Landscape Protection Research Articles

Research on the Protection and Dissemination of Cultural Heritage in Rural Landscapes Based on Image Processing

Abstract The countryside is an important part of the social development process, but with the acceleration of urbanization, the protection of rural landscapes as cultural heritage is facing an increasingly severe situation. In this study, image radiation correction, image fusion, cropping and mosaicing, geometric correction, band selection, and image enhancement are applied to rural landscapes using remote sensing image processing technology. A digital protection system for rural landscape cultural heritage is created using the processed rural landscapes. By comparing the accuracy of this paper’s method to other classification methods, we can explore the classification performance of this paper’s PCA method. By comparing the changes in rural landscape types before and after landscape protection, the effect of landscape protection is explored. Finally, the communication effect of rural landscapes on social media is explored by utilizing the evaluation index system. The PCA method employed in this paper achieves a landscape classification accuracy of 83%, which is significantly superior to the IHS transformation method (73.5%) and the Brovey transformation method (76%). After the rural landscape protection, the degree of landscape fragmentation in Village A was significantly improved compared to before the protection, and the effect of protection was remarkable. The scores of social media users on each dimension of the rural landscape communication effect in Village A were greater than 4, and rural landscape communication achieved a positive effect.

The Application of Digital Technology in the Conservation of Traditional Cultural Landscapes

Abstract The traditional digital protection system lacks the extraction and display of the landscape based on spatial information technology, resulting in an incomplete digital archive of the conventional landscape constructed. To optimize the traditional cultural landscape protection strategy, this paper constructs a specific technical route using digital technology. Inclined photogrammetry and 3D laser scanning technology are used to carry out 3D modeling of regional traditional cultural landscapes, and the combination of the results of the two can be used to visualize the spatial layout of the landscape in the protection of traditional cultural landscapes. Based on the 3D model, the landscape space was analyzed using spatial syntax. According to the spatial syntax, the integration degree, clustering coefficient, control degree, and average depth of the sight line of the landscape in City D were analyzed. The comprehensibility value of the landscape space in City D was 0.26, and the landscape identifiability was not high. The development of overall space and local space is inconsistent, and the ratio of global integration degree to local integration degree, R², is 0.45, with a low value and average correlation. By analyzing the specific situation of the landscape and constructing the resistance surface, we examine the various resistance factors faced by the protection of traditional cultural landscapes. The analysis results indicate that rural roads and settlements are more suitable for the construction of cultural landscapes.

Selected aspects of the organization of tourism and recreation in natural areas with different status of legal protection

An important place in the strategy of promoting health of modern societies, especially in the post-pandemic world, is played by orienting recommendations on how to spend free time towards tourism and recreation in the natural environment. The utilitarian nature of this type of activity is associated with the need to respect legal provisions, relating to the use of statutory forms of nature conservation, as well as non-statutory protection areas. The aim of the study is to characterize the tourist-recreational use in both of the abovementioned types of ecological habitats, and to indicate the similarities and differences in the conditions of this use, taking into account legally recognized forms of activity, and the permissible scope of infrastructure investments. Within the statutory forms of nature protection, the analysis includes national parks, nature reserves, landscape parks, protected landscape areas and NATURA 2000 areas. The characteristics of non-statutory nature areas include forests with special natural values, promotional forest complexes, world biosphere reserves, and UNESCO natural heritage areas. The analysis carried out, regardless of the status of the nature areas, indicates a legislative desire to maintain harmony between human needs and the ecological stability of the surrounding sub-natural spaces.

