Landscape Protection Research Articles

Historical Pathways as Promotion and Protection of the Cultural Landscape: Tourism and the Camí de Ronda on the Costa Brava

This article reflects on the growing trend of cultural landscape appreciation and connecting landscapes with their broader heritage surroundings. It focuses on historical trails and their adjacent cultural and natural heritage as a holistic cultural landscape with a particular case from the Costa Brava. The paper links the concepts of natural scenery, identity, authenticity, coastal and cultural heritage, trails, routes and cultural tourism as the basis for understanding cultural landscapes in a heritage tourism context. This paper provides perspectives on how a coastal trail and its surrounding heritage can connect and be experienced as a cultural landscape, which includes architecture, art, literature and archaeology. The findings suggest five themes that connect the historical path with the region’s heritage landscape: the role of tangible and intangible heritage, the development of a heritage discourse, promoting a heritage route, the division of the route into three sections and their connections to tourism, and the acknowledgement of a unique cultural landscape. The totality of the heritage landscape with all its components complements, and is an integral part of, the coastal landscape that appeals to many tourists in the Costa Brava.

Features of the management of the territories of National nature parks

According to the data of the State Cadastre, at the beginning of 2021, the nature reserve fund counted 8,633 territories and objects with a total area of 4.1 million hectares, which was 6.8% of the country's area. These territories are under the authority of various departments. The main purpose of protected areas is to preserve unique landscapes, species of flora and fauna for future generations. Today, the task is to increase the area of the nature reserve fund. It has been established that national natural parks (NPPs) are one of the largest objects of the protected fund in terms of area. To date, 56 NPPs have been created, which occupy an area of 1,399,161 hectares, which is 30.6% of the entire nature reserve fund. Administrations have been created in national parks to implement the functions entrusted to the park. These include preservation and protection of unique landscapes, conducting scientific research, recreational activities and educational work. The territory of the park includes lands of different purposes. These are mainly forests and other wooded areas (60%), the sea - 21%, inland waters - 6%, agricultural land - 5%, For the effective management of the national natural park, projects are being developed for the organization of the territory of the NPP for the protection, reproduction and recreational use of its natural complexes and objects. At the same time, a project approach is used, which makes it possible to achieve the strategic goals of the park with the help of the proposed measures. It is proposed to grow energy willow on agricultural lands. The environmental component of the project is important, as we have zero carbon emissions when using willow as fuel, which is important at the current price of energy resources. A technological map of growing has been developed, the efficiency of growing energy willow in the territories of the Nobel NPP has been calculated.

One nature – many values for all: Gauja National Park

The ideas underlying nature conservation have changed over time, from a very narrow view regarding the protection of specific species to the integration of nature conservation into the context of global development. Different coexisting perceptions of natural values can also be observed within the same area, in this case the Gauja National Park. The establishment of the park was implemented within the framework of a different political regime, in the 1970s, in which the protection of cultural landscapes was prioritised. While today the state’s official stance represents the modern ideas of nature conservation, public opinion about nature protection is ambiguous. By studying the historical context and implementing other research methods, an insight was gained into the society’s coexisting, often different visions of what is valuable in nature. Ethical considerations, which are often expressed both in the media and in the opinions of the residents, show a lack of understanding of the existing nature protection system and its methods.

The Systems Approach in Soil Science and Landscape Science

The article describes the current state of the systems approach in two closely related scientific disciplines - soil science and landscape science. It is shown that, despite the widespread recognition of the need to apply the systems approach to solving topical theoretical and practical problems in these disciplines, it remains unrealized. This is manifested in the prevailing view of soils as systems rather than as elements of higher-order systems, the mixing of the basic landscape elements with their properties, the recognition of landscape systems and elements as spatially heterogeneous formations, the different understanding of emergent properties, structure, hierarchy of soil and landscape systems, and, as a result, in the absence of their unified system definitions, basic classification systems, consistent multiscale global maps, and, finally, a hierarchical decision-making system for sustainable management, protection and assessment of soils and landscapes. It is shown that such a situation is largely due to the conceptual-terminological confusion around the systems approach in philosophy. At the end of the article, the authors share their own experience in applying the systems approach in soil science and landscape science.

