scholarly journals Analysis of the role of urban vegetation in local climate of Budapest using satellite measurements

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Pongracz ◽  
Judit Bartholy ◽  
Zsuzsanna Dezso ◽  
Cathy Fricke
Keyword(s):  
Urban Vegetation ◽  
Satellite Measurements ◽  
Local Climate

scholarly journals Exploring the Combined Effect of Urbanization and Climate Variability on Urban Vegetation: A Multi-Perspective Study Based on More than 3000 Cities in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ze Liang ◽  
Yueyao Wang ◽  
Fuyue Sun ◽  
Hong Jiang ◽  
Jiao Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Variability ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Yangtze River Delta ◽  
Specific Humidity ◽  
Urban Vegetation ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Nighttime Light ◽  
The Yangtze River Delta

More than 3000 cities in China were used to study the effect of urbanization and local climate variability on urban vegetation across different geographical and urbanization conditions. The national scale estimation shows that China’s urban vegetation depicts a trend of degradation from 2000 to 2015, especially in developed areas such as the Yangtze River Delta. According to the panel models, the increase of precipitation (PREC), solar radiation (SRAD), air temperature (TEMP), and specific humidity (SHUM) all enhance urban vegetation, while nighttime light intensity (NLI), population density (POPDEN), and fractal dimension (FRAC) do the opposite. The effects change along the East–West gradient; the influences of PREC and SHUM become greater, while those of TEMP, SRAD, NLI, AREA, and FRAC become smaller. PREC, SHUM, and SRAD play the most important roles in Northeast, Central, and North China, respectively. The role of FRAC and NLI in East China is much greater than in other regions. POPDEN remains influential across all altitudes, while FRAC affects only low-altitude cities. NLI plays a greater role in larger cities, while FRAC and POPDEN are the opposite. In cities outside of the five major urban agglomerations, PREC has a great influence while the key factors are more diversified inside.

Quantifying sources and sinks of trace gases using space-borne measurements: current and future science

2008 ◽  
Vol 366 (1885) ◽  
pp. 4509-4528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul I Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Trace Gases ◽  
Lower Troposphere ◽  
Biological Interactions ◽  
Satellite Measurements ◽  
Sources And Sinks ◽  
The Past ◽  
Fundamental Understanding ◽  
Earth’S Climate ◽  
New Generation

We have been observing the Earth's upper atmosphere from space for several decades, but only over the past decade has the necessary technology begun to match our desire to observe surface air pollutants and climate-relevant trace gases in the lower troposphere, where we live and breathe. A new generation of Earth-observing satellites, capable of probing the lower troposphere, are already orbiting hundreds of kilometres above the Earth's surface with several more ready for launch or in the planning stages. Consequently, this is one of the most exciting times for the Earth system scientists who study the countless current-day physical, chemical and biological interactions between the Earth's land, ocean and atmosphere. First, I briefly review the theory behind measuring the atmosphere from space, and how these data can be used to infer surface sources and sinks of trace gases. I then present some of the science highlights associated with these data and how they can be used to improve fundamental understanding of the Earth's climate system. I conclude the paper by discussing the future role of satellite measurements of tropospheric trace gases in mitigating surface air pollution and carbon trading.

scholarly journals “Snow Scenes”: Exploring the Role of Memory and Place in Commemorating Extreme Winters

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Hall ◽  
Georgina Endfield
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
National Narratives ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Weather Events

Abstract Scholars are increasingly focusing on the cultural dimensions of climate, addressing how individuals construct their understanding of climate through local weather. Research often focuses on the importance of widespread conceptualizations of mundane everyday weather, although attention has also been paid to extreme weather events and their potential effect on popular understandings of local climate. This paper introduces the “Snow Scenes” project, which aimed to engage rural communities in Cumbria, England, with their memories of extreme and severe past winter conditions in the region. Collating memories across a wide demographic, using a variety of methods, individual memories were analyzed alongside meteorological and historical records. By exploring these memories and their associated artifacts, this paper aims to better understand the role of memory and place in commemorating extreme winters. First, it is demonstrated how national narratives of exceptional winters are used by individuals as benchmarks against which to gauge conditions. Second, this paper identifies how specific locations and landmarks help to place memories and are shown to be important anchors for individuals’ understanding of their climate. Third, the paper considers how memories of severe winters are often nostalgic in their outlook, with a strong association between snowy winters, childhood, and childhood places. Fourth, it is illustrated how such events are regularly connected to important personal or familial milestones. Finally, the paper reflects on how these local-level experiences of historical extreme events may be central to the shaping of popular understandings of climate and also, by extension, climate change.

