Peri-urban Park Research Articles

The effect of peri-urban parks on life expectancy and socioeconomic inequalities: A 16-year longitudinal study in Hong Kong

Exposure to greenspaces has well-established benefits for the health and well-being of urban dwellers. Among these greenspaces, peri-urban parks (PUPs), which are human-modified, large-scale, and public-accessible greenspaces located on the urban fringe, have received increasing attention from policymakers and researchers in recent years, as the limited provision of greenspaces in urban areas barely meet the residents’ needs for nature engagement. However, the associations between PUPs and life expectancy and their potential socioeconomic inequalities remain unclear. In this study, we employed a longitudinal, territory-wide death-registration dataset to address such research gaps. The results showed that both the area and greenery of PUP significantly decreased life expectancy loss with standardized coefficients of −0.156 (p = 0.001) and −0.173 (p < 0.001), respectively. The life-expectancy benefits of PUP greenery remain significant throughout 200–8000 m buffer radii. Nevertheless, socioeconomic inequalities were found between PUPs and life expectancy associations. We found that people with higher socioeconomic status (SES) received higher PUP exposure. In addition, contrary to the hypothesis of equigenesis theory, higher-SES populations received greater benefits in life expectancy than lower-SES populations, even after controlling for inequalities in PUP exposure. Our findings uncover a complex relationship between PUPs, life expectancy, and SES, highlighting the need for targeted interventions for people with different SES to ensure equitable health benefits for all.

Recreation specialization: Resource selection functions as a predictive tool for protected area recreation management

Widespread and ongoing increases in park and protected area (PPA) visitation presents managers with the imminent challenge of preserving ecological conditions while also maintaining accessibility in the open spaces that are fundamental to the health and wellness needs of society. In the field of recreation resource management, recreation specialization, the selective channeling of interests and abilities into a specific recreational activity, has contributed to a more comprehensive understanding of recreation behavior, site preference, management perceptions and conservation support. Contributing to historical understandings of specialization can inform recreation planning on the diversity of uses occurring in urban-proximate PPAs. In this study, survey and GPS data collected in urban and peri-urban parks in the Nature Reserve of Orange County, CA, USA, were used to classify recreationists into three specialization types based on empirically derived dimensions of involvement, commitment and skill. For each survey participant, thirteen spatio-temporal metrics (STM) were calculated. A principle component analysis (PCA) reduced STMs into 3 factors representing expressions of spatial behavior and a one-way analysis of variance indicated unique patterns between specialization types and time spent recreating, elevation gained, speed traveled and stopping behavior. Additionally, GPS point data were analyzed with an analytical approach adopted from the field of wildlife movement ecology; a resource selection function (RSF). The RSF assisted in quantifying spatial distribution patterns specific to each specialization type across activity types at four park locations and demonstrated a landscape-based statistical analysis of probability of use in relation to change in elevation, distance to starting points and park amenities. Committed hikers and mountain bikers largely demonstrated longer trip durations, more elevation gain, less overall stopping, faster overall speeds and farther total distances, while e-bikers in this study demonstrated unintuitive specialization dynamics; casual specialization types travelling farther from starting points and dispersing more across trail systems. Further spatial results revealed spatial behavior to be inherently complex and influenced by numerous confounding factors (i.e. activity type/bike type, starting points, park topography and trail design). This novel spatial examination of recreation specialization according to activity type and park location, is useful in understanding recreation behavior and park use in a spatial context. This ability is helpful in a predictive managerial context when reviewed in correspondence with historical evidence identifying behaviors with increased potential for ecological impact.

