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A study examined the objectives of outdoor education teachers and park staff involved in secondary school visits to Victoria (Australia) national parks. Interviews with teachers and park staff, observations, and document analysis indicate that outdoor education teachers needed training in socially critical environmental education, ecology, and land management. The educational merits of national parks versus local places are discussed. (Contains 35 references.) (TD)

Discusses how market failures can, in principle, be used to justify national parks. States the best rationale is based on existence or nonuse values instead of the recreational aspects. Shows more evidence (costs of providing and operating the parks and the magnitude of nonuse values) is needed before the case becomes compelling. (JEH)

Describes policies and basic concepts that may sustain environmental education in protected areas. Includes a summary of principles that may orient the development of environmental education programs, and areas of action that will help achieve the goals of protected areas. Discusses some educational experiences, their objectives, methods, results, and impacts. (Contains 19 references.) (Author/YDS)

Investigates the development of park visitors' knowledge, values, and beliefs during their visit to the Midway Geyser Basin. Draws on prior work in the areas of museum and informal education, and public understanding of science and cognitive psychology. Interprets the results in terms of park visitors' knowledge systems, how the experience stimulates personal understanding, and knowledge construction. (Contains 47 references.) (Author/YDS)

Explains the theory and educational utility of field-based instruction. Discusses an effective field-course structure, focusing on the planning process, pre- and post-trip meetings, and student activities and assignments. Describes a field course on resource management in national parks based at Oklahoma State University. (CMK)

Describes how the national park service interprets the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. (CCM)

Evaluations of visitors' reactions to interpretation in Australian national parks found that guided activities provided more immediate responses to visitors' questions on Aboriginal culture than on-site signs; a well-designed interpretive mural mitigated people's disappointment at visiting wetlands when no birds were present; and ranger-guided events indirectly influenced visitors' environmental knowledge and attitudes. (Contains 34 references.) (Author/SV)

Approximately 1,500 students in grades 4 through 6 attended two half-day interpretive programs at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore; one focused on ecological information, the other on environmental issues associated with the site. Each program significantly increased students' knowledge but had little impact on students' environmental attitudes or behaviors. Contains 49 references. (Author/SV)

Describes an art education program that connects children and youth to the historical and contemporary issues associated with Yellowstone National Park. Originally conceived as a one-year celebration, the project has grown into a juried exhibit showcasing student art and writing which responds to Yellowstone resource themes and issues. (MJP)

Describes one experience of teaching students advanced research methods by participating in the collection of oral histories and historical documents about the eviction of residents from Shenandoah National Park. Asserts that community college students are capable of doing serious research with the proper guidance and if they become engaged in a topic with local relevance. (VWC)

Considers women's history in the western United States using the historic places of the National Park system as its basis. The National Park Service has created three categories for historic sites: places that focus on women's history; places that include women's history; and places that surprise us with women's history. (MJP)

Examines the abilities of adult and youth naturalists to promote cognitive and affective changes in forest recreationists. Interpreters at campfire talks and trail hikes were successful in accomplishing stated objectives. Youth naturalists were as effective as adults on several, but not all, performance measures. Contains 21 references. (PVD)

A class of fourth-graders-turned-film-producers created an animated video about national parks. The experience helped students acquire academic skills and knowledge, use technology meaningfully, feel confident about themselves and their learning, value cooperation, understand the creative process, sustain a vision, and have fun in school. (MLH)

California boasts nine national parks that are home to a plethora of recreational, cultural, and professional opportunities. It is no surprise that national parks draw in millions of recreational and non-recreational trips from across the country and internationally, however how visitors choose to arrive at these federal lands is a major consideration for land management, policy, and infrastructure decisions. According to the National Park Service’s Visitor Use Statistics, an overwhelming majority of visitors arrive by automobile. Alternative transportation options to national parks in California may increase visitor diversity and encourage the modal shift away from car travel. Additionally, transportation infrastructure has the potential to take up more natural spaces in national parks as population growth and recreational popularity increases in the coming years. Roadway widening, repaving, and other disruptive events can have negative impacts on adjacent ecosystems and communities, as well as contribute to public health issues. In this report, the existing conditions of transit to national parks in California are examined in relation to census tract-level sociodemographic and origin-destination data to reveal the spatial distribution of visitor origins and gaps in national park accessibility. From an equity perspective, findings suggest that median household income is proportional to the network distance between a given trip origin and national park destination, and household vehicle access and race are strongly correlated with national park visitation. By examining the current transit network to national parks, select characteristics of park visitation, and demographics of these visitors, this research aims to reveal opportunities for expanded transit connectivity to California’s national parks. Recommendations are presented to provide guidance to decision makers in the realm of transportation access to recreational spaces.

