Wilderness Perception Mapping

Mapping actual and predicted perceptions of wilderness enables the impact of resource use activities upon wilderness to be modelled. The Heaphy Road in the Northwest portion of New Zealand's South Island is used to evaluate the effects of a particular scenario on perceived wilderness.     

Tourism development and users’ perceptions of wilderness in Southern New Zealand

Wilderness is a concept that is defined by personal cognition and cultural background, rather than physical environments. This paper examines perceptions of wilderness among a number of samples of the general public and wilderness users in Otago and Fiordland in southern New Zealand. In these areas, which depend heavily upon a growing tourist industry, extensive areas of national park and other developed land provide locales for wilderness experiences to be enjoyed. These are sought by a growing number of international and domestic visitors, whose attitudes towards the development and protection of wilderness areas are analysed, and some suggestions are made for the delimitation and labelling of a range of types of wilderness and remote experience areas.     

Toward an Understanding and Definition of Wilderness Spirituality

There is an increasing body of Western literature lamenting the loss of spiritual relationships and connection with the Earth, and numerous studies of wilderness spirituality. But what is wilderness spirituality? Do expert perceptions differ from public views of the meaning of the term? This paper explores these questions. Despite spirituality being an abstract topic, and spiritual values hard to define and measure, numerous authors have suggested definitions of nature-based and wilderness spirituality. A content analysis of a random sample of the general population in a preliminary study in Tasmania on wilderness spirituality meanings was compared to definitions supplied by experts on the topic. Strong commonalities between the two groups were the citation of words expressing connection and interrelationship, portrayals of transcending the self, and the quality of compassion. Weak commonalties were terms such as ‘peace’ and ‘harmony’, ‘respect’, ‘joy’, ‘elation’, ‘happiness’, ‘sacredness’ and ‘reverence’. Disparate elements were found to be a sense of awe and wonder, religiosity, humbleness, and altered states of consciousness. The defining characteristics of wilderness spirituality were found to be a feeling of connection and interrelationship with other people and nature; a heightened sense of awareness and elevated consciousness beyond the everyday and corporeal world; and cognitive and affective dimensions of human understandings embracing peace, tranquillity, harmony, happiness, awe, wonder, and humility. A religious meaning and explanation may be present.     

Ambivalence in the Woods: Baltimore Resident Perceptions of Local Forest Patches

Abstract

Wild urban forests may elicit positive and negative emotions, both at a community level and within an individual. This paper examines resident perceptions and use of local forest patches in Baltimore, Maryland across four case study neighborhoods selected for differences in homeownership and forest patch management. Semi-structured interview data reveal residents’ strongly ambivalent attitudes toward urban wilderness across all study sites with only nuanced differences in perceptions based on homeownership and management regime. Baltimore residents living adjacent to forest patches were found to experience some of the restorative benefits associated with immersion in wild nature, even when they do not actually enter the woods. Positive experiences were balanced by negative emotions resulting from the perception that urban wilderness is chaotic and unpredictable. These ambivalent feelings may influence the benefits derived from these urban green spaces, as well as local residents’ desires for their future structure and function as social-ecological spaces.     

福建水口水电站库区的塌岸问题

从环境地质角度,对水口库区的塌岸问题,即库岸再造现象进行监测研究,并对塌岸发展的最终宽度,稳定时间历程进行预测,为水电工程移民安置,库区开发建设提供借鉴。     

Hydroelectric Infrastructure and Potential Groundwater Contamination in the Brazilian Amazon: Altamira and the Belo Monte Dam

Heavy investments in hydroelectric development are occurring throughout the Amazon Basin, which holds 42.2 percent of Brazil’s hydroelectric potential. The Belo Monte dam is the most recent and largest project in this region. The prevalence of septic systems in the Amazon, coupled with the widespread use of water wells and rising water table from filling the reservoir, create sanitation and health concerns for upstream communities. Using spatial analytical data and terrain analyses, we identify high-risk locations within the most densely populated neighborhoods in Altamira, Belo Monte’s host city. The purpose of this research is to develop a heuristic for identifying areas susceptible to groundwater and well contamination in relation to existing and proposed hydroelectric projects. Altamira’s city center persists as a high-risk location for contamination of wells because of its population density and relatively low elevation compared to other parts of the city. The methods, tools, and analyses presented in this article provide a framework that can be used to identify vulnerability to groundwater and drinking well contamination. The results presented here can guide implementation of public health and sanitation efforts in areas affected by large hydroelectric projects to avoid future water quality crises. Key Words: Belo Monte, groundwater contamination, hydroelectric infrastructure, risk assessment, spatial and terrain analyses.     

