World Heritage Research: Search

Publications

Showing 20801 – 20820 of 30345 publications

Similarities and Differences in Barriers and Opportunities Affecting Climate Change Adaptation Action in Four North American Landscapes

Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks — 2017 — WHE5E3CE94AF0

A comparative analysis of four North American landscapes—northern Ontario (Canada), the Adirondack State Park (US), Arctic Alaska (US), and the Transboundary Rocky Mountains (US and Canada)—reveals both shared and region-specific barriers and opportunities hindering climate change adaptation efforts. While common challenges include lack of political support, financial constraints, and difficulties in translating complex climate impacts into actionable management strategies, opportunities such as collaboration, funding, and strong leadership were identified across regions. However, regional variations suggest that adaptation strategies must be tailored to local ecological, political, social, and economic contexts. The study underscores the potential for cross-site learning while emphasizing the need for context-specific approaches to advance climate change adaptation in these landscapes.

Sisa Budaya Manusia Purba Situs Ngebung (Artefact of Early Man in Ngebung Site)

Sangiran Early Man Site — 2017 — WHEE32DF05CDF

A study of the Sangiran Early Man Site, specifically focusing on the Ngebung area, uncovered significant archaeological evidence of early human culture. The research identified 2 bone tools—spatulas and lancipans—and 63 stone tools, including shale and flakes, from excavations conducted in 2013 and 2014 by the Preservation Hall Ancient Man Site (BPSMP) Sangiran team. The findings contribute to the understanding of prehistoric human tool-making traditions, particularly comparing artifacts between the two excavation periods. This study enhances the existing dataset for the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Sangiran site, providing new insights into early human technological practices and cultural continuity.

Situating the Claiborne Soapstone Vessel Cache in the History of Poverty Point

Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point — 2017 — WHE040C35395D

A recently repatriated cache of 12 soapstone vessels from the Claiborne site, Mississippi, reveals that these artifacts were likely deposited around 200 years after the peak trading activity at Poverty Point. New AMS assays on carbon deposits from seven vessels indicate the cache was placed during or shortly before the abandonment of Poverty Point (ca. 3600–3400 cal BP). This discovery sheds light on the post-peak period of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, suggesting shifts in cultural practices and environmental conditions after 3200 cal BP. The study combines radiocarbon dating with observations on vessel form and function to infer the cache's significance amid broader societal changes.

Škocjan Caves, Slovenia: an integrative approach to the management of a World Heritage Site

Škocjan Caves — 2017 — WHED16359C2C5

Škocjan Caves, Slovenia, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, exemplify the integration of natural conservation with sustainable tourism. The site's unique underground canyon, archaeological significance, and biodiversity necessitate a multifaceted management approach to preserve its outstanding universal value. This study highlights the effectiveness of combining international guidelines, national legislation (e.g., the Škocjan Caves Regional Park Act), and localized management plans to protect the caves' microclimate, water quality, and habitats. Key strategies include monitoring radon levels for safety, tracking tourism impacts on cave environments, and implementing educational initiatives. The research underscores the importance of balancing ecological preservation with responsible visitation, ensuring long-term sustainability for both the site's natural features and its cultural heritage.

Skull Retrieval and Secondary Burial Practices in the Neolithic Near East: Recent Insights from Çatalhöyük, Turkey

Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük — 2017 — WHE2BE7306AD9

A complex sequence of primary and secondary burials at Çatalhöyük reveals multiple Neolithic funerary practices, including the retrieval of skulls from both intramural inhumations and unburied bodies. This dual process suggests an extended interval between death and burial, with skull circulation likely tied to social distinctions. The study proposes that distinguishing between equifinal processes in the archaeological record—through careful spatiotemporal context analysis and meticulous osteological examination—is essential to understanding the social and cosmological significance of Neolithic 'skull cult' practices.

