Recreational Assets Research Articles

Valuing beaches for beauty and recreation only? Uncovering perception bias through a hashtag analysis

Sandy beaches are ecosystems that hold great economic value at local, national, and international level. However, their perception as social-ecological systems is often limited by users and managers to the recreational asset, and their perception of “beauty”. Such a perception bias can hamper conservation management, negatively impact the biodiversity on sandy beaches and even threaten the ecosystem services they provide. To survey this perception bias, we applied the method of netnography to analyse Instagram posts with the hashtag #sandybeach, extracting perceptions and values for nature (intrinsic, instrumental, and relational) towards sandy beaches and their ecological features. We used the concept of littoral active zone (LAZ) to define the boundaries of this social-ecological system that spans the land and the sea. Our results show that Instagram users focus on their social media mainly on the recreational values of sandy beaches and prioritise ecological features fitting into an imaginary of a “pristine” beach, characterised by white sand and clear water – therewith supporting the hypothesis about a perception bias on sandy beaches. We identified a diverse set of relational values, especially around recreation and aesthetics, with a very marginal number of posts mentioning intrinsic or instrumental values. A recurring activity on LAZ was surfing, which emphasises the LAZ (wave break point, surf zone). To conserve the biodiversity and ecosystem services of sandy beaches, we see it as necessary to move away from a biased and narrow perception to one that, based on the LAZ as a system, is capable of including a diversity of biogeographical and ecological features, and the natural processes that maintain them.

Challenges and Solutions for Forest Biodiversity Conservation in Sweden: Assessment of Policy, Implementation Outputs, and Consequences

Swedish policies aim at conserving biological production, biodiversity, cultural heritage and recreational assets. This requires compositionally and structurally functional networks of representative habitats, the processes that maintain them, and resilient ecosystems. The term green infrastructure (GI) captures this. We review (1) policy concerning forest biodiversity conservation from the 1990s; (2) the implementation outputs, including the formulation of short-term and evidence-based long-term goals for protected areas, education, and the development of hierarchical spatial planning; (3) the consequences in terms of formally protected and voluntarily set-aside forest stands, as well as conservation management and habitat restoration. We assess the successes and failures regarding policy, outputs and consequences, discuss challenges to be addressed, and suggest solutions. Policies capture evidence-based knowledge about biodiversity, and evidence-based conservation planning as an output. However, the desired consequences are not met on the ground. Thus, the amount of formally protected and voluntary set-aside forests are presently too low, and have limited quality and poor functional connectivity. GI functionality is even declining because of forestry intensification, and insufficient conservation. Challenges include limited collaborative learning among forest and conservation planners, poor funding to conserve forest habitats with sufficient size, quality and connectivity, and national politics that ignores evidence-based knowledge. As solutions, we highlight the need for diversification of forest management systems with a landscape perspective that matches forest owner objectives and regional social-ecological contexts. This requires integrative approaches to knowledge production, learning and spatial planning.

Energy: life, power, and livelihood

We and our habitat are forms of energy, endowed with life, and irrevocably earthlings. A cosmological-to-locality appreciation of energy in food and nutrition science, practice and policy is overdue. Our livelihood, and any function we have, are energy dependent, as is planetary habitability. Energy cognisance has become an existential necessity in an increasingly self-destructive ‘anthropocene’ era when our own energy equilibrium is compromised. This is manifest in destruction and loss of our ecology, our livelihood expectations, and practices, and, in turn, our wellbeing and health. Most problematic has been the domination, skewing and loss of biomass caused by humans, both their over-population of the earth, and their exploitation of its natural resources. These resources provide fuel for warmth, cooking and transport, textiles, and clothing; are subject to land and aquatic harvest, are replaced by dwellings and infrastructural buildings, and yet are recreational assets. Wastage has been of scant regard. Energy misuse besets the entire food system. This has followed the development of the wood and coal-fired steam engine, the advent of gasoline powered internal combustion engines, use and transmission of electricity, and an insatiable arms industry. Now, we are at the brink of extinction. Profiteering and conflict over energy control has fostered unfettered industrial materialism, a major extinction risk factor. Not only is energy the power we need, but it has also underwritten the powerful. Can we be sufficiently insightful and collaborative to change this energy trajectory and survive healthfully on a habitable planet? Individuals, households, and communities, as opposed to unaccountable monopolies, could achieve control of the energy systems on which our livelihoods depend and render them sustainable, accessible, and affordable. Interconnected food and energy system ownership could be devolved to ‘The Commons’ as a cooperative, sustainability strategy. The social momentum and appropriate technology for energy conservation, renewability and personalisation is now available for mobilisation to address our food, nutrition, and health insecurity.

