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Showing 2741 – 2760 of 28097 publications

Proposed Marine Low-stand Depocenter as a Contributor to the Development of the Namib Sand Sea or Namib Pleistocene Coastal Dune Sheet, Namibia

Namib Sand Sea — 2025 — WHE1499D73E7A

Research identifies two mid-shelf paleo-headlands—one extending 28 km offshore and another 14 km—as potential contributors to the formation of the Namib Sand Sea and smaller dune complexes along Namibia's coast. These submerged features, corresponding to areas of localized sand entrapment during Pleistocene marine low-stands, may have facilitated across-shelf sand transport via eolian and wave processes. The study analyzed 31 transects to test regional factors like shelf width, coastline orientation, and elevation, but found no direct correlation with the dune complexes. Instead, it proposes that these paleo-headlands, combined with alongshore sand supply from deflation corridors, created a low-stand depocenter that likely influenced dune sheet development. This finding offers new insights into the geological processes shaping coastal dune systems.

Prospecting on the UNESCO World Heritage Site Gelati, Georgia

Gelati Monastery — 2025 — WHE728C4C5A57

Recent archaeo-geophysical prospecting around the UNESCO World Heritage Site Gelati Monastery, Georgia, has uncovered new discoveries that promise to deepen our understanding of the site's historical and cultural significance. The study employed advanced geophysical techniques to explore subsurface structures, revealing potential hidden features that could include ancient foundations or buried artifacts. This approach combines ground-penetrating radar (GPR), electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and magnetic surveys to create a comprehensive subsurface map. Such integrated methods enhance the precision of archaeological investigations while minimizing invasive excavation, thereby preserving the integrity of the site. The findings highlight the potential for non-invasive prospecting to uncover significant historical insights in protected areas like Gelati.

Protected Area-Based Tourism as a Catalyst for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Lake Malawi National Park — 2025 — WHE2B77D0AA94

Protected area-based tourism emerges as a powerful catalyst for achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in southern Africa. A study focusing on Lake Malawi National Park and Etosha National Park demonstrates how such tourism supports SDG 1, 8, and 10 by generating employment and removing socio-economic barriers while advancing SDG 4, 5, 11, 13, 14, and 15 through biodiversity conservation, skills training, gender equality, and sustainable practices. Community participation was identified as central to equitable benefit-sharing and conservation success. The research employed a qualitative exploratory design with in-depth interviews and observations across diverse stakeholder groups, revealing the potential of tourism to promote integrated environmental, social, and economic sustainability when supported by strong community engagement, inclusive strategies, and sustained investment.

Protected Areas and Biodiversity Conservation in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

Tajik National Park (Mountains of the Pamirs) — 2025 — WHE86F8FB08DE

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, critical biodiversity hotspots within the Tian Shan and Pamir mountain ranges, face significant conservation challenges despite their rich species diversity, including endemics and wild crop relatives vital for global food security. A comparative study reveals stark differences in their protected area strategies: Tajikistan safeguards 25% of its land, with a strong focus on large-scale in situ protection exemplified by the vast Tajik National Park, while Kyrgyzstan protects only 6-10%, yet is rapidly expanding its network through ecological corridors and community-based conservation. Both nations grapple with shared threats—climate change, overgrazing, and habitat fragmentation—but Kyrgyzstan’s participatory approach shows promise in mitigating these issues. The study underscores the urgent need for transboundary collaboration to address environmental challenges like glacial melt and river basin ecosystems, aiming to bolster ecological resilience and meet global biodiversity targets.

Protecting forests, losing trees: the role of community involvement

Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve — 2025 — WHE5086353A78

Despite its protected status, nearly half of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR) experienced forest degradation after conservation decrees, with pre-emptive clearing by communities contributing to deforestation. However, later periods saw forest recovery driven by payment for environmental services and community participation. The study, using multi-temporal data including aerial photographs and satellite imagery, found that illegal logging reduced essential fir forests by 43.3%, highlighting the critical role of community involvement in mitigating environmental impacts and ensuring conservation success.

Protection and inheritance of Beijing Central Axis from the perspective of spatial production

Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital — 2025 — WHE3A0DF1EE9B

Beijing's Central Axis, a UNESCO-listed cultural heritage site spanning 7.8 km, serves as a dynamic space that integrates material and intangible elements to reflect the ideal order of Chinese capital city planning. Research reveals that government-driven conservation efforts and tourism practices have reshaped this heritage space, creating a complex social structure that balances physical restoration with cultural transmission and innovation. However, challenges such as bureaucratic inefficiencies in management, limited innovative interpretation of heritage values, and imbalances between tourist and heritage spaces persist. To address these issues, the study recommends streamlining management systems, leveraging digital technologies for broader heritage engagement, and enhancing public participation through community activities and educational initiatives to foster cultural identity.

