatures on Two Small Mediterranean Islands, Lastovo and Lošinj, Since 1998 and Its Effect on the Frequency of Extreme Droughts

The article analyzes the development of air temperatures and precipitation on two remote islands in the Adriatic Sea from 1961 to 2023, examining annual and monthly time scales. Lastovo Island is located in the southern Adriatic, and Lošinj Island is situated 277 km north, and both exhibit a sharp rise in air temperatures since 1998, though precipitation series show no significant trends of an increase or decrease. Using the New Drought Index (NDI) method, this study calculated drought intensities for the period 1961–2023. The analyses conducted in this study undoubtedly indicate a rising frequency and intensity of droughts, with severe droughts doubling and extreme droughts increasing fourfold in the recent period (1998–2023) compared to the previous one (1961–1997). The most pronounced increase in severe and extreme droughts occurs specifically from June to August. This trend is likely applicable to many small Mediterranean Islands, which number over 10,000 and have a permanent population of more than 1.6 million people, with numbers significantly rising during the tourist season. The increased water demand for agriculture and daily use, combined with increased drought risk, not only exacerbates the potential for forest fires but also threatens social structures and ecological conditions. This is particularly critical as the combination of drier conditions and increased fire risk poses a significant challenge, endangering natural landscapes and valuable historical sites that are integral to the islands’ identity and heritage. This study’s findings indicate a dangerous trend likely to persist and worsen with continued increases in air temperatures in the Mediterranean region.

Radiocarbon ageing of Indigenous culturally‐significant trees for bushfire management on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), southeast Queensland

SummaryPartnerships between Indigenous People and governments for joint management of ancestral lands, designated as protected conservation areas for biodiversity and cultural heritage, provide an opportunity to leverage accumulated traditional land management knowledge with emerging science. In Australia, veteran or large old trees in natural landscapes are of significant ecological importance, and among the Indigenous communities, they are living monuments to historical cultural practices, but their survival, endurance and long lives are rarely acknowledged to afford them protection. In sub‐tropical Australia, the lack of consistent annual growth rings in stem wood makes it difficult to estimate the age of large trees using methods such as the periodic diameter increment. Ngugi et al., 2020 published radiocarbon (14C) dates using wood core (‘pith‐wood’) samples from 12 Indigenous culturally‐significant trees covering five species on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island). Due to the imprecise calendar age results of the single samples used in the original study (Ngugi et al., 2020), subsequent radiocarbon dating of an additional three wood core samples from each tree was undertaken to age the trees more precisely. The revised tree ages ranged from 63 to 531 years and suggest an important role of past Indigenous land management practices into protecting Bugari (Cypress Pine, Callitris columellaris F. Muell.) from deadly crown scorching fires. These results underscore the importance of incorporating Indigenous practices in current fire management strategies and plans. Estimating tree ages based on the periodic diameter increment method overestimated the age relative to that derived from radiocarbon dating. New bias correction factors were developed for adjusting the recorded periodic tree diameter increments.

Natural Landscapes and the Psychological Impact of Environment on Architecture: Examining the Synergy Between Nature and Spatial Design

One of the most important characteristics of architectural art is the quality and type of connection it establishes with nature. Nature has a historical depth spanning hundreds of millions of years, having been shaped, evolved, and grown over time. It presents a structured and regulated form, within which a profound harmony can be observed in its diverse components. This homogeneous and dynamic structure has created a coherent language, which requires an understanding and decoding of this symbolic language to establish an interactive and constructive relationship with nature. This research examines the connection between natural landscapes and the psychological impacts of the environment on architectural design. The main objective of the study is to analyze the synergy between nature and designed spaces, investigating how this interaction can affect the quality of human life. The results indicate that the presence of natural elements in living and working spaces reduces stress, increases satisfaction, and improves mental health. Additionally, sustainable design that considers environmental principles and human needs can lead to the creation of spaces that provide a sense of tranquility and pleasure for users. Despite the economic and cultural challenges in implementing these approaches, collaboration among designers, engineers, and local communities is essential. Ultimately, this paper emphasizes the importance of considering the psychological impacts of the environment and the necessity of creating spaces that promote the synergy between nature and architecture.

