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The American Pika (Ochotona princeps) has been considered a species at risk due to warming temperatures associated with climate change. Many life-history attributes of pikas contribute to the sensitivity of pikas to warming temperatures. Repeated censuses of a marginal (warm, low-elevation) population of pikas at Bodie State Historic Park, California, conducted from 1972 to 2022, are presented to track the population trajectory of pikas for a time period predating recent awareness of global warming to the present day, thus giving a comprehensive portrayal of how American pikas may be responding to climate change. The northern constellation of anthropogenic habitat patches (mine ore dumps) showed no decline in percent of patches occupied or in total number of pika territories over time, suggesting that pikas in that area have not been at risk of extirpation resulting from climate change. In contrast, the pika population in the southern constellation of patches showed significant declines in percent of patches occupied and number of pika territories occupied. That area was unoccupied for about a decade beginning in 2006, but was recently recolonized from the northern constellation of patches. The most likely cause of the initial decline and transient extirpation in the south appears to result from fragmentation and stochastic population dynamics, independent of climatic factors that we investigated. Assessments of climatic impacts on American pikas should take into account the dynamics documented in the Bodie pika population and its resilience over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

City parks serve as valuable refuges for invertebrates in the urban environment, which are constantly exposed to human influence caused by management practices in the parks. Many harvestman species are suitable bioindicators for monitoring ecological change; however, their effective use in environmental assessment necessitates to expand the insufficient knowledge of ecological environmental specificities of their communities. We studied the diversity and dynamics of harvestman (Opiliones) communities in the historical park in Rusovce, situated in the southwestern part of Bratislava (Slovakia). Seven study sites were investigated, representing areas subjected to different management practices. The research was conducted from March 2019 to April 2020, using pitfall traps. We evaluated the impact of microclimatic variables (soil and air temperature), environmental characteristics (plant diversity and cover of vegetation layers, age of forest stands, thickness of the litter layer), and management practices on the structure of harvestman communities. The study revealed the response of specific harvestman species to temperature variations, emphasizing the importance of microclimatic conditions. Environmental variables, such as the richness of plant species in the shrub layer, the cover of the herb and shrub vegetation layers, and the age of the forest stands, were identified as key factors that influence the dispersal of harvestman species. Furthermore, management practices, especially the presence of monoculture tree plantations, significantly affected the species composition of harvestmen. Examining the sensitivity of Opiliones, important bioindicators, to these factors is crucial for implementing effective conservation strategies in urban green spaces and anthropogenically influenced ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in motorized vehicles in cities and the inefficient use of parking spaces have exacerbated parking difficulties in cities. To effectively improve the utilization rate of parking spaces, it is necessary to accurately predict future parking demand. This paper proposes a deep learning model based on multi-graph convolutional Transformer, which captures geographic spatial features through a Multi-Graph Convolutional Network (MGCN) module and mines temporal feature patterns using a Transformer module to accurately predict future multi-step parking demand. The model was validated using historical parking transaction volume data from all on-street parking lots in Nanshan District, Shenzhen, from September 2018 to March 2019, and its superiority was verified through comparative experiments with benchmark models. The results show that the MGCN–Transformer model has a MAE, RMSE, and R2 error index of 0.26, 0.42, and 95.93%, respectively, in the multi-step prediction task of parking demand, demonstrating its superior predictive accuracy compared to other benchmark models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paleogene paleotopography of the western United States, which may grant insight into Farallon subduction dynamics and North American Cordillera orogenic processes, can be constrained by reconstructing drainage networks through sediment provenance studies. In the northern Sierra Nevada, the provenance of SW-directed, Paleogene paleochannel deposits is controversial; prior studies favor either sources proximal to the deposits or distal source areas in central Nevada. These different hypothesized source areas would have contrasting implications for the paleotopography of the Sierra Nevada and western Basin and Range. We conducted a new provenance analysis of paleochannel deposits in the Sierra Nevada and western Nevada using new and compiled detrital zircon U-Pb age data from across the preserved paleochannel network, together with compiled bedrock geochronologic ages of potential sediment source areas for the paleochannel deposits. The geochronology compilation of potential source areas reveals systematic longitudinal variations in bedrock ages within the study area. Jurassic ages are present primarily in the western Sierra Nevada batholith, Cretaceous ages are dominant in the eastern Sierra Nevada batholith, and Eocene ages are present only in north-central Nevada. The distribution of potential source ages allows confident inference of sediment provenance from detrital zircon U-Pb ages. The distributions of detrital zircon U-Pb ages in the paleochannel deposits can be categorized into three distinct types. The first type, found in the vicinity of Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park (SHP) and further northwest, is dominated