The Making of a National Park: Ruins of Nature and History in Northern Dobrudja

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 596-614
Author(s):  
Calin Cotoi
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Political Ecology ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Analytical Potential ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Construction Of Nature ◽  
Critical Discourses ◽  
Gain Access

After 1990, nature conservation areas multiplied all over Central and Eastern Europe. National parks came into being as part of a dramatically changing society, economy, and culture. Scholarly efforts to understand national parks rely either on arguments about the social construction of nature or on political ecology. In this article, I attempt to point to the analytical potential of the literature on ruins for expanding studies carried out in both theoretical traditions. I draw from fieldwork in nature conservation areas in southeastern Romania to explore how actors gain access to critical discourses and complex ways of narrating and enrolling the landscapes. The mechanisms that counterpoise safeguarding and development are analyzed as parts of a longue durée articulation of ruination and modernization.

scholarly journals Estimating population sizes of lions Panthera leo and spotted hyaenas Crocuta crocuta in Uganda's savannah parks, using lure count methods

Oryx ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 394-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Okot Omoya ◽  
Tutilo Mudumba ◽  
Stephen T. Buckland ◽  
Paul Mulondo ◽  
Andrew J. Plumptre
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
National Park ◽  
Crocuta Crocuta ◽  
Panthera Leo ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Population Sizes

AbstractDespite > 60 years of conservation in Uganda's national parks the populations of lions and spotted hyaenas in these areas have never been estimated using a census method. Estimates for some sites have been extrapolated to other protected areas and educated guesses have been made but there has been nothing more definitive. We used a lure count analysis method of call-up counts to estimate populations of the lion Panthera leo and spotted hyaena Crocuta crocuta in the parks where reasonable numbers of these species exist: Queen Elizabeth Protected Area, Murchison Falls Conservation Area and Kidepo Valley National Park. We estimated a total of 408 lions and 324 hyaenas for these three conservation areas. It is unlikely that other conservation areas in Uganda host > 10 lions or > 40 hyaenas. The Queen Elizabeth Protected Area had the largest populations of lions and hyaenas: 140 and 211, respectively. It is estimated that lion numbers have declined by 30% in this protected area since the late 1990s and there are increasing concerns for the long-term viability of both species in Uganda.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Prioritized Natural Landscape Conservation Areas for National Park Planning in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ao Du ◽  
Weihua Xu ◽  
Yi Xiao ◽  
Tong Cui ◽  
Tianyu Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Landscape Conservation ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Natural Landscape ◽  
Priority Areas ◽  
Park Planning ◽  
Natural Landscapes ◽  
Four Levels

Protecting representative natural ecosystems, rich biodiversity, and unique natural landscapes are the main considerations in China’s national park planning. Here, we mapped the distribution of China’s natural landscapes and evaluated their protection values for national park planning and construction. Grading evaluation methods combining standard comparison, inventory method, and expert consultation were used, and four levels of natural landscapes were identified. Furthermore, priority areas for national parks establishment were also proposed. Of all the landscapes evaluated, 76 were extremely important, 481 were important, 2070 were moderately important, and 1213 were slightly important. A total number of 67 priority areas for natural landscapes were identified with a total area of 1,218,000 km2. They comprised land and sea areas of 1,148,000 and 69,000 km2, respectively. We suggest strengthening natural landscape protection by establishing natural parks in priority areas. Our study will contribute to the effective protection of natural landscapes in China.

scholarly journals WildCountry

2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry F. Recher
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Reserve System

REGARDLESS of the merits and values of individual national parks and nature reserves, Australia's conservation reserves do not ensure the survival of the continent's biota. There are many reasons for this. Reserves, even the largest, are too small and vulnerable to broad area disturbance. Consider that, in January 2003, fires burnt more than two-thirds of Kosciuszko National Park, which at 690 000 ha is the largest park in New South Wales and one of the largest in Australia. This shows how even the largest conservation reserves are at risk of catastrophic disturbance. The much smaller Nadgee Nature Reserve (21 000 ha) in southeastern New South Wales has burnt almost in its entirety twice in the 35 years I have worked there. The Nadgee fires and those in Kosciuszko were started by lightning and were the result of prolonged drought, events common across the continent. When small size is coupled with isolation, the long-term survival of populations and the exchange of propagules within the reserve system becomes problematical. Small size and isolation do not leave much scope for plants and animals to adapt to long-term climate change, either through dispersal or by evolution. Even reserving 10 or 15% of land for nature conservation, as recommended by some international conservation agencies, will be inadequate; a target of 30% would have better ecological credentials, but even this could prove inadequate unless the nature conservation reserve system was designed to allow for long-term evolutionary change, which it is not (see Archer 2002; Recher 2002a,b).