PARK ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND THEIR EVALUATION

Topicality. Improving the urban landscaping system requires an understanding of the needs of the green economy, as well as the functionality of park ecosystems and prospects for their application. Therefore, it is important to study the ecosystem services of parks and determine their beneficial effects on the socio-economic space of the city. An important component of this problem is the improvement of park assessment methods, which will cover the assessed parameters more widely.Aim and tasks. The purpose of the article is to determine the benefits of different groups of park ecosystem services, as well as to provide proposals for calculating indicators of functional assessments of park ecosystems, and financial indicators of the green economy. The task is to analyze and summarize the existing approaches to the assessment of ecosystems, to determine the main problem of integrated assessment of ecosystem services of parks.Research results. The effectiveness of measures to improve and develop urban parks largely depends on understanding the functionality of ecosystems and the ability to find their application in accordance with the needs of the city and its inhabitants. Existing methods of assessing parks are less concerned with ecosystems, although they are a resource for creating cultural and recreational assets. Assessment of ecosystem services mainly concerns large natural ecosystems (seas, forests, wetlands). Parks are approached mainly as architectural complexes. However, the assessment of ecosystem services is quite complex, and in the field of park management little studied, which is the impetus for a new approach to the assessment of parks.To see the general situation of the development of the park object, or the landscaping system of the city as a whole, a comprehensive approach is important - the assessment of economic and natural parameters. Assessment of ecosystem services can sometimes provide unexpected results that clearly show the dependence of urban agglomerations on the surrounding natural ecosystems, and increase the value of natural centers in the city.Conclusion. The proposed calculations are intended to facilitate the visual presentation of the parameters of financial support of the park economy, providing the city with park facilities, as well as the functional capabilities of existing green spaces. Most estimates are based on field research or statistics, so it can be noted that in addition to methodological developments, it is necessary to improve the system of monitoring and accounting of parks. This is especially true of the ability to assess ecosystem services.

Input-output analysis of recreational assets within the inclusive sustainable development in Ukraine

This paper aims to develop approaches to accounting for recreational assets in the input-output model based on the analysis of the dynamics of their structure, as well as the structure of intermediate consumption of recreational services, on the example of intersectoral balance of Ukraine during 2012-2018. Based on forecasting the dynamics of indicators such as gross value added, consumption of fixed capital, net operated surplus, etc., optimistic and pessimistic scenarios for the development of recreation (arts, sports, entertainment and leisure) in Ukraine are identified, taking into account the factors of natural asset and the coronavirus pandemic. In particular, the net export indicator is expected to increase due to the restriction of international tourist arrivals and the formation of the domestic market of recreational services on the basis of inclusive sustainable development. Herewith, recreational and tourist enterprises have the following guidelines: security, quality, comfort, effectiveness of asset use. The expediency of state support is seen in the redistribution of the share of accounted natural assets between agriculture, forestry, fisheries and recreation, as well as in changing the structure of assets and intermediate consumption by reducing the share of public administration and increasing the share of other sectors, especially healthcare. The proposed organizational and economic measures complement the Strategy for the development of tourism and resorts for the period up to 2026 in Ukraine.

