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Considering 'infrastructures as landscapes' and 'landscapes as infrastructures', this article uses an open framework to reconsider the distinctive water infrastructure of France's UNESCO-listed heritage Canal du Midi. More specifically, it profiles the Canal's Mediterranean outlet. Viewed through a landscape architectonic lens, we investigate the canal, drawing on the theory of landscape narrative and using the illustrative method. The article identifies three crucial narratives - infrastructural, natural & environmental and social & cultural - that help to examine the spatial values of the Canal and its relationship with its southern coastal landscape. The study shows how the Canal du Midi has been transformed and has influenced its surroundings, becoming an integral part of the coastal landscape. We identify and analyse how the Canal functions as an infrastructure composition and an environmentally and culturally significant feature. The landscape narrative framework offers the possibility of sharpening the interpretation of water infrastructures beyond conventional problem-solving approaches by providing a holistic view of the Canal and its water landscapes. This, in turn, offers inspiration for the region's future development, which presently prioritises the preservation of the Canal du Midi and the regeneration of the surrounding area as distinct projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dearq is the property of Universidad de los Andes 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 Revista CienciaUAT is the property of Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas 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.)

The Philippine teak forest (PTF) is a formation with the Endangered Tectona philippinensis Benth. & Hook. f., Lamiaceae - an endemic tree flora in the Batangas Province along the Verde Island Passage, Luzon Island, Philippines. In this study, we determine the general floristic composition of PTF. Vegetation analysis across coastal to inland continuum generated the data for general floristic richness, growth structure and diversity indices. A total of 128 species under 111 genera in 48 families was recorded with overall plant diversity of very low to moderate (Shannon-Wiener: 0.8675-2.681). Plant life based on morpho-species was composed of dominant trees (68 species), shrubs (5) and subshrubs (9), bush palm (1) and palm-like tree (1), lianas (7), epiphytic tree (1), semi-woody climbers (3), epiphytic and geophytic orchids (4), epiphytic and terrestrial ferns (5), annuals to erect succulent perennial herbs (9), herbaceous climbers and creepers (6), geophytic herbs and climber (1), low and tall grasses, including bamboo (5) and sedges (2). Such structural diversity is comprised of some of the unique botanical ensembles associated with endemic T. philippinensis in the coastal landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Études Inuit Studies is the property of Centre interuniversitaire d'etudes et de recherches autochtones (CIERA) 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.)

Context: Coastal landscapes evolve in response to sea-level rise (SLR) through a variety of geologic processes and ecological feedbacks. When the SLR rate surpasses the rate at which these processes build elevation and drive lateral migration, inundation is likely. Objectives: To examine the role of land cover diversity and composition in landscape response to SLR across the northeastern United States. Methods: Using an existing probabilistic framework, we quantify the probability of inundation, a measure of vulnerability, under different SLR scenarios on the coastal landscape. Resistant areas—wherein a dynamic response is anticipated—are defined as unlikely (p < 0.33) to inundate. Results are assessed regionally for different land cover types and at 26 sites representing varying levels of land cover diversity. Results: Modeling results suggest that by the 2050s, 44% of low-lying, habitable land in the region is unlikely to inundate, further declining to 36% by the 2080s. In addition to a decrease in SLR resistance with time, these results show an increasing uncertainty that the coastal landscape will continue to evolve in response to SLR as it has in the past. We also find that resistance to SLR is correlated with land cover composition, wherein sites containing land cover types adaptable to SLR impacts show greater potential to undergo biogeomorphic state shifts rather than inundating with time. Conclusions: Our findings support other studies that have highlighted the importance of ecological composition and diversity in stabilizing the physical landscape and suggest that flexible planning strategies, such as adaptive management, are particularly well suited for SLR preparation in diverse coastal settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape characters of a place are shaped by its natural geographic conditions and alterations from human activities. The sceneries found along a certain route can signify the image of a place and enhance tourist experience. This study addresses issues regarding the fragmentation and disconnection of landscape