Despite long‐standing recognition in collective memory scholarship that commemorative sites are places of deep cultural meaning, fieldwork evidence collected at the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, DC, suggests that visitors primarily engaged with mnemonic resources in a superficial fashion. This paper explores how interpretive park rangers, who are tasked with engaging the public to discuss the nation's history, nevertheless strived to deliver informational, interpretive services to the visiting public. Findings show that rangers, conceptualized in this paper as street‐level bureaucrats, developed roles and routine lines of action that hinged on how they imagined and constructed their audiences. This paper demonstrates how street‐level bureaucrats variably conceive of their clients at the pre‐interactional stage, thus identifying an underexplored dimension of discretion in frontline service work. Additionally, this paper contributes to collective memory research by contextualizing mnemonic deliberation within contexts of mnemonic agents' workplace dynamics, showing how organizational expectations shape discourses of difficult, contentious histories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homo sapiens burned wood for warmth and cooking for hundreds of thousands of years. The empiricism that dominates the Anthropocene, however, illuminates the harmful impact of wood smoke on human health. We leveraged the empirical case of campground visitors' exposure to anthropogenic particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) from wood burning at Prince William Forest Park, Virginia, USA to provide a window into the microspatial air quality indexes produced by discretionary campfires. Binary logistic regression illustrates the significant relationship between particulate matter and campfire usage, suggesting multiple potential responses for recreationists, land managers, and scholars. We then transition from "is" to "ought" questions about the ethics of discretionary exposure to particulate matter through wood burning for leisure, an exercise afforded by the epoch. Ultimately, this inquiry yields both practical implications for campfire management and contributes to the more esoteric, ongoing conversations about the connection between fire and our fundamental humanity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biological Invasions is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