scholarly journals Features Of The Legal Regime Of National Parks Under The Legislation Of The Republic Of Poland

2019 ◽  
pp. 119-132
Author(s):  
N.R. Kobetska
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Real Estate ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Private Property ◽  
State Ownership ◽  
Private Land ◽  
Legal Regime ◽  
Problematic Issue ◽  
The Republic

The article presents an analysis of one of the oldest and most important forms of nature conservation - National Parks, and their regulation in the legislation of the Republic of Poland. The material is based on the systematic interpretation of the Law of the Republic of Poland «On Nature Conservation», the analysis of scientific literature and the identification of some problematic issues of implementation of the prescriptions of the legislation in practice. Much attention is paid to the theoretical characteristics of National Parks, their place among other forms of nature conservation in Poland, the functions they perform. The issues of creation of the National Park, the regime of management of its territory, organization and zoning of the National Park have been consistently revealed. It also analyzes the bans fixed within the National Park and ensures its protection against external adverse effects. Problematic issues are raised related to the removal of land and real estate from private owners, the achievement of a compromise between private economic interests and public environmental interests. A comparison of the basics of functioning of National Parks in Poland and Ukraine is also partly presented. The author focuses on the differences in the legal regime of national nature parks under the legislation of Ukraine and Poland. The Polish legislation does not distinguish as an independent recreational function and does not allocate separate recreational functions within the national park. At the same time, the organization of tourist routes and the provision of conditions for visiting the park is one of the tasks and a significant source of revenue for the national parks of Poland, and the number of visitors many times exceeds their number in the territories of the national parks of Ukraine. In the territory of the national parks of Poland (as in Ukraine) a combination of exclusive state ownership (in Ukraine - the property of the Ukrainian people) and private property is possible. At the same time, as in Ukraine, the most problematic issue is the acquisition of ownership of real estate (including private land) when creating or expanding the territory of national parks.

scholarly journals Assessment of losses to the local population due to restrictions on their ownership rights to land and property assets: The case of the Tunkinsky National Park, Russia

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. e0251383
Author(s):  
Lyudmila Maksanova ◽  
Taisiya Bardakhanova ◽  
Natalia Lubsanova ◽  
Darima Budaeva ◽  
Arnold Tulokhonov
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Local Population ◽  
The Social ◽  
Actual Damage ◽  
Ownership Rights ◽  
The Impact

The impact of protected areas on local communities is the subject of intense discussions as part of the implementation of the global ecosystem protection agenda. Conflicts between the interests of environmental protection and the needs of socio-economic development become particularly acute when large areas of land are taken out of economic circulation as a result of organizing protected areas. In this case, there is an urgent need for detailed and reliable information about the social impacts of such land withdrawal on the well-being of the local population. An analysis of the methodological approaches widely presented in the literature, used to assess the social impact of protected areas, testifies to the insufficiency of completed and practically applicable methodological guidelines for the areas with significant restrictions for people who form part of the protected landscape. In this study, we understand the cost estimate of the social impact of national parks on the local population as a quantitative calculation of the losses due to restrictions on their ownership rights to land and property assets. The methodological approach consists in considering the category of losses as a sum total of the actual damage and lost profits. The assessment algorithm includes three stages: systematization of social impacts on citizens, development of indicators and data collection, and calculation of actual damage to the population and lost profits. The assessment is performed using the example of the Tunkinsky National Park located in the Tunkinsky municipal district of the Republic of Buryatia, a region of the Russian Federation, where there are 14 rural settlements with a population of more than 20,000 people. The results of the calculations show that the losses of the rural population due to legal restrictions on the registration of land dealings amount to 170.4 million USD. Taking into account the potential amount of administrative fines and the value of property subject to demolition, the losses amount to 239.2 million USD. It is more than an order of magnitude greater than the amount of own revenues of the Tunkinsky municipal district in 2011–2019. The results obtained demonstrate the real picture of the impact of restrictions on the rights of local people to land within the boundaries of national parks and are useful for developing measures to account for their interests and include protected areas in the socio-economic development of regions. The methodological approach developed by the authors can be used in other national parks, where it is necessary to optimize the policy of improving land use for local residents.

