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Protected areas, lands and seas set aside for nature conservation, are the main tool for governments to conserve biodiversity. The complexity of government processes, however, can lead to fragmentation in protected area systems. Institutional fragmentation can preclude central coordination and undermine funding and performance. Here, we examine the impact of institutional fragmentation on budgets for protected area agencies in the United States, an important actor in the global conservation movement.

This article uses visual text and network analysis with agency budget documents to examine linkages between agencies. These findings are triangulated with semi-structured interviews analyzed with axial coding to develop a framework for the budget process and its outcomes in US protected area agencies.

The visual text analysis demonstrates varying levels of coordination between agencies. The conceptual framework shows that five factors - mismatches within agencies, the influence of the Presidential administration, the power of Congress as the appropriator of funds, external forces that influence Congress, and a lack of accountability in allocations – lead to institutional fragmentation and “disparate nature enclaves”.

Interview findings are derived from a non-representative population, and thus should not be generalized for all agencies or budget systems.

Understanding the factors influencing agency budget proposals will inform policy to make budgeting more effective for U.S. and other national protected area systems.

Few studies have conducted qualitative analyses of federal agencies and their budgets, particularly for federal protected areas.

Evolutionary developmental biology is a highly variable scientific innovation because researchers can adapt their involvement in the innovation to the opportunities provided by their environment. On the basis of comparative case studies in four countries, we link epistemic properties of research tasks to three types of necessary protected space, and identify the necessary and facilitating conditions for building them. We found that the variability of research tasks made contributing to evolutionary developmental biology possible under most sets of authority relations. However, even the least demanding research depends on its acceptance as legitimate innovation by the scientific community and of purely basic research by state policy and research organisations. The latter condition is shown to become precarious.

Accessibility is critical in tourism planning for protected islands, especially when balancing tourism and conservation interests. This study aims to explore the dimensions of accessibility that impact tourists’ decisions to visit protected islands and encourage tourism. The accessibility dimension is essential in designing sustainable tourism management of protected islands.

This study was conceptualized by integrating the concept of accessibility in the context of transport accessibility, accessible tourism, protected areas and protected islands. In a sample of 487 surveys, factor analysis and structural equation model-partial least squares were used to examine the physical and nonphysical accessibility dimensions.

The primary objective of this study is to build a conceptual framework for the tourism accessibility of protected islands. This study confirms that accessibility is perceived in three dimensions: destination accessibility, individual accessibility and protected island accessibility. It is also found that all three accessibility dimensions have a significant influence on the decision to visit, with protected island accessibility as the lowering factor. This study demonstrates that, theoretically, tourism accessibility in protected islands should be treated as a convenience and restriction to balance the function of protected areas and tourism.

The findings of this study can be generalized because the notion of accessibility dimensions is derived from a theoretical investigation of several contexts (transport accessibility, accessible tourism, protected areas and island characteristics) to identify more particular aspects. In addition, the results of the theoretical investigation were tested using quantitative methods with high statistical power (80%). However, saturation has not been reached, because thorough research on tourism accessibility on this protected island is still scarce. Within the same framework, application and duplicate research are required to increase the generalizability of the proposed concept. Therefore, the authors recommend further studies to validate the protected islands’ accessibility concept in a broader context by replicating the study in a more diversified timeline, sample and destination setting.

This study concludes that all dimensions of accessibility in protected islands must be considered from two perspectives: convenience and constraints. Conveniences can be constructed through tourists’ perceptions of accessibility. Destination accessibility should be designed with a “back to nature” mindset, excluding hedonistic elements. Individual accessibility is achieved by applying high safety, hygiene and health standards as well as environmental ethics standards that are consistent with the natural characteristics of the environment. This balance between constraint and convenience demonstrates that, while tourism accessibility must be made as comfortable as possible for all individuals, there are particular areas whose accessibility must be controlled to preserve them. The convenience of accessibility for universal access should not be allowed to lead to mass tourism that affects the ecosystem in protected areas.

