Protected Sites Research Articles

Small Biological Preserves and Smaller Mammals: Can Protected Areas in Our Most Populous Regions Conserve Historic Community Composition?

The multi-faceted impacts of the Anthropocene are increasingly modifying natural ecosystems and threatening biodiversity. Protected spaces in and adjacent to urban landscapes may be critical in protecting species in human-modified systems. Can small, protected spaces act as reservoirs for biodiversity across dynamic spatial and temporal gradients of human impact? To address this question, we identified small mammal remains from modern raptor pellets and Holocene archaeological sites along a human modification gradient in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA. We assessed small mammal alpha and beta diversity for both modern and Holocene sites. We tested for significant differences between sites and time bins using permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) and visualized these differences using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). We found that alpha diversity decreased with increasing human modification in Anthropocene sites, with no corresponding change between Holocene sites. Additionally, the alpha diversity of modern sites with moderate/high levels of human modification was significantly lower than that of protected modern sites and all Holocene sites, driven by the dominance of human-commensal and disturbance-tolerant species. On the other hand, the small mammal communities from a small, protected area (Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve) retained Holocene levels of alpha diversity. Jasper Ridge has also changed less over time in terms of overall community composition than more modified sites. Despite this, both PERMANOVA and NMDS show that Holocene and Anthropocene communities are significantly distinct regardless of collection site and level of anthropogenic modification. Our results suggest that even relatively small, protected spaces within an urbanized matrix conserve native faunal communities, highlighting their important role in urban conservation.

Managing an invasive tree in coastal dunes: The importance of follow-up treatments to improve the recovery of protected habitats

Conservation of biodiversity in protected areas is often threatened by invasive alien plants (IAPs), and its successful management requires proper planning, resources, and monitoring to adjust future interventions. Although follow-up controls and evaluation of different management actions through monitoring programs are crucial in an adaptive management strategy, they are often neglected.Acacia longifoliais one of the most widespread IAPs in the Portuguese coastal areas, causing several negative impacts. This study reports the results of different control methods ofA. longifoliain two forest plantations over coastal dunes in two protected sites in Portugal, under different management regimes and for over 4 years. The best results were achieved after hand pulling, but due to its high cost, this method is not suitable for large areas. Mechanical cuts, which include the use of brush hogs, brush cutters, and chainsaws, resulted in variable levels of resprouting ofA. longifoliastumps. Follow-up treatments, whether mechanical and/or chemical, reduced the number ofA. longifoliaresprouts and kept its cover below 20% and height below 50 cm. Furthermore, controlling with brush cutters/hogs reduced the seed bank ofA. longifoliaby 74% while that with a disc harrow allowed an even greater reduction (91%). In areas where no follow-up treatments were carried out,A. longifoliastarted producing flowers two and a half years after the initial treatment, restarting the cycle of seed production. Nevertheless, a biological control agent that reducesA. longifoliaseed production (Trichilogaster acaciaelongifoliae) establishment was confirmed in the controlled areas, suggesting that new seed production by these plants will be soon controlled. Although species characteristic of the protected habitats are currently poorly represented, it is expected that they begin to emerge with the reduction ofA. longifolia. Our results stress the importance of persistence of follow-up treatments if higher success in IAPs control is to be achieved, not only because of the resprouting ability of many species (despite this not being very common inA. longifolia) but also because invasive plants can produce extensive persistent seed banks. The role of the management regime on the level of success in controlling IAPs will be discussed.

Multi-level responses of oysters Crassostrea virginica for assessing organochlorine pesticides in a Ramsar coastal lagoon in southern Mexico

