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 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 NATIONAL PARK “VERKHOVYNSKYI”: THE NATURAL AND HISTORIC VALUES CULTURED

2019 ◽  
pp. 45-48
Author(s):  
V. Getman
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
National Park ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Food Services ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Successful Operation ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Natural Landscapes ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Main Representative

The basis for preserving ecological balance and rational use of natural landscapes is the formation of a system of protected areas and objects. In the Ukrainian Carpathians, on the large areas naturally develop radical forests (virgin forests), the habitats of the bear, wolf, and many rare species of plants are preserved. Thus, the natural ecosystems of the Ukrainian Carpathians in the Nature Reserve Fund of Ukraine are the most represented. The consequence of increasingly global anthropogenic influence became a global phenomenon of fragmentation (decomposition) of the natural landscapes. One of relatively preserved natural variety is the areas of the national park “Verkhovynskyi”. The National Park “Verkhovynskyi” is a very important centre of the natural and cultural diversity of Ukraine. The main representative of the flora in the region is spruce common. Shrubberies on the territory of the Chyvchyn Mountains are represented by thickets of mountain pine. The biological value of the territory of the NP “Verkhovynskyi” is largely determined by the uniqueness of the high-altitude spruce forests. In the park, the animal world is rich and varied. Its biological uniqueness of its territory is largely determined by local landscape diversity. The landscape structure of the park area is the result of long-term interaction of the main landscape-factor factors: geological-geomorphological, hydro-climatic and biotic. The leading role belongs to the geological and geomorphological properties of the territory, which determine the climatic characteristics, the regime of humidification, distribution of biota and soil cover. The dominant position in the structure of landscapes is the high-altitude terrain of the steep-sloping erosion-denudation forest middle mountains. In contact with the Peneplainized highlands, the area has an island distribution in the form of mid-mountain spurs of the main ridge. Characteristic are tracts of convex crests of spurs, saddles and steep slopes. The historical and cultural value of the NP “Verkhovynskyi” district is based on the rich events of the history of the region. The territory of Verkhovyna district is the heart of Hutsulshchyna, and its centre is the village Verkhovyna. The successful operation of the NP “Verkhovynskyi” will be a major impetus for the tourist development of the Verkhovyna district. The orientation of the national natural park for the development of recreational activities will increase the number of tourists, will create additional demand for accommodation and food services that will be provided by the local population. Development of the tourism infrastructure of the park will give an impetus to the restoration and full functioning of the former and the creation of new settlements. Particular attention should be paid to laying the network of roads and tourist routes and their improvement. The scientific value of the territory of the NP “Verkhovynskyi” is high, which lies in the unique ability to study local natural ecosystems that are very close to natural or reference. The article analyzes in detail the natural peculiarity of the national park, and, to the extent possible volume of the article – unusually rich landscape and recreational resources (in particular, humanistic, historical, cultural, etc.) of its territory.

scholarly journals Partnerships and Stakeholder Participation in the Management of National Parks: Experiences of the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 399
Author(s):  
Walter Musakwa ◽  
Trynos Gumbo ◽  
Gaynor Paradza ◽  
Ephraim Mpofu ◽  
Nesisa Analisa Nyathi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Stakeholder Management ◽  
Stakeholder Participation ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Community Relations ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Parks Management ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

National parks play an important role in maintaining natural ecosystems which are important sources of income and livelihood sustenance. Most national parks in Southern Africa are managed by their states. Before 2007, Gonarezhou National Park was managed by the Zimbabwe Parks Management and Wildlife Authority, which faced challenges in maintaining its biodiversity, community relations and infrastructure. However, in 2017 the Frankfurt Zoological Society and the Zimbabwe Parks Management and Wildlife Authority formed an innovative partnership under the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust (GCT). This study examines the relationship between GCT management, Gonarezhou National Park stakeholders and communities as well as the impact of the relationship on biodiversity and ecosystems. The study also highlights challenges faced and lessons learned in managing Gonarezhou as a protected area. To obtain the information, key informant interviews, Landsat satellite imagery, secondary data from previous studies and government sources were utilized. The results indicate that the concerted efforts of the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust to manage the park are starting to bear fruit in improving biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management and engaging communities. However, challenges such as governance obstacles, problematic stakeholder management, maintaining trust in community relations, ensuring sustainability, managing the adverse impacts of climate change and human-wildlife conflicts must still be navigated to ensure the park’s sustainable management. Notwithstanding challenges, we argue that a partnership arrangement such as the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust is a desirable model that can be applied in national parks in Zimbabwe and Africa for better biodiversity management and tourism.

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 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.

scholarly journals Landscape Connectivity Analysis and Optimization of Qianjiangyuan National Park, Zhejiang Province, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5944
Author(s):  
Yangjing Peng ◽  
Minghao Meng ◽  
Zhihao Huang ◽  
Ruifeng Wang ◽  
Guofa Cui
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
National Parks ◽  
National Park ◽  
Landscape Connectivity ◽  
Gravity Modeling ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Habitat Patches ◽  
Functional Zoning ◽  
Ecological Conservation

As natural ecosystems in most parts of the world come under increasing human influence, fragmentation is becoming the major driving factor of the global biodiversity crisis. Therefore, connectivity between habitat patches is becoming even more important. China began building national parks with the primary purpose of protecting nationally representative natural ecosystems and maintaining the integrity of their structure, processes and functions. Research is necessary to improve the internal connectivity of national parks and to propose suggestions for existing functional zoning and biological corridors. In this study, Qianjiangyuan National Park was selected as an example park, and landscape fragmentation was evaluated exponentially and simulated visually. The habitat characteristics of protected species in the region, morphological spatial pattern analysis and the delta of the probability of connectivity were used together to identify key habitat patches and their importance levels in the study area. Potential habitat corridors in the region were then obtained using least-cost path analysis and gravity modeling methods based on the distribution of key habitat and the migration costs of target species. The results of this study show that the disturbed landscape of the study area is dominated by tea plantations and drylands, with central roads being an important factor affecting the overall landscape connectivity. In terms of the distribution of key habitat patches, the mountains have a high value. In terms of area, their size is not directly proportional to their importance for maintaining landscape connectivity in the region, but large area patches are generally of higher importance. In terms of distance, key habitats that are closer to each other have a stronger correlation and a greater possibility for species migration. Combined with the functional zoning of Qianjiangyuan National Park, the setting of strictly protected areas and recreational areas is reasonable, and traditional use areas and ecological conservation areas could be appropriately adjusted according to the distribution of key habitats. The important corridor in the middle of the ecological conservation area is crucial for the overall connectivity of the national park, and the connectivity between strict protected areas will depend on successful protection of the ecological conservation area.

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