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Showing 13241 – 13260 of 15962 publications

Sponge’s biodiversity in the limestone islands in Vietnam sea

Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago — 2020 — WHEC58C492EAC

A comprehensive survey of sponge biodiversity in Vietnam's limestone islands, including Ha Long Bay and the Cat Ba Archipelago, identified 54 species across 33 genera and 24 families. Ha Long Bay exhibited the highest diversity (53 species), while the Ba Lua archipelago had the least (3 species). Sponges were most abundant in coral reefs (48 species) compared to mud or sand bottoms (4 species). Biomass varied significantly, with 11 sites showing high potential for medicinal drug development. The study, conducted between 2017 and 2020 across 41 sampling points, provides critical insights into the ecological richness of these UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Spring flow in a portion of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Grand Canyon National Park — 2020 — WHE326187B86C

Groundwater flow in four side canyons of Grand Canyon National Park—Hermit, Monument, Salt, and Horn Creeks—is structurally controlled by two major faults: the Hermit Fault near Hermit Creek and the Bright Angel Fault east of Horn Creek. These northeast-trending faults act as hydrologic collector structures, channeling water downward from the south rim through impermeable strata. The study found a dual groundwater system feeding the springs, with flow paths influenced by fracture zones. Lag times between precipitation on the rim and spring discharge (less than one month for Hermit Creek, 1–2 months for others) and water chemistry indicate distinct flow paths. This interconnected, fault-dominated system dominates the hydrology of the study area.

Średniowieczne rachunki kościoła Świętojańskiego w Toruniu. Uwagi źródłoznawcze

Medieval Town of Toruń — 2020 — WHE7A665551EA

A rare glimpse into the financial operations of St John’s Church in Toruń during the late medieval period (15th to early 16th century) is provided by an analysis of eight archival account books held at the State Archives in Toruń. These records, meticulously structured and categorized, reveal insights into the church's economic activities, including expenditures, revenues, and administrative practices. The study also highlights the interconnectedness between ecclesiastical and municipal financial systems in medieval Toruń, offering a nuanced understanding of urban governance during this era. By examining the authorship, arrangement, and content of these accounts, researchers have reconstructed key aspects of the church's operational framework, contributing to the broader historical narrative of the UNESCO-listed Medieval Town of Toruń.

Sri Ksetra, 3rd Century BCE to 6th Century CE: Indianization, Synergies, Creation

Pyu Ancient Cities — 2020 — WHEB00F8088B5

Archaeological research challenges the long-held narrative of Indianization in Southeast Asia, revealing that the Pyu cities of Myanmar underwent significant cultural and architectural transformations between the 3rd century BCE and 6th century CE. Contrary to George Coedès' theory of a rapid transition from Neolithic to Hindu-influenced societies, this study highlights the nuanced, gradual processes of Indianization, with enduring impacts on script, religion, art, and architecture. The research employs epigraphic and archaeological evidence to reinterrogate the timing, human agencies, and driving forces behind these changes, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the Pyu civilization's syncretic cultural landscape.

St Stephen’s Chapel, Westminster

Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret’s Church — 2020 — WHEBB227FA329

St Stephen’s Chapel, located within the Palace of Westminster and adjacent to Westminster Abbey, played a pivotal role in shaping both English medieval architecture and British political life before its destruction by fire in 1834. The chapel's design innovations set precedents that influenced subsequent architectural styles, while its political significance as a venue for parliamentary proceedings underscored its importance in the evolution of governance. This essay contextualizes St Stephen’s Chapel within the broader history of the medieval Palace, highlighting its enduring legacy despite its eventual loss.

Stability Evaluation of Deformation (Denudation) of Yuanjue Rock Cave Roof Based on Multisource Monitoring

Dazu Rock Carvings — 2020 — WHE0B4120EBC7

A novel multisource monitoring system, integrating IoT technology and microsensing hardware, successfully revealed the deformation and denudation patterns of Yuanjue Rock Cave's sandstone roof at Dazu Rock Carvings. This research introduced a new approach for evaluating roof stability in cultural heritage sites by optimizing monitoring point layouts and analyzing complex environmental, geological, and human-induced forces. Over six months of continuous data collection, the system provided critical insights into the structural behavior of the grotto rock mass, offering technical support for the preservation of similar UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Stable isotopes 18O and D in cave ice of the Lena Pillars National Nature Reserve (Eastern Siberia).

Lena Pillars Nature Park — 2020 — WHE02D4FD9B26

Researchers analyzing stable isotopes (18O and D) in cave ice within the Lena Pillars Nature Park revealed distinct isotopic signatures that reflect regional climatic conditions. The study identified three primary clusters of isotopic composition: continental, arctic, and mixed, suggesting complex moisture source dynamics influencing precipitation patterns. This finding provides new insights into paleoclimatic reconstructions for Eastern Siberia, where cave ice serves as a valuable archive of past environmental conditions. The research employed high-resolution isotopic analysis to distinguish between local and distant atmospheric influences, offering a novel approach to interpreting proxy data in periglacial environments.