Forest fragments matter: a look into the species richness and diversity patterns of birds in a small, isolated, Protected Landscape in Mindanao Island, Philippines

The establishment of Protected Areas is deemed of critical importance in global conservation initiatives, particularly in biodiverse regions and global biodiversity hotspots, such as the Philippines. However, the crucial role played by smaller Protected Areas in biodiversity conservation is frequently overlooked, making this a particular area of research interest. The Initao-Libertad Protected Landscape and Seascape (hereinafter – ILPLS) is one of the last remaining karst forests with natural vegetation and refuge for wildlife conservation on the island of Mindanao, the Philippines. However, the landscape component of this Protected Area is very small (ca. 506 000 m2), bisected by a road, and heavily disturbed by illegal logging and frequent tourist visits. From 2014 to 2018, we assessed the community structure and revealed patterns of bird diversity in ILPLS. We recorded a total of 814 individuals of birds from 36 species and nine feeding guilds from a total sampling effort of 558 230.40 mist-net hours in the Protected Areas' two management zones, namely the Special Protection Zone (SPZ) and Tourism Zone (TZ). ILPLS has a high level of endemism at 33% (12 species), including nine Philippine endemics and three Mindanao Island endemics. We also recorded Gorsachius goisagi, a globally threatened species categorised by IUCN as Vulnerable. Species richness was higher in the SPZ than in the TZ (p = 0.012), whereas no significant differences were observed in the Shannon index values (p = 0.101) and mean capture rates (p = 0.378) between the two management zones. Species and feeding guild assemblages did not differ between the two management zones (p = 0.939) but varied between vertical strata (p = 0.001). Here, we show how this small, protected landscape harbours a comparatively diverse bird community, including restricted-range species and species with high conservation priority. This suggests that forest fragments, even of this size, are important habitats for bird conservation efforts and should not be undervalued. We recommend extending such studies to other fragments, especially those that are still not protected, to improve our biodiversity database, further our understanding of biodiversity and fragment dynamics, and make a case for the protection of other forest fragment habitats.

Projected climate and canopy change lead to thermophilization and homogenization of forest floor vegetation in a hotspot of plant species richness.

Mountain forests are plant diversity hotspots, but changing climate and increasing forest disturbances will likely lead to far-reaching plant community change. Projecting future change, however, is challenging for forest understory plants, which respond to forest structure and composition as well as climate. Here, we jointly assessed the effects of both climate and forest change, including wind and bark beetle disturbances, using the process-based simulation model iLand in a protected landscape in the northern Alps (Berchtesgaden National Park, Germany), asking: (1) How do understory plant communities respond to 21st-century change in a topographically complex mountain landscape, representing a hotspot of plant species richness? (2) How important are climatic changes (i.e., direct climate effects) versus forest structure and composition changes (i.e., indirect climate effects and recovery from past land use) in driving understory responses at landscape scales? Stacked individual species distribution models fit with climate, forest, and soil predictors (248 species currently present in the landscape, derived from 150 field plots stratified by elevation and forest development, overall area under the receiving operator characteristic curve = 0.86) were driven with projected climate (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) and modeled forest variables to predict plant community change. Nearly all species persisted in the landscape in 2050, but on average 8% of the species pool was lost by the end of the century. By 2100, landscape mean species richness and understory cover declined (-13% and -8%, respectively), warm-adapted species increasingly dominated plant communities (i.e., thermophilization, +12%), and plot-level turnover was high (62%). Subalpine forests experienced the greatest richness declines (-16%), most thermophilization (+17%), and highest turnover (67%), resulting in plant community homogenization across elevation zones. Climate rather than forest change was the dominant driver of understory responses. The magnitude of unabated 21st-century change is likely to erode plant diversity in a species richness hotspot, calling for stronger conservation and climate mitigation efforts.