The novelty of this study lies in the finding that the tourism accessibility of protected islands can be divided into three types: destination accessibility, individual accessibility and protected island accessibility. This study also demonstrates the significant influence of accessibility on tourists’ decisions to visit. Accordingly, the protected island accessibility dimension can create a perception of difficult accessibility and lower tourists’ decisions to visit. This study concludes that all elements influencing the perception of tourism accessibility on a protected island must be considered to sustainably manage convenience and restrictions to avoid mass tourism. Therefore, it is recommended that these three dimensions be considered in visitor management programs.

这项研究的概念是通过将交通可达性、可达性旅游、保护区和受保护岛屿的背景下的可达性概念结合起来。在 487 次调查的样本量中, 因子分析和 偏最小二乘结构方程模型法采用于检查物理和非物理可访问性维度。

可访问性在受保护岛屿的旅游规划中至关重要, 尤其是在平衡旅游和保护利益时。 本研究探讨了影响游客决定访问受保护岛屿并最终鼓励旅游业的可达性维度。 因此, 探索受保护岛屿的旅游可达性维度是设计可持续旅游管理的基础。

这项研究的主要目的是为受保护岛屿的旅游可达性建立一个概念框架。 本研究证实, 可达性被认为是三个维度, 即目的地可达性、个人可达性和受保护岛屿的可达性。 研究还发现, 所有三个可达性维度对访问决定都有显着影响, 受保护岛屿的可达性是降低因素。 从理论上讲, 本研究表明, 保护岛屿的旅游可达性应被视为便利和限制, 以平衡保护区和旅游的功能。

本研究的成果易于概括, 因为可达性维度的概念源自对几种背景（交通可达性、可达性旅游、保护区和岛屿特征）的理论研究, 以确定更具体的方面。 此外, 理论研究的成果已经采用定量方法进行了检验, 具有很高的统计功效（80%）。 然而, 由于对这个受保护岛屿的旅游可达性的深入研究仍然很少, 因此尚未达到饱和。 在同一框架下, 需要应用和重复研究来增加所提出概念的普遍性。 因此, 作者建议进一步研究, 通过在更多样化的时间线、样本和目的地设置中复制研究, 在更广泛的背景下验证受保护岛屿的可达性概念。

本文章的结尾是, 必须从两个角度考虑保护岛屿的所有方面的可达性：便利性和约束性。 便利性可以通过游客对可达性的感知来构建。 目的地可达性应以“回归自然”的心态进行设计, 不包括享乐主义元素。 通过应用高安全、卫生和健康标准以及与环境自然特征相一致的环境伦理标准来实现个人无障碍。 约束和便利之间的这种平衡表明, 虽然必须使所有个人的旅游可达性尽可能舒适, 但必须控制某些特定区域的可达性以保护它们。 不要让普遍访问的便利性导致影响保护区生态系统的大众旅游。

本文章的新颖之处在于发现保护岛屿的旅游可达性分为三种类型：目的地可达性、个人可达性和保护岛可达性。 本研究还证明了可达性对游客访问决策的显着影响。 因此, 受保护岛屿的可达性维度可以产生一种难以进入的感觉, 并降低游客的访问决定。 本研究的理论反思得出结尾, 必须考虑影响受保护岛屿旅游可达性感知的所有因素, 以可持续地管理便利和限制, 以避免大众旅游。 因此, 建议在访客管理程序中考虑上述三个维度。

Este estudio se conceptualizó integrando el concepto de accesibilidad en el contexto de la accesibilidad del transporte, el turismo accesible, las áreas protegidas y las islas protegidas. En una muestra de 487 encuestas, se utilizó el análisis factorial y el PLS-SEM para examinar las dimensiones de accesibilidad física y no física.