scholarly journals Role of Urban Greening Strategies for Environmental Sustainability—A Review and Assessment in the Context of Saudi Arabian Megacities

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6457
Author(s):  
Abdullah Addas ◽  
Ahmad Maghrabi
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Saudi Arabian ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Design Management ◽  
Urban Greening ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Questionnaire Surveys

The review and assessment of urban greening patterns play a crucial role in sustainable urban planning and green spaces (GSs) management, helping to improve human well-being. In recent years, various methods and strategies were applied to examine the relationship between GSs and environmental sustainability, but so far, no studies on systematic review and empirical assessments were carried out in Saudi Arabian context. Thus, a comprehensive review and assessment of current GSs patterns and planning strategies are important for achieving urban environmental sustainability. This study aims to assess spatial pattern of GSs across the cities and a bibliographic review on the urban greening strategies in the Saudi context. These six urban strategies were further supported from empirical evidence on Saudi cities. Geographical information system (GIS) techniques and questionnaire surveys were performed for spatial mapping of GSs and the perceived role of GSs strategies of the respondent to environmental sustainability across cities. The findings showed that (i) highest PCGS was reported from Dammam (5.4 m2) followed by Riyadh (1.18 m2), and Jeddah (0.5 m2); (ii) most of the respondents use GSs for picnic (59%), mental well-being (53%), and physical activities (47%), respectively; (iii) GSs play a significant role for local climate regulation such as temperature control (78%) and UHI reduction (81%), and GSs provide thermal comfort (84%), respectively; and (iv) 40% respondents do not use GSs due to the lack of availability, accessibility, design, management, and safety of GSs. Thus, such findings of the study surely assist planners and policy makers to understand and implement the suggested GSs strategies to meet the satisfaction level of the respondents as well as to manage GSs at neighborhood and city level for urban environmental sustainability.

Measuring the Role of Urban Vegetation on Air Quality: The Case Study of the Real Bosco di Capodimonte in Naples, Italy

2017 ◽  
pp. 13-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaela Esposito ◽  
Gabriele Guidolotti ◽  
Emanuele Pallozzi ◽  
Corrado Leone ◽  
Michele Mattioni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Vegetation ◽  
The Real

scholarly journals Conceptualizing Testbed Planning: Urban Planning in the Intersection between Experimental and Public Sector Logics

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Berglund-Snodgrass ◽  
Dalia Mukhtar-Landgren
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Urban Planning ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Formal Structure ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
The Public ◽  
Planning Processes ◽  
Experimental Logic

Urban planning is, in many countries, increasingly becoming intertwined with local climate ambitions, investments in urban attractiveness and “smart city” innovation measures. In the intersection between these trends, urban experimentation has developed as a process where actors are granted action space to test innovations in a collaborative setting. One arena for urban experimentation is urban testbeds. Testbeds are sites of urban development, in which experimentation constitutes an integral part of planning and developing the area. This article introduces the notion of testbed planning as a way to conceptualize planning processes in delimited sites where planning is combined with processes of urban experimentation. We define testbed planning as a multi-actor, collaborative planning process in a delimited area, with the ambition to generate and disseminate learning while simultaneously developing the site. The aim of this article is to explore processes of testbed planning with regard to the role of urban planners. Using an institutional logics perspective we conceptualize planners as navigating between a public sector—and an experimental logic. The public sector logic constitutes the formal structure of “traditional” urban planning, and the experimental logic a collaborative and testing governance structure. Using examples from three Nordic municipalities, this article explores planning roles in experiments with autonomous buses in testbeds. The analysis shows that planners negotiate these logics in three different ways, combining and merging them, separating and moving between them or acting within a conflictual process where the public sector logic dominates.

