scholarly journals Characteristics of wild boar (Sus scrofa) habituation to urban areas in the Collserola Natural Park (Barcelona) and comparison with other locations

2012 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Cahill ◽  
◽  
F. Llimona ◽  
L. Cabañeros ◽  
F. Calomardo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wild Boar ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
Natural Park ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
Anthropogenic Food Sources ◽  
Parallel Growth

The parallel growth of urban areas and wild boar populations in recent years has increased the presence of this species around cities and in suburban areas, often leading to conflict with local people. In the Collserola Natural Park, situated within the metropolitan area of Barcelona, wild boar have become habituated to humans and urban settings because of direct feeding by local residents. Their attraction to these areas due to an abundance of anthropogenic food sources is especially strong during the warmer summer season when foraging conditions are poorer in their natural woodland habitat; the number of captures of habituated wild boar in peri–urban areas is significantly correlated with mean monthly temperatures. Habituated boar are primarily matriarchal groups, whereas adult and sub–adult (>1 year) males are significantly less represented than in non–habituated boars. In Collserola, habituated sub–adult and adult females are significantly heavier than their non–habituated counterparts and these weight differences increase with age; in the > 3 year–old age class they may be 35% heavier. Conflicts generated by the presence of wild boar in peri–urban areas are complex, and the responses by authorities are similarly diverse and often exacerbated by ambivalent public attitudes, both towards wild boar presence and applied mitigation measures. By 2010, at least 44 cities in 15 countries had reported problems of some kind relating to the presence of wild boar or feral pigs.

scholarly journals DARNIOS REKREACIJOS IR TURIZMO PLĖTRA – ALTERNATYVAUS MOBILUMO MIESTE SKATINIMO BŪDAS

2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gintaras Stauskis
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Direct Access ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
Public Areas ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
Sustainable Urban Mobility ◽  
National Networks ◽  
Recreational Resources ◽  
Public Environment

The investigation presents a method for developing sustainable recreation and tourism in urban and suburban areas. For this reason interaction between urban and the surrounding spaces of Vilnius city has been analysed. Sustainable recreation is considered as a complex of measures to control unlimited expansion of motor traffic into residential and public areas and facilitate development of pedestrian, cycling and water mobility in cities. Obstacles to develop sustainable recreation from urban areas to suburban spaces are analysed and disclosed. Structural disconnections between urban passages and public spaces, absence of direct access corridors from residential parts of the city to recreational areas in suburban regions, uncoordinated spontaneous urban development are the main obstacles. Because of this Vilnius city is experiencing a shrinking net of pedestrian and cycling tracks and river mobility lines that are especially favored by citizens for recreational purposes in towns. Uncontrolled motor traffic sprawl is another reality that makes sustainable urban mobility even more difficult. The proposed method for creating a network of sustainable mobility tracks in a residential and public environment is based on coordinated planning of “green corridors” linking urban and suburban areas with interior and exterior recreational resources, connection of urban, regional and national networks of pedestrian, cycling and river travel tracks. Integration of diverse types of recreational mobility in planned travel routes is applied as an attractive innovation. Public transport as trolleybuses, busses and railway is also integrated into the system of sustainable recreation in residential spaces. The planning proposals for a network of sustainable recreation in Vilnius city were presented to the Municipality and now are undergoing a practical testing phase on the analysed sites with involvement of local residents and visitors. Santrauka Tyrime pateikiamas darnios miesto ir priemiesčio rekreacijos tinklo plėtros modelis. Darni rekreacija suprantama kaip priemonių visuma, leidžianti suaktyvinti pėsčiųjų, dviratininkų ir vandens keliautojų judėjimą mieste laisvalaikio poilsio tikslu, taip pat apriboti nebūtinus automobilių srautus, skirtus susisiekti tarp miesto centro, gyvenamųjų ir rekreacijos teritorijų. Sąveika tarp Vilniaus miesto ir aplinkinių priemiesčio teritorijų analizuojama siekiant išryškinti kliūtis miesto ir priemiesčio jungtims įtvirtinti. Tai pėsčiųjų takų struktūros trūkiai miesto viešosiose erdvėse, tiesioginės prieigos iš miesto gyvenamųjų teritorijų prie užmiesčio rekreacinių resursų nebuvimas, nepakankamai koordinuojama ir net spontaniška priemiesčio teritorijų urbanizacija. Tokios tendencijos pablogino sąlygas pėstiesiems, dviratininkams ir vandens keliautojams judėti mieste ir susisiekti su priemiesčio rekreacijos arealais. Neribojama motorizuoto susisiekimo ekspansija į visas miesto erdves riboja gyventojų galimybes rinktis judėjimą pėsčiomis, dviratininkų ir vandens takais ir skatina nereikalingus automobilių srautus. Tyrimas atskleidžia darnaus mobilumo tinklo kūrimo metodus, paremtus koordinuotu „žaliųjų koridorių“ tipo jungčių planavimu mieste ir jungtims su priemiesčio rekreacijos arealais. Pėsčiųjų, dviratininkų ir vandens takais sujungti miesto vidaus ir priemiesčio išoriniai rekreacijos resursai sudaro geras sąlygas tiesiogiai prieiti prie netoli gyvenamųjų teritorijų esančių vertingų gamtos ir kultūros paveldo teritorijų bei objektų, išvengiant nebūtinų kelionių automobiliais aplinkiniais takais. Pateiktuose eksperimentiniuose Vilniaus darnios rekreacijos trasų pasiūlymuose numatyta vienoje trasoje integruoti keliones pėsčiųjų, dviračių takais ir vandens traktais, taip pat įtraukiant į šią grandinę ir miesto viešąjį susisiekimą.