Research on the Protection of Cultural Landscapes and Tourism Development of the Silk Road (Northwest Five Provinces)

Research on the Protection of Cultural Landscapes and Tourism Development of the Silk Road (Northwest Five Provinces)

Increasing the ecological and recreational importance of the springs of the Chuvash Republic

The object of the study is the hydrological and ecological description of the springs of the Chuvash Republic. The springs of the region are of great economic importance. They are used for household and drinking water supply, for recreation and protection of unique landscapes. Intensive development and lack of improvement measures have led to the fact that the water quality in the springs is decreasing. The landscapes of the surrounding territories are oppressed. The study of the state of the springs is carried out by expeditions. The visits include a description of the ecological state of the springs, water sampling for physico-chemical analysis. The recreational importance of springs for the development of a set of measures to optimize economic development is also described. Most of the springs of the Chuvash Republic belong to low-flow freshwater with average water hardness. There is an increase in hardness and mineralization indicators when moving from north to south. The flow rate is the highest for alluvial deposits. The springs of the region belong to the following types: household and drinking, cultural and recreational and protected. Springs belonging to protected objects – protected areas - have the greatest recreational significance (very high level). To develop a program for optimizing the economic use of springs, it is proposed to compile a Register of springs of the Chuvash Republic. It will include the physico-chemical and landscape characteristics of the springs. The presence of such a database will allow you to identify the order and ways to solve the problems of using springs.

The Innovative Use of Spatial Syntax in Spatial Design of Tourism Landscape

Abstract In the process of the continuous promotion of regional tourism, how to plan and design the tourism landscape to create a landscape environment with local characteristics and humanization will be the focus of this paper’s research. This paper takes Z tourist-oriented ancient town, as the research sample and centers on its public space characteristics and quality evaluation. The study innovatively applies the spatial syntax method to analyze the public space of the tourism landscape. It quantitatively analyzes the spatial data of the representative villages of the ancient tourist town. Then, the PSPL research method is applied to evaluate the quality of public spaces and living conditions in ancient tourist towns. Among the representative villages, traditional village C5 has the lowest average depth of public space (4.2382) and the highest intelligibility (0.5964), and its public spaces have the best accessibility and permeability. The public space quality of this ancient town was evaluated as excellent, especially in terms of spatial activities and spatial environmental facilities, which tourists rated as greater than 7. The spatial design of the ancient tourist town was divided into a natural ecological recreation area, a tourism distribution and service area, a recreational activities and experience area, and an old street-style commercial area. The study can provide a scientific basis for the protection and renewal of tourist landscapes.

Paysages culturels chinois: de l’idéal de l’équilibre entre l’homme et la nature aux formes écologiques de la vie

Abstract: Thus far, human development has been achieved at the cost of the destruction of cultural landscapes. With advent of industrial civilization, people have gained happiness and conveniences, but also confronted various cultural landscape predicaments. Environmental philosophy, a contemporary philosophy that regards the relationship between humans and nature as a fundamental issue, has focused on the protection of cultural landscapes. An analysis of ancient Chinese environmental philosophy demonstrates that ancient thinkers cared about everything in heaven and earth, and explored issues, such as a harmonious development between humans and nature, offering a novel approach to the preservation of Chinese cultural landscapes. Using Taoist environmental philosophy as an exemplar, this article provides a preliminary analysis of the definition of cultural landscapes, development of environmental philosophy and Taoist environmental philosophy. Building upon this foundation, it explores the role of environmental philosophies, such as “unity of heaven and man” in construction of ecological civilization, providing fresh perspectives for cultural landscape conservation.

IN-SITU ԵՎ EX-SITU ՍԿԶԲՈՒՆՔՆԵՐԻ ՎՐԱ ՀԻՄՆՎԱԾ ԺԱՌԱՆԳՈՒԹՅԱՆ ՊԱՀՊԱՆՄԱՆ ՄԻՋԱԶԳԱՅԻՆ ՓՈՐՁԸ ԲԱՑՕԹՅԱ ԹԱՆԳԱՐԱՆՆԵՐՈՒՄ / INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE OF HERITAGE CONSERVATION IN OPEN-AIR MUSEUMS BASED ON THE IN-SITU AND EX-SITU PRINCIPLES