characters that have potentials to be planned and integrated, so that a practical approach can be used by relevant authorities to plan the tourism route and sustain the rural landscape characters. The aim of this paper is to delineate the coastal landscapes characters along the Pahang- Terengganu east coast route. The methods used for this research are content analysis from various literature reviews to derive at a conceptual framework, field observations and assessment of the landscape characters found along the Pahang-Terengganu east coast route, and describing the landscape characters from aspects of natural factors and cultural social factors. The findings of the study revealed that the coastal landscape characters for the Pahang-Terengganu stretch are highly influenced by human interactions with the natural resources that are native to the area. The dominant landscape characters that are visible along the routes are composed of natural and cultural settings such as vegetated areas, the seaside and traditional villages, as well as industrial and commercial areas. Future plans and developments need to integrate the natural and cultural landscape characters of the route, towards establishing the Pahang-Terengganu coastal route as one of the scenic tourism routes in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal scenery value was evaluated at 56 locations along the 244 km long coast of Alicante (western Mediterranean) according to the methodology of Ergin et al. Area 36(4):367-386, (2004) based on the evaluation of 26 physical and anthropogenic parameters. Selected areas covered remote (10), rural (9), village (15) and urban (22) bathing areas. The scenery Decision Value parameter (D), allowed to classify the investigated sites into 5 classes, from Class I (extremely attractive/natural sites) to Class V (very unattractive/urbanized sites): 2 sites belonged to Class I, 6 to Class II, 14 to Class III, 20 to Class IV and 14 to Class V. Litter presence was assessed at the same sites using the EA/NALG (2000) methodology, which allowed to classify each site in four grades: A: very good (40 sites); B: good (14); C: fair (1) and D: poor (1). In urban sites litter was composed by small items related to land-based sources and beach use while litter in natural sites was related to marine-based sources, essentially fishing. The sector analysis methodology highlighted as most sites (33 out of 56) showed contradictory characteristics for litter/scenic grades/beach awards presence. To improve scenic value, different actions have to be carried out according to the site typology. At many urban sites, actuations should be focused to the removing or reducing of beach utilities and unnecessary infrastructures. At rural and remote areas, is mandatory to carry out specific litter management plans to reduce litter presence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of coastal land cover in Estonia is intricate and exhibits considerable differences from site to site. The diverse geomorphology of the seashores is one of the key factors affecting the speed and magnitude of land cover changes. Likewise, the history of human inhabitance on the coast has also shaped the character of land cover. The Estonian coastal zone has experienced abrupt and radical changes in land ownership and its related land use during the last century. The main objectives of this paper are: 1) to give an overview of land use and the trends of development of land cover pattern along different parts of the Estonian coast; and 2) to analyze the relationships of natural and human processes and their cumulative impact on the evolution of coastal land cover pattern in Estonia. This study is based on results obtained during fieldwork in the study areas and on the analysis of large-scale (1:10,000) historical maps. In agriculturally dominant coastal areas, the traditional open landscape of fields and grassland at the beginning of the 20th century had been replaced by woodland and grasslands with shrubs by the start of the 21st century. Expansion of reed beds in areas of former seashore grasslands is another striking phenomenon. The structure of land cover on forested coasts has been fairly stable during the last 100 years. Areas of urban sprawl are characterised by dramatic changes in land cover structure. Rapidly increasing population and expanding settlements imposes on the ecological balance of the fragile dune forests in the coastal zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In various disciplines including landscape research, the term landscape is controversial and is also newly conceptualized and theorized. Over the course of the 20th century, approaches ranged from the classical modernist concept of landscape to the postmodern and more particularized landscape approach. The new, particularized concept of landscape rejects both the ontologically frame of cultural landscape and the classical notion of self-contained homogeneous spaces. This article examines current perspectives in landscape research by focusing upon the example of the coastal landscape of the Baltic Sea and North Sea, which deals with the Graswarder Peninsula (near Heiligenhafen, Germany) and the changing of sea