Examining emotional responses and psychological restoration of four types of natural landscapes

Natural environments have been identified to be more effective at inducing positive emotional responses and psychological restoration than built environments. However, there is a lack of evidence on which types of natural environments or which options for design and management are better. This study examined people’s emotional responses and psychological restoration induced by four types of natural landscapes. In addition, the impacts of landscape elements and perceived novelty on these two benefits were measured. The results showed that: (1) urban green landscapes and mountain landscapes were more likely to evoke positive emotional responses and increase psychological restoration than rock- or geyser-dominated landscapes; (2) there was an S-shaped curve between vegetation ratio and emotional responses or psychological restoration, in which 80% vegetation ratio suggests the peak of both benefits; (3) hard elements (rocks, sand, pavements or buildings) and perceived novelty decreased the two benefits provided by the natural landscapes.

Advancing mechanistic understanding of cohesive sediment transport: Integrating flume experiments, field measurements, and modelling approaches in a gravel-bed river

Gravel-bed rivers draining mountainous forested headwater regions are critically important for drinking water supply and ecological integrity. These rivers, however, have been increasingly impacted by intensifying anthropogenic and natural (especially climate change exacerbated) landscape disturbances that commonly increase hillslope/channel connectivity and the delivery of cohesive sediment (<63 μm) and associated pollutants. Despite the known deleterious threats of excess cohesive sediments, there is still limited understanding of their transport and intra-gravel storage due to the complexities of such processes. Accordingly, the objectives of this study were to: i) calibrate and validate a semi-empirical cohesive sediment transport model (RIVFLOC) using the observations from flume experiments; ii) estimate the intra-gravel storage capacity for cohesive sediment with the calibrated model based on the field dataset (collected in two field campaigns between 2019 and 2021), and; iii) investigate mechanisms of cohesive sediment transport dynamics in this gravel-bed river, identifying knowledge gaps and areas for future research. Our results showed that despite the increased floc settling velocity, deposition was hindered by turbulent flow fields. The model predicted that ~60 % of upstream cohesive sediment would ingress within the 10 km study reach due to the flow interaction with the gravel-bed. Despite the agreement between flume and field observations on ingress rates and preferential ingress of coarser (~100 μm) flocs, notable differences were observed between modelled and field datasets, highlighting unknowns regarding cohesive sediment exfiltration without framework mobilization. This study uniquely integrates field measurements, flume experiments, and modelling strategies to evaluate the transport and fate of cohesive sediment in a gravel-bed river. Accordingly, our findings advance current knowledge on the mechanistic understanding of cohesive sediment transport and highlight future research directions.

The Politics of Memory and Its Limits in Conflict with Oral Tradition: The Interwar Period in the Imagination of the West Belarusian Population

Abstract Often overlooked on the world stage, the Republic of Belarus harbours a complex historical narrative interwoven with its national identity and political landscape. While the country is known for widely representing the cult of the Great Patriotic War and its importance to the local historical imagination, this article focuses on a less explored era: the interwar period. The study examines the coexistence of state-sponsored historical narratives and local oral traditions in attempts to shed light on the complicated relationship between personal memories and official discourses. By applying a multidisciplinary approach that includes anthropology, history and political science, this study sheds light on the dynamics that shape Belarusian historical consciousness. The research focuses on how the state narrative intersects with and excludes personal memories from the broader discourse in order to illuminate the limits of state authority in shaping collective memory.

Cultural Landscape is a Power of Increasing the Beauty of the Natural Landscape and It is an Attraction to the Traveller for Visits the Tourists Places: A Study in West Bengal Major Tourist Spots Cultural Landscape

The study mainly focused on the cultural landscape’s impact on the tourism spots in West Bengal and it is really effective to attraction power to the travellers. The article mainly represents cultural landscape refers to the modification of the natural landscape by human activities and it is increase the beauty of the tourists spots. we have directly contact to some travellers for collection their satisfactory level and observation their main subject to create an attraction for a specific tourist places and collection the data and more information to use internet websites. We are using FDGs method, online survey, questionnaire survey and GIS software for using secondary data collection. We showing the major tourist spots of West Bengal, such as Darjeeling, Sundarbans, Santiniketan, Dooars, Bishnupur and Purulia. In those places we observed their natural beauty and elements of cultural landscape increase the beauty of environment. And represents to analysis of this think that culture is a key to the development of natural landscape and attraction to the travellers to those places. And this study helps to deployment of these places for visiting large amount travellers.