Exploring environmental equity and visitation disparities in peri-urban parks: A mobile phone data-driven analysis in Tokyo

Peri-urban parks play a crucial role in enhancing urban living conditions and promoting contact with nature. However, assessing environmental equity and visitor disparities in peri-urban parks requires a thorough understanding of visitation patterns, which has been lacking in previous research. To bridge the gap, this study utilizes mobile phone big data from over 40,000 visitors to peri-urban parks in Tokyo. We applied Local Moran's I, Lorenz Curve, Gini coefficient, and K-means clustering methods to scrutinize accessibility and disparities among residents of Tokyo's 23 special wards and within distinct visitor groups. The findings reveal significant insights: Firstly, mobile-based indicators expose disparities, underscoring the relevance of human activities in assessing peri-urban park accessibility, variations in these indicators highlight the need for a multi-dimensional approach. Secondly, Gini coefficient analysis of mobile-based and two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) indicators suggest that extending the service radius beyond 10 km could mitigate environmental inequity. Furthermore, visitation disparities are more distinctly illustrated through mobile-derived visitor subgroups compared to age-demographic groups. These findings offer valuable insights for decision-makers in park planning policy, enabling the development of strategies that address accessibility inequity while establishing effective classifications for peri-urban park visitor groups.

Prevalence, genetic diversity and eco-epidemiology of pathogenic Leptospira species in small mammal communities in urban parks Lyon city, France.

Rodents are recognized as the main reservoirs of Leptospira spp. Rats, in particular, serve as hosts for the widely predominant Leptospira interrogans serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae, found worldwide. Several studies have shown the importance of other reservoirs, such as mice or hedgehogs, which harbor other leptospires' serovars. Nevertheless, our knowledge of circulating Leptospira spp. in reservoirs other than rats remains limited. In this context, we proposed an eco-health approach to assess the health hazard associated with leptospires in urban green spaces, where contacts between human/small mammals and domestic animals are likely. We studied the prevalence, the diversity of circulating strains, and epidemiology of pathogenic Leptospira species in small terrestrial mammal communities (rodents and shrews), between 2020-2022, in two parks in Lyon metropolis, France. Our study showed a significant carriage of Leptospira spp. in small terrestrial mammals in these parks and unveiled a global prevalence rate of 11.4%. Significant variations of prevalence were observed among the small mammal species (from 0 to 26.1%), with Rattus norvegicus exhibiting the highest infection levels (26.1%). We also observed strong spatio-temporal variations in Leptospira spp. circulation in its reservoirs. Prevalence seems to be higher in the peri-urban park and in autumn in 2021 and 2022. This is potentially due to differences in landscape, abiotic conditions and small mammal communities' composition. Our study suggests an important public health relevance of rats and in a lesser extent of other rodents (Apodemus spp., Clethrionomys glareolus and Mus musculus) as reservoirs of L. interrogans, with rodent species carrying specific serogroups/serovars. We also emphasize the potential hazard associated between the shrew Crocidura russula and L. kirschneri. Altogether, these results improve our knowledge about the prevalence of leptospirosis in an urban environment, which is an essential prerequisite for the implementation of prevention of associated risks.

Changes in park visits and the shift towards rural recreation: Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK

The spread of COVID-19 and corresponding government interventions have changed residents’ travel and mobility, and recent academic literatures suggests that this have had a positive impact on rural recreation. This study analyzed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural recreation from the perspective of population mobility, aiming to explore the changes in park visits during the pandemic, identify the motivation and demand of urban residents for leisure activities under the impact of the pandemic and to test the hypothesis of the accelerating the shift to rural recreation. Using the UK as the case study, it compared the park visits in four stages according to the COVID-19 policies: pre-, strict, eased, and fully lifted lockdown. Based on multivariate datasets, stepwise regression models of park visits in urban areas of 25 counties in the UK during each stage were constructed and compared. The results showed that residents preferred to visit smaller parks before and in the early stage of the pandemic. In the strict lockdown stage, the movement of residents to parks decreased significantly. During the eased lockdown period, park visits increased significantly, but there was clear spatial variation across the country attributed to the severity of the pandemic in each region, and different control policies of local governments. During the period when the lockdown was fully lifted, the frequency of park visits remained an increasing trend compared to the baseline period but decreased slightly compared to the eased lockdown period due to the increasing number of park visitors and more crowded park sites. Obviously, residents were more willing to visit distant country parks after an extended period of lockdown control, and mainly congregated in dispersed recreation sites such as the wilderness and forests that were distributed outside of urban areas and farther away. This study broadens the related literature using the evidence from changes of park visits, which to some extent confirms that the pandemic accelerates the leisure activities taking place from urban to suburban parks. The results can provide new inspiration for the future research on rural recreation and tourism, and also provide guidelines for planning peri-urban rural parks to prepare for future public health crises along with the population shift tendency.

