Evaluation of Positive Socio-Economic Phenomena in Territorial Systems of Ecological Stability (Case Study)

One of the active tools that increase the ecological stability of a country are projects related to territorial systems of ecological stability (TSES). An important part of the elaboration of TSES projects is also the evaluation of positive socio-economic phenomena (PSEP). Their evaluation is important for the design of measures that will ensure its proper functioning. The PSEP enter, the spatial system as elements that fulfill important ecological functions and help preserve the natural resources, gene pool, ecological stability and diversity of the landscape. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain their functions in the future. The theoretical and methodological basis for the evaluation of PSEP within TSES is the LANDEP methodology. They are not unique in the area, and they can occur in various combinations. Based on varied combinations of positive phenomena ensuing from nature conservation, protection of water sources, forest and soil sources, mineral resources and cultural or historical resources there are various types of territories with different landscape ecological significance and different ecological stability. The resulting combinations are a limiting input for the proposed activities and must be respected when processing ecostabilization measures within TSES projects. The presented study presents a landscape ecological evaluation of socio-economic phenomena of nature protection and natural resources in a project of the local system of ecological stability which was developed for the agriculturally intensively used area of Dolný Lopašov. It assesses the legal status of the territory and specifies and spatially expresses areas with different representations of important landscape elements which come under legislative protection. Based on the occurrence, abundance, character and combinations of PSEP occurring in the cadastral area of the commune Dolný Lopašov, this specifies 8 degrees of landscape ecological significance. Significance categories form the basis for the overall classification of the territory required for the processing of TSES projects at the local level. The obtained results must be applied to the proposals of measures to increase ecological stability, especially in the central and southern part of the cadastral area of the commune Dolný Lopašov.

Landscape Changes in Protected Areas in Poland

Land-Use Cover Changes (LUCCs) are one of the main problems for the preservation of landscapes and natural biodiversity. Protected Areas (PAs) do not escape this threat. Poland is among the European leaders in terms of the variety of landscapes and the share of an area designated as a protected area. However, as many as 78% of the habitats have poor or bad conservation status based on EEA reports. This article analyzes the LUCCs between 2000 and 2018 in various types of the Polish legal forms of nature protection areas and the European Natura 2000 network within the country. The research material was: the data of Corine Land Cover (CLC), the Central Register of Nature Protection Forms, and high-resolution layers, such as HRL and orthophotos. The results were compiled according to the CLC class and forms of protection. The matrix of transformations showed that the most frequently transformed CLC class was 312 (coniferous forest). It was transformed into class 324 (transitional woodland shrubs). The changes in PAs were usually smaller than in the surrounding buffer zones, which may indicate their effectiveness. The exception was the areas of the European Natura 2000 network. The scale of land-cover flows (LCFs) changed within particular forms of protected areas, though afforestation and deforestation predominating in all area types. National reserves and parks were the most stable in terms of land cover structures. However, human settlements increased around the protected areas, potentially increasing threats to their ecological integrity.