The role of isolated farmsteads in the open landscape protection on the example of Kashubia

The role of isolated farmsteads in the open landscape protection on the example of Kashubia

Sociopolitical conflicts on the establishment of protected natural areas: The case of Portofino National Park (Genoa, North-West Italy)

<abstract> <p>This work traces the main stages of environmental and landscape protection of the Portofino Promontory, located in <italic>Riviera Ligure di Levante</italic> (N-W Italy), with particular regard on the recent establishment of Portofino National Park. From 2017, when the institution law was enacted, to date, the park has not yet been established due to the socio-political conflicts that have arisen between some stakeholders and institutions of the territory. These conflicts include not only environmentalists against hunters and constructors but also disagreement between municipalities and region (<italic>Regione Liguria</italic>) and between region and the Ministry of Environment. Today the situation is still stalled, and funds for a park larger than the current one (Portofino Regional Park) have not been allocated. In spite of this, the tug-of-war continues through legal actions. The aim of the article is to analyze the perception of the enlargement of the park by the community and local governance and how this is communicated by the press. The research was conducted through the analysis of the results of a questionnaire aimed at understanding the level of knowledge of the main functions of a national park and the position of the people with respect to it. Second, an analysis of the press was carried out to understand the narratives on this environmental measure. The results of the questionnaire showed a positive consensus toward the park, while press analysis showed little involvement of experts on the subject to foster a political debate without concrete arguments, which damaged the park's image.</p> </abstract>

At the crossroads of Architecture and Landscape

In the context of rapid urban transformations, this thesis explores the possible preservation strategies for historic military systems that used to be embedded in extra-urban settings, but that now are absorbed in the development dynamics of complex metropolitan areas. The research stems from the main peculiarity of these heritage systems: namely, the coexistence of cultural and natural values, and their being at the crossroads of the architecture and landscape domains. Although the need to address nature-culture interlinkages has become a topical issue in the field of heritage preservation, military landscapes have been almost completely left out of this debate. Moreover, the lack of inter-scale strategies in current preservation practices for historic military systems further complicates the way nature-culture interlinkages are addressed. The development of a conceptual framework on this topic has required considering the diversity of existing approaches to landscape, architectural heritage and their interconnection. Italy and the Netherlands were selected as relevant contexts in Western Europe for comparison on this topic. Linking archival research, interviews and field observations, Italian and Dutch contemporary experiences with the revitalization and reuse of historic military systems (NL: New Dutch Waterline; IT: Entrenched Field of Mestre) were compared. Both national and international initiatives promoted in the frame of the World Heritage Convention were analysed. To understand the historical roots of the recent approaches, the evolution of landscape protection in the two contexts has been investigated, highlighting the different influences played by the national discourse on architectural heritage and spatial planning. This historical background, together with the cross-reading of the case studies, has led to the definition of a transnational conceptual framework on the possible preservation strategies for historic military systems with an inter-scale approach. Taking into account the peculiarities of each context, it provides a tool for facilitating the decision-making process, bringing historic military systems into the international discussion on nature-culture interlinkages. Ultimately, it can serve as a reference for other historic landscape systems sharing similar characteristics and preservation issues.

Природная среда долины реки Большая Мотовилиха

One of the most effective methods of preserving biodiversity and maintaining ecological balance is the organization of protected areas. This is especially true for large cities with a historically industrial bias in economic de-velopment, where almost all components of the natural environment are often greatly transformed. The message provides data on identified valuable natural objects in the territory of the river valley. Big Motovilikha. As a result of direct field surveys, the following were discovered: a valuable soil object, locations of plant and animal species included in the Red lists of the Russian Federation and the Perm region or annexes to them. It is recommended to organize protected area «Motovilikhinskiy» and assign it the category of a protected landscape of local importance.

