Site Management Plan Research Articles

Pollution-toxicity relationships in sediments of the Segura River Basin

Pollut ion-toxicity relationships in sediments of the Segura River Basin River basins are characterised by their geomorphology and the water flow of the catchment area and, therefore, the transport and fate of materials suspended and dissolved in the water. In this context, the distribution of pollutants in a river is expected to be determined by the different uses of the soil and the environmental characteristics of the basin. Thus, integrative approaches that consider the causes (pollutants) and effects (toxicities) of anthropogenic impacts and take into account the environmental particularities of a basin are vital for generating appropriate mitigation and management plans for specific sites. Here, we analysed the association between sediment concentrations of trace metals and endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) with sediment toxicity levels (genotoxicity) at different altitudinal points of the Segura River Basin. The highest levels of chromium, lead, zinc, nickel and copper, as well as EDCs, were found in downstream points near Orihuela city. Toxicity was positively correlated with most of the pollutants and negatively correlated with the altitude. Due to flow reduction in plain areas, high pollutant concentrations and toxicities were observed in lowlands, where most of the contaminant inputs and accumulations occur.

Developing Strategies for Sustainably Managing Archaeological Collections

Developing Strategies for Sustainably Managing Archaeological Collections

Adaptation to Climate Change at UK World Heritage Sites: Progress and Challenges

In 2006, a requirement came into effect for World Heritage Site management plans to include an assessment of the possible impact of climate change on the heritage site, and to include mitigation strategies as appropriate. This paper focuses on progress in the UK towards developing and implementing climate-change adaptation policies within these plans. Research undertaken to examine this complex area of work has identified key challenges faced by site managers when including and subsequently implementing climate-change policies. Information was collected through a questionnaire survey of all UK World Heritage Sites, reviews of relevant documents, and in-depth interviews with a wide range of professionals. The study found that plans are gradually being updated to include climate-change considerations, however, this is not always straightforward and plan implementation is proving challenging. Concerns about data reliability and the contested nature of scientific data on climate change are widespread, and there is a perceived lack of the necessary information to make fully informed decisions. Resource constraints, a need for more specialist skills and guidance, and differing levels of interest and motivation in the issue are other challenges.

Management Plans for the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Governance and Training

The presentation analyses the correlation between management, namely the coordination activities in the territorial framework of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and training at different levels (professional training, political and management training) and what patterns emerge from this relationship. A detailed analysis of the role, in this context, of the Management Plans is given, with a focus on the Italian experience.

Protecting the Invisible: Site-Management Planning at Small Archaeological Sites in al-Ain, Abu Dhabi

Protection, conservation, and site-management planning are normally financed and conducted on major archaeological sites only, where there are expectations for visitor access and economic returns. Many smaller sites with lesser visible remains are then virtually abandoned, despite the value of their physical remains and archaeological, historical, and scientific potential.A pilot project by Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (now Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority) was conducted at Rumeilah, an Iron Age site excavated over the past forty-five years. The project consisted of a full-scale site-management planning process including documentation and assessment of the site conditions and of its administrative context to demonstrate the benefits of applying value and community-based site-management planning processes to ‘invisible’ heritage. The process resulted in the development of a management plan which identifies continued explorations at the site and in the involvement of local schools and universities the activities that will be able to sustain its long-term preservation.

Co-location of activities and designations: A means of solving or creating problems in marine spatial planning?

Worldwide demand for energy is growing and predicted to increase by up to three times by 2050. Renewable energy will play a vital role in meeting this demand whilst maintaining global climate change targets. Around the British Isles, development of wind farms has entered Round three, with large, high capacity wind parks being planned to enhance energy security and achieve 2020 renewable energy targets. Such developments place additional pressure on existing sea space and may result in conflicts with other marine activities and users. Co-location of certain activities, marine protected areas, aquaculture and commercial fishing in particular, has therefore been proposed as an option to ease demands on space. Using the UK guided by EU and regional policy, as a case study, following the criteria-based planning system, co-location is legally feasible. Crucially, co-location options will depend on site specific characteristics and site management plans. The biology, ecology and hydrology of the site as well as consideration of important commercial and economic factors will be determining factors of success. For marine protected areas compatibility with conservation objectives for the site will be fundamental. Where possible, it is suggested that activities suitable for co-location will develop in tandem with renewable energy projects. The importance of developing joint projects in this manner is particularly true for aquaculture projects to ensure tenure security and commercial viability. Adaptive management will be a basis for evolution of the concept and practice of co-location. Pilot projects and continued monitoring will be essential in shaping the future of co-location of activities. As the Marine Management Organisation continues the development of marine plans for the English inshore and offshore waters, a study into potential solutions for resolving sea use conflicts is timely. This paper therefore provides a concise overview of the current regulation affecting co-location of key marine activities within wind farm zones and provides suggestions on how co-location projects can be adopted and taken forward, using the UK as a case study.

