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Sports associations have a special relationship with natural landscapes. In the second half of the twentieth century, a number of organizations positioned themselves as defenders of the natural environment against the development of tourism and sports leisure facilities. They attempted to tackle the problem of over-equipment of natural areas. This research is based on a study of two outdoor institutions, the Centre Nautique des Glénans (CNG) and the Club Alpin Français (CAF). Despite their different pasts and proposed activities, both have been involved in landscape and environmental protection throughout their history. This can be seen in the way both associations integrate their facilities into the landscape, as well as in the work they do to raise their members' awareness of environmental preservation as part of their sporting activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canberra was built in harmony with its landscape setting, creating a legacy of urban form well-connected to the natural environment. Its urban design and planning not only amplified the surrounding natural landscape such as forested hills and mountains but also created a human-made green urban character. However, plans for future development as a compact city pose a challenge to conserving the city's green spaces. A green infrastructure plan is necessary to consider the city's green space design heritage and the linked socio-ecological values while minimising the urban footprint. The paper employs a historical literature review to understand the factors and characteristics that shaped Canberra's green character and the socio-ecological values of its green spaces. The research found the influence of historical and modern design and planning concepts in consolidating green infrastructure and creating ecological corridors and social infrastructure. One of the essential conditions for maintaining the unique character of Canberra is the preservation of the socio-ecological values of its existing green spaces. A trade-off study must be conducted to balance green infrastructure planning while considering these values, in light of development changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of positioning technology and the widespread application of mobile positioning terminal devices, the acquisition of trajectory data has become increasingly convenient. Furthermore, mining information related to scenic spots and tourists from trajectory data has also become increasingly convenient. This study used the normalization results of information entropy to evaluate the attraction of scenic spots and the experience index of tourists. Tourists and scenic spots were chosen as the probability variables to calculate information entropy, and the probability values of each variable were calculated according to certain methods. There is a certain competitive relationship between scenic spots of the same type. When the distance between various scenic spots is relatively close (less than 8 km), a strong cooperative relationship can be established. Scenic spots with various levels of attraction can generally be classified as follows: cultural heritage, natural landscape, and leisure and entertainment. Scenic spots with higher attraction are usually those with a higher A-level and convenient transportation. A considerable number of tourists do not choose to visit crowded scenic destinations but choose some spots that they are more interested in according to personal preferences and based on access to free travel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a psychological construct, inspiration has not received extensive examination in the outdoor literature. Inspiration can be characterized in terms of evocation, motivation, and transcendence. Purpose: This qualitative study explored the experience of inspiration in response to natural landscapes utilizing Bergson's qualitative multiplicity, the experience of co-occurring heterogeneous elements. Methodology/Approach: Survey respondents participated in a traveling field course visiting 19 U.S. National Parks in 2015 (n = 15, 26 days) and 14 parks in 2017 (n = 15, 18 days). Respondents described inspirational experiences in each park. Findings/Conclusions: Qualitative analysis of responses revealed a characteristic pattern: landscape features, landscape qualities, and affective responses. Participants cited vertical features, vastness, and beauty as triggers of inspiration, and characterized inspiration in terms of awe, wonder, and sublimity. Implications: This study describes inspiration in the outdoors, with implications for planning direct experiences of natural landscapes to maximize inspiration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of VAD: Veredes, Arquitectura y Divulgación is the property of Alberto Alonso Oro and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Museologia e Patrimônio is the property of Museologia e Patrimonio and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Liu Dunzhen, Chen Congzhou, and Tong Jun are three of the most prominent scholars of historic garden preservation in China. Drawing on the historical context of gardens, these scholars present distinct approaches that reflect varying priorities for preserving cultural gems. Liu concentrates on re-establishing authentic fabric in successive phases, whereas Chen aims to reconstruct the garden's heyday fabric through cross-sectioning of significant artistic values. While Liu and Chen seek to revive original condition, Tong values the garden's existing condition. In addition to attitudes towards preserving history, these scholars' nuanced understandings of nature's enduring essence also make contributions. Liu interprets nature in gardens through intertwining painting techniques with natural landscapes. Chen explains the spiritual essence of nature as genuine feelings for an envisioned setting. By contrast, Tong delves into a mindful contemplation of 'not with distinction', fostering a human-nature connection via empathic taste deriving from Daoist context. In conclusion, these three scholars' efforts, rooted in Chinese culture, aim to benefit the poetical dwelling of human beings, from visual pleasure to sensory invocations, to philosophical allusions. This comparative study not only critically reassesses their practices and theories, but also showcases a promising outlook for garden heritage study in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition between the urban and the rural in intermediate Andean cities has been consolidated, presenting a close relationship between socioeconomic dynamics and urban configuration. The peripheral neighborhood of San Cayetano, located in the city of Loja in southwestern Ecuador, presents multiple contradictory scenarios. Located on a hillside, the forms of adaptation to the challenging topography are diverse, fragile, and fragmented, especially because they present a dispersed image due to the proximity to the consolidated center. This study analyzes the spatial phenomena that have led to the integration of this neighborhood into the formal city, identifying recurrent spatial configurations that characterize the spatial fragment as a determinant in the configuration of the Andean periphery. To this end, official data are juxtaposed with on-site visits to identify the urban and architectural patterns of the neighborhood that contribute to defining this