Academic Literature on Compliance Programs, ESG, Corporate Governance, Fraud Prevention, Human Rights, Corruption, Data Protection, and SDGs

This academic summary provides an overview of key themes in recent open-access articles pertaining to compliance programs, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, corporate governance, fraud prevention, human rights, corruption, data protection, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set forth by the United Nations. Scholars have extensively explored the significance of compliance programs in organizations, evaluating their role in ensuring ethical practices, legal adherence, and risk mitigation. Additionally, research has focused on the adoption and impact of ESG strategies, addressing their influence on corporate decision-making, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement. Corporate governance remains a vital area of investigation, investigating board structures, executive compensation, and the effectiveness of governance mechanisms in enhancing firm performance and accountability. Simultaneously, efforts to combat fraud and corruption have led to analyses of fraud detection techniques, whistleblowing systems, and anti-corruption measures. The literature also highlights the evolving landscape of data protection, emphasizing regulatory developments, privacy frameworks, and organizational responsibilities in safeguarding data. Furthermore, there is a growing emphasis on the integration of human rights principles into business practices, exploring the implications of human rights violations and strategies for promoting responsible corporate behavior. Lastly, articles have explored the alignment of corporate practices with the SDGs, examining businesses' contributions to global sustainability goals.

Development of a matrix of landscape restoration measures in the basin of the transboundary Ural River

Aim. The goal is to consider landscape aspects of nature management optimisation in the transboundary basin of the Ural River which have not been taken into account until the present time through measures being developed to improve the ecological state of the basin and its main river.Materials and Methods. The long‐term data of the hydrological regime of the rivers of the basin are analysed. The article summarizes the experience of optimizing water management relations in the river basin and the main results of the activities of the Inter‐Republican Committee on the Ural River basin (1977–1994).Results. Cycles of low‐water and high‐water years in the 20th–beginning of the 21st century are revealed. A list of priority landscape restoration measures has been developed and their ordination according to natural zones and types of localities has been carried out.Conclusions. It is confirmed that the highest and most effective form of territorial protection of landscape and biological diversity are natural reserves – special natural protected areas forming a landscape‐ecological framework. A number of ecological‐stabilising protected natural territories are proposed including the Ural‐Caspian Protected Fisheries Zone, which is aimed at partial restoration of the sturgeon population of the Ural‐Caspian basin adapted to the changed hydrological regime.

Academic Literature on Compliance Programs, ESG, Corporate Governance, Fraud Prevention, Human Rights, Corruption, Data Protection, and SDGs

This academic summary provides an overview of key themes in recent open-access articles pertaining to compliance programs, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, corporate governance, fraud prevention, human rights, corruption, data protection, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set forth by the United Nations. Scholars have extensively explored the significance of compliance programs in organizations, evaluating their role in ensuring ethical practices, legal adherence, and risk mitigation. Additionally, research has focused on the adoption and impact of ESG strategies, addressing their influence on corporate decision-making, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement. Corporate governance remains a vital area of investigation, investigating board structures, executive compensation, and the effectiveness of governance mechanisms in enhancing firm performance and accountability. Simultaneously, efforts to combat fraud and corruption have led to analyses of fraud detection techniques, whistleblowing systems, and anti-corruption measures. The literature also highlights the evolving landscape of data protection, emphasizing regulatory developments, privacy frameworks, and organizational responsibilities in safeguarding data. Furthermore, there is a growing emphasis on the integration of human rights principles into business practices, exploring the implications of human rights violations and strategies for promoting responsible corporate behavior. Lastly, articles have explored the alignment of corporate practices with the SDGs, examining businesses' contributions to global sustainability goals.

