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Environmental Impact and Nature Conservation

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2021) | Viewed by 22547

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Dr. Ronda J. Green

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Guest Editor

Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Parklands Drive, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
Interests: wildlife tourism; animal-plant interactions; wildlife ecology and behaviour; biodiversity conservation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainability will be publishing a special issue on Environmental Impact and Nature Conservation, for which I am guest editor.
I’m hence calling for both research and review papers from around the world on the following and related topics:

effects of habitat clearing, fragmentation and modification on native fauna and flora
effects of tourism and other human activities on wildlife and ecosystems
impacts of feral species on native species
effects of changes in light and sound (e.g. in suburban, industrial or tourism areas) on foraging and other behaviour of native wildlife
effectiveness or otherwise of mitigation attempts – e.g. habitat restoration, wildlife corridors, captive breeding and rehabilitation into the wild, public education, feral animal control, biodiversity conservation on agricultural properties, carbon offsets
actual and potential effects of climate change on native fauna and flora
other relevant topics

Dr. Ronda J. Green
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

biodiversity conservation；
habitat loss；
environmental impacts

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1737 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interpretation in Ásbyrgi: Communicating with National Park Visitors in Iceland

by Georgette Leah Burns, Laufey Haraldsdóttir and Guðrún Þóra Gunnarsdóttir

Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12592; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212592 - 15 Nov 2021

Viewed by 1740

Abstract

Iceland has experienced rapid increases in tourism in recent years. This growth earns economic applause, but can come at considerable environmental cost. As Iceland’s unique environment is a drawcard for many tourists, careful management of destinations to ensure a sustainable environment is critical. The Icelandic Government is aware of the need for effective destination management and planning to ensure a sustainable future for tourism development, and the need to couple this with visitor compliance. It is a development that cannot be divorced from the need for environmental sustainability, and responsibility for this lies with all tourism stakeholders. One management tool to assist with such responsibility and compliance in tourism is interpretation: creating and delivering messages to visitors that enhance not only their satisfaction with an experience but also their understanding of it. This paper is based on an evaluation of visitors’ experiences and managers’ perceptions, as is necessary to ensure visitor satisfaction, while determining how best to maintain a sustainable environment. By observing and interviewing visitors, guides, rangers, and managers at Ásbyrgi in the northernmost part of Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland, we were able to discover what sort of information park visitors want to receive, what park managers want to convey, and the preferred way to deliver that information. Overall, most visitors and guides were satisfied with the interpretation in Ásbyrgi and preferred information provided verbally by guides or rangers over other types, such as on signs or in electronic format. Visitors want information about the unique geology and cultural history, as well as directional instructions for hiking trails. Managers want to create an accessible space in which visitors comply with instructions about safety and environmental sustainability. These findings can assist tourism management in Ásbyrgi, and other nature-based destinations, particularly in terms of sustainability of the natural environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Impact and Nature Conservation)

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23 pages, 3937 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Generating Multifunctional Landscape through Reforestation with Native Trees in the Tropical Region: A Case Study of Gunung Dahu Research Forest, Bogor, Indonesia

by Henti Hendalastuti Rachmat, Kirsfianti Linda Ginoga, Yunita Lisnawati, Asep Hidayat, Rinaldi Imanuddin, Rizki Ary Fambayun, Kusumadewi Sri Yulita and Arida Susilowati

Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 11950; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111950 - 28 Oct 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2375

