Uncovering Trends and Spatial Biases of Research in a U.S. National Park

National parks are vital public resources for the preservation of species and landscapes, and for decades have provided natural laboratories for studying environmental and cultural resources. Though significant scholarship has taken place in national parks, syntheses of research trends and biases are rarely available for needs assessments and decision making. In this paper, we demonstrate procedures to close this information gap using Congaree National Park (CNP) as an example of a protected area characterized by disparate research. We conducted a systematic review of research topics and funding sources of all peer-reviewed, published research conducted since its inception as a National Monument in 1976. We next paired our evaluation of research trends with a spatial analysis of study locations to uncover patterns and biases in research. A total of 49 peer-reviewed publications describing research conducted at CNP have been published between 1976–2018, with over 75% published since 2003. Quantitative studies accounted for nearly 90% of all studies, and vegetation was the most commonly studied discipline. Most studies were funded by federal agencies, with the National Park Service providing the most funding instances. Spatial analyses revealed statistically significant (p < 0.05) hotspots of studies near the park entrance, visitor center, roads, and hiking trails. In providing a comprehensive evaluation of research patterns and trends within a single park, we developed an approach that can be applied by managers in other parks or public lands to maximize the utility of past research, identify potentially valuable but understudied park resources, and prioritize research needs.

MODELING OF THE MAIN TOPIC FOR THE INFORMATION VISITOR CENTER OF ECOTOURISM TERRITORIES (URBAN PLANNING TESTING OF BOURDIEU’S CONCEPT OF FIELD)

The urban planning system of the ecotourism territory is studied as a system of interacting objects – a network of ecological and educational information visitor centers. The formation of ecological consciousness is the main path leading to the balanced development of human and nature. Visitor centers are created to indirectly manage the recreational impact on the ecosystems of specially protected natural areas (SPNA) by forming an ecological consciousness among visitors, based on the transmitted information. The content of the information (the main subject) of the interacting visitor centers forms the information space of the ecotourism territory, its morphology organizes the planning structure of the territory. The main theme shows the uniqueness of the territory, highlighting the most striking natural and cultural-historical features, translates the model of harmonious relations between human and nature that has developed on this basis. The information should be properly structured and well-organized system to strengthen the informational influence on visitors. The conceptual basis for modeling the content (main subject) of the visit center is the model of the social field of P. Bourdieu. According to P. Bourdieu’s social field, the social space is considered as a topology divided into a number of elements-fields that owe their structure to the uneven distribution of individual types of capital. The capital of the ecological social field is the cultural models of the harmonious coexistence of human and nature. The impact of eco-educational institutions in the ecological social field depends on the size of the cultural capital belonging to them and the internal scheme of perception of the cultural model (habitus). The social resource and the internal attitudes of visitors structure the social space. As a result of the research, the author proposes a conceptual model of the environmental education system to strengthen the influence of the ecological field. Its essence is that the content of the information of the visitor center (the main subject) should correspond to the place of its localization-the field of influence of the visitor center on visitors.

Microclimatic Effects on the Preservation of Finds in the Visitor Centre of the Archaeological Site 1a Imperial Palace Sirmium

When an archaeological site is roofed over for the better display of the finds and more comfortable experience of the audience, the intervention undoubtedly changes the microclimatic conditions in the site. Although sudden changes in microclimatic factors are known to damage and/or destroy archaeological finds, their impact and its analysis are neglected in Serbia. There is no continuous monitoring and control of microclimatic conditions or their impact on architectural remains in archaeological sites. Accordingly, the values of microclimatic parameters of temperature and relative humidity and their daily oscillations are examined in this paper through microclimatic monitoring in the Visitor Center of the Archaeological Site 1a Imperial Palace Sirmium, which is a cultural asset of exceptional importance. Moreover, microbiological analyses determine the degree of contamination of architectural findings. The aim of this paper is to determine whether the microclimatic regime in the Visitor Center of the Archaeological Site 1a Imperial Palace Sirmium is in accordance with European standards and recommendations on optimal microclimatic conditions for the presentation and preservation of cultural heritage collections. The findings showed that during the phase of microclimatic monitoring (February–April 2021), air humidity was almost constantly above the levels set by standards and recommendations for museum collections (>60%). The highest levels of air humidity, amounting to 93%, were recorded in February, with daily oscillations of up to 30%; the lowest recorded temperature was 0.3 °C, with the maximum daily oscillations of 6 °C. Microbiological analysis revealed great diversity in the deterioration level of the finds, which can be attributed to the time lapse between the last conservation and the present. The comparative analysis of the results of microclimatic monitoring and microbiological analysis identified high levels of relative air humidity as the dominant factor in the increased microbiological contamination of the finds. It is also concluded that the continuous monitoring of the microclimatic parameters of temperature and relative humidity during the usage of the facility is necessary so as to enable sustainable presentation and preservation of findings.