The relationship between the quality of the city’s recreational offering and the physical activity of its inhabitants – results of a pilot survey in Bielsko-Biała

The aim of the article is to outline the theoretical framework for studying the relationship between the quality of the city’s recreational offering and the physical activity of its inhabitants. The study was based on a review of the literature and was supplemented with data from a pilot questionnaire survey. The pilot survey was conducted in 2016 and involved 180 inhabitants of Bielsko-Biała. Responses were collected during direct interviews based on the survey questionnaire consisting of two parts: International Physical Activity Questionnaire (short version) and recreational offering assessment questionnaire proposed by authors. The literature review revealed gaps in research and publications addressing the relationship between the quality of the city’s recreational product and the level of physical activity of its inhabitants, and results of previous studies vary depending on their location (which was also confirmed by the pilot survey). According to the authors’ pilot survey, the respondents preferred outdoor forms of physical activity (Nordic walking and fast walks). The majority of respondents can be classified as sufficiently active. No statistically significant findings were found between respondents’ assessment of the service staff or the recreational infrastructure and the level of physical activity reported by inhabitants of Bielsko-Biała who participated in the survey. The innovative character of the work consists in developing and testing during the pilot survey a new theoretical framework for researching relationships between the quality of the city’s recreational offering and the level of physical activity of its inhabitants. The authors propose extending the existing approaches involving mainly the assessment of recreational assets by including marketing, staff-related and organizational aspects. This calls for interdisciplinary research.

Assessing the response of sandy‐beach macrobenthos to recreation and the ecological status of the beach ecosystem at Liandao, China

AbstractSandy beaches, prime recreational assets that attract more people than other types of shorelines, are the main assets underpinning many coastal economies and developments. However, the intense stressors to the ecology of sandy beaches caused by recreational activities are generally underestimated or ignored. This study was the first to emphasize the ecological characteristics of recreational beaches in China and assess the response of macrobenthos at Liandao Beach, a typical sandy beach in the central part of China. Using the Before/During/After/Control/Impact (BDACI) method, differences in multiple variables (species richness, mean density, diversity) between a heavily recreationally impacted transect (TrH/Impact) and a less‐impacted transect (TrL/Control) in different impact periods (Before, During & After) were applied to assess the response of sandy‐beach macrobenthos to recreation and tourism. Meanwhile, a comparison between the macrobenthos conditions of the studied beach and reference conditions calculating from historical data of similar beaches with little recreation and tourism disturbances was carried out. Furthermore, the quality control chart approach was used to detect in detail the macrobenthos stable state and yearly response to recreational activities. The results showed that recreation and tourism posed a serious threat to the beach ecosystem; macrobenthos on the studied beach were seriously disturbed by recreational activities, and their variations were highly negatively related to the human recreational level. After monthly recreational impacts, the macrobenthos decreased sharply and recovered with difficulty during 1 year. Over the long‐term, the macrobenthos had a sharp decreasing trend, which indicated that the ecological environment of the beach was highly disturbed. Conservation measures for recreational beaches are very challenging because of the economic value and popularity of sandy beaches as recreational sites. However, practicable conservation measures could be implemented that prevent or slow ecological degradation. A number of management and conservation suggestions are put forward, such as the establishment of the ecological carrying capacity of Liandao Beach in terms of direct recreational use, creation of themed exhibitions related to the beach macrobenthos and beach ecosystem and dissemination of this knowledge to visitors, implementation of spatial zoning of beach use, visitor management and environmental education.

Analysis of the recreational resources of Kaniv in the context of the programme of development of Ukrainian small-cities