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have been intensively used without proper regulation and control in Latin America due to the prevalence of diseases and pests, thus posing potential risks to nontarget organisms. Initiatives for ecosystem preservation, such as to designate protected areas, may not be enough to avoid contamination by OCPs, considering that protected areas tend to be permeable to diffuse sources. Here, we investigate multi-level responses of the oyster Crassostrea virginica to OCPs in Laguna de Términos, a RAMSAR coastal lagoon in the southern Gulf of Mexico. For this aim, OCPs occurrence and concentrations in the water, sediment, and in oysters from 3 settlement banks were assessed. Enzymatic and non-enzymatic biochemical biomarkers were quantified in the oysters’ mantle and digestive gland, and the human health risk due to oyster consumption was also evaluated. OCPs in water were below detection limits. Fourteen OCPs were detected in sediments (∑OCPs mean of 49 ngg−1) and 7 in oyster tissues (∑OCPs mean of 121 ngg−1). The occurrence of OCPs was related to the land uses along the watersheds of the rivers that drain into the lagoon. Biochemical responses were correlated with OCPs (∑HCH, ∑DDT, heptachlor and endosulfan) in sediment, and oyster tissues. OCPs in oyster tissues showed a strong association with pro-oxidant forces and oxidative stress responses (Superoxide dismutase, Catalase, Glutathione Peroxidase, and lipid peroxidation), and neurotoxicity (Acetylcholinesterase), suggesting that the current OCPs contamination exerts significant stress. Our study also shows that the consumption of oysters from the lagoon increases the potential human health risk. Considering that Laguna de Términos is a protected Ramsar site, we suggest that environmental protection measures should be increased and that a monitoring program for OCPs exposure is necessary to assess the effects on this ecosystem.

Comparative Study on Hydrogen Evolution Reaction of Various Cobalt-Selenide-Based Electrocatalysts

The growth of stable and efficient catalysts is vital for the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been recognized as ideal templates for fabricating efficient nanomaterial-based electrocatalysts for the HER. In this study, nitrogen-containing Co-MOF (ZIF-67), Co-MOF-74, and cobalt chloride salt were selenized to create various cobalt-selenide-based materials, i.e., cobalt selenide@nitrogen-doped carbon (CoSe2@NC), CoSe2@C, and CoSe2, respectively. The core–shell structure of CoSe2@NC originated from ZIF-67 exhibited better HER catalytic activity than those of CoSe2@C and CoSe2. CoSe2@NC exhibited a low overvoltage of 184 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a small Tafel slope of 58.4 mV dec−1. In addition, this catalyst exhibited excellent durability while maintaining its performance after 12 h of testing. The high catalytic activity is ascribed to the integrated effect of the core–shell architecture, N-doped carbon, and large surface area, making protected active sites, high conductivity, and exposed active sites possible. The results demonstrate the efficiency of using MOFs as precursors for cobalt selenide fabrication and provide a potential synthetic strategy for noble-metal-free electrocatalysts for hydrogen production.

The whole is other than the sum of its parts: the untapped potential of spatial data from archaeological fieldwork

Spatial data is fundamental to documenting our past, underpinning research questions and informing the decisions we – and others – take in the protection, understanding and stewardship of the historic environment. Investing in organising and sharing spatial data typically delivers a benefit to cost ratio of up to sixteen times the outlay. In contrast, existing practices are saturated with inefficiency. Even if the spatial data reaches an archive, it can be hard to find, access and use. It is often in the wrong format and incompatible with similar data from different projects. Through the European Union Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) Directive curators of protected sites data (scheduled monuments, listed buildings etc.) are required to publish metadata, view and download services. In contrast to these ‘curated’ datasets there is neither the mandate, nor the mechanisms to coordinate, curate and share, data created through archaeological fieldwork and research. The degree of standardisation in documenting fieldwork recording and archival deposition varies considerably, posing challenges to the reuse of data. Both are key factors in not realising the potential of ‘collated data’ from multiple sources. The opportunities to develop a consistent approach for making greater use of data routinely created through fieldwork and research are explored using case studies from Scotland. Despite the obvious benefits of developing a consistent approach to spatial data from fieldwork, the framework, standards, specifications, guidance and infrastructure to realise that potential are absent. Archaeological data can and should contribute to delivering wider societal benefits, including environmental monitoring, digital twins and climate change. To contribute meaningfully to these and other societal challenges, archaeological data needs to be accessible and consistent.

