Zhaoping Yang

Estimating willingness to pay for environment conservation: a contingent valuation study of Kanas Nature Reserve, Xinjiang, China

The primary objective of this study is to estimate publics’ willingness to pay (WTP) for environment conservation and analyze factors influencing WTP. A questionnaire survey based on the contingent valuation method (CVM) was carried out at Kanas Nature Reserve, Xinjiang, China. Seventy-three percent of the 412 respondents were willing to pay at different levels, and the mean WTP value was RMB 54.60 (

Natural heritage values and comparative analyses of Kanas, China

8.03). The results of this survey struck an optimistic note that publics were willing to contribute to improve environmental quality. Logistic regression analysis was employed to compare the characteristics of those who were and were not willing to pay. Chi-square tests were administered to identify the relationships between various explanatory factors and WTP. Conclusions and implications of the empirical study can be provided to policy makers and site managers. In a wider sense, the findings of this study should make a good contribution to the literature related to WTP for environment conservation of natural attractions.

Analysis on the threats and spatiotemporal distribution pattern of security in World Natural Heritage Sites

Kanas is a National Nature Reserve and National 5A Scenic Area, and it is also high on Chinas National Natural Heritage List. In this paper, with an integrated analysis and comparative geo- graphical approach, the genesis and current features of the Kanas landscape are analyzed systematically according to the criteria for outstanding universal values that must be met for designation by the United Nations as World Natural Heritage. It is concluded that Kanas has outstanding universal values in geo- sciences, biology and aesthetics. Through comparison with other World Natural Heritage sites of the same geological types, in the same biogeographic zone and in the same latitude, it is concluded that Kanas meets criteria vii, viii, ix and x for designation as World Natural Heritage. Thus, this work establishes a scientific foundation for nomination of Kanas for such a status.

Natural Heritage Value of Xinjiang Tianshan and Global Comparative Analysis

World Natural Heritage Sites (WNHS) are treasures that need human protection and invite appreciation, which makes conservation of WNHS an urgent task. This paper assesses where in the world threats are most pressing and which WNHS require emergency assistance. Using an analysis of “hot spots” and inverse distance weighting, it finds that Africa is the region where WNHS are least secure. Reports of the state of the conservation of WNHS describe the many threats that exist. Of these, management activities and institutional factors are the primary threats. The paper suggests relevant measures to improve the WNHS security.

Analysis on spatial distribution characteristics and geographical factors of Chinese National Geoparks

Xinjiang Tianshan is a serial natural property that has been nominated for World Heritage status. This paper presents a systematically comprehensive and comparative analysis of the heritage resources of Xinjiang Tianshan according to the World Heritage criteria. Its biological, ecological and aesthetic values, which are of global importance, are documented. It is concluded that Xinjiang Tianshan meets the world heritage criteria (vii) and (ix). Xinjiang Tianshan is compared with other mountain world heritage sites, mountains in Central Asia, the Tianshan Mountains outside China, and with the protected areas of the Tianshan Mountains on the Tentative List for World Heritage Sites, so as to provide objective data for the world heritage application.

Spatiotemporal characteristics of cultural sites and their driving forces in the Ili River Valley during historical periods

This study presents the Pearson correlation analyses of the various factors influencing the Chinese National Geoparks. The aim of this contribution is to offer insights on the Chinese National Geoparks by describing its relations with geoheritage and their intrinsic linkages with geological, climatic controls. The results suggest that: 1) Geomorphologic landscape and palaeontology National Geoparks contribute to 81.65% of Chinese National Geoparks. 2) The NNI of geoparks is 0.97 and it belongs to causal distributional patternwhose regional distributional characteristics may be best characterized as’ dispersion in overall and aggregation in local’. 3) Spatial distribution of National Geoparks is wide. The geographic imbalance in their distribution across regions and types of National Geoparks is obvious, with 13 clustered belts, including Tianshan-Altaishan Mountain, Lesser Higgnan-Changbai, Western Bohai Sea, Taihangshan Mountain, Shandong, Qilianshan-Qinling Mountain, Annulus Tibetan Plateau, Dabashan Mountain, Dabieshan Mountain, Chongqing-Western Hunan, Nanling Mountain, Wuyishan Mountain, Southeastern Coastal, of which the National Geoparks number is 180, accounting for 82.57%. 4) Spatial distribution of National Geoparks coincide with latitudinal tectonic zone and longitude tectonic zone of geological structure features, which is consistent with the areas around the Pacific Rim of volcanic tectonic zones. The coupling relationships are obvious between the spatial distributional pattern and the natural and geological conditions.