Protocol for assessing and managing radon gas exposure risks in caves: A case study of Altaomira and Paleolithic cave art of Northern Spain World Heritage Site

Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain — 2025 — WHE76F3CB015B

A significant health risk for workers and researchers in tourist caves, such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Altamira, stems from exposure to radon gas. This study reveals that radon levels fluctuate substantially due to seasonal ventilation patterns driven by thermal gradients between the cave and external atmosphere. Using International Commission on Radiological Protection guidelines, it calculates the maximum allowable working hours to comply with European and Spanish regulations, which set an annual dose limit of 20 mSv for occupational exposure. The research underscores the need for continuous radon monitoring and tailored management strategies, such as adjusting work schedules and restricting access during high-radon periods. It also highlights the limitations of passive radon detectors, which tend to underestimate actual radon levels compared to continuous monitoring. The study provides a protocol for managing radon exposure in culturally significant caves while ensuring worker and visitor safety.

Provenance analysis of stone artefact assemblages using petrography and pXRF at Murujuga (the Dampier Archipelago), Western Australia

Murujuga Cultural Landscape — 2025 — WHE43F294D9EB

Over half of the stone artefacts at Nganjarli (Deep Gorge) on Murujuga, Western Australia, were sourced from non-local outcrops, a finding that highlights complex human mobility patterns in this culturally significant landscape. Researchers used petrography and portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) to analyze artefact assemblages across four sites, demonstrating the technique's effectiveness for in situ provenance analysis. By distinguishing local rock types using geochemical markers like zirconium (Zr) and titanium (Ti), the study revealed that most artefacts at other sites were locally sourced. This approach enhances understanding of landscape attachment and mobility in a region rich in tool-stone resources.

Provenience of a Monument: Serial Rediscovery in the Image History of Urnes Stave Church

Urnes Stave Church — 2025 — WHE706DB31F64

A new perspective on the transformation of Urnes Stave Church into an international heritage icon emerges from the rediscovery of previously overlooked images by Thomas Fearnley and Mathias Wilhelm Eckhoff, predating Johan Christian Dahl's 1837 documentation. This micro-historical reconstruction reveals the movements of artists around the Lusterfjord in 1826, challenging the dominant narrative that credits Dahl alone with the monument's rediscovery. By presenting forgotten impressions of Urnes as a functioning local village church, the study sheds light on the collective contributions to its cultural significance and offers a nuanced understanding of its evolution into a symbol of Norwegian heritage.

Proyecto de casa de recreo de los gobernadores y capitanes generales de Puerto Rico: tipo y referentes en el Caribe hispano

La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico — 2025 — WHEA7709EFD37

A previously overlooked summer residence for Puerto Rico's governors and captains general, constructed in Río Piedras during the 18th and 19th centuries, shares architectural similarities with other recreational homes in the Greater Antilles. This finding emerges from an analysis of extensive graphic and documentary sources, revealing projects, expansions, and renovations carried out by military engineers who also worked on Santa Catalina Fortress—a key site for Puerto Rico's Capitanía General. The study highlights the residence's significance in Caribbean Hispanic architectural history, contrasting it with more documented structures.

Pseudoscaphirhynchus hermanni

Tugay forests of the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve — 2025 — WHE3AE91303F6

The critically endangered sturgeon species Pseudoscaphirhynchus hermanni has not been recorded in Tajikistan since extensive ichthyological surveys from 2005 to 2020, despite previous sightings in the lower reaches of the Vakhsh River within the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve. The species, last documented between 1995 and 1997, is now considered critically endangered (sensu IUCN) due to its restricted distribution, possibly limited to the Amu Darya and lower Vakhsh River basins. While no specimens were examined in this study, historical data suggest a dramatic decline, highlighting urgent conservation concerns for this rare sturgeon in Tajikistan's UNESCO-listed landscapes.

Public Administration Mechanisms for Odesa’s Tourism Potential as a UNESCO Historical and Cultural Heritage Site

The Historic Centre of Odesa — 2025 — WHE74AFA11367

Odesa's tourism potential as a UNESCO World Heritage Site can be harnessed through targeted public administration mechanisms, despite challenges posed by war and cultural heritage destruction. A SWOT analysis identified key strengths—such as Odesa’s rich historical and architectural heritage—and weaknesses, including infrastructure damage and regulatory gaps. The study proposes integrated institutional, financial, technological, and environmental strategies to balance preservation with sustainable tourism development. Recommendations align with UNESCO standards, offering a roadmap for post-war recovery that prioritizes cultural integrity while fostering economic resilience.

Publications relating to biodiversity on Robben Island

Robben Island — 2025 — WHE7575A70E86

A comprehensive bibliography of 200 publications on Robben Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, offers critical insights into its biodiversity, ecosystems, and human impacts. This curated collection serves as a foundational resource for researchers, enabling the design of more effective studies, the identification of knowledge gaps, and the avoidance of redundant work. It also provides long-term data sets and historical context to guide policy and management decisions, ensuring robust and informed conservation efforts on the island.