by Jurassic, Paleozoic, and Precambrian ages reflecting derivation from local sources in the western Sierra Nevada, and also contains scattered Eocene ages. The lack of Late Cretaceous ages in these samples, despite the presence of Late Cretaceous plutons in close proximity to the east, suggests small sediment source areas with fluvial transport of zircon grains no farther than 50 km. The few Eocene ages in these samples likely reflect volcanic air fall, consistent with an overlying tuff at one sample site that is interpreted to have its volcanic source to the north, outside the paleochannel network. The second zircon age distribution type, from samples south of Malakoff Diggins SHP, includes Cretaceous and Jurassic ages representative of exposed bedrock across the entire width of the Sierra Nevada batholith but no Eocene ages. This combination of ages suggests a sediment source area that encompassed the entire batholith but did not include north-central Nevada. The third zircon age distribution type, from samples to the northeast of Malakoff Diggins SHP, contains Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Eocene ages consistent with fluvial derivation of sediment from the entire width of the Sierran batholith as well as from north-central Nevada. This third type only occurs in fluvial deposits interbedded with Oligocene ignimbrite tuffs, whereas samples older than the Oligocene tuffs belong to zircon age distribution types 1 or 2. Thus, prior to the emplacement of Oligocene ignimbrites, there is no evidence of fluvial transport of sand-sized sediment from north-central Nevada sources to Sierran paleochannel deposits. The lack of pre-Oligocene fluvial transport across the Sierra Nevada may reflect either a Paleogene drainage divide that separated the Sierra Nevada from north-central Nevada or a large-scale knick zone with a low-gradient upstream reach that trapped sand and larger sediment. The first arrival of fluvially transported Eocene zircon grains following Oligocene ignimbrite emplacement suggests that ignimbrite volcanism, and related hinterland uplift, established or promoted sediment transport from north-central Nevada across the Sierra Nevada by driving drainage reorganization or steepening existing channels. Our provenance analysis broadly confirms previous paleochannel network reconstructions, especially for the Ancestral Yuba River, and thus validates the use of paleochannel deposits as a datum by which to infer post-Paleogene tilting of the northern Sierra Nevada. Azimuthal trends in Ancestral Yuba River paleochannel gradient suggest ~0.6° SW-directed, post-Paleogene tilting of the northern Sierra Nevada, which would have resulted in ~1 km of uplift of the range crest. Such a magnitude is consistent with Eocene–Oligocene stable isotope paleoelevation estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this study we focused on the need to fill a knowledge gap among Italian botanical studies namely that of ornamental species census. In particular, we addressed one of the regions in southern Italy with less knowledge in the field of such studies and with an obvious presence of non-native species. A widespread census of the Apulian territory was carried out between 2021 and 2024 in both urban and suburban areas including street trees, parks, and private and historic gardens. The inventory of ornamental trees, shrubs, and succulents of Apulia (southern Italy) was carried out in six provinces, i.e., Bari, Barletta-Andria-Trani, Brindisi, Foggia, Lecce, and Taranto. The checklist comprises 287 taxa (including 265 species, 6 varieties, 5 subspecies, and 11 forms) included in 179 genera belonging to 78 families. We evaluated the number of taxa per families and genera, the presence of each taxa in the provinces of Apulia, the number of taxa per occurrence status, growth forms, geographical origin, and the number of native and alien taxa and also the artificial hybrids. Remarks of the most significant taxa and evaluation of geographical distribution in Italy were also taken into consideration. A large number of surveyed taxa (51.74%) are comprised in the list reported in the recent study on allochthonous vascular flora in Italy with a marked prevalence of Neophyte Casual Alien and Neophyte Naturalized Alien species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historic gardens and parks are special parts of cultural heritage. On the one hand, such areas can be seen as historic monuments. On the other hand, they can play a crucial role for environmental protection. However, previous environmental education research did not pay much attention to historic greenery. One reason may be the lack of suitable measurement tools. The purpose of the current study was to develop and validate the Garden Heritage Scale (GHS). This novel psychometric instrument may be used for measuring attitudes towards historic gardens. It shows sufficient internal validity, confirmed by two factor analyses with different samples (n = 233;183). Convergent and discriminant validity proved to be adequate as well as retest-reliability and internal consistency. Since the scale showed sufficient quality, it can be recommended for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A landscape park is one of the legal forms of nature protection in Poland. It is a protected area due to its natural, historical, cultural and landscape values for preserving and popularising. The Nadwieprzański Landscape Park is located in southeastern Poland, on the middle section of the Wieprz River. The Park was established in 1990 and covers an area of over 6,000ha. The research aimed to identify resources, recognise threats and develop guidelines for protecting the cultural heritage elements of the Nadwieprzański Landscape Park. In the Park, there are monuments from various historical periods, e.g., former fortified settlements, castles, palaces and manor houses, churches, synagogues, war and religious cemeteries, granges, distilleries, mills, railway stations and small objects of sacral architecture, i.e., crosses and roadside shrines. In addition to immovable monuments, an essential part of the region's intangible cultural heritage is a tradition in the form of holiday customs and rituals, legends and traditional crafts. It is impossible not to mention