Search Results (65)

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is cardinal to natural resource management, and its resilience in protected areas (PAs) depends on its continued practice. The changing socio-ecological landscape has given rise to new PAs that emphasise community participation, like Simalaha Community Conservancy (SCC), versus state-owned, like Liuwa Plain National Park (LPNP). Resilience was assessed by comparing TEK awareness, utilisation, and perceived effectiveness between LPNP and SCC. Three categories of TEK (rules and regulations; myths and taboos; and customs and rituals) were analysed using a blended analytical framework drawing on the knowledge–practice–belief complex and a social–ecological systems perspective. A structured questionnaire was administered to 427 respondents, and data were analysed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. TEK awareness was high, but significantly higher in LPNP than in SCC. Age and length of residence were strongly associated with knowledge, confirming older and long-term residents as key knowledge-holders. Rules and regulations were widely recognised and utilised, while customs and rituals, and myths and taboos, were variable. LPNP showed higher utilisation and perceived effectiveness of TEK, particularly among younger cohorts. These findings highlight the influence of conservation governance and intergenerational knowledge transmission on TEK resilience, underscoring the need to strengthen its integration in emerging PAs. Full article

Managers of protected areas (PAs) face growing challenges to conserve biodiversity while responding to multiple land uses such as recreation, tourism, and resource extraction. These pressures are intensified by the impacts of climate change on ecosystems. This highlights the need for planning approaches that support decision-making in the short, medium, and long term. This article profiles Wells Gray Provincial Park as a case study to demonstrate how an ecosystem-based planning approach can be incorporated into PAs planning. Wells Gray is situated in a unique ecosystem in the interior of British Columbia (Canada). We present an innovative model that integrates land cover types, ecosystem mapping, and Biogeoclimatic (BGC) zones derived from the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) system using GIS tools to identify ecosystems and their associated services as Critical Decision Factors (CDFs). By explicitly linking ecosystems, land cover, and spatial patterns, this approach supports the systemic inclusion of ecosystems in management decisions. To account for future uncertainty, BGC zones were projected under climate change scenarios to inform interpretations of potential ecosystem impacts. The results indicate that this integrated analysis can initiate strategic thinking and facilitate dialogue to collaboratively plan with stakeholders. This approach can improve ecosystem-based planning processes in PAs across Canada. Full article

The application of plant protection products (PPPs) at variable rates has gained prominence as a key strategy in precision agriculture (PA), promoting the rational use of inputs (water, fertilizers, pesticides) while improving crop yields and mitigating the environmental impacts (e.g., drift, evaporation, run-off). Despite the rapid growth of variable-rate application (VRA) systems, large-scale adoption remains fragmented, with strong emphasis on technological development and limited integration of economic, operational, and environmental assessment. To critically assess how research on VRA of PPPs has evolved and where significant knowledge gaps persist, this study conducted a bibliometric and scientometric analysis of the relevant literature aimed at mapping the scientific evolution, identifying trends and analyzing the gaps that limit the consolidation of the VRA domain. By identifying these imbalances, this study provides a critical reference framework to drive future research toward more robust, comparable, and globally relevant VRA solutions in PPP applications. Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases were used, encompassing English-language scientific articles published between 2005 and 2025. The search strategy combined two sets of terms related to PPP application and variable-rate systems. The VOSviewer software was utilized for quantitative analysis. The bibliometric analysis assessed the temporal and geographical distribution of publications and identified the most productive authors, while the scientometric analysis visualized keyword co-occurrence networks and citation patterns among authors and countries. The results indicated that research activity culminated in a significant peak during the 2020–2024 period, with an upward trajectory for partial data of 2025. The United States and China emerged as leading contributors to scientific output. The most frequent keywords revealed the advancement of technologies such as pulse width modulation (PWM) technology, sensors, and automation. Although this research area is rapidly expanding, its consolidation still requires greater geographical participation and deeper technical exploration across various research fronts. Full article