The City on the Rails

The research focuses on the application of the elements of the theory of linear urbanism to the current solution for the rural settlements, from which life is lost and they are becoming open-air museums. Rural settlements are currently experiencing a crisis, most of their residents are moving to the big cities for work and in order to improve the quality of their life. This work is inspired by utopian cities from the early 20th century, such as The Roadtown by Edward Chambless, Plan Obus by Le Corbusier or Green City by Konstantin Melnikov. Similar tendencies as in previously mentioned works could be found in highly developed cities such as Tokyo. The book, “Made in Tokyo,” from Atelier Bow-Wow, has already mapped the use of those utopian tendencies in Tokyo and tries to apply its forms to the existing typology of cities and landscapes. The aim is not to put all the functions in one conglomerate, but rather to create a superorganism within the country. The superorganism consists of several settlements with insufficient facilities. The settlements are interconnected by an already existing railway. The most important transformation is hidden in the utilisation of the transport infrastructure and in the further addition of the necessary facilities in such a way that the individual necessary facilities within the linear composition can be shared between multiple dwellings. The presented paper uses an artistic research approach, using the method “research by design”. It is an applied (practical) normative research, which relies on the theory of linearity and the theory of the garden city and their radical and coherent design concept. The starting point of the research is a critical look at the current methods of chaotic construction in protected landscape areas in Slovakia. It uses the Margecany-Červená Skala site as a case study to demonstrate how linear theory would work in the present day, using Geographic Information System (GIS) data to analyse the site. The main goal of the project is to bring back the attractiveness of the region with the usage of contemporary artistic concepts, technologies and strategies.

Academic Literature on Compliance Programs, ESG, Corporate Governance, Fraud Prevention, Human Rights, Corruption, Data Protection, and SDGs

This academic summary provides an overview of key themes in recent open-access articles pertaining to compliance programs, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, corporate governance, fraud prevention, human rights, corruption, data protection, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set forth by the United Nations. Scholars have extensively explored the significance of compliance programs in organizations, evaluating their role in ensuring ethical practices, legal adherence, and risk mitigation. Additionally, research has focused on the adoption and impact of ESG strategies, addressing their influence on corporate decision-making, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement. Corporate governance remains a vital area of investigation, investigating board structures, executive compensation, and the effectiveness of governance mechanisms in enhancing firm performance and accountability. Simultaneously, efforts to combat fraud and corruption have led to analyses of fraud detection techniques, whistleblowing systems, and anti-corruption measures. The literature also highlights the evolving landscape of data protection, emphasizing regulatory developments, privacy frameworks, and organizational responsibilities in safeguarding data. Furthermore, there is a growing emphasis on the integration of human rights principles into business practices, exploring the implications of human rights violations and strategies for promoting responsible corporate behavior. Lastly, articles have explored the alignment of corporate practices with the SDGs, examining businesses' contributions to global sustainability goals.

Academic Literature on Compliance Programs, ESG, Corporate Governance, Fraud Prevention, Human Rights, Corruption, Data Protection, and SDGs

This academic summary provides an overview of key themes in recent open-access articles pertaining to compliance programs, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, corporate governance, fraud prevention, human rights, corruption, data protection, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set forth by the United Nations. Scholars have extensively explored the significance of compliance programs in organizations, evaluating their role in ensuring ethical practices, legal adherence, and risk mitigation. Additionally, research has focused on the adoption and impact of ESG strategies, addressing their influence on corporate decision-making, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement. Corporate governance remains a vital area of investigation, investigating board structures, executive compensation, and the effectiveness of governance mechanisms in enhancing firm performance and accountability. Simultaneously, efforts to combat fraud and corruption have led to analyses of fraud detection techniques, whistleblowing systems, and anti-corruption measures. The literature also highlights the evolving landscape of data protection, emphasizing regulatory developments, privacy frameworks, and organizational responsibilities in safeguarding data. Furthermore, there is a growing emphasis on the integration of human rights principles into business practices, exploring the implications of human rights violations and strategies for promoting responsible corporate behavior. Lastly, articles have explored the alignment of corporate practices with the SDGs, examining businesses' contributions to global sustainability goals.