This conceptual paper examines the Fred Harvey Company, a key entity that helped develop tourism at Southwestern national parks, in particular Grand Canyon National Park and Petrified Forest National Park. The article describes some of the influences of this organization on the image of tourism in the Southwest, from the thematic design of spaces to the commercializing of Native American cultural heritage. After examining these impacts, the contemporary state of interpretation in these national parks is highlighted. Drawing on not only the natural and cultural resources of the region, organizations such as the National Park Service or Xanterra Travel Collection employ the historical hospitality foundations of the sites to create a multi-layered image of the national park as well as connect to tourist identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although comprised of America's most iconic and varied ecosystems and landmarks, the boundaries of national parks have received little attention. This study uses boundary data from the National Park Service and other sources with compactness measures calculated using Geographic Information Systems. Using two common measures of compactness, the Polsby‐Popper and Reock methods, this study aims to answer several research questions: how are the type, location, and age of park units related to compactness, and how are changes in park boundaries related to changes in compactness? Compactness was found to vary between the types of national park units, as well as based on the location of parks within the country. Individual parks have become less compact over time. Due to the significance of national parks to ecosystem conservation, results of this study have crucial implications, providing some direction for future studies and federal regulation as well as overall conservation effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Defluoridation Technology Project was called upon to survey existing water resources by three different institutions lying in fluorotic Tanzania: 1) The Ngongongare Secondary School. 2) The St Constantine International School and 3) The Minjingu Church Project. In case 1), due to low affordability, an open dug well was proposed. In case 2) a defluoridation system was installed and could be used to estimate essential design parameters, as Operation Period (1 Year), Removal Efficiency (93 %) and Removal Capacity (3-4 mg/g of Bone Char). In case 3) the water was deadly toxic because of high fluoride concentrations, but, fortunately, unpalatable due to high contents of Alkalinity/Salinity. The salinity renders the defluoridation process useless. A system of combined rain water harvesting and defluoridation of brought water sources was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flooded forests are rare and highly dynamic ecosystems, yet they can store a significant amount of carbon because of their ability to produce biomass rapidly. Estimation and mapping of the carbon that is stored in flooded forests are challenging tasks through the use of optical remote sensing because these ecosystems are often located in moist regions where clouds can interfere with data acquisition and image interpretation. This study models the aboveground carbon (AGC) stocks of a flooded forest in Turkish Thrace with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data, which are less affected by weather and illumination conditions compared to optical imagery. Forest management plan data, including inventory records of 229 sample plots, a detailed forest cover map, and stand tables of the 2,119-ha Igneada Longoz Forest, were used to calculate AGC and to develop spatially explicit models based on ALOS/PALSAR-2 (Advanced Land Observing Satellite/Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar) and Landsat-8 images. The results indicated that the horizontally transmitted and horizontally received (HH) and cross-polarization ratio (CPR) bands of ALOS/PALSAR were the most influential variables in the linear and nonlinear regression models. The models did not include any variables from either radar- or optical-based vegetation indices. While the estimation accuracies of the two models were similar (root mean square percentage error ≈ 26%), the linear model yielded negative estimations in several land cover classes (e.g., dune, forest opening, degraded forest). AGC stock was estimated and mapped using the nonlinear model in these cases. The density map revealed that Igneada Longoz Forest stored 279,258.9 t AGC, with a mean and standard deviation of 124 ± 115.4 t C ha-1. AGC density varied significantly depending on stand types and management units across the forest, and carbon hotspots accumulated in the northern and southern sites of the study area, primarily composed of ash and alder seed stands. The models and maps that this study developed are expected to help in the rapid and cost-effective assessment of AGC stored in flooded forest ecosystems across the temperate climate zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The invasion of alien woody species may have broad ecological, economic, and health impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity under climate change. Previous studies showed that disrupting the biodiversity conservation mechanisms in protected areas can seriously threaten natural ecosystems and the protection of rare and endangered species in such protected areas. However, there is currently no standard for evaluating the invasion risk of woody plants under climate change when establishing national parks in China. Therefore, we used a species distribution model to evaluate the invasion risk of 250 invasive alien woody species in potential national park sites in Xinjiang under climate change. The results indicated that the probability of forest invasion in the potential Altai Kanas National Park was determined to be significantly higher than that of the average level in Xinjiang nature reserves, both under current and future climate conditions. At the same time, the probability of invasive woody species invading coniferous forests, broad‐leaved forests, and grassland ecosystems is higher in the Altai Kanas and Tianshan potential national parks. We found that Acer negundo, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Amorpha fruticose in potential parks in Xinjiang have higher invasion potential and thus require heightened vigilance to stop their spread. This study contributes to the monitoring and management of national parks and provides an actionable foundation for protecting ecosystem functions and minimizing the potential risk of invasive alien species under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research on intangible cultural heritage and the politics of contested sites of memory show that the emotional dimensions of historic places change over time and influence what visitors experience. These dimensions also influence interpretive strategies and historical narratives within sites that are public tourist destinations. In this regard, the Castillo de San Marcos in Saint Augustine, Florida posits significant challenges. As a national monument situated in a scenic, sea-side town, it is a symbol of Spanish Florida and part of the National Park Service (NPS). Conveyed as the place where 'America begins,' the lesser-known history is that, when operated under the United States military as Fort Marion (1825–1924), it was the site of three periods of Native American incarceration and the foundation of an educational system for forced assimilation. Within this context, this essay focuses on three questions: How does a governmental entity such as the NPS present complicated histories experienced at tourism sites? In what ways can the Castillo become a place that goes beyond Native American existence or disappearance to present complex narratives of survival and active resistance? And, to what extent can tourism sites become agents of change to confront settler colonialism through centering new voices? Through the concept of survivance and centering Indigenous perspectives and voices, national parks can broaden interpretations and create more complex narratives of history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies question whether ubiquitous connectivity via mobiles represents an enhancer and facilitator in nature-based tourism experiences or a potential destructor to disconnect from. We argue that extant research approaches cannot fully grasp the complexity of the connectivity-disconnection dilemma, specifically how tourists appropriate, reinterpret, reshape, and negotiate with meanings inscribed in mobiles and how such negotiations link to valuations of nature-based experiences. This research adopts an interpretivist approach and uses actor-network theory to investigate negotiations of connectivity and their experiential meanings through field interviews in Fulufjället National Park, Sweden. Results reveal translations of social connectivity, facilitation of information and orientation as thematic cores of tourists' embodiments of mobile connectivity. Results also show how the comprehensive tourismscape where such embodiments find meaning contributes to tourists' definitions of disconnection. Such definitions comprise human and non-human actors on site, off site, and cannot be exhausted by essentialist dualisms between being plugged and unplugged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study aims to investigate the potential for enhancing financial contributions to nature conservation and/or environment protection contributed by citizens and/or the private sector in Vietnam. Specifically, the study empirically examines the antecedents of the utilization patterns and financial contribution of city dwellers to public and national parks. We introduce and use a novel CBMM analytic method (Bayesian mindsponge mindspongeconomics combined with Culture Tower) to analyze the dataset of 535 Vietnamese urban residents surveyed in late 2020. Empirical results demonstrate that the more frequently individuals visit parks, the more likely they are to contribute financially to projects in parks as a whole. In addition, having trees in the house positively correlates with donations to national park conservation projects, while the intention to visit a national park in the next 12 months encourages urban residents to contribute to planting projects in public parks. These results suggest that improved environmental literacy and nature connectedness can help encourage citizens to act collectively to help alleviate the financial burden in dealing with environmental issues. We also found that the increased frequency of bushmeat consumption impedes people’s intention to support conservation projects, implying that the consumer culture of nature might be a hindrance in the efforts to engage the public. Based on the findings, this study offers not only the key solution to alleviate financial burdens for nature conservation but also paves the way to nurture and foster environmental culture associated with closer nature connectedness and improved consumption culture for a sustainable future in years to come.