Managing High-Elevation Sagebrush Steppe: Do Conifer Encroachment and Prescribed Fire Affect Habitat for Pygmy Rabbits?

Both fire and conifer encroachment can markedly alter big sagebrush communities and thus habitat quality and quantity for wildlife. We investigated how conifer encroachment and spring prescribed burning affected forage and cover resources for a sagebrush specialist, the pygmy rabbit. We studied these dynamics at spring prescribed burns in southwestern Montana and eastern Idaho during the summer of 2011. Within each spring prescribed burn, we established plots that described the habitat conditions for pygmy rabbits (forage plant biomass and habitat components that influence predation risk) in areas that were burned, adjacent areas of conifer encroachment, and areas that were neither burned nor encroached. We analyzed the data for significant differences in habitat conditions between the paired reference and encroachment plots and modeled when the burned areas would approximate the conditions on the paired reference plots. Biomass of forage plants and habitat components that reduce predation risk differed between undisturbed reference plots and areas that were either burned or encroached with > 30% conifer canopy. Our models estimated that 13–27yr were required for a spring prescribed burn to provide levels of cover and forage resources similar to sagebrush steppe reference plots. We documented that vegetation composition was associated with the plot designations (burn, reference, or conifer encroachment), but not with other abiotic factors, such as soil texture, aspect, or study site; this suggested that the documented differences in habitat were related to the treatments, rather than being site-specific characteristics. The information from this study can contribute to habitat management plans for high-elevation mountain big sagebrush sites where conifer encroachment is altering habitat for sagebrush-dependent wildlife species.

Byzantine Planning: Site Management in Istanbul

A new site management plan for Istanbul’s Historic Peninsula was approved in late 2011. In this paper, we examine its institutional setting, preparation process, and contents from organizational and administrative perspectives. The result of a participatory process, the plan is professional, logically consistent, and effectively identifies challenges facing cultural heritage. The heart of the plan is a complex architecture of Objectives, Strategies, and Actions that are integrated into forty-nine Project Packages. Surprisingly, however, the plan specifies neither concrete activities nor financial resource­s. Moreover, cultural heritage is consistently downplayed: rather than substantive interventions at monuments or museums, attention is focused on managerial and urban planning buzzwords (coordination, capacity-building, participation, awareness-raising, marketing). This arose from the preparation process, which was participatory but nonetheless dominated by urban planners and government agencies. The case suggests the potential risks of the uncritical application of managerial and urban planning tools to cultural heritage.

Contents and Aims of Management Plans for World Heritage Sites: A Managerial Analysis with a Special Focus on the Italian Scenario

This paper aims to discuss the use of management tools for the unesco World Heritage sites. In particular, it focuses on the specific tool of the “management plan”. We have carried out a three dimension research project:1) Analysis and development of a strong theoretical background, in order to consider the economic and managerial dimension of the management plans, even from the perspective of cultural tourism;2) Deep study of Italian state of the art about use and application of management plans by the organizations managing World Heritage sites;3) Comparison among some national and international case studies, in order to get empirical evidences which could be useful for theoretical considerations, regarding the general management system of the World Heritage sites.These first phases of research highlight the necessity for further studies in the next years. Notwithstanding, we are able to evidence some elements that can lead the next steps of drafting and monitoring the management plans. The final goal of these processes should be the realization of effective management systems for cultural and natural heritage.The most important points to be considered are:- The awareness of the absence of a unique “model” for every kind of unesco site; as far as this aspect is concerned, the aim should be the study and application of general guidelines that could be applied to different situations;- The necessity to realize a real sharing among all the stakeholders of the site with regard to vision, mission and strategies that should be implemented;- the introduction of performance measurement systems, to get both support to the management and accountability to the community.

