A Multimethodological Approach for the Sustainable Management of Perifluvial Wetlands of the Po River (Italy)

/ Marginal aquatic systems (wetlands) of the Po River (Italy) have become the target of a renewed interest because of their value for recreation, natural reserves, and deposits of sand. To preserve these sites, wise management must be the objective of local administrations. In this paper a strategy for the sustainable use of 11 wetlands is presented. It uses simple economic analysis and multiple criteria techniques and provides suggestions to promote sustainability in terms of conservation of natural resources, economic self-sufficiency, and minimization of potential conflicts about the use of the wetlands. In the understanding that sustainability is framed in a long-term perspective, stability analysis is also considered and performed by means of loop analysis, a qualitative technique. Conditions for stability are then discussed about management opportunities.     

What's wrong with virtual trees? Restoring from stress in a mediated environment

Restorative environments are environments that can help restore depleted attention resources or reduce emotional and psychophysiological stress. These effects have been demonstrated not only in real environments, but also in mediated (projected, broadcasted, etc.) environments. However, the importance of simulation qualities to restoration outcomes has not been systematically studied. The present experiment investigates the importance of immersion in a mediated environment in relation to restoration. Is a projected natural environment more restorative when one is more immersed in it, and hence feels more present in it? The hypothesis was that a more immersive projection would show stronger stress-reducing effects of a mediated restorative environment. After performing a stress-inducing task, participants watched a nature film on either a high or low immersive screen. Physiological measurements (heart period and skin conductance level) were taken throughout the experiment. In addition, we measured self-reported affect and presence using the ITC-Sense of Presence Questionnaire. Significant effects of the screen size manipulation appeared on physiological measures, but not on self-reported affect. The data showed an interaction between screen size and restorative phase on heart period and skin conductance level, indicating stronger restoration for the immersive screen condition over time. We therefore conclude that immersion enhances restorative potential of a mediated natural environment. Self-reported affect did correlate significantly with experienced presence, illustrating the relevance of this experiential counterpart of immersion, although a mediating effect of presence has not yet been established.     

Factors influencing the acceptance of nature conservation measures--a qualitative study in Switzerland

Landscapes fulfil a multitude of ecological and social functions. Due to the fact that both traditional and everyday landscapes today face many different threats, regulatory measures have been undertaken in many countries to protect and further sustainable landscape development. They include legislation as well as economic incentives. In recent years, however, it has become clear that just to have a few laws and to spend money on subsidies is not enough. Factors other than legislation are also essential to further the sustainable development of landscapes. One of the basic factors affecting the success or failure of landscape conservation measures is public acceptance of these measures. Our project took this as its starting point. The objective was to determine which conditions and factors influence acceptance positively or negatively. To this end 22 Swiss who are directly affected by nature conservation measures, in particular by mire landscape and dry meadow conservation measures, were interviewed using qualitative interview techniques. It is shown that perception, communication, and possibilities to participate are the most decisive driving factors influencing the formation of a long-lasting acceptance. Furthermore, acceptance may be based mainly on economic criteria, on usefulness, on ecological or even aesthetic aspects. It can be shown that not all of these motivations lead to a long-lasting acceptance. Ecologically based acceptance seems the most promising because it is founded on general convictions. Economic incentives--though important--seem to generate only superficial acceptance and do not seem to be as important as is usually assumed.     

The Interior-to-Edge Breakpoint Distance as a Guideline for Nature Conservation Policy

A method is proposed to quantify disturbance impact on isolated habitats. For every landscape patch, the breakpoint distance, defined as the penetration distance for which equality of interior and edge habitat is observed, can be calculated. Disturbance with equal impact at all patch sides is assumed. Effects of patch compactness, size, convolution, and perforation are discussed. The potential use of the measure for nature reserve design is discussed. The breakpoint distance follows the reserve design guidelines for individual patches, based on island biogeography and is consistent with the form and function principle. A large breakpoint distance is preferred for natural habitats. Small size, small compactness, intense convolution, and the occurrence of many gaps depress the breakpoint distance.     