Abstract

Gunung Dahu Research Forest (GDRF) is a 250 ha tropical degraded land reforested by native dipterocarps species. The reforestation success was valued by evaluating the planted trees’ growth performance, their potential timber stock, natural regeneration capacity, soil improvement, biological interdependence, and environmental services. This scientific report used a combination of literature review and also primary data processing to describe the reforestation success within the area. A hilly species of Shorea platyclados showed the best growth performance with its average diameter and height of 43 cm and 23 m, respectively, with its mean diameter annual increment of 2.1 cm/year and the predicted standing stock at 220 m³/ha. Six Shorea species were identified to show their natural regeneration capacity and the occurrence of ectomycorrhizal fruiting bodies, predominantly by the genus Rusula, determined the establishment of biological interdependency at the site. Reforestation improved soil organic matters as revealed by high soil porosity (51.06–52.32%) and infiltration rate (120–155.33 mm/h). The reforested landscape also ensures a continuous water supply and provides an economic benefit for the community. Thus, planting native trees for reforesting degraded tropical landscapes is prospective and may deliver multiple benefits in an ecological and economic view. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Impact and Nature Conservation)

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19 pages, 711 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Nexus between Tourism Activities and Environmental Degradation: Romanian Tourists’ Opinions

by Mirela Ștefănică, Christiana Brigitte Sandu, Gina Ionela Butnaru and Alina-Petronela Haller

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9210; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169210 - 17 Aug 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3056

Abstract

This paper aims to analyse the nexus between tourism activities, including tourists’ circulation, accommodation or entertainment, and environmental degradation. Consequently, the conceptual framework captures the complexity of the nexus between tourism and the environment, given that tourism activities can be performed by tourists or for tourists and that tourism depends on the environmental quality, and, consequently, we highlight the impact of tourism activities on biodiversity loss through the pollution effects that they generate, i.e., air pollution, water pollution, or noise pollution, as well as their contribution to waste increase or to the depletion of natural resources. To achieve this goal, we apply structural equation modelling based on partial least squares analysis (PLS). The results based on tourists’ opinions highlight the existence of a direct and significant nexus between tourists’ activities and environmental degradation, with many implications and consequences. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Impact and Nature Conservation)

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11 pages, 1087 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Source Identification of Cd and Pb in Typical Farmland Topsoil in the Southwest of China: A Case Study

by Junji Zhang, Zeming Shi, Shijun Ni, Xinyu Wang, Chao Liao and Fei Wei

Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3729; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073729 - 26 Mar 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2088

Abstract

Cd and Pb in farmland topsoil are controlled by many factors. To identify the source of potential toxic metals in the farmland topsoil around Mianyuan River, the chemical analysis and multivariate statistical analysis are performed in this study. The results indicate the following: (1) The concentration of Cd and Pb in soil exceed the background value of Chinese soil elements. (2) Cd is significantly enriched in the whole region and Pb is locally enriched, both of them are more or less influenced by human activities. (3) The contents of Cd and Pb increase significantly following the flow direction of river. (4)

P b

isotope analysis indicates that the main source of Pb in the soil include the air dust, coal and phosphate plant, and the contribution of them decreases successively. (5) Linear correlation analysis and principal component analysis show that the main sources of Cd in the soil are mining phosphate rock, air dust, phosphate plant and coal mining. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Impact and Nature Conservation)

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16 pages, 1950 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Unsustainable Use of Sand: Reporting on a Global Problem

by Walter Leal Filho, Julian Hunt, Alexandros Lingos, Johannes Platje, Lara Werncke Vieira, Markus Will and Marius Dan Gavriletea

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3356; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063356 - 18 Mar 2021

Cited by 51 | Viewed by 12298

Abstract

Sand is considered one of the most consumed natural resource, being essential to many industries, including building construction, electronics, plastics, and water filtration. This paper assesses the environmental impact of sand extraction and the problems associated with its illegal exploitation. The analysis indicates that extracting sand at a greater rate than that at which it is naturally replenished has adverse consequences for fauna and flora. Further, illicit mining activities compound environmental damages and result in conflict, the loss of taxes/royalties, illegal work, and losses in the tourism industry. As sea-level rise associated with climate change threatens coastal areas, sand in coastal areas will play an increasingly greater role in determining the amount of damage from floods and erosion. The present analysis points to the need for swift action to regulate sand mining, monitoring, law enforcement, and international cooperation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Impact and Nature Conservation)

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