The article presents the activity features of different open-air museums, which have been formed within the 130 years of existence of these types of museums to ensure the protection, reproduction, and modeling of unique historical and cultural landscapes. The historical and cultural landscape is a result of the joint creation of man and nature, which is characterized by a clear territorial organization in which the natural and man-made elements form an inseparable whole, forming a unique natural and cultural complex. Such complexes, as a rule, show the evolution of certain ethnic groups and their settlements, which took place under the influence of various external and internal, favorable and unfavorable, climatic and social factors. Today, historical and cultural landscapes are the most important heritage objects of different regions of the world, whose preservation and modernization are carried out through open-air museology. The open-air museum itself presents a special format of a museum institution, which gives visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the historical atmosphere of past eras while appreciating the result of the harmonious and creative coexistence of nature and man. The study of this type of museum is especially important in the context of cultural component management, for which the international legal principles of in-situ and ex-situ preservation of cultural heritage are applied. These principles have received normative support through the ratification of a number of intergovernmental acts and convention

Study on digital protection and construction of characteristic landscape of SHANZHOU SILO-CAVE

Study on digital protection and construction of characteristic landscape of SHANZHOU SILO-CAVE

The World Heritage Site “Lake Baikal” as an Associative Cultural Landscape: Problem Statement

The article examines the features of the international legal regime of associative cultural landscapes in the world heritage protection system. It is noted that it is impossible to strictly divide the world heritage into cultural and natural objects, and changes in the system of their nomination are analyzed, aimed at taking into account the connection between cultural and natural attributes of outstanding universal value. The history of the formation of the concept of cultural landscapes is shown, their signs developed in the world Heritage protection system are revealed. The purpose of the study is to find ways to strengthen the legal protection of world natural heritage sites located in the Russian Federation through the use of the international legal regime for the protection of associative cultural landscapes, which has been developed within the framework of the Convention on the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The Institute of associative cultural landscapes and the possibility of their international legal protection are being investigated in relation to the conservation of Lake Baikal. A new area of protection for this world heritage site may be the legal consolidation of its cultural value, expressed both in its special religious significance and in its completely unique role for secular environmental ethics. The conclusion is formulated on the expediency of recognizing Lake Baikal as a world heritage site not only according to the criteria fixed for world natural heritage sites, but also as an associative cultural landscape. The recognition of world natural heritage sites located on the territory of Russia as associative cultural landscapes (if there are grounds for that) will allow us to more fully reveal the peculiarities of the culture of the peoples living in these territories and ensure legal protection of associative links between cultural phenomena and natural complexes. At the same time, systematic work is needed to improve legislation on the management of activities for the conservation of world heritage sites.

Personal data protection in the United Arab Emirates and the European Union regulations

In our digital age, the exchange of personal data has become an integral part of daily life, with smartphones and the internet serving as conduits for this information. However, this practice brings forth many legal complexities concerning data privacy, highlighting the need to safeguard personal information. This research explores the significance of protecting personal data while drawing parallels with the fundamental right to privacy and the confidentiality of correspondence (Ali, 2021). Moreover, the study delves into the European Union’s (EU) acknowledgment of personal data protection as a fundamental right. It employs a comparative analytical approach to scrutinize the implications of Federal Decree Law No. 45 of 2021 and its relationship with the amendments introduced to the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018. Despite both legal frameworks sharing the overarching objective of safeguarding personal data, they diverge in terms of scope, applicability, and regional context. These distinctions may potentially give rise to challenges and incompatibilities. This research highlights the evolving landscape of data protection and underscores the increasing importance of achieving harmonization and compliance in our interconnected world (AlShamisi, 2023).