La accesibilidad es fundamental en la planificación turística de las islas protegidas, especialmente cuando se trata de equilibrar los intereses del turismo y la conservación. Este artículo explora las dimensiones de la accesibilidad que influyen en la decisión de los turistas de visitar las islas protegidas y fomentar el turismo. Por lo tanto, la dimensión de la accesibilidad es esencial para diseñar una gestión turística sostenible de las islas protegidas.

El objetivo principal de esta investigación es construir un marco conceptual para la accesibilidad turística de las islas protegidas. Este estudio confirma que la accesibilidad se percibe en tres dimensiones: la accesibilidad del destino, la accesibilidad individual y la accesibilidad de la isla protegida. También se constata que las tres dimensiones de la accesibilidad influyen significativamente en la decisión de visitar `la isla, siendo la accesibilidad de la isla protegida el factor que más influye. Este estudio demuestra que, teóricamente, la accesibilidad turística en las islas protegidas debe ser tratada como una conveniencia y restricción para equilibrar la función de las áreas protegidas y el turismo.

Los resultados de este estudio pueden generalizarse porque la noción de dimensiones de accesibilidad se deriva de una investigación teórica de varios contextos (accesibilidad del transporte, turismo accesible, áreas protegidas y características de las islas) para identificar aspectos más particulares. Además, los resultados de la investigación teórica se comprobaron mediante métodos cuantitativos con una elevada potencia estadística (80%). Sin embargo, no se ha alcanzado la saturación, ya que la investigación exhaustiva sobre la accesibilidad turística en esta isla protegida sigue siendo escasa. Dentro del mismo marco, se requiere una aplicación y una duplicación de la investigación para aumentar la generalizabilidad del concepto propuesto. Por lo tanto, los autores recomiendan la realización de nuevos estudios para validar el concepto de accesibilidad de las islas protegidas en un contexto más amplio, replicando el estudio en un marco temporal, una muestra y un destino más diversificados.

Este estudio concluye que todas las dimensiones de la accesibilidad en las islas protegidas deben considerarse desde dos perspectivas: la conveniencia y las limitaciones. Las conveniencias pueden construirse a través de las percepciones de los turistas sobre la accesibilidad. La accesibilidad del destino debe diseñarse con una mentalidad de “vuelta a la naturaleza”, excluyendo los elementos hedonistas. La accesibilidad individual se consigue aplicando elevadas normas de seguridad, higiene y salud, así como normas de ética medioambiental que sean coherentes con las características naturales del entorno. Este equilibrio entre restricción y conveniencia demuestra que, si bien la accesibilidad turística debe hacerse lo más cómoda posible para todos los individuos, hay zonas particulares cuya accesibilidad debe controlarse para preservarlas. La conveniencia de la accesibilidad para el acceso universal no debe conducir a un turismo de masas que afecte al ecosistema de las zonas protegidas.

La novedad de este artículo radica en la constatación de que la accesibilidad turística de las islas protegidas puede dividirse en tres tipos: accesibilidad del destino, accesibilidad individual y accesibilidad de la isla protegida. Este estudio también demuestra la importante influencia de la accesibilidad en la decisión de los turistas de visitarlas. Así, la dimensión de la accesibilidad de las islas protegidas puede crear una percepción de difícil accesibilidad y disminuir la decisión de los turistas de visitarlas. La reflexión teórica de este estudio concluye que todos los elementos que influyen en la percepción de la accesibilidad turística en una isla protegida deben ser considerados para gestionar de forma sostenible la conveniencia y las restricciones para evitar el turismo de masas. Por lo tanto, se recomienda tener en cuenta estas tres dimensiones en los programas de gestión de visitantes.