Stable isotopes reveal the importance of seabirds and marine foods in the diet of St Kilda field mice

St Kilda — 2020 — WHEADDBDA6E87

Stable isotope analysis reveals that seabirds and marine foods constitute a significant portion of the diet of St Kilda field mice, particularly during seabird breeding seasons. Mice sampled from Carn Mor, where the majority of the island's seabirds nest, exhibited distinct isotopic signatures compared to other locations, indicating a higher reliance on seabird-derived foods. This finding suggests that mice may be scavenging or predating seabirds or consuming their discarded food items, potentially impacting seabird populations. The study used δ13C and δ15N ratios from mouse blood and dietary items to examine foraging behavior across three years (2010–2012), employing isotope niche and mixing models to assess seasonal and spatial variations.

Staging Archaeology: Empire as Reality Effect at the 1906–07fêtes de Carthage

Archaeological Site of Carthage — 2020 — WHE3F91DD8801

The 1906–07 fêtes de Carthage, staged at the recently excavated Roman theatre of Carthage, revealed archaeology's dual role as both a nostalgic celebration and a historicist tool during French colonization in Tunisia. These elaborate pageants, involving hundreds of actors and sumptuous period costumes, drew on archaeological findings to depict French colonizers as preservers of ancient culture while consigning colonial violence to the realm of performance. The 1907 pageant featured two specially commissioned plays, including one that juxtaposed a modern poet with a Carthaginian priestess at her excavated tomb site. This study demonstrates how archaeology, as an emerging science, helped police the boundary between past and present, serving a historicist sense of time that legitimized colonial narratives through the 'reality effect'—a technique that made staged performances appear authentic.

Stakeholder perspectives on large-scale marine protected areas

Phoenix Islands Protected Area — 2020 — WHE5E0D34A40C

Research reveals five distinct stakeholder perspectives on large-scale marine protected areas (LSMPAs), highlighting the multi-dimensional nature of views among those directly engaged with these conservation tools. The study, involving forty stakeholders from five sites—including established LSMPAs like the Phoenix Islands Protected Area in Kiribati and proposed ones such as Rapa Nui (Easter Island)—identified three optimistic viewpoints ('Enthusiast,' 'Purist,' and 'Relativist') and two cautious ones ('Critic' and 'Skeptic'). These findings underscore the importance of nuanced consultation processes in LSMPA governance, offering insights that could improve stakeholder dialogue and decision-making. The study employed Q Methodology to capture diverse voices, contributing valuable perspectives to global debates on LSMPAs.

Star gazing

Sceilg Mhichíl — 2020 — WHE5421771DAF

Media-driven tourism has significantly altered the perception of cultural heritage sites, such as Skellig Michael, by overshadowing traditional authenticity with mediatized pseudo-authenticity. This study employs a sociological perspective to analyze how visual imagery in marketing campaigns, particularly those tied to global franchises like Star Wars, reshapes the relationship between media, tourism, and heritage. The research finds that while media creates and reproduces reality, it increasingly blurs the line between actual and mediated experiences, raising questions about the preservation of genuine cultural significance in the face of commercialized narratives.

State-of-the-practice: Assessing community participation within Chinese cultural World Heritage properties

Lushan National Park — 2020 — WHE3DB957D30D

An assessment framework for community participation in cultural World Heritage management reveals significant variability in practices among Chinese UNESCO sites. While some, like the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces and Kulangsu, demonstrate high levels of engagement, most, including Lushan National Park, show minimal involvement. The framework, developed from heritage policies and literature, includes four criteria and 23 indicators, tested on 36 cultural properties inscribed between 1987 and 2018 using content analysis. This study highlights the need for improved community participation in heritage conservation globally.

Stationesand Associations of Merchants at Puteoli and Delos

Delos — 2020 — WHE310AA4A893

A recent study challenges the traditional view of 'stationes' as official Roman outposts, revealing them instead as integral to the social and economic networks of eastern merchants who resided permanently in western ports like Puteoli and Delos. By analyzing these structures within the context of voluntary associations, the research demonstrates that stationes functioned as hubs for cross-cultural trade and community organization, blending formal institutional roles with informal merchant networks. The study employs comparative analysis of archaeological and historical sources to highlight how these stations operated as dynamic intermediaries between Roman administrative systems and foreign merchant communities.

Status of illegal resource extraction within Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Uganda: Baseline studies near four hydropower projects

Rwenzori Mountains National Park — 2020 — WHEEFFAC89F7B

Illegal resource extraction within Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Uganda, is more pervasive and diverse than previously documented. A study near four hydropower projects identified 17 types of illegal activities, with medicinal plant collection and poaching being the most widespread. Poaching showed significant spatial variation across sites (p = 0.03) and increased with distance from park boundaries at two locations (p = 0.05). Community surveys revealed that 68% and 44% of respondents engaged in medicinal plant collection and poaching, respectively, while nearly all (98%) recognized the park as a vital source of natural resources. The findings, derived from in-park plot assessments, nonplot-based methods, community surveys, and ranger patrol records, highlight the need for extended patrols deeper within the park to mitigate illegal activities effectively. This baseline study provides critical data for monitoring temporal and spatial changes during the hydropower projects' duration.

