Modeling visitor use on high elevation mountain trails: An example from Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, USA

Increasing use on mountain summits has both social and ecological implications.High numbers of visitors climbing mountain summits can be a safety issue,particularly in areas where terrain or elevation leads to queueing that may cause time delays.Estimating visitor use levels at site specific locations en route to summits is needed to understand the potential benefits and impacts of visitor use in these locations.However,it can be difficult to obtain reliable and robust data to estimate use and develop statistical relationships because of the remote and harsh climates on mountain summits,as well as the financial and personnel requirements involved to collect the data in remote locations.In 2015,data were collected on the higher stretches of the Keyhole Route on Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park,USA(RMNP)to better understand use levels near the summit and to explore potential statistical relationships to trailhead use data that are relatively easy to collect.Strong statistical relationships from robust regression analyses were found between trailhead use counts and daily and hourly use totals on the"Homestretch"which is a final section of the Keyhole Route.Additionally,a strong statistical relationship was found between total daily use and maximum hourly use on the Homestretch.The results suggest that trailhead counts are an accurate and reliable means from which to estimate use levels on upper portions of the Keyhole route.Moreover,this research demonstrates the usefulness of an approach using proxy variables to estimate visitor use along remote peaks where data collection can be difficult.These types of data can elucidate various options and decisions for park management teams who are charged with deciding if and how to manage high use areas.

Land Use and Land Cover Changes in Awash National Park, Ethiopia: Impact of Decentralization on the Use and Management of Resources

We analyzed the magnitude of land use land cover changes and identified drivers of those changes at Awash National Park, Ethiopia, using aerial photographs, satellite images and field observation. Scattered bushland—the most important habitat for the wild animals, declined drastically. Areas under grassland, farmland or open land increased over the study period. Policy and park border demarcation issues were identified as drivers of change before 1995 (before decentralization), whereas livestock grazing was indicated to be the leading driver of change after 1995. Major events and causes that largely explained these changes include immigration of the Ittu community, land tenure system, drought, poaching, use policy issues and regional economic and infrastructural development. Our study reveals that the sustainability of the park calls for an immediate action to reduce the ever increasing human and livestock pressure on park resources.

Analysis of Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Land Use in the Bouba Ndjidda National Park and Its Adjacent Zone (North Cameroun)

We evaluated the dynamics of land use in the Bouba Ndjidda National Park (BNNP) and adjacent areas, in northern Cameroon. Using a maximum likelihood supervised classification of satellite images from 1990 to 2016, coupled with field and a socio-economic survey, we performed a robust land-use classification. Between 1990 and 2016, the area included eight classes of land use, with the largest in 1990 being the woody savannah (42.9%) followed by the gallery forest (20.2%) and the clear forest (16.3%). Between 1990 and 1999, the gallery forest lost 64.8% of its area mostly to the benefit of woody savannahs. Between 1999 and 2016, the largest loss of area was that of the clear forest, which decreased generally by 43.2% in favor of woody savannah. Rates of increase of crop field areas were 59.6% and 78.8% respectively for the periods of 1990 to 1999 and 1999 to 2016 to the detriment of woody savannahs. We attribute the changes in land use observed mainly to the increasing human population and associated agriculture, overgrazing, fuelwood harvesting and bush fires. The exploitation of non-timber forest products and climatic factors may also have changed the vegetation cover. We recommend the implementation of farming techniques with low impact on the environment such as agroforestry.

Exploring Potential of REDD+ Readiness with Social Safeguard through Diverse Forest Use Practices in Gunung Palung National Park in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Implementation is expected to be a measure for sustainable forest management by providing benefit for forest users based on their efforts. Without careful attention for the social safeguard, the mechanism of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation with forest management (REDD+) might cause negative impact such as depriving of customary forest use rights under unclear tenure and forest use rights typical in Indonesia. This study aimed to explore how REDD+ Safeguard can be applied in readiness activities by analyzing practical forest use situations in a conservation forest, the Gunung Palung National Park as study site. From the results of the questionnaire survey and interviews, characteristics of forest users were identified and compared. The households, mostly Malays, practicing traditional durian collection, were recognized as main forest users depending on on-farm income especially from non-timber forest product (NTFP). Since the income structure is relatively low and unstable, some of them practice farming in forest area or sell their forest use rights to other households. They are inclined to be lack in legal farm land and certain forest use rights. Based on the findings, consideration for diverse forest users and potential readiness activities were discussed and proposed. For achieving REDD+ implementation with sustainable forest management and social safeguard, it will be necessary to respect for customary rights and take comprehensive measures as readiness efforts.

