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Publications

Showing 27241 – 27260 of 30315 publications

Campo húmido at Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros, Goiás, Brazil

Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks — 2012 — WHE19AD12A17D

A unique wet grassland ecosystem, known as 'campo húmido,' has been identified within the UNESCO-listed Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park in Brazil's Cerrado biome. This rare habitat, characterized by its hydrological conditions and presence of burití palm trees, highlights the ecological diversity of protected areas in the region. The study employs a biogeographical approach to document and analyze this distinct landscape, contributing to our understanding of wet grassland dynamics within the Cerrado's broader biodiversity. Such insights are crucial for conservation efforts, particularly in protected areas like Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks, which are vital components of Brazil's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Capacity-building for sustainable urban development: Town of Luang Prabang, Lao People's Democratic Republic

Town of Luang Prabang — 2012 — WHE83A3D82C45

Sustainable urban development in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, hinges on balancing cultural preservation with modern growth. The study highlights the site's significance as a symbol of national identity and independence, while addressing challenges posed by rapid urbanization. It explores capacity-building strategies to ensure sustainable development that respects its historical and environmental value. The research employs a multidisciplinary approach, analyzing urban planning, tourism management, and community engagement to propose actionable frameworks for preserving Luang Prabang's unique heritage amidst developmental pressures.

Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus storage in subtropical seagrass meadows: examples from Florida Bay and Shark Bay

Shark Bay, Western Australia — 2012 — WHE8878F37E17

Seagrass meadows in Florida Bay and Shark Bay, Western Australia, store significant amounts of organic carbon and nutrients, with Shark Bay soils containing 21% more organic carbon and 35% more phosphorus than those in Florida Bay. Shark Bay also exhibits lower soil density, indicating a less compacted structure. Hypersaline regions in both bays show higher surficial soil organic carbon content. While Florida Bay's soil profiles suggest increased phosphorus delivery and primary productivity over the past century, Shark Bay's profiles indicate a decline in these factors over the last 1000 years. Despite differences, both bays rank among global hotspots for coastal ecosystem organic carbon storage, with Shark Bay storing an average of 243.0 MgCorg ha⁻¹ compared to Florida Bay's 163.5 MgCorg ha⁻¹.

Cartografia dos Impactos Ambientais no Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros (GO)

Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks — 2012 — WHE126BE6E384

Tourism significantly alters the landscape of Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, leaving lasting environmental impacts that reflect local social practices. Using André Journaux's synthesis map methodology, researchers mapped these changes and assessed perceptions from tourists, residents, and park administrators. The study highlights how human activities reshape natural environments, offering insights into sustainable tourism management in protected areas.

Casas Grandes Phenomenon

Archaeological Zone of Paquimé, Casas Grandes — 2012 — WHEEEB4E01BBE

The Casas Grandes Phenomenon, spanning from AD 1200 to 1450, represents one of the most socially complex pre-Columbian cultural systems in North America's Southwest. This phenomenon, characterized by a distinctive political and religious system, featured prominent horned serpent and macaw imagery across polychrome pottery, rock art, and architecture. The research highlights Paquimé (also known as Casas Grandes) as the economic and political core of this system, situated on river flood plains and surrounded by pueblolike communities. The study underscores the significance of symbolic systems in shaping societal structures during this period.

Case study: Seville Cathedral's music in performance, 1549–1599

Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville — 2012 — WHE297280DD35

Seville Cathedral's musical practices during the 16th century, particularly under Francisco Guerrero’s leadership from 1549 to 1599, reflected a golden age of cultural and economic prosperity in Seville, influenced by its central role in transatlantic trade. The study highlights how polyphonic and instrumental music were deployed in liturgical contexts such as the Marian Salve service and Vespers, showcasing Guerrero’s contributions and their broader dissemination across Iberian churches. This lavish musical establishment, featuring an array of instruments including shawms, trombones, and recorders, competed with Toledo’s primatial church, setting a standard for musical excellence in Christendom. The research compares Guerrero’s repertoire with later works like Monteverdi’s Marian Vespers (1610), underscoring the enduring influence of Seville Cathedral’s musical traditions.

Castilla y la libertad de las artes en el siglo XV. La aceptación de la herencia de Al-Andalus: de la realidad material a los fundamentos teóricos.

Burgos Cathedral — 2012 — WHE71FDB50044

During the 15th century, the Crown of Castile exhibited a unique blend of architectural styles, marking a significant departure from earlier European norms. This period saw the integration and subsequent evolution of Andalusi influences alongside emerging late Gothic and Renaissance elements, creating a diverse monumental landscape. The study highlights the Capilla del Condestable in Burgos Cathedral as a prime example of this artistic fusion, demonstrating how Castile's acceptance of Al-Andalus' heritage laid the groundwork for its distinct architectural identity. The research approach involved analyzing material realities and theoretical foundations, revealing how technical and ornamental advancements from northern Europe and Italy further enriched this cultural synthesis.