IUCN ‐ The World Conservation Union defines a protected area as an area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means. The Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) describes a protected area as a geographically defined area, which is designated or regulated and managed to achieve specific conservation objective. Protected areas‐national parks, wildlife reserves, wilderness areas, etc. ‐ are the cornerstones of national and international conservation strategies. They act as refuges for species and help maintain critical ecological processes and ecosystem services that intensely managed landscapes and seascapes cannot provide. These places provide space for natural evolution and future ecological restoration. In recent years there has been growing recognition of the benefits that protected areas provide for people: genetic resources for pharmaceuticals and agriculture, traditional medicines; recreational opportunities and ecotourism revenues; sustainable sources of goods such as non‐timber forest products; and refuge for traditional and vulnerable human societies (Dudley et al. 2005). A wide range of management objectives, approaches and types of governance are used within protected areas in different countries. In terms of management objectives, these range from strict protection and exclusion of humans to broad‐scale approaches that include cultural landscapes such as farms and managed forests. IUCN‐The World Conservation Union subdivides protected areas into six categories based on management objectives: Ia: strict nature reserve/wilderness protection area; Ib: wilderness area; II:national park; III:natural monument; IV:habitat/species management area; V:protected landscape/seascape; and VI:managed resource protected area. In terms of governance types, protected areas may be managed directly by a government, co‐managed with other actors such as nongovernmental organizations, or even declared and managed collectively by indigenous peoples and local communities or by the relevant individual or corporate landowner. Today, there are more than 100,000 designated protected areas in the World Database on Protected Areas covering around 11.4 per cent of Earth’s land surface, along with more than 1,300 marine protected areas covering less than 0.5 per cent of the oceans (Dudley et all. 2005).

The purpose of this paper was to assess the attitude of residents towards ecotourism in KwaZulu-Natal protected areas. It also determined how barriers to ecotourism trips could negatively affect the success of tourism development in protected areas. The new South Africa today has widely and innovatively embraced ecotourism based largely around the protected areas. Residents’ attitude towards tourism is one of the important indicators for sustainable development in protected areas.

In total, 212 copies of structured questionnaires were used to collect information for the study. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the target population of the protected areas while respondents were selected from the communities based on random sampling technique. Mean scores for barriers to ecotourism trips were determined. Descriptive statistics and T-test inferential statistics were used to analyse the data.

The results agree with the theory of planned behaviour where intentions of residents to participate in ecotourism were directly influenced by barriers such as no time, low income and no transportation. It was also found out that preference for ecotourism trips was significantly influenced by the various barriers to ecotourism activities. High level of unemployment and high level of illiteracy were considered to be responsible for poor attitude in Kwadlangezwa with many (43.4 per cent) unwilling to support ecotourism development projects.

The research implication infers that high level of poverty and illiteracy in communities surrounding protected areas could seriously indicate non-support for development projects.

Ecotourism-related businesses need be developed in destinations to alleviate poverty.

The moral of residents need be boosted through workshops and educative seminars.

The study was conducted during the author’s research fellowship with the Department of Recreation and Tourism, University of Zululand, Kwadlangezwa, South Africa.

Global challenges that the world faces today call into question people's understanding of sustainability and the actions to be taken to meet that ideal. The role assigned to education in promoting sustainability by international documents has yet to be applied to national strategies in many countries. This paper aims to promote a strategic approach and to identify techniques for analysis to be used in development of quality education programs, tailored to specific needs in protected areas and to sustainability goals in a particular social context.

Using an adult education approach and social science methodology, a proposal for a research framework is offered, seeking a better understanding of the role of education in improving sustainable protected area governance. Within the framework of sustainable development and lifelong learning concepts, the existing gap in the field is discussed and a brief review of the issues present in Serbia as a country in transition is given.

This approach may be modified to specific contexts and goals, and applied with this purpose to other similar social environments, especially in countries in transition within the region. It may lead to creating more adequate education programs and increased capacities for managing protected areas.

The paper moves away from a project‐driven, ad hoc and rather scholarly to an integral approach to capacities for sustainable protected area governance, including an institutional, organizational and individual level and a lifelong learning perspective. It also promotes a specific, contextual and participatory definition of sustainability, rather than seeking for a universal one.