Impacts of the Benefit Sharing Mechanism(BSM)Policy Implementation on Forest Protection and Sustainable Use of Non-timber Products at Bach Ma National Park

This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of the benefit sharing mechanism(BSM)pilot policy on sustainable use of non-timber forest products(NTFPs)and natural resources conservation in co-management forest of Bach Ma National Park.Evaluation methods were route and permanent plot survey,household interview,in-depth interview,village meeting,group discussion and workshop at commune level.Results showed that:(1)the BSM policy had brought favorable conditions for local people in sustainable use and development of the NTFPs,as well as minimised the threats to biodiversity in co-managed forest;(2)the harvest amounts of seven selected NTFPs after two years of the BSM policy implementation were higher than growth rate of every NTFP and the permitted harvest amounts of the benefit sharing plans(BSP);(3)although there was a risk of over-exploitation of the NTFPs,the annual yields in 2013 and 2014 were much lower,but more sustainable than that before the BSM implementation;(4)the forest protection status in the co-management areas was also better than before.Additionally,this study has also defined and recommended that in order to continue the BSM,it is necessary to ensure the sustainable exploitation of NTFPs,as well as implement more enforcement activities inside the co-management forest area.

DETERM INATION OF THE STABILITY CONSTANTS OF COMPLEXES OF HISTIDINE,SOME DIPEPTIDES AND TRIGLYCINE WITH Zn(Ⅱ)AND Cd(Ⅱ)USING SMALL-SCALE PH-METRIC TITRATIONS

A potentiometric study on the complexes of His,Gly-His,ALa-His,Gly-Gly and Gly—Gly—Gly with Zn(Ⅱ)and Cd(Ⅱ)has been reported.Small-scale potentiometric titrations were car- ried out to determine stabil ity constants of complexes at 25℃ with I=0.10 mol dm^(-3)(KNO_3).The com- puter programs SUPERQUAD were applied for data treatment with satisfactory results.

Area Classification of Surrounding Parking Facility Based on Land Use Functionality

The different land use surrounding parking facility has significant impact on parking behavior. This paper studies the functional classification of land use surrounding parking facility, which is fundamentally important for indepth research on parking behavior. 37 parking facilities located between the second and sixth ring roadway in Beijing were selected for this study. Based on the surveys conducted at these parking facilities, various parking behavior were analyzed, based on which the scope of the different parking was determined. The information on location, land use characteristics, public transport, the surrounding parking situations are collected for each investigated parking facility. Applying the SPSS clustering method, the threshold was developed for the classification. Totally, five categories are proposed for the land use functionality surrounding parking facility as the results of this study.

Study on Redevelopment of Kunming West Mountain Forest Park in the View of Experience Economy

At the background of the experience economy becoming major economic form in place of the service economy,forest experience develops vigorously and becomes a new approach for people alleviating pressure,acquiring knowledge,and relaxation. On the basis of analyzing concept and characteristics of the forest experience,this paper analyzed current situation of forest experience by taking Kunming West Mountain Forest Park as an example. It found there are existing problems in subject image,development methods and degree,professional personnel and concept. In view of these problems,it came up with recommendations including determining subject image,designing special products,accelerating cultivation of professional personnel,and strengthening training of forest experience concept. It is expected to provide reference for multi-functional use theory of China and provide ideas for developing forest experience projects.