characteristic fragmentation of today's peripheries. These patterns are then examined through mapping and graphic representation. As a consequence, the resulting urban plots are imposed on sloping land, leaving aside the natural characteristics of the terrain, which causes morphological alterations at the level of the natural, urban, and architectural landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While some Inka structures and motifs align with astronomical and horizon markers, a significant portion of their constructions exhibit different patterns. We examined the potential correlation between the orientation patterns of the Inka walls and Andean geomorphology, aiming to uncover the extent to which the physical landscape guided these ancient architectural design methodologies. Using geospatial technology and specially developed peak detection and recognition software, we extensively and meticulously analyzed over 40,000 m of surveyed Inka walls and 20,000 mountain peaks across 11 distinct geographical areas. The analysis revealed a significant correlation between key wall orientations and the parallel peak alignment of the Andean Mountain Range. This suggests a purposeful encoding of landscape orientations into Inka architecture. These findings propose a novel perspective on the intricate relationship between Inka culture and the Andean highlands' topography. Furthermore, this research introduces a distinctive methodological approach to exploring the impact of natural landscapes on architectural planning, establishing a foundation for comparative studies among other ancient civilizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses environmental psychology theory to explore creative natural landscape performance (NLP), a form of tourism performing arts that combines natural beauty and cultural resources. Tourists who had experienced an NLP during the previous 2 years were surveyed, and 408 valid responses were collected through this online survey. The findings indicate that the natural setting of NLPs possesses the key characteristics of restorative environments. Further, the five dimensions of a restorative environment positively affect favorable emotions (i.e., happy, excited, relaxed) in the order of compatibility, being away, fascination, scope, and coherence of the performance. Positive emotions have a positive and substantial influence on the quality of the experience and its perceived flow. Additionally, quality of experience and perceived flow has direct and positive impacts on loyalty. Therefore, this study suggests utilizing and improving natural environments' restorative qualities to enhance NLPs for tourists and foster destination loyalty based on this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central Chile's Concon City urbanization trend has severely affected local hydrological processes. This research hypothesizes that switching to sustainable land-use/land-cover (LULC) in three Concon watersheds reduces the severity of their corresponding hydrological responses. High sustainability LULC zones would decrease runoff and enhance interception and infiltration, generating hydrograph curves with extended lag time and moderate peak flows. The Hydrological Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) is used for simulating watershed processes. Decreases in peak flows of 31.1%, 19.8%, and 54.5%, were estimated. Therefore, sustainable LULC reduces the severity of the hydrological responses, benefiting storm water management. Real-world applications in Europe and the USA achieved comparable results. Urban master plans in Chile have favored the alteration of natural landscapes (anthropization). Per national regulations, changes to urban plans can be made every ten years. The results of this research will be valuable in future revisions of Concon's urban plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical gardens offer ample cultural and natural landscapes for visitors to appreciate. Taking the tourist gaze as a theoretical lens, this study assumes a netnographic approach and conducts narrative analysis on travel blogs to explore visitors' experiences at Chinese classical gardens. Findings revealed key domains of the gaze object (i.e., macro-level structural design and micro-level elements) and the way of gaze (i.e., spatial and temporal), which formed the Chinese gaze in the tourism context. Results further showed how gaze contributed to Yijing development, a unique Chinese aesthetic concept. This study enriches the tourism and aesthetics literature by positioning a classical aesthetic concept (Yijing) within a modern tourism practice (gaze). Practical implications for tourism development and destination marketing are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While urban nature has been reported as positively associated with health and well-being, only a few research focused on the health-beneficial effects of the ecological quality of natural environments. When designing urban green spaces, there is a growing need for establishing rich biodiversity and creating spaces where residents can recover from daily demands and stress. This study aims to understand if human aesthetic perceptions align with ecological quality by exploring the correlation between environmental naturalness, measured by avian diversity, and the restorativeness people experience from the natural landscapes. Additionally, we examine the relationship between the naturalness measured objectively and the naturalness people perceive. We conducted surveys to collect perceptions about natural landscapes in Taipei Metropolitan, Taiwan. We retrieved bird survey data from BBS Taiwan to estimate the naturalness levels of the sites and took photographs on-site to generate the interventions. Participants viewed images and evaluated their restoring and natural perceptions of landscapes. There were 128 participants who answered the survey. Our findings reported landscapes with greater objective naturalness, higher avian species richness and the Shannon diversity index scores, were assessed as more natural and were positively associated with perceived restorativeness. Although bird abundance, another objective naturalness measure did not show significant associations between perceived naturalness and restorativeness. People perceive urban nature supporting diverse bird species as more restorative, having a higher potential to provide restoring effects. This paper suggests future research to have more control over other environmental factors to gain a more detailed understanding of the ecological quality of the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes caused by anthropogenic disturbances are a major driver of local diversity, but their effects on the species replacement across space (β-diversity), remain poorly understood, particularly with respect to different life-stages and ecological groups. We investigated these effects by examining juvenile and adult assemblages of shade-tolerant and intolerant tree species in 20 Brazilian Atlantic Forest fragments. We quantified taxonomic and phylogenetic β-diversity among forest fragments and assess landscape predictors that might explain species turnover. Additionally, we assessed the turnover between juvenile and adult assemblages within forest fragments. Our results show that taxonomic β-diversity among forest fragments was higher in adults than juvenile assemblages, mainly to shade-intolerant species, indicating