Protected areas worldwide are strongholds for safeguarding biodiversity, natural habitats, ecosystem services and cultural values. Yet despite their importance, the effectiveness of protected area management varies greatly. Indonesia is a biodiversity hotspot, with 554 protected areas that cover 27 million ha across the archipelago. To assess and improve the management effectiveness of these protected areas, the Government of Indonesia applied an adapted version of the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) to assess 422 of the country's protected areas, of which 170 were repeatedly assessed in 2015, 2017 and 2019. We investigated the METT score changes across these protected areas and the factors explaining the varying scores. Over the study years, METT scores significantly improved (mean increase of 44.1%). National parks had the highest mean score, which was 13.4 points higher than other protected area types. After correcting for spatial autocorrelation using a generalized least-squares model, we found that METT score increase was positively influenced by year of assessment and having a well-resourced management authority, with no influence of protected area size or mean protected area budget allocation per ha. The assessments identified five main threats to protected areas: poaching, illegal logging, human settlements, tourism and non-timber cultivation. The widespread and repeated use of METT across the protected areas of Indonesia and the increasing METT scores indicate an overall improvement in management and professionalism. Building on the foundational work in our study, future studies should assess the association between METT scores and progress made towards achieving the conservation objectives of protected areas.

In this interview, we hear from influential Blackfoot Elder and Cultural Educator Ninna Piiksii, Dr. Michael Bruised Head. Mike reflects on the colonial naming of national parks and the need to return to Indigenous place-names, examining how we occupy a pivotal moment where park staff are more open to substantive Indigenous engagement and presence within parks, although more needs to be done. Drawing connections across topics that may initially seem discrete, Mike reflects on his experience as a survivor of the Canadian residential school system, colonial dispossession by parks and more broadly, and how Blackfoot restoration efforts--including the return of buffalo or iinnii--can offer paths for healing from these traumas and build a more just, Blackfoot-led future. Through this, Mike asks us to rethink the profound value and potential of conservation, pushing beyond Western understandings. He closes by asking the interviewers to reflect on what motivates them to support Tribal buffalo restoration, turning the tables on the interviewer and interviewee, and reinforcing the importance of connection and responsibility among non-Tribal research collaborators. We open with an introduction to Mike and then turn to hear his words. The interview format reflects a growing trend of expert-interviews-as-articles and Indigenous practices of oral knowledge transmission. We also link to an audio recording of the interview to allow readers to become listeners and hear Mike's words in full context. The conversation and format are offered in the spirit of opening more space for Indigenous--and particularly Blackfoot--voices, perspectives, and methodologies in conservation scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas globally serve as crucial sanctuaries for biodiversity, playing a pivotal role in conserving endangered species and maintaining ecological balance. In the United Kingdom (UK), 25% of land is currently designated as public protected areas and discussions are underway regarding the implementation of new protected areas, including the establishment of new National Parks in all four nations of the UK. Wild places have an important role to play in understanding and deciding where public protected areas should or could be. People form profound connections to wild places locally and nationally. We used two online surveys to gather information on the UK public's local and national favourite wild places, and the characteristics of those places which make them their top choice. Our analysis revealed that respondents preferred different wild places based on their survey group, with significant differences in the importance placed on characteristics like ‘Accessibility’, ‘Nature’ and ‘Scenery’ across local and national scales. Demographic factors, including age and settlement, had some impact, but the overall importance of characteristics like ‘Peace and Quiet’ and ‘Nature’ were consistently high across both surveys. Recognising the prevalence of favourite wild places outside of designated areas underscores the importance of engaging the different viewpoints of the public in conservation initiatives, and indicates that public support for conservation might extend beyond officially protected regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. National Parks encompass a variety of biophysical and historical resources important for national cultural heritage. Yet how these resources are socially constructed often depends on the beholder. Parks tend to be conceptualized according to their (fixed) geographic context, so our understanding of this system of systems is dominated by this geographic lens. To expose the systemic structure that exists beyond their geographic embedding, we analyze three representations of the National Park System using park–park similarity networks according to their cooccurrence in (1) about 423,000 news media articles; (2) about 11,000 research publications; and (3) about 60,000 species inhabiting parks. We quantify structural variation between network representations by leveraging similarity measures at different scales: park level (park–park correlations) and system level (network communities' consistency). Because parks are governed and experienced at multiple scales, cross-network comparison informs how management should account for the varying objectives and constraints that dominate at each scale. Our results identify an interesting paradox: Whereas park-level correlations depend strongly on the representative lens, the network communities are remarkably robust and consistent with the underlying geographic embedding. Our data-driven methodology is generalizable to other geographically embedded socioenvironmental systems and supports the holistic analysis of systems-level structure that might elude other approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of recreational involvement and environmental activism in forming pro-environmental behavior in tourists visiting national parks. The objective is to understand how tourists spend time with nature and their level of environmental contribution to their willingness to adopt pro-environmental behavior within the National Park. In addition, it aims to examine the mediating role of environmental satisfaction between tourists’ pro-environment behavior and their place attachment. Based on the