REGARDING THE ACTIVITY OF A NATIONAL PARK DIRECTOR IN ENSURING THE SAFETY OF TOURISTS VISITING NATIONAL PARK AREAS

Purpose. The aim of the article is to analyse a national park director's legal position, roles, tasks and legal forms of operations in ensuring the safety of tourists visiting a national park. The objective of this analysis is also to determine whether the legal position, competencies and legal forms of activity at the disposal of the national park director are sufficient to ensure the safety of tourists visiting the national park. Method. The theoretical nature of this article determines the choice of research methods and their application. A dogmatic method (analytical and dogmatic) involving legal exegesis using linguistic and non-linguistic rules of legal interpretation is the predominant method applied in the article. Findings. The national park director’s legal status (including his/her position in the system of administering entities) is not clearly defined by the legislator and therefore, raises doubts. The legislature has not explicitly included this entity into the local authorities of consolidated and non-consolidated government administration. The legislator defines a national park director as a national park authority and a nature protection authority, directly indicating that this authority performs the tasks of a regional director aimed at nature protection within the national park area. The director of a national park may be classified as an administering entity, or on account of his/her tasks and powers, a public administration authority in a functional sense. However, it is misleading to treat national park directors as public administration authorities sensu stricto, i.e. the authorities who are part of the state machinery (authorities acting directly on behalf of the state or local self-governments), whose basic and, in principle, sole purpose is to perform public administration tasks (e.g. minister, province administrator, commune head). However, some authors consider national park directors to be public administration bodies sensu stricto [Makuch 2020, p. 527]. It has been confirmed in research that there is great diversity concerning tasks, powers and legal forms of operations at the disposal of a national park director, which can be used to ensure the safety of tourists visiting national parks. These are legal and factual activities of regulatory and non-regulatory nature. The tasks and competencies of national park directors include, first of all, protecting national park resources (environmental protection), which is the essence of their existence, and also providing access to national parks so as to ensure the safety of people who visit them. Research and conclusions limitations. The author focuses on analysis of the national legal framework. The origin of institutions and comparative legal analyses have been omitted. Practical implications. In the research, the current legal status is shown, and this can be considered the basis for further legislative work. Originality. To date, research on the national park directors' tasks, roles and legal forms of operation in ensuring the safety of tourists visiting national parks has been very scarce. Most of such issues are raised while discussing wider problems related to nature protection as well as tourism, and are not subject to in-depth examination [Wolski 2010, pp. 75-83]. In this context, it is worth noting that not only the national park directors' tasks and legal forms of activity require detailed analysis and evaluation, but their status in the state system and position in the system of administering entities as well. The current findings in this field are not sufficiently comprehensive and require further clarification. Type of paper. The article presents some theoretical concepts. It is a general overview article.

Some Specific Featues of Investigating Illegal Hunting

The authors analyze key problems in the investigation of illegal hunting. They specifically note that, in spite of the active work of many nature protection bodies, the damage inflicted by illegal hunting amounts to about RUR 19 bln. annually. The remoteness of the areas where such crimes are committed poses a considerable obstacle to the work of investigation-operative groups. The authors conducted a detailed study of the problems in the identification and, consequently, effective investigation of such crimes. It is also highlighted that their investigation and detection require expert knowledge of the specific features of hunting and the life of wild animals. In conclusion it is stressed that the existing problems make it easier to commit crimes under discussion, and the situation requires a most active participation of the law enforcement in the fight for preserving biodiversity and the improvement of the effectiveness of investigations.

Making Intangibles Tangible: Identifying Manifestations of Cultural Ecosystem Services in a Cultural Landscape

The assessment of cultural ecosystem services (CES) has proved challenging due to their intangible, non-material and invisible characteristics. A number of methods for evaluating CES have been developed, which depend mostly on subjective perceptions and behavior. An objective direction for considering CES is proposed based on the assumption that making use of CES leaves visible manifestations in the physical landscape and human society. The approach developed in this paper attempts to follow this direction by identifying a large amount of manifestations that reflect a wider range of CES types. This approach is applied to a case study of the Weser River in Germany, showing that the local people along the river have benefited from multiple CES of the Weser and created various manifestations of those CES. In the future researches, the identification and documentation of manifestations can be used to map the delivery of CES, to develop indicator systems for CES, to assess heritage value and identity, to indicate spatially explicit preferences on ecosystem characteristics and visual aesthetic qualities, to estimate the economic value of educational and inspirational service, to investigate sense of place, as well as to make better informed landscape management and nature protection.

Community Local Wisdom and Efforts to Create Quality Marine Tourism

Marine tourism has the potential to develop various activities because it is supported by nature, culture and tourist activities. However, coastal and marine areas are vulnerable to damage and over exploitation. Various problems encountered in coastal and marine areas, such as garbage, damage to coral reefs, excessive fish management, social problems, conflicts of interest or limited governance. Local wisdom has a fundamental role as a way of life for people in preserving civilization. Likewise, the roles and efforts of stakeholders to participate in contributing to monitoring and providing protection for coastal and marine areas so that they can provide sustainable benefits. This research uses a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods, especially the explanatory sequential mixed method. Data were analyzed using descriptive qualitative, Importance Performance Analysis and Customer Satisfaction Index. Data were collected by observation, questionnaires, and interviews by raising several cases in Indonesian territory related to local wisdom from a cultural perspective, the role of NGOs from a nature conservation perspective, and tourism assessment from a tourist market perspective. Local wisdom from a cultural perspective, a community that has potential and a central role in conservation and preservation efforts, resource development and science and technology that can be passed on to the next generation based on knowledge, values, skills, resources, decision-making and local solidarity. Stakeholders in terms of nature protection have a major role and potential contribution by supporting, implementing, advocating, engaging and influencing, and having a high commitment to realizing responsible and sustainable tourism. From a tourism point of view, it has several weaknesses related to the quality of tourist attractions in indicators, management, amenities and value for money, so that efforts are needed to improve the quality and variety of products, professional management, and various tourism activity innovations that have the value of novelty and meaningfulness for tourists.