Analyzing Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains from a Pictorial Perspective

From the perspective of iconography, this paper presents an in-depth analysis of Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, a classic work of traditional Chinese landscape painting. This work has been highly respected since the Tang Dynasty and is regarded as one of the important representatives in the history of Chinese painting. Its rich connotation and artistic value have always been the focus of scholars' research. The thesis aims to deeply interpret the historical and cultural connotations and artistic symbolism embedded in Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains through the iconographic method, from the levels of ex-iconography, iconography and iconographic analysis, to reveal its important position and value in Chinese traditional art. Adopting the iconographic method, the analysis is divided into three main levels. First, through pre-imaginative analysis, we focus on the physical facts and visual representations on the surface of the work; second, we use imaginative analysis to explore the information of the specific objects in the work and explore their connections and themes; and finally, we carry out imaginative analysis to reveal the deeper historical and cultural connotations and symbolic meanings of the work. Through in-depth iconographic analysis, Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains demonstrates the core values of traditional Chinese landscape painting, presenting a fusion of natural landscapes and humanistic emotions. It is not only a work of art, but also a vivid expression of traditional Chinese culture and aesthetics. The findings of this dissertation will contribute to a better understanding of the profound historical and cultural connotations embedded in Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, as well as its important position and value in the history of Chinese art.

PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF TOURISM INDUSTRY IN GUJARAT- A GEOGRAPHICAL STUDY

The paper discussed the prospects and challenges of tourism development in Gujarat. It has found that state is blessed with natural landscapes and historical monuments. Gujarat has rich history and have numerous places of attractions. It has popular tourist places like Dakor, Girnar, Palitana, Dwarka, and Ambaji. It is home of many pilgrimages sites. The state is home to many Buddhist monuments. It is renowned for its breath-taking views, serene surroundings, and warm hospitality. Tourist arrivals was declined in state for corona pandemic effects, but post-corona recovery are noticeable. The state has more opportunities in spiritual/wellness tourism, beach and water-based tourism, religious tourism, cuisine tourism, eco-tourism, rural tourism, heritage tourism, adventure and recreational tourism. There are many challenges before the tourism industry. Therefore, Government should implement tourism policies for development of tourist sites and comfortability of the tourists.

Penguin colony georegistration using camera pose estimation and phototourism.

Satellite-based remote sensing and uncrewed aerial imagery play increasingly important roles in the mapping of wildlife populations and wildlife habitat, but the availability of imagery has been limited in remote areas. At the same time, ecotourism is a rapidly growing industry and can yield a vast catalog of photographs that could be harnessed for monitoring purposes, but the inherently ad-hoc and unstructured nature of these images make them difficult to use. To help address this, a subfield of computer vision known as phototourism has been developed to leverage a diverse collection of unstructured photographs to reconstruct a georeferenced three-dimensional scene capturing the environment at that location. Here we demonstrate the use of phototourism in an application involving Antarctic penguins, sentinel species whose dynamics are closely tracked as a measure of ecosystem functioning, and introduce a semi-automated pipeline for aligning and registering ground photographs using a digital elevation model (DEM) and satellite imagery. We employ the Segment Anything Model (SAM) for the interactive identification and segmentation of penguin colonies in these photographs. By creating a textured 3D mesh from the DEM and satellite imagery, we estimate camera poses to align ground photographs with the mesh and register the segmented penguin colony area to the mesh, achieving a detailed representation of the colony. Our approach has demonstrated promising performance, though challenges persist due to variations in image quality and the dynamic nature of natural landscapes. Nevertheless, our method offers a straightforward and effective tool for the georegistration of ad-hoc photographs in natural landscapes, with additional applications such as monitoring glacial retreat.

