Science-Based Approaches to Promote Sustainable Land and Resource Management in Protected Areas: Latest Insights from the Fields of Geography and Recreation Ecology

Dear Colleagues,

The establishment of protected areas (PAs) indicated the beginning of systematic land management, which emphasized the importance of conserving the natural ecosystem while ensuring the provision of resources for various land uses (e.g., recreation, education, culture, and religious sites). In recent years, PAs with iconic landforms and primitive natural environments have become popular among outdoors-based recreationists worldwide. Increasing visitation has extensively promoted the economic development of local societies. However, it has also triggered changes in their original livelihoods and social structure. Meanwhile, overuse problems, accompanied by expanding/proliferating environmental impacts and social issues among visitors (e.g., conflicts and crowding problems), have become more frequent in highly visited areas. To achieve the management goals of PAs, science-based management strategies are required to guide decision-making on land and resource planning and management, facility design, monitoring, and the management of impacts and visitors.

• Aim of the Special Issue and how the subject relates to the journal scope.

During the post-COVID-19 period, the popularity of outdoor recreation activities has reached historical records. The increase in visitation and changes in the structure of visitor groups have created new challenges for management authorities. The shortage of staff and professional technicians will further increase the difficulty of solving these challenges. Practical solutions may vary from place to place due to different geographical locations, ecosystems, and social/political backgrounds. In this Special Issue, we expect to create an integrated collection of applicable management solutions for PAs, focusing on the latest geography and recreation ecology insights.

• Suggested themes and article types for submissions.

This Special Issue welcomes papers focusing on topics including (but are not limited to) the following:

• The potential risks under the current use and management of Pas;
• The latest advances in the monitoring and management of visitors and their environmental and social impacts on PAs;
• Spatial understanding of land and resource management issues as related to recreation and tourism;
• Experiences and progress in the efficient management of natural resources in PAs: lessons from both developed and developing countries/regions;
• Participatory monitoring systems for PAs: their effectiveness and future development;
• Utilization of voluntary big data for visitation analyses;
• Efficacy of traditional and state-of-the-art methods for recreation resource management and infrastructure maintenance.

Dr. Ting Wang
Prof. Dr. Teiji Watanabe
Prof. Dr. Yu-Fai Leung
Guest Editors

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