Formation and structure of the biota of Kamchatka's natural ecosystems

The formation of the modern flora and fauna of Kamchatka, paleogeography, natural ecosystems are considered. The biological diversity of the most important groups of biota is analyzed: vascular plants, mollusks, echinoderms, crustaceans, insects, fish, birds, mammals. The most prominent representatives, including economically significant ones, are highlighted. Brief information on paleodendroflora is given, a brief analysis of currently flourishing vascular plants is given. The fossil forms of extinct and currently living animals inhabiting the natural ecosystems of Kamchatka are described. A polytomic analysis of the biota was performed and its functional structure was established. For researchers in the field of ecology and nature protection, teachers and students of relevant academic disciplines, as well as for a wide range of readers in order to learn about the nature of the region and environmental education.

СURRENT PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF ECOLOGICAL TOURISM DEVELOPMENT ON THE TERRITORY OF THE UKRAINIAN CARPATHIANS FOREST FUND

In order to study current problems and prospects of the ecological tourism development on the territory of the Ukrainian Car-pathians Forest fund, a sociological survey was conducted among Ukrainian citizens. The share of tourists who rested on this territory and are interested in traveling to nature protection sites in order to feel the aesthetics and cleanliness of these objects, get acquainted with local traditions and stay in the unchanging natural conditions of the Ukrainian Carpathians is studied. Atten-tion is drawn to the current problems and relevance of the study of ecological tourism on the territory of the Ukrainian Carpathians Forest fund, since the forest plays a significant role in the development of this type of tourism. A comparative characterization is made between mass and ecological tourism, since mass tourism is considered as a more traditional form of tourism development, where short­term free market principles dominate, income maximization is paramount, and ecological tourism corresponds to the concept of sustainable development. The main factors that hinder the development of ecological tourism on the territory of the Ukrainian Carpathians Forest fund are considered. The key factors are the lack of information, ignorance of potential visitors about the possibility of functioning of ecological tourism on the territory of the Ukrainian Carpathians Forest fund, illegal logging, fires, lack of proper infrastructure and the lack of a step­by­step education system in the sphere of tourist and recreational complex, the lack of specialized structures capable of organizing and coordinating the development of ecological tourism at the regional level. It is revealed that effective economic and legal regulation will contribute to the successful development of ecolog-ical tourism. The assessment of the level of ecological tourism development on the territory of the Ukrainian Carpathians Forest fund was carried out by identifying its strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats, as a result of which the main idea of ecological tourism was established: environmental protection, new sources of financing for the nature reserve fund, improving the ecological well­being of the population and developing society in accordance with the concept of sustainable development.Keywords: ecological tourism, mass tourism, ecotourist, territories of forest fund, ecological well­being, the Ukrainian Carpathians. Із метою вивчення перспектив розвитку екологічного туризму на території лісового фонду Українських Карпат проведено соціологічне опитування серед громадян України. Досліджено частку туристів, які відпочивали на цій території. Звернено увагу на сучасні проблеми та актуальність дослідження екологічного туризму на території лісового фонду Українських Карпат. Здійснено порівняльну характеристику між масовим та екологічним туризмом. Розглянуто основні чинни-ки, які перешкоджають розвитку екологічного туризму на території лісового фонду Українських Карпат. Обґрунтовано, що успішному розвитку екологічного туризму сприятиме ефективне економіко­правове регулювання. Проведено оцінку рівня розвитку екологічного туризму на території лісового фонду Українських Карпат за допомогою ідентифікації його сильних та слабких сторін, можливостей і загроз.Ключові слова: екологічний туризм, масовий туризм, екотурист, території лісового фонду, екологічний добробут, Українські Карпати.