Evaluation System and Method of Industrial Park Renewal:A Case Study of the Starting Area of Handan City

With the rapid development of urbanization,the industrial parks originally located in the suburbs are gradually incorporated into the urban center.Industries that fail to follow the transformation of urban economic development and are forced to close,or enterprises that move out without conforming to the environment,become a gray area within the city.Most of the existing assessments are conducting single assessment of some indicators,but than their actual benefits.Through the field investigation on the starting area of Handan Economic Development Zone,and the evaluation on the nature of land use,development intensity,investment and output,and idle land,inefficient land use in the park is identified.According to different evaluation results,different update and promotion methods are put forward.The research could provide a new evaluation method and idea for subsequent renewal and development of urban industrial parks.

Are Traditionally Used Resources within Conservation Areas a Function of Their Sizes?

A perception that there is a proportional relationship between the size of a conservation area and the occurrence or abundance of resources available was tested in this paper. This was done by evaluating the occurrence (from records of plant and animal species) of traditionally used biological resources from four national parks of South Africa that have different sizes. Results obtained show that contrary to a general belief that bigger conservation areas might have higher proportions and possibly abundance of traditionally used resources, this is not true. In addition, results reflected that the occurrence of traditionally used biological resources within the conservation areas is not a function (in terms of the size) of their sizes. Drawing this relationship has put forth a question of whether there is a direct relationship between the biodiversity of conservation estates and the resources available. While this study did not attempt to provide an absolute answer to this question, it has laid a foundation to tackle it further. Providing answers to questions like these will not only increase the ecological value of conservation areas among traditional societies but will also help to align con-servation estates with TRIPS (trade related aspects of intellectual property) and other international instruments like CBD (Convention on biodiversity). All which call for inclusive approach to the management of natural resources and biodiversity.

Water Erosion in the Donga Soils in Subhumid Zone in West Africa

The runoff and soil loss were assessed in situ at the scale of 2.12 m2 plots during the rainy season of 2010 to better understand the determinants and magnitude of the massive soil loss and land subsidence (donga) in the sub-humid zone of Africa in Karimama, North Benin. The experimental design was a split plot with two factors: the topography in 3 modalities (upstream, center and downstream of the donga) was assigned as main plot factor and the degree of degradation of dongas in 2 modalities (beginner dongas and advanced dongas) was assigned as subplot factor. Runoff water was collected through a storage system composed of two tanks. Data were collected on 36 plots (9 plots per donga × 4 dongas). The runoff varies significantly from one site to another for the rainy episode of October 10, 2010. It is twice as high in land use areas (5.87 mm) as in W Park (2.32 mm;l.s.d. = 1.81 mm). From upstream to downstream, runoff and soil loss increased from 2.4 mm to 85.3 mm and 80 g·m-2 to 197 g·m-2, respectively. Runoff is high in the early dongas (7.60 mm) and low in the advanced dongas (5.68 mm) in contrast to lower soil loss in the early dongas (34 g·m-2) and high in the advanced dongas (237 g·m-2). The low value of soil loss with respect to the magnitude of the phenomenon suggests the probable occurrence of other soil loss mechanisms to be elucidated.

Territorial and Urban Evolution of Economic Zone along Durresi Street(Kamza Junction-Kashar Turn)

The territorial expansion of the economic zones along Tirana-Durres corridor,is considered as clear evidence of regional economic development.Since the first 10 years of 1990-2000,the need for a functional planning process was clearly noted.In the early 2000’s,the linear planning on both sides of the highway,from KJ(Kamza Junction)to KT(Kashar Turn),was the real demonstration of that need.This article is a first effort towards an indirect analysis on spatial urban development processes of the last 20 years,indicated by development urban plans for Greater Tirana.This analysis concludes on the defects on integration of this area into the existing structure of Tirana,which are reflected in the new regulatory plans during 2012-2016.This article identifies the functional zoning phenomena,forms and rates of parcels occupation,analyzed through the land use indicators coverage.The urban analysis is focused also on identifying the achievements and failures on the design of spatial structures of social importance.This analysis intends to lead towards a more detailed study of the ways that enable the integration of this industrial area with the residential zone.It is considered as an attempt,which raises a number of issues,for helping the planners,architects and city administrators,involved in the planning and implementation of Partial Urban Plans.