黄土高原地区退耕还林工程的农户响应与影响因素——以甘肃定西大牛流域为例

以甘肃省退耕还林(草)重点实施区为例,通过问卷调查和定量回归分析,研究农户对退耕还林(草)工程的认识和态度。总体上农民有较高的生态环境保护意识,对退耕还林(草)政策的认识基本持积极支持的态度;年龄、文化程度、家庭人口、劳动力数量、人均耕地数量、退耕还林(草)面积是影响农户环保意识和对退耕还林(草)态度的主要因素,农业和非农业农户之间存在一定差异。     

An interdisciplinary approach to depict landscape change drivers: A case study of the Ticuiz agrarian community in Michoacan, Mexico

Landscape changes are driven by a combination of physical, ecological and socio-cultural factors. Hence, a large amount of information is necessary to monitor these changes and to develop effective strategies for management and conservation. For this, novel strategies for combining social and environmental data need to be developed. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the value of an innovative interdisciplinary approach to help in explaining landscape change. We integrated three main sources of information: biophysical landscape attributes, land-use/cover change analysis and social perceptions of land-use change, institutional and policy factors and environmental services. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to develop a weight for each variable described or quantified. Finally we identified proximate causes and underlying driving forces of land transformation in the study area. The study was undertaken in a typical community in Mexico.     

Place Perception and Social Interaction on an Exurban Landscape in Central Colorado*

An assumption commonly made in research on exurbanization is that the subdivision of land ownership necessarily creates a socially divisive landscape devoid of shared place perceptions and concerns. This article presents the results of an ethnography project undertaken in a former Colorado ranching valley that is currently exurbanizing. The study revealed not only the emergence of social networks and groups among new residents, but also the presence of distinct themes in place perception and assessment within these assemblages. In particular, the results indicated that concerns about natural hazards and environmental limitations have motivated new residents to interact with one another.     

峡谷区域水电开发景观影响评价——以怒江为例

水电开发的环境影响评价近年来日益受到重视。景观影响评价是一个重要的内容。在简要 阐述水电开发的景观影响评价的相关概念及意义之后,首先阐述了峡谷区域水电开发的景观影 响及评价方法,然后以怒江为例, 具体探讨了峡谷区域水电开发景观影响评价的过程与结果。通 过设计一系列景观测度参数,包括可视域损失、大坝视觉影响范围、高差损失、景点改变、峡谷急 流损失等, 并利用GIS 进行模拟,基于计算结果对水电建设对峡谷整体和局部景观影响以及坝址 各段建库适宜性进行了评价。最后指出, 在怒江这样的急流高山峡谷上建坝应该慎而又慎, 其决 策应参考包含景观影响评价在内的环境影响评价, 并应逐步完善此方面的立法。     

煤矿区居民的环境污染感知——以陕西省韩城矿区为例

选择陕西省韩城矿区的下峪口矿和燎原矿为研究区域,通过实地访谈和454份有效问卷,利用秩和检验等统计方法,探讨了居民对环境污染的感知的影响因素。主要结论是:(1)矿区居民对环境普遍不满意,他们认为最严重的环境污染是大气污染,其次是噪音污染。矿区环境污染的最主要原因是煤炭加工(洗选、炼焦),采煤并不是最主要的环境污染原因。(2)在居民属性与环境污染感知方面发现:性别对环境污染的感知无明显的影响。年龄和居住时间对大气污染、水污染和噪音污染的感知有显著正向影响。文化程度对水污染、噪音污染和环境卫生感知有显著负向影响,这与文化集团性有关。居住空间对水污染和噪音污染有显著负向影响,说明水污染和噪音污染感知表现出空间层次性。研究结果可以为矿区的环境治理、政策制定等提供参考。     

Spatiotemporal patterns of tropical deforestation and forest degradation in response to the operation of the Tucuruí hydroelectric dam in the Amazon basin