scholarly journals Flexible Use of Urban Resources by the Yellow Mongoose Cynictis penicillata

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 447
Author(s):  
Nadine Elizabeth Cronk ◽  
Neville Pillay
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Anthropogenic Habitats ◽  
Yellow Mongoose ◽  
Temporal Occurrence ◽  
Anthropogenic Food Sources

Several species are negatively impacted by urbanization, while others thrive in urban areas by exploiting anthropogenic habitats matching their pre-existing niche preferences, or by modifying their behavior for urban life. We studied the ecology of a recent urban resident, the yellow mongoose, in an urban ecological estate in South Africa. We assessed urban dwelling yellow mongooses’ diet, spatial and temporal occurrence, home range size, and whenever possible, compared our findings to the published literature on their non-urban conspecifics. Additionally, we evaluated occurrence overlap with residential gardens. Similar to their non-urban counterparts, scat analyses revealed that yellow mongooses in urban areas fed mainly on insects, particularly during spring/summer. In the colder months, anthropogenic items, small mammals and birds in scats increased. Camera trap surveys showed that the mongooses were common in open habitats, similar to previous studies, and exhibited a species-typical bimodal diurnal activity pattern. The occurrence of these mongooses was greater near human residences than at sites further away. Home range sizes were considerably smaller than those of non-urban mongoose. Mongoose occurred in residential gardens, more so during the colder months. The urban yellow mongooses’ diet, habitat preference and activity patterns were similar to non-urban conspecifics. Nonetheless, the exploitation of anthropogenic food sources, occurrence in residential gardens and smaller home range sizes showed that they respond flexibly to urbanization, and these modifications might aid in their success in urban areas.

scholarly journals Individual and Temporal Variation in Use of Residential Areas by Urban Coyotes

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Connor A. Thompson ◽  
Jay R. Malcolm ◽  
Brent R. Patterson
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Selection Function ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Gps Collars ◽  
Greater Toronto Area ◽  
Step Selection Function ◽  
Anthropogenic Food Sources