theory of Place Attachment, which asserts that humans form feelings of association with specific locations, the authors intend to understand how tourist attachment to the national park affects their attitudes and actions related to the environment. Visiting a national park is a recreational involvement for tourists, allowing them to sense responsibility toward the environment. In addition, environmental activism is featured as an individual involvement to protect the environment. Three hundred and fourteen national park visitors in India participated in the current study. WarpPLS (7.0), a variance-based structural equation modeling (SEM), was used to test the research model. By revealing the factors impacting pro-environmental behavior in a national park in India, findings provide an understanding to the national parks authorities in designing interventions and education programs that promote recreation involvement and environmental activism to foster sustainable tourist behavior toward conservation and preservation of national parks in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basis of Russia's natural reserve fund consists of federal state reserves, national parks, and wildlife sanctuaries, the representativeness of which in relation to the diversity of natural complexes, including soils, is the main mechanism for protecting natural diversity. Using the method of geoinformation analysis, the areal and typological representation of the natural diversity of steppe soils in the system of specially protected natural areas (SPNAs) of the country was assessed based on vector maps: Pochvennaya karta Rossii (Soil Map of Russia) on a scale of 1 : 2 500 000 (a combined version of the Pochvennaya karta RSFSR (Soil Map of the RSFSR) and the Pochvennaya karta Kryma (Soil Map of Crimea) and the Karty pochvenno-ekologicheskogo raionirovaniya v Rossiiskoi Federatsii (Map of Soil-Ecological Zoning of the Russian Federation) on a scale of 1 : 8 000 000. The area occupied by steppe soils in Russia is 1 564 000 km2 (9.4% of the total soil area of the country), of which 7.4% are soils of steppes (including forest–steppes and true steppes) and 2.0% are soils of dry steppes and semideserts. In protected areas, steppe soils occupy 11 500 km2 and are found in 23 nature reserves, 14 national parks, and 13 wildlife sanctuaries. The current areal representativeness of protected steppe areas is very low: less than 0.5% for the group "Soils of the steppes" and about 2% for the group "Soils of dry steppes and semideserts. "Of the 55 steppe soils, units of the legend of the "Soil Map of Russia," 58% are represented in federal protected areas, while reserves, which account for a fifth of the total area of steppe protected areas, provide 81% of the typological representativeness. Currently, many natural steppe soils in Russia, including the most fertile ones, are not represented in protected areas. The most significant compact array of such soils in terms of area is located in Ciscaucasia. The largest area here is occupied by southern and ordinary mycelial–carbonate chernozems (World reference base for soil resources (2014) – Calcic Сhernozems (Pachic)), their area is about 98 000 km2 (7.9% of the soil area of the Russian steppes). There is a real threat of losing the last virgin examples of highly fertile soils typical of Ciscaucasia: southern and ordinary chernozems, dark chestnut, chestnut, light chestnut soils (WRB – Calcic Сhernozems (Pachic), Haplic Kastanozems, Calcic/Gypsic Kastanozems, Luvic Calcisols). Preservation of these soils in the virgin state, at least as samples for comparison with anthropogenically modified analogues, requires an inventory of all areas of their distribution and assignment of a protective status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National parks play a crucial role in protecting ecosystems and biodiversity while facing challenges in balancing nature conservation and economic development. However, because of the difficulty in the unified simulation of natural protection functions and regional socioeconomic development, there is a lack of integrated prediction research on the comprehensive development pathways of national parks and their surrounding areas. This study adopts the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) framework that links climate change research with socioeconomic development paths, taking China's first national park—Sanjiangyuan National Park—region as an example, to conduct research on the synergistic development path of regional socioeconomic development and national parks. The model design includes five typical paths to cover a wide range of socioeconomic development possibilities. These paths are based on different assumptions, including factors such as population growth, economic development, energy use, technological progress, and policy choices. By applying scenario planning methods, optimal development pathways are identified based on environmental, economic, and social priorities. The results show that GDP growth is fastest under the sustainable development and fossil fuel development pathways. By 2050, the population difference under different pathways will approach 100,000, and the GDP gap will be close to CNY 200 billion. This study provides valuable insights for the planning, decision-making, and management of Sanjiangyuan and similar national parks and their surrounding areas, contributing to the promotion of sustainable ecological and economic development of national parks and their regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the primary method of accessing the south side of the Alaska Range, aviation plays a critical role in providing visitor access to some of the most spectacular regions of Denali National Park and Preserve. In recent years, flightseeing and glacier-landing tourism in Denali has grown considerably, bringing with it several benefits, impacts, and challenges being felt both within the national park and in the gateway community of Talkeetna, Alaska. This paper seeks to integrate sustainable tourism planning, stakeholder perspectives, and national park management using Talkeetna and Denali as a case study. Specifically, this research uses qualitative methods to document stakeholder-identified impacts of the growth in aviation tourism and considers local perspectives of tourism planning and management challenges. Results indicate that the impacts of growth in aviation tourism are being felt both within and outside the boundaries of the national park, demonstrating the need to consider the broader context of the complex tourism system affected by growth in aviation in the region. Findings also reveal that local stakeholders perceive several administrative challenges affecting the ability of the National Park Service to effectively manage impacts of aviation tourism, offering important insight into regional-scale tourism administration and potential future park management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) possessed by indigenous communities offers a vital source of information regarding the status and threats faced by species. Anaphalis javanica (DC.) Sch.Bip. commonly known as Javanese edelweiss is a culturally significant species in Indonesia's mountainous regions, yet conservation efforts for it remain limited. We utilized TEK to assess the status and threats to the Javanese edelweiss in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, Indonesia. The research aims to assess the distribution, abundance, population trends, and threats faced by Javanese edelweiss using TEK. We interviewed 641 individuals from seven Tengger villages near the park to gather data on the distribution, status, and threats facing the Javanese edelweiss, contributing to conservation efforts. Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models and ordinal logistic regression. TEK regarding the Javanese edelweiss was extensive, as 96.3% of respondents recognized the plant. A majority (73.2%) had observed Javanese edelweiss in the wild, yet a significant portion (85%) perceived it as "very rare" or "rare." Furthermore, 50% of respondents reported a decline in its population. Variations in sighting frequency, perceived abundance, and population trends across different locations provide crucial insights for identifying priority areas and shaping community-based conservation strategies for Javanese edelweiss. This research underscores the importance of integrating TEK into conservation planning, emphasizing community involvement for effective and sustainable biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the complexities of national park management within China, this study investigated the evolutionary game between central and local governments in the context of Sanjiangyuan National Park, to explore strategic behavior and goal displacement issues. This research dissected the interplay and strategy evolution between governmental levels, considering the diverse interests, policy interpretations, and resource allocations that often lead to strategic misalignments. Employing an evolutionary game theory framework, we integrated a literature review and numerical simulations to delineate the dynamics of central–local governmental interactions. Our results underscore the pivotal role of strategic alignment in ensuring ecological conservation and socioeconomic development. The findings reveal that under certain conditions, characterized by minimization of rent-seeking behavior, cost-effective management, and risk mitigation, an evolutionarily stable strategy promoting optimal park management can emerge. This study concludes that a cooperative framework, underpinned by aligned incentives and strategic coherence between governmental levels, is critical for sustainable management of national parks. It contributes to understanding of governance models in national parks, offers insights into policy formulation and implementation within the ongoing environmental reform initiatives in China, reveals the behavioral strategies within national park management systems, and supports policy recommendations for enhancing governance quality and management efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas worldwide are strongholds for safeguarding biodiversity, natural habitats, ecosystem services and cultural values. Yet despite their importance, the effectiveness of protected area management varies greatly. Indonesia is a biodiversity hotspot, with 554 protected areas that cover 27 million ha across the archipelago. To assess and improve the management effectiveness of these protected areas, the Government of Indonesia applied an adapted version of the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) to assess 422 of the country's protected areas, of which 170 were repeatedly assessed in 2015, 2017 and 2019. We investigated the METT score changes across these protected areas and the factors explaining the varying scores. Over the study years, METT scores significantly improved (mean increase of 44.1%). National parks had the highest mean score, which was 13.4 points higher than other protected area types. After correcting for spatial autocorrelation using a generalized least-squares model, we found that METT score increase was positively influenced by year of assessment and having a well-resourced management authority, with no influence of protected area size or mean protected area budget allocation per ha. The assessments identified five main threats to protected areas: poaching, illegal logging, human settlements, tourism and non-timber cultivation. The widespread and repeated use of METT across the protected areas of Indonesia and the increasing METT scores indicate an overall improvement in management and professionalism. Building on the foundational work in our study, future studies should assess the association between METT scores and progress made towards achieving the conservation objectives of protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As colonial rule in the Congo neared its end, western conservationists grew concerned about the potential collapse of the national parks left behind by Belgium. However, despite half a decade of political turmoil following independence, the nature reserves in the central African country survived. The Second Republic under Mobutu then ushered in a new era for the parks. Lobbied by international conservationists, the autocrat authorized harsh repressive measures against 'intruders' and established four new national parks. This created or exacerbated conflicts that still breed violence today. Drawing on archival documents from leading conservation organizations, this article examines the evolution of the Congo's nature protection regime during the crucial 15 years following independence. Thus, it contributes to a growing body of studies critically assessing the role of nongovernmental organizations in shaping contemporary Africa. As I will demonstrate in this article, some international experts swiftly recognized decolonization as an opportunity. To promote authoritarian measures in the parks, they exploited nationalist sentiments and the Mobutu regime's quest for international recognition. Consequently, violence became further normalized as a means of conservation in the Congo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over a period of 10 years, 418 forested plots within the US National Capital Region parks were visited for morphological descriptions and to inventory carbon (C) stocks. Samples were collected from organic horizons, the loose leaf litter, and, using a hand auger, from each mineral horizon to a depth of 1 m. Soil C concentration was determined using high-temperature combustion, and organic carbon (OC) stocks were then calculated for each master horizon. Soil bulk density (Db) was determined using the core method for O and A horizons. For deeper mineral horizons, a strong linear relationship between NRCS SSURGO representative values and measured Db values averaged according to soil series (R2 = 0.75) was observed. Thus, the NRCS SSURGO representative Db values were used for mineral horizons below the A horizon. An average of 0.5 ± 0.0 kg C