Search Results (2,309)

Surface dust samples were collected from bus stops and parking lots in different functional areas of Binzhou City, Shandong Province, China. This study investigated the contamination characteristics, source apportionment, and potential ecological and health risks of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in these dust samples. Eight target PTEs, including As, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Mn, were quantitatively analyzed. The results revealed distinct concentration differences in these elements between bus stop dust and parking lot dust. Several PTEs exceeded the corresponding local soil background values, predominantly Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd and Cr. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Mn in bus stop dust were mainly sourced from traffic emissions, whereas As and Cd primarily originated from atmospheric deposition. For parking lot dust, Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, Cr, and Mn were predominantly attributed to traffic sources, while As and Ni were mainly derived from natural background sources. The geo-accumulation index (I_geo) demonstrated that As, Cr, Ni, and Mn had negligible environmental impact, Pb, Cu, and Cd induced slight pollution, and Zn resulted in moderate pollution. Except for Cd, the average individual potential ecological risk index ($E_r^i$) values for all elements were below 40, suggesting a low ecological risk. Cd posed a moderate ecological hazard, whereas the comprehensive ecological risk index ($E_r^i$) values of all analyzed elements were at an extremely low level. The hazard index (HI) values via different exposure pathways and for all PTEs in both bus stops and parking lots were lower than 1, indicating no significant non-carcinogenic health risk. The carcinogenic risk ranking of elements was Cr > Cd > Ni > As, and their carcinogenic risk values (CR) via inhalation exposure were below 1 × 10⁻⁶, indicating no carcinogenic risk. This study provides a scientific basis for the environmental quality control and risk management of surface dust in urban bus stops and parking lots. Full article

Extreme rainfall events intensify flood-related hazards in mountainous national parks and their surrounding communities, where complex terrain and coupled hazard processes create major challenges for spatial risk management. This study focuses on the Tangjiahe district of the Giant Panda National Park and develops an integrated framework for flood-related multi-hazard identification and zoning. The 100-year flood process was simulated using Hydrologic Engineering Center’s River Analysis System (HEC-RAS), runoff retention was assessed using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model, and slope stability risk zoning was conducted using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Based on multi-source spatial overlay, Integrated Flood-Related Multi-Hazard Risk Zoning was generated. Spatial statistical analyses, including Global Moran’s I, Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA), and Getis-Ord Gi*, supported the identification of clustered high-risk areas and hotspot zones. In parallel, Disaster Prevention and Control Zoning was established, classifying the study area into multiple management-oriented zones to support differentiated spatial governance and targeted management. The proposed framework provides a practical approach for integrating multi-hazard processes into spatial planning and disaster risk management in mountainous protected areas. Full article

Urban parks, as essential urban green infrastructure, contribute significantly to public health, psychological restoration, and socially sustainable urban living. However, existing research has primarily emphasized landscape aesthetics while paying comparatively limited attention to routine landscape maintenance as an important component of sustainable urban park governance. Drawing on Stress Recovery Theory (SRT), this study examines how landscape maintenance quality influences perceived well-being through perceived safety and restorative experience. Survey data were collected from 278 urban park users in Wangjianglou Park, Chengdu, China, and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that maintenance quality positively affects perceived well-being both directly and indirectly through perceived safety and restorative experience, which serve as significant mediators. Multi-group analysis further reveals demographic differences, with female users demonstrating stronger safety-related responses and older users exhibiting stronger restorative and perceived well-being benefits associated with maintenance conditions. The findings highlight the importance of routine park maintenance in supporting perceived safety, psychological restoration, inclusiveness, and the long-term usability of urban public spaces. The study advances understanding of how maintenance practices shape psychological restoration and urban perceived well-being while providing empirical support for sustainable urban green space management and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 11. Full article