The Marine Otter Lontra felina (Molina, 1782) (Mammalia: Carnivora: Mustelidae) along the marine protected areas in Peru

Lontra felina (Molina, 1782) or Marine Otter is an endangered species according to the IUCN Red List and lives mainly on the rocky coast of Peru and Chile. In Peru it inhabits some marine protected areas, ports and some rivers. To determine the current state of conservation, monitoring data of National Reserves of Paracas, San Fernando & the Guano´s Islands, Islets & Capes National Reserve System were analysed as well as the management plans of each marine protected area. According to the results, the Marine Otter is only a target species in the Paracas Reserve. The Guano´s Islands, Islets & Capes National Reserve System is a network of mini-reserves that maintains the largest population of Marine Otters in Peru in at least 14 of its 33 protected sites. The effectiveness of management for L. felina is only verified in the case of the National Reserve of Paracas.

PHOTOGRAPHY OF TIME

Seeing the configuration of a place firsthand, we can believe that it has always been like that and we don’t ask ourselves questions about how it looked five years ago or 20 years ago and what processes and changes have taken place. It is possible that it was an unhealthy place and became a point of attraction where the community could spend time and carry out cultural or recreational activities, or it was a protected natural site and interventions beyond the limit of the law would have transformed it into an industrial, residential or commercial area, which led to overcrowding and pollution. Documentaries of the respective place taken at different times can help preserve local history and bring the community awareness of the recent history and the changes that have taken place. They will claim a lost inheritance if this is the case and if social promoters will campaign in this sense. But above all, they need to know the context in which they are. Because they were the object of my study or because I accidentally encountered places that had undergone significant changes and had previous documentation, I proposed to provide documents of organic changes or actions that must be under the lens of criticism. I am motivated by the need to draw attention to the worrying aspects of everyday life, before being too late for public reactions. In a country with a fragile democracy where the authorities do not hear the voice of civil society, I want to bring to the public conscience the negative aspects that are happening here and now, which can have significant implications for the present and future of the population.

Habitat type and host grazing regimen influence the soil microbial diversity and communities within potential biting midge larval habitats

BackgroundBiting midges (Culicoides spp.) are important vectors of diverse microbes such as viruses, protozoa, and nematodes that cause diseases in wild and domestic animals. However, little is known about the role of microbial communities in midge larval habitat utilization in the wild. In this study, we characterized microbial communities (bacterial, protistan, fungal and metazoan) in soils from disturbed (bison and cattle grazed) and undisturbed (non-grazed) pond and spring potential midge larval habitats. We evaluated the influence of habitat and grazing disturbance and their interaction on microbial communities, diversity, presence of midges, and soil properties.ResultsBacterial, protistan, fungal and metazoan community compositions were significantly influenced by habitat and grazing type. Irrespective of habitat and grazing type, soil communities were dominated by phyla Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria (Bacteria); Apicomplexa, Cercozoa, Ciliophora, Ochrophyta (Protists); Chytridiomycota, Cryptomycota (Fungi) and Nematoda, Arthropoda (Metazoa). The relative abundance of Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia (Bacteria); Apicomplexa, Lobosa (Protists); Ascomycota, Blastomycotina, Cryptomycota (Fungi); and Platyhelminthes (Metazoa) were significantly affected by grazing type. Of note, midge prevalence was higher in grazed sites (67–100%) than non-grazed (25%). Presence of midges in the soil was negatively correlated with bacterial, protistan, fungal and metazoan beta diversities and metazoan species richness but positively correlated with protistan and fungal species richness. Moreover, total carbon (TC), nitrogen (TN) and organic matter (OM) were negatively correlated with the presence of midges and relative abundances of unclassified Solirubrobacterales (Bacteria) and Chlamydomonadales (Protists) but positively with Proteobacteria and unclassified Burkholderiales (Bacteria).ConclusionsHabitat and grazing type shaped the soil bacterial, protistan, fungal and metazoan communities, their compositions and diversities, as well as presence of midges. Soil properties (TN, TC, OM) also influenced soil microbial communities, diversities and the presence of midges. Prevalence of midges mainly in grazed sites indicates that midges prefer to breed and shelter in a habitat with abundant hosts, probably due to greater accessibility of food (blood meals). These results provide a first glimpse into the microbial communities, soil properties and prevalence of midges in suspected midge larval habitats at a protected natural prairie site.