Recent changes in the funding and governance of academic research in many OECD countries have altered established authority relationships governing research priorities and judgements. These shifts in the influence of a variety of groups and organisations over scientific choices and careers can be expected to affect the development of different kinds of intellectual innovations by changing the level of protected space they provide researchers and the flexibility of dominant intellectual standards governing the allocation of resources and evaluation of research outcomes. Variations in these features of public science systems influence scientists’ willingness to pursue unusual and risky projects over many years and help to explain cross-national differences in the rate and mode of development of four innovations in the physical, biological and human sciences.

Although a very poor country, Nepal has established an extensive protected area system. Many visitors are attracted by some of these parks, helping to make tourism the top foreign exchange earner. Landmark events for wildlife conservation during recent Nepalese history are identified, especially the 1961‐90 rule of the monarchy and the present decentralized democratic system which succeeded it. Although many problems remain, Nepal has gone further than most countries towards reconciling: the needs and aspirations of local people with protected area management, and the economic opportunities offered by nature tourism with its ecological threats. Innovative projects have emphasized the socio‐economic aspects of conservation and legislation has recently been passed to formalize the status of park buffer zones. The future of Nepal’s protected areas may depend on how effectively these initiatives can be implemented and how effectively their lessons can be applied on a broader front.

Local support is fundamental in natural resources management (NRM). However, recent studies indicate that NRM in protected areas in developing countries is often faced with local resistance due to its impacts on livelihoods. The purpose of this paper is to examine local attitudes – positive and negative responses – towards NRM in protected areas and implications of NRM benefits on local support for conservation of protected areas.

A quantitative research method was used for this study. Structured questionnaire survey was administered to 310 respondents across four case study communities – Abrafo, Mesomagor, Adadientem and Nuamakrom – around the Kakum Conservation Area (KCA), Ghana. χ2 test and logistic regression were used to analyse the data with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software.

Findings showed positive attitudes towards NRM in protected areas (85.9 per cent) and high support for conservation of KCA (86.5 per cent). Respondents recognised the importance of the KCA in managing natural resources especially forest and water resources. Positive attitudes towards conservation of KCA were largely influenced by receipt of socio-economic benefits from the KCA, in terms of employment, income and involvement in KCA management. However, those excluded from socio-economic benefits from the KCA also expressed positive attitudes towards conservation, suggesting that support for NRM transcends socio-economic benefits. On the other hand, local people recognised the challenges associated with NRM in protected areas such as increased farm raids by wildlife, loss of access to timber and non-timber forest products.

This paper has revealed that although socio-economic benefits from NRM in protected areas influence local people’s support for conservation, local knowledge of the environmental benefits is equally important. The depth of local knowledge of NRM in the KCA is dependent on educational status and level of involvement of respondents in the KCA in terms of employment, and the effectiveness of educational campaigns by the park officials. Therefore, in the absence of clear development programmes from government and park officials to educate and involve local people in NRM, it appears the conservation objective upon which NRM in protected areas are designed may not be realised.

This work empirically evaluates the effectiveness of the novel ontology-based access-control mechanism and the common password-protected access-control mechanism for social blogs. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The ontology-based access-control scheme is designed to fit two characteristics of blog activities: social relationships and tags. A laboratory experiment is conducted to assess the perceived privacy benefit and perceived ease of use of the two mechanisms.

Analytical results indicate that, with the ontology-based access-control scheme, users perceive more privacy benefit than with the password-protected access-control scheme. The perceived ease of use with the ontology-based and password-protected access-control systems did not differ significantly.

Cross-boundary collaborations need an appropriate approach to control communication access. Further study is required to evaluate the ontology-based access-control scheme applied in cross-organizational and cross-departmental collaborations.

From a knowledge management perspective, blogs can store personal and organizational knowledge and experiences. The ontology-based access-control scheme encourages knowledge sharing for appropriate persons.

The new ontology-based access-control mechanism can help online users keep secrets from selected people to gain more privacy benefits than the existing password-protected access-control mechanism.