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- ‘Enjoyers’, ‘seekers’ and ‘vacationers’.Proposal for a typology of motorhome travellers in EuropePublication . Marques, João Filipe; Rodrigues, Teresa IsabelMotorhoming consists of a way of travelling in vehicles that incorporate a living space. These vehicles usually include a sleeping area, a kitchen, a dining area and, in some cases, a bathroom and shower. People who travel in motorhomes choose a type of tourism that does not rely on traditional touristic infrastructures. They sleep in their own beds, cook their own food and can be self-sufficient and independent for several days without interacting with the rest of society. The main objective of this article is to propose a typology of European motorhome travellers, taking the Algarve region (in southern Portugal) as a case study. Previous investigations conducted in other regions of the world have proposed some typologies of motorhome travellers, but the sociocultural contexts where they were elaborated are very different from the European reality, namely from the studied region. Contrasting with the previous typologies, which used only one or two characteristics of the motorhomers, the proposed typology combines their objective attributes with their subjective discourses about the trip. The three resulting types were designated as 'enjoyers', 'seekers' and 'vacationers'.
- Motorhome and vanlife travel as serious leisure: a positive sociology approachPublication . Anica Claro Rodrigues, Teresa Isabel; Marques, João FilipeDespite travel and tourism sometimes being mentioned in the literature as 'casual leisure' activities, they are practically absent from the 'serious leisure perspective'. However, a significant number of studies have argued that some modes of travelling and touring can indeed be framed from the serious leisure perspective. The main objective of this article is to demonstrate, through empirical evidence and the theoretical lens of positive sociology, that motorhome tourism and 'vanlife' travel possess the six qualities of serious leisure identified by Stebbins: perseverance, career, effort, durable benefits, unique ethos and identity. Not only can motorhome and van touring induce experiences of hedonic pleasure (as casual leisure), but they can also promote states of eudaemonic well-being and flow (as serious leisure), which are more challenging to achieve but much more lasting and transformative. Considering the blend of hedonic and eudaimonic experiences lived by motorhome travellers, it can be argued that, with this way of travelling, they achieve an 'optimal leisure lifestyle'. The empirical research took place in the Algarve region (Southern Portugal) and resorted to a 'mobile methodology': an ethnographic approach that included participant and non-participant observations and a series of semi-structured interviews through the use of a rented motorhome.
- Rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations: the overlooked factor promoting SW Iberian Forest development across the LGM and the last deglaciation?Publication . Domingues Gomes, Sandra; Fletcher, William; Stone, Abi; Anica Claro Rodrigues, Teresa Isabel; Rebotim, Andreia; Oliveira, Dulce; Goñi, Maria Sánchez; Abrantes, Fatima; Naughton, FilipaA cross the last deglaciation, the atmospheric CO2 concentration (CO2) increased substantially from ∼ 180 to ∼ 280 ppm, yet its impact on vegetation dynamics across this major climatic transition remains insufficiently understood. In particular, Iberian pollen records reveal an intriguing feature that can be related to an often-overlooked role of CO2 in shaping vegetation responses during the last deglaciation. These records reveal the near disappearance of forests during the cold Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1) phases and an unexpected recovery during the Younger Dryas (YD) cold phase when CO2 increased. Here, we present high-resolution tracers of terrestrial (pollen, C29: C31 organic biomarker) and marine (alkenone-derived Sea Surface Temperature, C37: 4 %, and long-chain n-alkanes ratios) conditions from the southwestern (SW) Iberian margin Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Site U1385 (“Shackleton site”) for the last 22 cal kyr BP. This direct land-sea comparison approach allows us to investigate how the Iberian Peninsula vegetation responded to major global CO2 changes during the last deglaciation. Our results show that cool and moderately humid conditions of the LGM supported a grassland-heathland mosaic ecosystem, but low CO2 likely caused physiological drought and suppressed forest development. HS1, the coldest and most arid period, combined with sustained low CO2 values, almost suppressed forest growth in favour of Mediterranean steppe. In contrast, the warmer Bølling-Allerød, characterised by a temperature optimum and variable but generally wetter conditions, along with the rise of CO2 above 225 ppm at ∼ 15 cal kyr BP, contributed to substantial forest development. During the YD, sufficient moisture combined with increasing CO2 enabled the persistence of a mixed grassland-forest mosaic despite cooler temperatures. Our study suggests that during cool and humid periods (LGM and YD) different pCO2 values led to contrasting SW Iberian vegetation responses. In contrast, during periods of relatively high CO2, temperature and precipitation played the main role in shaping the distribution and composition of the vegetation.