Caring for seals and the Wadden Sea: Multispecies entanglements in seal rehabilitation

The Wadden Sea is a busy environment in which multiple species share a limited space. Humans use the area for recreation and economic purposes, while it also represents an ecologically valuable space as one of the largest intertidal areas in the world. Sharing the Wadden Sea with multiple species is recognized as a challenge by a seal rehabilitation center in the Netherlands, who cares for seals and their habitat, the Wadden Sea. To diminish harmful effects of human-seal interactions, the seal rehabilitation center educates their visitors to care for the Wadden Sea through at least three different educational practices (seal releases, beach cleanups, and through an exhibition at the visitor center). By taking a relational perspective to analyze these educational moments, it becomes apparent that different “natures” are brought into being. That is, by creating different experiences in multiple circumstances, relations between what is experienced or enacted as being part of the Wadden Sea environment changes. An important focus in this article is the diverse positions humans take up in relation to the Wadden Sea as they are encouraged to care for it and the seals. Instead of taking a human and nature distinction as a starting point, I will show that these educational practices produce fluid and dynamic relations between “humans” and “nature,” enabling multiple engagements with the sea and those who inhabit it.

Underwater Park Visitor Center: Its Tasks, Functions, Structure

Underwater cultural heritage and issues related to its study, preservation and museumification are increasingly emerging in the Russian museological and cultural discourse. Major engineering projects that affect the seabed require underwater archaeological surveys, followed by preservation of underwater artifacts.The process of underwater cultural heritage preservation and actualization in the coastal zone is increasingly taking the popular approach — creation of underwater parks and routes. The theory of formation of underwater parks as museum-type institutions and the development of opportunities for preserving cultural heritage in the underwater environment attract the attention of subject matter specialists. At the same time, the approaches to organizing the ground structure of these institutions do not receive enough attention from researchers.This paper aims at forming a structural concept of an underwater park’s visitor center. The article identifies the main studies concerning the theoretical basis of designing underwater parks and forming visitor centers, highlights the possible tasks, and defines the key functions and structural content of an underwater park’s visitor center.The research is based on Russian and foreign theoretical studies, primarily by authors from the Mediterranean countries. The article considers the design of visitor centers through the prism of mainly Russian works devoted to the creation of visitor centers and museums on the basis of land-based specially protected natural areas.In conclusion, the article highlights promising areas for further research in relation to underwater parks and the methodology for preserving and updating underwater cultural heritage with their help.

INFORMATION MODEL OF THE ECOTOURISM TERRITORY OF THE CENTRAL PART IN THE EASTERN SAYAN

In information modeling, it is important to determine the content, direction and form of information flows. Information flows of environmental education are formed in the visitor center, distributed across the territory of ecotourism and are aimed at forming an ecological mentality among various groups of visitors to the territory of ecotourism. The information system of environmental education and enlightenment, which forms a responsible attitude of tourists to their natural environment, is integrated into the tourist framework of the territory. The decomposition of the network of tourist routes in the Central part of Eastern Sayan made it possible to determine the field of influence of information centers and to identify the main characteristics: the general theme of expositions, environmental routes, a set of functions and architectural style. The territory of ecotourism is considered as a social space. The power of influence of information objects depends on their position in the social space, which is determined by the size of their social capital. The methodological approach to modeling the information content of the ecological and educational visit center is the concept of the social field of P. Bourdieu, where the ecological field seeks to maximize its influence. The institution that exerts this influence is the educational system. As a result, the author proposed a conceptual model of the environmental education system, the essence of which is that the content of the main theme of the visit center should correspond to its field of influence.