Protected areas (PAs) remain central to global conservation policy, yet their performance depends as much on governance quality as on ecological design. This paper examines the (in)governability of Greece’s protected area system by assessing how formal institutions align with contextual realities. A systematic review of forty-three peer-reviewed studies (1999–2020) is combined with analysis of recent governance-assessment tools to evaluate institutional fit, legitimacy, and equity. Frameworks such as the Site-level Assessment of Governance and Equity (SAGE) and the IUCN (2024) guidelines on Advancing Equitable Governance in area-based conservation provide practical metrics for participation, accountability, and fairness, offering a timely benchmark for the Greek case. The review shows that, despite substantial EU-driven legal reforms, Greece’s PA system continues to exhibit governance misfit, weak institutional integration, and persistent implementation gaps. Institutional misfit is understood here as a misalignment between formal governance arrangements and the social, ecological, and administrative contexts they are intended to regulate. Governability remains constrained by centralization, limited stakeholder participation, and fragile accountability mechanisms. By integrating classical theories of institutional fit and interactive governance with contemporary equity-based approaches, the study identifies the structural and contextual barriers that hinder effective and just conservation. The findings highlight the need for more legitimate, participatory, and context-sensitive governance arrangements to ensure that protected areas in Greece deliver both ecological and social outcomes. Full article

Background: Medical resident burnout is a critical threat to healthcare workforce sustainability, with physical activity (PA) posited as a protective factor. This bibliometric analysis maps the global research landscape on this topic from 2005 to 2025. Methods: Systematic search of the Web of Science Core Collection identified 110 relevant English-language articles. Performance analysis and scientific mapping were conducted using R and VOSviewer. Results: The field saw an annual growth rate of 3.35%, with a peak of 16 publications in 2019. The United States was the dominant contributor, accounting for 68% of the total output. Analysis identified several major thematic areas, including stress and behavioral factors, occupational mental health, and institutional support mechanisms. The findings reveal a rapidly growing but geographically concentrated body of research, underscoring a significant gap in globally representative evidence. Conclusions: This analysis provides a foundational map for future research, underscoring the need for institutional wellness programs incorporating PA, international collaborative studies, and policy-level interventions. We conclude that integrating physical activity is not a luxury but a critical strategy for healthcare system sustainability. Full article

Effective and fair governance of protected areas (PAs) is essential for their ecological and social sustainability, particularly in contexts of high biodiversity and sociopolitical tensions. This study assessed the governance system of the Serranía del Perijá Regional Natural Park (SPRNP) in Colombia using criteria of effectiveness and justice, through a qualitative methodology grounded in thematic analysis. The research was based on semi-structured interviews and a focus group, with intentional coding supported by artificial intelligence using ATLAS.ti 25 software, which enhanced efficiency and pattern recognition in the construction of a semantic network. This AI-assisted coding approach represents an innovative methodological contribution to the qualitative assessment of PA governance. The findings highlight centralized governance, weak community participation, limited institutional presence, and power asymmetries that undermine equity in decision-making. The exclusion of the Yukpa people from the PA declaration process illustrates broader challenges of Indigenous recognition in Latin American governance contexts. Based on these findings, the study proposes three prospective governance scenarios—community-centered, inter-institutional coordination, and public–private articulation—which offer practical pathways for transforming governance. The study concludes that achieving more equitable and inclusive governance requires institutional strengthening, power redistribution, and the recognition of local knowledge. A viable solution may emerge from an adaptive combination of the proposed scenarios. Full article