Rapid urbanization has intensified transportation challenges in many metropolitan areas, increasing reliance on private vehicles and contributing to congestion and environmental concerns. Although transit-oriented development strategies aim to promote sustainable mobility by improving public transport accessibility, the behavioral mechanisms linking built environment characteristics to travel behavior remain insufficiently explored. This study examines the influence of transit accessibility (TA) and parking availability on mode choice preference and travel behavior. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted, and the data were analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling after validating the measurement constructs through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The results indicate that TA positively influences mode choice preferences, whereas parking availability negatively affects them. Furthermore, mode choice preferences significantly influence travel behavior, underscoring their mediating role between built environment factors and mobility outcomes. These findings provide empirical insights for urban planners seeking to promote sustainable transportation through enhanced TA and effective parking management strategies. Full article

Parking management has become an increasingly important challenge in rapidly growing urban areas, yet evidence from intermediate Latin American cities remains scarce. This study analyzes parking choice behavior across Ecuadorian cities using a national stated preference (SP) experiment validated through revealed preference (RP) data and estimated via discrete choice models. Data were collected between 1 April and 3 May 2026 from 2150 active drivers across 12 cities spanning the Coast, Highlands, and Amazon regions. Multinomial Logit (MNL) and Mixed Logit (MIXL) models were estimated to evaluate the effects of parking cost, walking distance, search time, security, and surveillance on parking decisions. Results showed that all three cost-related attributes significantly reduced parking utility, while security improvements increased the probability of selecting formal parking alternatives. The MIXL model outperformed MNL specifications (ΔAIC = 211.84), revealing significant unobserved heterogeneity in cost (SD = 0.45) and security preferences (SD = 0.29). Willingness-to-pay estimates reached USD 0.64 per 100 m reduction in walking distance and USD 0.69 per 10-min reduction in search time, with substantial inter-city variability. Despite low current adoption (18.4%), willingness to use digital reservation systems exceeded 75% across income groups. The findings underscore the need for locally calibrated, context-sensitive parking policies and support differentiated smart parking strategies in developing urban systems. Full article

Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) is a threatened reef-building species that plays a critical role in Caribbean coastal ecosystems. Efficient, large-scale monitoring of A. palmata is essential for evaluating restoration success, yet traditional in situ surveys remain costly and spatially constrained. In this study, we acquired high-resolution (1.8 cm) uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery of a coral reef within the United States Virgin Islands’ (USVI) St. Croix East End Marine Park (STXEEMP) and applied deep learning object detection to identify individual A. palmata colonies. We utilized two convolutional neural network architectures, FasterRCNN and MaskRCNN. FasterRCNN was used as an initial screening tool to identify the optimal imagery dataset from several candidates. After identifying the dataset, we used MaskRCNN with an iterative annotation refinement procedure in which initial model predictions were used to augment the training data and achieved an F1 score of 0.78. Detection accuracy was strongly influenced by colony size and apparent water depth, with markedly high accuracy for corals wider than 0.3 m (F1 = 0.87) and located in shallower waters (F1 = 0.81). Beyond detection, MaskRCNN’s polygon outputs enabled the measurement of the individual colony area and the generation of high-resolution coral density maps. These products complement broader-scale prediction and mapping approaches and provide fine-scale, management-relevant information. Although this study was conducted at a single reef site during one acquisition period, the results suggest that UAV-based deep learning workflows offer a promising approach for coral reef monitoring that could support restoration assessments and conservation decision-making, pending validation across additional sites, seasons, and environmental conditions. Full article

