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Copyright of International Journal of Management Academy is the property of Uluslararasi Yonetim Akademisi Dergisi 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.)

Estimating population trends provides valuable information for conservation biologists. Although there are many methods for estimating demographic rates, capture-mark-recapture (CMR) methods are known to be the most realistic method that can provide detailed data on individuals and populations, including the achievement of conservation goals. This study focused on determining the population trend of Pelophylax bedriagae caralitanus, Beyşehir frog using the CMR method in a protected area during the 2011-2019 breeding seasons. Our CMR data led to the selection of model-considering constant survival rates, capture/recapture probabilities, and year-specific immigration/emigration patterns [Φ(··) y'(t) y"(t) p(··) = c(··) N(t)]-as the most fitting biological hypothesis among 22 constructed models. According to the best-fitted model, 6% of all individuals in Gölcük population can be captured during each sampling occasion. The annual survival rates show low variation between years, and the mean survival rate was estimated as 0.85, that means 85% of the individuals of Pelophylax bedriagae caralitanus in the Gölcük population were able to live on to subsequent breeding seasons. The average population size of Gölcük population for nine consecutive years was estimated as 5094 (range 4834-5382) individuals that shows minor and acceptable levels of population size fluctuations, and slightly increasing over the years. These findings can guide future research, aiding in assessing population size changes in both protected and nonprotected areas while understanding population decline trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to examine the application of the main safety rules in ecotourism activities in a marine salt pan during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest that, among the activities analyzed, the best way perceived to maintain social distance was the guided tour activity, while hand hygiene was seen as the most important in the saline bath and in the combined activity. Mask was generally removed in activities involving immersion in water by tourists. These measures were crucial to ensure a sense of security and well-being both for tourists and employees of the tourism and hospitality industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ondokuz Mayis University Journal of Sports & Performace Researches (OMU-JSPR) / Ondokuz Mayis Üniversitesi Spor ve Performans Arastirmalari Dergisi is the property of Ondokuz Mayis University Journal of Sports & Performance Researches (OMU-JSPR) 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.)

Protected areas are no longer focused solely on conservation and protection needs but play a central role in promoting sustainable development in local socio-territorial systems. The Tepilora Natural Regional Park (TNRP) in Sardinia offers an example of this phenomenon. This paper highlights the significance of the TNRP in balancing conservation needs with the sustainable development of local populations - an effort that resulted in the establishment of the Tepilora, Rio Posada and Montalbo Biosphere Reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The desire of people to escape from cities to rural areas for various reasons increased the importance of ecotourism in general, nature parks and recreational activities. In this study, it is aimed to determine the recreational activities in nature parks and to shed light on the tourism potential of nature parks. In this context, 33 nature parks located in the Eastern Marmara Region focused in the study. The focus is on the eastern Marmara region, as it is a region with the potential to attract more tourists due to its close location to large cities with high populations. The distribution of the nature parks by the cities examined and specifically, which recreational activities could be carried out in each nature park determined and conducted a content analysis with the help of secondary data. The intensity of recreational activities mapped according to the cities, and the richness of recreational activities in nature parks compared within itself. Findings obtained from the research shows that among the cities in the Eastern Marmara Region, the most nature parks are located in Bolu. The nature park with the most activities is Harmankaya Canyon in Bilecik with 15 different activities. The most common activities in the nature parks are listed as; hiking, photography, picnic, cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Artvin Çoruh Üniversitesi Orman Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Artvin Coruh University 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.)