a time lag between life-stages. In contrast, phylogenetic β-diversity among forest fragments was consistently low and similar between life-stages and ecological groups (shade-tolerant and intolerant species). Forest cover and geographic distance were the main drivers of taxonomic β-diversity, while edge amount was not an important predictor. Within each forest fragment, we reveal a high taxonomic turnover among life-stages, characterized by a broad shift between juvenile and adult assemblages, irrespective of forest cover. Conversely, phylogenetic turnover was influenced by forest cover, exhibiting a greater dissimilarity among life-stages in deforested landscapes. These findings underscore the importance of considering different life-stages to capture temporal responses between juveniles and adults, as well as to anticipate future community dynamics. Forest loss appears to drive taxonomic homogenization, by influencing changes in species composition. This results in a future juvenile community that is more similar among fragments than the current community. Additionally, forest loss induces phylogenetic changes within fragments, ultimately leading to future communities with different composition and evolutionary heritage compared to natural forested landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultivated land is of great significance for ensuring food security. Since the 21st century, China's rapid development has led to urban construction occupying a lot of cultivated land. The understanding of stage characteristics and regional differences needs to be improved. And it is necessary to quantify the temporal and spatial pattern of cultivated land changes since the 21st century. We used the global land cover dataset (GlobeLand30) to investigate the quantity and spatial distribution of cultivated land change in China from 2000 to 2020. The results show that: 1) Over the last two decades, China's arable land has diminished by 54,996 square kilometers. Notably, the arable land loss between 2010 and 2020 was 1.74 times greater than that from 2000 to 2010. This decline has been exacerbated by factors such as the expansion of urban and rural areas, as well as initiatives to revert farmland to forests and grasslands; 2) The eastern coastal regions experienced the most severe net arable land loss, with a net reduction of 42,989 square kilometers from 2000 to 2020, primarily driven by urban expansion; 3) In contrast, the western regions demonstrated the most substantial net increase in arable land, expanding by 11,583 square kilometers from 2000 to 2020, primarily driven by the development of forests and grasslands. It is noteworthy that despite some areas successfully implementing policies to return farmland to forests and grasslands, the ecologically fragile western regions continue to experience accelerated conversion of these natural landscapes into arable land, partly to compensate for the farmland decrease driven by urbanization in the eastern regions. Looking ahead, China's cultivated protection policy must strike a balance between the ecological value of the western region and the economic value of the eastern region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a preface to a special issue of the journal Hydrobiologia on the topic of stream ecology and environmental gradients. The preface explains that human activities have fragmented natural landscapes, leading to changes in environmental gradients and a decline in biodiversity. The document highlights the importance of understanding the effects of environmental gradients on aquatic communities and ecosystem services. The special issue includes 10 papers from authors of various nationalities, focusing on the effects of land use, vegetation cover, water pollution, and other disturbances on diatoms, macroinvertebrates, and fish communities. The studies demonstrate that environmental gradients can alter water quality, habitat availability, and the structure and composition of aquatic communities. The document concludes by expressing gratitude to the reviewers and authors who contributed to the special issue. [Extracted from the article]

Issues related to prevention and mitigation of extreme events' impacts, intensified by climate changes, have been receiving progressive attention from the academic community. Impacts are increasingly expensive for the society, particularly in coastal zones, where population growth and concentration of economic activities modify the landscape and alter the natural balance of coastal processes, contributing to increase population's vulnerability to these events. Considering the growing need to measure the social vulnerability of coastal populations and the lack of studies that focus on the effects of changing spatial scales over vulnerability analysis, this article proposes a methodology for obtaining a multiscale Coastal Social Vulnerability Index to extreme events (SVI-Coast) for 281 municipalities facing the sea in Brazil. The proposed methodology employed data from the most recent available national demographic census (2010), over which descriptive and multivariate statistical techniques were applied, considering three units of spatial aggregation: states, municipalities, and census sectors. Results show that in Brazil there is a tendency for concentration of greater social vulnerabilities in North and Northeast regions and that the key variables responsible for this are income and access to infrastructure, which are underprovided in these regions. This methodology can be replicated on multiple spatial scales, contributing to provide scientific knowledge capable of assisting decision-making by local and regional managers, especially by identifying priority areas, which need urgent actions for mitigation and reduction of coastal social vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic diversity is a key part of biodiversity, threatened by human activities that lead to loss of gene flow and reduction of effective population sizes. Gene flow is a result of both landscape connectivity and demographic processes determining the number of dispersing individuals in space and time. Thus, the effect of human impact on processes determining the level of genetic diversity must be interpreted in the context of basic ecological conditions affecting survival and recruitment. When the intensity of human impact and habitat suitability correlate, the effect on genetic diversity and gene flow may be challenging to predict. We compared genetic diversity, gene flow and landscape resistance in two contrasting landscapes in Norway for the pond‐breeding amphibian Triturus cristatus: a highly human‐impacted, agricultural landscape with ecologically productive habitats, and a forested landscape with less productive habitats and lower levels of human impact. Our results show that genetic diversity was higher and gene flow lower within the forested landscape. Microclimatic moisture conditions and vegetation cover were important determinants of landscape resistance to gene flow within both landscapes. There were indications that landscape resistance was increased by minor roads in the forested landscape, which was not the case for the agricultural landscape, suggesting a higher vulnerability to human interference within the landscape matrix for the populations in less productive habitats. Our findings suggest that the effect of human impact on genetic diversity may not be straightforward but modulated