Coyotes (Canis latrans) have established populations in most major urban centers across North America. While the risk of attacks on humans or their pets is low, the presence of carnivores in areas with high human use has resulted in increased public concern. Having a clearer understanding of which animals are more likely to interact with humans and when interactions are more likely to occur will help mitigate human-carnivore conflicts. Despite clear broad-scale patterns of human avoidance, human-coyote interactions occur most frequently in residential areas. Our purpose was to determine if use of residential areas varied consistently across individuals or time. We used locations from GPS collars deployed on 14 coyotes in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada from 2012 to 2017 to fit a step selection function. Average (±SE) home range size estimates were 17.3 ± 4.6 km2 for resident coyotes and 102.8 ± 32.9 km2 for non-residents. We found that coyotes used natural areas more (β = 0.07, SE = 0.02, p < 0.0001), and roads (β = −0.50, SE = 0.13, p < 0.0001) and residential areas (β = −0.79, SE = 0.21, p = 0.0001) less during the day than at night. We also found that coyotes were more likely to use residential areas in the breeding season from January to April (β = 0.69, SE = 0.20, p = 0.0007) and the pup rearing season from May to August (β = 0.54, SE = 0.13, p < 0.0001) than in the dispersal season from September to December. Lastly, we found that resident coyotes were less likely to use residential areas than non-resident coyotes (β = −1.13, SE = 0.26, p < 0.0001). As far as we are aware, our study is the first to identify the seasons when coyotes are more likely to use residential areas. The seasonal patterns in habitat use that we observed reflect patterns that have been previously reported for human-coyote conflicts. Our results demonstrate that reducing the availability of anthropogenic food sources in residential areas, particularly in the winter and spring, should be a priority for managers aiming to reduce human-coyote conflict in urban areas.

scholarly journals A multiscale assessment of Red-tailed Hawk reproductive success relative to urban density and habitat type

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin H White ◽  
Jessi L Brown ◽  
Zachary E Ormsby
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Nesting Success ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Hatch Date ◽  
Urban Density ◽  
Landscape Characteristics ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
Breeding Seasons

Abstract Despite the unique threats to wildlife in urban areas, many raptors have established successfully reproducing urban populations. To identify variations in raptor breeding ecology within an urban area, we compared metrics of Red-tailed Hawk reproductive attempts to landscape characteristics in Reno and Sparks, NV, USA during the 2015 and 2016 breeding seasons. We used the Apparent Nesting Success and logistic exposure methods to measure nesting success of the Red-tailed Hawks. We used generalized linear models to relate nesting success and fledge rate to habitat type, productivity to hatch date (Julian day) and hatch date to urban density. Nesting success was 86% and 83% for the respective years. Nesting success increased in grassland-agricultural and shrub habitats and decreased in riparian habitat within the urban landscape. Productivity was 2.23 and 2.03 per nest for the breeding seasons. Fledge rates were 72% and 77%, respectively, and decreased in riparian areas. Nestlings hatched earlier with increased urban density and earliest in suburban areas, following a negative quadratic curve. Nesting success and productivity for this population were high relative to others in North America. Productivity increased in habitats where ground prey was more accessible. We suggest that suburban areas, if not frequently disturbed, provide sufficient resources to sustain Red-tailed Hawks over extended periods. As urban expansion continues in arid environments globally, we stress that researchers monitor reproductive output across the urban predator guild to elucidate patterns in population dynamics and adaptation.

scholarly journals InSAR Multitemporal Data over Persistent Scatterers to Detect Floodwater in Urban Areas: A Case Study in Beletweyne, Somalia

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Luca Pulvirenti ◽  
Marco Chini ◽  
Nazzareno Pierdicca
Keyword(s):  
Urban Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
The Other ◽  
Spatial Average ◽  
Calibration Data ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
Persistent Scatterers ◽  
Optical Images ◽  
Interferometric Phase ◽  
Multitemporal Data