Payments for ecosystem services are a voluntary market-based instrument to remunerate provider(s) of ecosystem services by those who benefit from them. Our research aimed to create an ex post evaluation framework to identify bottlenecks and elements hindering the success of a solution-driven PES scheme. The framework was applied to a case study to assess its feasibility and concerns the provision of health and recreational services in the Medvednica Nature Park (Zagreb, Croatia). The framework was set up through three main sources: the study of PES implementation project documentation, semi-structured interviews with visitors and key stakeholders, and web-scraping of TripAdvisor reviews of the park. The main findings confirm society's interest in the park, but the lack of mapping, quantification, and accounting of the services analysed, the little or no demand from society to pay for their provision, and confused knowledge of the property rights of some ecosystem service providers in the area limit the success of the PES scheme. The framework was useful to describe the chosen PES scheme and to identify bottlenecks and fragilities of the system in place, allowing it to correct its application flaws and, on the other hand, to demonstrate its replicability in other contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hiriya landfill, in central Israel, served Tel Aviv for 50 years and became a byword for neglect and ugliness until it was recently transformed from an environmental hazard, into a beautiful park. This article explores the idea and experience of waste, as concept and matter, and its representations in the 2004 international design competition for Hiriya's rehabilitation. Addressing the global issue of rehabilitating wasted sites, the competition encouraged landscape architects to address a polluted past and outline new cultural and ethical meanings in the reclaimed public space. Drawing from unexplored textual and visual sources, and combining landscape architecture with cultural studies on waste, we reveal that few of the 14 proposals touched upon the complexity of waste, with its cultural, ethical and social attributes. The winning entry by Peter Latz turned the mound into a striking monument to trash, but minimised the visitors' idea and experience of the waste itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of an international project, national parks and nature parks established in karst regions are examined, with a primary focus on how local residents, visitors and influential figures (i.e., park managers, mayors) perceive the advantages and disadvantages of a specific park. The study area in this paper is the Apuseni Nature Park (Romania). The main natural resources of this park are: the karst (morphology and hydrology), the forests and the landscape. In order to explore the perception and motivation of tourists visiting the park, a field survey using a convenience sampling strategy was conducted in 2019 and 2021 at eleven sites in the park. The results show that among the motivations, the "search for relaxation" option is the most frequently selected (43%), but "interest in caves" (34%) and "interest in karst terrains" (29%) were also relatively popular. In terms of public support for potential developments, one positive result of the questionnaire is that developments involving sustainability and nature conservation (visitor centre, education trails and viewpoints) enjoy significantly more support than developments that put a strain on the environment (adventure parks and expansion of entertainment facilities). The awareness of geotourism should be improved, but even at the current level it can be said that geotourists are an important segment of the park's visitors. A careful development of tourism can be recommended for the park, but it must ensure that the principles of sustainability are taken into account during the developments. Given the environmental and economic challenges, strengthening the organization of the park is suggested in order to better protect the threatened natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Agriculture / Poljoprivreda is the property of Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek 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 Bulletin of the Faculty of Forestry / Glasnik Šumarskog Fakulteta is the property of University of Belgrade, Faculty of Forestry 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 International Forestry Review is the property of Commonwealth Forestry Association 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.)

Purpose: While the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and visions for sustainability education apply to many methods, they can be hard to put into practice. This study aims to concern an undergraduate geography course designed not only to teach geographical methods but also to engage with the multi-scalar nature of the SDGs and apply them to various local urban sustainability issues in a real-world context. Design/methodology/approach: By means of a mixed-method approach, the authors examine a fieldwork course that invites students into learning situations in which they combine critical thinking with entrepreneurial solutions to local sustainability challenges. The authors examine the learning material from the students' cases and explore the geographical knowledge the students' practise. Findings: Fieldwork helps students contextualise the multi-scalar nature of the SDGs and thereby apply them to analyses in a local context. Students learn first-hand how their planning proposals can be seen as counterproductive by some local stakeholders while remaining attractive to others. Originality/value: Student tasks are developed in collaboration with a local municipality and students present their findings to local politicians and stakeholders. Presenting and localising the SDGs within a local community not only encourages students to undertake a local community analysis but also provides new perspectives to local stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Motif Academy Journal of Folklore is the property of Motif Yayincilik 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.)