by the ecological conditions underlying local demographic processes. Populations within both landscapes seem to be vulnerable to loss of genetic diversity, but due to different mechanisms. This has implications for the choice of relevant management actions, that is, increasing population stability may be more relevant within an agricultural landscape still permeable for dispersal, while conserving dispersal corridors may be more appropriate in the forested landscape, to avoid isolation and increased genetic drift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture generates ~83% of total US ammonia (NH3) emissions, potentially adversely impacting sensitive ecosystems through wet and dry deposition. Regions with intense livestock production, such as the dairy region of south-central Idaho, generate hotspots of NH3 emissions. Our objective was to measure the spatial and temporal variability of NH3 across this region and estimate its dry deposition. Ambient NH3 was measured using diffusive passive samplers at 8 sites in two transects across the region from 2018–2020. NH3 fluxes were estimated using the Surface Tiled Aerosol and Gaseous Exchange (STAGE) model. Peak NH3 concentrations were 4–5 times greater at a high-density dairy site compared to mixed agriculture/dairy or agricultural sites, and 26 times greater than non-agricultural sites with prominent seasonal trends driven by temperature. Annual estimated dry deposition rates in areas of intensive dairy production can approach 45 kg N ha−1 y−1, compared to <1 kg N ha−1 y−1 in natural landscapes. Our results suggest that the natural sagebrush steppe landscapes interspersed within and surrounding agricultural areas in southern Idaho receive NH3 dry deposition rates within and above the range of nitrogen critical loads for North American deserts. Finally, our results highlight a need for improved understanding of the role of soil processes in NH3 dry deposition to arid and sparsely vegetated natural ecosystems across the western US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify tourists' values, develop a tool that measures tourist values with regard to visiting culturally significant, but forbidden, destinations, such as North Korea, and segment the relevant market. A composite method of qualitative and quantitative approaches constituted the procedure for the value measurement scale development. Using this scale, market segments were constructed based on the value profile in order to test the differences among the segments with respect to key factors. Application of a mixed method approach indicates four values relevant to visiting North Korea: curiosity/novelty; historical nostalgia/wish for reunification; natural landscape appreciation; and ease of travel. Three value profiles emerged: nostalgia and reunification advocate, middle of the roader, and nature espouser. The findings of this study indicate unique values for tourists to want to visit North Korea and add to existing evidence on alternative motives, addressing the absence of a customized tourists' value scale, in that it extracted authentic values to visit North Korea by focusing on cultural and historical context. The findings will provide DMOs, developers, and policy-makers with practical guidelines to create useful marketing tools and design targeted promotions and tourism products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The persistence of diverse communities and functioning ecosystems under increasing anthropogenic pressure relies on food web rewiring and the ability of animals to expand or change their diet in disturbed ecosystems. We combined a suite of diet tracing techniques to study trophic plasticity in omnivorous fishes, ecomorphologically similar species with high competition potential, across different human land uses in subtropical streams. We found that the proportion of native forest cover, associated with intensive land use, altered the isotopic composition of fishes, which were more enriched in 13C, without affecting the carbon isotope ratios of their prey and basal resources. There was also evidence for a nonlinear effect of native forest cover on the δ15N values of basal resources, macroinvertebrates, and omnivorous fishes, indicating that nutrient pollution from agriculture propagated through stream food webs. The most widely distributed fish species shifted their diet from autochthonous resources to terrestrial invertebrates and sedimentary organic matter in disturbed streams. Moreover, the isotopic niche of this fish species was broader in streams with higher fish species richness, indicating the combined impacts of environmental change and competition on species coexistence. Therefore, our findings showed that the dominance and trophic niche breadth of dominant omnivores depend not only on the availability of resources but also on the interactions with their putative competitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Space & Form / Przestrzeń i FORMA is the property of West Pomeranian University of Technology, Department of Architecture & Urban Planning and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

North American populations of Black Vultures Coragyps atratus have increased and expanded their distribution in the southern and eastern USA. In conjunction with these patterns has been a rise in human–vulture conflicts. To improve our understanding of space use patterns and better inform management, we evaluated the movements of Black Vultures (n = 23) in the southeastern USA using a long‐term GPS tracking database. Our specific objectives were to: (1) quantify home‐range sizes in relation to season and geographical study location and (2) examine within‐home‐range resource selection to identify landscape and anthropogenic factors influencing roost and diurnal space use. Home‐range sizes did not significantly differ between breeding and non‐breeding seasons. However, there were differences across geographical study locations, with the largest home‐ranges located in Florida. Similarly, there was limited seasonal variation in resource selection; however, use of anthropogenic features did vary by geographical study location. Overall Black Vultures avoided homogeneous landscapes regardless of season or activity and exhibited a strong selection for areas with increased landscape richness. Increased landscape richness, unlike homogeneous habitat, provides a diversity of resources for Black Vultures in a localized area, such as food, water, roosting and perch sites, and the creation of energy‐efficient flight opportunities. Contrasting with natural landscape feature selection, selection of anthropogenic features, such as landfill proximity and road density, was highly variable across individuals and study location. The high level of variation in selection for anthropogenic features provides further evidence of the propensity of Black Vultures to be flexible and opportunistic. The findings of this study stress the importance of using site‐specific studies effectively to understand and manage local vulture populations and mitigate associated human–vulture conflicts. Wildlife managers should exercise caution when implementing vulture management actions based on inferences from telemetry studies conducted in other geographical areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brown bear (Ursus arctos) diet composition and seasonal food habits were examined in the Central Forest Nature Reserve (CFNR) in