A simple method for assessing the vulnerability of wetland ecosystem services

Wetlands can provide many ecosystem services, but throughout the world are exposed to a range of pressures. In some locations these are well documented and are being successfully addressed. However at other locations, lack of data, resources and methods are hindering thorough assessment. This is particularly the case in remote wetlands such as those in the Himalayan region. This paper presents a methodology developed and tested on three wetland sites in Nepal. The method gives a structure to data collection and analysis and leads the user through to producing a vulnerability assessment of wetlands. We found that in each case the method provided a prioritised table of values and threats and this helped to make the development of a site management plan straightforward. The action plan highlights data gaps and identifies priority areas for attention. The results from our assessment of Rupa Lake are also presented in this paper. Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz Citation Stratford, C.J., Acreman, M.C. and Rees, H.G., 2011. A simple method for assessing the vulnerability of wetland ecosystem services. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 56 (8), 1485–1500.

Impact of Human Activities to Hydrologic Alterations on the Illinois River

The Illinois River is a tributary of the Mississippi River that connects Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River. Starting in 1848 when the Illinois and Michigan Canal began to open, the Illinois River has experienced some major human activities such as the Lake Michigan flow diversion, creation of levee and drainage districts on floodplains, and construction of locks and dams on the river. This paper uses Pettitt-Mann-Whitney change-point statistical analysis to identify the hydrologic change points caused by human activities and to quantify hydrologic alterations in the system. Observed stage data from 12 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gauges and observed flows from three U.S. Geological Survey gauges were used to analyze human effects on hydrologic and hydraulic conditions in the Illinois River. The year 1938 was identified as the change point for low flows and low stages and 1972 as the change point for high flows and high stages. The low flow and stage condition changes were due to a combination of added flow from Lake Michigan, levee and drainage district construction, and construction of locks and dams, whereas the high flow and stage condition changes were due to hydroclimatic change within the Illinois River basin. Analyses based on the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) have shown that the magnitudes, frequency, duration, and number of reversals during low flood conditions were greatly modified by: (1) the construction of locks and dams on the Illinois River that were completed in 1938, (2) the reduction of flow diversion from Lake Michigan, and (3) the hydroclimatic condition change around 1972. The latter change probably contributed to the loss of both soil-moist plants and submerged aquatic plants that once provided several important ecosystem services in the system. The analyses described in this paper, coupled with hydraulic and ecological models, can help with site selection and management plans for the ecosystem restoration of floodplains in regulated rivers.

ARKEOLOJİK ALANLARDA KORUMA SORUNLARI KURAMSAL VE YASAL AÇILARDAN DEĞERLENDİRME

In Ottoman Turkey, interest in archaeology and archaeological sites started with the discovery of impor­tant sites like Troy, Ephesus and Pergamon in the nineteenth century. Due to lack of legislation related to the protection of archaeological heritage, the finds from the early excavations were transported to Euro­pean museums or private collections. In late nineteenth century, an archaeological museum was found­ed in Istanbul and the extant legislation was amended to keep the discovered objects in the country. With the establishment of the Turkish Republic, archaeology was taught in the universities and the capacity to preserve archaeological heritage was developed by conservation programs. Yet, until 1973 it was not pos­sible to designate archaeological sites and define measures for the protection of the surrounding areas. In addition to the law on protection of cultural heritage, several principles were developed to classify and pre­serve the archaeological heritage. In 1999, Turkey signed the Valetta Convention for the Preservation of European Archaeological Heritage and tries to follow the guidelines set by this document. Turkey's rich archaeological heritage spans from the prehistoric to late medieval period, including Byzan­tine and Seljuk sites. The number and variety of assets requires careful documentation and protection. Archaeological sites are threatened by natural as well as man made factors. Some sites disappear even with­out being recorded. It is necessary to raise awareness in the protection of the cultural heritage and support the protection process with financial means and multidisciplinary work. The completion of the cultural her­itage inventory, the implementation of site management plans, monitoring of the archaeological sites and the surrounding landscape are important topics to be considered.

A Framework for Sustainable Heritage Management: A Study of UK Industrial Heritage Sites

In 2002, the World Heritage Committee declared heritage to be ‘an instrument for the sustainable development of all societies’. The term ‘sustainable development’, however, is inscribed with a complex economic, environmental and social agenda that challenges contemporary World Heritage management practice. This paper draws on a content analysis of six industrial UK World Heritage Site management plans. The analysis focuses on the extent that each plan integrates four key sustainability dimensions. Findings indicate that the planning frameworks and collaboration processes in operation at each site ensure conservation of the historical physical fabric but limit the development of a sustainable local cultural economy. A sustainable heritage management framework is presented based on the adoption of a long‐term strategic orientation and extensive local community participation in decision making. The framework is relevant to other complex heritage sites such as historic towns and cultural landscapes.