Assessing biodiversity's impact on stress and affect from urban to conservation areas: A virtual reality study

Biodiversity is the essential foundation of ecosystem stability and significantly influences human health. However, the specific impacts of broadly varied biodiversity levels across diverse greenspaces on mental well-being remain unclear. In this randomized controlled trial, immersive virtual reality (VR) auditory-visual simulations, emulating real biodiversity scenarios, were employed to investigate the effect of diverse biodiversity levels on stress and affect. After an induced stress phase, participants (N = 90) were randomly assigned to a ten-minute immersion in one of three settings: urban park, peri-urban park, or nature conservation area. Physiological responses were measured via skin conductance level (SCL) and significant skin conductance responses (nSCR), while psychological responses were evaluated using Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). Additionally, the Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS) was employed to evaluate restoration potential. Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that immersion in the peri-urban park and nature conservation area was associated with a significantly faster and more substantial decrease in SCL compared to the urban park. nSCR in the nature conservation area remained significantly lower than in the urban park. While immersion in all three natural environments significantly diminished negative affect, the nature conservation scenario was associated with a substantial decline in positive affect and received the lowest rating on the subjective restorativeness. A psychological benefit threshold related to biodiversity was observed, in contrast to the absence of a corresponding physiological threshold. This disparity suggests that an innate genetic affinity for high biodiversity may persists, unaffected by acquired experiences. Our study underscores the stress recovery benefits of high-value ecological environments, thereby fostering an avenue for further investigations into human-ecological health interconnections.

Visitation patterns in a peri-urban natural park: Comparing mountain bikers, runners, walkers and hikers

Urban natural parks are popular destinations for activities such as short walks, longer hikes, mountain biking and running. But how does visitation for these activities vary, and how can information about visitation patterns facilitate management by enhancing social and environmental benefits? Employing a case study approach, we compared the four activities in Serra de Collserola Natural Park, a large popular park close to Barcelona in Spain. When 1788 visitors were surveyed and data analysed using Categorical Principal Components Analysis and Chi-squared tests, clear differences were found in sociodemographics (age, gender, occupation, educational level and where people lived), visitation patterns (frequency, means of transport, group size and composition, when visited, length of visit, and trail use), motivations (active, relaxation, nature, landscapes, socializing, time with family, etc.), and environmental and social impacts, including conflicts among user groups and crowding. This diversity in visitation highlights ways in which management could be better tailored to specific cohorts of visitors. For this specific park it highlighted issues with concentrated use (more resources needed on weekends), how equity of use could be enhanced (promoting running and biking for women), and how conflict could be reduced (by spatial segregation for faster and slower activities). Future surveys could examine emerging issues associated with changes in use since COVID-19, facilities for aging populations, and the spread of e-bikes among others.

Biomass and carbon stock potential of trees growing in a peri-urban park of assam, india

Altogether 35 species, belonging to 34 genera and 21 families, were recorded from a peri-urban park of Assam, India. Average diameter at breast height (DBH) of the trees in the park was 27.67±3.73 cm and average density of the trees in the park was 380 stem ha-1. The wood specific gravity (WSG) of Psidium guajava (0.98 g cm-3) was highest and Alstonia scholaris (0.39g cm-3) had the least among the trees in the park. Total above ground biomass (AGB) and total below ground biomass (BGB) of the trees in the park were 369.74 Mg ha-1 and 96.13 Mg ha-1 respectively. The total biomass (TB) and total Carbon stock (TCS) of the trees in the park were 465.87 Mg ha-1 and 232.93 Mg C ha-1 respectively. The CO2 equivalent (CO2 eqv) of the trees in the park was 852.54 Mg ha-1. The park in addition to provide recreation and social gathering space to the people living in the area also functions as embankment to provide flood protection. It acts as home to wildlife particularly birds and small mammals too. Further, it provides ecosystem services such as reducing runoff of rainwater and soil erosion; aesthetic beauty, purified air, filtered noise. On top of all, the trees in the park also counter balance Carbon emissions through Carbon storage and sequestration. Therefore, setting up and management of park even in rural and peri-urban areas can deliver a considerable element to climate change mitigation strategies.

