U.S. national parks accessibility and visitation

Accessibility is a factor affecting national park visitation. However, the effect of accessibility on national park visitation is not fully understood. This paper examines the relationship between U.S.national park visitation and accessibility. First, the global and local accessibility indexes of each park unit are computed based on an accessibility model that takes into account the surrounding population and its proximity to the park unit. Integrated in the model is a distance decay coefficient that is derived from U.S.national park visitor surveys and therefore pertinent to the case of study. Then correlation analysis is performed between park visitation and accessibility based on park types, regions, and visitation types.Results show that total visitation is positively related to accessibility in National Memorials, Military Parks and Battlefield Parks/Sites but negatively related to accessibility in national parks and national monuments. However, recreational overnight stay visits are commonly negatively correlated to accessibility for almost all park types. Moreover, local accessibility index displays enhanced correlation coefficients with improved significance levels in many categories of analysis. Results suggest that historical/cultural national parks which often show positive correlations tend to attract more local visitors,but nature-based parks which mainly show negative correlations tend to attract more distant visitors.     

Tourist Behaviors in Wetland Park： A Preliminary Study in Xixi National Wetland Park, Hangzhou, China

Public education as well as tourism and leisure are the two important functions of national wetland park, and tourist behaviors act as the guiding factor in the national wetland park construction and management. As the first national wetland park in China, Xixi National Wetland Park, located in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, will give constructive instructions to the construction and management of other wetland parks and ecotourism resorts. This paper analyzed the tourist behaviors in Xixi National Wetland Park. By the observation, in-depth interview and questionnaire, the results show that tourists in wetland parks are different from those in the other common destinations, and they are also different from those strict eco-tourists. In fact, the tourists in wetland park have unique characteristics, such as the intense perception to the functions of wetland ecosystem and the environment impact behaviors. Those tourists are preferred to natural landscapes in their motivations and expectations. Wetland landscapes are the main image to those tourists in the Xixi National Wetland Park. Tourist expectation, experience and satisfaction are all critical factors for the success of the planning and management in national wetland parks. Based on the results, some measures for the sustainable development of wetland parks, including to optimize wetland theme landscape and tourism products, to improve tourist facilities and services, to enhance quality of visitor experiences, and to implement total quality management based on tourist characteristics, are given to national wetland park ecotourism.     

Monitoring System of tourist traffic(MSTT) for tourists monitoring in mid-mountain national park,SW Poland

National parks are highly valuable natural areas and have the potential to attract a large number of visitors.The number of visitors at national parks is systematically increasing,often exceeding Tourism Carrying Capacity(TCC) of trails.This situation requires adjusting the number of park visitors to adapt to sustainable management systems of visitor flow,thus preventing or counteracting overtourism.The aim of the study is to propose a comprehensive method for tourists monitoring in mid-mountain national park presented on the example of the Sto?owe Mountains National Park(SMNP) in Poland,called as Monitoring System of tourist traffic(MSTT).The study describes six stages procedure of tourists Monitoring System creation and application as an optimal measurement technique.The MSTT enabled a multidimensional analysis of tourist traffic in SMNP.With the help of 39 pyroelectric sensors and surveys data spatio-temporal characteristic of visitor flow was obtained.The data generated in MSTT included hourly,daily,weekly,monthly,and annual reports,taking into account the direction of traffic measuring both directions:entries(IN),exits(OUT) and passages(IN+OUT).The results from pyroelectric sensors were supplemented with field surveys,where visitor's motivations,preferences,and behaviours were determined.In 2017 a total of 871,344 visitors were recorded in SMNP what causes one of the most popular national parks in Poland.The SMNP is a suitable destination for short breaks leisure visits in wilderness.In order to sustain MSTT methodology in the long-run the set of guidelines together with the workload estimates were presented.In the future,the MSTT can be further developed,including monitoring of climbing,cycling,cross-country skiing,car traffic and illegal tourism assessment.The MSTT can be considered as a useful tool for tourism management in mid-mountain national parks throughout the entire calendar year.     

