1,721,150 research outputs found
How Do Vegetation Biomass, Area, and Shape Attributes Influence the Cooling Effect of Urban Green Spaces?
No full textDespite the increasing volume of research exploring the impact of various characteristics of urban green spaces (UGS) on land surface temperature (LST), findings remain inconsistent, particularly in arid climatic zones. In this research, we examined UGS change and their temperature and analyzed the relationship between pertinent variables of vegetation biomass, area, and shape of green patches and LST in Karaj city, an Iranian semi-arid urban area in 2000 and 2020. Linear regressions were used to model the relationship between green patches’ variables and LST. The results showed that vegetation biomass of green patches was more effective in reducing temperature in comparison with area and shape complexity. Moreover, larger patches with more vegetation biomass and higher shape complexity showed lower temperatures. These results can guide urban landscape optimization by providing a clear understanding of which factors contribute most significantly to temperature mitigation in arid and semi-arid urban areas. For instance, areas identified as green but thermally not significantly cold need to be prioritized for improvements such as planting denser vegetation or introducing more heat resilient species
Pandemic urban development is leading us away from nature
Full text linkRecovery plans in Europe in the COVID-19 pandemic era have stimulated construction-led development, which has eclipsed nature-based agendas in terms of scale, size, and policy. One estimate is that only 0.3% of spending on urban infrastructure globally is directed towards various nature-based solutions and other ecosystem efforts supporting human well-being. In the future we will urgently need to employ nature-based approaches in crisis management for the power and potential of nature to be fully employed in pursuit of urban recovery. We strongly recommend that nature-based approaches be an explicit requirement to secure funding for future recovery plans
The European Union roadmap for implementing nature-based solutions: A review
No full text\ua9 2021 Elsevier LtdThe present paper traces a chronological history, or roadmap, of the documentation produced by the European Union (EU) to promote and implement nature-based solutions (NBS) as an innovation action aiming to establish a socially inclusive, economically vibrant and ecologically resilient society. The EU\u27s ambition is to position Europe as the world leader in NBS Research (via scientific research aiming at generating knowledge and theories) and Innovation (NBS implementation via identifying innovative approaches and best practices), as well as in a global market (for sharing, communicating, collaborating and promoting NBS). Considerable efforts have been made by the European Commission (the executive branch of the EU) as featured in a number of documents, funding programmes and Horizon 2020 (Research and Innovation) projects that span the period from 2012 to 2020. While the European Commission\u27s commitment to promoting NBS within its Member States and beyond is still an ongoing process, we aim to review the efforts undertaken, knowledge gained, and practices accomplished. This roadmap intends to provide interested practitioners, policymakers, researchers, as well as civil organisations with an updated understanding of the leading role of the EU in NBS conceptualisation and operationalisation. This can inform future directions of NBS Research and Innovation actions, which in turn address environmental and societal challenges prompted by urbanisation/re-urbanisation, globalisation/de-globalisation, climate change and, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic
Comparison of two different approaches for assessing the psychological and social dimensions of green spaces
No full textLikelihood and frequency of recurrent fire ignitions in highly urbanised Mediterranean landscapes
Full text linkFire recurrence plays a key role in shaping landscapes in Mediterranean ecosystems. Short-term recurrent fires, in particular, are increasingly affecting highly urbanised landscapes. Studies worldwide have addressed fire recurrence by analysing environmental, climatic and human-driven factors. Current models use fire recurrence polygons as the dependent variable; yet no published study has focused its analysis on fire recurrence considering recurrent ignition points as the response variable. To fill this gap, remote sensing and available local data were combined to analyse the influence of human and biophysical variables in predicting both the likelihood and frequency of recurrent fire ignition points over a 9-year period (2004-12) in southern Italy. For this purpose, we used the Negative Binomial Hurdle model owing to the stochastic nature of the phenomenon of fire recurrence and the (large) number of non-occurrences. Results on the likelihood and frequency of recurrent fire ignition points (dependent variables) suggested that road distance was the strongest predictor, followed by the presence of shrublands and grasslands. The response variable showed a negative relationship with population density and road distance and a positive relationship with land-cover variables. Vegetation indices were also good predictors of fire recurrence. More broadly, this study is intended to be a further experimental step in fire-management analysis characterised by the continuous interaction between human and natural systems. Constant changes between these systems due to causes such as urban sprawl and climate change can create the conditions for short-term-interval recurrent fires
Remote sensing of urban forests
Full text linkUrban forests and green infrastructures at large are of critical importance for contemporary cities as they provide a wide range of ecosystemservices (ESS) that enhance the quality of life of urban dwellers. Remote sensing technologies have greatly contributed to assessing and mapping the spatial distribution of ESS in urban areas, although more research is needed given the availability of new sensors from multiple satellites and platforms and the particular characteristics of urban environments (e.g., high heterogeneity). This Special Issue hosts papers focusing on the temporal and spatial dynamics of urban forests with special attention given to the most recent remote sensing technologies as well as advanced methods for processing geospatial data and extracting meaningful information
Fragmentation effects on the structure of some urban forests in Istanbul
Full text linkForest fragmentation is the separation or division of large forests into smaller units. Areas with non-forest lands significantly threaten the health, function, and value of the remaining forest. This study describes the effects of fragmentation on diversity of forest in the city of Istanbul. We obtained inventory data from local forest management and silvicultural plans (2002-2007). The data were used to determine the spatial variation in forest structure and biodiversity across six urban forest fragments in Istanbul, Turkey. We calculated a core set of patch- and class-level metrics in order to predict forest basal area within sample plots. We tested a number of regression models and employed the best-fitted model to extrapolate forest diversity across the urban forest fragments. Results indicate consistent relationship between spatial and silvicultural variables, suggesting the impact of fragmentation on the forest structure and biodiversity in Istanbul. Species richness of green spaces in urban areas was higher when compared to that of peri-urban areas. The location and the sizes of urban forests were associated with difference in societal expectations from these areas. As a consequence of the expectations, there was a change in forest structure in Istanbul. This study could be conducted for any other urban areas including large growing cities and megalopolis
Assessing the current status of urban forest resources in the context of Parco Nord, Milan, Italy
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