Slum Revitalizing Plan of Baghdadiyah by Spatial Re-Modeling Configuration

Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah — 2017 — WHEDB3DC1EC31

A new slum revitalization plan for Baghdadiyah, a densely populated and economically disadvantaged neighborhood in Jeddah's historic district, offers a spatial re-modeling approach that integrates urban connectivity and transport networks to restore the area's architectural heritage. The study, led by H.M. Taki, proposes a design that prioritizes patterns of integration and connection while addressing land-use constraints. By analyzing existing conditions and reconstructing syntactical properties, the research demonstrates how strategic spatial reconfiguration can improve living standards and preserve Jeddah's historic character. This approach provides a model for balancing urban development with cultural preservation in World Heritage contexts.

Small Mass of Rattus norvegicus ( Rodentia: Muridae) on the Ogasawara Islands, Japan

Ogasawara Islands — 2017 — WHE73E97BD161

Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) on the Ogasawara Islands exhibit extraordinarily small body mass, approximately half that of rats in other regions like Hokkaido, Yokohama, and Tokyo Bay. This study attributes the reduced size to environmental factors rather than genetic differences, as morphological traits such as crown length, head-body length, and tail length remained consistent across populations. Stomach content analysis revealed a predominantly plant-based diet (95.2% by volume), deviating from the species' typical preference for protein-rich foods, suggesting that dietary limitations may restrict body mass growth in these rats.

Smile, you are on camera or in a live trap! The role of mammals in dispersion of jackfruit and native seeds in Ilha Grande State Park, Brazil

Paraty and Ilha Grande – Culture and Biodiversity — 2017 — WHE8BCF53F81A

Mammals in Ilha Grande State Park, Brazil, play both positive and negative roles in seed dispersal, significantly aiding the spread of invasive jackfruit trees while also dispersing native seeds. The study found that six mammal species, particularly Trinomys dimidiatus, Didelphis aurita, and Cuniculus paca, accounted for 92% of jackfruit predation and seed dispersal records. While Cuniculus paca and Trinomys dimidiatus dispersed both jackfruit seeds and native seeds, Didelphis aurita consumed only the mesocarp of jackfruit, contributing to its spread without aiding in seed dispersal. The research used video recordings and faecal analysis to observe that jackfruit production can exceed mammals' consumption capacity in high-density areas, leading to unchecked invasive spread. Additionally, small mammals dispersed more native seeds in areas without jackfruits, highlighting the complex interplay between invasive species and native ecosystems.

Snares and snaring in Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park — 2017 — WHEC464FE96AA

Illegal snaring poses a severe and underappreciated threat to wildlife in Serengeti National Park, causing significant injuries, disabilities, stress, and mortality across diverse species, including iconic herbivores, carnivores like lions, and non-targeted animals. Despite conservation efforts such as the Serengeti De-Snaring Program, snares remain widespread, particularly in western, central, and northern regions, with origins often tracing back to adjacent villages. Challenges in addressing this issue include ineffective community-based conservation benefits, insufficient patrol efforts, increased campsite presence, and socio-economic factors favoring bush meat consumption. The study advocates for urgent, evidence-based interventions, including adaptive patrol strategies like the SMART approach, improved local community benefits, and sustainable livelihood programs tailored to specific communities. Long-term research is also emphasized to quantify snare-related deaths and injuries, assess snare distribution, and evaluate the effectiveness of current conservation measures.

Snow cover on the Lagonaky high plateau (Western Caucasus)

Western Caucasus — 2017 — WHECC45D5D571

Recent research reveals significant variability in snow cover duration on the Lagonaky high plateau (Western Caucasus) from 1973 to 2015, with marked differences across altitudinal belts. Snow cover lasts 70–80 days at low altitudes (500–1000 m), 130 days in mid-altitudes (1000–1500 m), and 215 days above 2000 m, disappearing by late March below 700 m and by April 20th at 1000 m. The study also highlights substantial interannual fluctuations in snow depth and water content, linked to extreme winters (e.g., 1975/76) and low-snow seasons (e.g., 2013–2015). These changes are attributed to global climate shifts, with the maximum recorded snow depth of 610 cm observed in March 1976 near Fisht. The research combines long-term observations of snow stratigraphy, density, and temperature across two measuring courses (460–2020 m altitude) to document these trends.