Plural relational green space values for whom, when, and where? – A social media approach

The values people ascribe to their interactions with and within the environment are essential to inform justice and sustainability transformations. The development of many of these values unfolds through enjoying so-called cultural ecosystem services (CES) such as outdoor recreation, landscape aesthetics or environmental education. A growing body of literature is improving the assessment of the multiple ways that people value human and non-human relations arising when enjoying CES. Yet, the geo-temporal-demographic patterns of values distribution and the lessons that can be derived are to be consistently analysed within this relational framework. Building on a visual and textual content analysis of social media (SM) data geotagged in a peri-urban park of Barcelona, Spain, this research explores the potential of analysing the associated metadata (such as geotag, timestamp and social media users' demographics – i.e., performed gender and residency) in order to develop a better understanding of the linkages between people's values and the situated context of their construction. Our results show trends in relational CES values distribution along and between the analysed spatial, temporal, and demographic dimensions. In particular, despite there being a multiplicity of values revealed across the whole case-study area, to enjoy contemplative CES, such as spiritual or cognitive value, people need to move away from highly frequented areas and prefer specific times of the day, respectively evening or afternoon. Locals show a higher preference to visit the park on weekends compared to non-locals, while women-performing users show a significantly higher drop in their CES benefits uptake compared to men-performing users at night. In addition to providing novel and fine-grained information for transformative practices toward justice and sustainability, this study highlights the importance of complementing CES studies employing SM with metadata analysis to improve our understanding of the relationship between the real and the more-than-real.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TREE-RELATED MICROHABITATS AND THE CAPTURES OBTAINED USING DIFFERENT TRAP METHODS FOR LARGE THREATENED SAPROXYLIC BEETLE

Osmoderma eremita and Cerambyx cerdo are saproxylic beetle species, included in the IUCN Red List and in the EU/92 Habitats Directive. Their occurrence has been recorded, through appropriate traps, in several localities in Italy, including urban and peri-urban parks, mostly associated with veteran trees. In this study, traps were tested over 17 veteran oak trees in the Castelporziano Presidential Estate (Latium, Rome province, central Italy) and the abundance of sampled saproxylic beetles was related to the growing stock volume (GSV) and the abundance of microhabitats. Moreover, we compared three different trapping methods: a trap designed to monitor C. cerdo (CC), and two traps designed for monitoring O. eremita, i.e., the Black Cross Window Trap (BCWT) and the Black Bottle Traps (BBT). We found that larger trees hosted a great variety of microhabitats, in particular cavities, which abundance was correlated with the number of specimens sampled, especially O. eremita species. Both classic traps (i.e., CC traps and BCWT) and the herein-introduced BBT variants were effective for capturing large saproxylic beetles. In this work, we underline the importance of the preservation of veteran trees to the occurrence of threatened saproxylic beetles, and we contributed to (i) extending general knowledge of the habitat preferences of saproxylic beetles and (ii) improving new cost-effective trapping system variants. Key Words: Osmoderma eremita, Cerambyx cerdo, IUCN threatened species, Tree-related Microhabitat, urban and peri-urban areas, veteran trees

Visitor motivation and perceived value of periurban parks - Case study of Kamenica park, Serbia

Visitor motivation and perceived value of periurban parks - Case study of Kamenica park, Serbia

From nature experience to visitors’ pro-environmental behavior: the role of perceived restorativeness and well-being

