Plant Community Diversity in Dongtian Forest Park,Meizhou City,South China

Dongtian Park is a forest park in Dongtian Lake Ecological Tourism Resort in Meizhou City,South China.Through investigation and analysis of sample methods of the forest community structure and plant diversity in this park,the results showed that there were 181 plant species,belonging to 138 genera in 76 families,including 48 trees,60 shrubs,36 herbs and 37 lianas.The flora is a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest with some distinct tropical properties,and evergreen trees accounted for 48.62%of total plant species.The dominant species in the tree layer were Schima superba,Pinus massoniana,Cinnamomum parthenoxylon,etc.,and those in the shrub layer were Bambusa textilis,Aidia cochinchinensis,Rhaphiolepis indica,etc.,and in herb layer were Carex baccans,Adiantum flabellulatum,Cibotium barometz,etc.,and the lianas mainly included Smilax hypoglauca,Callerya dielsiana,Trachelospermum jasminoides,etc.There were few adults of dominant species in the tree layer,S.superba and P.massoniana also lacked seedlings,they would still maintain their dominant position for a quite long period,but Cyclobalanopsis neglecta had sufficient seedling reserves and would be most likely to become a dominant species in future.The community had relatively rich species,many ferns and lianas and complex hierarchy.The evenness,Shannon-Wiener diversity,Pielou uniformity and Simpson index were higher in the shrub layer than in the tree and herb layer,and the Simpson index was the lowest(0.9280)in the herb layer and Shannon-Wiener diversity index was the highest(7.5853)in the liana layer.

The Construction of Community Under the Subprime Crisis in Sunset Park

In Sunset Park,the contemporary American writer Paul Auster reveals the political,economic and social problems that have surfaced in America in the wake of the 9/11 incident.Focusing on the image of people on the edge of the city,the author describes how they rebuild their lives after illegally living in an abandoned apartment in Sunset Park,using the art and the community as a spiritual refuge to seek comfort and heal wounds,reconstruct self-identity,and fight against the unfair society.This article analyzes the characteristics of the community in the novel Sunset Park,to interpret its functions,and to show the healing power of a caring community.

Characterisation of Human-Wildlife Conflicts around the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

The history of mankind contains so many illustrations of well-classified and violent struggles against various animals over crop production in agricultural fields, attacks on human life or competition in order to have access to certain natural resources. The aim of this study is to characterise the human-wildlife conflicts that occur around the KBNP, especially with regard to primates. Surveys were carried out in 260 households selected using the snowball method. The results showed that human-wildlife conflicts around the KBNP are characterised by the destruction of crops in riparian fields by monkeys, chimpanzees and gorillas, the destruction of houses, physical attacks and zoonoses. Despite the conservation and protection measures for wildlife and local populations put in place by the Park’s managers, conflicts between local populations and the Park’s wild animals are still visible. These conflicts lead to the detention of wild animals by local people roaming in the villages and to poaching on the Park’s boundaries. The weakness of the community management policy on the part of the park managers and the resentment of the indigenous peoples towards the restriction of their access to natural resources are the major constraints on the sustainable management of conflicts between the local populations and the wild animals in the KBNP. The strategies for the sustainable resolution of human-wildlife conflicts around the KBNP must be geared towards and integrated into a community conservation approach.

Diversity Analysis on the Plant Communities of Urban Park Green Space in Wuhan

In order to systematically study the diversity of plant communities in park green space,78 plant communities of 10 representative parks in Wuhan City were investigated.The total 449 species belonging to 275 genera and 112 families were found in this investigation.The communities were divided into 35 dominant-species,13 life-forms and 6 vegetation-forms.The community structures and the composition of dominant species were also studied.The results showed that the shortages of the low diversity,high proportion of exotic species and simple community structures appeared in plant community of park green space in Wuhan City.It is proposed that species,especially native ones,should be abundant to keep a high level species diversity.At the same time,more simulated native communities should be utilized to build the natural,multi-layers,bright local vegetation characteristics landscape of urban parks.