Social challenges of spatial planning for outdoor cat management in Amami Oshima Island, Japan

Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island — 2017 — WHE909313302C

Residents of Amami Oshima Island, Japan, show significant attitudinal differences toward outdoor cat management depending on habitat type and ownership status. The study found that forests were the least preferred habitat for outdoor cats, while lethal control methods were universally unacceptable, with adoption being the most accepted strategy across all areas. Cat owners displayed higher acceptance of outdoor cats in town and rural areas compared to non-owners, along with a stronger preference for Trap, Neuter, and Return (TNR) programs over lethal options. These findings highlight the challenges in achieving consensus on cat management, particularly as cats from urban and rural areas often migrate to forests, threatening endangered species. Effective communication between stakeholders is crucial to bridge these attitudinal gaps and implement sustainable management strategies.

Social Interaction, Social Status, and the Organization of Medio Period Craft Production as Evidenced in Ground Stone Artifacts from 76 Draw

Archaeological Zone of Paquimé, Casas Grandes — 2017 — WHE4BAA83CB81

Ground stone artifacts from the Medio period (AD 1200 to 1450) settlement of 76 Draw, part of the Archaeological Zone of Paquimé, Casas Grandes, reveal distinct patterns in craft production compared to the regional political center. Analysis of 255 items shows a focus on utilitarian household tools, contrasting sharply with Paquimé’s assemblage, which emphasizes non-utilitarian ornaments and religiously significant effigies produced by specialists. This suggests that social differentiation evident at Paquimé did not extend across the broader Casas Grandes region, despite shared technological systems for utilitarian ground stone tools.

Social Values and Rock Art Tourism: An Ethnographic Study of the Huashan Rock Art Area (China)

Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape — 2017 — WHEC3F842A281

Rock art tourism, while reinforcing social values tied to heritage sites, can also diminish local communities' emotional attachment due to undesired consequences of World Heritage designation efforts. A study focusing on the Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape in China—China's first rock art site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016—reveals that tourism promotion initiatives, driven by authorities, have paradoxically both strengthened and weakened local social values. The research, employing ethnographic methods, highlights the need for a critical reassessment of global and Chinese rock art heritage management strategies to balance preservation, cultural significance, and community impact.

Social-Ecological Dynamics of Ecosystem Services: Livelihoods and the Functional Relation between Ecosystem Service Supply and Demand—Evidence from Socotra Archipelago, Yemen and the Sahel Region, West Africa

Socotra Archipelago — 2017 — WHECE40EB3F7E

A functional relationship exists between the supply and demand for ecosystem services, with each influencing the other. This dynamic is context-specific and varies temporally and spatially, necessitating a social-ecological perspective to better understand these interactions. The study highlights that societal activities significantly impact ecosystem service provision, using evidence from Socotra Archipelago in Yemen and the Sahel regions of Senegal and Mali. It advocates for integrating such perspectives into research on ecosystem services supply and demand to address global biodiversity loss effectively.

Sociedades Indígenas e Missões no Alto Amazonas nos séculos XVII-XVIII

Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville — 2017 — WHE0363F0E238

This research reveals that indigenous populations played a pivotal role in shaping social dynamics within Jesuit missions in the colonial Amazon, particularly in regions now part of the Brazilian Amazon. By analyzing Samuel Fritz's Diary (1686–1725) alongside records from the Archivo de Indias in Seville, the study offers new interpretations of indigenous agency during the 17th and 18th centuries. The findings challenge traditional narratives by emphasizing indigenous contributions to mission life under Spanish colonial influence.