Marine protected areas' positive effect on fish biomass persists across the steep climatic gradient of the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract The positive effect of fully protected marine protected areas (MPAs) on marine biodiversity, and specifically on fishes, has been widely documented. In contrast, the potential of MPAs to mitigate the impact of adverse climatic conditions has seldom been investigated. Here, we assessed the effectiveness of MPAs, quantified as increasing fish biomass, across wide geographic and environmental gradients across the Mediterranean Sea. We performed underwater visual surveys within and outside MPAs to characterize fish assemblages in 52 rocky reef sites across an extent of over 3300 km. We used the steep spatial temperature gradient across the Mediterranean as a ‘space‐for‐time’ substitution to infer climate‐driven temporal changes. We found that, as expected, Mediterranean MPAs increased fish biomass. At the same time, higher seawater temperatures are associated with decreased fish biomass, changes in species composition, and shifts towards more thermophilic species. Importantly, we found that the rate of decrease in fish biomass with temperature was similar between protected and fished sites. Taken together, these results suggest that the capacity of MPAs to harbour higher fish biomass, compared to surrounding areas, is maintained across a broad temperature range. At the same time, MPAs will not be able to offset larger‐scale biotic alterations associated with climate change. Policy implications. Our results suggest that sustained warming will likely reduce fish biomass in the Mediterranean Sea and shift community structure, requiring more conservative targets for fishery regulations. At the same time, protection from fishing will remain an important management tool even with future high‐water temperatures, and MPAs are expected to continue to provide local‐scale benefits to conservation and fisheries.

Angolan children’s experiences in residential centers: displacement, liminality, and belonging

Abstract This article examines how language, liminality, and social marginalization converge in the institutional lives of two displaced children in Angola. A displaced child is very likely to be placed into institutionalized care, which in Angola exists in the form of centros de acolhimento, residential centers that house minors affected by orphanhood, poverty, displacement, or abandonment. Drawing on one year of ethnographic research in two residential centers, the article argues that despite being sites of care and protection, some children come to desire living on the street as a byproduct of persistent marginalization and forms of liminality in the institutions. Utilizing audiovisual recordings of everyday interactions among children and the center’s staff as data, the focus of the article is a set of communicative practices that routinely positioned certain children as liminal subjects who possessed the negative attributes with which liminality is most often associated: danger, pollution, and being an ambiguous nonentity. As a result, those children occupied marginalized positions within the centers and their attempts at claiming their belonging were repeatedly undermined. The lived experience, talk, and perspectives of two children, a boy and a girl, are closely analyzed to illuminate the micro-processes involved in the discursive production of their liminality and social marginality. More broadly, the article elucidates the everyday forms of liminality that take place in the mundane, rather than in ritualized rites of passage, and questions the traditional notion of liminality as a temporary state.

Multi-year monitoring of Piping Plovers (Charadriusmelodus) and other shorebirds in The Bahamas.