Study on Management Mode of Rural Tourist Spots Based on Community Participation——A Case Study of Agricultural Ecological Park

In accordance with the development mode of agricultural ecological park,the paper proposed close-ended management mode at the initial stage of operation and open-ended management mode at the middle and latter stage of operation,so as to provide reference for sustainable development of agricultural ecological garden.

Analysis on Thermal Environment of Underlying Surface and PM2.5 Concentration in Community Park of Beijing in Winter

Community park is one of the most important landscape spaces for urban people to live outdoors,and people’s perception of environmental microclimate is a direct factor affecting the use frequency and experience of community parks.In this paper,Shijingshan Sculpture Park of Beijing was taken as experimental object.Using the method of fi eld measurement,9-d winter test for 3 months was conducted in three kinds of landscape architecture spaces,including waterfront plaza,open green space and square under the forest.Via regression analysis method,the measured air temperature(Ta),relative humidity of air(RH),particulate matter(PM2.5)were analyzed.It is found that winter sunshine is main infl uence factor of garden microclimate,and there is a negative correlation between local temperature and humidity;local temperature and humidity can regulate the local PM2.5 concentration,and temperature shows negative correlation with PM2.5 concentration,while humidity shows positive correlation with PM2.5 concentration.Meanwhile,via comparative analysis of temperature,humidity and PM2.5 concentration in different types of garden spaces,the infl uence of different space forms,planting forms and materials on thermal environment of underlying surface and PM2.5 concentration was summarized,and design strategy was optimized,to be as benefi cial reference of reconstruction design of community parks.

Spatial Design Strategies for Community Parks Based on Environmental Perception

By applying environmental perception theories, spatial configurations of community parks were analyzed, and spatial design strategies meeting perceptual psychology of users were proposed to integrate the community park environment into daily life of local residents, and create a harmonious and vital living environment.

Investigation and Study on Plant Communities in Baise Forest Park

Plant community structures of Baise Forest Park were analyzed through the field investigation. The results showed that there are 76 tree species of 69 genera and 41 families in the park. According to the species diversity analysis, among the 5 subareas recreational area has the highest diversity and evenness indexes, zoo has lower diversity index of plant community. Three-dimensional analysis of plant community shows that the community has simple structures, limited landscape layers and shrub coverage, a few lawn species and poor landscape effect. Analysis of its ecological habits shows that evergreen species in all 5 subareas of the park are more than deciduous species, and there are only a few ornamental tree species.

The spatial coupling characteristics between the construction of Qingzang National Park Cluster and the sustainable development of local communities

The development of Qingzang national park cluster is part of China’s efforts to establish a major ecological civi-lization project in the Qingzang Plateau,in line with global sustainable development goals.Based on preliminary scientific investigation and research in the Qingzang Plateau,the construction of the park cluster will include 21 national parks.To mitigate the conflict between conservation of the national park cluster and the develop-ment of local communities,this study proposes an analysis framework to identify the spatial coupling features between the national park cluster and sustainable development of communities.Four elements were selected to construct the analysis framework,including natural conditions,geographic location,cultural background,and national policies.This framework was applied to the 457 township communities within the 21 national parks.Results show the weak influence of the construction of the national park cluster for approximately 304 township communities,without significant spatial coupling traits,while the remaining 153 communities demonstrated significant spatial coupling features.These latter townships had developed four types of spatial coupling with na-tional parks,including eco-migrants,transportation hubs,characteristic cultures,and border development,which account for 17.4%,35.3%,19.8%,and 27.5%of the 153 townships respectively.A composite type with more than one spatial coupling feature was also found for 14 communities within the 153 townships.This provides a reference for policy making towards four major types of interactive modes between townships and the national park construction for the sustainable development of Qingzang Plateau.