Recreational potential as an indicator of accessibility control in protected mountain forest areas

The article presents research findings related to recreational use of forests located in protected mountainous areas with forestage of over 80%. The study was designed to identify recreational potential of the Carpathian national parks(Bieszczady National Park, Babia Góra National Park, Gorce National Park and Magura National Park; southern Poland) and to compare these findings with the actual number of visitors. The information received on the recreational potential of parks is important from the point of view of protection of natural resources and the financial situation of the parks. The calculated ratio may be an effective tool of management for park administration, that allows to reconcile statutory social and protective functions of national parks. The study determined the recreational potential of the forests with the use of recreational valorisation method designed for areas with varied terrain, and the evaluated factors included the stands of trees with their habitat and land relief. The permissible number of national park visitors, expressed as manhour/ha/year ranges from 19.31 in Bieszczady National Park(BG: 19o 35' E, 49o 35' N) to 32.06 in in Bieszczady National Park(B: 22o 40' E, 49o 10' N). In 3 out of 4 investigated parks, Magura National Park(M: 21°25' E, 49o 30' N), Gorce National Park(G: 20o10' E, 49o 35' N), B) recreation carrying capacity was not exceeded, whether or not the strictly protected area is taken into account. Only in BG was the recreation carrying capacity exceeded by nearly 24%,or by 85% if the strictly protected area isexcluded from tourism-related exploitation. The presented procedure for monitoring access to mountain forests in national parks, from the viewpoint of natural resources conservation, can be applied in other mountainous areas covered with forests and exposed to tourist and recreational traffic,and in forests facing particular risk of recreational damage, e.g. in urban and suburban forests growing in areas with varied orography.     

A structural relationship between place attachment and intention to conserve landscapes–a case study of Harz National Park in Germany

Place attachment is an important motivation for people to spend more time outdoors and to protect landscapes. This study explores visitors’ intention to conserve natural landscapes based on the relationship with their place attachment to National Park landscape. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to determine the relationship between landscape conservation and place attachment. A survey with a structured questionnaire was administered to visitors to the seven designated hiking courses of Harz National Park in Germany. The path coefficient of 0.77 revealed that place dependence positively and significantly affected place attachment, whereas place identity did not. Place attachment had a significant effect on both affective appraisals and visiting satisfaction. Higher place attachment led to higher emotional reaction to landscapes on site and higher satisfaction of visiting the park. Among the variables, visiting satisfaction, but not affective appraisals, played a statistically significant mediating role between place attachment and conservation intention. With a path coefficient of 0.86, conservation intention was highly affected by visiting satisfaction. These results suggest that the managers of National Parks should focus on increasing visiting satisfaction based on how visitors are emotionally bonded with their visiting places, in order to enhance the intentions to conserve the landscape of the visitors to National Parks.     

青州国家地质公园规划编制探讨

"国家地质公园规划"是国家地质公园的"宪法",是建设和管理国家地质公园的依据。按照国土资源部的要求,获得资格的地质公园必须按照《国家地质公园规划编制技术要求》编制国家地质公园规划,经省级国土资源部门初审后报部审查。青州国家地质公园规划是山东省第一个通过国土资源部审查批准的国家级地质公园规划,本文详细介绍了青州国家地质公园规划编写的要点和心得,以期与各位同行交流和探讨。     

Distance decay of place attachment and perceived authenticity of mountain tourism destinations in China

Place attachment has been a research focus in the fields of park and recreation management.Place attachment plays an important role in promoting sustainable development of parks and mountain tourism destination,however,there are limited studies that identified the spatial patterns of place attachment,especially in the context of mountain tourism destinations in China.Also,the geospatial spectrum of visitors is usually broad,examining the multivariate relationships among spatial proximity,perceived authenticity,and place attachment are essential for mountain tourism destinations to promote destination image and strengthen emotional bonding with targeted visitor groups.In this study,we selected an iconic and highly visited park,Jiuzhai Valley National Park in China,as our study site and conducted an on-site visitor survey to collect 557 samples.Study uses factor analysis and the structure equation model to analyze the relationship among spatial proximity,perceived authenticity,and place attachment.Results validate the two-dimension structure of place attachment and perceived authenticity.Study findings suggest that spatial proximity has significant impacts on existential authenticity and place identity,but has no significant impacts on place dependence.Perceived authenticity has a positive impact on place attachment.Study results advance the theories of place attachment and provide effective strategies to enhance emotional attachment between visitors and mountain tourism destinations.     