The Bahamas provides a wide range of crucial coastal habitats to many declining resident and migratory birds. Amongst these species is the Piping Plover (Charadriusmelodus), whose breeding populations are all listed as federally threatened or endangered in the United States and Canada. This species winters in the southern U.S. and the Caribbean, including The Bahamas, spending most of the year on the wintering grounds. Nonetheless, prior to the census data presented here, reports of Piping Plovers from The Bahamas were few and incidental. Therefore, repeated surveys are essential to increase understanding of the distribution, abundance and movement patterns of Piping Plovers and other shorebirds in the Bahamian territory. This dataset provides information on the abundance and distribution of the Piping Plover across multiple islands and much of the suitable habitat that exists in The Bahamas. It also provides some information on the variability of Piping Plover count data and presence of other shorebird species. Furthermore, these data may serve as baseline information on Piping Plover abundance and shorebird site occupancy by which to assess key candidate sites for protection and also future impacts of climate change, such as sea level rise and hurricanes. The National Audubon Society (NAS), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a multi-year shorebird census in The Bahamas. Surveys initiated by ECCC and many other collaborators were also part of a multi-year survival study. Censuses were conducted across 16 different islands between the years 2006 and 2020. These surveys were performed with the cooperation of the Bahamas National Trust (BNT), volunteer biologists and scientists from the United States and Canada. Biologists working with NAS, ECCC and USGS used satellite imagery, historical records and local knowledge from Bahamian residents to identify sites with suitable habitat for Piping Plovers. Experienced researchers visited each site during winter (November-February), identified and counted Piping Plovers and, when possible, other bird species in each of the sampled locations. In total, the resulting database holds 2,684 observations of 62 bird species, of which 77% belong to 24 shorebird species. Approximately 30% of all presence records belong to the Piping Plover. It is important to emphasise that the counts reported in this dataset represent minimum estimates of local shorebird assemblages. Since abundance and distribution of birds vary with changing conditions, representative estimates are best achieved via repeated surveys that reflect a range of conditions including timing (day, year, month), weather (wind direction and speed, precipitation), tide state etc.

Establishing a benthic macrofaunal baseline for the sandy shoreline ecosystem within the Gulf Islands National Seashore in response to the DwH oil spill

Sandy shorelines present a first line of defense against the catastrophic effects of storms and oil spills within the coastal zone of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Immediately following the DwH oil spill prior to any spill related impacts, we conducted a rapid response survey of the sandy shoreline benthic macrofauna from throughout the National Park Service - Gulf Islands National Seashore (GINS) in Mississippi and Florida. To characterize pre-spill macrofaunal assemblages, we surveyed seven barrier island or peninsular areas comprising nine exposed and 12 protected shoreline sites. A comparable benthic macrofaunal inventory had been conducted 17 years earlier using a parallel study design. The primary objective of this study was to distinguish hierarchical spatiotemporal scales of macrofaunal variation within the 1993 and 2010 GINS data. We hypothesized that the 1993 GINS macrofaunal inventory baseline was stable, despite multiple disturbances by large storms within the intervening 17-year period. Additionally, the relative importance of hierarchical spatial scales of macrofaunal dissimilarity was examined so suitable scales of macrofaunal variation could be identified for assessments of stressor effects at commensurate scales. An Implicit Nested Mixed Model PERMANOVA using Type 1 sequential Sum of Squares delineated variation components of nested scales which ranked Station > Shore Side > Site > Habitat > District > Year. The Year main factor had the smallest effect on macrofaunal variation, confirming that the 1993 GINS macrofaunal inventory can serve as the foundation for a robust baseline including both the 1993 and the 2010 macrofaunal data for the GINS. A literal Hierarchical Nested Mixed Model PERMANOVA using Type 1 sequential Sum of Squares (SS) partitioned effects among nested factors and their interactions. Definitive macrofaunal variation was expressed for all combinations of two levels for each of the three spatially nested fixed factors, District, Shore Side, and Habitat. Variation in macrofaunal dissimilarity for combined levels of fixed factors reflected corresponding differences in the macrofauna. The use of sandy shoreline macrofaunal assemblages as ecological indicators would fulfill the need to focus on cumulative effects of oil spills and should be eminently tractable when responses and impacts are considered on commensurate scales.

Forest management plans as data source for the assessment of the conservation status of European Union habitat types

Natura 2000 is a European network of protected sites that should enable natural habitats to be maintained or restored at a favorable conservation status. Progress toward this objective must be periodically reported by states members of the European Union. We investigated how forest management plans might provide data to support the reporting. The study was done in the forests of the Dolomites and Venetian Prealps, Italy. Here, about 200 forest management plans, divided into several forest compartments, have been drawn up and revised every 10–15 years. Stand structure variables were retrieved from past (OR, 1970–1980) and more recent revisions (NR, 2000–2010) of 331 forest compartments ranging between 0.35 and 53.1 ha. In the beech and spruce forest habitat types (coded 9130 and 9410 in Annex I of the Directive 92/43/EEC, respectively), we found an increase from OR to NR in the density of large trees (from 32 to 46/ha and from 31 to 50/ha, respectively for the two habitats), basal area (from 27.3 to 31.5 m2/ha and from 31 to 34.5 m2/ha), mean diameter (from 34.1 to 36.2 cm and from 33.9 to 36 cm) and Gini index (from 0.35 to 0.37 and from 0.33 to 0.36). Pursuant to the Directive 92/43/EEC, the conservation status of these two habitat types should be taken as “favorable” with regards to the criterion related to the habitats’ specific structure and functions that are necessary for its long-term maintenance. We conclude that forest management plans provide a great portion of the information needed for assessing and monitoring the conservation status of forest habitat types in the Natura 2000 framework.