Evaluating the Relationship between National Park Management and Local Communities’ Perceptions Based on Survey, a Case of Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda

A sustainable management of national park requires collaboration between park staff, NGOs, local organizations and stakeholders, and government intervention. This collaboration promotes community-based welfare and inspires a sense of responsibility, thus promoting more benefits than conflicts. A survey administered to residents surrounding Nyungwe National Park was used to evaluate the relationship between Nyungwe National Park management and local communities. The residents acknowledged a positive attitude towards participating in conservation organizations where there was involvement, while a negative response revealed weak community mobilization. The community’s opinions about protection and tourism progression noted weak conflict resolution, but a positive attitude towards tourism activities in the area since they believed employment was likely as a result. In addition, the residents asked for support from government investments and stakeholders to develop the local private sector, and asked to be involved during the planning process. Approaches including the design of coordination mechanisms and integrated conservation and developments projects are suggested to promote a management structure leading to community involvement in conservation and tourism activities. This will increase visitor numbers and contribute to economic development not only in the region but also in the whole country. Empirical studies along with the factors shaping tourism and conservation activities should be considered as the basis for sustainable decision and policy making for sustainable management, and will contribute to government, stakeholders and park manager collaborations at Nyungwe national park.

Research and Simulation of Parking Resource Sharing Mode in Old Community—Taking Yingmenkou Community as an Example

In recent years, the number of permanent residents in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China has continued to grow, and the number of private cars keeps rising. A series of problems caused by difficult parking and random parking in old communities are common. This paper will take the parking problem of the old community in Yingmenkou community, Chengdu, China as an example to summarize the current situation and parking problems of the private car parking facilities in these old communities. Based on Chengdu’s current old community parking management policy, parking facility renovation and expansion policy, this paper researches and establishes a parking resource sharing model suitable for old communities. The simulation results show that this model has a small footprint and is easy to install and disassemble. It can be freely spliced and combined units according to the size of the old community and the needs of residents. It is suitable for old communities with no centralized parking lot and high parking demand by residents.

Study on Plant Community Characteristics and Ecological Functions of Mingyue Park in Jingzhou City

[Objectives]This study was conducted to analyze species composition, community appearance, plant life-type spectrum, flora distribution, plant community structure and plant diversity indexes of Mingyue Park in Jingzhou City, as well as the ecological functions of plants in cooling, humidification, shading, and noise reduction. [Methods] A quadart method was used to investigate plant communitues of Mingyue Park in Jingzhou City. [Results] There were 141 species in the park, including 44 tree speceies, 35 shrub speceies, and 62 herb speceies. The arber-shrub-grass structure was the dominant plant community structure. The Simpson index(D), Shannon-Wiener index(H) and Pielou index(J) of the herb layer were higher than those of the tree layer and the shrub layer, and the shrub layer was the lowest. The results of ecological function research showed that the plant communities had a significant shading effect and a certain ability to reduce noise. The comprehensive conclusion showed that the ecological function indexes of the arbor-shrub-grass structure in Mingyue Park were significantly higher than those of the arbor-shrub structure and the single-tree structure. In order to improve the ecological benefits of plant communities in Mingyue Park, the plant diversity can be increased in the later construction to enrich community structures. [Conclusions] This study evaluated the ecological benefits of plant communities in Mingyue Park, and provides a scientific basis for the plant configuration of parks in Jingzhou and other regions.

Habitats of Directive 92/431EEC in the National Park of Alta Murgia （Apulia-Southern Italy）： Threat, Action and Relationships with Plant Communities

The study reports the habitats of Directive 92/43/EEC in National Park of Alta Murgia （Apulia Region, southem Italy）. The habitats have been identified based on phytosociological analysis. New records are presented of rocky, meadow, woodlands and temporary ponds habitats, such as： Stipo bromoidis-Quercetum dalechampii （habitat： eastern white oak woods, 91AA＊）; Verbenion supinae （habitat： Mediterranean temporary ponds, 3170＊）; Campanulo versicoloris-Dianthion japigici （habitat： calcareous rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation, 8210）; Acino suaveolentis-Stipetum austroitalicae （habitat： eastern sub-mediterranean dry grasslands （Scorzoneretalia villosae）, 62A0）. Other information on their extension, major threat and suggestions of actions for their conservation are provided.