An exploration into a diversified world of national park systems： China＇s prospects within a global context

A single nomenclature for national park terminology has evolved into a massive global data network from information gathered together from the past 140 years.This has been created using the most recent UNEP-WDPA data and its 98483 national designation records from 192 countries,two other customized databases accommodating 2638 records of officially designated national parks from 184 jurisdictions around the globe,and 2064 records of extended Chinese national park sites.However,mushrooming designations and growing databases are posing significant challenges even though the IUCN and UNEP have both devoted efforts to build and promote a common language called the ＂System of Management Categories for Protected Areas＂.Thus conversely the best possible outcome and the worst confusion might have originated from the same objective that is known by the simple moniker as a national park.This is why much more work needs to be done to enhance communication among different stakeholders from the world.In this paper,the authors are intending to demonstrate that China＇s government agencies should boost a dialogue with the UNEP-WDPA operating staff in order that the current innovative national park programs are recognized by the global community.Meanwhile,the authors also recommend that IUCN needs to revise and refresh the current protected area classification system for the purpose of effectively servicing the diverse stakeholders in such a diversified world of national park systems around the globe.

Temporal and spatial differences in human activities performed in Urban Green Spaces of Vilnius(Lithuania)

Urban green spaces(UGS)are relevant to city well-being,as recognized by the United Nations’Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).However,few studies have studied the temporal use of UGS.This work assessed the seasonal,weekly,and daily use of three urban green spaces(Vingis Park,Bernardino Garden,and Jomantas Park)in Vilnius(Lithuania).The study is based on an on-site observation-based survey,which recorded users’characteristics,activities,and weather conditions during summer and winter.The results showed that UGS’s seasonal,weekly,and daily use differed according to park and users’characteristics.Parks with a higher diversity of facilities had a high seasonal difference in the number of observed activities.User numbers were higher in the summer for activities with children,social activities,sports,and water activities than in the winter.Jomantas Park had the lowest variability in user characteristics.Weather variables were linked to changes in users’activities.Higher precipitation and lower temperature were associated with reducing the number of users and the diversity of registered activities.Most of the stationary activities were observed during summer.The diversity of the observed activities was associated with the available facilities rather than the park size.The distribution of stationary activities was spatially correlated with facility/equipment(benches,playgrounds,sports,and fitness equipment)and proximity to water features.The results of this study are relevant for UGS design,planning,and management.

Contributions of Social-ecological Drivers to Land Use Transitions in Protected Areas on the Tibetan Plateau:Shifting from Strong Intervention to a New Balance

The establishment and management of protected areas(PAs)often involve modifying traditional land use rights and changing the production and living activities of locals,which can lead to changes in the factors that drive land use transitions.Our understanding of the spatiotemporal patterns of land use transition and the contributions of social-ecological drivers remains incomplete.In this study,we focused on the Yarlung Zangbu Grand Canyon National Park and examined how social-ecological factors influence land use transitions by developing a theoretical model of land use transitions within PAs.Our findings revealed that cropland,shrubland,grassland,and wetland experienced net losses in area,while forestland,water,ice/snow,barren land,and impervious land exhibited fluctuating growth patterns from 1985 to 2020.The net decrease in grassland was 157425.60 ha,while the net increase in forest was 140709.20 ha.The quality of land habitat increased from 0.5158 to 0.6656.Land use dominant and recessive transitions displayed varying spatial characteristics and scales across different time periods.In particular,the degree of influence of policy factors on land use dominant transition declined from 0.0800 in 1985-1990 to -0.0432 in 2010-2020,while its influence on land use recessive transition declined from 0.00058 in 1985-1990 to 0 in 2010-2020.The results show that social-ecological factors intricately influenced different types of land use transitions,leading to a shift from a balanced state to a new equilibrium.These results enhance our understanding of the spatiotemporal patterns and complex dynamics of land use transitions within PAs,providing insights and practical implications for effective land management in PAs by considering the land-human relationships.