Ecological status of the Ayusai gorge

In the context of the increasing pace of economic development of the country and the increased use of natural resources, the issue of further improving the system of territorial protection of nature, primarily specially protected areas, is becoming urgent. The article presents the results of studies of the ecological state of the gorge Ayusay, which is part of the Ile-Alatau National Park for the period prior to the change of the modes of nature in connection with the rental and the beginning of the construction of a visitor center, i.e. in fact, the results of background studies of the influence of previously existing accumulators of mixed household waste of vacationers. The results of testing of soil, vegetation, surface water, and air showed low concentrations of polluting components in all samples. However, a comparative analysis of the results, taking into account the location of the sampling, revealed a tendency to increase their concentrations with a decrease in altitude, i.e., pollution increases in the direction of movement towards the city. The decrease in concentrations characteristic of motor transport in the direction of contamination of the underground stream in the direction of the draining flow of surface water indicates the main role of highways in the pollution processes.

The Impacts of Orientation and Building form on Internal Temperature of Visitor Center Building for Moderate and Hot Climate

Passive building strategies such as building form, orientation and window ratio can have an essential impact on the indoor temperature. Building form and ordination can obtain heat gains. The designer usually designs buildings with little consideration of heat gains. This study pointed to the influence of building form and orientation in internal temperature in moderate and hot climates. In the present paper, the impact of building orientation on the indoor thermal comfort conditions expressed in terms of internal temperature is numerically investigated. This is motivated by required achievement of the thermal comfort conditions in such buildings located on hot climate regions. Moreover, the moderate climate regions are also incorporated in the present study. The numerical simulation is carried out using the TAS EDSL software to assess the optimum form model for a prefab visitor center. The result, in a moderate climate, showed that the ideal direction was obtained when the visitor center faces the south direction. Different models for building orientations have been studied and the results are presented. The results should that the internal temperature was 37.85oC for the currently model orientation and 37.71oC for the other model (known as model D), where the external temperature was 37.9oC. The worst orientations were the west direction for the case study and the east for the D model. In terms of hot climate, the internal temperature decreased by 1.0oC when west-facing. However, models with openings decreased 0.5oC. There are other passive design strategies that can be installed to models which can lead to improving the thermal comfort. The strategies can be considered for further future research.

Observing COVID-19 related behaviors in a high visitor use area of Arches National Park

Introduction Visitation to parks and protected areas is a common COVID-19 coping strategy promoted by state and national public health officials and political leadership. Crowding and congestions in parks has been a perennial problem and the ability to socially distance within them is an unproven assumption. Is it possible to socially distance in a busy national park that has been designed to concentrate use? Methodology/Principal findings An observational study was conducted in July 2020 at the outside foyer of the Visitor Center of Arches National Park. Motion sensor cameras were placed to record one-minute videos when a person entered the field of view. Number of groups, group size, facial coverings and encounters within 6 feet (1.83 meters) of other groups were recorded. Groups were smaller on average than recorded in previous studies. Approximately 61% of the visitors wore masks. Most groups (69%) were able to experience the visitor center with no intergroup encounters. We model the probability of intergroup encounters and find as group size and number of groups increases, the probability of encounters rises. With four groups present, the probability of one or more encounters ranges from 19% to 40% for common group sizes, while if eight groups are present, the probability of one or more encounters increases from 34% to 64% for common group sizes. Conclusions/Significance Under conditions in which park visitors have the physical space to avoid close encounters with other groups they are taking advantage of the opportunity. Visitors are minimizing group size, wearing masks, and remaining socially distant. However, encounters increase as the number or the size of the groups increases. In other areas of the parks this ability to avoid encounters may not be as possible. We recommend that park managers continue to appeal for compliance with CDC guidelines, especially the wearing of masks and encouraging visitors to split up into small groups when visiting.