The planned construction of hundreds of hydroelectric dams in the Amazon basin has the potential to provide invaluable ‘clean’ energy resources for aiding in securing future regional energy needs and continued economic growth. These mega-structures, however, directly and indirectly interfere with natural ecosystem dynamics, and can cause noticeable tree loss. To improve our understanding of how hydroelectric dams affect the surrounding spatiotemporal patterns of forest disturbances, this case study integrated remote sensing spectral mixture analysis, GIS proximity analysis and statistical hypothesis testing to extract and evaluate spatially-explicit patterns of deforestation (clearing of entire forest patch) and forest degradation (reduced tree density) in the 80,000 km² neighborhoods of the Brazil's Tucuruí Dam, the first large-scale hydroelectric project in the Amazon region, over a period of 25 years from 1988 to 2013. Results show that the average rates of deforestation were consistent during the first three time periods 1988–1995 (620 km² per year), 1995–2001 (591 km² per year), and 2001–2008 (660 km² per year). However, such rate dramatically fell to half of historical levels after 2008, possibly reflecting the 2008 global economic crisis and enforcement of the Brazilian Law of Environmental Crimes. The rate of forest degradation was relatively stable from 1988 to 2013 and, on average, was 17.8% of the rate of deforestation. Deforestation and forest degradation were found to follow similar spatial patterns across the dam neighborhoods, upstream reaches or downstream reaches at the distances of 5 km–80 km, suggesting that small and large-scale forest disturbances may have been influencing each other in the vicinity of the dam. We further found that the neighborhoods of the Tucuruí Dam and the upstream region experienced similar degrees of canopy loss. Such loss was mainly attributed to the fast expansion of the Tucuruí town, and the intensive logging activities alongside major roads in the upstream reservoir region. In contrast, a significantly lower level of forest disturbance was discovered in the downstream region.     

The Digital Versatile Disc as a Learning Support Medium in the Teaching and Learning of Map Work

Abstract

This article describes the results of a study where the digital versatile disc (DVD) was used as a variant of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in order to aid in the teaching and learning of map work in geography at secondary school level. A group of grade 10 learners of a previously disadvantaged school in South Africa comprised the target group for the project. A case study was conducted and data was gathered on the implementation of the DVD and the learners' perceptions thereof. Qualitative analysis techniques such as field notes, observation, interviews with the learners, and questionnaires were used to analyze the effectiveness of the implementation of the DVD as well as the learners' perceptions regarding the use of the DVD in geography education. The results of the study indicated that the geography learners demonstrated positive attitudes towards the implementation of the DVD as a learning support medium. To determine the contribution of the DVD project towards the achieved results of the learners in map work, both the experimental and control groups participated in a pre- and post-test at the beginning and conclusion of the project. Effect size was used to determine the significance of the differences between the two groups and indicates a strong practical significance regarding the contribution of the DVD project towards the achieved test results of the learners.     

煤矿区居民对环境污染感知的空间分异研究——以陕西省韩城矿区为例

选择陕西省韩城矿区下属的下峪口矿和燎原矿为研究区域,通过454份有效问卷的统计,探讨了居民环境污染感知的空间分异。研究结论表明:环境污染感知的空间分异是客观存在的,居民点周围采矿活动强度大,污染企业多,消极感知强,积极感知弱,若居民点周围的企业能带来就业和经济收益,则居民的消极感知就会减弱。进一步分析了居民点周围的采矿活动强度及企业的污染程度、居民点对矿区经济发展的响应程度、自然背景和个体心理等因素对环境污染感知空间分异的影响。     

Teaching American Indian Geography and History with New Perspectives: The Lodge Pole River Project Example

Abstract

A three-year institute called “The Lodge Pole River Project” was designed to change educator perceptions of American Indian historical geography and encourage the creation of balanced and culturally sensitive American Indian K-12 curriculum. This project offered unique opportunities to assess a geography institute's impact upon teacher knowledge and perceptions towards Native people and pedagogical approaches to teaching about American Indians and their landscapes. The assessment suggests that three weeks of field work, archival research, and curriculum writing increased participant knowledge of American Indian history and culture, solidified sympathetic perceptions and attitudes towards Native people, and strengthened the ability of educators to offer different interpretations of American Indian geography and history to their students.     