West-European Russia. This territory has 2 landscape types: (1) a mostly intact and strictly protected CFNR core area with southern taiga forests, and (2) a human-modified buffer zone around it. We collected 758 bear scats between March and November 2008–2021. Fleshy fruits were the most important food category in the bear diet and represented 30% of the annual estimated dietary energy content (EDEC). Among fruits, the most important food items were apples (Malus domestica; EDEC = 22%). Bears highly preferred bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) in the late summer and early fall seasons (EDEC = 9%). During the hyperphagia period, bears fed on apples, hazel nuts (Corylus avellana; EDEC = 17%), oat (Avena sativa; EDEC = 9%), rowan (Sorbus aucuparia; EDEC = 5%), and cranberry (V. microcarpum and V. oxycoccos; EDEC = 4%). Herbaceous plants were also important (EDEC = 6%) from late spring to early fall. Among insects, bears actively consumed ants (Formicidae; EDEC = 3%) and social wasps (Vespidae; EDEC = 3%). Ungulates, especially adult moose (Alces alces) and calves, comprised the most important food item for bears during spring, contributing 15% of the EDEC. The CFNR core area, which presents natural foods for bears, had a prevalence of bilberry in scat amount (Cliff's Delta = –0.20). The buffer zone had a prevalence of apples (Cliff's Delta = 0.19) and oat (Cliff's Delta = 0.14), whose distributions were associated with abandoned orchards and cultivated fields. Brown bear food habits in the CFNR are similar to those in southern and eastern Europe, with a great dietary contribution of plant materials (especially fleshy fruits and hard mast). However, at the same time, CFNR bears have a significant dietary impact associated with boreal ecosystems (high Vaccinium berry consumption and active moose hunting), which makes it similar to populations from northern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New and old data on all 16 bat species recorded in Orenburg oblast, Southern Urals, Russia, including places and dates of their records, their relative abundances and occurrences, their age and sex compositions, the pattern of their stay, and their distribution, and environmental status, are summarized. The species Vespertilio murinus, Pipistrellus nathusii, Nyctalus noctula, Myotis dasycneme, M. daubentonii, and probably Eptesicusserotinus are particularly widespread and abundant in Orenburg oblast (92.1% of all trapped bats). Two other species, Plecotus auritus and Myotis brandtii, are widespread, but with low abundance (3.6% of all captured individuals). Four species (Myotis davidii, Eptesicus nilssonii, Nyctalus leisleri, and Pipistrellus kuhlii) (3.7%) are rare and distributed locally, and Nyctalus lasiopterus, Myotis nattereri, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, and Myotis mystacinus (0.6%) are very rare. Compared to other Ural regions, Orenburg oblast supports a greater diversity of bats, which is primarily determined by the greater variety of natural and landscape conditions and a more southerly location. The bat fauna of Orenburg oblast, as well as the bat fauna of the Volga region, Cis-Urals, and Urals, are a transboundary Eurasian variant of the East European bat complex, which includes Central Asian species, in addition to European ones. The data of our research indicate that the territory of Orenburg oblast encompasses the range limits of nine bat species. The southern limits of the range are identified for Myotis nattereri, M. mystacinus, and Eptesicus nilssonii, the northern limits for Pipistrellus kuhlii, Eptesicus serotinus, and Myotis davidii, and the eastern limits for Nyctalus lasiopterus, N. leisleri, and Pipistrellus pygmaeus. All the species living at the range borders are rare in Orenburg oblast and recommended for being included in the regional Red Data Book. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work analyzes an inventory of the touristic resources of the province of Burgos (Spain) and identifies with it the municipalities with the greatest touristic attraction, thus identifying the target points that facilitate the planning of the fieldwork process to obtain the opinion of tourists. To provide an analytical approach, this study adopts a quantitative technique by constructing a weighted synthetic index following a hierarchical process. The results show that the province of Burgos stands out for its high natural or landscape heritage, with access through minor roads and with a high offer of hotels and rural houses as well as restaurants and cafeterias. Fairs declared of interest, access by rail and the offer of hostels, apartments and campsites offer fewer outstanding values. The work proposes the realization of around 383 observations in each of the eight target points identified. The results obtained are clear enough to motivate decision-makers to address their efforts and investments in improving and adjusting their strategies to increase the quality of offer and demand in the touristic sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balancing the demand for ecosystem services (ES) with available supply is one key challenge for decision making in sustainable landscape management. ES demand is context-specific. Therefore, the assessment of perceptions articulated by multiple societal actors in different regions can help to identify differences and commonalities in predominant preferences for landscapes and their ES. The goal of this study was to investigate four societal actor groups (citizens, farmers, foresters, nature managers) in 12 study regions across Bavaria, Germany, with respect to their valuation of landscapes and ES provided by certain landscape elements. The 2,438 participants mapped specific locations and selected landscape elements that they perceived as valuable, and further elaborated on this value in open statements. We applied qualitative content analysis, word frequency analysis, spatial location-density analysis, and statistical testing. The perceived value of landscape elements for ES differed across actor groups and regions. Preference for landscape elements was driven by topography and land use and was significantly associated with actor groups. The most apparent differences occurred between farmers and nature managers. Generally, participants preferred forests, water bodies, natural landscapes, and distinct geographical structures. The landscape was mostly valued for its habitat, diverse wildlife, recreational purposes, climate-regulating functions, and provisioning of water and food. We conclude that, although differences exist among societal actors, the study respondents highly valued the importance of functioning and diverse ecosystems. The high perceived value for many ecosystem services and species protection suggests that ambitious policy measures are supported by different societal actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In my thesis, I provide a relational approach on how political participation in rural Japan is linked to the activists' well-being. While existing research has not come to a clear conclusion, this study uses an iterative qualitative research design that identifies six dimensions of how to link the two phenomena. Based on anthropological approaches to the topic, I demonstrate how my respondents emphasize the reciprocity of well-being in the process of political action. In Japanese regions characterized by demographic decline and aging, well-being is interpreted primarily as a relational phenomenon whose meaning unfolds against the backdrop of a specifically rural context, but is also one situated in the everyday lives of the interviewees. I perceive wellbeing as something that is not only linked to the natural landscape in that particular area, but is above all connected to the enjoyment of other people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments in coaching and coaching psychology have considered the outdoors as an alternative space within which to conduct coaching, in addition to the more traditional indoor environments. Research into walking coaching is therefore in its infancy and whilst the growing body of research in eco-therapy is relevant to coaching, little empirical research has been conducted as to how different types of landscapes may serve helping conversations, more specifically coaching. Drawing on the experiences of walking coaching clients, this study examines which landscapes are beneficial for coaching and why. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five walking coaching clients and analysed using semantic thematic analysis. Four themes were developed that identified landscapes as needing to be: i) expansive and spacious; ii) having variety; iii) a natural, less controlled environment; and iv) ones that challenge and support the self. These aspects not only provided the conditions for effective and insightful coaching, but also aligned themselves to the coaching process and relationship itself. Furthermore, participants were clear on what they needed from their environment for them to receive the full benefits of walking coaching. It is concluded that as the landscape is central to the process, it is important for coaches and coaching psychologists to consult with clients as to the types of outdoor environments that may be most beneficial for their coaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the interplay between surrealism and the sacred, exploring themes such as reflections, shadows, and glow in natural landscapes. Topics include the surreal reflections on the Ashokan Reservoir, the transformation of a swimming hole on the Rondout Creek, and the experience of glow in everyday urban settings such as New York City.

There are three conventionally held views about the relationship between mankind and nature in the Roman villa: man is master over the natural landscape; villas were positioned at vantage points so that the downward gaze of a dominus reinforced his domination; gardens offered opportunities to bring order upon nature. This article argues to the contrary that Manilius Vopiscus' villa in Statius' Siluae 1.3 presents a harmonious relationship between key natural features, the villa architecture and the villa proprietor himself. Nature sometimes takes precedence, while the villa complements and integrates with the environment. This allows us to appreciate the nuances in Statius' overall presentation of the relationship between mankind and nature in Book 1 and in other poems in the Siluae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Towards the drive for environmental sustainability and sustainable urban development, geospatial technology has been deployed to study land use/land cover (LULC) dynamics in Abeokuta and environs, Southwestern Nigeria. The natural, human and social-economic interventions on the landscape have assumed prominent dimensions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the trend, rate and magnitude of changes, within the framework for effective planning and sustainable growth. Three sets of land satellite imageries (30 m × 30 m resolution) of 2001, 2008 and 2015 were harnessed for the study. Contrast enhancement and considerations were made to minimize radiometric effect due to seasonal changes. A supervised classification was conducted using maximum likelihood algorithm while a Markovian transition estimator (MTE) was applied for the prediction of future land cover change. Urban areas increased sharply from 938.82 km2 (19.18%) in 2001 to 1423.58 km2 (29.08%) in 2015. The area under shrubs cover increased at a rate of 1.08 km2 (0.07%) per annum. Forested wetland and farmland declined from 871.67 km2 (17.80%) to 795.43 km2 (16.25%) and 1445.77 km2 (29.53%) to 1022.13 km2 (20.88%) in 2001 and 2015, respectively. The net decrease indicated the anthropogenic interference into surrounding natural landscape. Effective policy planning and sustainable growth require proactive and holistic monitoring of LULC dynamics. This will facilitate informed decisions on land resources, environmental sustainability and sustainable urban development in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with landscape to examine the ways people associate meanings to their environment through the cultural perceptions of space and time. It aims to explain the transformation from natural to cultural landscape in the cultural context of socio-spatial and socio-temporal organization in rural Pakistan. It is argued here that spatial and temporal references are pivotal in constructing, perceiving, and memorizing cultural landscape. The paper is based on ethnography of a Pakistani village, using participant observation in addition to interviews from thirty-two participants. These interviews included narratives, photo-elicitation, and memory imagework to analyze the spatial and temporal aspects of landscape from socio-cultural perspectives in rural Pakistan. The study shows that the interrelationship of space and time in rural social organization is evident in the social construction of landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The implementation of landscape-management decisions is often blocked because actors disagree in their perception of the problem at hand. These conflicts can be explained with the concept of problem framing, which argues that actors' problem perspectives are shaped by their interests. Recent literature suggests that social learning through deliberative processes among actors enables shared solutions to complex landscape-management conflicts. Methods: To examine these assumptions, a participatory process on integrated water-resource-management in a Swiss Alpine region was systematically evaluated using a quasi-experimental intervention-research design. The involved actors' problem perspectives were elicited before and after the participatory processes using qualitative interviews and standardized questionnaires. Furthermore, a standardized survey was sent to a sample of regional residents (N = 2000) after the participatory process to measure the diffusion of actors' social learning to the wider public. Results: The data analysis provided systematic evidence that a convergence of involved actors' problem perspectives, which were found to differ considerably before the intervention, had taken place during the participatory process. Furthermore, it determined diffusion effects of actors' social learning to the wider public in terms of its attitude towards participatory regional planning. Conclusions: The findings confirm the expected mechanism of social learning through deliberative processes and demonstrate it as a promising approach to implementing landscape-management decisions successfully. The catalyzing role of shared interests among actors suggests that landscape-management decisions should be implemented by participatory integrated planning on the regional level, which would require a new, strategic role of regional institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid urbanization of Lagos City has resulted in an expansion of urban and nighttime lights, which, in turn, places a significant burden on natural resources. This burden exacerbates the adverse impacts of changes in climate parameters, underscoring the need for measures to mitigate its effects. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between economic development, population growth, urban expansion, and climate change in Lagos City over two decades. GIS and remote sensing methods were used to process nighttime light, Landsat images, changes in climate parameters, and NDVI data to measure Lagos' sustainability level. The results show that: (1) between 2000 and 2020, nighttime light coverage grew from 175.53 km2 to 631.16 km2. Lagos' GDP grew by 88.9%, while the population increased from 13.4 million in 2000 to 26 million in 2019. (2) The built-up areas significantly increased from 13.0% in 2000 to 33.6% in 2020, while vegetation land declined, decreasing from 63.7% in 2000 to 46.4% in 2020. (3) Furthermore, Lagos City has experienced changes in climate parameters, with a decrease in annual rainfall from 2954.81 mm in 2000 to 1348.81 mm in 2020 and an increase in the average maximum temperature from 31.56 °C in 2000 to 31.79 °C in 2020. However, the rapid growth of cities has brought about significant environmental impacts. A strong relationship exists between horizontal urban development and nighttime light, indicating that urban areas encroach on natural landscapes as Lagos grows. Then, there is a relationship between urban development and vegetation and between temperature and vegetation. A compact city planning approach, which prioritizes vertical development and efficient land use to mitigate urban sprawl and preserve green spaces, is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest mammal diversity declined rapidly due to the widespread loss and fragmentation of primary forest habitats, requiring further research on forest mammal diversity. China is a country with diverse forest types, large climate and elevation gradient, high mammal diversity, but massive anthropogenic disturbance on natural landscapes. However, few studies have assessed the associations between forest mammal diversity and these natural and anthropogenic factors. Therefore, this study tried to explore the relationships between forest mammal diversity captured by camera traps with elevation range, contemporary climate, paleoclimate change and human activities in China. We firstly collected mammal species lists from published literatures, calculated different diversity indices, and related these indices with explanatory variables using the multiple linear regression models. The results showed that forest sites with higher elevation range had higher species richness. Higher contemporary precipitation and cropland area promoted phylogenetic diversity and over-dispersed phylogenetic and functional structure. These findings suggest that the mammal diversity in Chinese forest ecosystems is mainly associated with natural environmental variables, supporting the habitat heterogeneity hypothesis, the energy availability hypothesis and tropical conservatism hypothesis. Meanwhile, the associations between forest mammal diversity and cropland area indicate that although these forest ecosystems play important role in conserving forest mammal diversity, further anthropogenic activities should be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many patients are frightened of or anxious about dental treatment. We have recently reported our use of virtual reality (VR) to alleviate the fear and anxiety experienced during oral surgical procedures However, the effectiveness of VR in alleviating anxiety varies greatly between individuals. We therefore investigated whether the content of the VR presentation made any difference to its effect in alleviating anxiety, and whether it had any analgesic effect. The study subjects experienced one of two different types of VR presentation and were asked to complete a questionnaire about any changes in their anxiety during the procedure, including a visual analog scale (VAS) score. As an objective evaluation, changes in pain threshold during the VR presentation were investigated using PainVision. For those patients who experienced a presentation showing a natural landscape, the change in VAS score was − 13.3 ± 28.7 mm, whereas for those who experienced a presentation showing a video game the change was − 22.2 ± 32.1 mm, an even greater reduction. In a pain questionnaire completed by individuals who had experienced the video game presentations, approximately 70% reported that their pain had diminished. An objective evaluation of pain threshold also showed that the pain threshold of individuals increased by around 3% while experiencing the natural landscape VR presentation, but that while experiencing the video game presentation, it increased significantly by around 15% compared with baseline. These results show that the content of the presentation affected not only the rate of decrease in anxiety, but also the pain threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many natural landscapes maintain steep planar hillslopes bounded at a typical angle, beyond which shallow landslides or slope failures remove the excess sediment volume by mass wasting. Here we show that the celebrated eikonal equation, derived from a landscape evolution model in conditions of negligible soil diffusion and fluvial erosion, accurately portrays the organization of these topographies. Referred to as "eikonal landscapes," such solutions feature constant‐slope hillslopes originating from downstream boundary conditions and culminating in sharp upstream ridges. We demonstrate that the eikonal landscapes reproduce well a variety of natural landforms, including small islands, a volcano, and an extended mountain ridge. The boundary condition for the eikonal representation is specified through the natural landscape's slope‐area relation. Going beyond merely representing landscape statistical features, the present results provide a first‐of‐kind direct match of mathematical and natural landscapes. Plain Language Summary: Natural terrains often feature steep and nearly flat hillslopes, which remain stable up to a threshold angle or the angle of repose. Beyond this angle, mass failure ensues, resulting in the removal of excess sediment volume and preserving the topography. Here we demonstrate the effective use of the eikonal model, originally developed to represent the propagation of light rays two centuries back, in describing the organization of threshold hillslopes in natural landscapes. We directly compare eikonal model‐generated topographies with various natural landscapes, including islands, volcanoes, and inland mountains, differing in size, underlying geology, and climatic conditions. The presented model achieves these results with minimal computational cost compared to traditional landscape evolution simulations. Key Points: The simple eikonal model describes the landscape morphology with threshold hillslopesThe natural landscape's slope‐area relation establishes the boundary condition for the modelThe model results faithfully reproduce diverse landforms, such as islands, an inland volcano, and a mountain range [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mutualistic interaction between