The benefits or harms of external and internal consequences for the viability of ecosystems are revealed through the impact on the quality of human life. The issues of assessing these benefits or harms are significant for the whole society and are therefore analyzed from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The article seeks to theoretically examine the coherence between humans and ecosystems, ensuring the social and economic well-being of present and future generations in the context of cultural ecosystem services (CES). As well, the article seeks to present the empirical research, carried out on the possibilities of adapting human activities to CES in the specific area, i.e., coastal-rural area, evaluating the past, present and future CES potential in the Lithuanian coastal zone, Nemunas Delta and Curonian Lagoon in Lithuania. Elderships located near the Curonian Lagoon or within the protected area of the Nemunas Delta Regional Park were selected for the study. For this purpose, the empirical study involved representatives of different (public and private) sectors and stakeholders. The research was carried out in local tourism cultural centers and elderships with four group respondents (tourists, farmers, entrepreneurs, eldership employees). The research revealed the past and the current situation of CES potential and showed the possible CES potential future development directions. The article described the opportunities for the rural population (a potential supply of cultural ecosystems) to achieve diversification of economic activities and the needs of tourists (a potential demand for cultural ecosystems) to achieve service differentiation. Therefore, the recommendations have been formulated on how to exploit future CES of a specific territory by “employing” available natural resources, i.e., the ecosystems.
Ecosystems can provide a wide range of services that are critical to human well-being, health, subsistence, and survival. Examining the coherence between humans and ecosystems, ensuring the social and economic well-being of present and future generations in the context of ecosystem services (ES), this article seeks to present empirical research carried out on the possibilities of adapting human activities to ecosystem services in a specific area; namely, a coastal–rural area in the Lithuanian coastal zone, Nemunas Delta and Curonian Lagoon in Lithuania, seeking to offer opportunities with the rapidly declining population to operate services of ecosystems. Thus, elderships located near the Curonian Lagoon or within the protected area of the Nemunas Delta Regional Park were selected for the study. For this purpose, the empirical study involved representatives of different (public and private) sectors and stakeholders. The research was carried out in local tourism cultural centres and elderships with four group respondents (tourists, farmers, entrepreneurs, eldership employees). The research revealed that development of nature tourism could provide a lot of benefits for the region; after discovering the links between farming and nature tourism, possibilities would emerge to promote local farmers’ production by selling, not the raw materials, but already processed production, which has greater added value. The aforementioned tourist development ideas, especially in the ecologically vulnerable region, would enable the protected areas’ employees, local farmers, businesspeople, and municipal employees to seek new methods to adapt ecologically vulnerable areas for tourist needs without damaging the ecosystems.
Nowadays non-profit organisations that offer different services are getting more and more recognition. Organisation activities appeal to voluntary work. Presented services are more qualitative because they are fulfilled by dedicated volunteers; they are more efficient, because volunteers are not paid. Sometimes it happens not to know how to initiate the process of organisation development: not every member is involved into the process of voluntary organisation even if he has very good ideas; work is distributed inefficiently etc. Then many members become disappointed in such activity and do not believe that they can change or improve something in their lives. A closed circle forms: there are people who wish to work for the good of community but poor work motivation and misjudgement of initiatives disappoint people, and social activity sort of "dies" or is performed by two or three the most active members. Therefore such activity becomes more "on paper" than practical. It is very important that as much people as possible would understand the input and importance of their work and could act the country wellbeing and their welfare. Efficient motivation of volunteers work is necessary on purpose to achieve these goals. Behaviour of every person is determined by motives that are inner forces stimulating performance of certain actions. Motives are regulated by human needs realizing possibility and degree of their satisfaction. Human behaviour is pointless if motives and aims of the behaviour were incomprehensible. People motivation is pursuit to satisfy essential needs and to acquire something what is missing. People actualizing themselves do not have unsatisfied fundamental needs but they have impulsions. They work, endeavour and have ambitions, although not in the common meaning. Motivations for such people mean character perfection and expression, maturation and growth, in other words actualization of themselves in voluntary activity. Attitudes towards motivation and motives, motivation means of work activation of volunteer organisation members (volunteers) are analyzed in the publication. Importance of volunteers' motives to continuity of voluntary work is highlighted; essential examples of voluntary work motives and motivation means are indicated. Benefit and difficulties of proper volunteers' motivation are explained, possibilities of voluntary work are discussed.
The capacity of ecosystems to provide ecosystem services (hereinafter referred to as ES) depends on the state of their structure, processes, and functions, which is determined by interactions with other systems. These interactions are complex and take place in different climatic areas, and have different impacts on ecosystems and the use of ES. As the most sensitive part of the Lithuanian shore zone to climate change is the seaside zone or the coastal zone, which includes the Curonian Lagoon and the sea coast, the said area was therefore chosen for research. The case study examined those ES that were specific to the study area, without attempting to account for absolutely all ES. With an emphasis on the representation of different perspectives (in the process of assessing and preserving the potential of ES), the empirical study involved representatives of different (public and private) sectors. The public sector was represented by elders and eldership employees, the private sector by farmers and businesspeople. Respondents were selected purposefully to reflect the entire existing totality of the existing area. The evaluation of the obtained theoretical and practical results of the research identified the potential of the existing area ecosystem services and perspectives for the implementation of services by assessing their use according to respondents’ opinions, regional climate change, and national scale in EU environmental policy.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.