people associated with the region, their knowledge of this subject and the need to document oral traditions. Protection and preservation of heritage for future generations and rational use of environmental resources significantly affect the constant and sustainable economic development and may improve the standard of living of the local population. Unfortunately, many changes occurred within the Park due to various reasons. These are both natural causes, resulting from the destructive impact of environmental and material changes resulting from the passage of time and reasons related mainly to the lack of proper supervision of the facilities by the legal user, e.g., historic palaces and park complexes. In summary, objectives of the so-called passive, i.e., formal and legal ones and goals of the nature of active -- conservation activities and the nature of activities restoring the lost cultural values of the region's cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term trends of abundance and diversity of forest birds have been very stable over past decades in European managed forests. It can be caused by high heterogeneity on habitat scale. In European cultural landscapes, there is another habitat very similar to managed forests, and that is a historic manor park. The parks can even show higher bird diversity than managed forests. However, there is an evident knowledge gap related to long-term changes of bird abundance and diversity in the habitats of manor parks. In this study we observed long-term changes of bird community in the historic manor park Čechy pod Kosířem (Czech Republic) using comparison of bird territory mapping in 2022–2023 with older bird studies in this locality. We gained an overview of bird community changes in the manor park for the period of 1997–2023. Results show that the bird community in historic manor park was remarkably unvarying in abundance and diversity. Historic manor parks can be considered as important refuges for forest bird diversity in cultural landscapes. We discuss the research implications for conserving bird diversity in managed forests especially in connection with large old trees preservation providing heterogeneity of nest habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the pivotal green space, urban parks play an important role in urban residents' daily activities. Thy can not only bring people physical health, but also can be more likely to elicit positive sentiment to those who visit them. Recently, social media big data has provided new data sources for sentiment analysis. However, there was limited researches that explored the connection between urban parks and individual's sentiments. Therefore, this study firstly employed a pre-trained language model (BERT, Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) to calculate sentiment scores based on social media data. Secondly, this study analysed the relationship between urban parks and individual's sentiment from both spatial and temporal perspectives. Finally, by utilizing structural equation model (SEM), we identified 13 factors and analyzed its degree of the influence. The research findings are listed as below: 1gIt confirmed that individuals generally experienced positive sentiment with high sentiment scores in the majority of urban parks; 2gThe urban park type showed an influence on sentiment scores. In this study, higher sentiment scores observed in Eco-parks, comprehensive parks, and historical parks; 3gThe urban parks level showed low impact on sentiment scores. With distinctions observed mainly at level-3 and level-4; 4gCompared to internal factors in parks, the external infrastructure surround them exerted more significant impact on sentiment scores. For instance, number of bus and subway stations around urban parks led to higher sentiment scores, while scenic spots and restaurants had inverse result. This study provided a novel method to quantify the services of various urban parks, which can be served as inspiration for similar studies in other cities and countries, enhancing their park planning and management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an assessment study of traffic-induced ground vibrations and their effects on masonry-type historic structures in Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Thailand. The first objective is to propose a practical prediction of the attenuation rate of vibration for risk management of the monuments located along roadsides in the city. The attenuation of vibration waves traveling from traffic sources and the intensity of ground vibrations were determined by in situ vibration measurement. The results from the investigations in the Ayutthaya area were compared with those obtained from other sites having different characteristics of subsoil classified by the average shear wave velocity (Vs). It was found that the attenuation rates at a long distance from the source tend to be dependent on soil property in terms of Vs of subsoils. The attenuation curves derived from the regression analysis are proposed for risk management from the vibration of the heritage site. The second objective is to assess the effects of traffic vibrations on historic structures. The highest amplitude observed in Ayutthaya was within the recommended vibration criteria for historic buildings. In addition, finite element analysis of a 3D stupa model revealed that the stresses resulting from the ground vibration records induced by traffic was lower than the strength of ancient brick and mortar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sukhothai Historical Park, designated as a world heritage site in Thailand, encompasses the remnants of the Sukhothai Kingdom and serves as a valuable locus for geological and geoarchaeological investigations. Situated in the Sukhothai province, the region is characterized by diverse lithologies, including slate, phyllite, and laterite, as well as red bricks (synthetic materials), utilized in the construction of various ancient structures. Petrographic analysis using polarized light microscopy reveals the phyllites as the primary dimension stones, exhibiting foliated and mylonitic textures with small quartz augen. A portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer was employed for geochemical analysis and the analysis