ROLE OF MULTIPLE SCATTERING IN OZONE PROFILE RETRIEVAL FROM SATELLITE MEASUREMENTS IN THE ULTRAVIOLET

1980 ◽  
pp. 219-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.L. Taylor ◽  
P.K. Bhartia ◽  
V.G. Kaveeshwar ◽  
K.F. Klenk ◽  
Albert J. Fleig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Scattering ◽  
Satellite Measurements ◽  
Ozone Profile

scholarly journals THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE OF A HIGHLY URBANIZED NEOTROPICAL CITY: THE ROLE OF THE URBAN VEGETATION IN PRESERVING NATIVE BIODIVERSITY

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 66 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Carlos Castro Pena ◽  
Danilo Marques Magalhães ◽  
Ana Clara Mourão Moura ◽  
Robert John Young ◽  
Marcos Rodrigues
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Urban Forestry ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Urban Vegetation ◽  
Urban Resilience ◽  
Street Trees

We mapped and described the composition of the urban vegetation that comprises the green infrastructure of a highly urbanized Neotropical city, and discussed how it can be used to preserve and maintain urban biodiversity. Almost half of our study area is occupied by 12 types of arboreal and herbaceous vegetation, composed mostly of urban parks, gardens and street trees. Forty-one percent of the almost 90,000 street trees are composed of 10 species with only 4 native species. These results show that this urban landscape is highly heterogeneous and has a great potential for biodiversity conservation. However, management strategies are needed, such as better planning of the urban forestry. This study is the first step towards a better understanding of how this landscape influences local biodiversity, and can be used as a management tool to increase urban resilience and functionality.

scholarly journals Role of Vegetation as a Mitigating Factor in the Urban Context

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 4247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Ferrini ◽  
Alessio Fini ◽  
Jacopo Mori ◽  
Antonella Gori
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Urban Vegetation ◽  
Water Runoff ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Practical Guidelines ◽  
Mitigating Factor

It is known that the urban environment amplifies the effects of climate change, sometimes with disastrous consequences that put people at risk. These aspects can be affected by urban vegetation and planting design but, while there are thousands of papers related to the effects of climate change, a relatively limited number of them are directly aimed at investigating the role of vegetation as a mitigating factor in the urban context. This paper focuses on reviewing the research on the role of urban vegetation in alleviating the adverse conditions of the urban environment in order to provide some practical guidelines to be applied by city planners. Through an analysis of the documents found in Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using urban vegetation and climate change-related keywords we selected five major issues related to the urban environment: (1) particulate matter, (2) gaseous pollution, (3) noise pollution, (4) water runoff, (5) urban heat island effect. The analysis of existing knowledge reported here indicates that the roles of urban vegetation on the adverse effect of climate change could not be simply deemed positive or negative, because the role of urban green is also strongly linked to the structure, composition, and distribution of vegetation, as well as to the criteria used for management. Therefore, it could help to better understand the roles of urban green as a complex system and provide the foundation for future studies.

scholarly journals The role of vegetation in the CO2 flux from a tropical urban neighbourhood

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 10185-10202 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Velasco ◽  
M. Roth ◽  
S. H. Tan ◽  
M. Quak ◽  
S. D. A. Nabarro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Co2 Flux ◽  
Accurate Estimation ◽  
Urban Vegetation ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Total Contribution ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Residential Neighbourhood

Abstract. Urban surfaces are usually net sources of CO2. Vegetation can potentially have an important role in reducing the CO2 emitted by anthropogenic activities in cities, particularly when vegetation is extensive and/or evergreen. A direct and accurate estimation of carbon uptake by urban vegetation is difficult due to the particular characteristics of the urban ecosystem and high variability in tree distribution and species. Here, we investigate the role of urban vegetation in the CO2 flux from a residential neighbourhood in Singapore using two different approaches. CO2 fluxes measured directly by eddy covariance are compared with emissions estimated from emissions factors and activity data. The latter includes contributions from vehicular traffic, household combustion, soil respiration and human breathing. The difference between estimated emissions and measured fluxes should approximate the flux associated with the aboveground vegetation. In addition, a tree survey was conducted to estimate the annual CO2 sequestration using allometric equations and an alternative model of the metabolic theory of ecology for tropical forests. Palm trees, banana plants and turfgrass were also included in the survey with their annual CO2 uptake obtained from published growth rates. Both approaches agree within 2% and suggest that vegetation sequesters 8% of the total emitted CO2 in the residential neighbourhood studied. An uptake of 1.4 ton km−2 day−1 (510 ton km−2 yr−1) was estimated as the difference between assimilation by photosynthesis minus the aboveground biomass respiration during daytime (4.0 ton km−2 day−1) and release by plant respiration at night (2.6 ton km−2 day−1). However, when soil respiration is added to the daily aboveground flux, the biogenic component becomes a net source amounting to 4% of the total CO2 flux and represents the total contribution of urban vegetation to the carbon flux to the atmosphere.

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