Pupping grounds for the Critically Endangered tope shark Galeorhinus galeus around the Dutch Wadden Islands

Wadden Sea — 2025 — WHE34144E9F0F

A critical discovery identifies the Dutch Wadden Sea and adjacent North Sea waters as a pupping ground for the Critically Endangered tope shark (Galeorhinus galeus), based on catch records and survey observations of neonates in July 2022. This finding is significant given the species' global decline and limited knowledge about its pupping areas, particularly in the Northeast Atlantic. The study highlights the importance of this UNESCO World Heritage Site for shark conservation, emphasizing its role as a potential nursery habitat that could support population recovery efforts. The research approach relied on field observations and existing data to pinpoint this critical area, offering new insights for managing threats such as fisheries capture and environmental change.

Pyrenees of Spain, France, and Andorra

Pyrénées - Mont Perdu — 2025 — WHEB5AE57FCBA

The Pyrenees, formed by the collision of African and European tectonic plates over 50 million years, showcase a complex geological narrative of continental collisions, fold-thrust belts, salt tectonics, and evolving sedimentary basins. This geo-tour traverses the eastern and central Pyrenees, revealing key features such as thrust faults, growth strata, evaporite detachment horizons, and large fan deltas. The journey covers 1,250 km through UNESCO Global Geoparks, national parks, natural parks, and World Heritage Sites, including Montserrat and Monte Perdido/Pyrénées – Mont Perdu. It highlights the interplay between tectonics and sedimentation during rifting, compression, and basin inversion, along with peridotites exposed by crustal extension. The Pyrenees' stunning landscapes—hot springs, waterfalls, glacial valleys, and jagged peaks—offer a rich tapestry of geological and human history.

Qalhat, A Medieval Port City of Oman. From a field of ruins to UNESCO

Ancient City of Qalhat — 2025 — WHE8B124CA291

Qalhat, once a bustling medieval port city in Oman (11th–16th century), has been revealed through nine years of interdisciplinary archaeological research (2008–2016) led by Axelle Rougeulle (CNRS) and supported by Oman's Ministry of Heritage. The Qalhat Project uncovered the city's significance as a key maritime hub, blending historical, architectural, and environmental analyses to reconstruct its rise, peak, and decline. Findings highlight advanced urban planning, trade networks spanning the Indian Ocean, and the city's eventual abandonment due to shifting economic dynamics. This monograph synthesizes extensive fieldwork, offering insights into Qalhat's transformation from a ruin-strewn site to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, underscoring its cultural and historical importance.

Qanats: Ancient Innovations Nurturing Sustainable Futures in Water Management

The Persian Qanat — 2025 — WHE5CF5184842

Qanats, ancient water management systems originating on the arid Persian Plateau over three millennia ago, demonstrate remarkable sustainability by channeling water from aquifers through gravity-driven sub-horizontal tunnels. Unlike modern methods, qanats prevent over-extraction and maintain a balanced flow according to aquifer levels, offering a blueprint for sustainable water resource management. This study highlights their adaptability across diverse environments, cultural significance, and potential to address contemporary water challenges. By analyzing the geographical spread, historical evolution, and enduring relevance of qanats, researchers uncover timeless lessons that could revolutionize modern water systems worldwide.

Qiantang River (Hangzhou section) leisure tourist area planning based on traditional ancient poetry and modern urban imagery: netnographic methods and natural language processing analysis

West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou — 2025 — WHE9386F59855

A study on the Qiantang River (Hangzhou section) leisure tourist area reveals that natural beauty and cultural connotations significantly influence tourists' positive emotional responses. Using natural language processing analysis of ancient poetry and modern social media comments, researchers identified that attractions like Gu Shan Park and Yaoling Cave evoke strong positive emotions due to their scenic landscapes and peaceful environments. Additionally, cultural sites such as Lingyin Temple and Guangfuchan Temple were highly appreciated for their profound cultural significance. The research also highlights the dominance of 'travel' and 'time' themes in modern social media discussions, reflecting contemporary leisure activities and time perception shifts. This study provides a data-driven approach to planning culturally rich and emotionally resonant tourist areas.

Qin structural timbers and the First Emperor’s Mausoleum (Xi’an, China)

Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor — 2025 — WHECB889B55AD

Analysis of charred timbers from the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor reveals sophisticated logistical planning and labor organization during the Qin Dynasty. The study identified dark coniferous woods (fir, spruce, hemlock) sourced from rugged terrains, indicating advanced resource mobilization. A temporal shift toward higher-elevation species suggests ecological impacts from large-scale timber harvesting, aligning with historical records of Qin administrative dominance.

Quantifying Firewood Extraction in a Protected Forest: Local Dependence and Policy Challenges in Lake Malawi National Park

Lake Malawi National Park — 2025 — WHEC914A73D48

A quantitative assessment reveals that annual firewood extraction in Lake Malawi National Park's Cape Maclear Peninsula forest exceeds 11,976 megagrams (3.07 m³ per hectare), with 88% of households relying on this resource and 77% gathering it themselves despite regulatory measures like the Resource Use Programme. The study highlights strong local dependence on protected forests for energy, driven by household size, biomass reliance, and limited off-park alternatives. These findings emphasize the need for integrated conservation strategies, including tree planting, agroforestry initiatives, improved cookstoves, and alternative livelihoods to balance biodiversity protection with community energy needs.