Grassland-woodland transitions over decadal timescales in the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands of the Indian subcontinent

The Terai-Duar Savanna and Grassland ecoregion (hereafter Terai), located at the base of the Himalayas in the Indian subcontinent, support diverse ecosystems with pure grasslands, savanna, and forests in varying proportions. There are indications that grasslands and savanna are being lost to woody encroachment across the ecoregion. A significant fraction of plant and animal taxa are endemic to grasslands, so the decline of grasslands is likely to impact biodiversity and ecosystem function. We assessed large-scale vegetation changes to Terai habitats over three decades (1989–2019) and quantified the role of environmental factors in driving the observed changes. Selecting eight large protected wildlife habitats (four each from India and Nepal), we performed supervised vegetation classification for three-time points. We then quantified grassland-woodland transitions and used Bayesian Conditional Autoregressive spatial models to test the influence of climatic, environmental, and anthropogenic factors on observed changes. Including the protected sites with substantial grassland areas, we found that the total extent of grasslands was 1417 km2 (28 % of total area) in 1988–1989, which declined by 34.4 % to 923 km2 in three decades, while woodland area increased by 8,7% from 3235 km2 to 3516 km2. Grasslands were also converted to cropland or inundated by flooding, but to a lesser extent. Dry season grass fire had the strongest influence on grassland persistence, followed by anthropogenic impacts. However, the eight sites differed with respect to the nature and extent of the changes in vegetation transitions, perhaps reflecting site differences in climatic conditions and anthropogenic influence.

Visitor demographics, site‐type and activities determine the occurrence and severity of environmental impacts at nature‐based tourist destinations

Abstract Increasing demand for access to nature has the potential to increase environmental impacts. Identifying links between increased visitor intensity and habitat damage in context‐specific studies is an oversimplification which does not account for visitor demographics or activity characteristics. We compared the prevalence of tourism‐related threats/pressures across protected areas in Europe, Ireland, and in sites close to the Wild Atlantic Way (WAW) tourism route along the west coast of Ireland. To better understand the drivers of tourism‐related impacts, we analysed impact occurrence (IO) and impact severity (IS) at 43 sites along the WAW using a database of over 6000 visitor movement, demographic and behaviour records gathered by a national tourism agency (Fáilte Ireland). Threats/pressures related to tourism and recreation are prevalent and widespread across protected sites in Europe (49% of sites) with significantly higher (p < 0.001) prevalence of these threats in protected sites in Ireland (58% of sites). Over 33% of protected sites in Ireland are located within 2 km of a WAW Discovery Point and 64% of these WAW adjacent sites have known threats/pressures related to recreation and/or tourism, which is significantly higher than Irish and European averages (p < 0.001). Visitors to WAW sites ranged mostly within 1 km of tourist destinations (99%) and over 75% of all visitors had no observable impact on the receiving environment. Site‐type, tourist demographics and tourist activities were informative predictors of IO. IS was influenced by total number of impacts, activity intensity and site‐type. Site‐type together with visitor activity occurrence and activity intensity were significant for IO and IS, highlighting the importance of understanding local conditions as well as visitor characteristics for impact avoidance/mitigation. Tourism‐related pressures and threats are widespread among protected sites in Europe and Ireland. We demonstrate the need to shift the focus from analysing discrete ecological responses in response to generalized tourism pressure to understanding the causes of impacts to mitigate them at source. This will help align tourism and conservation goals.