The oxidative potential (OP) of atmospheric particulate matter serves as an effective indicator for assessing the health risks posed by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Existing studies have mainly focused on conventional particulate matter including PM_2.5, whereas systematic investigations into the OP of road dust in coal–resource–based cities are still limited. Taking Huainan City, China as the study area, this paper explored the characteristics and influencing factors of OP in water–soluble fractions of road dust from different functional zones. The results indicated that the OP of water-soluble fractions in road dust from Huainan City was 0.162 ± 0.079 pmol/min/μg, with the value in the coal mining zone being significantly lower than that in the commercial and industrial zones. The average concentration of water–soluble organic carbon (WSOC) was 67.3 ± 59.4 mg/kg, with lower levels observed in the coal mining and power plant zones. WSOC was primarily dominated by fulvic acid–like (C1) and tryptophan–like (C2) components. C1 prevailed in coal mining, power plant, and other functional zones, whereas C2 was dominant in commercial, park and residential zones. Overall, the WSOC showed a mixed-source signature dominated by endogenous sources and characterized by a low degree of humification. The total concentration of water–soluble heavy metals in road dust was 43.46 mg/kg, dominated by Fe, Sr, Cu, Ba, and Mn, with relatively lower concentrations observed in the industrial and coal mining zones. The influencing factors of OP exhibited differentiation among functional zones: in industrial zones, it was regulated by As, Mn, TC (total carbon), WSOC and its fluorescent components, while in non-industrial zones, it was closely associated with Co, TC, and WSOC. These findings indicate that road dust toxicity and its key chemical drivers in coal mining and power plant zones of coal resource–based cities exhibit distinctive characteristics. This study provides a scientific basis for the precise management of road dust pollution and the prevention of associated health risks. Full article

Microplastic contamination is a growing environmental concern in coastal ecosystems, particularly on recreational beaches where human activities may influence plastic inputs. This study investigated microplastic abundance and particle characteristics across five recreational zones along Hatwanakorn Beach in the Gulf of Thailand, focusing on fine-scale variability within a spatially continuous beach system and across management regimes. Supratidal sediments were collected using a quadrat-based approach, and polymer types were identified using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Fibers were the predominant particle type, followed by fragments, and most particles were classified as large microplastics (1–5 mm). Significant spatial differences in abundance were observed among recreational zones (Kruskal–Wallis test, χ² = 13.37, p = 0.0096). At the management regime scale, a negative binomial generalized linear model also indicated significant differences (χ² = 30.58, p < 0.001), with higher abundance in the Hatwanakorn Forestry Research and Student Training Station (HWK Station) and Community regimes than in the National Park regime. These results indicate that microplastic distribution can be spatially heterogeneous even within a continuous recreational beach system, underscoring the importance of accounting for fine-scale spatial variability when assessing microplastic contamination in coastal environments. Full article

Heavy metal pollution poses a significant threat to industrial and agricultural ecosystems; however, thorough research on the coupled risks and migration mechanisms of heavy metals within soil-groundwater systems in arid-region industrial parks remains limited. This study systematically collected 312 surface soil samples and 239 groundwater samples from typical chemical industrial parks in Xinjiang, northwestern China. The pollution levels of six typical heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were quantitatively evaluated utilizing the Single Pollution Index (P_i), Nemerow Pollution Index (P_N), and Potential Ecological Risk Index (RI) for soil and the improved Heavy Metal Contamination Index (HCI) for groundwater. Additionally, GIS mapping and the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model were integrated to delineate spatial distributions and primary emission sources. The assessment results indicated overall moderate pollution risks for Cd, Cu, and Ni in the soil, and for Cd, Pb, Cr, and Ni in the groundwater. Notably, Cd emerged as the primary risk contributor across both media. The RI identified Cd as the element posing the highest soil toxicity risk (with a mean RI of 53.57), while the HCI revealed that specific industrial zones face severe contamination levels (HCI > 4500), predominantly driven by Cd and Pb. GIS analysis illustrated a distinct distance–decay diffusion pattern emanating from industrial point sources. Crucially, PMF source apportionment demonstrated divergent contamination pathways: surface soil heavy metals (e.g., Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn) were primarily governed by top-down local industrial emissions (52.5%), whereas groundwater contamination was largely dictated by regional groundwater flow carrying mixed agricultural and natural geogenic inputs (75%). Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis revealed a prevalent weak or negative correlation between heavy metal concentrations in the two media, suggesting a spatial “decoupling” of their contamination pathways. This phenomenon is likely driven by a dynamic “retention-leaching” mechanism within the arid vadose zone, where alkaline pH and high clay content act as a hydrochemical barrier impeding vertical migration. These findings underscore that soil and groundwater in arid industrial regions should be managed as distinct hydrochemical systems, providing a robust scientific basis for targeted remediation and the sustainable redevelopment of industrial brownfields. Full article