Safeguarding Privacy: A Study of Data Protection and Implications with Reference to the Right to Privacy

This research investigates the critical intersection of data protection and the implications for individuals' right to privacy. In an era of increasing digitalization and data-driven technologies, this study employs a mixed-methods approach, incorporating qualitative insights and quantitative analysis, to comprehensively explore the challenges, legal frameworks, and ethical considerations surrounding data protection in relation to the fundamental right to privacy. The qualitative aspect of the study involves interviews, legal case analyses, and expert opinions to capture nuanced perspectives on the evolving landscape of data protection and its impact on individuals' right to privacy. Simultaneously, quantitative data analysis will be utilized to identify trends, correlations, and statistical patterns associated with data breaches, privacy concerns, and regulatory compliance. Various dimensions of data protection will be investigated, including the implications of emerging technologies, the role of legislative frameworks such as GDPR, and the ethical considerations surrounding the collection, storage, and utilization of personal data. The study aims to provide insights into the challenges faced by individuals, organizations, and policymakers in striking a balance between data-driven innovations and the protection of privacy rights. The findings from this research are anticipated to contribute valuable insights for policymakers, legal professionals, and technology stakeholders. By understanding the complexities of data protection and its implications on the right to privacy, stakeholders can formulate informed strategies, refine regulatory frameworks, and foster responsible data practices in the digital age. This study serves as a foundation for informed decision-making and future research within the realm of data protection and privacy rights.

Intellectual property rights infringement on e-commerce marketplaces: Application of AI technologies, new challenges

Intellectual property rights infringement is a growing concern in the age of e-commerce, where online marketplaces have become the primary platforms for buying and selling goods. As the popularity of e-commerce increases, so does the risk of counterfeit products, unauthorized use of trademarks, and other infringements on intellectual property rights. In response to this challenge, AI technologies have emerged as powerful tools to combat infringement on e-commerce platforms. This article sets out to explore the application of AI technologies in addressing intellectual property rights infringement on e-commerce marketplaces and the new challenges that arise as a result. The article explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies on identifying and preventing infringements in e-commerce marketplaces. It delves into the use of automated algorithms and machine learning, highlighting their ability to improve efficiency and accuracy in infringement detection. However, the article also discusses the challenges associated with capturing nuanced infringements through AI technologies. Overall, the study sheds light on the evolving landscape of intellectual property rights protection in the context of e-commerce and emphasizes the significance of AI in addressing these challenges.

Management of the historical and cultural value of territories through the formation of historical areas of cities

Lands on which cultural heritage monuments, their complexes (ensembles), historical and cultural protected territories, protected archaeological territories, open-air museums, memorial museums-manors are located, in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine, belong to lands of historical and cultural purpose. The organization and establishment of the boundaries of the territories of historical and cultural purpose, restrictions on their use and their regime-forming objects is carried out in accordance with the projects and technical documentation of land management. For the territories of the nature reserve fund and other nature conservation purposes, health, recreational, historical and cultural, forestry purposes, water fund lands and water protection zones, the land legislation establishes the same procedure for developing the composition and geodetic and cartographic substantiation of land management projects, as well as for their approval and approval . This provision has existed for a long time, despite the fact that the given list combines six categories of land with different legal regimes. The boundaries of historical areas and the modes of their use are indicated in the documentation on land management, urban planning and scientific project documentation on the protection of cultural heritage, which determines the need for their mutual consistency. The article examines the legal and organizational provisions of the formation of the historical and cultural potential of the historical areas of cities. In connection with the discrepancies in the legal acts, proposals for the codification of legal norms regarding the composition and distribution of land by category, setting restrictions, regulation of construction, landscape protection zones and archaeological layer are substantiated. The proposed approaches to the definition and calculation of the economic efficiency of historical areas include a variety of methods that allow for the assessment of both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the preservation of cultural heritage.

Cultural landscape resilience evaluation of Great Wall Villages: A case study of three villages in Chicheng County.