of major oxides and trace elements. The resulting data facilitated the classification of protoliths and comparison with rocks from an abandoned quarry near Saritphong Dam in the western part of the historical park. Notably, phyllites utilized in several prominent structures within the park; Wat Saphan Hin, Wat Pa Daeng 2, Wat Thap Sakae, Wat Chetuphon, Wat Sri Chum, and Wat Mangkorn Temples, exhibited similar characteristics to those in the Wat Khao Noi old quarry, as confirmed by Rubidium (Rb) and Strontium (Sr) values. The SiO2/Al2O3 and FeO/K2O ratios were pivotal in identifying the protoliths of the studied phyllites as shales. In summary, the primary dimension stones for Sukhothai Historical Park originated from the western mountain within the park, with laterites sourced from foothill areas. The presence of quartz pebbles in red bricks suggests local sediment utilization, and quartz additions were employed to enhance structural strength. This comprehensive geoarchaeological study sheds light on the geological composition of the Sukhothai Historical Park, providing valuable insights into the selection and utilization of construction materials in this historically significant site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fieldwork program for university students was designed and implemented at the Tojogaoka Historical Park with the aim of creating positive images of the historical parks and gardens for young people. In addition, the program aimed to deepen their understanding of history and nature, and promote a perception of gardens as being both enjoyable and safes places. The program included a visit to the Tojo House, an explanation of the Tojo House and the Tokugawa family, and plant observation activities using the Hananona App. The outcomes of the study indicated that program participation did indeed produce positive attitudes about the buildings showing history as having historical value. Furthermore, the students developed positive attitudes about the Tokugawa family including developing a sense of familiarity, and a deeper sense of affinity with places associated with the Tokugawa family. Accordingly, the participants' perspectives on history and the Tokugawa family appeared to have broadened and their understandings deepened. Finally, the experience also helped students to learn about plants and trees in connection with historical matters. And, importantly, it helped them recover from fatigue, and afforded them opportunities to think about things and to think about themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Nationalizing Nature: Iguazu Falls and National Parks at the Brazil-Argentina Border" by Frederico Freitas explores the history of the establishment of national parks around Iguazu Falls on the Brazil-Argentina border. It delves into the parallel efforts of both countries to create and develop these parks, shaped by geopolitical competition and national interests. The text highlights the challenges of managing park spaces across the border, as well as the impact of broader regional landscape changes on conservation efforts. The book provides valuable insights into the historical influences that continue to shape the area today, emphasizing the complex relationship between conservation, territoriality, and economic development. [Extracted from the article]

The historical landscape reveals diverse social, economic, political transformations that create an identity of place, one which should be protected for future generations. Manor and park estates have been and continue to be valuable parts of cultural heritage and a distinguishing feature of the rural landscape in Europe. Since 1945, however, they have often failed to resist negative changes, especially in Eastern Europe where, after the Second World War, countries adopted the socialist system, which abolished private property and placed many historical buildings under the management of state institutions for several decades. In this context, it is important to study their current state of preservation. This study analyzes the condition of manor and park estates in Western Pomerania, Poland, that became the property of State Agricultural Farms (PGRs) after the Second World War. For this purpose, it was necessary to determine the extent of their transformation brought about by the State Agricultural Farms from 1949–1991, as well as changes that have occurred in the past 30 years. A qualitative method was used to assess the preservation of historical manor and park estates and to classify them according to their degree of preservation. The results showed that 42% of the estates surveyed have had their original form and spatial composition transformed, and their preservation status is assessed as moderate. Nearly 30% are in poor condition, which is hindering their full revitalization and the restoration of cultural and natural values. Only 28% of manor and park estates are maintained in a very good state. It is a matter of concern that the decline of these estates has been continuous and that restoration efforts have been limited. However, by assessing the current state of preservation, we can identify the measures necessary to stop further deterioration and preserve the cultural heritage of the region. It is clear that the preservation of these estates is essential to maintaining the identity of Western Pomerania. Manor and park estates are historical monuments associated with the people who once lived there. They must be protected to promote sustainable development and preserve a common European cultural heritage for future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Culture is one of the most important factors in attracting tourists and influencing the tourist experience. In China, "theme park" is a new field of tourism research, an excellent theme park can not only drive the development of a city's tourism industry, but also help it better publicize its history and culture. The article takes Kaifeng, China as the background, and selects the Song Dynasty historical and cultural theme park, which was established based on the traditional ink painting Qingming Riverside Drawing, as an example, to study the factors affecting tourists' travel experience in historical and cultural theme parks, and based on which it explores