Global population estimate and conservation gap analysis for the Nordmann's Greenshank (Tringa guttifer)

Nordmann's Greenshank (Tringa guttifer) is a globally endangered species that has received little research attention. It is threatened by rapid habitat loss, an incomplete network of protected sites, and lack of long-term data on population dynamics. Citizen science data can be combined with survey data to support population estimation and conservation gap analysis. From 2020 to 2021, Nordmann's Greenshank was surveyed in Tiaozini, Xiaoyangkou, and Dongling on the southern coast of Jiangsu Province, China, and the global population of the species was re-evaluated using the data obtained. We integrated citizen science data from eBird and the China Bird Report from 2000 to 2020 with the survey results to identify important habitats harboring over 1% of its total population, and compared this data with existing protected areas to identify gaps in its global conservation. Our survey found that Tiaozini supported at least 1194 individuals. Consequently, its global population was re-estimated to be 1500-2000. Moreover, 45 important habitats were identified based on citizen data and survey results. Although 44.4% and 50.0% of the priority sites in the world and China, respectively, are located outside protected areas, the Conservation Effectiveness Index (C) is 68.4% and 71.1%, respectively, showing that the current coverage of protected areas for this part of its range is reasonable. This study presents the most complete and recent population data to date. Tiaozini is the most important migration stopover site for Nordmann's Greenshanks. The species is under threat in terms of breeding, wintering, and stopover sites. Therefore, we suggest improving monitoring, establishing new protected sites to complete the habitat protection network, and improving the effectiveness of existing habitat protection strategies, including further developing high tide roosting sites.

Предотвращение каскадного развития пожара на тепловых электростанциях Вьетнама на основе применения резервуаров с защитной стенкой и волноотражающим козырьком

PURPOSE. The article, based on the results of an statistics analysis of vertical steel tanks (VST) destruction with flammable liquids, as well as forecasting the situation on the territory of a thermal power plant (TPP) during destruction of a typical VST-20 000 m3 with fuel oil, substantiates the need to use tanks with protective wall (TPW) and a wave-reflecting visor in tank farms at thermal power plants in Vietnam, as one of the promising methods aimed at preventing the possible cascading fire development at the facility or the occurrence of an emergency situation (ES). The main provisions of the method developed on the basis of performed experimental studies have been presented, which establishes the procedure for calculating the geometric parameters of a protective wall with a horizontal or inclined wave-reflecting visor, designed to completely contain the breakthrough wave during the quasi-instantaneous destruction of the main (internal) VST. METHODS. In the process of research methods of similarity theory and hydraulic laboratory modeling, physical experiment, observation, comparison, finding an empirical relationship based on mathematical processing of experimental data, description and generalization have been used. FINDINGS. The features of the location of thermal power plants in Vietnam have been revealed, consisting in their direct location in populated areas or near water bodies. It has been established that destruction of even one large-sized VST with flammable liquid in the tank farm of a thermal power plant can lead to a cascade development of an accident or emergency occurrence. It has been proven that installing a wave-reflecting visor on the protective wall is an effective way to reduce it to or below the maximum liquid level in the main VST, depending on the distance between the walls and the length of the visor extension. RESEARCH APPLICATION FIELD. The developed method, containing calculation schemes and empirical dependencies, can be the basis for the development of a regulatory document to ensure fire safety of TPW, including when they are located on the territory of tank farms of thermal power plants. CONCLUSIONS. The proposed design of the PWT, improved by installing a wave-reflecting visor, will make it possible to design and operate these types of tanks, ensuring the required level of fire, industrial and environmental safety at the protection site, subject to, among other things, the requirements for the stability of the wall and the visor to the effects of liquid flow and the main VST structures that collapse during an accident.