dykes. Coastal landscape is here understood not as a description of idealized nature, but as an analysis of the sometimes very rapid changes due to economic and socio-cultural settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the history of a particular Latvian cultural landscape, located on the coast of the Baltic Sea. Known as an aizjomi landscape, it consists of small, humanly made tilths on the seashore. These features are both physical elements and repositories of historical and cultural meaning. In one sense, through hard labor humans created the aizjomi landscape, adjusting the morphological and dynamic elements of the landscape and continually maintaining them. These human efforts made agriculture possible in the dunes, and in so doing they fashioned a means for producing a livelihood and, indeed, for sustaining life. The aizjomi landscape became a materialization of the people's day-to-day life in the middle and late nineteenth century and can thus be considered a "taskscape," pulsating simultaneously with the rhythm of nature and historical events. I have analyzed empirical evidence from archival documents, reviewed ecological and historical studies, and conducted field research on specific farming practices that shaped the landscape that, in turn, shaped agricultural activities. Through a retrospective analysis I trace the development and decline of the aizjomi landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Demand for both primary residences and second homes in high-amenity areas has led to escalating property values and widespread development pressure in coastal New Zealand. We focus on a major development proposal at Ocean Beach, a greenfield coastal site in the Hawke’s Bay region, and seek to explain the opposition it has provoked. In so doing, we address three questions: first, what landscape values are articulated within the planning process; second, what is the anticipated impact of 1000 new dwellings on those values; and third, how does place attachment figure in the ensuing debates. We address these questions though a thematic analysis of data derived from official reports and proposals, planning submissions, and key informant interviews. We find Ocean Beach to be a place that offers a quintessential coastal experience, often linked to youthful memories. Additionally, the site is valued for its accessibility and wilderness qualities – perceptions heightened by awareness that areas of undeveloped coastline relatively close to population centres are increasingly scarce. We contend that such sites are doubly valuable: in a formal sense, as natural landscapes whose processes and forms receive regulatory protection; and in an informal sense, as sites that generate human meaning, including emotions such as nostalgia, freedom and belonging. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The impact of climate change on tourism has been examined in terms of changes in a destination''s climate; the impact of ancillary effects such as sea-level rise has been neglected. In this study the role that coastal and other landscape features have on the attractiveness of tourist destinations is examined using the hedonic price technique. The average price of accommodation in the coastal districts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany is explained using landscape and other characteristics of these districts. As parts of the coastline of Schleswig-Holstein are protected by dikes, adaptation measures as well as natural coastal features are represented in the dataset. The analysis shows that an increase in the length of dikes in a given district would result in a reduction in the average price of accommodation. An increase in the length of open coast results in an increase in the average price of accommodation. For two districts, the impact of sea-level rise is examined through a comparison of the costs of different coastal protection measures compared to the resulting changes in revenue from accommodation. The costs of dike construction along with the effect of reduced accommodation prices favour the use of beach nourishment to protect the coast. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Question: Coastal dune systems are characterized by a natural mosaic that promotes species diversity. This heterogeneity often represents a severe problem for traditional mapping or ground survey techniques. The work presented here proposes to apply a very detailed CORINE land cover map as baseline information for plant community sampling and analysis in a coastal dune landscape. Location: Molise coast, Central Italy. Method: We analysed through an error matrix the coherence between land cover classes and vegetation types identified through a field survey. The CORINE land cover map (scale 1 : 5000) of the Molise coast was used with the CORINE legend expanded to a fourth level of detail for natural and semi-natural areas. Vegetation data were collected following a random stratified sampling design using the CORINE land cover classes as strata. An error matrix was used to compare, on a category-by-category basis, the relationship between vegetation types (obtained by cluster analyses of sampling plots) and land cover classes of the