Academic Literature on Compliance Programs, ESG, Corporate Governance, Fraud Prevention, Human Rights, Corruption, Data Protection, and SDGs

This academic summary provides an overview of key themes in recent open-access articles pertaining to compliance programs, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, corporate governance, fraud prevention, human rights, corruption, data protection, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set forth by the United Nations. Scholars have extensively explored the significance of compliance programs in organizations, evaluating their role in ensuring ethical practices, legal adherence, and risk mitigation. Additionally, research has focused on the adoption and impact of ESG strategies, addressing their influence on corporate decision-making, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement. Corporate governance remains a vital area of investigation, investigating board structures, executive compensation, and the effectiveness of governance mechanisms in enhancing firm performance and accountability. Simultaneously, efforts to combat fraud and corruption have led to analyses of fraud detection techniques, whistleblowing systems, and anti-corruption measures. The literature also highlights the evolving landscape of data protection, emphasizing regulatory developments, privacy frameworks, and organizational responsibilities in safeguarding data. Furthermore, there is a growing emphasis on the integration of human rights principles into business practices, exploring the implications of human rights violations and strategies for promoting responsible corporate behavior. Lastly, articles have explored the alignment of corporate practices with the SDGs, examining businesses' contributions to global sustainability goals.

Suchozemští plži přírodní rezervace Plané loučky a přírodních památek Častava, Hvězda a Kurfürstovo rameno v CHKO Litovelské Pomoraví [Terrestrial gastropods of Plané loučky Nature Reserve and Častava, Hvězda, and Kurfürstovo rameno Nature Monuments in Litovelské Pomoraví PLA

In 2022, four small-scale protected areas (SPA) within Litovelské Pomoraví Protected Landscape Area were surveyed for terrestrial molluscs. All localities are floodplain forest fragments with oxbow lakes, pools and marshes in the Morava river catchment. The most species-rich SPA was Hvězda Natural Monument (NM), with 38 species recorded. The threatened species Cochlicopa nitens (Endangered), known from this area from previous surveys, was not recorded despite high sampling effort. This sensitive hygrophilous species disappeared probably due to droughts occurring in earlier years. However, other sensitive hygrophilous species such as Euconulus alderi (Nearly Threatened) and Vertigo antivertigo were recorded. The latter was also found in Plané loučky Nature Reserve (NR; 27 spp. in total) and Častava NM (19 spp. in total). Relatively common floodplain forest species Perforatella bidentata was recorded in Plané loučky NR and Hvězda NM; however, it was absent in Častava NM and Kurfürstovo rameno NM (20 spp. in total). The partial absence of this species and the complete absence of substantially declining floodplain species Pseudotrichia rubiginosa (Nearly Threatened) and other sensitive taxa indicate habitat degradation caused mainly by stream regulations and water level decrease and manipulation. The presence of invasive plant species known to decrease terrestrial mollusc species diversity and abundance are of the essence as well. Highly invasive species Arion vulgaris was the most abundant species in all of the surveyed SPAs, except for Hvězda NM, where it was present in lower numbers. Over some twenty years, this species spread from anthropogenic areas to natural habitats to become one of the most prominent features of floodplain biocoenoses in Litovelské Pomoraví and elsewhere. To improve the habitat conservation status, it is important to maintain favourable water level in streams and water bodies adjacent to SPAs, especially during the critical periods of summer droughts. Furthermore, it is advised to focus the management on neophyte extirpation.

Assessment of Ecological Conditions and Potential of Pastures, Meadows and Steppes Landscapes of Georgia

The natural diversity of Georgia is outstanding in the world. This is particularly true with the subtropical and moderate belts of the country presenting over seventy natural landscapes, from humid subtropical or light semiarid forests through moist and Alpine landscapes. Such a variety is the result of several factors, with the following ones being most important: geographical location (location along the border of the tropical and moderate belts), effect of the Black Sea (which never freezes), altitudinal zoning (up to 5200 ml) and several-thousand-year-long history of the economic use of the territory.
 The highly diverse landscapes of Georgia complicate the study of the geographical-ecological (geo-ecological) properties of the country. Among such properties, horizontal and vertical structure of landscapes, energy and substance transformation in the landscape (functioning), forms and scales of influence on the landscapes, landscape stability and function, and landscape condition and potential have a particular importance.
 The condition of landscapes is determined by the forms and scales of external influence. The character of influence can be considered by the ability of self-regeneration of the landscape structure. It is admitted that if the impact applies to the biologic components only, the landscape preserves the self-generation ability. The self-regeneration mechanism is impossible to maintain if: 1. the influence coincides with or stimulates (increases) the negative natural processes; 2. The basic landscape creator component or relief and climate is under the impact; 3. One ecosystem is changed by another equivalent one.
 Potential of landscapes is a spatial-and-time category ensuing from the natural properties of the landscapes, results of anthropogenic impact and kinds and trends of the territory use. In some cases, they attribute the landscape potential to the terms of landscape comfort and quantitative indicators of the landscape structure and components, what gives a too general view of the landscape potential.
 Condition and potential of landscapes are important issues of territorial planning, eventually determining the forms of use, protection and sustainable development of pastures, meadows and steep landscapes.
 The article evaluates the ecological condition and potential of those landscapes (ecosystems - pastures, meadows and steppes) of Georgia, which are greatly influenced by both human economic activity and climate change trends.