Nature parks are protected natural areas whose purposes are the protection and conservation of landscapes in which the interaction of human activities with nature over time has created a distinct area, with significant landscape and/or cultural value, often with great biological diversity. This is the case of Apuseni Nature Park, which includes a significant karst terrain and is a very important tourist destination. In this article, we examine the attitude of local people towards the protected area with the help of a questionnaire composed of 32 questions. After the general questions, the economic situation was examined first. Then the respondents had to evaluate the values and the difficulties of their region and their relation to tourism. The answers reveal that they are aware of the importance of tourism, which may represent a serious complementary income for them. The most intriguing questions were some open-ended questions, which focused on the relationship of locals to Apuseni Nature Park. Based on the answers, we can conclude that the negative opinions slightly dominate. The dissatisfaction of the locals, the feeling of limitations due to the park are expressed in many different ways. But probably the most relevant problems can be linked to the rules and laws. As it is a nature park, people in fact, live inside the park, thus, the equilibrium between their lives and the purposes of the park should be approached. The administration of the nature park should involve local people more closely in decision-making, and maybe certain rules should be changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas play a key role in nature conservation but are also crucial for tourism. There are international recommendations in nature conservation (IUCN), and several international conservation conventions exist. Nevertheless, the protection categories are different in each country, and the proportion of protected areas also varies. Here we compare the nature conservation systems of some countries (Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia and Croatia) taking into consideration their nature protection laws. The selection of countries is based on an international project dealing with "Karst and National Parks". For the comparison, national data sources and an international database (WDPA) are used. Our results show that the protection categories of the studied countries are largely similar, but there are unique characteristics as well (such as "forest park", "monument of park architecture" in Croatia; "nature conservation area" in Hungary or "protected landscape element" in Slovakia, etc.). On the other hand, the internal proportions of protection categories are more heterogeneous, like, for example, the proportion of national parks within all protected areas which is 57.0 percent in Hungary but 11 percent in Croatia. International protection categories (Natura 2000, Ramsar, UNESCO World Heritage natural sites, UNESCO MAB reserves) are more or less similarly present in the countries studied (except Serbia, where there are no Natura 2000 areas yet). If national categories and Natura 2000 sites are all taken into consideration (and the overlapping areas are counted only once), then Croatia has the highest proportion of protected areas (39.1%), Slovakia is in second place with 37.5 percent, while Romania (23.5%) and Hungary (22.0%) show a similar proportion, and with the lack of Natura 2000, Serbia has 9.1 percent at present. As for the reliability of the WDPA, we found that this varies from country to country, with significant deficiencies for certain countries (e.g. Serbia) and very good reliability for others (e.g. Hungary, Slovakia). However, the availability of WDPA is in many cases better than that of national data, and since it also provides GIS data, it can be considered a useful tool for examining international trends and mapping protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Radovi Zavoda za znanstveni rad Varazdin is the property of Institute for Scientific Work in Varazdin, Croatian Academy of Sciences & Arts 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 Radovi Zavoda za znanstveni rad Varazdin is the property of Institute for Scientific Work in Varazdin, Croatian Academy of Sciences & Arts 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 Düzce University Journal of Forestry / Düzce Üniversitesi Orman Fakültesi Ormancılık Dergisi is the property of Duzce University 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 Turkish Studies - Social Sciences is the property of Electronic Turkish Studies 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.)