A stack of Sentinel-1 InSAR data in an urban area where flood events recurrently occur, namely Beletweyne town in Somalia, has been analyzed. From this analysis, a novel method to deal with the problem of flood mapping in urban areas has been derived. The approach assumes the availability of a map of persistent scatterers (PSs) inside the urban settlement and is based on the analysis of the temporal trend of the InSAR coherence and the spatial average of the exponential of the InSAR phase in each PS. Both interferometric products are expected to have high and stable values in the PSs; therefore, anomalous decreases may indicate that floodwater is present in an urban area. The stack of Sentinel-1 data has been divided into two subsets. The first one has been used as a calibration set to identify the PSs and determine, for each PS, reference values of the coherence and the spatial average of the exponential of the interferometric phase under standard non-flooded conditions. The other subset has been used for validation purposes. Flood maps produced by UNOSAT, analyzing very-high-resolution optical images of the floods that occurred in Beletweyne in April–May 2018, October–November 2019, and April–May 2020, have been used as reference data. In particular, the map of the April–May 2018 flood has been used for training purposes together with the subset of Sentinel-1 calibration data, whilst the other two maps have been used to validate the products generated by applying the proposed method. The main product is a binary map of flooded PSs that complements the floodwater map of rural/suburban areas produced by applying a well-consolidated algorithm based on intensity data. In addition, a flood severity map that labels the different districts of Beletweyne, as not, partially, or totally flooded has been generated to consolidate the validation. The results have confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed method.

What Kind of People Use Carsharing for Commuting? Case Study in Shanghai

2019 ◽  
Vol 2673 (5) ◽  
pp. 770-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhong Ye ◽  
Daoge Wang ◽  
Hua Zhang ◽  
Hong Yang
Keyword(s):  
High Frequency ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
User Characteristics ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
Commuting Mode ◽  
Study Offer

Carsharing as a service has been growing rapidly worldwide. Its expansion has drawn wide attention in the research community with regard to the underlying driving factors and user characteristics. Despite these extensive investigations, there are still limited studies focusing on the examination of users using carsharing as a commuting mode. The answers to questions such as what kind of people would like to use carsharing for commuting and why they frequently use carsharing to commute are not clear. To enrich our understanding of these problems, this paper aims to investigate carsharing commuters in a mega city. Specifically, it intends to integrate the actual user order data with survey data from 1,920 participants to uncover the characteristics of carsharing commuters. Data from the Evcard carsharing systems in Shanghai were explicitly analyzed. Through descriptive analysis and logistic regression models, the characteristics and critical factors that affect the choice of carsharing as a commuting mode were captured. The results show that: 1. carsharing commuters mostly live or work in suburban areas in which public transport accessibility is limited; 2. carsharing commuters are more likely to be highly educated, in a higher income bracket, and older than other carsharing members; 3. high-frequency carsharing commuters own a reduced number of private cars; and 4. those high-frequency carsharing commuters with higher income are less sensitive to the carsharing costs caused by congestion. The findings in the study offer some insights into carsharing commuters and provide some supportive information for considering policies in developing carsharing systems in urban areas.

GEOPHYSICAL MONITORING: NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO PRESERVE ARCHITECTURAL MONUMENTS AND GREEN DESIGN IN URBAN AREAS

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zakhar Slepak
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Technical Condition ◽  
Green Design ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Operating Life ◽  
Geophysical Monitoring ◽  
Railway Systems ◽  
Geological Processes

A new geophysical prospecting technique developed by the author was effectively applied for these purposes in 1994–2005 within the architectural complex of the Kazan Kremlin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The author has developed and successfully employed a unique gravity monitoring technique consisting in independent measurements at set points and at certain time intervals in the architectural complex of the Kazan Kremlin. The results of the geophysical monitoring and geodetic surveys conducted in open areas and inside architectural monuments offer new opportunities in preserving ancient buildings. Because geophysical monitoring can identify the negative impact of active geological processes on foundations of buildings, mitigation measures can be taken in timely manner. However, because the Kazan Kremlin is a state historical and architectural museum reserve, another objective is to maintain its exterior and renovate its green design. The above technology can also be used to analyze the technical condition of high-rise buildings, industrial facilities, underground railway systems and other structures, and significantly prolong their operating life.

scholarly journals Temporal–Spatial Patterns of Relative Humidity and the Urban Dryness Island Effect in Beijing City