m−2 was contained in the loose leaf litter. For plots with O horizons, the organic layer contained 2.9 ± 0.3 kg C m−2. An average of 4.6 ± 0.2 kg C m−2 was stored in the A horizon, down to an average lower boundary of 18.8 cm. The mineral horizons below the A horizon averaged 8.5 kg C m−2. In these forested soil profiles, 52.8% of the TOC is found below the A horizon and 18.0% of the TOC is in the organic horizons. The predictive strength of the thickness of and SOC in the A horizon was also evaluated in terms of explaining and predicting TOC in the profile and in the subsoil. The thickness and SOC in the A horizon explained 54% of the variation in TOC stock; however, it was a poor predictor of OC stored in the subsoil (R2 = 0.04). This study demonstrates the importance of deeper sampling to encompass more of the rooting depth when investigating SOC stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (BTS-NP) in East Java, Indonesia showcases a breathtaking volcanic landscape and cultural allure, drawing hundreds of thousands of domestic and international visitors. Recreational activities involving human and animal trampling and motorized-vehicle traffic caused soil disturbance along their networks of paths, trails, or roads, potentially having a detrimental long-term effect on the tourism industry and environmental services provided by the national parks. However, the extent of the impact of these disturbances on soil properties remains unclear. This study assessed the impact of different disturbance intensities, consisting of undisturbed locations as a control (zone 1), low to medium-(zone 2), and high- (zone 3) disturbance intensities on five different BTS-NP tourism hotspots, including Entrance Wonokitri (EW), Whispering Sand (WS), Parking Temple (PT), Teletubbies Hill (TH), and Entrance Bromo Stairs (EB), on soil properties, including soil compaction represented by soil penetration resistance, and soil infiltration. This study revealed that the higher severity impact of recreational activities on soil compaction was parallel with higher disturbance intensity, particularly in EW and TH. In these particular locations, higher soil compaction is significantly linked to lower soil infiltration, thus needing extra attention and protection. Meanwhile, in WS, PT, and EB, soil infiltration was more controlled by the establishment of a cemented topsoil layer consisting of mixed sand, sulfur, and water. Better management strategies, such as the use of proper trails and road infrastructures, particularly on EW and TH, might be relevant to minimize the impact of recreational activities on these ecologically, economically, and culturally important areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the management of national parks, the principal–agent relationship is key to efficient and effective management. Based on multi-task principal–agent theory, this study examines the dual functions of central government incentives and guidance and the objectives of local National Park Administration offices in environmental conservation and reasonable resource utilization. First, this study constructs a multi-task principal–agent model for central and local governments within the national park management system and identifies effective contractual mechanisms. Second, this study examines the relationship between the intensity of central government incentives and the ecological conservation atmosphere coefficient. Third, by integrating the three stages of national park management system advancement, this study explores the central government's incentive strategies at different stages. The findings indicate that local governments receive limited ecological conservation support, underscoring the need for long-term central government incentives. The findings also confirm that the effective management of national parks by local governments can only be achieved by eliminating external uncertainties, reducing the variable costs of innovative advancements, and controlling risk aversion in local National Park Administration processes. In addition, this study includes empirical data for sensitivity analyses to understand the robustness of the model under different scenarios. This study offers valuable insights and practical suggestions for enhancing national park management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking Mount Wuyi National Park as an example, this paper uses the Willingness to Pay (WTP) and Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) methods, combined with quantitative analysis methods such as linear correlation analysis and binary logit regression analysis, to explore tourists' willingness to pay for Mount Wuyi Park and its influencing factors. Research results show that tourists' overall willingness to pay is concentrated in the range of 61 to 150 yuan, and Maxdiff model shows that tourists' willingness to pay is 77.04 yuan. The willingness to pay of tourists is positively correlated with their satisfaction and daily average consumption in scenic areas. The higher the overall satisfaction of tourists, the higher their willingness to pay. The impact of factors such as daily expenses, number of tourists, and infrastructure of scenic spots on willingness to pay is more significant. Respondents with higher daily expenses are more affected by the number of tourists and the quality of scenic spot services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing protected areas has been a longstanding strategy to conserve forests. Net Primary Productivity (NPP) offers a reflection of ecosystem quality and vegetation vitality compared to traditional spatial indicators, making it a valuable metric for evaluating conservation outcomes in protected areas. Additionally, there is a lack of knowledge about the concurrent influence of in situ conservation and pertinent policies on forest conservation. Through Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and the Difference-in-Difference (DID) model, we evaluated the conservation outcomes of NPP within protected areas and identified different policies’ impacts. Wuyi Mountain in China, known for its rich forest resources, was selected as the study area. The results revealed: (1) NPP within all protected areas fluctuated within a stable range from 1985 to 2021, with some exhibiting a significant upward trend; (2) A total of 62.5 % of protected areas demonstrated a positive effect on forest NPP. There is a 72 % effective conservation rate for nature reserves, one type of protected area in China, making them the most effectively protected in Wuyi Mountain; (3) In 50 % of the cases, the policies resulted in positive outcomes. The impact of policies on forest NPP varies across different types of protected areas; (4) Only 16.67 % of policy scenarios demonstrated a concurrent positive effect from both protected areas and conservation policies. By analyzing the impact of protected area establishment and conservation policy implementation on NPP, our research can offer valuable insights for policymakers aiming to enhance forest conservation in mountain areas.

