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Completeness of the fossil record and the validity of sampling proxies at outcrop level

Dorset and East Devon Coast — 2012 — WHE8F2022C9EF

Research on the Dorset and East Devon Coast reveals that sampling proxies for sedimentary rock volume and accessibility do not significantly influence apparent diversity at a local scale, indicating efficient sampling of the outcrop. However, worker effort shows some correlation with palaeodiversity, suggesting the 'bonanza effect' where paleontologists preferentially sample richer rock units. The study found no single proxy that comprehensively accounts for all sampling biases, highlighting the complexity of interpreting fossil records.

Complex habitat changes along elevational gradients interact with resource requirements of insect specialist herbivores

Tongariro National Park — 2012 — WHE17BBE58043

Climate change-induced range shifts may disproportionately affect stenothermal specialist herbivores, particularly those with strict resource requirements. A study in Tongariro National Park, New Zealand, reveals that habitat area, quality, and fragmentation along elevational gradients do not follow simple linear trends, complicating predictions of species vulnerability. Researchers mapped the distribution of Veronica stricta, a riparian shrub, and tracked population dynamics of two specialist insects—Trioza obscura (Hemiptera) and an undescribed gall midge (Diptera)—across 300 m and 600 m elevational gradients. Habitat area was the strongest predictor of insect presence and survival, while habitat quality and fragmentation showed species-dependent effects. The cecidomyiid's suitability increased with altitude, contrasting T. obscura's decline, suggesting complex interactions between resource needs and environmental changes. These findings underscore the need for nuanced species distribution models to account for non-linear responses to climate change.

Conclusion: Going beyond the Epitaph

Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura — 2012 — WHED16A9DA326

Carbon dating analysis of bones within the sarcophagus at Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls Basilica in Rome suggests they are the mortal remains of Apostle Paul, aligning with centuries-old tradition. This finding, announced by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, was part of a broader historical approach to redefine Paul's legacy beyond conventional biographical narratives. The study employs 'antibio-graphy,' examining multiple facets of Paul's life and identity, challenging the traditional focus on his death or epitaph. It highlights late antiquity's perception of Paul primarily as a martyr rather than a paradigmatic sinner, offering new insights into early Christian history.

Conference Precis

Village of Sidi Bou Saïd — 2012 — WHEC4DC5B72EB

A conference held at Sidi Bou Saïd, Tunisia, in February 2012, revisited the historiography of North African cities during the colonial era (19th and 20th centuries) through interdisciplinary methods, focusing on urbanism, architecture, and heritage. The event, sponsored by the Institut de Recherche sur le Maghreb Contemporain (IRMC), aimed to challenge traditional narratives by integrating archival research with spatial analysis. Key discussions emphasized the need for a 'spatial turn' in Middle East studies, leveraging interdisciplinary approaches to reinterpret colonial urban landscapes. This conference highlighted the significance of Sidi Bou Saïd as both a case study and a platform for re-evaluating historical perspectives on North African urban development.

Conflicts Over Natural Resources and Activation of Indigenous Identity in Cusco, Peru

City of Cuzco — 2012 — WHEC9D8696930

Research reveals that indigenous identity is activated during conflicts over natural resources in Cusco, Peru, particularly when communities perceive political opportunities to support their demands. The study found that both Amazon and Andean groups self-identify as indigenous in such contexts, reflecting an awareness of external alliances. This activation is influenced by a favorable Political Opportunity Structure (POS), which enhances the likelihood of indigenous discourses gaining traction. The analysis, based on official declarations, interviews, and press archives from 2008, underscores the importance of contextual factors in shaping political identities during social conflicts.

Conflitos na gestão do Parque Nacional da Serra da Bocaina: entraves ao desenvolvimento local na vila de Trindade (Paraty, RJ)

Paraty and Ilha Grande – Culture and Biodiversity — 2012 — WHE85F292FAAB

A study of the Parque Nacional da Serra da Bocaina reveals persistent socioenvironmental conflicts that hinder local development, particularly in the village of Trindade. The research highlights deep contradictions between traditional and emerging developmental models within conservation management, emphasizing the need for improved integration between society and nature, as well as greater decentralization in governance. This work contributes to broader debates on sustainable development in UNESCO World Heritage Sites, underscoring the challenges of balancing ecological preservation with community needs.

Conservation of Stained Glass Windows: An Innovative User-Friendly Portable Device Coming from the EU-VIDRIO Project

Cologne Cathedral — 2012 — WHECEEB1B4327

A groundbreaking, portable dew sensor developed under the EU-VIDRIO project offers a more accurate and reliable method for detecting condensation on stained glass windows compared to traditional microclimatic measurements. This innovation has been successfully tested across multiple UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Cologne Cathedral (Germany), Sainte Chapelle in Paris (France), and Lascaux Caves (France). The sensor's precision led to its patenting and the establishment of a spin-off company, R.E.D. s.r.l., dedicated to further development and industrial production. Its applications extend beyond stained glass, demonstrating efficacy on stone surfaces at sites like Petrarca's Tomb in Padua (Italy) and Hagar Qim Temple (Malta). This cost-effective solution represents a significant advancement in the conservation of cultural heritage, bridging research and practical implementation.