Protected areas have a primary role in preserving the biodiversity of a region and are often valorized as a resource in tourism. The paper is based on the results of an empirical study conducted on a sample of 160 respondents. The main research goal was to determine the opinions and attitudes of the respondents about the development of rural tourism and its impact on the conservation of biodiversity in the Lonjsko polje Nature Park (Park). The results show that 56.9% of respondents consider that pollution caused by human activity has the greatest impact on biodiversity loss, but also that informing visitors about responsible behavior is a way to preserve biodiversity in the Park. Respondents agree with the statement that rural tourism is "eco-friendly" and that a sustainable form of tourism contributes to nature conservation. It was found that age and level of education were not statistically significantly related to the respondents' perception of the impact of rural tourism on biodiversity in nature parks. Respondents are moderate in the view that tourism should not be carried out in nature parks (M = 2.85) or that rural tourism in the park pollutes the environment and disrupts the landscape (M = 2.61). With a high degree of agreement (M = 4.04), respondents believe that the Park has the potential to develop ecotourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of the research is the application of GIS in geoecological evaluation of terrain -- case study Nature Park Hutovo blato. Geoecological evaluation of terrain is strongly relevant methodological procedure, which can be used for acquiring results about real value of particular areas. Method of terrain evaluation is also used, through five categories: hypsometric characteristics, angle of slopes, vertical dissection, terrain mobility and vegetation cover. The aim of the research is to clarify how valuable and useful certain segments of the terrain are for the purpose of spatial planning -- for the tourism valorization, construction of various objects etc. Paper consists of several parts. First part defines the exact area of exploration. In the second part geomorphological characteristics of the researched area were analyzed. Geoecological evaluation of terrain, performed in third part was based on previous geomorphological analysis as well as bonity categories. Methods used in this paper are: analysis, synthesis, statistical method and cartographic method. Complete analysis was conducted using GIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the years following the foundation of the Styrian Eisenwurzen Nature Park (in 1996) and Gesäuse National Park (in 2002), both nature conservation organizations faced heavy resistance from the local population and actors in the local economy. Today things look different: the so-called Gesäuse Partners are building a strong network that brings the parties together. Our experiences can be used practically by the managers of protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With 62 % of its total area covered in forest, Styria is the most densely forested province in Austria. Accordingly, forests, more than any other habitat, characterise the landscape in the Styrian Eisenwurzen Nature and Geopark. The forest areas of the nature park are managed by a combination of private owners and the Styrian Provincial Forests, the Austrian Federal Forests and the City of Vienna. The near-natural areas of the nature park forests in particular are characterised by species-rich fauna and flora, which include specially protected species. However, the forests of the nature park do not simply provide habitats for a large number of protected animal and plant species. Due to their location - embedded between the Dürrenstein wilderness area, the Kalkalpen National Park and the Gesäuse National Park - they also function as important stepping-stone habitats for many forest-bound species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of e-Zbornik: Electronic Collection of Papers of the Faculty of Civil Engineering is the property of University of Mostar, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture & Geodesy 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 Natura Croatica is the property of Natura Croatica 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.)

Habitat characteristics associated with species occurrences represent important baseline information for wildlife management and conservation, but have rarely been assessed for countries recently joining the EU. We used footprint tracking data and landscape characteristics in Romania to investigate the occurrence of brown bear (Ursus arctos), gray wolf (Canis lupus) and Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) and to compare model predictions between Natura 2000 and national-level protected areas (gap analysis). Wolves were more likely to occur where rugged terrain was present. Increasing proportion of forest was positively associated with occurrence of all large carnivores, but forest type (broadleaf, mixed, or conifer) generally varied with carnivore species. Areas where cultivated lands were extensive had little suitable habitat for lynx, whereas bear occurrence probability decreased with increasing proportion of built