Tourism versus nature conservation: reconciliation of common interests and objectives——an analysis through Picos de Europa National Park

Nature tourism and particularly tourism in national parks have acquired significant importance in contemporary societies. Post-Fordist consumers have reevaluated the meanings of ‘nature' and ‘natural spaces' and now avoid standardization to seek singularity. Tourism in national parks is a consequence of this tendency and has both positive and negative aspects. The purpose of this sociological research is to describe the most relevant conflicts in the Picos de Europa National Park(Spain) involving the park's conservation, local economic development,and tourism. Seven in-depth interviews and three focus groups were addressed to key local stakeholders.In this research were identified three chief areas of existing or potential inter-related conflicts and the main actors interacting with them. The first is on population, particularly, the negative consequences of depopulations on the local socio-economic development and the environment. A second source of conflicts identified is caused by the difficult conciliation between commercial exploitation and conservation of the protected natural area. More precisely, this specific form of tourism positively contributes to the economy of local communities whilst problems can arise for the conservation goals of National Parks. Thirdly, in this research is also analyzed the institutional governance and the inter and intra-governmental conflicts as well as with the Park's management body. These findings provide important information for the improved management of tourism and conflicting interests in natural parks.     

Modeling visitor use on high elevation mountain trails: An example from Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park,USA

Increasing use on mountain summits has both social and ecological implications. High numbers of visitors climbing mountain summits can be a safety issue, particularly in areas where terrain or elevation leads to queueing that may cause time delays.Estimating visitor use levels at site specific locations en route to summits is needed to understand the potential benefits and impacts of visitor use in these locations. However, it can be difficult to obtain reliable and robust data to estimate use and develop statistical relationships because of the remote and harsh climates on mountain summits, as well as the financial and personnel requirements involved to collect the data in remote locations. In 2015, data were collected on the higher stretches of the Keyhole Route on Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, USA(RMNP) to better understand use levels near the summit and to explore potential statistical relationships to trailhead use data that are relatively easy to collect. Strong statistical relationships from robust regression analyses were found between trailhead use counts and daily and hourly use totals on the "Homestretch" which is a final section of the Keyhole Route. Additionally, a strong statistical relationship was found between total daily use and maximum hourly use on the Homestretch. The results suggest that trailhead counts are an accurate and reliable means from which to estimate use levels on upper portions of the Keyhole route. Moreover, this research demonstrates the usefulness of an approach using proxy variables to estimate visitor use along remote peaks where data collection can be difficult.These types of data can elucidate various options and decisions for park management teams who are charged with deciding if and how to manage high use areas.     

青州国家地质公园保护建设研究

青州取得国家地质公园建设资格后,按照国土资源部的要求,成立了专门的保护管理机构,发布实施了公园规划,重点建设和打造了公园的解说标识系统、地质博物馆、信息系统等保护建设工程。公园建设顺利通过了国土资源部的验收并获正式命名。该文全面介绍了青州国家地质公园在建设保护方面的做法,为其他地质公园的保护建设提供参考。     