same area. Results: The coincidence between both classification approaches is quite good. Only one land cover class shows a very weak agreement with its corresponding vegetation type; this result was interpreted as being related to human disturbance. Conclusions: Since it is based on a standard land cover classification, the proposal has a potential for application to most European coastal systems. This method could represent a first step in the environmental planning of coastal systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gulf of La Spezia (GLS) in Northwest Italy is a rocky embayment with low fluvial influence facing the Mediterranean Sea. Past landscape dynamics were investigated through a multi-proxy, facies-based analysis down to a core depth of 30 m. The integration of quantitative ostracod, foraminifera, and pollen analyses, supported by radiocarbon ages, proved to be a powerful tool to unravel the late Quaternary palaeoenvironmental evolution and its forcing factors. The complex interplay between relative sea-level (RSL), climatic changes, and geomorphological features of the embayment drove four main evolution phases. A barrier–lagoon system developed in response to the rising RSL of the Late Pleistocene (likely the Last Interglacial). The establishment of glacial conditions then promoted the development of an alluvial environment, with generalised erosion of the underlying succession and subsequent accumulation of fluvial strata. The Holocene transgression (dated ca. 9000 cal year BP) caused GLS inundation and the formation of a low-confined lagoon basin, which rapidly turned into a coastal bay from ca. 8000 cal year BP onwards. This latter environmental change occurred in response to the last Holocene stage of global sea-level acceleration, which submerged a morphological relief currently forming a drowned barrier-island complex in the embayment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments are increasingly adopting Blue Growth strategies as a means of promoting economic development. Although Blue Growth offers development opportunities, from a local perspective it is often concentrated in inaccessible sectors or has negative impacts on coastal communities and landscapes. We argue that to be of use to local communities, tourist experiences of coastal landscapes need to be understood from a community-led, rather than market-led, perspective. Tourist market segmentation can help reveal such experiences but has predominately been used in a narrow, econometric way by the tourism industry, market researchers and policymakers. These approaches often fail to capture the innate experiential nature of coastal tourism and often result in the production of coastal tourism that is unsympathetic to community landscape perspectives and values. To address this gap, this paper adopts an experiential tourist segmentation approach based on community experiences of coastal landscapes. Applied to data collected from a tourist survey on the west coast of Ireland, we identify five landscape experiences: well-being experiences ; conscientious travel experiences ; nature experiences ; coastal change experiences ; and cultural experiences. Based on these experiences, four alternative tourist segments were identified, with significant alignment to communities around sustainable, ethical and locally sensitised forms of tourism, as follows: Blue Health Seekers ; Nature Escapers ; Pristine Seekers ; and Heritage Explorers. The paper concludes by arguing that adopting more experiential and dialogical approaches to market segmentation will identify tourist and communities' perspectives in ways that are compatible and will reveal opportunities for more inclusive and locally accessible forms of Blue Growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

70 beaches in Wales, UK, were investigated with regard to the quality of beach scenery using video panoramas. Beaches were given a score from zero to 20 by a panel of 24 coastal managers (National Park and Heritage Coast Wardens, etc.) and 42 final year Degree or Master of Science students specializing in environmental sciences. Mean scores of coastal managers ranged from 16.1 (Broadhaven, S. Pembrokeshire; 80%) to 3.8 (Prestatyn, North Wales; 19 %), while scores of students ranged from 16.0 (Barafundle, S. Pembrokeshire: 80 %) to 6.1 (Trecco Bay, Portheawl; 31 %). Wave height, number of people present on the beach and position on the final videotape did not have significant effects on mean scores generated by either group. With both groups a strong preference was observed for undeveloped beaches over those where anthropogenic structures were prominent (p = 0.00), but beach commercialization level had an independent effect only on scores from the student group (p = 0.02). Cloud cover at time of filming had a significant effect (p = 0.00) on scoring, so a correction was applied for final score calculation and ranking. The findings contribute to management of coastal aesthetic resources by providing a quantitative evaluation scheme. It is proposed to use these scores for beach scenery/aesthetic quality in a novel, comprehensive beach rating system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]