Recreational impacts on the microclimate of the limestone caves and management in Shoushan National Nature Park of Taiwan

<p>This study reports a continuous microclimate monitoring carried out in Gorilla Cave、Beifeng Cave、Jingua Cave and Tienyu Cave(Kaohsiung, Taiwan) between June 2018 and August 2019. These limestone caves are located in the Mt. Shoushan, which is mainly composed of limestone and mudstone. This study tried to assess the recreational impacts to the microclimate of the caves by monitoring the CO<sub>2</sub>, temperature, humidity and barometric pressure, and provide effective management strategies. A monitoring station was set up at the middle of each cave. We also set up an auto-operated time-lapse camera at the entrance of the caves to record the numbers of tourists and their entering time and the durations in caves. As carbon dioxide in the limestone caves may have negative impact to both speleothems and visitors, our presentation focuses on the variations of CO<sub>2</sub> concentration in the caves.</p><p>Daily and seasonal fluctuations of CO<sub>2</sub> concentration were observed. Monitoring data show that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the caves also changes significantly with the wet and dry seasons. The monthly average of the carbon dioxide concentration in the cave has a good correlation with rainfall and temperature, which means that the higher the temperature and humidity, the higher the carbon dioxide concentration in the cave. Besides, the difference between the day-night temperature change outside the cave and the temperature inside the caves also seems to affect whether the carbon dioxide inside the cave is easily dissipated or not. Especially when the temperature outside the cave at night is lower than the temperature inside the cave, the carbon dioxide concentration inside the cave often drops to the environmental background value (around 420 ppm). Therefore, the difference in air density caused by high and low temperature may be an important mechanism driving the gas exchange inside and outside the cave.</p><p>Based on the monitoring results, we suggest that (1) The cave is open during the dry seasons from November to April. Although monitoring data indicate that the caves have gradually dried up in October, cave exploration activities have also become active. However, the period from wet to dry in the cave is theoretically the stage of cave rock development. Considering the continuous dripping in the cave at this time, in order to avoid disturbing the development of speleothems, it is recommended to close the caves until most of the caves are dry in November. (2) The caves are open daily from 8 am to 12 am, from 1 pm to 5 pm, with a break of an hour at noon. (3) There are one batch per hour and 8 batches per day to allow visitors enter the caves, and the stay time is limited to 1 hour. (4) The monitoring results also help us reasonably estimate the number of visitors in each batch, that is, Gorilla Cave is about 15 people, Tienyu Cave is 20 to 30 people, Beifeng Cave is about 20 people and Jingua Cave is 10 to 15 people.</p>

Man-induced transformation of the territory of Staryi Sambir raion of Lviv Region

Types of man-induced impact in the territory of village councils in Staryi Sambir raion have been analyzed. The most significant changes in the raion’s territory have been caused by agricultural, forestry, pastoral, residential, industrial, and recreational impacts. Many types of impact are characterized by a rather clear landscape confinedness. Each of the types of impact causes different anthropic transformations in specific environmental components. Following P. Shyshchenko’s methodology, the factors of man-induced transformation for the territory of village councils of the raion in question have been estimated on the basis of analysis of the structure of agriculturally used lands. Five levels of territory transformation have been outlined according to the value of the man-induced transformation factor: very slightly transformed, slightly, moderately, severely and very severely transformed. It has been clarified that the territories of village councils with moderate level of transformation stand for almost a half of the raion’s area. A bit smaller is the share of very slightly transformed ones – 24.9% and slightly transformed ones – 23.1% of the territory. The territories of severely and very severely transformed village councils occupy, respectively, 1.6% and 1.5%. These are mainly the territories around the towns of Staryi Sambir, Dobromyl, and Khyriv. The overall man-induced transformation factor for the territory of Staryi Sambir raion is some 3.51.

Image Analysis to Monitor Experimental Trampling and Vegetation Recovery in Icelandic Plant Communities

With growing tourism in natural areas, monitoring recreational impacts is becoming increasingly important. This paper aims to evaluate how different trampling intensities affect some common Icelandic plant communities by using digital photographs to analyze and quantify vegetation in experimental plots and to monitor vegetation recovery rates over a consecutive three-year period. Additionally, it seeks to evaluate the use of image analysis for monitoring recreational impact in natural areas. Experimental trampling was conducted in two different sites representing the lowlands and the highlands in 2014, and the experimental plots were revisited in 2015, 2016, and 2017. The results show that moss has the highest sensitivity to trampling, and furthermore has a slow recovery rate. Moss-heaths in the highlands also show higher sensitivity and slower recovery rates than moss-heaths in the lowlands, and grasslands show the highest resistance to trampling. Both methods tested, i.e., Green Chromatic Coordinate (GCC) and Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC), showed significant correlation with the trampling impact. Using image analysis to quantify the status and define limits of use will likely be a valuable and vital element in managing recreational areas. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will add a robust way to collect photographic data that can be processed into vegetation parameters to monitor recreational impacts in natural areas.

INFLUENCE OF RECREATION IMPACT ON COMPONENTS OF FOREST PHYTOCENOSIS OF PURE 62-YEAR-OLD PLANTATIONS OF SCOTCH PINE

Under the influence of recreational impacts on plantings, their protective function, sustainability, aesthetics and natural appeal reduce. The objects of study are artificial pine plantations of 62 years of age, of different stages of digression (TLU-A2) on the sites of Somovskoe forestry of the Voronezh region. The paper explored the influence of recreational impacts on different components of forest phytocenosis. As it increases, the number of trees of the 1st category state ("no signs of weakening") significantly reduces and the number of trees 5-th and 6-th categories of the state ("fresh and old deadwood deadwood") increases. With the increase of anthropogenic influence the amount podletochnyh species, forest species of ground cover decreases and the number of weed and meadow species increases. Quickbeam (Sorbus aucuparia L) is the most resistant to recreational impact, volatile species are black alder (Frángula álnus, Mill) and wild pear tree (Pýrus commūnis, - L). With increasing stage of digression, the amount of trustworthy undergrowth of Scotch pine is reduced, the amount of questionable and unreliable undergrowth increases. The basis of natural regeneration in the forest plantations of Scots pine of 62 years of age is, in stage I of digression, single (46 %) and group (27 %) undergrowth of different age, located in the glade; its share is 49 % and 20 % respectively in stage II of digression; in stage III – single, medium, and large undergrowth (12%) in glades. Natural regeneration of tree species in trampled areas will not be able to ensure the restoration of forests and would require additional costs of afforestation in the future.