Impact of Recreational Trampling on the Natural Vegetation in Termessos National Park, Antalya-Turkey

Rekreasyon faaliyetleri doğal çevre üzerinde olumsuz etkilere neden olabilmektedir. Doğa ziyaretlerinin gerçekleştiği bütün alanlarda kaçınılmaz olarak ortaya çıkan çiğneme, bu etkilerden biridir. Diğer yandan rekreasyonel çiğneme etkisi çoğu zaman çevre koşullarına bağlı olarak değişiklik gösterirken, doğal bitki örtüsü rekreasyon faaliyetleri de dahil olmak üzere insan-doğa arasındaki ilişkilerin şekli ve düzeyini ortaya koyan önemli bir göstergedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı Antalya Termessos Milli Parkı örneğinde rekreasyonel faaliyetler nedeniyle ortaya çıkan çiğneme etkisinin doğal bitki örtüsü üzerindeki etkisini araştırmak ve bu yolla doğa koruma planlaması ve yönetimine katkıda bulunmaktır. Alan örneklemelerine dayalı olarak gerçekleştirilen bu çalışmada etki indikatörleri olarak kullanım ve kontrol parsellerindeki tür çeşitliliği, vejetasyon yüksekliği ve vejetasyon örtü derecesi incelenmiştir. Çalışma sonuçları çiğneme etkisinin vejetasyon örtü derecesi ve vejetasyon yüksekliği üzerinde etkili olduğunu, çiğneme etkisi sonucu vejetasyon örtü derecesi ve vejetasyon yüksekliğinin kontrol parsellerinde daha yüksek ve kullanım parsellerinde daha düşük olduğunu göstermiştir. Fakat kullanım parsellerinde daha yüksek çıkan tür çeşitliliğinin, Akdeniz bölgesinin çevre koşulları ve yürüyüş güzergahlarındaki ışık rekabeti dolayısıyla henüz çiğneme etkisine bağlı değişim düzeyinde olmadığı anlaşılmıştır. Benzer şekilde otsu vejetasyon düzeyindeki tür çeşitliliği çiğnenen kullanım parsellerinde daha yüksek bulunmuştur. Burada çiğnemenin doğal bitki örtüsü üzerindeki etkisi tür çeşitliliğini azaltacak düzeyde olmayıp, daha çok fiziksel baskı şeklindedir. Bu nedenle mevcut ziyaretçi sayısının korunması ve kullanıcıların çok yoğun kullanılan güzergahlardan daha az kullanılan güzergahlara yönlendirilmesi gibi ziyaretçi yönetimi doğrudan alınabilecek önlemler olabilir. Ancak rekreasyonel kullanım ile doğa koruma arasında iyi bir dengeyi hedefleyen ve çiğneme etkisini dikkate alan bir alan yönetimi planı, uzun vadeli koruma amaçlarının gerçekleştirilmesine katkı sağlayacaktır

Guidelines and Recommendations for the Safe Operation of Tailings Management Facilities

Worldwide guidelines and regulations for tailings storage practices are often sporadic and do not target the key requirements of managing a tailings facility successfully. These guidelines and regulations influence the individual mine site management plans for how a tailings facility is managed on a daily basis. Improving regulations is the key to ensuring that a mineral operator will develop and implement a tailings management system that will reduce operational risk. This paper highlights the key tailings guidelines and standards used today in assisting a mineral operator to develop a suitable tailings management system for their tailings facilities. Actual mine site tailings management systems have been reviewed and good and poor examples presented. The influence of tailings regulations on these mine site management systems is also discussed, highlighting the weakness with tailings regulations today. A discussion is also presented that highlights the key weaknesses with mine site tailings management sy...

Enhanced attenuation: Its place in the remediation of chlorinated solvents

AbstractThe development and regulatory acceptance of monitored natural attenuation (MNA) as a remedial strategy has forever changed the field of environmental cleanup. MNA is continuing to develop but it is challenged by a lack of a clear definition for the appropriate application of the MNA strategy. This challenge has resulted in the lack of a significant record of restoration and site closure. Environmental professionals face challenges in providing guidance that addresses how to manage these sites when technologies, performance monitoring, and even environmental conditions are subject to further development, refinement, and/or altered perspectives. As our experience and institutional knowledge grows around the implementation of MNA, we have the opportunity to develop “second‐generation” management tools and procedures for optimizing sites utilizing MNA as a part of a comprehensive site management plan. This opportunity is the focus of the Enhanced Attenuation: Chlorinated Organics (EACO) Team of the Interstate Technology Regulatory Council (ITRC). The development of the “second‐generation” tools/procedures has included defining EA and evaluating, through the use of a national survey of state regulators, the experience with MNA and interest in EA. The results of these two efforts formed the basis for developing a framework that provides a “bridge” from active treatment to MNA. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Can traditional harvesting methods for cockles be accommodated in a Special Area of Conservation?