Mapping the Distance: An Analysis of Visitor Travel Distance to German National Parks and Biosphere Reserves

The ecologically valuable and unique natural and cultural landscapes of protected areas are popular nature tourism destinations. From a spatial perspective, travellers visit protected areas by moving from their place of origin to the destination for a temporary stay. This paper analyses the travel distances of day visitors and overnight guests to German national parks and biosphere reserves. National parks position themselves as both regional and national destinations. In contrast, biosphere reserve tourism is more regionally concentrated due to the proximity of biosphere reserves to urban centres, which are the primary places of origin for visitors. On average, visitors travel 278.6 km by car to visit a national park, taking 172.1 minutes (02:52 hours). Opting for public transport increases the average travel distance to 312.5 km, with a travel time of 284.5 minutes (04:43 hours). Visitors to German biosphere reserves travel 208.7 km by car, requiring 134.7 minutes (02:15 hours). When using public transport to visit biosphere reserves, the average distance increases to 234.0 km, with a travel time of 239.1 minutes (03:59 hours). The automated, GIS-supported distance analyses offer an innovative approach for assessing nature tourism catchment areas and the accessibility of protected areas, serving as a basis for effective spatial planning, development, and regional marketing.

Harnessing big data for national security: A review of information systems and emerging technologies in the U.S

The rapid growth of big data and emerging technologies has fundamentally transformed the national security landscape, enabling governments to leverage vast amounts of information for decision-making, threat detection, and operational effectiveness. This review explores the integration of big data analytics into U.S. national security systems, focusing on the technological innovations that facilitate real-time data processing, secure communications, and predictive analytics. Key emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things, are evaluated for their role in enhancing intelligence gathering, cybersecurity, and surveillance operations. Furthermore, the paper examines the foundational principles of big data in national security, detailing its data sources, types, and uses in both structured and unstructured forms. While these advancements present significant opportunities, they also pose challenges related to privacy, ethics, policy, and legal frameworks, which are critical for ensuring that the implementation of such technologies aligns with democratic values and security objectives. The paper concludes by highlighting future research directions, emphasizing the need for continued development in big data infrastructure, governance, and ethical considerations to fully harness its potential in protecting national interests.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Urban Growth and PM2.5 Concentrations in Sylhet, Bangladesh

Environmental impacts of urbanization, such as increased air pollution, pose significant challenges for developing countries. This study examines land cover changes and their relationship with particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) concentrations in two upazilas of Bangladesh from 2001 to 2019 using GIS and remote sensing techniques. Results show significant urban expansion (i.e., increase in built-up area) in both upazilas, corresponding with increasing PM2.5 levels. Linear regression reveals correlations between land cover types and PM2.5 levels. Mixed forests and waterbodies tend to be negatively associated with PM2.5 concentrations; on the other hand, built-up and barren land show a positive correlation with PM2.5. The most significant increase in built-up land and PM2.5 was in Madhabpur, indicating urgent environmental and health issues. This study emphasizes the critical role of sustainable urban planning and environmental conservation in mitigating urbanization’s adverse effects on air quality, advocating for preserving natural landscapes to maintain ecological balance, protecting urban health, and providing policymakers with insights to develop strategies addressing urban expansion and air pollution.

Understanding the effect of cropping system on soil health at the Northwestern Ontario Agricultural Research Station in Canada

Anthropogenic activities impact soil in varying degrees, from preserving natural landscapes to intensive agriculture which among the farm practices that impact the soil are the cropping systems. Information on cropping systems and soil impacts in northern territories is still missing. This study assesses the effect of different cropping systems on soil health -physical, chemical and biological soil properties and indicators of soil health - at the Lakehead Agricultural Research Station [LUARS] in northern Ontario, Canada. The study compares three cropping systems (perennial crops-pasture, grass, and annual crops -wheat, barley, corn, soybeans) and two forest areas (conifer plantation and naturally regenerating mixed wood forest) at LUARS. Soil samples were collected at different depths and analyzed for various indicators using the Cornell Soil Health Assessment framework. The results showed the soil health scores varied among cropping systems, with natural forest and perennial crops-pasture having higher scores compared to annual crops -wheat, barley, corn, soybeans. Soil organic matter was found to be lowest in annual crops -wheat, barley, corn, soybeans, while aggregate stability was highest in natural forests. The study also identifies the soil health gap, which represents the difference between the health of a particular cropping system and a benchmark. The soil health gap analysis can help farmers implement practices to improve soil health and increase the resilience and sustainability of agroecosystems. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of understanding the effect of cropping systems on soil health and provides insights into potential strategies for improving farm practices.