Casualties of Heritage Distancing

Maya Site of Copan — 2012 — WHE8CD491CC37

Heritage distancing, where Ch’orti’ Maya peoples are alienated from pre-Hispanic cultural heritage despite national valorization of the Classic Maya past, threatens the conservation of archaeological remains outside Copán’s protected core. A collaborative education program for Ch’orti’ children near Copán addresses this issue by integrating heritage education with site conservation through participatory and creative methodologies. The initiative aims to foster dialogue about the value of the past while navigating tensions within the Copán 'archaeoscape' and indigenous politics, potentially shaping the future of an indigenous archaeology in the Maya region.

Çatalhöyük: A Prehistoric Settlement on the Konya Plain

Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük — 2012 — WHEF088FA6E42

Excavations at Çatalhöyük reveal that the Neolithic settlement's social order was maintained through routinized daily behaviors within houses, rather than specialized functions. This repetition reinforced societal roles and rules, embedded within a symbolic system centered on wild animals and ancestral burials beneath floors. The study suggests that the 'town' effect arose from consistent social practices, shaping individual identities and cultural conventions without clear economic or political differentiation.

Cathédrale et pèlerinage aux époques médiévale et moderne: Reliques, processions et devotions à l’église-mère du diocese (review)

Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Rémi and Palace of Tau, Reims — 2012 — WHE828316DCBF

A review of the volume 'Cathédrale et pèlerinage aux époques médiévale et moderne' challenges the conventional distinction between cathedral worship and pilgrimage, demonstrating that cathedrals actively cultivated pilgrimage through relics, processions, and devotional practices. The collection of 17 essays, spanning medieval to postmedieval periods, reveals how cathedral authorities in sites like Reims, Le Puy-en-Velay, and Paris strategically acquired relics and organized liturgical events to attract pilgrims, blurring the line between institutional worship and individual devotion. The study highlights the enduring role of cathedrals as pilgrimage destinations, even during the Reformation and post-Tridentine periods, with notable examples including the Black Virgin at Le Puy-en-Velay and mendicant processions in Tournai. Methodologically, the review synthesizes historical evidence from multiple European sites to argue for a more integrated understanding of cathedral socio-religious dynamics.

Caught in the act: the first record of copulating fossil vertebrates

Messel Pit Fossil Site — 2012 — WHE90916A5D27

Fossilized pairs of the carettochelyid turtle Allaeochelys crassesculpta from the Eocene Messel Pit Fossil Site, Germany, represent the first recorded instances of fossil vertebrates caught in copulation. This discovery challenges assumptions about taphonomy and lake ecology at Messel. Unlike typical indirect behavioral inferences, these mating pairs suggest that the turtles initiated copulation in habitable surface waters before perishing when their skin absorbed toxins while sinking into deeper, lethal layers. The findings support a stratified volcanic maar lake model with distinct inhabitable and toxic zones, providing unprecedented insight into ancient vertebrate behavior and paleoenvironmental conditions.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams: Meditations on 3D

Decorated Cave of Pont d’Arc, known as Grotte Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, Ardèche — 2012 — WHED7F61C784C

Werner Herzog's documentary, 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams,' explores the Grotte Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, home to the oldest known Paleolithic art, dating back approximately 36,000 years. The film not only showcases the cave's archaeological significance but also delves into the relationship between cinematic space and 3D technology, contrasting it with ancient media techniques. Herzog's approach combines scientific documentation with a meditative commentary on art, science, and spectacle, offering a unique perspective on human creativity and its evolution. The documentary serves as both an educational tool for understanding prehistoric art and a reflective piece on the intersection of technology and storytelling.

Celtic Ritual Activity at Gordion, Turkey: Evidence from Mortuary Contexts and Skeletal Analysis

Gordion — 2012 — WHEBABC0ABEA8

A bioarchaeological study at Gordion, Turkey, reveals strong evidence of Celtic ritual activity during the Later Hellenistic period (late 3rd to 2nd centuries BCE), challenging the reliance on textual sources alone. Analysis of 47 skeletal remains—divided into Later Hellenistic and Roman groups—shows distinct paleodemographic profiles and mortuary practices. The Later Hellenistic group, with few infants and primarily young/middle-aged adults, was found in mixed or disarticulated contexts, often commingled with animal bones, alongside evidence of perimortem cranial trauma (25% of cases), suggesting ritual sacrifice. In contrast, the Roman group (1st to 2nd centuries CE) exhibited primary burials, including cremations and inhumations, with no signs of violence. This first comprehensive bioarchaeological approach to these populations highlights cultural shifts in mortuary practices and provides tangible evidence of Celtic presence in central Turkey.