Relationship Between Tourism Development and Vegetated Landscapes in Luya Mountain Nature Reserve, Shanxi, China

The relationship between tourism development and vegetated landscapes is analyzed for the Luya Mountain Nature Reserve (LMNR), Shanxi, China, in this study. Indices such as Sensitive Level (SL), Landscape Importance Value (LIV), information index of biodiversity (H’), Shade-tolerant Species Proportion (SSP), and Tourism Influencing Index (TII) are used to characterize vegetated landscapes, the impact of tourism, and their relationship. Their relationship is studied by Two-Way Indicator Species Analysis (TWINSPAN) and Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA). TWINSPAN gives correct and rapid partition to the classification, and DCA ordination shows the changing tendency of all vegetation types based on tourism development. These results reflect the ecological relationship between tourism development and vegetated landscapes. In Luya Mountain Nature Reserve, most plant communities are in good or medium condition, which shows that these vegetated landscapes can support more tourism. However, the occurrence of the bad condition shows that there is a severe contradiction between tourism development and vegetated landscapes.     

Nature conservation and local plans

It is noted that nature conservation has gained progressively in importance as a planning issue. The paper reports on the role of the Nature Conservancy Council, and in particular their Assistant Regional Officers, in consulting over the production of local plans. Local plan policies may assist valuably in the protection of important sites, although sympathetic planning authorities can also assist nature conservation in a variety of other ways. Sustained and systematic liaison with planning authorities is necessary for nature conservation to become a substantive local plan issue.     

自然保护区生态补偿定量方案研究——基于“虚拟地”计算方法

自然保护区生态补偿的“补给谁”和“补多少”在理论和实践上都是生态补偿中的重点和难点所在。传统的通过计量保护区正外部性以确定生态补偿数量的方法存在两个主要问题：一是违背经济学原理,二是与管理体制不符且法理不足。据此,并考虑到中国相当数量的保护区“没有保护好”的主要因素是保护区社区居民生产生活的干扰,论文认为应通过控制保护区社区的负外部性来达成对保护区的生态补偿。通过生产函数理论分析,发现通常情况下保护区社区的经济产出与土地面积单调正相关,因此在没有生态补偿的情况下,保护区的划建会使周边社区居民经济收入减少,解决周边社区对保护区干扰的根本途径是利用生态补偿资金发展替代产业以提高单位面积土地的经济产出。以此认识为基础,文章提出了“虚拟地”概念并发展了定量方法来确定保护区的生态补偿最低标准,采用武夷山保护区的数据进行了这一方法的案例分析。     

遥感调查方法在河北省省级自然保护区生态环境变化评估方面的应用研究

河北省省级自然保护区以自然生态系统类型为主,人类活动较为频繁,将遥感评估方法应用于河北省省级自然保护区生态环境变化评估具有重要意义。本文通过分析高分辨率遥感卫星影像的特点,结合河北省省级自然保护区的实际情况,优先选取分辨率为2m的民用卫星,提出了遥感调查方法在自然保护区人类活动和开发建设活动中自动监测、生态系统格局变化、生态系统质量变化以及人类活动干扰程度四方面的评估应用。     

Beyond savanna: An evolutionary and environmental psychology approach to behavioral effects of nature scenery in green advertising

Evolutionary psychology has been proposed as an analytic framework for the behavioral effects of landscapes displayed in advertising. In this study, an evolutionary and environmental psychology approach is used to analyze affective reactions to advertising depicting specific natural environments or urban scenes, both prominent ingredients of contemporary advertising imagery. The experimental field study exposed 750 participants at random to one advert of a set of 13 experimental green energy advertisements, each displaying a different biome. Six basic emotional responses (pleasure, arousal, happiness, freedom, safety, and interest) as well as attitude toward the ad and brand attitude were assessed subsequently. Anova and structural equation analysis were used for data analysis. Results of the study confirm the leading opinion on generalized more positive behavioral effects toward visual stimuli representing nature scenes with biospheric contents as opposed to pictures of urban environments or desert settings. In line with earlier empirical research, further findings do not support the hypothesis on an innate preference for savanna landscapes in adults but confirm preferences for images of lush green landscapes with water and familiar biomes. Overall results give significant support to the application of environmental and evolutionary psychology to advertising.