Conservation of World Heritage and community engagement in a transboundary biosphere reserve: Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, Senegal

Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary — 2012 — WHE1BF4D08AA4

Effective conservation of the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, a UNESCO-listed transboundary biosphere reserve, hinges on robust community engagement and sustainable management practices. This study demonstrates that integrating local communities into conservation efforts enhances biodiversity protection while fostering socio-economic benefits. Researchers employed a mixed-methods approach, combining participatory rural appraisal techniques with ecological assessments to evaluate the impact of community-based conservation strategies. The findings highlight the significance of transboundary collaboration in addressing challenges such as habitat degradation and illegal poaching. By involving local stakeholders in decision-making processes, the study underscores the potential for long-term sustainability and resilience in protected areas.

Conservation Offsets and Pipeline Construction: A Case Study of the TMX Anchor Loop Project

Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks — 2012 — WHE1604D64C65

A pioneering conservation offset approach was successfully implemented to balance pipeline construction with ecological preservation in Canada's Jasper National Park and Mount Robson Provincial Park, part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks. The study found that cooperative engagement between industry (Terasen Pipelines/Kinder Morgan) and environmental stakeholders, alongside park managers, could yield net biodiversity benefits despite residual disturbances from infrastructure projects. This case demonstrates how conservation offsets—compensatory measures for unavoidable harm to biodiversity—can align conflicting interests and enhance environmental outcomes beyond traditional mitigation strategies. The analysis evaluates the adequacy of this approach and extracts lessons for future linear infrastructure projects.

Contextualising the periphery. New conceptions of urban heritage in Rome

Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura — 2012 — WHE2B3EB298BF

Rome's historic center, protected for its cultural heritage, has inadvertently spurred the exploitation of its peripheries, often overlooking their own heritage values. The 2003 Urban Development Plan proposes a polycentric urban development strategy to revitalize these outskirts, introducing a new conceptual approach called 'history in progress.' This method integrates historical preservation with transformation and rehabilitation processes, shifting heritage from being seen as an obstacle to an asset in urban development. While some peripheral areas show potential for modern urban heritage recognition due to their ancient remains, rapid decay poses challenges in identifying and preserving these values.

Contextualising the Tabbova-Maradanmaduva ‘Culture’: Excavations at Nikawewa, Tirappane District, Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka

Sacred City of Anuradhapura — 2012 — WHE673B950314

Excavations at Nikawewa, Sri Lanka, have provided the first absolute scientific date for terracotta figurines and artefacts traditionally linked to the Tabbova-Maradanmaduva 'culture,' challenging long-standing assumptions about their origins. Contrary to the notion that these artefacts represent spontaneous 'folk art' created by local communities, the study suggests a high degree of uniformity in the terracotta corpus, indicating a formalised ritual structure parallel to Buddhist monasteries. This research, conducted as part of the Anuradhapura Project: The Hinterland (Phase II), employed stratigraphic excavation and sampling to address uncertainties surrounding the dating and significance of these artefacts, offering new insights into their cultural and social context.

Continental Scale Mapping of Tidal Flats across East Asia Using the Landsat Archive

Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats — 2012 — WHED82612F46B

Researchers have developed a novel method to map tidal flats over large continental scales, addressing a critical gap in understanding their global distribution and status. By leveraging the Landsat Archive, they mapped 86.8% of the coastline across China, North Korea, and South Korea with an accuracy exceeding 85%. The approach involves predicting tide heights at the time of image acquisition using a validated regional tide model, selecting images from the upper and lower 10% of the tidal range, and applying the Normalized Differenced Water Index (NDWI) to classify land and water. Subtracting high-tide from low-tide classified images delineates tidal flats, enabling large-scale coastal morphology mapping and monitoring. This method provides essential data for coastal adaptation to sea level rise, habitat loss monitoring, and ecosystem-based conservation efforts.

Continuing living traditions to protect the rice terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras

Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras — 2012 — WHE7BE4316FB6

Research reveals that the cultural significance of landscapes, particularly those with living traditions, is often overlooked or not recognized by local communities. In the case of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras these terraces are primarily valued for their natural beauty and environmental sustainability rather than their cultural heritage. The study highlights that the concept of cultural landscapes, as defined by UNESCO, is alien to Filipino perception, where landscapes are seen merely as natural vistas without consideration for human or cultural attributes.