The Deliblato Sands Special Nature Reserve encompasses five municipalities and several settlements. This significantly protected region has a strong relationship between its ecosystem and the people who live there. The local population benefits from various advantages provided by this reserve. The residents’ quality of life greatly depends on the reserve’s resources. When used responsibly, they can guarantee a sustainable system with assets that are renewable. Additionally, both locals and tourists benefit from the utilization of forest space for recreation. Above all, endangered plant and animal species are protected in the Deliblato Sands woodlands. Therefore, the role of the local population in protecting this reserve is crucial for the survival of these species. Visitors from both domestic and foreign countries visit this reserve each year in considerable numbers. The study included a quantitative methodology, in which data were collected using questionnaires. The study’s goal is to find out whether the nature reserve has an impact on residents’ lives, activities, and habits, i.e., whether characteristics have an impact on respondents’ contentment. This research aims to examine how the protected area (PA) affects the life of the local community. A total of 1450 residents were surveyed regarding the impact of the Deliblato Sands ecosystem on their habits and activities. Analysis of the data indicates that the inhabitants are significantly impacted by the PA. The strongest impacts are grouped into the ecological and socio-cultural dimensions, while the economic dimension is the one with the weakest impact. The study’s value is evident in the crucial information that was supplied for the creation of national and local planning documents pertaining to the development of rural areas and tourism. The active participation of communities must be the foundation of any planning for tourism growth. Full article

Soil contamination with heavy metals poses a significant risk to human health and ecological systems through multiple exposure pathways: direct ingestion of crops, dermal contact with polluted soil, and bioaccumulation within the food chain. This study analyses eleven composite soils, each collected in triplicate from different sites in Iași County, four of which are designated Natura 2000 protected areas (Mârzești Forest, Plopi Lake—Belcești, Moldova Delta, and Valea lui David). The assessment includes measurements of soil humidity by the gravimetric method, pH, and organic matter content, examined in relation to heavy metal concentrations due to their well-established interdependencies. For heavy metal determination, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) using an EDAX system (AMETEK Inc., Berwyn, PA, USA) and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRFS) with a Vanta 4 analyser (Olympus, Waltham, MA, USA) were employed. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with a Quanta 450 microscope (FEI, Thermo Scientific, Hillsboro, OR, USA) was used primarily for informational purposes and to provide a broader perspective. In the case of chromium, 45.45% of the samples exceeded the permissible levels, with concentrations ranging from 106 mg/kg to 186 mg/kg, the highest value being nearly twice the alert threshold. Notably, not all protected areas maintain contaminant levels within safe limits. The sample from the Mârzești Forest protected site revealed considerably raised concentrations of mercury, arsenic, and lead, exceeding the alert thresholds (1 mg/kg—mercury, 15 mg/kg—arsenic, and 50 mg/kg—lead) established through Order no. 756/1997 issued by the Minister of Water, Forests, and Environmental Protection from Romania. On the other hand, the sample from Podu Iloaiei, an area with intensive agricultural activity, shows contamination with mercury and cadmium, highlighting significant anthropogenic pollution. The findings of this study are expected to raise public awareness regarding soil pollution levels, particularly in densely populated regions and protected ecological zones. Moreover, the results provide a scientific basis for policymakers and relevant authorities to implement targeted measures to manage soil contamination and ensure long-term environmental sustainability. Full article

Managing protected areas (PAs) supports protecting biodiversity and preserves ecological functions. Many risks associated with PAs management affect the most important goals of PAs including sustainability, effectiveness, and ecological balance. This work aims to define the most predictable risk factors affecting PAs management as well as to introduce a model for assessing and exploring the influences of the identified risk factors on PAs management. Fifty-four risk factors affecting the PAs management goals are defined under seven risk groups including general and fundamental preparations, monitoring system, protocols, and implementation plans, training, visitors, employees, and activities conducted within the PAs. Many characteristics of risk factors such as presence rate and impacts on sustainability, effectiveness, and ecological balance goals are introduced. Fuzzy logic is utilized in developing the proposed risk model and applied using data collected in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Various relationships are introduced among risk indices that impact PAs management goals, ensuring close relations among all indices. The results highlight various important risk factors, such as the “Absence of mechanisms for early warning of disasters affecting protected areas”, and the “Lack of a system for monitoring the occurrence development and spread of disasters”. A risk group related to the monitoring system has been identified as causing the highest risk impacting the management of PAs. Further, most of the risk impacts on the three goals are due to protocols and implementation plans group. This work presents a new strategy to support managing PAs in Saudi Arabia, which can be easily adapted for application in other countries. Full article