the reasons for the formation of tourists' satisfaction and post-trip behavioral intentions, to provide references and suggestions for the development of cultural theme parks from the point of view of travel experience. Based on the expectation confirmation theory, this essay introduces five constructs, namely, expectation (tourism motivation), performance (service quality), confirmation (tourism experience), satisfaction, and post-trip behavior intention, to construct a model of the factors influencing tourists' satisfaction by tourism experience in historical theme parks and analyze the intrinsic correlation among the factors within the model. It is found that tourists' tourism experience is mainly affected by tourism motivation and service quality, satisfaction and posttrip behavior intention are jointly determined by the above three. According to the research results, this study believes that tourism motivation, service quality, and tourism experience should be the focus of attention of the current tourist destinations, therefore, focusing on tourists' motivation to optimize the quality of service, helping tourists to enhance the sense of tourism experience, and improving based on the above focuses is of great significance to promote the development of historical and cultural theme parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States National Park Service protects and preserves iconic landscapes and their associated and unique natural and cultural resources across the country. Although many of these national parks, particularly in the eastern US, were established for their historical importance, these small, protected areas can house notable biological diversity. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, an historic park within and proximate to the nation's capital, has long been the subject of botanical surveys, in part because of the diverse plant communities it contains. Herein, we synthesized historic botanical data on rare plant species within the park and summarized 14 years of recent data-collection efforts. Of the 191 rare, threatened, and endangered plant species historically documented, we identified 105 species that contain current populations within the park, but we were unable to relocate the remaining 86 species. Based on the State of Maryland species conservation ranks, critically imperiled species were no more likely to be documented during our study than were historically recorded species, potentially indicating that more species have become locally extirpated than previously known. Despite the intensity of local land-use and anthropogenic stressors, urban–suburban protected areas such as the subject national park are critical for the integrity of rare-plant populations. We provide descriptions of the unique plant species, communities, and conservation threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last years, world cities have emerged as multiple and complex habitats hosting numerous and varied urban refugia for biodiversity. Therefore, the published literature was systematically reviewed to investigate the increasingly acknowledged role of many urban habitats to function as refugia for species. Many plants and animals were reported to colonize a variety of urban environments: Urban forest/grassland (natural/seminatural), City park, Historical park (villa garden, botanical gardens, cemeteries, etc.), Green spaces (abandoned areas, railways, line of trees, etc.), Water body, and Built area. Refugia were found in over a hundred world cities, especially in medium- to very big-size cities. The number of papers focusing on animals (n = 66) were higher than those regarding plants and mushrooms (n = 19 and n = 1, respectively); however, the number of species recorded within refugia were the highest for plants. Plants exhibited the highest frequency (7 out of 19 papers) in Historical park, while animals in Urban forest/grassland (20 out of 66 papers). In most studies (25.9%), urban refugia were linked to Urban forest/grassland that is terrestrial natural and seminatural sites widespread within or around cities. The 22.3% of studies referred to generic Green spaces of several types interspersed within cities, both public and private. The 14.1% of refugia were found in Built area (artificial). About the 33% of studies reported the presence of species worthy of conservation (rare, endemic, endangered, or protected) for a total of 365 species. The 20% of investigated papers reported the presence of alien species for a total of 879 species. Invasive alien species recorded within refugium areas should be subjected to control measures to prevent degradation to refugia. Overall, the capability for urban areas to host a huge amount of biodiversity needs to be acknowledged by city planners so that management practices that maintain and support such diversity can be pursued. Recording and monitoring species along with their refugial habitats is fundamental to achieve this goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caridean shrimps (Caridea) are the dominant macroinvertebrates in most anchialine ecosystems. Hawaiian anchialine ecosystems, primarily composed of shallow surface pools connected to the ocean via hypogeal networks of cracks, tubes, and other voids, support 10 caridean shrimp species, including two federally listed as endangered. Little is known about most of these species. The objective of this study was to identify factors that affect the abundance and distribution of Metabetaeus lohena (Alpheidae), an uncommon species found across the Hawaiian Archipelago, at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, Island of Hawai'i. This park supports the highest concentration of anchialine pools in the State of Hawai'i and is critical to protecting this threatened ecosystem. During 2017, we measured the density of M. lohena during nighttime surveys, as well as a variety of other biological, physical, and chemical parameters, in 130 pools. Metabetaeus lohena occupied 71.5% of the pools surveyed, with a mean density of 7.32 individuals/m2 (95% CI = 5.14–9.49). Invasive fish and the endemic shrimp Halocaridina rubra (Atyidae) had the strongest effects on M. lohena density, with negative and positive relations, respectively. In the first estimate of M. lohena density