Contracting for Conservation in the Central Pacific: An Overview of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area

Phoenix Islands Protected Area — 2012 — WHE73F1870D29

The Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) stands as a pioneering model for marine conservation in the Central Pacific, demonstrating how large-scale protected areas can be established and managed through innovative contractual agreements. This study highlights PIPA's unique governance structure, which combines international treaties with domestic legislation to create one of the world's largest fully protected marine reserves. The research approach involves analyzing the legal framework, implementation challenges, and ecological benefits, offering insights into effective conservation strategies for remote and biologically rich regions. By focusing on contractual mechanisms, this work provides a blueprint for balancing sovereignty, conservation, and sustainable development in the Pacific Islands.

Contrasted Perceptions of Uluru

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park — 2012 — WHE3B722FE667

Uluru's morphology is a result of episodic exposure, shaped not by uplift but by the lowering of surrounding plains. This inselberg, formed from arkosic sandstone, exhibits features like tafoni and slope breaks due to deep subsurface weathering and stripping of regolith. Indigenous interpretations link its landforms to mythological narratives, while scientific explanations attribute them to processes such as scarp retreat, wind or water erosion, and climatic variations. The study contrasts these contrasting perceptions, highlighting Uluru's geological evolution from the latest Mesozoic to its current form.

Contributions to the study of the genus Reptalus Emeljanov, 1971 (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cixiidae) of Western Tien Shan Mountains

Western Tien-Shan — 2012 — WHE9479D0E61F

Researchers have identified and documented two new recordings of calling signals from the genus Reptalus (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cixiidae) in the Western Tien-Shan Mountains, specifically within Kyrgyzstan's Sary-Chelekskiy Nature Reserve. The study, conducted by Emeljanov and Tishechkin, recorded these signals at elevations around 1200 meters above sea level, providing critical acoustic data for this understudied genus. The findings contribute to the understanding of biodiversity in this UNESCO-recognized region, offering insights into the ecological behavior of Reptalus species through detailed field observations and signal analysis.

Copier pour montrer, connaître avant de copier. Entre recherche et médiation, le fac-similé d'art préhistorique

Decorated Cave of Pont d’Arc, known as Grotte Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, Ardèche — 2012 — WHE92B17C0179

Facsimiles of prehistoric cave art serve as powerful tools for both research and public engagement, offering access to fragile originals while advancing scientific understanding. High-quality facsimiles, informed by rigorous research data, enable hypothesis testing in real-scale models—a reciprocal relationship where mediation benefits study and vice versa. This study highlights this dynamic through contrasting examples from the decorated cave of Pont d'Arc (Grotte Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc) and Marsoulas Cave, demonstrating how facsimiles bridge gaps between conservation, education, and academic inquiry without claiming universal applicability.

Coral-Bacterial Communities before and after a Coral Mass Spawning Event on Ningaloo Reef

Ningaloo Coast — 2012 — WHEEAA3EF6D28

A significant increase in bacterial diversity was observed on Ningaloo Reef following a coral mass spawning event, with the Roseobacter clade of α-Proteobacteria emerging as a prominent group across all studied coral species. This suggests that such bacteria may play a crucial role in coral reproduction. Researchers analyzed bacterial communities associated with three coral species—Acropora tenuis, Pocillopora damicornis, and Tubastrea faulkneri—before and after spawning using pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. While overall community structure remained stable at higher taxonomic levels, the study highlighted specific shifts in bacterial abundance that could influence coral reproductive processes.

Correlating planar microstructures in shocked zircon from the Vredefort Dome at multiple scales: Crystallographic modeling, external and internal imaging, and EBSD structural analysis

Vredefort Dome — 2012 — WHEC1109C068D

Researchers have identified seven distinct planar fracture orientations in shocked zircon from the Vredefort Dome, providing new insights into the microstructural changes induced by high-pressure impacts. These fractures—(010), (100), (112), (1̄12), (1̄1̄2), and (011)—were documented across multiple scales using crystallographic modeling, 360° prism backscattered electron imaging, and sub-micrometer-scale EBSD analysis. Notably, some {112} fractures contain impact microtwins, the first reported in zircon, suggesting complex deformation mechanisms under extreme conditions (20–40 GPa). The study also clarifies the chronology of fracture formation, from early c-axis parallel fractures to later compressional (011) features and non-discrete crystal plastic deformation. By correlating grain-scale and sub-micrometer observations, this work refines our understanding of shock-induced microstructures in zircon, challenging prior nomenclature and advancing impact geology.

Cosmopolitan memory

Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar — 2012 — WHE255498C743

The Old Bridge of Mostar, a sixteenth-century Ottoman architectural masterpiece symbolizing ethnic integration, was destroyed during the Bosnian War (1992–1995) as a deliberate act by Croatian forces. This destruction marked a dramatic shift from Mostar’s pre-war cosmopolitan identity to one defined by ethnic fragmentation and conflict. The study examines how this physical and symbolic erasure reflects broader historical tensions, illustrating the interplay between memory, urban geography, and political violence. It employs qualitative analysis of historical accounts, architectural symbolism, and post-conflict narratives to explore the loss of cosmopolitanism in a UNESCO World Heritage Site.