areas. Pastures were positively associated with wolf and lynx occurrence. Brown bears occurred primarily where national roads with high traffic volumes were at low density, while bears and lynx occurred at medium-high densities of communal roads that had lower traffic volumes. Based on predictions of carnivore distributions, natural areas protected in national parks were most suitable for carnivores, nature parks were less suitable, whereas EU-legislated Natura 2000 sites had the lowest probability of carnivore presence. Our spatially explicit carnivore habitat suitability predictions can be used by managers to amend borders of existing sites, delineate new protected areas, and establish corridors for ecological connectivity. To assist recovery and recolonization, management could also focus on habitat predicted to be suitable but where carnivores were not tracked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For saving world's biodiversity, networks of protected areas were established, conventions, agreements, political and strategical documents for conservation of nature that all highlight the importance of the environmental context of the education for sustainable development were prepared. Nature and national park administrations in Bulgaria which are legally obliged to conduct educational activities have a significant role for building environmental awareness and behavior in visitors. The aim of this research is to develop and implement modern approaches and mechanisms to organize educational activities in the field of ecology and nature conservation in protected areas in Bulgaria after the example of "Vrachansky Balkan" Nature Park. For achieving this aim, instruments for carrying out quality long- and short-term educational activities were elaborated, verified and implemented in practice. Such comprehensive systematic approach, is organized for the first time in "Vrachansky Balkan" and it fulfills one of the objectives set in its Management Plan (2011-2021). The approbation of one week activities in the nature park shows better cognitive results and higher motivation for environmental protection among the participants in comparison to the one-day stay. The verified educational approach is a nature conservation instrument, applicable to the management of all nature and national park administrations for biodiversity preservation and sustainable use of natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research examines the development of the mountainous region of Belasitsa in the years after 2000 and its transformation of being an inaccessible territory at the time of the Iron Curtain, to a fast-growing destination for sustainable tourism. In order to draw particular conclusions and formulate recommendations, the Belasitsa Nature Park Management Plan was used which was approved on 24.02.2016. As a result, potential threats from rapid development have been identified and concrete steps have been proposed to overcome them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Marmara Cografya Dergisi is the property of Marmara University 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 Economics of Agriculture / Ekonomika Poljoprivrede is the property of Institute of Agricultural Economics (IAE) / Belgrade 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.)

On December 30, 2020 and January 2, 2021, acoustic observations on Eurasian pygmy owl Glaucidium passerinum were made in coniferous forests near Brezovitsa Chalet, Vitosha Nature Park, Bulgaria. The analysis of the sonogram confirmed the species identification. This is the first documented observation of G. passerinum in the Vitosha Mountains, thus expanding data on the distribution of this species in Bulgaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nature Park Shumen Plateau is a protected area with the highest degree of genuineness and uniqueness. Typical for the region is the successful ecotourism development, which favors the local traditions and customs and follows the principles of sustainable development by facilitating the preservation of natural and cultural resources, biological and landscape diversity. The article examines the new opportunities for ecotourism by providing services that meet the modern needs of the tourists in an environmentally friendly way, support the community progress and shape the specialization of the regional tourist product by 2020. Furthermore, the article presents the trends and changes in the specialized types of ecotourism in relation to the landscape theory of geoecological protection, sustainable tourism and regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report aims to present the content aspects of marketing of the Strandzha Nature Park as an ecotourism destination. It formulates a vision for the development of ecological tourism in the Strandzha Nature Park. The report distinguishes the possible target segments of the Park, based on four synthetic features of market segmentation: motivation, family life cycle stage, length of stay in the park and the preferred means of accommodation. It presents the content of the four basic elements of the strategic marketing mix of the Strandzha Nature Park - product range, pricing policy, distribution and communication. The proposed