at this scale, our data indicate that Kaloko-Honokōhau supports about 11,480 shrimp (95% CI = 8,054–14,906) in the pools surveyed. Furthermore, our models predict that this park could support an additional 1,695 individuals (95% CI = 955–3,008) for a population of about 13,175 shrimp if fish were removed from 19 pools in which M. lohena are absent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing technology and the Earth system data it can obtain can provide great support for the monitoring and management of protected areas. These data can provide the ecological indicators of a place. It is very important to understand the situation concerning the natural land elements of a pro-tected area and to stop unacceptable actions in time. This paper presents an analysis of the natural elements of the land use/land cover (LULC) in the landscapes of protected areas. Freely available Sentinel-2A (S2A) multispectral data were used to classify the LULC and monitor the situation of protected areas. The research object was Trakai Historical National Park, which is an authentic land-scape in Lithuania. First, the Sentinel-2A image was processed and classified using the random forest algorithm by the special Lithuanian remote monitoring data collection, processing, use and storage system of the Environmental Protection Agency Lithuania. Next, the LULC model was statistically analysed using Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) software. The authors recommend automating these processes. The results show that in the period from 2021--2022, the farmland areas (cultivated meadows, decay areas, winter cereals, intensive cultivated crops and natural meadows) in Trakai Historical National Park decreased by 9.2%. Meanwhile, the forest, water and wetland areas increased by 9.6%, which makes it possible to conclude that these changes are beneficial for the ecosystems in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of a study on plant diversity at different levels in residual forest stands, located in the historical Favorita Park in Palermo, Italy (established and named in 1799 by King Ferdinand IV of the House of Bourbon). These forest aspects have naturally evolved for over two centuries, under minimal conditions of anthropogenic disturbance (e.g. deforestation, fires, grazing activities, etc.). This is especially true in the area known as "Bosco Niscemi", spread over about 8.5 hectares, in the centre of the park. Bosco Niscemi is characterized by the widespread presence of old trees, abundant necromass and litter. In this study, four different soil profiles were analysed, and classified as follows: (i) Solimovic Regosol (Arenic); ii) Eutric Arenosol (Chromic); (iii) and (iv) Skeletic Regosol (Ochric). From a phytosociological point of view, four forest communities have been identified, two of which are described as new associations (Viburno tini-Phillyreetum latifoliae ass. nova and Teucrio flavi-Phillyreetum latifoliae ass. nova). The species richness was also found to be noteworthy, with the co-occurrence of several taxa (phanerogams and cryptogams) that are of biogeographic interest or rare in Sicily, including: i) vascular flora (e.g. Viburnum tinus and Arbutus unedo, both very rare throughout the western sector of Sicily); ii) bryophytes [Cryphaea heteromalla (new record of a very rare species in Sicily) as well as Hypnum cupressiforme and Leptodon smithii, also never previously found at such low altitudes]; iii) lichens (e.g. Bacidia rosella, Gyalecta derivata, Ramalina roesleri and Waynea stoechadiana); iv) mushrooms (e.g. Eichleriella leucophaea, only known location in Italy). Based on the scientific documentation produced in this study, these woods can be reported as "old-growth forests" to be included in the "National Network" that has been recently established in Italy (Ministerial Decree of 23 June 2023). This area might serve as an ideal control for urban environmental studies, given its pristine ecological setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Partners in the Parks (PITP) program, a collaborative outdoor experiential-learning program for honors students organized by the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC). The program offers week-long trips to various national parks in the United States, focusing on the history, environment, wildlife, and culture of each park. The article includes reflections from two students who participated in the PITP trip to Sitka, Alaska, highlighting the transformative impact of community engagement and the importance of embracing a traveler's mindset to gain new perspectives and understanding. The authors emphasize the power of experiential education and urge educators and students to go beyond conventional knowledge and contribute meaningfully to the world. The text briefly mentions Adam Kuban, a professor in the School of Journalism and Strategic Communication at Ball State University, without providing further information about him or his work. [Extracted from the article]

For the first time in protozoology, research was carried out on the fauna of testate amoebas in a city park. One hundred and nine species and infraspecific taxa of this group of free-living protozoa were found in various types of habitats in the Bitsevskii Les Park in Moscow. To assess the species diversity of testate amoebas, samples were taken from tree hollows; small oligo-mesotrophic swamps; epiphytic mosses from tree trunks; mosses on deadwood; bottom samples from reservoirs; and soil samples near tree trunks, as well as directly in the area of the Yasenevo Estate Park. Various ecological groups of testate amoebas have been identified; the richest communities of eurybionts inhabited soils, as well as mosses on deadwood. Bottom sediments of manor ponds were inhabited mainly by hydrophilic species of the genus Difflugia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of non-historical monument gardens aimed to inventory and assess their current state compared to the original. These gardens were researched in detail, following the steps used for historical parks and gardens. Unclassified gardens were categorized using newly established criteria based on collected information. While there's less data about these gardens compared to historical ones, the primary goal of