scholarly journals GEOCONSERVATION LEGAL STATUS AND GEOPARK ESTABLISHMENT IN GREECE

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 907 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Haidarlis ◽  
A. Sifakis ◽  
C. Brachou
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Mineral Exploration ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Natura 2000 ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Management Alternatives ◽  
Optimum Management

Under Greek (and EU) law, geo-conservation (geological conservation) is an issue not being dealt with in an organized and systematic way, in contrast with bio-conservation (nature conservation). Therefore geo-conservation approaches, as the ‘geopark’ concept, are not recognized under Greek legislation and elements of geological heritage can only be granted protection in isolation and in limited extension, mainly as playing a role to the biotic environment. However, to date, geoparks have been established and recognized by the European Geoparks Network (E.G.N.), in Greece. Those geoparks are protected under the Forestry Legislation, the Archeological Legislation or/and the Environmental Legislation. In view of the plans of the Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration (I.G.M.E.) to expanding the Geoparks Network in Greece, a thorough examination of the available legal tools to protecting elements of geological importance in geoparks is required, with a view to proposing a legal protection regime that would realistically deal with the conservation of geosites and the establishment of geoparks focusing on overlapping with nature conservation areas, namely “Natura 2000 sites”. In addition, building on the experience of the administration and management of national parks and Natura 2000 sites, the available management options will be examined with a view to providing the optimum management alternatives.

scholarly journals Social Science Research Projects in South African National Parks: Introductory Notes

Koedoe ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.W. Odendal ◽  
I.M. Krige
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Environmental Evaluation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Subsequent Discussion ◽  
Social Scientific

The relevance of human scientific research within conservation areas is assessed. Issues of importance to the National Parks Board are mentioned in order to stimulate interest and subsequent discussion. An overview of some of the social scientific projects presently undertaken in national parks (traditional and contractual) are presented. This includes the assessment of real needs and demands of visitors to the national parks. A viability study identified important concepts while the important role played by perception in environmental evaluation is stressed. A multi-disciplinary research approach and active participation by all parties concerned in deciding the future of natural areas is advocated.

scholarly journals Travel motivations of tourists visiting Kruger National Park

Koedoe ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peet Van der Merwe ◽  
Melville Saayman
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
International Tourism ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Travel Motivations

The Kruger National Park (KNP) one of the largest conservation areas in South Africa, attracts in excess of one million visitors a year and is regarded as an icon destination in international tourism. Since this park attracts more tourists than any other park in South Africa, the purpose of this article is to determine the reasons (the travel motives) why tourists visit the park. Little research has been done on travel motives to national parks and this was the first of its kind in South Africa. The research was conducted by means of questionnaires. A factor analysis was used to determine the travel motives. Six factors were identified, namely nature, activities, attractions, nostalgia, novelty and escape from routine. Some of these motives were confirmed by similar research in other countries, although the similarities are not significant. This research confirmed that different attractions and destinations fed different travel motives, hence the need for more studies of this nature to be conducted.

scholarly journals Another reptile translocation to a national park

Koedoe ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
W.R. Branch ◽  
H.H. Braack
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
East Africa ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Royal Society ◽  
National Park ◽  
Kruger National Park ◽  
Tree Bark ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Diamond Mining ◽  
Reptile Species

On 4 May 1988 a sub-adult (50 mm snout-vent length, 42 mm tail) Jones' girdled lizard Cordylus tropidosternum jonesi was collected in a pile of wood being off-loaded at the new restcamp in the Karoo National Park, Beaufort West. The wood had been transported by lorry from the Kruger National Park. The specimen is deposited in the herpetological collection of the Port Elizabeth Museum (PEM R 4584). Jones' girdled lizard is a small, arboreal cordylid that shelters under tree bark and in hollow logs. It is common and widely-distributed in the Kruger National Park (Pienaar, Haacke & Jacobsen 1983, The Reptiles of the Kruger National Park, 3rd edition. Pretoria: National Parks Board) and adjacent lowveld, being replaced in northern Zimbabwe and East Africa by the nominate race. Hewitt & Power (1913, Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 3: 147-176, 1913) reported a similar translocation of the species to Kimberley in association with timber brought to the diamond mining camps. One of us noted recently the ease and danger of the unwitting spread of commensal reptile species into conservation areas (Branch 1978, Koedoe 30: 165), and this is confirmed by this additional example. We recommend that should similar shipments of wood be considered essential, then they be fumigated to prevent the translocation of other alien organisms that may potentially have more dangerous consequences.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document