PLANNING OF SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT IN TIMES OF WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION: A VISION FOR UKRAINE

In 2022, Ukraine became the object of full-scale russian aggression, which led to human casualties and destruction, and landscape degradation. The final consequences of the hostilities are yet to be assessed, while the need for large-scale reconstruction of the country and its regions is once again evident. In this context, a comprehensive vision of the principles of the development of territories in the post-war period is of particular relevance. The article pays attention to the framework requirements for the planning process in Ukraine and the peculiarities of the documents to be developed at the national and local levels. It has been emphasized that in view of European integration, the General Scheme of Planning of the Territory of Ukraine is the most important document which defines conceptual solutions for planning and rational use of the territory of our state, maintaining a full-fledged living environment, ensuring sustainable development, environmental protection, historical, architectural and cultural sites, determining state priorities and conditions for the development of individual regions and settlements. It should be formed as an interactive modeling system of state management that will determine the strategy for the spatial development of Ukraine as part of the European planning space. The key directions for updating the existing General Scheme have been identified. The processes of reforming urban planning documentation at the local level have been analyzed, with special attention to the proposed integrated recovery programs. The importance of further introduction into the planning process of methods related to the assessment of territories and impacts on the environment and public health has been emphasized.

There's no place like [your] home: Exploring Somali hospitality as a care-full choreography enhancing Somali Canadian diasporic wellbeing

This article explores Somali hospitality's ontological functions as a cultural custom that functions to enhance the well-being of its (Somali) visitor(s). Interviews with first-generation Somali Canadians (n = 27) depicted Somali hospitality as a choreographed ritual which caters care-fully and sequentially to guests’ well-being. From door to departure, the guest is 'top-down centralized' — the custom commencing first with an attention to a guest's physiological needs (e.g., food, drink, shelter); then shifting to focus on their welfare necessities (e.g., financial, social, medical), and concluding with an implicit awareness of guests' social well-being (e.g., sense of community, sense of belonging in place). During Somali hospitality, both home and host are transformed into material sites of protection, the cultural customs of the homeland providing a buffer against the weight of occupying a multiply racialized (Black, Somali and Muslim) in settler colonial place. Occurring in the private geographies of Somali home(s), the ritual provides Somalis a temporary break from the structural logics of anti-blackness and Orientalism negotiated daily in public space. Through prioritization of homeland social dynamics, the custom care-fully re-positions Somali guests from margin to center — from out of place, to in place. In focusing on geographies of the Somali home and the concealed spaces of racialized Black folk, this work contributes to the areas of Black feminist and Muslim geographies as well as to diaspora research concerned with migrant well-being at large. Most importantly, by highlighting the qualitative intricacies of Somali hospitality, this work validates the existence Black Arab cultural customs, for they remain largely subordinated within and erased from the Arab social imagination.

Life by the Lake: Lubana Region and Its People in History and Present

This article is about the coexistence of people and the lake, about the consequences and responsibility of people interfering with the natural processes of nature. Part of the framework of this research was the governance process of surface water resources in Latvia, particularly public lakes, which was studied using a three-dimensional governance framing model of complementary dimensions of governance stakeholders, governance content, and governance instruments in order to determine how the lake is governed, and how it affects local culture and what role does culture have in the lake and public water governance. Lake Lubans was selected for this research, as it is Latvia’s largest lake, and its area contains an important Natura 2000 protected site – the Lubana Wetland complex, in addition to the fact that the region has been inhabited since the Neolithic era. Lake Lubans was discovered to be governed by several national institutions, led by the Nature Conservation Agency, as the lake is located in a protected area, with the Ministry of Agriculture being responsible for the governance of the lake dam system and control of farmland around the lake. The territory of the Lake Lubans wetlands was one of the first campgrounds of ancient people in Europe after the glaciers’ retreat, which also determines its importance in the history and culture of Latvia and Europe. Lake governance is almost only focused on nature and environmental protection, with economic and social aspects needing to be considered, and residents and other stakeholders needing to be sufficiently involved in governance. Currently, their interests have yet to be considered. Altogether, lake governance also needs to be improved from its perspective. Lake Lubans and the Lubana Wetland complex have not had a mandatory governance plan since 2009, but the first is in development, again missing all governance dimensions mentioned above. It was also found that nature communication and nature tourism are not only just potential lake/nature governance sectors but, if properly developed, would be valuable lake governance instruments, keeping stakeholders’ participation while supporting national organisations.