The purpose of the article is to highlight the problem of using the potential of local territory in the processes of promoting local uniqueness as a consumer product. This study aimed at analysis and appraisal of the recreational resources of Kaniv for the organization of recreational activities in the planning strategies of the city as a recreational and tourist center. The study of the entire set of recreational resources of the city resulted in a constructive analysis and evaluation of the recreational benefits of the city’s resources. In the course of the survey, the directions of recreational environmental management in the city were determined in accordance with the programme of development of small Ukrainian cities. The analysis and assessment of the territory’s resources was conducted using integrated methodologies of studying recreational assets that take into account the evaluation methods of medical geography, recreology etc. Our study found that geomorphological, climatic, water, biotic, and landscape recreational natural resources are significant for the organization of recreational activity in the city and which, according to the estimation of recreational favourability, are highly conducive and convenient for both winter and summer recreation. A number of indicators of natural resources are of high value for the treatment and prevention of a wide range of diseases, including problems with respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous systems. The development of recreation and tourism in the city is also influenced by the existing historical and cultural resources, which include a whole set of archaeological, architectural and historical monuments, ethnographic features and crafts, museums and exhibitions, places and areas of significant events, places of life and creativity for prominent personalities, heroes and figures, etc. The socioeconomic resources and infrastructure of the city have a significant impact on the functioning of the recreational affairs, such as the state of the existing and prospective territorial organization, transport accessibility and level of its development, the public service and its condition (food establishments, residence, etc.). Nowadays, Kaniv is characterized by partly lower indicators of socio-economic development, business activity and, at the same time, enjoys a powerful natural, recreational and tourist, historical and cultural potential. Development of recreational and tourist activity in the city should be considered as a tool for increasing economic indicators (employment, business activity and growth of its financial indicators) and improvement of demographic indicators (reduction of labour migration, etc.), etc. The natural and cultural heritage of Kaniv is a source of socio-economic and human development through the integration of cultural monuments into the national tourist network. This can be achieved through the creation of new museum programmes, the development of a network of establishments based on authentic cuisine, traditional interiors, etc. It can further be promoted through creation of a network of ecological trails and routes which give access to the area’s unique natural ecosystems. Recreation and tourist activity can also be encouraged through popularization of environmental affairs, creation of programmes for development of the resort business, programmes of family recreation, development of different types of water, hiking, educational (culture, events, research, etc.) and eco-tourism, and the development of programmes and events in the field of sport fishing and hunting.

Associations of multidimensional socioeconomic and built environment factors with body mass index trajectories among youth in geographically heterogeneous communities.

Understanding contextual influences on obesity requires comparison of heterogeneous communities and concurrent assessment of multiple contextual domains. We used a theoretically-based measurement model to assess multidimensional socioeconomic and built environment factors theorized to influence childhood obesity across a diverse geography ranging from rural to urban. Confirmatory factor analysis specified four factors—community socioeconomic deprivation (CSED), food outlet abundance (FOOD), fitness and recreational assets (FIT), and utilitarian physical activity favorability (UTIL)—which were assigned to communities (townships, boroughs, city census tracts) in 37 Pennsylvania counties. Using electronic health records from 2001 to 2012 from 163,820 youth aged 3–18 years from 1288 communities, we conducted multilevel linear regression analyses with factor quartiles and their cross products with age, age2, and age3 to test whether community factors impacted body mass index (BMI) growth trajectories. Models controlled for sex, age, race/ethnicity, and Medical Assistance. Factor scores were lowest in townships, indicating less deprivation, fewer food and physical activity outlets, and lower utilitarian physical activity favorability. BMI at average age was lower in townships versus boroughs (beta [SE]) (0.217 [0.027], P < 0.001) and cities (0.378 [0.036], P < 0.001), as was BMI growth over time. Factor distributions across community types lacked overlap, requiring stratified analyses to avoid extrapolation. In townships, FOOD, UTIL, and FIT were inversely associated with BMI trajectories. Across community types, youth in the lowest (versus higher) CSED quartiles had lower BMI at average age and slower BMI growth, signifying the importance of community deprivation to the obesogenicity of environments.

Estimating the Recreational Benefits of Coral Restoration in Northwestern, Philippines

In this study, the recreational value of restoring corals reefs was estimated in the context of a site in Northwestern Philippines. This study applied the travel cost method with a variation that integrates a contingent behavior question. This allowed for the estimation of marginal benefits in the context of a change in recreational asset quality. The recreational study site, including the reef in its damaged state, gave rise to average per visit benefits of around US$63.00. With a restored reef, that average value increased to approximately US$113.00 per visit. Hence, the average marginal benefits associated with an investment in reef restoration for this case study site is in the order of US$50 per visit, with a 95% confidence interval of US$0.72 million to US$3.34 M yr-1.