Doing art and doing cultural geography: The fieldwork/field walking project1

With accompanying examples of initial visual experimentation from the fieldwork/field walking PhD project, the paper outlines some of the challenges of being an artist and using systems of understanding from science, the new ethnography, and cultural geography as a framework for making contemporary art. The PhD project is in its preliminary stages and is designed to explore the area of walking and fieldwork in art, and as art. Some of the challenges are the ambiguous role of the artist as scientist, ethnographer and researcher, the role of reflexivity in art practice; and the pitfalls of 'academic art'. While cultural geographers have used artworks as texts to explain places, this project endeavours to work with issues of place, landscapes, power, identity and representation in the art, to feed back into this dialogue. The bulk of the project will take place in the Kimberley region of Western Australia where the concepts of wilderness and wildness are most relevant. The research question posed by the fieldwork/field walking project is: within the discourse between art and science what is the connection between fieldwork and walking in the field?     

Asking the right questions: environmental conflict in the case of Azerbaijan

This paper contributes an empirical test of key themes of the literature on natural resource conflict. Survey and interview data from an ongoing project in Azerbaijan provide insights into an unexpected lack of conflict in Azerbaijan related to the environment, resources and energy despite the predictions of resource conflict literature. We contend that questions about public perceptions about the environment and other daily concerns are critical if we are to understand who is likely (or unlikely) to be involved in conflict and why. The data presented in this paper demonstrate that Azerbaijani citizens rank environmental and resource issues among their immediate concerns and their top concerns for the country. However, compared to other day-to-day concerns such as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and economic concerns, environment-related concerns do not appear to be sufficient to motivate widespread violent conflict or citizen dissent related to environmental or natural resource conditions.     

Wilderness survey and evaluation in Australia

Increasing pressures on and interest in remote and natural lands have necessitated the formulation of wilderness protection and management policies by many Australian nature conservation authorities. Planners and managers require detailed information on variation in wilderness quality and the capacity to assess the impact on wilderness of development proposals or management strategies. To meet these demands advances have been made in techniques of wilderness identification and analysis, and a national inventory of remote and natural land in Australia has been commenced. This paper reviews these developments, discussing the newly established National Wilderness Inventory and its implications for wilderness protection in Australia.     

环保组织的社区领域建构策略及其环境治理影响

现有的环境政治文献多关注环境治理中多元主体之间的互动和策略,尤其是国家与环保组织之间的权力关系,但对权力在空间上的领域特征及其实践影响探讨不足。通过对一个国际环保组织乡村水资源保育项目的田野观察,分析了该组织在近十年的社区领域建构策略演化,并探讨动态的领域化过程如何影响环境治理的形式、范围和效果。研究发现：（1）环保组织通过与不同层级政府建立差异化联系,能够在农村社区中建构相对独立的社会领域,自主开展环保活动,但与农村社区之间的隔离也限制了环保项目进一步发展的空间;（2）环保组织通过融入本土社会关系网络的策略调整,重新建构了更具流动性、融合性的社会领域,为项目发展提供了新的动力;（3）面对长期的资源挑战,环保组织通过培育本土组织来保持自身在社区“飞地”的长期影响,但“代理人”在融合后的新领域空间内却难以再维持独立性和专业性,从而制约了公众参与环保的范围和效果。通过动态的领域化过程及其影响,解释了环境治理和环保组织发展的规律,为认识国家-环保组织-社区之间的关系提供了新视角。     

'Water all around, you cannot even drink': the scaling of water in James Bay/Eeyou Istchee

Since the 1970s, the reconfiguration of the La Grande River into a hydroelectric complex has radically altered the James Bay region and brought about new scales of identification and exchanges between peoples and places. Through this process, water emerged as an increasingly globalized entity while at the same time being captured as a local icon of cultural identification both by the Eeyouch (Eastern James Bay Cree) and the Québécois. Using an historical and discursive approach, this paper explores the intersection between the rescaling of water and the rescaling of the nation for each community. The removal of the river from the traditional places of production of the Eeyouch to redirect it into electricity-generating facilities that put every drop of water to work has dramatically changed the meaning of 'here' and 'there'– as well as 'us' and 'them'– for the Eeyouch and the Québécois, indicating that a theory of the differentiation and hierarchical organization of space needs to inform collaborative efforts toward environmental management in the region.