ABSTRACT The invasion of alien woody species may have broad ecological, economic, and health impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity under climate change. Previous studies showed that disrupting the biodiversity conservation mechanisms in protected areas can seriously threaten natural ecosystems and the protection of rare and endangered species in such protected areas. However, there is currently no standard for evaluating the invasion risk of woody plants under climate change when establishing national parks in China. Therefore, we used a species distribution model to evaluate the invasion risk of 250 invasive alien woody species in potential national park sites in Xinjiang under climate change. The results indicated that the probability of forest invasion in the potential Altai Kanas National Park was determined to be significantly higher than that of the average level in Xinjiang nature reserves, both under current and future climate conditions. At the same time, the probability of invasive woody species invading coniferous forests, broad‐leaved forests, and grassland ecosystems is higher in the Altai Kanas and Tianshan potential national parks. We found that Acer negundo, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Amorpha fruticose in potential parks in Xinjiang have higher invasion potential and thus require heightened vigilance to stop their spread. This study contributes to the monitoring and management of national parks and provides an actionable foundation for protecting ecosystem functions and minimizing the potential risk of invasive alien species under climate change.

The ecologically valuable and unique natural and cultural landscapes of protected areas are popular nature tourism destinations. From a spatial perspective, travellers visit protected areas by moving from their place of origin to the destination for a temporary stay. This paper analyses the travel distances of day visitors and overnight guests to German national parks and biosphere reserves. National parks position themselves as both regional and national destinations. In contrast, biosphere reserve tourism is more regionally concentrated due to the proximity of biosphere reserves to urban centres, which are the primary places of origin for visitors. On average, visitors travel 278.6 km by car to visit a national park, taking 172.1 minutes (02:52 hours). Opting for public transport increases the average travel distance to 312.5 km, with a travel time of 284.5 minutes (04:43 hours). Visitors to German biosphere reserves travel 208.7 km by car, requiring 134.7 minutes (02:15 hours). When using public transport to visit biosphere reserves, the average distance increases to 234.0 km, with a travel time of 239.1 minutes (03:59 hours). The automated, GIS-supported distance analyses offer an innovative approach for assessing nature tourism catchment areas and the accessibility of protected areas, serving as a basis for effective spatial planning, development, and regional marketing.

As part of its 2050 net zero emission commitment, Canada has a mandate to transition to electric vehicles (EVs) to decarbonize transportation. While the EV charging infrastructure is expanding in urban areas, the infrastructure for inter-city and nature-based tourism has not been assessed. This study combined four metrics of feasibility and convenience into an EV readiness index to evaluate 94 road trip itineraries associated with Canada’s iconic national parks. Index scores ranged from not possible (0) to equal to the travel experience of internal combustion vehicle (20). With the summer range, the average one-day route score was 19.2, as 82% of one-day itineraries could be completed without requiring additional charging. Multi-day routes scored lower (14.0), with 24% being highly inconvenient or impossible due to gaps between charging stations. With a reduced winter EV range, average index scores for one- and multi-day trips declined as charging needs increased (18.4 and 13.2, respectively). Across the 94 travel routes, EVs were estimated to produce only 17% of the carbon dioxide emissions of internal combustion vehicles (this was much lower in some provinces). The findings also highlight key regional differences in tourism EV readiness and where infrastructure is needed to provide equitable access to Canada’s national parks for tourists seeking to decarbonize their holiday travel.