Motion pictures: an analysis of the posters of Victorian Railways during the 1920s and 1930s

One element of the unrelenting enthusiasm for railway history is the poster. It is evident in the large body of literature, both academic and lay, on the subject. The majority of the literature though, deals with the posters of North America and Europe. Their Australian counterparts have not received the attention they deserve, something this paper attempts to redress. It undertakes an extensive examination of the many railway posters produced by Victorian Railways (VR), between the wars, under its visionary Head Commissioner, Harold Clapp. Utilising a geo-semiotic approach, it is argued that the railway posters of this period provide insights into the development of Victoria's tourist geography – an inventory of places and regions imbued with recreational and leisure assets. In so doing, trains, tourists, destinations and beaches were illustrated and ‘verbalised’ as never before, using state-of-the-art techniques, derived from the new field of commercial art.

Multifunctional recreation and nouveau heritage values in plantation forests

Abstract Recreation benefits constitute a substantial part of the total economic value of forests in modern societies, and are an increasingly important determinant in multi-functional forest management. Heritage sites, such as historic buildings open to visitation, are important parts of some recreation experiences, yet people who do not visit may also view their protection as important. However, few studies have examined the importance of heritage sites as part of the recreational experience or tried to compare their importance for recreational users versus the general public, even though these issues are central to management decisions. In this study, a choice modelling experiment was conducted in Australia to estimate the marginal values for improvements in recreation facilities (trails, day and night facilities) and historic sites in State plantation forests. The aim of the study was to examine the relative importance of historic sites as an attribute of forest recreation, and explore preference heterogeneity for various attributes of forest recreation across different forest areas and forest users. The results indicate that while there was significant preference heterogeneity for the different recreational attributes at two forest areas, there was less variation in the welfare estimates across attributes, sites and between user and non-user groups. Similar values were identified for the Heritage sites between recreational users and non-users, indicating that protection values were dominant over recreational use; yet no sub-group of the sampled population appeared to value Heritage sites in isolation from recreational assets, suggesting that respondents viewed the forests in multifunctional dimensions.

Sandy beach macrofaunal assemblages as indicators of anthropogenic impacts on coastal dunes

Ocean sandy beaches are iconic recreational assets to society and have undergone rapid degradation caused by both natural and anthropogenic pressures. A major effect of urbanisation on biota stems from artificial structures placed in aquatic systems. While the installation of these structures has been widespread, our understanding of how they impact shoreline habitats and fauna is relatively limited. On the sandy Leirosa Beach, on the European Atlantic coast (Portugal), a decade of cumulative impacts was recorded, with disruption of the frontal dune, dune nourishment and the incorporation of geotextiles to reconstruct the dune and maintain it as an artificial structure. Two years after the dune rehabilitation process at Leirosa Beach, seasonal sampling campaigns (from spring 2010 to winter 2011) were carried out to assess the effects of the artificial dune (and the first signs of its eventual disruption) on macrofauna compared to a natural dune on the same beach. During the study period, the rehabilitated foredune maintained the average slope, with similar sediment characteristics (finer sediments) when compared with the natural dune system, with no physical significant differences being appreciated between the two sites. The macrofaunal assemblages were represented especially by crustaceans (amphipods and isopods), with similar mean total density, taxon richness and diversity between sites. Special attention was given to the supralittoral species, and the results revealed that the natural zone harboured a significantly higher density of sandhopper Talitrus saltator with respect to the artificial zone. PERMANOVA results detailed the significant difference that occurred, particularly during the warmer seasons (spring and summer 2010), the recruitment period described for this species along this coast. In fact, SIMPER analysis revealed that T. saltator accounted for 46% of the dissimilarities between the natural and artificial dune sites. The presence of geotextiles extending across the supralittoral zone appeared, on the one hand, to allow for the presence of talitrids, but the application of textiles around the area prevented them from burrowing, thus causing them to avoid the rehabilitated area. The results highlighted the potentially negative effects of this artificial dune system if textile disruption continues, and the usefulness of T. saltator as an effective and reliable ecological indicator for these ecosystems. Thus, evaluating the risks and magnitude of human interventions is a major challenge for sandy beach ecologists, and baseline information is required if we are to better understand how resident macrofaunal species deal with future impact scenarios.