USERS′ PERCEPTION OF KOWLOON PARK, HONG KONG： VISITING PATTERNS AND SCENIC ASPECTS

Hong Kong is a hyper-dense city with 7×10⁶ people living in an area of 1100km². One way to improve the livability of compacted and congested cities like Hong Kong is through the provision of urban parks, an aspect that has largely been under-researched. This study focuses on how users perceive and utilize various facilities in the Kowloon Park. The findings revealed that the Kowloon Park is one of the most preferred parks in Hong Kong for both local residents and tourists. Users were quite satisfied with the park’s facilities. Notably, the most important component of an urban park is its greenery. This is followed by water elements, seating places, and facilities for various recreational activities. The improvements users would like to see in urban parks include good design and management, meeting users’ needs, overcoming barriers to use, and providing a high quality and varied experience for different groups in the community. The findings of this study provide a good basis to address park management issues from the users’ perspective. In particular, parks should provide easy access, encourage optimum usage and enable complimentary improvements to the environment. Foundation item: Under the auspices of the Germany-Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme (No.GER/99-00/01) and the Faculty Research Grant of the Hong Kong Baptist University (No.FRG/00-01/I-38) Biography: WONG Koon-kwai (1950—), male, a native of Guangdong Province, Ph.D., associate professor, specialized in the analysis of human-environment interaction. E-mail: kenwong@hkbu.edu.hk     

Distribution of debris flows in Glacier National Park,Montana, U.S.A.

The spectacular scenery of Glacier National Park is the result of glacial erosion as well as post-glacial mass wasting processes. Debris flow magnitude and frequency have been established through extensive fieldwork across seven separate drainage basins in the eastern portion of the park. This paper summarizes the investigation of the hypotheses that debris flow distribution in the Glacier National Park, east of the Continental Divide is （a） not random; and Co） concentrated adjacent to the Continental Divide. The location of 2317 debris flows were identified and mapped from sixty-three 1-m resolution Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quadrangles and their spatial distribution was then analyzed using ArcView Spatial Analyst GIS software. The GIS analysis showed that the debris flows are not randomly distributed nor are they concentrated directly adjacent to the Divide. While the Continental Divide provides orographic enhancement of precipitation directly adjacent to the Divide, the debris flows are not concentrated there due to a lack of available weathered regolith. The most recent Little Ice Age glaciation removed the debris directly adjacent to the Divide, and without an adequate debris supply, these steep slopes experience few debris flows. Both abundant water and an adequate debris supply are necessary to initiate slope failure, resulting in a clustering of debris flows at the break in slope where valley walls contact talus slopes. A variety of summer storm and antecedent moisture conditions initiate slope failures in the Glacier National Park, with no distinct meteorological threshold. With over two million visitorsevery year, and millions of dollars of park infrastructure at risk, identifying the hazard of debris flows is essential to future park management plans.     

Spatial distribution pattern in mammal and bird richness and their relationship with ecosystem services in Sanjiangyuan National Park,China

Species diversity exhibit a close relationship with ecosystem services, and making clear the relationship can help us understand the service value and functional mechanism of ecosystems and take measures to promote human well-being. Here, we used species survey data and multi-source habitat factors to simulate the spatial distribution of species richness and four types of ecosystem services(water production, net primary productivity, carbon storage, and habitat quality) in Sanjiangyuan National Park located in Qinghai Province, China. We also analyzed the spatial distribution pattern and explored the spatial relationship between species richness and ecosystem services through Geo Detector analyses. We found that high species richness in Sanjiangyuan National Park was shown to be mainly distributed in areas with high vegetation growth on both sides of rivers. The effect of climate on the spatial distribution of species richness in the park is the highest among all the selected environmental variables. For the relationship between species diversity and ecosystem services, the relative correlation strength of single ecosystem service varied among the three main ecosystems(grassland, meadow, and wetland) and all relations are positive.     