Megafires are a growing global phenomenon, with their frequency increasing in recent decades. In 2023, Europe’s largest recorded fire occurred in North-Eastern Greece, burning 94,250 hectares, including the Dadia–Lefkimi–Soufli National Park (DLS-NP). This protected area is of high ecological importance due to its rich biodiversity, hosting 18–20 breeding raptor species. The fire exhibited remarkable spatial heterogeneity, with some patches burning at low to moderate severity while others remained unburned, likely functioning as critical post-fire refugia. In this study, 15 environmental variables were analyzed using Maxent to model pre-fire potential nesting habitat suitability for eight tree-nesting species, including seven raptors and the Black Stork. The models were then used to examine the spatial overlap between historically suitable habitats and unburned, low-, and moderate-severity areas. The results suggest that these patches may represent important spatial remnants of potential nesting habitat for raptor communities after the fire, especially where historically suitable areas coincide with unburned or moderately burned forest structures. Accordingly, post-fire landscape management in Evros should prioritize the protection of unburned refugia and the cautious retention of partially burned forest structures, particularly in areas identified as historically suitable, while avoiding interventions that may unnecessarily simplify habitat structure. Effective management should combine species-specific protection of key habitat islands with landscape-scale strategies that preserve heterogeneity and support prey availability, within an adaptive framework guided by systematic monitoring over the next 3–5 years. Full article

Heritage Building Information Modelling (H-BIM) is increasingly used for the documentation, conservation and management of historical assets. However, the integration of geometric singularities, degradation phenomena and vulnerability-related information within H-BIM environments remains only partially addressed, as current workflows are often manual, fragmented and poorly connected to structured conservation assessment procedures. This paper introduces V-HBIM, a vulnerability-oriented Heritage BIM approach aimed at integrating geometric data, defect mapping and conservation parameters into a single digital model. A semi-automated scan-to-model workflow is proposed, combining point cloud processing, geometric modelling, mesh-based defect representation, BIM conversion, structural vulnerability calculations and automated information enrichment. The workflow uses CloudCompare, Rhinoceros 3D, Rhino.Inside.Revit, Autodesk Revit and Dynamo scripts to connect digital survey outputs with a structured database derived from the Italian Ministry of Culture Risk Map. The method is validated on the Roman Arch of San Damiano, in the Archeological Park of Carsulae, Italy. Results show that defects can be represented as queryable BIM entities and associated with severity, extent and urgency parameters. The proposed approach supports conservation planning, inspection updating and vulnerability-oriented management of cultural heritage assets. Full article

This study addresses maritime traffic risks in the Labuan Bajo–Komodo marine tourism corridor, a spatially constrained archipelagic environment characterized by mixed vessel traffic, intensive tourism activity, and high ecological sensitivity. An integrated decision-support framework was developed by combining the Analytic Network Process (ANP) with stakeholder-supported grid-based spatial risk analysis. Expert pairwise comparisons from eight respondents were used to evaluate eight interdependent criteria: Natural Conditions, Navigational Channel, Vessel Factors, Maritime Traffic Conditions, Port Control, Authority/Stakeholders, Tourism, and Environmental Impact. The ANP calculation was conducted using geometric mean group aggregation, consistency ratio assessment, and targeted follow-up clarification for matrices requiring refinement. The final ANP results show that Port Control received the highest priority weight (0.172), followed by Natural Conditions (0.148), Maritime Traffic Conditions (0.144), Environmental Impact (0.135), Vessel Factors (0.121), Navigational Channel (0.120), Authority/Stakeholders (0.104), and Tourism (0.0566). At the global subcriteria level, communication effectiveness, channel complexity, environmental compliance, local traffic density, and seasonal traffic variation emerged as the dominant contributors to risk. A stakeholder-supported partial spatial risk index (SRI) was then calculated for 21 grid cells using spatially mappable ANP criteria. The highest-risk cells were grids 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 14, while sensitivity analysis confirmed that grids 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 14 remained high risk across all tested spatial-weight scenarios. The findings indicate that maritime traffic risk in Komodo National Park is not driven by environmental exposure alone, but by the interaction of traffic control capacity, natural hazards, traffic concentration, environmental sensitivity, and institutional coordination. The proposed framework supports spatially informed traffic management, environmental compliance, and emergency preparedness planning in marine protected tourism corridors. Full article