Tourist Environment Protection Mode of the Kanas Natural Heritage, Xinjiang, China

This study applies ArcGIS to analyze the spatiotemporal distribution of cultural sites in the Ili River Valley in northwestern China. It explores relationships between the sites’ spatiotemporal evolutionary characteristics, human history, and the natural environment. The results indicate that the numbers and proportions of the sites, and the frequency of their occurrence, exhibited an inverted V-shaped change trend during six historical periods. The “high in the east and low in the west” spatial distribution pattern of the first three periods shifted to the one the “high in the west and low in the east” during the latter three periods, demonstrating a change in the spatial center of gravity of human activities. The sites were mainly distributed on slopes of grades 1–5, with their proportions increasing from 75% during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC–476 BC)–Qin Dynasty (221 BC–207 BC) to 93.75% during the Qing Dynasty–Modern period. The concentrated distribution of site elevations shifted from grades 4–8 during the Spring and Autumn Period–Qin Dynasty, and the Western Han (206 BC–8)–Southern and Northern Dynasties (420–589), to grades 1–4 during the latter three periods. The number of sites showed a shifting trend from high-elevation mountains and hills to low-elevation plains, and from high slopes to low slopes. In particular, the sites exhibited a special “moist” evolutionary pattern of migration from middle and upstream areas to downstream areas, as opposed to the migration pattern of sites located in typical arid areas. The study also considered factors influencing the distribution and spatiotemporal evolution of cultural sites, notably, human factors and natural factors.

Border Demarcation of Nominated Site for World Natural Heritage Based on RS and GIS Technology: A Case Study for Kanas

In this paper, the measured date of air environment quality, water environment quality, acoustic environment quality and solid wastes in the Kanas National Natural Heritage Site of China during different periods were compared, the main factors resulting in the tourist environment pollution were evaluated, and corresponding ecological design approach for controlling tourist environment pollution was put forward. Based on the tourist environment evaluation and tourist ecological design, and the circulation mode of tourist environment protection was put forward so as to improve the tourist and environment protection was coordinated development in the natural heritage site

Creating a low carbon tourism community by public cognition, intention and behaviour change analysisa case study of a heritage site (Tianshan Tianchi, China)

Border demarcation of nominated site for world natural heritage plays an important role in the application for world natural heritage. This work provides precondition for the application program and establishes scientific foundation for the future management and development of the world natural heritage. Based on theoretical analysis, this paper discusses how to apply RS and GIS technology in border demarcation of nominated site for world natural heritage. Influence factors, such as integrality of core values, human activities, boundaries of existing protected area and regionalism et al., are synthetically analyzed in advance. Based on the remote sensing image and topographic map of Kanas, RS and GIS technology is applied to identify the boundaries of the core area and buffer area. The results accord with the criterion of Guidelines for World Heritage. The core area guarantees the integrality of the outstanding universal values of the nominated site, and excludes human activities such as large-scale tourism that may threaten the outstanding universal values. The buffer area includes the traditional social economic activities, local communities and appropriate tourism, provides protective layers from the east, south and west and guarantees the integrality of visual range of the nominated site.

Landscape design for mountain heritage and its application in boundary identification: A case study for Bogda

Abstract This study attempts to explore the establishment of a low-carbon tourism community by public cognition, intention, and behaviour change analysis in a case study of a heritage site, China. Low carbon tourism advocates a way of travel with low energy consumption, low pollution and low CO2 emissions during personal activities. Behaviour change is not only influenced by internal individual aspects including a person’s awareness, attitudes, and capacity to change, but is also driven by external social aspects including the culture and environments in which a person lives. In this paper, questionnaire surveys and field interviews were used to obtain basic information, and with reference to TPB, studied and analyzed the characteristics of cognition, intention and behaviour change practice by low carbon tourism community economy participants. With the help of SPSS analysis software, we found that a person’s educational level or occupation might affect cognition of low carbon tourism, and motives for participating in low carbon tourism could reflect the public’s perception of its emotional value, cognitive value and functional value. Most respondents knew about low carbon tourism; however, when putting it into practice, habitual behaviour was the main barrier for tourists while the residents were passive and followed the needs and choices of the tourists. Therefore, a comprehensive low carbon tourism community system was proposed not only for addressing the aspects of awareness, intention, and practice from individual behavior, but also for covering policy, infrastructure, institution systems and mechanisms at the community level.