segment-oriented product range of the Park includes three major product lines and nine specific tourism products. Differentiated prices of the specific packages of the segment profiled tourism products (tourism routes) in the destination are recommended to be set and offered. The creation of an extensive national and international network of distribution channels is being worked out for the effective implementation of the market product range in the Strandzha Nature Park. The report formulates the substantive elements of the communications mix of the Strandzha Nature Park with the aim of promoting the protected area as an attractive tourism destination for both the domestic and international tourism markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study presents briefly the species composition and distribution of the amphibians and reptiles in the Nature Park "Sinite Kamani" in Stara Planina Mnt. Bulgaria, based on a 2x2 km UTM grid. Between 2012 and 2014, we identified total 20 species (7 amphibians and 13 reptiles). We documented three new amphibian species for the region (Hyla arborea, Rana dalmatina and Rana graeca, which is discovered for the area for the first time) and three species of reptiles (Testudo hermanni, Ablepharus kitaibelii and Lacerta trilienata). The contemporary conservation status for each species is presented and conservation threats and problems, specific for the park are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lena Pillars Nature Park belonging to the Sakha Republic (Yakutiya) is situated in the southeastern Siberian Platform on the right bank of the middle Lena River. The park is mainly known for the almost continuous chain of fancy pillar-like carbonate weathering outliers spreading along the right bank of the Lena River and banks of its tributaries Botoma and Sinyaya. However, the main reason of the ultimate importance of the park is that it represents a pivotal evidence of relatively rapid evolutionary development and growth of the skeleton and soft-bodied fauna and algae diversity, which took place about 541-509 Ma ago. This event is well known in the scientific world as the "Cambrian Explosion". The International Union of Nature Conservation included it into the list of key evolutionary events in the Earth's history. Numerous geosites of different types and significance levels are located in the park, and six of them are of international importance. They are highly representative in terms of stratigraphy, paleontology, paleoecology, and geomorphology. Stratigraphic geosites demonstrate nearly a continuous record of the Upper Ediacaran-Middle Cambrian deposits. Before the 1990s, stratotypes of the Lower Cambrian stages were used for standardization of the Lower Cambrian in the International Stratigraphic Chart. Paleontological geosites are mainly represented by fossil localities of the Early Cambrian, characterized by high level of preservation and diversity. Sinsk localities of the Early Cambrian biota are listed among the Cambrian Lagerstättens. Many geosites are objects of paleoecological investigations because their deposits were formed in synchronously existing parts of a former single paleobasin (inner lagoon, transitional reef, and outer abyssal) with different physical and chemical parameters. Geomorphologic sites represent different types of permafrost karst, as well as weathering outliers of columnar shape, the so-called Lena Pillars. The scientific and aesthetic value of the Lena Pillars Nature Park is globally recognized, and in 2012 it was inscribed into UNESCO WHL based on the criteria vii and viii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas help to develop regional and global strategies for the conservation of biodiversity. However, human-related activities, such as grazing, tourism, hardwood extraction, etc., may cause the decline of some species. In this study, we investigate whether inhabiting protected areas affect the conservation of Erysimum popovii, a narrow endemic and endangered plant, in Mediterranean environments with traditional human activities. We surveyed its entire distribution area in SE Spain, and located 31 populations, 16 within Nature Parks (Category V of the IUCN) and 15 in non protected areas. In each population we measured several variables related to habitat composition, pollinator community, herbivory damage and population viability. Our results show that populations in protected areas inhabit localities at higher altitudes and with more shrub cover. Most important, the abundance of a very effective pollinator type, beeflies, was significantly higher in protected populations. Curiously, damage by ungulates was also more intense in protected areas. The negative effect of herbivory offsets any positive effect played by pollinators in protected areas, and consequently there were not differences in population size or reproductive output inside and outside protected areas. It seems that allowing traditional uses in protected areas may entail negative effects for some vulnerable plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economic & Ecohistory / Ekonomska i Ekohistorija is the property of Society for Croatian Economic & Environmental History 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.)