The Great Wall Villages (GWVs) are linked to the Great Wall in history, culture, and ecology. The cultural landscape resilience of Great Wall Villages (CLRGWVs) is distinctly significant. However, it is influenced by urbanization, pollution, and a lack of awareness of cultural landscape protection. Therefore, conservation and development practices still lack scientific strategies and guidance. This study proposes a new assessment system to quantify CLRGWVs, an analysis of the main influencing factors of resilience, and optimization paths to maintain sustainable development. Based on the socio-ecological system, this research designed the assessment with three criteria, eleven factors, and thirty-three indexes from the perspective of CLRGWVs. Furthermore, a demonstration test was constructed in Ningyuanbao Village, Dushikou Village, and Longmensuo Village in Chicheng County, Hebei Province, China. The results showed that there is some disparity between the three GWVs, with the resilience score of Dushikou Village being the highest in terms of resistance and learning. In contrast, Ningyuanbao Village's resilience score is the lowest since resistance, recovery, and learning capacity are lower than in Dushikou and Longmensuo. Some influencing factors were found to be highly related to adaptive capacity. Lastly, some low-resilience aspects were identified as critical improvement targets for which corresponding optimization strategies should be proposed. This could be applied to streamline resilience optimization paths according to local conditions. This paper provides new ideas and directions for dealing with the sustainable development of villages and the conservation of cultural landscapes. It will also help villages deal with the relationship between socio-economic development and the conservation of cultural landscapes.

Characteristic analysis of village cultural landscape by Lian Li space information technology and three-dimensional modelling

Abstract At present, due to the traditional village landscape protection method being relatively single, resulting in the traditional village landscape tends to “homogenization,” which is not conducive to the development of the village cultural landscape. This paper combines spatial information technology and three-dimensional modeling to reconstruct the village landscape and analyze its characteristics. Low-altitude oblique photography technology is used to collect village landscape information from multiple angles and then combined with the 3D model imaging law covariance equations to form the landscape 3D model features and then complete the multi-visual 3D model information matching. Finally, through texture mapping, the 3D model is generated to match the color of the real landscape. Using BIM technology, the data is refined to address the problem of local defects in the landscape 3D reconstruction process. The proposed technology is applied in practice to analyze the spatial comprehensibility of the test village landscape, and the comprehensibility value R² is obtained as 0.317, which is a poor spatial order of the test village. The village residents’ actual landscape color perception of the town ranges from -0.0364 to 0.4566, and the expected range is above 0.7. The actual perception is much lower than the predicted perception, and the subsequent landscape modification should be close to the villagers’ expectations.

Integration of GIS and Artificial Intelligence Algorithms in Rural Landscape Protection and Planning

Integration of GIS and Artificial Intelligence Algorithms in Rural Landscape Protection and Planning

Разнообразие культивируемых бактерий-деструкторов монохлорированных бифенилов в почвах охраняемого ландшафта

This study examined aerobic bacterial strains from the working collection of the laboratory of microbiology of technogenic ecosystems at "IEGM UB RAS," previously isolated from the soils of the specially protected natural area "Osinskaya Lesnaya Dacha". Sixteen strains demonstrated the highest destructive potential concerning biphenyl and its chlorinated derivatives. Based on the analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA gene, the phylogenetic affiliation of these strains was established. It was shown that the proportion of representatives of the genus Achromobacter accounted for 56.25%, Rhodococcus 18.75%, Pseudomonas 12.5%, and Delftia and Stenotrophomonas both 6.25%. The strains of the genera Achromobacter and Rhodococcus achieved destruction of 2-chloro-, 3-chloro-, and 4-chlorinated biphenyls with efficiencies of 13–100% and 43–100%, respectively. The efficiency of destruction of monochlorobiphenyls for representatives of the genus Pseudomonas was above 80%, except for a 69% decomposition of 4-chlorobiphenyl by the strain Pseudomonas sp. Osa 27. The strain Stenotrophomonas sp. Osa 13 most actively (71%) degraded 4-chlorobiphenyl but exhibited the lowest activity (34%) regarding 3-chlorobiphenyl. The strain Delftia sp. Osa 20 achieved complete destruction of 3-chloro- and 4-chlorobiphenyls but did not transform 2-chlorobiphenyl. Thus, aerobic bacterial cultures isolated from the soils of the protected landscape possess the ability to oxidize complex aromatic compounds that are hazardous to the environment.