redevelopment is to recreate their era's ambiance while preserving existing landscape, dendrological, and architectural values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive fish can profoundly affect communities they invade. In Hawai'i, invasive fishes have become established in many anchialine pools, threatening the persistence of resident invertebrates, including several endangered species. Tools to eradicate invasive fishes from these pools are lacking. This study tested the efficacy of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas diffused into anchialine pool water as a method to eradicate invasive Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), guppies (Poecilia reticulata), and western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis). We first conducted aquarium trials to identify how these fishes were affected by elevated CO2 and the concomitant reduction in pH. We then carried out field trials in pools containing these fish in one pool each at two national historical parks on the Island of Hawai'i during July 2021-January 2022. We also developed environmental DNA (eDNA) protocols to detect fish that may have survived CO2 treatments. The effect of CO2 on fish behavior varied among species; at pH 5.3 (CO2 = 255 mg/L) for tilapia and 5.0 (CO2 = 488 mg/L) for tilapia, guppies, and mosquitofish, all generally lost their ability to swim, showed slow or no gill movement, and altered their position in the water column. No tilapia survived the trials (n = 4 and 6 individuals at pH 5.3 and 5.0, respectively). In contrast, 41.7% (n = 12) of adult guppies and 66.7% (n = 12) of adult mosquitofish survived treatment at pH 5.0. In the field we were unable to reduce anchialine pool water pH below 5.7. Regardless, we were able to eradicate tilapia from one pool over four sequential treatments. Post-treatment eDNA assessments supported visual surveys, confirming our results. We were not able to eradicate guppies and mosquitofish. Results from this study show that CO2 can be an effective tool for eradicating invasive tilapia from anchialine pools, and post-treatment eDNA assessments can provide managers with a method for evaluating the success of eradication efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the premise that environmental injustices date back centuries, this article provides an overview of the long trajectory of degradation narratives on Réunion, from the earliest colonial concerns in the late seventeenth century to the contemporary National Park. Through a historical political ecology approach, we identify distinct phases where degradation narratives became prominent, and sometimes entered into conflict, in the environmental history of this French overseas territory, which was a French colony until 1946. Although degradation narratives have shifted significantly over time, they have also gradually converged to a condemnation of the uplands' inhabitants. So far, this move has reproduced socio-spatial inequalities between the uplands region, dedicated to environmental policies, and the lowlands region, dedicated to a plantation economy. Such an account suggests that environmental inequalities may be constituted through a process of continuous change that involves negotiations and often conflicts among multiple dominant stakeholders. Thus, contemporary conservation regimes should not only improve their governance mode, but need to start by doing justice to conservation' history, especially dynamics of misrecognition with colonial roots. • Participatory turn in nature conservation policies is not enough. • Colonial history of Réunion confirms that environmental injustices date back centuries. • Degradation narratives have converged to shape socio-spatial inequalities over time. • Environmental injustices were reinforced despite changes during the post-colonial period. • French national parks need to overcome historical patterns of misrecognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does the Kremlin have a coherent approach in the way it deals with the memory of the Soviet atrocities? If so, what does it consist in? In this paper, I address these questions by turning to a study of the "Russia—My History" chain of multimedia historical parks. I reconstruct the interpretation of the Soviet atrocities as it is (re)produced in the Moscow-located headquarters of the chain and the broader historical interpretation that this interpretation—at the same time statist and patriotic—is nested within. I argue that this interpretation is indicative of the Kremlin's way of dealing with Russia's difficult past, which consists in transforming it into a tool of ingenious political manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typically, renewable-power-generation forecasting using machine learning involves creating separate models for each photovoltaic or wind park, known as single-task learning models. However, transfer learning has gained popularity in recent years, as it allows for the transfer of knowledge from source parks to target parks. Nevertheless, determining the most similar source park(s) for transfer learning can be challenging, particularly when the target park has limited or no historical data samples. To address this issue, we propose a multi-task learning architecture that employs a Unified Autoencoder (UAE) to initially learn a common representation of input weather features among tasks and then utilizes a Task-Embedding layer in a Neural Network (TENN) to learn task-specific information. This proposed UAE-TENN architecture can be easily extended to new parks with or without historical data. We evaluate the performance of our proposed architecture and compare it to single-task learning models on six photovoltaic and wind farm datasets consisting of a total of 529 parks. Our results show that the UAE-TENN architecture significantly improves power-forecasting performance by 10 to 19% for photovoltaic parks and 5 to 15% for wind parks compared to baseline models. We also demonstrate that UAE-TENN improves forecast accuracy for a new park by 19% for photovoltaic parks, even in a zero-shot learning scenario where there is no historical data. Additionally, we propose variants of the Unified Autoencoder with convolutional and LSTM layers, compare their performance, and provide a comparison among architectures with different numbers of task-embedding dimensions. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of trained task embeddings for interpretation and visualization purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1960s, the suburbs of Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights protested the routing of an Interstate highway through their historic park. Known as the Clark Freeway, I-290 was meant to connect downtown Cleveland with the newer suburbs located beyond the city's outer beltway. Fearing irreparable damage to their communities, a group of garden club women and a committee of citizen activists brought pressure on county, state, and federal officials to delay route selection. However, only after Cleveland Mayor Carl Stokes joined the fight, did Governor James Rhodes summon the political will to cancel the highway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While urban green spaces (UGSs) are important places for residents' leisure activities, studies describing the long-term daily UGS usage of residents (including the total number of activities, the types of activities, and the touring experience) have not been conducted due to difficulties in data collection. Based on social media text data (SMTD), in this study, the total number of daily activities, the intensities of optional and social activities, and the daily touring experience in 100 UGSs in Xiamen, China, were inferred based on the ERNIE 3.0 text pre-training semantic classification model. Based on this, linear regression modeling was applied to analyze the internal environmental factors of the effects of places and external urban form factors regarding daily UGS usage. The research results revealed the following. (1) A descriptive study was conducted on the total numbers, types, and touring experience of activities using SMTD, and the results were verified by line transect surveys, management statistics, and a publicly available dataset. (2) The number of human activities in UGSs was found to be significantly influenced by historical and cultural facilities, nighttime lighting, population density, and the proportion of the floating population. (3) During the daytime, optional activities were found to be significantly influenced by the park type and historical and cultural facilities, and social activities were found to be significantly influenced by historical and cultural facilities and population density. In the evening, optional activities were found to be significantly influenced by the park type, historical and cultural facilities, nighttime lighting, and the proportion of the floating population, and social activities were found to be influenced by the proportion of the floating population. (4) Regarding the touring experience, in the daytime, the park type, green space ratio, and proportion of the floating population had significant effects on the touring experience. In the evening, the park type, historical and cultural facilities, and security factors were found to have significant effects on the touring experience. The methodology and findings of this study aid in the understanding of the differences in daytime and nighttime activities, and in the discovery of planning tools to promote human leisure activities in UGSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, National Park Service Civil War battlefield units are managed for both historical accuracy (i.e. to represent landscape conditions at the time of the conflict for historical interpretation), and for natural resource protection. However, managing for both goals can create conflicts as many battlefields were largely open or in second growth forests historically, but now harbor significant forest resources after more than 100 years of preservation. Managing for historical accuracy therefore may require maintenance of the landscape in a successional stage out of phase with the current landscape. We use historical landscape maps and current high‐resolution forest structure data derived from lidar to examine tradeoffs in returning the landscape of a major Civil War battlefield (Wilderness Battlefield) to conditions present at the time of the battle. We demonstrate that National Park battlefield units can harbor significant forest resources in contrast to the surrounding landscape, especially in areas of intense commercial, urban, and suburban development. Managing for or restoring landscapes to historical conditions could have important ecological implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preservation of historic sites requires a multisensory approach, in which sound plays an important role. A good acoustic environment could contribute to the aesthetic, ecological, and cultural improvement of historic sites, as well as increase visitor attendance with their surroundings. Due to the unique spatial qualities and social-cultural distinctions of these locations, it seems essential to consider the inherent differences in their soundscapes. The hypothesis of this study is to assess the interrelationships between soundscape evaluations and environmental indicators including visual quality and overall impression as well as the related semantic attributes. The historic El-Goli Park of Tabriz, which is in a semi-natural environment, was evaluated as the field study. Field measurements at sampled locations were conducted to record sound pressure levels (SPL) to generate sound maps. At the same time, a questionnaire survey was used for the subjective assessment of soundscape quality. The main results are as follows: 1. Natural sounds (birds and water) and human sounds (voices and footsteps) are the sounds primarily perceived as dominant and pleasant. 2. For a selected location, the higher the percentage of visitors reporting a pleasant sound (mainly natural sounds), the higher the reported soundscape quality, visual quality, and overall impression. 3. Among the social/demographic/behavioral factors considered, "age" and "time period during a day of visit" were associated with soundscape perception. These results may be helpful for the soundscape of historic city parks and will offer helpful insights into landscape policy and regional acoustic environment planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]