Abstract McLaughlin, E., Portig, A., and Johnson, M. P. 2007. Can traditional harvesting methods for cockles be accommodated in a Special Area of Conservation? – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64: 309–317. The European Natura 2000 project attempts to balance conservation and exploitation by permitting activities that do not affect the conservation status of designated sites. Given the scale of Natura 2000, guidelines are needed to facilitate the drafting of simple site management plans. This need is particularly acute for traditional harvesting methods for which there is usually strong local opposition to the imposition of controls. These issues were examined in Strangford Lough, a special area of conservation where cockles have traditionally been harvested by hand-raking. Raking was found not to affect the ability of cockles to rebury. There were significant reductions in Zostera biomass when raking was carried out within eelgrass beds (a 90% reduction in biomass available to winter migrant birds from summer raking). Traditional harvesting methods could therefore be accepted in Strangford as long as Zostera beds are avoided. A relatively low intensity of harvesting activity in Strangford Lough probably reflects low cockle densities (average 91.8 m−2), with the most economically valuable individuals at some distance from points of access to the shore. An economically feasible management plan could sanction traditional harvesting and result in the implementation of more resource-intensive management only if increases in cockle stocks and market prices stimulate large increases in harvesting activity.

Management Plans for UK World Heritage Sites: Evolution, lessons and good practice

Since the mid 1990s Management Plans have been prepared for most UK World Heritage Sites. Such Plans are distinctive in the fully integrated approach they take to ensuring conservation for a variety of differing World Heritage Sites. Some Plans were prepared ‘late’ for World Heritage Sites already inscribed on the World Heritage List in the mid 1980s and others formed part of the nomination documents required by UNESCO. Many candidate or recently nominated sites include complex cultural landscapes and townscapes. The essential principle that underlies a good World Heritage Management Plan is that its policies and objectives for the future must be drawn from a proper understanding of the ‘Outstanding Universal Value’ of the site and the potential changes that might occur there. Based on the experience of preparing Management Plans for six UK World Heritage Sites over the last five years, this paper sets out the lessons learned and highlights the emergence of good practice in this field.

The Development of ISIS: A Habitat-based Invertebrate Assemblage Classification System for Assessing Conservation Interest in England

A database summarising the relationships between invertebrate species and habitat type could help inform the development of site management plans, the assessment of trends within the wider countryside and the evaluation of site quality. The requirements for such a habitat-based invertebrate assemblage classification system are discussed. For the purposes of nature conservation, it is clear that a system that details both type and quality of any given invertebrate assemblage would be very beneficial. Such a system would clarify biodiversity interest for both entomologists and conservation staff alike. English Nature’s approach to this system is detailed, the basic approach employing a series of broad assemblage types that are sensitive to changes in hydrology and disturbance regimes, and a series of specific assemblage types that can be used to assess changes in site quality. Examples of the current wetland assemblage types are given. This approach is tested using pairwise Bray–Curtis similarity indices. The results are promising, although it is clear that the system requires further work. Finally, the future of the project is outlined, with the expectancy that a fully operational prototype will be ready by 2006.

Stonehenge — a final solution?

Stonehenge is one of the world's iconic prehistoric sites and was inscribed as part of a wider prehistoric landscape as the World Heritage Site of Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites in 1986. However, the landscape is dissected by two roads that cutthrough this part of the World Heritage Site and pass within metres of the stone circle. Over the last twenty years some fifty different options for the upgrading and/or removal of these roads have been discussed. The UK Government is on the verge of making a final decision about the roads that will affect the site for ever. Some argue that this decision will be made without taking either the wider responsibilities enshrined in the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage or the full economic implications of the decision into full consideration.Stonehenge is the finest achievement of megalithic architecture in England … Together with the associated sites and monuments, the Stones contribute to a wider archaeological landscape without parallel in the world. (Stonehenge World Heritage Site Management Plan, English Heritage, 2000a: Part 2:5, my emphasis)