Probabilistic prediction of barrier‐island response to hurricanes

Prediction of barrier‐island response to hurricane attack is important for assessing the vulnerability of communities, infrastructure, habitat, and recreational assets to the impacts of storm surge, waves, and erosion. We have demonstrated that a conceptual model intended to make qualitative predictions of the type of beach response to storms (e.g., beach erosion, dune erosion, dune overwash, inundation) can be reformulated in a Bayesian network to make quantitative predictions of the morphologic response. In an application of this approach at Santa Rosa Island, FL, predicted dune‐crest elevation changes in response to Hurricane Ivan explained about 20% to 30% of the observed variance. An extended Bayesian network based on the original conceptual model, which included dune elevations, storm surge, and swash, but with the addition of beach and dune widths as input variables, showed improved skill compared to the original model, explaining 70% of dune elevation change variance and about 60% of dune and shoreline position change variance. This probabilistic approach accurately represented prediction uncertainty (measured with the log likelihood ratio), and it outperformed the baseline prediction (i.e., the prior distribution based on the observations). Finally, sensitivity studies demonstrated that degrading the resolution of the Bayesian network or removing data from the calibration process reduced the skill of the predictions by 30% to 40%. The reduction in skill did not change conclusions regarding the relative importance of the input variables, and the extended model's skill always outperformed the original model.

Beach recreation impacts benthic invertebrates on ocean-exposed sandy shores

Ocean beaches are prime recreational assets and are becoming increasingly urbanised: more beaches today front metropolitan regions, are mechanically cleaned, and are used for recreation by increasing numbers of residents and tourists. This ‘urbanisation’ of beaches presents complex management and conservation challenges, including the accurate determination of ecological effects caused by human beach use. Here we tested whether spatial variation in recreational beach use translates into ecological changes in the benthic invertebrate assemblages inhabiting the intertidal zone in Eastern Australia. Detected faunal changes were consistent with an interpretation of trampling impacts on the lower part of the beach: here, reductions in key ecological measures were significant in terms of total abundance (−72% to −44% lower than control areas), and species richness (−55% to −5%), resulting in significant shifts in community structure. Conversely, upper-shore assemblages were structurally similar between trampling treatments. Because benthic invertebrates are structurally and functionally important in beach ecosystems (e.g. nutrient cycling, trophic links), human impacts from recreation are likely to propagate beyond the macrobenthos and hence require mitigation. Conservation measures for beaches are challenging in urban settings. However, a practicable approach to systematic conservation planning for urban beaches that recognises the social and political reality of beaches having a prime role as recreational assets while maximising environmental outcomes via spatial zoning and visitor management is not unrealistic.

Breeding range of the last eastern colony of Critically Endangered Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita in the Syrian steppe: a threatened area

SummaryEight years after the discovery of the last survivors of the eastern population of Northern Bald Ibis in Syria, their breeding grounds within the Palmyra steppe remain threatened by habitat degradation, human disturbance and uncontrolled infrastructural development whilst the ibis colony size has continued to decline. This study is aimed at assisting national and international stakeholders in strengthening the Ibis Protected Area, established in 2004 and still lacking a clear boundary and management zonation, by quantitatively establishing the range used by these birds through use of satellite tracking and field observations collected between 2006 and 2009. The core breeding range used by the ibises is 224–253 km2 while the full home range is c.1,500 km2, encompassing a mountainous area north of Palmyra, ranging from 400 to 1,000 m asl. Locations from satellite tracking also revealed an important unknown post-breeding site. The ibis breeding area is also home to a range of other rare and endangered fauna as well as significant landscape, cultural and recreational assets, establishing it as an area of international importance. The Syrian steppe is a crucial socio-economic asset for the country, not only for the indigenous pastoralist people, but also because Syria seeks to develop and promote ecotourism in the Palmyra region. The steppe is increasingly suffering from damaging desertification. The need for investment in protection and management of key biodiversity and landscape assets is a precondition that needs greater recognition by the authorities. Recommendations are provided for decision makers and conservationists aimed at mitigating threats and making the Ibis Protected Area fully functional.