Acacia mearnsii management in a South African National Parks:SWOT analysis using hot topics in biological invasion as a guide

The assessment of the policy framework governing Invasive Alien Species(IAS) control is of critical importance in conservation. The undertaking of a SWOT analysis of such a framework is necessary because it enhances the efficacy of IAS control. The aim of this study is to carry out a SWOT analysis of the policy framework guiding the control of the spreading of Acacia mearnsii and other IAS in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park in South Africa,as well as the implementation of restorative measures in the park and adjacent communities in line with the recommendations of the Convention on Biodiversity. A comparative analysis of this framework and the hierarchical framework that was developed during the European Union Conference on Freshwater Invasives- Networking for Strategy in 2013 is undertaken. The results indicate the need to strengthen parkcommunity relations,upgrade existing legislation,and boost the technical capacity of South African national parks to identify,detect,monitor and predict IAS invasions,both within the parks and their surroundings. This knowledge is important for developing future policies on IAS control in South Africa.     

Dark touristic perception: Motivation,experience and benefits interpreted from the visit to seismic memorial sites in Sichuan province

This study investigates the motivations of Chinese domestic tourists visiting seismic memorial sites after the great Wenchuan earthquake of 2008, and examines their interpretation of experiences and benefits of the visits. Recent research on dark tourism has raised the possibility that people are attracted to death and memorial sites in ways different from other tourist attractions. The study used an empirical research design employing questionnaires to collect data from 255 Chinese domestic visitors at seismic memorial sites in west Sichuan. Analysis revealed that the obligation of commemoration mixed with curiosity represents a different set of travel motivation in dark tourism settings than in other kinds of tourism. In addition, the empirical evidence also suggests an interrelated pattern between motivations, experiences and benefits. This study implies that Chinese domestic tourists were attracted in ways different from other tourist attractions both because they tended to fulfill their obligation of commemoration and were interested in destruction; and visitor experiences played an important mediating role between travel motivations and benefits gained.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Acacia mearnsii</Emphasis> management in a South African National Parks: SWOT analysis using hot topics in biological invasion as a guide

The assessment of the policy framework governing Invasive Alien Species (IAS) control is of critical importance in conservation. The undertaking of a SWOT analysis of such a framework is necessary because it enhances the efficacy of IAS control. The aim of this study is to carry out a SWOT analysis of the policy framework guiding the control of the spreading of Acacia mearnsii and other IAS in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park in South Africa, as well as the implementation of restorative measures in the park and adjacent communities in line with the recommendations of the Convention on Biodiversity. A comparative analysis of this framework and the hierarchical framework that was developed during the European Union Conference on Freshwater Invasives - Networking for Strategy in 2013 is undertaken. The results indicate the need to strengthen park-community relations, upgrade existing legislation, and boost the technical capacity of South African national parks to identify, detect, monitor and predict IAS invasions, both within the parks and their surroundings. This knowledge is important for developing future policies on IAS control in South Africa.     

基于改进引力模型的公园绿地空间可达性及供需平衡分析方法

探究高密度城市公园绿地资源空间配置的有效性和供需平衡问题对城市规划和居民生活具有重要意义。已有研究较少从多尺度、多交通出行模式以及结合地图大数据算法的角度对公园绿地可达性进行探究。本文以广州市越秀区为例,利用百度地图多交通出行数据,提出一种结合多类型公园绿地多级可达时间阈值的改进型引力模型,对越秀区公园绿地的空间可达性及其供需平衡特征进行研究。结果表明：① 越秀区各尺度和各类型公园绿地可达性差异显著,城区尺度可达性大体上呈现由北向南逐层递减趋势,街道尺度可达性则表现出明显的“极化”现象,大型公园绿地可达性远高于社区公园和街头游园且在城市整体可达性中占主体地位;② 从空间集聚情况来看,城区尺度公园绿地可达性值呈现明显的空间集聚分布特征,由北向南表现为高值聚类、不显著、低值聚类,街道尺度相比城区尺度高值聚类减少,低值聚类和无统计意义的区域增多;③ 基于供需平衡视角的空间可达性结果显示,公园绿地供给与居民需求在城区尺度和街道尺度分别呈现出整体平衡和局部失衡的现象,局部失衡主要集中在公园绿地资源相对匮乏的街道。     

Seasonal Variation in Air Temperature and Relative Humidity on Building Areas and in Green Spaces in Beijing,China