Gendered Perceptions of Climate Variability and Change among Lo­cal Communities Living around Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda

Climate change affects both men and women which,in turn,shapes their varied and contrasting perceptions of climate variability and change.This paper examined the gendered perceptions of climate variability and change among local communities in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda.The objectives are threefold:-identify climatic shocks faced by the local communities;examine the perceptions of men and women of climate variability and change;and to compare their perceptions with empirical meteorological data.This study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods,with data collected from 215 respondents using survey,interviews and focused group discussions.From the findings,indicators of climate variability and change included reduced flooding events,occurrence of human diseases,increasing crop pests and diseases,dry spells and intensity of rains.There was increasing significant temperatures while rainfall was declining.Both male and female significantly associated with increasing temperatures and reduced flooding events.While climatic shocks affected both males and females,the impact was more pronounced depending on distinct livelihood activities and roles and responsibilities undertaken.The study concluded that people’s perceptions of climate change should be taken on by the government and integrated in the national climate programs that support people’s livelihoods and survival mechanisms.

Impacts of Environmental Factors on the Structure Characteristics of Avian Community in Shanghai Woodlots in Spring

From March to May, 2004, we selected 8 typical parks or green lands in Shanghai downtown as the study sites to conduct a ornithological research. During this study, total 55 species of birds were recorded, which included 31 resident and 24 migratory species. With statistics methodology, we analyzed the avian communities with 10 major environmental factors covering the park area, water percentage, vegetation species, canopy cover, shrub cover, grass cover, hill number, location condition, human quantity, path width, the study results indicated that: (1) the following 7 environmental factors were important to impact the structures of the avian community, they were park area, vegetation species, shrub coverage, grass coverage, hill number, location condition of the parks and path width; (2) the avian community of theses urban parks tended to deteriorate in the bird number and diversity; the man-made lake which was currently promoted in the park designing and planning process would not be good to attract the birds.

Community livelihood and its dependence on nature resources under pressure of conservation

Conflict between conservation and community livelihood is a significant issue in China.Based on Sustainable Livelihood Framework(SLA),this study systematically analyzed livelihoods assets of a community in a Yunnan snub-nosed monkey conservation area and found that the livelihood pentagon of the community was shaped by multiple but frail and unstable income sources,abundant natural resources with restricted use right,underutilized labors,inadequate financial resources,inconvenient physical capital and weak social capital.Villagers'income heavily depended on forest,and grazing and nontimber forest products(NTFP)collection are common and major income sources for villagers.However,differentiation of income dependence on forest among villagers'groups showed that there is no close correlation between the level of income and the level of income dependence on forest.Households'daily life also heavily depended on the forest due to heating and pig-feed cooking;hence,fuelwood cannot be easily replaced by any other energy resource for a long period.

Functions and Plant Configuration of Wuhan Jiangtan Park

With the rapid development of social economy, and constant improvement of living standards, modern people have had higher requirements on neighboring environment. Park green space is an important component of urban ecosystem, it improves quality of urban ecological environment, reduces urban heat island effect, and beautifies city environment. By studying plant configuration in Jiangtan Park, Hankou District, Wuhan City, functional areas were regarded as a whole to collect data, AHP was applied to investigate the sample plots, garden plant landscape evaluation system was established, and landscapes in all units were evaluated. From the perspectives of site type, functional area, plant configuration, landscape composition, this paper analyzed site conditions of Jiangtan Park, provided scientific theoretic support and case reference for the plant configuration of park green spaces, which would play an extremely important role in improving urban ecological environment and enhancing urban landscape effect.