Status of the Beach Litter in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dungonab and Mukkawar Island Marine National Park in Sudan, Red Sea

Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay – Mukkawar Island Marine National Park — 2020 — WHE7DCAB7724C

Beaches within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dungonab Bay and Mukkawar Island Marine National Park (DMNP) in Sudan's Red Sea were found to be relatively clean, with an average density of 0.4 items per square meter, primarily due to locally sourced marine litter rather than long-distance accumulation. Plastic debris dominated the collected litter, accounting for 57.23% of the total 3037 items sampled over a 10-month period across six sites. The study, conducted quarterly from January to October 2017, revealed a steady decrease in beach litter flux—from 21.9 to 16.43 items per 100 meters per day—suggesting limited external marine litter input. This baseline assessment highlights the potential for targeted interventions, such as waste management and recycling initiatives, to further improve beach cleanliness and support sustainable tourism in this protected area.

Stem Embedded in the Dujiangyan Irrigation System: A Descriptive - Interpretive Analysis to Design Stem Course

Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System — 2020 — WHE4D07666647

A groundbreaking analysis reveals that the ancient Dujiangyan Irrigation System, constructed 2,275 years ago by Li Bing during China's Warring States period, inherently embodies STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) principles. This study, leveraging cultural-historical activity theory and content analysis, identifies key STEM components within the system—such as hydraulic principles, cobblestone construction techniques, water-level measurement, and mathematical calculations for sand discharge. By integrating these findings with UNESCO's educational pedagogy of learning from daily life, this research offers a novel framework for designing globally applicable STEM curricula rooted in cultural-historical events. The approach provides a replicable model for incorporating interdisciplinary knowledge into education, bridging historical engineering marvels with modern pedagogical strategies.

Stemmatostoma cribbi n. sp. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) from Freshwater Fishes in the Wet Tropics Bioregion of Queensland, Australia

Wet Tropics of Queensland — 2020 — WHE8D3001535A

A new species of parasitic flatworm, Stemmatostoma cribbi, has been discovered in freshwater fishes within the Wet Tropics Bioregion of Queensland, Australia. This digenean parasite, belonging to the family Cryptogonimidae, was identified in the intestines and pyloric caeca of grunter fish (Hephaestus fuliginosus and Hephaestus tulliensis) and Jungle perch (Kuhlia rupestris). Distinguishing it from its only known relative, Stemmatostoma pearsoni, are fewer oral spines (14 vs. 16) and notable genetic differences across three rDNA regions, with up to 7.2% divergence in the ITS2 region. Phylogenetic analyses using partial LSU data further elucidated its evolutionary relationships within cryptogonimid species from freshwater ecosystems.

Stimulating Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals and Conservation Action: Predicting Future Land Use/Cover Change in Virunga National Park, Congo

Virunga National Park — 2020 — WHEB6096EB038

A significant reduction in Virunga National Park's forest and open land areas is projected by 2030, driven primarily by agricultural expansion and urban development. This finding stems from a study that simulated future land cover changes using advanced modeling techniques, including machine learning algorithms and Markov chain analysis. Researchers analyzed satellite images from 2010, 2015, and 2019 to identify key drivers of these changes, such as landscape topography and proximity to human activities. The study provides critical insights for data-driven decision-making, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and offering recommendations to mitigate environmental degradation while supporting sustainable development in the region.

Stonehenge – past and future

Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites — 2020 — WHE0FE7835EAD

Stonehenge's historical significance extends beyond its iconic sarsen stones, with evidence suggesting the presence of additional stone circles, including one of blue stones within the sarsen horseshoe. This indicates a layered construction over an extended period, highlighting its importance to its builders and subsequent adapters. English Heritage, responsible for managing Stonehenge since it came into public ownership in 1919, has undertaken extensive conservation efforts, including re-erecting fallen stones and stabilizing the monument's structure with concrete. The study draws on expert advice from specialist committees and technical staff to ensure the preservation of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin). Mur d’enceinte – place Sainte-Madeleine / rue du Fossé des Orphelins

Strasbourg, Grande-Île and Neustadt — 2020 — WHE7C75A0F1B9

A comprehensive study of the medieval and modern defensive wall at Strasbourg's Grande Île, specifically focusing on the section at place Sainte-Madeleine / rue du Fossé des Orphelins, has revealed significant insights into its architectural evolution. The research, conducted between 2018-2019, utilized multi-phase analysis to document the wall's structure, which is primarily visible from its interior face due to adjacent school buildings obscuring the exterior. Key findings include detailed observations of the wall's construction techniques and historical layers, providing critical data for ongoing restoration efforts on this Monument historique. The study highlights the importance of preserving such structures while offering a deeper understanding of Strasbourg's defensive architecture.