High-resolution shallow geophysics and geology in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary Ecosystem Restoration, New Jersey

The Hudson-Raritan Estuary of New York and New Jersey is one of the largest estuaries on the East Coast of the United States. It includes part of the New York City metropolitan area and includes the Port of New York and New Jersey. The estuary is an important economic, environmental, and recreational resource and asset for the region. Fresh water enters the estuary from the Hudson, Hackensack, Passaic, and Raritan rivers. Since the 17th century, the estuary has experienced industrialization and residential growth that have profoundly altered the estuary and surrounding land from its precolonial state.

Climatic potential for tourism in the Black Forest, Germany — winter season

Climate change, whether natural or human-caused, will have an impact on human life, including recreation and tourism among other things. In this study, methods from biometeorology and tourism climatology are used to assess the effect of a changed climate on tourism and recreation in particular. The study area is the Black Forest mountainous region of south-west Germany, which is well known for its tourist and recreational assets. Climate model projections for the 2021-2050 period based on REMO-UBA simulations with a high spatial resolution of 10 km are compared to a 30-year reference period (1971-2000) using the IPCC emission scenarios A1B and B1. The results show that the mean winter air temperature will increase by up to 1.8°C, which is the most pronounced warming compared to the other seasons. The annual precipitation amount will increase marginally by 5% in the A1B scenario and 10% in the B1 scenario. Winter precipitation contributes about 10% (A1B) and 30% (B1) to variations in annual precipitation. Although the results show that winter precipitation will increase slightly, snow days affecting skiing will be reduced on average by approximately 40% due to regional warming. Cold stress will be reduced on average by up to 25%. The result is that the thermal environment will be advanced, and warmer winters are likely to lead to an upward altitudinal shift of ski resorts and winter sport activities, thus displacing land-use currently dedicated to nature conservation.

Tourism planning and power within micropolitan community development

The purpose of this research is to investigate the community planning processes associated with the development of a new and iconic attraction in a micropolitan community. The four sources of evidence in the case study research were communication with community leaders, planning documents, newspaper articles, and observations. Two hypotheses were formulated with the first phrased as planning for a proposed iconic tourist attraction is heavily swayed by power networks for immediate gains in economic development and was not being supported by the research. The rival hypothesis was phrased as planning for organic growth of selected recreational assets into tourist attractions is realized through collaborative power networks and public involvement based on long-term sustainability was supported. Analytic generalization applies to power networks, planning processes, and tourism integration in community development. The analyses contained two power networks termed iconic and integrative. An illustration incorporating power networks and a planning continuum is presented.

Few fish but many fishers: a case study of shore-based recreational angling in a major South African estuarine port

Richards Bay is a subtropical estuary that has been extensively dredged to accommodate one of Africa's largest commercial ports. In the non-commercial areas of the harbour, shore-based angling is a popular recreational activity, but little is known about the anglers or their catches. Using a roving creel survey over 12 months, 3 765 shore-anglers were checked for catch and fishing effort information and a further 603 shore-anglers were interviewed using a detailed questionnaire. Fishing effort was higher on weekends (119 anglers per count) than during the week (37 anglers per count). The total annual fishing effort expended by shore-anglers in Richards Bay Harbour was estimated to be 69 064 angler-outings. Mean catch per unit effort was very low at only 0.064 fish angler−1 h−1 or 0.030 kg angler−1 h−1, and total retained catch was estimated to be about 8.5 t y−1. Although 78% of the total catch was released (because the fish were undesirable species or too small), Pomadasys commersonnii (23%) was the most commonly targeted and retained species. The questionnaire survey indicated that anglers made an average of 38.7 fishing outings per year. Most participants in the fishery were employed in port-related industries and their annual expenditure in terms of bait, travel and equipment was considerable. They indicated that recreation was the primary motivation for their fishing trips and the high numbers of adult females and children recorded during the survey confirmed the importance of the harbour as a recreational asset for the community. Several considerations pertinent to continued sustainability of the fishery and management thereof are discussed.