Urban renewal increasingly adopts Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) to address environmental challenges and enhance social well-being. However, it remains unclear whether and to what extent NBSs contribute to cultural ecosystem services (CESs), which reflect people’s perceptions, values, and experiences of urban nature. This study develops an integrated framework combining text and image mining of social media data to evaluate the CES outcomes of NBS in regenerated urban districts in Chengdu, China. The comment data were analyzed for CES using Jieba word segmentation and dictionary matching, while images were categorized into NBS types by manual classification. By integrating these multimodal data, the framework effectively clarifies the relationship between NBSs and CESs from the perspective of public perception. Results indicate that recreation and leisure, inspiration, and spiritual values are the most prominent aspects of public perception, with linear green infrastructure and pocket parks being the most frequently identified NBS types. Correspondence analysis further reveals significant associations between specific NBS interventions and CES categories. By integrating textual and visual data, this study offers a practical and real-time approach for capturing public perceptions of CESs and provides actionable insights for the design and management of NBS-driven urban regeneration. Full article

With the development of ecotourism, national park recreation research has evolved from a marginal branch of tourism studies into a vibrant interdisciplinary field. Although scholarly attention has grown, a systematic, holistic overview of its global development trajectory and knowledge structure remains lacking. To address this gap, this study presents a bibliometric analysis of national park recreation research published from 1994 to 2024, based on the Web of Science Core Collection. Using CiteSpace for scientometric visualization, we examine the field’s evolutionary phases, collaboration networks, thematic distributions, and emerging trends. Our results show that national park recreation research has progressed through three distinct stages: initial emergence, steady development, and rapid growth. Collaboration among individual researchers and institutions remains generally limited. Dominant research themes include spatial planning and zoning, ecological conservation, stakeholder engagement, cultural ecosystem services, and tourists’ pro-environmental behaviors. Building on these findings, we synthesize a comprehensive knowledge structure of this field and outline key future research priorities. This overview enables researchers to quickly grasp the field’s global research panorama and identify targeted thematic directions. We call for greater attention to understudied areas, including visitor social psychology, community participation, digital technology applications, and adaptive management in future studies. Full article

This study evaluates publicness and spatial quality along the Çoruh Riverfront in the city center of Bayburt through the Project for Public Spaces (PPS) framework. The research is based on a literature review, interpretation of satellite imagery, on-site observation, production of visual documentation, and surveys conducted with a total of 210 participants, including 30 users in each of seven public spaces. The findings show that the presence of parks along the riverfront alone does not produce continuous and inclusive public life. In the composite PPS index, July 15 Martyrs Park showed the strongest profile (63.4%), whereas the surroundings of Kıyasi Şentürk Mosque showed the most vulnerable profile (44.1%). The mean values indicate that Access and Linkages are relatively strong (62.5%), whereas Comfort and Image constitute the weakest dimension (46.2%). This result suggests that although the Çoruh Riverfront is physically accessible, it has difficulty producing continuity in terms of staying, shade, orientation, maintenance, safety, and inclusive social programming. The study argues that, in small-scale Anatolian cities, riverfronts should be planned not as fragmented recreational areas but as accessible, socially inclusive, and ecologically sensitive blue-green public spines. Therefore, this study does not use PPS merely as a scoring tool. It uses it as a placemaking framework that makes it possible to read public continuity, place-led management, and social-ecological sustainability together on small-city riverfronts. The findings are interpreted as exploratory and diagnostic evidence for planning and design, rather than as inferential statistical proof of site-level differences or direct ecological performance. Full article