This research presents two studies covering two interconnected and sequential research questions in the context of a developing country (China): (1) What psychological responses do different types of environmental experiences elicit in visitors and (2) how are the psychological responses and following behavioral responses elicited by natural experiences? The research posits that the feelings of well-being and pro-environmental behavior (PEB) are elicited through the mechanism of perceived restorativeness. Study 1 (a scenario experiment) suggests that national parks produce higher subjective vitality but similar perceived restorative outcomes compared to city parks. Study 2 (a survey) presents a theoretical model examining the relationships among perceived restorativeness, general subjective well-being (SWB), trip-specific SWB, and PEB in a peri-urban national forest park context. The results indicate that perceived restorativeness is an important factor influencing visitors’ well-being and PEB, though the association between SWB and PEB was nonsignificant. Our studies provide cross-cultural confirmation of the restorative effects of the natural environment. They also provide evidence that nature-based tourism could be a valid nature-based solution for improving the health and well-being of both humans and the earth, through the role of perceived restorativeness of nature.

A Predator on the Doorstep: Kill Site Selection by a Lone Wolf in a Peri-Urban Park in a Mediterranean Area.

The aim of the study was to assess which kill site characteristics were selected by a lone wolf living in a protected Mediterranean coastal area near the city of Pisa, Italy, where both wild and domestic ungulates were available as potential prey. Between 2017 and 2019, we monitored the wolf's predatory behaviour through a combination of camera trapping and active search for kill sites and prey carcasses. The main prey found was the fallow deer (n = 82); only two wild boars and no domestic ungulates were found preyed upon. The features and habitat of kill sites were modelled to test for selection by the wolf. The habitat type of kill site was composed of meadows and pastures (89.3%), woods (7.3%), degraded coastal areas (1.9%), roads and rivers (1.1%), and marshes (0.5%). We calculated their distance from landscape features and ran a binomial generalised linear model to test the influence of such landscape variables. The distance of kill sites from landscape elements was significantly different from random control sites, and a positive selection for fences was found. In fact, the wolf pushed fallow deer towards a fence to constrain them and prevent them from escaping. We also analysed the body condition of predated fallow deer as a percentage of fat content in the bone marrow of the hind legs. Our results revealed the selection of the lone wolf for deer in good body condition. This is a possible outcome of the habitat selection shown by fallow deer in the study area, where fenced open pastures are the richest in trophic resources; therefore, our findings suggest a high efficacy for the lone wolf hunting strategy, but also the adoption of a high risk feeding strategy by deer. This study suggests that a lone predator can take advantage of human infrastructures to maximise its predatory effectiveness.

Ecological Evaluation and Sustainable Management of the Riparian Forest in Central Greece

The aim of this research is the ecological evaluation of the trees of a riparian peri-urban park, with measurement, inventory and processing of qualitative and quantitative variables of trees (Dendometry) in the riparian forest of the river Karpenissiotis in Central Greece. Each tree is recorded in relation to its species (structural elements) including the diameter at breast height (DBH), the height (H), the ruggedness coefficient (H/D), the height of the crown (Hk), the length of the crown (Lk), the diameter of the crown (Dk), the order of the crown, the order of vitality, the tendency of evolution, the position of the trunk, the shape of the crown, the problems in the space of the roots, the crown, pruning, insect infestations, fungi, and runoff. From the statistical analysis and processing of the measurements, assessment was made of the condition of their health and stability; and necessary measures are proposed in order to significantly improve the ecological conditions of a riparian forest. Thus, the main problems presented by the forest species of trees concerned mainly the sloping, crooked and serpentine trunks, asymmetrical crown shape, insect and fungal infestations. The riparian peri-urban plane forest studied is dominated by trees, which are classified as remaining, normally growing with long asymmetrical crowns with a moderate health status and moderate stability. For the sustainable management and sustainable development of the riparian forest, measures are proposed which are necessary for the forest protection of the trees including their health and safe growth.

Exploring Long-Term Anomalies in the Vegetation Cover of Peri-Urban Parks Using the Fisher-Shannon Method.

