Land Use and Environmental Impacts in Protected Areas: Assessment, Monitoring and Management for Future Sustainability

A special issue of Environments (ISSN 2076-3298).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2019) | Viewed by 12977

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-712 Poznań, Poland
Interests: GIS assessment and modelling of recreational trails; protected areas; ecosystem services; low-altitude remote sensing; mapping and monitoring of proglacial areas; Svalbard

Special Issue Information

The environmental impact of land use is evident from various human activities, such as outdoor recreation. These activities are observed not only in ordinary areas but also in protected areas. Land use and land cover are always changing in protected areas, and therefore their environmental impacts are highly dynamic there. The roles of protected areas are not uniform and management practices in protected areas are often amended by outside pressures. This Special Issue invites a wide range of natural and social science papers on land use and land cover changes, and the resultant environmental impacts occurring in protected areas. It seeks papers addressing the state-of-the-art in methodologies of assessment and monitoring of environmental impacts, such as the use of drone, laser scanning, and remote sensing with ultra-high resolution; papers developing new management frameworks such as partnerships between urban and rural, between non-residents and residents, and between locals and scientists; papers addressing land governance of protected areas; and papers discussing new roles of protected areas with regard to future sustainability.

This Special Issue will select works from GLP 2018 Asia Conference. Each submission to this Special Issue should contain at least 50% new material, e.g., in the form of technical extensions, more in-depth evaluations, or additional use cases. These extended submissions will undergo a peer-review process according to the journal’s rules of action. At least two technical committees will act as reviewers for each extended article submitted to this Special Issue; if needed, additional external reviewers will be invited to guarantee a high-quality reviewing process. Participants in this conference will receive a 20% discount on the Article Processing Charges.

Prof. Dr. Teiji Watanabe
Dr. Aleksandra Tomoczyk
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • national parks, world heritage sites, geoparks
  • land use drivers and impacts
  • land management system and framework
  • land governance
  • conservation and sustainability
  • recreational use
  • land use and conflict
  • people-protected areas

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 422 KiB  
Article
The Mutual Relationship between Protected Areas and Their Local Residents: The Case of Qinling Zhongnanshan UNESCO Global Geopark, China
by Liang Chang and Teiji Watanabe
Environments 2019, 6(5), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments6050049 - 1 May 2019
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5049
Abstract
The relationship between humans and protected areas may contribute to the success of conservation efforts. The Qinling Mountains are significant to China and the rest of the world, and the Qinling Zhongnanshan UNESCO Global Geopark comprises eight distinct scenic spots with residential communities. [...] Read more.
The relationship between humans and protected areas may contribute to the success of conservation efforts. The Qinling Mountains are significant to China and the rest of the world, and the Qinling Zhongnanshan UNESCO Global Geopark comprises eight distinct scenic spots with residential communities. This study investigated the Geopark’s relationship between humans and protected areas by examining local residents’ incomes and land ownership characteristics. Data were derived from a questionnaire survey of 164 residents living in or near four of the eight scenic spots. Their individual and household incomes, requisitioned farmland losses and compensations, employment, and participation were analyzed. Most respondents were aged 30–70 years, and 90.9% were locally born and raised in the region. They tended to be self-employed in food catering or accommodation services within the Geopark or near its entrance. Reliance on the Geopark for their livelihoods was significant, because they worked full-time and earned a major share of their household incomes from Geopark-related employment. Fifty respondents reported that their farmland was requisitioned during the Geopark’s establishment. However, not all of them were financially compensated, and compensation was not equally distributed among those who received it. Reforming the complex top-down administrative system and developing an effective profit-sharing scheme for local residents are suggested measures for enhancing public satisfaction and knowledge about the Geopark, both factors that were low among the respondents. Increasing the local residents’ participation in Geopark activities is an important way to avoid conflict; increasing the number of job opportunities for local residents is proposed to achieve this goal. Full article
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19 pages, 10787 KiB  
Article
Impact of Recreational Activities on an Unmanaged Alpine Campsite: The Case of Kuro-Dake Campsite, Daisetsuzan National Park, Japan
by Ting Wang and Teiji Watanabe
Environments 2019, 6(3), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments6030034 - 15 Mar 2019
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 7071
Abstract
The Kuro-dake Campsite in Daisetsuzan National Park is situated in a fragile alpine setting. Since it opened in 1992, it has not been under formal management. With camping increasingly affecting the Kuro-dake Campsite, this study aims to gain deeper insights into the soil [...] Read more.
The Kuro-dake Campsite in Daisetsuzan National Park is situated in a fragile alpine setting. Since it opened in 1992, it has not been under formal management. With camping increasingly affecting the Kuro-dake Campsite, this study aims to gain deeper insights into the soil erosion and overcrowding at the campsite and to suggest a corresponding strategy for future management. A detailed topographic map was created using pole photogrammetry to understand the ground surface condition of the campsite in 2017. Aerial photographs taken in 2012 and 2017 were used to understand the long-term changes in the ground surface. Furthermore, questionnaire surveys with campers, interview surveys with organizations related to the park management and secondary data collection were conducted. Two gullies were identified on the topographic map of the campsite. From 2012 to 2017, the campsite size increased by 48 m2. The daily-use level on busy days is nearly seven times the mean daily-use level for the year. Some campers illegally pitch tents on nearby trails on such busy days. The questionnaire surveys in 2017 and 2018 (n = 346) show that most respondents oppose a future closure of the campsite and two-thirds oppose a use limit. The 2018 survey (n = 210) shows that 71% of respondents were not aware of the reservation system in national parks elsewhere; however, 76% agreed to a reservation system to secure their tent space. Introducing formal management oversight, along with a reservation system, is urgently needed. Full article
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