Gölcük Nature Park (GNP) is an area protected by law in Turkey. It is an important nature park with rich flora, fauna, geomorphologic forms, landscape features, and recreational potential in the region. However, GNP does not have a recreation management plan. The purpose of this study was to determine the actual natural, cultural, and visual resources of GNP, determine the most suitable recreational sites with multiple factors, evaluate the demands and tendencies of visitors, and suggest recreational activities and facilities for the most suitable sites of GNP. However, it was also conceived as leading to a recreational plan and design of GNP in the future and identifying the entire appropriate and current data of GNP with the creation of various maps. This study used multifactor analysis to determine the most suitable recreation sites of GNP. Used recreation factors were established including degree of slope, proximity to water resources, accessibility, elevation, vegetation, soil, climate, aspect, current cultural facilities, visual values, and some limiting factors in accordance with the characteristics of GNP. Weighting and suitability values of factors were determined by 30 local expert surveys. All obtained data were evaluated and integrated in the Geographical Information Systems base. Obtained maps were overlapped. Thus, recreational suitability zones map were created manually. However, the demands and behaviours from visitor surveys in GNP were focused on the most suitable recreation sites of the park. Finally, 10% of GNP was identified as the most suitable sites for recreational use. Various recreational facilities and activities (including picnicking, sports facilities and playgrounds, camping sites, walking paths, food and local outlets, etc.) were recommended for nine of the most suitable areas on the proposed recreational map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological research has long demonstrated that preferences can be influenced by stimuli coming from the environment. Music, as an external stimulus influencing people behaviours, purchasing processes and spending, has been widely analysed in consumer behaviour and marketing literature. Here, we focus on the effect of music genres on preferences and willingness to pay for selected ecosystem services of a Nature Park when they are elicited with a Discrete Choice Experiment. This aspect is important in non-market valuation because music can represent an element of context-dependence for the assessment of individual choices, so that the assumption of preference stability does not hold, and welfare estimates may be biased. The results of a generalized mixed logit model evidenced a significant effect of music on preferences. If elicited preferences depend on the context on which the survey is implemented, wrong information to decision makers is provided when the choice context is altered by an uncontrolled external stimulus. This result is particularly important for applied researchers and policy makers. First, the use of protocols and guidelines that instruct respondents about the ambient background when answering a questionnaire is highly recommended, particularly for online surveys. Second, specific genres of music should be used in educational and ecosystem services conservation campaigns and also piped in visitor centres and virtual tours to encourage nature conservation and improve visitors' sensitiveness for the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cabeço da Ladeira paleontological site in central Portugal became known as the "Jurassic Beach". Formerly an active quarry, the site was protected in order to preserve the large exposures of a Middle Jurassic (early? Bajocian) carbonate tidal flat with an outstanding fossil record. This multidisciplinary paleontological work involving experts from several national and international research and geoconservation institutions was carried out under the umbrella of the Institute for Nature Conservation (ICNF), since this geosite is located within the Serras de Aire e Candeeiros nature park. Cabeço da Ladeira has provided exquisitely preserved body fossils, especially echinoderms, together with the exceptional preservation of their, and other, animal's behaviors. It is also a hotspot to understand the diversity of bivalves in the Middle Jurassic. Due to the large area of the geosite, the international relevance of the findings, and the risk of weathering and destruction of the fossils, a geoconservation plan has been developed by ICNF with the support of local authorities. After several years of being open to visitors without proper control, the Cabeço da Ladeira paleontological site is now conditioned to organized groups of researchers, schools, and tourists. Some body fossils were collected for studies and included in the national collections of the Geological Museum (Lisbon). Moreover, casts have been made to protect holotypes of trace fossils, also providing ways to replicate this fossil record in temporary exhibitions. A long-term experimental study to conserve the limestone bedding plane exposures and their fossil contents was started in order to develop the best geoconservation strategy with an aim to reduce the damage produced by the increasing tourist demand on natural sites. Cabeço da Ladeira and other geosites in protected areas are key to communicating an evolutionary approach to environmental education, and their geoconservation must be a priority to improve their long-term use as (geo)tourism attractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface site of Yesilyuva Nature Park encompasses natural, social, economic, and cultural characteristics and has become a marker of the region’s natural and cultural heritage. To support the preservation of this site, promotional activities should be planned. In this study, because of tourism and related opinions of residents and visitors alike in terms of their natural determination, an important cultural and historical feature is aimed at evaluating the tourism potential of Yesilyuva Nature Park. This framework is designed to establish prospective tourism sustainability. As a result, Yesilyuva Nature Park’s natural and cultural properties have been determined to be suitable for sustainable tourism activities using geographic information systems (GIS). This protection in the field, which balances sustainability and landscape design, will provide for the development of tourism activities. In the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis and survey, residents and visitors reported that the most important feature of the Yesilyuva Nature Park was its natural beauty. Visitors often come to observe traditional and natural life and to engage in tourism activities. All the data, which includes maps derived from GIS, represents landscape planning for sustainable tourism areas in Yesilyuva Nature Park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]