Green infrastructure (GI) is increasingly prioritised in landscape policy and planning due to its potential to benefit ecosystems and enhance wildlife conservation. However, due to the uneven distribution of protected areas (PAs) and the fragmentation of habitats more generally, multi-level policy strategies are needed to create an integrated GI network bridging national, regional and local scales. In the province of Almeria, southeastern Spain, protected areas are mainly threatened by two land use/land cover changes. On the one hand, there is the advance of intensive greenhouse agriculture, which, between 1984 and 2007, increased in surface area by more than 58%. On the other hand, there is the growth of artificial surfaces, including urban areas (+64%), construction sites (+194%) and road infrastructures (+135%). To address this challenge, we present a proposal for green infrastructure deployment in the province of Almeria. We combine Geographic Information Systems (GISs) and multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) techniques to identify and evaluate suitability for key elements to be included in GI in two key ways. First, we identify the most suitable areas to form part of the GI in order to address vulnerability to degradation and fragmentation. Second, we propose 15 ecological corridors connecting the 35 protected areas of the province that act as core areas. The proposed GI network would extend along the western coast of the province and occupy the valleys of the main rivers. The river Almanzora plays a leading role. Due to its remoteness from the coast and its climatic conditions, it has not attracted intensive greenhouse agriculture and urban development, the main drivers of the transformation and fragmentation of traditional land uses. Around 50% of the area occupied by the proposed corridors would be located in places of medium and high suitability for the movement of species between core areas. Full article

The riparian vegetation buffer zone is an important component of riverbank ecosystems, playing a crucial role in soil consolidation and slope protection. In this study, the riparian vegetation buffer zones in the Tongnan section of the Fujiang River Basin were selected as the research object. Surveys and experiments were conducted to assess the species composition and the soil and water conservation effectiveness of the riparian vegetation buffer zone. There are a total of 35 species, mainly comprising angiosperms and ferns. The dominant species include Cynodon dactylon, Setaria viridis, Phragmites australis, Erigeron canadensis, and Melilotus officinalis. The Patrick richness index (R) and Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H) are more significantly influenced by the types of land use in the surrounding area, whereas the impact on the Simpson diversity index (D) and Pielou uniformity index (E) is comparatively less pronounced. When the root diameter is less than 0.2 mm, the tensile strength of Cynodon dactylon roots is the highest. For root diameters larger than 0.2 mm, Melilotus officinalis roots exhibit the highest tensile strength. The presence of plant root systems significantly reduces erosion, delaying the time to reach maximum erosion depth by 1–4 min, decreasing erosion depth by 9–38 mm, and reducing the total amount of erosion by 20.17–58.90%. The anti-scouribility effect of Cynodon dactylon is significantly better than that of Setaria viridis. The root system notably enhances soil shear strength, delaying the shear peak by 0.26–4.8 cm, increasing the shear peak by 4.76–11.37 kPa, and raising energy consumption by 23.76–46.11%. Phragmites australis has the best resistance to shear, followed by Erigeron canadensis, with Melilotus officinalis being the least resistant. Therefore, to balance the anti-scouribility effect and shear resistance of plant roots, it is recommended to use a combination of Cynodon dactylon and Phragmites australis for shallow-rooted and deep-rooted planting. This approach enhances the water and soil conservation capacity of riverbanks. Full article