The main goal of this study was to evaluate the potential of the Fisher-Shannon statistical method applied to the MODIS satellite time series to search for and explore any small multiyear trends and changes (herein also denoted as inner anomalies) in vegetation cover. For the purpose of our investigation, we focused on the vegetation cover of three peri-urban parks close to Rome and Naples (Italy). For each of these three areas, we analyzed the 2000-2020 time variation of four MODIS-based vegetation indices: evapotranspiration (ET), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), leaf area index (LAI), and enhanced vegetation index (EVI). These data sets are available in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) and were selected because they are related to the interactions between soil, water, atmosphere, and plants. To account for the great variability exhibited by the seasonal variations while identifying small multiyear trends and changes, we devised a procedure composed of two steps: (i) application of the Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) to each satellite-based time series to detect and remove the annual cycle including the seasonality and then (ii) analysis of the detrended signals using the Fisher-Shannon method, which combines the Shannon entropy and the Fisher Information Measure (FIM). Our results indicate that among all the three pilot test areas, Castel Volturno is characterized by the highest Shannon entropy and the lowest FIM that indicate a low level of order and organization of vegetation time series. This behaviour can be linked to the degradation phenomena induced by the parasite (Toumeyella parvicornis) that has affected dramatically the area in recent years. Our results were nicely confirmed by the comparison with in situ analyzed and independent data sets revealing the existence of subtle, small multiyear trends and changes in MODIS-based vegetation indices.

Are birds more afraid in urban parks or cemeteries? A Latin American study contrasts with results from Europe

The escape behaviour, measured as flight initiation distance (FID; the distance at which individuals take flight when approached by a potential predator, usually a human in the study systems), is a measure widely used to study fearfulness and risk-taking in animals. Previous studies have shown significant differences in the escape behaviour of birds inhabiting cemeteries and urban parks in European cities, where birds seem to be shyer in the latter. We collected a regional dataset of the FID of birds inhabiting cemeteries and parks across Latin America in peri-urban, suburban and urban parks and cemeteries. FIDs were recorded for eighty-one bird species. Mean species-specific FIDs ranged from 1.9 to 19.7 m for species with at least two observations (fifty-seven species). Using Bayesian regression modelling and controlling for the phylogenetic relatedness of the FID among bird species and city and country, we found that, in contrast to a recent publication from Europe, birds escape earlier in cemeteries than parks in the studied Latin American cities. FIDs were also significantly shorter in urban areas than in peri-urban areas and in areas with higher human density. Our results indicate that some idiosyncratic patterns in animal fearfulness towards humans may emerge among different geographic regions, highlighting difficulties with scaling up and application of regional findings to other ecosystems and world regions. Such differences could be associated with intrinsic differences between the pool of bird species from temperate European and mostly tropical Latin American cities, characterized by different evolutionary histories, but also with differences in the historical process of urbanization.

A tag is worth a thousand pictures: A framework for an empirically grounded typology of relational values through social media

Environmental values depend on social-ecological interactions and, in turn, influence the production of the underlying biophysical ecosystems. Understanding the nuanced nature of the values that humans ascribe to the environment is thus a key frontier for environmental science and planning. The development of many of these values depends on social-ecological interactions, such as outdoor recreation, landscape aesthetic appreciation or educational experiences with and within nature that can be articulated through the framework of cultural ecosystem services (CES). However, the non-material and intangible nature of CES has challenged previous attempts to assess the multiple and subjective values that people attach to them. In particular, this study focuses on assessing relational values ascribed to CES, here defined as values resonating with core principles of justice, reciprocity, care, and responsibility towards humans and more-than-humans. Building on emerging approaches for inferring relational CES values through social media (SM) images, this research explores the additional potential of a combined analysis of both the visual and textual content of SM data. To do so, we developed an inductive, empirically grounded coding protocol as well as a values typology that could be iteratively tested and verified by three different researchers to improve the consistency and replicability of the assessment. As a case study, we collected images and texts shared on the photo-sharing platform Flickr between 2004 and 2017 that were geotagged within the peri-urban park of Collserola, at the outskirts of Barcelona, Spain. Results reveal a wide spectrum of nine CES values within the park boundaries that show positive and negative correlations among each other, providing useful information for landscape planning and management. Moreover, the study highlights the need for spatial, temporal and demographic analysis, as well as for supervised machine learning techniques to further leverage SM data into contextual and just decision-making and planning.