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (8) ◽  
pp. 2221-2237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Yang ◽  
Guoyu Ren ◽  
Wei Hou
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Beijing City ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Different Seasons ◽  
Autumn And Winter ◽  
Beijing China

AbstractHourly datasets obtained by automatic weather stations in Beijing, China, are developed and employed to analyze the spatial and temporal characteristics of relative humidity (RH) and urban dryness island intensity (UDII) over built-up areas. A total of 36 stations inside the sixth ring road are considered as urban sites, while six stations in suburban belts surrounding the built-up areas are taken as reference sites. Results show that the RH is obviously smaller in urban areas than in suburban areas, indicating the effect of urbanization on near-surface atmospheric moisture and RH. A further analysis of relations between RH and temperature on varied time scales shows that the variations in RH in the urban areas are not due solely to changes in temperature. The annual and seasonal mean UDII are high in central urban areas, with the strongest UDII values occurring in autumn and the weakest values occurring in spring. The diurnal UDII variations are characterized by a steadily strong UDII stage from 2000 to 0800 LT and a minimum at 1500 or 1600 LT. The rapid shifts of UDII from high (low) to low (high) occur during the periods 0800–1600 LT (1600–2000 LT). The occurrence time of the peaks varies among different seasons: the peaks appear at 0700, 2100, 2000, and 0800 LT for spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. Further analysis shows that large UDII values appear in the evenings and early nights in late summer and early to midautumn and that low UDII values mainly occur in the afternoon hours of spring, winter, and late autumn.

scholarly journals The contribution of the Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis) to the winter diet of frugivores in novel ecosystems

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk HR Spennemann
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Canary Island ◽  
Food Source ◽  
Date Palm ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Novel Ecosystems ◽  
Date Palms ◽  
Phoenix Canariensis ◽  
Winter Diet ◽  
Native Foods

Abstract With the increasing expansion in urban areas, many species have adapted to utilising horticulturally used plants as alternate or augmentary food sources, in particular, during winter – when native foods are largely absent. Ornamental palms, particularly Canary Island Date Palms, fruit continuously during most of the year and thus provide a stable food supply. Based on observational, metric and bio-chemical data, this paper examines the role Canary Island Date Palms can and do play in the nutrition of frugivorous animals, in particular, for birds. It demonstrates that with its nearly year-round provisioning of drupes, the palm plays a major role as a ‘staple’ and backup food source for several species.

scholarly journals Housing Resources and Needs in Light of Modern Urban Transformations: the Case of Poznan

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-78
Author(s):  
Sławomir Palicki
Keyword(s):  
Urban Sprawl ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Real Estate Market ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Central Cities ◽  
The Real Estate ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Urban Transformations

Abstract Polish cities have been at the stage of a dynamic suburban development for over a decade (which has led to the phenomenon of urban sprawl beyond any control). The population of big urban areas, together with their agglomerations is continuously increasing; however, migration tendencies towards suburban areas are strong as well. In such a situation, the question arises regarding the possibilities and the methods of suppressing the outflow of people to the neighboring communities, and once again, making the city an attractive place to live. The attempt to explain such an issue requires research into both the housing infrastructure and its inhabitants. Poznan has been severely affected by suburbanization. The diagnosis and assessment of Poznan housing resources and the preferences of its inhabitants are the starting point for taking further steps in making the housing conditions more attractive. The article shows the initial results of widespread research regarding housing in the capital city of the Wielkopolska Province (comprising over 2,500 households). A similar study for the entire agglomeration (Poznan County) is due to be completed soon. It will allow for a comparative analysis and formulating recommendations regarding the conditions and the direction of changes on the real estate market which would increase the attractiveness of central cities suffering from suburbanization. In a wider context, the publication might be seen as an analysis of one of the elements of modern urban changes, such as either market driven, or free and spontaneous processes of urban sprawl, and conscious actions taken by local governments (together with developers) regarding the integrated urban revitalization policy.

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