entomophilous plants and pollinators is fundamental to the structure of most terrestrial ecosystems. The sensitive nature of this relationship has been disrupted by anthropogenic modifications to natural landscapes, warranting development of new methods for exploring this trophic interaction. Characterizing the composition of pollen collected by pollinators, e.g. Apis mellifera, is a common means of exploring this relationship, but traditional methods of microscopic pollen assessment are laborious and limited in their scope. The development of pollen metabarcoding as a method of rapidly characterizing the abundance and diversity of pollen within mixed samples presents a new frontier for this type of work, but metabarcoding may have limitations, and validation is warranted before any suite of primers can be confidently used in a research program. We set out to evaluate the utility of an integrative approach, using a set of established primers (ITS2 and rbcL) versus melissopalynological analysis for characterizing 27 mixed-pollen samples from agricultural sites across Canada. Results: Both individual markers performed well relative to melissopalynology at the family level with decreases in the strength of correlation and linear model fits at the genus level. Integrating data from both markers together via a multi-locus approach provided the best rank-based correlation between metagenetic and melissopalynological data at both the genus (ρ = 0.659; p < 0.001) and family level (ρ = 0.830; p < 0.001). Species accumulation curves indicated that, after controlling for sampling effort, melissopalynological characterization provides similar or higher species richness estimates than either marker. The higher number of plant species discovered via the metabarcoding approach simply reflects the vastly greater sampling effort in comparison to melissopalynology. Conclusions: Pollen metabarcoding performed well at characterizing the composition of mixed pollen samples relative to a traditional melissopalynological approach. Limitations to the quantitative application of this method can be addressed by adopting a multi-locus approach that integrates information from multiple markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing impact of ecological theories and environmental preservation has resulted in a movement towards people-oriented design approaches for ecological landscape creation. However, certain university campuses continue to suffer hardships due to underutilized terrains and severe damage caused by large-scale earthworks. Given the new waves of campus growth, there is an urgent need to address these difficulties and consider the planning and design of natural biological landscapes on various campuses of Jiangsu province. A more scientific approach to maintaining ecological balance, protecting biodiversity, and increasing landscape variation on campuses may be taken by combining ecological environment conservation with university landscape design. Based on summarizing and analyzing previous research, this paper takes the Nanjing Communications Institute of Technology as a case study and expounds on the research status and significance of university campus landscape design in Jiangsu Province. Firstly, this study elaborates on the background, current status and future challenges of the concept of ecological environment protection, introduces the study objects, indicators and constituent elements of landscape design of the university campus, and conducts the ecological analysis. Secondly, this paper uses regression analysis to investigate the complex interactions between ecological features and the Ecological Balance Index (EBI) in university campus landscape design. Our suggested design reveals links between various design aspects and overall ecological-aesthetic attributes Inspired by the Principle of Landscape Diversity Design. In addition, we quantified landscape diversity and spatial optimization using the Shannon Diversity Index and Space Utilization Efficiency. Third, this research analyzes the space and visual forms of the landscape on the university campus and proposes a landscape design model for it using ecological environment protection. Third, it explores the expression methods of ecological environment protection and conducts the space division and index selection of landscape design. Finally, this paper discusses the landscape design approaches for university campuses to protect the ecological environment. In experimental work, the paper evaluates and compares several landscape design methodologies. Our proposed design exceeded previous approaches in terms of ecological balance (83%), aesthetic appeal (91%), and sustainability (93%). The proposed design is beneficial in protecting the environment and improving the overall quality of university campuses. These findings provide useful insights and references for future study in landscape design for university campuses in Jiangsu Province under the ecological environment preservation paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the means of interpreting the landscape is a visually supported summary based on the experiences of surveying special landscape values in the Hungarian settlements belonging to the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve (MDDBR). This work is an attempt to define and provide a holistic landscape architectural perspective, which serves to present and comprehend the landscape consisting of elements, while by highlighting the details it reveals the values of landscape, their importance and the necessity of their preservation. Landscape environment is often hard to define for a person who desires to move out of the city and comes from urban conditions, however theoretic and legal definitions do not make it much more understandable either. Therefore the primary target audience of the study is the individual looking into the natural landscape either on purpose of investment or just pleasure or relaxation. After reviewing the building blocks of landscape in general, the research focuses on describing the natural vegetation of the Mura region and the graveyards in detail, eventually it ends with an abstract of a brief description of landscape values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourists' visual attention has a central function in constructing their visual experiences and affects their perceptual and cognitive processes. Visual attention might be affected by environmental factors; however, the effects of environmental factors on visual attention are still vague in the literature. Moreover, visual attention might influence tourists' stress intensity. This study explores how tourists' visual attention patterns vary under environmental factors and quantifies the effects of visual attention on stress intensity by a mixed- methodology involving observations, eye-tracking experiments, and post-experiment surveys. Findings suggest that crowding is an important environmental factor affecting tourists' visual attention patterns. Moreover, natural sounds enhance tourists' visual attention to natural landscapes and mitigate tourists' stress simultaneously. Mask-wearing can reduce tourists' visual attention to human crowds but cannot reduce stress intensity directly. Our findings extend the attention restoration theory by a multi-sensory perspective and the transactional theory of stress through eye-tracking analytics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]