Contemporary Development Discourse in Northeast India and its Impact on the Tribal Communities

Northeast India, a region characterised by great geo-political and ecological significance, is geographically divided into the plains and the hills and is home to many tribal communities that largely depend on natural resource-based livelihoods. While shifting cultivation (jhum) has been a dominant traditional system of land use among tribes both in the hills and the plains, most of them in the plains abandoned this practice on account of colonial-era encroachment. In the hills, however, shifting cultivation still plays a critical role in maintaining agricultural biodiversity and providing food security to the indigenous communities. The advent of colonial development in the region in the 19th century left a long-term impact on its natural and social landscapes. After independence, especially after the early 1960s, the hills that remained largely excluded from the process of colonial development were also brought under the development agenda of the Indian state. However, in recent times, under the neoliberal Indian state, the development discourse in the region has witnessed an unprecedentedly aggressive character seriously undermining the traditional ecology, land ownership system, livelihood and culture of the tribal communities.

Interlocking Elements to Control Erosion in Natural and Urban Ecosystems

Advancements in comprehending soil erosion alleviation, relevant to both natural terrains and urban settings, have experienced notable growth in knowledge and products. Nevertheless, the increasing influence of climate change-driven forces, extreme weather events, and human-caused actions have resulted in reduced attainment of the desired results in erosion mitigation efforts. This paper aims to investigate how interlocking elements contribute to the reduction of soil erosion in natural landscapes and urban green spaces. This will be achieved by analyzing published materials, patents, installation instructions, manuals, and reports from organizations. Furthermore, we delve into novel interlocking products and emerging strategies like soft solutions and ecologically engineered blocks designed to effectively address soil erosion within vegetated habitats while enhancing the system’s capacity to adapt and withstand shifts in climate, curbing soil loss, and diminishing the speed of water runoff, consequently mitigating the potential for erosion. Geotechnical engineering and other erosion control solutions like biobased interlocking components and interlocking permeable blocks offer promise in safeguarding natural landscapes and urban infrastructure from erosion-related impacts. The geotextiles market, for instance, which was valued at over $7 billion in 2022, is anticipated to experience an annual growth rate of 6.6% from 2023 to 2030. This growth can be attributed to increasing environmental concerns related to soil erosion and the rapid urbanization occurring in developing countries. However, continuous progress in the economic viability and sustainability of these techniques and products is crucial to effectively achieve erosion mitigation goals in the face of a shifting climate.

The contingent impact of wind farms on game mammal density demonstrated in a large-scale analysis of hunting bag data in Poland

Wind farms are still developing dynamically worldwide, with promising prospects for further growth. Therefore, the assessment of their impact on animals has been carried out. So far, few studies have been conducted on game mammals, and their results are divergent. Previous studies on the impact of wind farms on game species were typically based on regional research covering one or, at most, several wind farms. In this study, we aimed to verify the effect of wind farms on the density of game mammals through a large-scale analysis at the country level, using lowland Poland as an example. The study was based on hunting bag data from open-field hunting districts. It covered seven game species: roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), European badger (Meles meles), European polecat (Mustela putorius), and European hare (Lepus europaeus). We used Corine Land Cover to account for differences in land cover and the area covered by wind farms in generalized linear mixed models. The study showed that in agricultural landscapes, mainly herbivorous species of game mammals were related to land cover types. These species tend to exhibit higher densities in agricultural areas containing more natural landscape features. Conversely, mesocarnivores are primarily driven by the abundance of prey with little to no observable effects from land cover types. Only roe deer and wild boar presented lower densities with an increase in the area covered by wind farms (for roe deer: estimate: − 0.05, 95% CI: − 0.1–0.0; for wild boar: estimate: − 0.03, 95% CI: − 0.11–0.05), while no effect was observed for mesocarnivores or European hare. The underlying reasons for these relationships remain unclear and require more specific studies. The uncertainty regarding the cause of the observed effects did not allow for a large-scale assessment of the impact of further wind energy development on the studied game mammals.