Extended-reach drilling represents an advanced way of drilling and accessing reservoirs that were previously economically not feasible to drain, impossible to reach or in an environmentally sensitive area. One of the main issues that appears while drilling such wells is caused by the high values of friction factor which cause high values of torque and drag. One of the suggested solutions is to use a protective sliding ring made from materials such as POM, Teflon and PA6 in combination with lubricants added to a polymer mud system. First, measurements were conducted on a lubricity tester to choose the best material and, after finishing, a mechanical wear test was conducted on a specially designed device to measure mechanical wear. Results showed that Teflon showed lower values of friction factor in comparison to steel and the mechanical wear was minimal. The lowest value of friction force was recorded for blocks made from Teflon in tested mud systems. It is also noticeable that, in polymer mud with weighting additives and lubricant, the value of the friction force is higher than in polymer mud with lubricant only. Full article

This study investigates Bolivians’ willingness to pay for an annual passport facilitating visits to protected areas (PAs) in Bolivia, aiming to address challenges in PA financing and management amidst escalating deforestation. Employing the contingent valuation method, a representative sample of citizens aged 18 or older from major cities across Bolivia participated in a telephone interviewing questionnaire. The findings reveal limited public awareness and recognition of PAs, alongside significant interest in visiting these areas for tourism purposes or simply donating to the system to reduce its current financial gaps. Concerns regarding trust and transparency in fund management are highlighted, with demographic factors and perceptions influencing willingness to pay estimated at approximately USD 35 for a one-year passport. This study underscores the necessity for targeted interventions to enhance public awareness, improve infrastructure, and ensure transparency in fund management, thereby promoting sustainable tourism and safeguarding Bolivia’s PAs. Full article

This work is devoted to the study of gas-dynamic processes in the operation of climate control systems in the cabins of vehicles (HVAC), focusing on pressure values. This research examines the issue of assessing the required values of air overpressure inside the locomotive cabin, which is necessary to prevent gas exchange between the interior of the cabin and the outside air through leaks in the cabin, including protection against the penetration of harmful substances. The pressure boost in the cabin depends, among other things, on the external air pressure on the locomotive body, the power of the climate system fan, and the ratio of the input and output deflectors. To determine the external air pressure, the problem of train movement in a wind tunnel is considered, the internal and external fluids domain is considered, and the air pressure on the cabin skin is determined using numerical methods CFD based on the Navier–Stokes equations, depending on the speed of movement. The finite-volume modeling package Ansys CFD (Fluent) was used as an implementation. The values of excess internal pressure, which ensures the operation of the climate system under different operating modes, were studied numerically and on the basis of an approximate applied formula. In particular, studies were carried out depending on the speed and movement of transport, on the airflow of the climate system, and on the ratio of the areas of input and output parameters. During a numerical experiment, it was found that for a train speed of 100 km/h, the required excess pressure is 560 kPa, and the most energy-efficient way to increase pressure is to regulate the area of the outlet valves. Full article

Snow crab replaced groundfish fisheries as the primary focus of the Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) fishing industry in the mid-1990s. Over the past three decades, management philosophies in this male-only fishery have shifted from promoting industry expansion to promoting industry rationalization to implementing Precautionary Approach (PA) management. Until the mid-2010s, there were regionalized management strategies characterized by higher exploitation rates in northern than southern sub-stock units along the NL marine shelves. However, in the late 2010s, exploitation rates were permitted to elevate to high levels across the entire stock range in association with a large resource decline, and evidence of biological harm through fishing emerged in chronically depleted areas. In 2019, when stock and fishery productivity were near historical lows, a multi-indicator PA system was informally introduced into the management of the resource. This event coincided with anticipated improvements in stock and fishery performance. This paper examines the extent to which the multi-indicator PA management system, focused on the promotion of both biological protection and maximization of fishing efficiency, may have contributed to recent improvements in stock and fishery status. A suite of indicators from areas implementing PA guidance into management in 2019 prior to the formal adoption of the PA system in 2023 suggest the system has been highly beneficial in promoting rapid recovery and improving stock and fishery performance metrics to levels matching or exceeding historical levels under similar conditions. We discuss the capacity of the system to better safeguard biological aspects of resource and fisheries productivity moving forward under a scenario of an expectant resource decline. Full article