The cooling and humidifying effects of urban parks are an essential component of city ecosystems in terms of regulating microclimates or mitigating urban heat islands(UHIs).Air temperature and relative humidity are two main factors of thermal environmental comfort and have a critical impact on the urban environmental quality of human settlements.We measured the 2-m height air temperature and relative humidity at the Beijing Olympic Park and a nearby building roof for more than 1 year to elucidate seasonal variations in air temperature and relative humidity,as well as to investigate the outdoor thermal comfort.The results showed that the lawn of the park could,on average,reduce the air temperature by(0.80±0.19)℃,and increase the relative humidity by(5.24±2.91)% relative to the values measured at the building roof during daytime.During the nighttime,the lawn of the park reduced the air temperature by(2.64±0.64)℃ and increased the relative humidity by(10.77±5.20)%.The park was cooler and more humid than surrounding building area,especially in night period(more pronounced cooling with 1.84℃).Additionally,the lawn of the park could improve outdoor thermal comfort through its cooling and humidifying effects.The level of thermal comfort in the park was higher than that around the building roof for a total of 11 days annually in which it was above one or more thermal comfort levels(average reduced human comfort index of 0.92)except during the winter.     

兼顾共性基础与个性特色的智慧园区评价方法

作为智慧城市的重要组成和微观缩影,智慧园区建设十分重要,而评价方法是评估园区建设水平、促进园区健康发展的关键要素。当前,随着新一代信息通信技术(Information and Communications Technology,ICT）的高速发展,及全生命周期管理等先进理念的贯彻实践,智慧园区建设与发展欣欣向荣。然而,与之一体的评价方法却关注鲜少,存在迭代缓慢和类型单一等问题,可能会影响对智慧园区发展水平的客观评价。鉴于此,论文在充分继承原有方法的先进基础上,提出兼顾共性基础与个性特色的CCI（Commonality Combined with Individuality,CCI）智慧园区评价方法,其中,CCI评价指标体系共包括8个一级指标、30个二级指标和63个三级指标。共性评价指标是所有园区共有的基础指标,是必选项,充分融合全生命周期管理的理念,围绕智慧园区顶层设计基础层-平台层-应用层的基本架构展开梳理;个性评价指标是个别园区特有的特色指标,是可选项,需要依据园区的实际产业生产流程或业务内容展开分析。同时,以深圳市智慧妈湾作为实证案例,构建CCI评价指标体系并应用层次分析法（Analytic Hierarchy Process, AHP）展开综合评价,结合评价结果给出了发展建议：智慧妈湾整体水平较高,符合其打造先行示范区智慧城市标杆的目标定位;但在智慧平台、智慧物流、智慧金融、智慧文创方面还有一定的提升空间。最后,评价结果与智慧妈湾实际情况的一致性,论证了CCI智慧园区评价方法的科学性和可行性。     

基于长时间序列遥感数据的阿伯德尔国家公园 生态环境质量评价

阿伯德尔国家公园位于号称肯尼亚“水塔”的阿伯德尔山脉上,是肯尼亚重要的旅游景区和珍稀动植物保护区,开展该地生态环境质量评价对肯尼亚水资源保护与可持续发展具有重要的意义。本研究基于1987-2018年的Landsat系列遥感数据,通过计算综合遥感生态指数RSEI,结合趋势线分析法对阿伯德尔国家公园近32年间生态环境质量变化进行客观定量分析。研究结果显示：① 1987-2018年研究区RSEI均值从0.62下降到0.51,生态环境质量退化的区域面积为551.52 km ²,占总面积的71.85%,表明在气候变化和人类活动影响下,1987-2018年研究区的环境状况呈恶化趋势;②环境质量显著恶化的区域主要分布于亚高山植被区和东部低海拔森林覆盖区,亚高山地区植被生态系统结构单一,稳定性差,对气候变化和人类活动更为敏感;而东部区域存在过度开发,非法砍伐森林等现象,且旅游开发强度大,环境恶化与人类活动密切相关。