Cenozoic tectono‐thermal history of the Tordrillo Mountains, Alaska: Paleocene‐Eocene ridge subduction, decreasing relief, and late Neogene faulting

Kluane / Wrangell-St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek — 2012 — WHEE3B577B4CB

A new thermochronology study of the Tordrillo Mountains in Alaska reveals rapid exhumation and cooling during the Eocene, likely linked to ridge subduction along the Resurrection-Kula spreading ridge. This event, affecting a broad region parallel to the continental margin, coincides with high-energy sediment deposition in nearby basins. The research combines K-feldspar thermochronology (KFAT) with existing U-Pb, 40Ar/39Ar, and apatite fission track data to constrain Paleocene pluton emplacement and subsequent tectonic movements. Findings suggest a long period of decreasing relief in the Tordrillo Mountains, contributing to our understanding of Cenozoic tectono-thermal evolution in this UNESCO World Heritage Site region.

Centuries old aflaj irrigation system in Oman

Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman — 2012 — WHE03AB3BDAC0

Oman's ancient aflaj irrigation systems, some dating back 2500 years, remain highly efficient and integral to village life despite modern advancements. These systems tap groundwater near mountains, channeling it through a network of mother wells, access shafts, underground tunnels, and surface channels—supported by structures like aqueducts and siphons—to create oases. With an estimated 3000 active networks, aflaj play a significant social role, maintained by village cooperatives with historically rich water rights and distribution practices. Recognizing their cultural and engineering significance, UNESCO designated five key aflaj as World Heritage Sites in 2006.

Cerámica de la región de Palenque, México

Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque — 2012 — WHE28C4DC9753

Recent ceramic studies in the Palenque region reveal significant insights into the social and ceremonial dynamics of the Classic Maya civilization. The research challenges conventional settlement pattern analyses by demonstrating how ceramic artifacts can elucidate complex relationships between major ceremonial centers and smaller communities. By examining diverse ceramic assemblages, the study highlights contrasting approaches to understanding spatial-temporal reconstructions, offering a nuanced perspective on the organization and interaction within Maya society during this pivotal period.

Ceramics and Polity in the Casas Grandes Area, Chihuahua, Mexico

Archaeological Zone of Paquimé, Casas Grandes — 2012 — WHE2DCC7D377D

New research challenges the long-held belief that the Medio period (ca. A.D. 1150–1475) at Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico, represented an evolutionary peak of pottery development. Instead, it reveals that fine polychrome designs with elaborate motifs were introduced around A.D. 1300 alongside older, simpler styles, coinciding with the rise of the primate center's prestige. This symbolic shift likely contributed to Casas Grandes' prominence but also its collapse in the fifteenth century. Importantly, the study suggests that post-Casas Grandes communities may have persisted, contradicting the assumption of widespread abandonment. The research combines dating techniques and ceramic analysis to reexamine the region's political and cultural trajectory.

Challenges of protecting island ecosystems: Socotra Archipelago, Yemen

Socotra Archipelago — 2012 — WHEEB47EF3059

The Socotra Archipelago, often referred to as the 'Galápagos of the Indian Ocean,' presents unique geological and biogeographical challenges for ecosystem protection. Located about 100 km east of the Horn of Africa, this UNESCO World Heritage site consists of four main islands, with Socotra being the largest at 3,625 km². Despite its proximity to Africa, the archipelago is geologically distinct, separated from Southern Arabia by the Gulf of Aden for at least 18 million years. This isolation has led to a unique biodiversity, including species like the Socotra Cormorant, found on uninhabited islands such as Darsa. The study highlights the need for targeted conservation strategies to protect this micro-continent's ecosystems, which are shaped by ancient granite from Gondwanaland and face significant environmental pressures.

Change in climate and berry composition for grapevine varieties cultivated in the Loire Valley

The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes — 2012 — WHEC5405E5CD9

A significant shift from cool to temperate climate conditions occurred in the Loire Valley between 1960 and 2010, marked by increases in mean temperature (1.3 to 1.8°C) during the growing season (April–September). This warming trend, characterized by stronger rises in maximum temperatures and increased bioclimatic indices like the Huglin Index, correlated with earlier harvest dates. Concurrently, berry composition of six major grapevine varieties showed higher sugar concentrations and lower titratable acidity at harvest, linking these changes directly to rising temperatures. The study analyzed climate variables and berry composition data from six locations across the valley over 50 years, revealing a clear influence of climate change on viticultural characteristics.

Change in demographic patterns of the Doñana Iberian lynxLynx pardinus: management implications and conservation perspectives

Doñana National Park — 2012 — WHE8DC4EB1FA7

A shift in the spatial distribution of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) population in Doñana National Park, Spain, suggests reduced vulnerability to extinction compared to the 1990s. Using camera trapping and field surveys between 2004–2008, researchers estimated an average annual abundance of 38 adult and subadult lynxes, with a more continuous distribution across three major areas, including the park itself, covering approximately 620 km². While this indicates an improved conservation status, the population remains precarious, necessitating urgent habitat restoration—particularly outside the park—and continued rabbit restocking efforts in fenced areas to maintain its viability.