VIRTUAL TOOLS ECOSYSTEM FOR PERIURBAN GREEN AREAS MONITORING AND PROMOTION: OUTCOMES AND OUTLOOKS OF THE INSUBRIPARKS PROJECT

Abstract. Green areas such as natural and periurban parks provide support to biodiversity and landscape preservation while boosting local economic growth in their hosting territories, thanks to the establishment of eco-tourism activities. Smart management and promotion actions are vital for the sustainable exploitation of such benefits for citizens and visitors. These tasks may be hindered by a lack of economic resources and digital skills of public authorities but also by fragmented local political contexts to which these areas may be subjected. The parks in the Insubria region (between Southern Switzerland and Northern Italy) represent a relevant example of the above. The INSUBRIPARKS project aims at the harmonisation of management and promotion practices for the Insubria parks. The project activities encompass multiple actions, from the establishment of unified territorial marketing strategies to the development of supporting IT tools. Accordingly, this paper provides an overview of the IT tools ecosystem which was designed and developed within the project and an outlook on its role in empowering smart monitoring and promotion for these parks. Tools include a Web portal (enriched with Web mapping components) for a unified presentation of the tourism offers, an analysis framework for social media data exploitation in park visitors’ fluxes assessment, and a mobile tool for users’ engagement in the park areas monitoring. Alongside technical descriptions, lessons learned and residual challenges for the operative adoption of the tools are discussed as to their future improvements.

Getting Flow: The Place of Production Forests in the Rise of Mountain Biking

Mountain biking has increased in popularity in many countries over recent decades. Production forests provide not only an outstanding space for mountain bike riding, but also specific characteristics conducive to purpose-built track building. With recreational access to production forests, managers must balance commercial operations and industry environmental obligations with the interests and actions of riders. Production forests in New Zealand have accommodated mountain biking activities for decades. The trend from 1991 to 2022 showed overall increasing opportunities for mountain biking in production forests, particularly in smaller commercial peri-urban plantations and forest parks maintained as dedicated mountain bike parks. Over the same period, public mountain biking access to larger (&gt;1500 ha) forests peaked in 2008. These recreational changes within forests, and the impact these changes have pressed onto forest managers, have not been well documented. This paper explores the rise in popularity of mountain biking in New Zealand’s production plantation forests, and the response of forest owners and managers to increased mountain biking activities in their commercial forest estates. The paper discusses implications for forest planning to accommodate active recreational sports such as mountain biking in production forests, suggesting policies and procedures to help protect commercial interests and forest ecology, while allowing for a contemporary mix of recreational activities.

Molecular Prevalence of Selected Tick-Borne Pathogens in Dermacentor reticulatus Collected in a Natural Park in Italy.

Dermacentor reticulatus is one of the most important vectors of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in Europe causing diseases in animals and humans. A longitudinal study was planned, aimed to detect the molecular prevalence of tick-borne pathogens, i.e., Babesia spp. and the spotted fever group Rickettsiae, and its seasonal variation in D. reticulatus questing ticks to define the temporal infection risk. Ticks were collected monthly over a period of 15 months in a peri-urban park in Lombardy, Italy. DNA extraction and molecular analyses were performed. Statistical analysis was carried out. Out of 488, 53 (P = 10.9%) adult questing ticks were positive for Babesia DNA. A higher prevalence was revealed in male (32/241, P = 13.3%) than in female (21/247, P = 8.5%) ticks. Positive ticks were mostly collected in winter months (P = 13.3%) compared to early (P = 7.9) and late (P = 12.8) spring months. A similar percentage of positive ticks was evidenced in transects 1 and 3 (5.8% and 6.5%, respectively); instead, a significant higher prevalence was recorded in transect 2 (P = 16.0%). Obtained sequences confirmed a homology of 100% with B. canis sequences deposited in GenBank. No ticks tested positive for Rickettsia spp. DNA (0/488, P = 0%). The conspicuous circulation of B. canis infection in D. reticulatus adult questing ticks confirms their role in the epidemiology of canine babesiosis and requires preventive measures for dogs in this recreational area. Even if no tick was positive for the spotted fever group Rickettsia, its capacity as a vector of zoonotic pathogens should not be neglected.