The Diversity and Composition of Woody Plants in Chebera Churcura National Park (CCNP), Southern Ethiopia

National parks harbor the most valuable biological diversities of national and global significance. The study of these diversities assists for the proper resource management. This study was carried out to determine woody species diversity and composition in CCNP. Systematic sampling was used to collect vegetation data from 67 plots (400 m2 each), which were laid following altitudinal gradient. From each plot presence/absence of woody species, abundance and structural data were recorded. R Program, Sorensen’s similarity, Shannon diversity index were used for vegetation analysis. Our result indicated that a total of 106 plant specimens belonging to 42 families and 90 genera were identified, of which 57.6% were trees, followed by 18.8% shrubs, 7.6% liana and 16% tree/shrub. The three most dominant families were Fabaceae, Rubiaceae and Combretaceae. Five vegetation community types were identified. Millettia ferugenia—Vepris danelii, and, Combrutum molle—Terminalia browni are among others. The tree density and basal area were 426.5 trees/hectare and 30.92 m2/hectare, respectively. The diversity and evenness indices were 3.88 and 0.46 for the study area, respectively. CCNP has more similarity with Bonga and Yayu afromontane forests of Ethiopia. Disturbances caused by the human activities and wild animals such as elephant were major threats to plant biodiversity in CCNP. We recommend floristic as well as ethnobotanical investigations to realize fully the existing plant diversity and their importance. Moreover, national attention should be given to ensure sustainable use of CCNP with its incredible biological resources.

Sustainable Industrial Community

Nowadays, the style of living that significantly depends on consumption of resources and over consumption patterns, tremendous increase in population, urbanization and industrialization resulted into generation of huge amounts of industrial wastes. Many environmental problems are facing industrial areas, especially in developing countries, due to poor industrial hazardous waste management. In order to reduce the effect of industrial waste on the environment and to reach sustainable development, countries have developed and reinforced several environmental protection laws and regulations. Yet, the waste disposals via incineration and/or landfilling according to cradle-to-grave concept require high capital, high running costs and are seen by industries as a barrier for further industrial development. Most importantly, disposals of waste deplete natural resources causing them to be unsustainable. Hence, various concepts and strategies have been suggested to promote industrial sustainability. The aim of this paper is to present different concepts and practices including Cradle-to-Cradle approach, Cleaner Production, Industrial Ecology, Eco-Industrial Park and Environmentally Balanced Industrial Complex described in literature that help develop a successful sustainable industrial community and reach zero pollution. These concepts are illustrated via case studies. Moreover, this paper tackles the challenges facing industrial areas in Egypt and emphasis on the imperative need for considering sustainable industrial community.

Hunting Intensity on Wildlife Population in Oban Sector of Cross River National Park

Hunting intensity in Oban Sector of Cross River National Park, Nigeria was investigated. The methodology involved the recording of signs of hunting activity using line transects, and interviews with hunters. A total of 33 gunshots, 21 spent cartridges, 26 wire snares, presence of 7 hunters and two hunters’ camps and other several hunting signs were recorded for a total of 68 km of transects walked. Nine species of mammals were hunted, notably the Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes, Mona monkey (Cercopithecus mona), Puttynose monkey (Cercopithecus nictitans), Red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus), Drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus), Brush-tailed Porcupine (Atherurus africanus), Blue duiker (Cephalophus monticla), Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus), Ogilby’s duiker (Cephalophus dorsalis), Western tree hyrax (Dendrohyrax dorsalis), and Grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus). The interviews revealed the most hunted species as the iii Primates (Cercopithecus spp 28.48%), African brush-tailed Porcupine (Atherurus africanus) (37.74%), Blue Duiker (Philantomba monticola) (26.82%), Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) (6.96%), Pangolin (Manis tetradactyla), Red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus) and Grasscutter (Thyronomys swinderianus) with the first four being the most commonly hunted. Shotguns and Wire snares were the two main hunting methods used, with the former being used (88.24%) of all the hunters interviewed, and the latter (11.76%) of the hunters. Each hunter set 50 - 300 wire snares, of which there were two types: 1) ground snare without fencing (neck wire snare), and 2) ground snare with fencing (foot/leg wire snares. Most of the wire snares hunting take place mainly during the raining season. The study revealed high hunting intensity in Oban Sector of CRNP. Some of the recommended measures to ameliorate the menace include the initiation of public education and awareness programmes, establishment of task forces to check bushmeat hunting, execution of stricter law enforcement, good welfare package for park rangers and more punitive sanctions for offenders.