Vodní měkkýši CHKO Brdy [Aquatic molluscs of the Brdy PLA

Although the Brdy Protected Landscape Area is located not far from Prague on the border between central and western Bohemia, there was very little published and unpublished data on its aquatic malacofauna. For this reason, a more detailed survey of aquatic molluscs was carried out in 2020–2022. Altogether with previous data, 27 species were found at 108 studied sites, including springs, small streams, fishponds, pools, and wetlands. The low species diversity is related to not very suitable natural conditions. The occurrences of only 1–2 species of aquatic molluscs were found at 72 out of 108 studied sites. Two species (Radix labiata, Pisidium casertanum) are typical for nutrient-poor habitats. The more rich molluscan assemblages were detected only in the peripheral parts of the Brdy Mts. and/or in the Padrť region with numerous fishponds and associated wetlands. Most (18) of the detected species belong to common and widespread molluscs. Three non-native species (Physa acuta, Ferrissia californica, Sinanodonta woodiana) were found.

Tehnici de cercetare în sprijinul documentării patrimoniului construit din Bucovina. O propunere de metodologie exploratorie

The built heritage is an important resource of the cultural landscape, a landscape that has recorded in the last two decades, in almost all areas of Romania, dramatic mutations favored by a permissive legislative framework and the confusing application of new constructive models in representative tourist destinations. The lack of an adequate knowledge of the built heritage, of an inventory of the existing valuable resources, leads to an inconsistency of the conservation policies and inappropriate interventions of the public or private owners of these resources. Lately, many publications bring into discussion the built cultural heritage of the rural area and the need for policies to capitalize on it. Unfortunately, proposals on the protection of the cultural landscape are often made in the absence of a precise analysis of the existing situation in the field, of an inventory of the existing valuable elements, this leading to the neglect of important aspects regarding the preservation of valuable elements of the vernacular architecture. In order to bring rigor in the documentation of traditional buildings, we have developed a field research methodology, which we want to present in this work, while emphasizing the importance of recording the valuable elements of the built heritage. Thus, there will be exposed objectives to the research, the methods used, with the intention of making available to other research teams a series of tools that can be used in documenting the elements of the built heritage, or that can be a starting point in the development of other optimized methods.

New records of pteridophytes in Mount Matutum Protected Landscape, South Central Mindanao, Philippines with notes on its economic value and conservation status

New records on distribution of pteridophytes in Mount Matutum Protected Landscape were documented. The species list was accounted with reference to specimen collections from various herbaria posted in digital databases and reliable literature on pteridophyte flora. Results further showed 105 new records for MMPL and its vicinity-South Cotabato, Sarangani province and General Santos City. From these, seven were new records for South Central Mindanao Region (Region 12). About 19 families, 56 genera were represented – 41 were epiphytes, 10 lithophytes, and 45 soil inhabitants, the rest with dual habits – two (ground and lithophytic); seven (epiphytic and lithophytic). Moreover, 11 species were found to be threatened based on national list while local conservation assessment based on relative frequency noted 91 threatened species. A conservation plan for these valuable species in the protected landscape is also proposed to ensure sound intervention and sustainable environment for this plant group.