Societal response to monsoonal fluctuations in NE Thailand during the demise of Angkor Civilisation

Angkor — 2017 — WHE4B65AF6BE4

A gradual decline in monsoon intensity, starting around AD 1000, likely stretched Angkor's hydrological systems to their limit, contributing significantly to the civilization's demise by the mid-15th century. This finding is supported by hydrogen and carbon isotope records of leaf waxes from a 2000-year wetland sequence in northeastern Thailand, near Angkor's northern boundary. The study reveals that while increased summer monsoon rains initially bolstered Angkor's agrarian economy and empire, extreme droughts and long-term monsoonal fluctuations, combined with urbanization, overwhelmed the civilization's resilient hydrological systems. Anthropogenic flooding of wetlands through dam construction, evident from around AD 1300, suggests societal adaptation to monsoonal variability, but ultimately proved insufficient against prolonged aridity.

Society in 18th Century Joseon as Described in Hwaseong Seongyeok Uigwe (華城城役儀軌, Records of the Construction of Hwaseong Fortress in the Royal Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty)

Hwaseong Fortress — 2017 — WHEBBD65E7FE6

King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty demonstrated significant consideration for common people during the construction of Hwaseong Fortress, a unique urban development project that drew inspiration from advanced Chinese civil engineering techniques. Analyzing the comprehensive 'Hwaseong Seongyeok Uigwe'—a 1,334-page report detailing the fortress's planning and construction (1794–1796)—revealed insights into 18th-century Joseon society, including wage structures, material costs, and technological adaptations like crane usage. This monumental project, requiring 700,000 man-days and 800,000 nyang in funding, reflects Jeongjo's reformist vision for the dynasty's revitalization.

Socio-demographic analysis of status and level of nutrition and physical activity in two schools in Granada (Spain).

Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada — 2017 — WHEF75E9D00A3

A comparative analysis of schoolchildren from two distinct areas in Granada, Spain—Albayzín and the city center—reveals significant differences in nutritional status and physical activity levels. Students in Albayzín exhibit lower prevalence of overweight and obesity, higher ideal fat percentages, and more active lifestyles, often walking to school daily. In contrast, students from the city center display higher sedentary behavior and a greater incidence of overweight or obesity, despite both groups adhering to recommended daily meal intakes. The study employed anthropometric assessments, bioelectrical impedance analysis, and standardized questionnaires (Krece-Plus) to evaluate 114 children aged 8–13 years, highlighting the impact of sociodemographic factors on health outcomes in urban settings.

Socio-Economic Conditions in the Old City of Jerusalem

Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls — 2017 — WHEE4A4874D6B

The Old City of Jerusalem, home to nearly 35,000 residents with diverse religious, ethnic, and national backgrounds, faces significant socio-economic challenges. Despite its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the area's economy is limited, heavily reliant on tourism, and marked by competition over scarce benefits. Potential scenarios—such as the transfer of foreign diplomatic representation or relocation of international organizations—could inject new jobs and capital into Jerusalem, though landownership disputes and heritage preservation remain complex hurdles requiring stakeholder engagement. The study provides a nuanced analysis of these interconnected issues.

Socio-Economic Impacts of Tourism in Axum Town, Tigray Regional State, Ethiopia

Aksum — 2017 — WHEA2504B9016

Tourism in Axum, Ethiopia, demonstrates significant socio-economic benefits despite challenges. The study finds that tourism generates 2,389 jobs and increases household income by 8.8% annually as tourist flow rises, while also fostering socio-cultural, environmental, and political improvements such as infrastructure development and women's empowerment. However, it also highlights negative impacts like seasonal unemployment, cultural degradation, and social issues. The sector's potential is hindered by poor infrastructure, inadequate services, and lack of coordination. Recommendations emphasize stakeholder collaboration to enhance tourism infrastructure, mitigate negative effects, and maximize socio-economic gains.