scholarly journals The Ectomycorrhizal Community of Crimean Linden Trees in Warsaw, Poland

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 926
Author(s):  
Jacek Olchowik ◽  
Marzena Suchocka ◽  
Tadeusz Malewski ◽  
Aneta Baczewska-Dąbrowska ◽  
Marcin Studnicki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Cenococcum Geophilum ◽  
Street Trees ◽  
Tree Health ◽  
Ecm Fungi

Urban trees provide many ecosystem services essential to city dwellers well-being. Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi are symbionts for trees and may also contribute to urban tree health and thus maintenance of the ecosystem services. However, no studies so far have analysed the composition of the ECM community colonising Crimean linden. In this study we investigated ECM associations of Crimean linden trees in the urban environment, comparing street trees with those growing in a park. Moreover, we studied the ECM community of healthy versus unhealthy linden trees growing along a street. The health status of each tree was assessed using tree health indicators. The smallest degree ECM colonisation was observed in unhealthy street trees (40.5%). Cenococcum geophilum was found to be the most abundant ECM fungal species of the Crimean linden growing in the park (23.9%). Our results suggest that the linden trees growing in the park and those growing along the street but without disease symptoms did not differ in their ECM richness. However, the unhealthy street trees showed less ECM diversity and abundance. Moreover, strong negative correlations between the concentrations of Na and Cl in the soil and ECM colonisation were found. This study describes, for the first time, the ECM fungal community on Tilia “Euchlora” trees grown in Europe. We report novel findings on the ECM associations of Crimean linden trees in an urban ecosystem. Further research should focus on the role of native mycorrhizal fungal communities in nutrient acquisition by urban trees in the presence of salt stress.

scholarly journals Disaggregating Ecosystem Benefits: An Integrated Environmental-Deprivation Index

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily C. Hazell
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Composite Index ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Measurement Scale ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Environmental Deprivation

The valuation of ecosystem services has become an integral part of smart urban planning practices. Traditionally designed to bridge ecology and economy through economic language and logic (e.g., goods and services), this conceptual framework has developed into an effective tool for interdisciplinary work. The concept of ecosystem services is used to improve the management of ecosystems for human well-being. However, gaps in how to govern ecological benefits remain. Specifically, identifying which stakeholders benefit the most from the provision of ecosystem services remains largely unaddressed. This study examines the spatial discordance between ecosystem services and the residential stakeholders who may benefit. Using a landscape approach to quantify urban ecosystem services, an area-based composite index was developed for the City of Toronto, Canada, based on the three pillars of sustainability in order to identify potentially vulnerable populations. This method combines the use of principal component analysis (PCA) and spatial multicriteria decision analysis (GIS-MCDA) to combine and weight a select grouping of socioeconomic and ecological indicators. In addition, two sets of enumeration units (i.e., dissemination areas and census tracts) were evaluated to assess the potential impact of measurement scale on subsequent decision or policy outcomes. Results indicate the spatial interdependencies between ecological and socioeconomic processes in an urban setting, offering a unique framework for novel planning and policy intervention strategies. The influence of measurement scale was demonstrated, creating an opportunity to assess an appropriate policy scale by which to measure and evaluate trends over time and space. This approach seeks to provide a flexible and intuitive planning tool that can help to achieve goals relating to urban sustainability, resiliency and equity.

scholarly journals From City- to Site-Dimension: Assessing the Urban Ecosystem Services of Different Types of Green Infrastructure

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrycia Brzoska ◽  
Aiga Spāģe
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Planning ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Small Scale Structures

Cities have a wide variety of green infrastructure types, such as parks and gardens. These structures can provide important ecosystem services (ES) with a major impact on human well-being. With respect to urban planning, special consideration must be given to such green infrastructure types when implementing measures to maintain and enhance the quality of life. Therefore, generating knowledge on the urban ES of differently scaled green infrastructure types is important. This systematic literature review provides an overview of existing studies which have explicitly investigated the urban ES of differently spatial-scaled green infrastructure types. By reviewing 76 publications, we confirm rising academic interest in this topic. The most frequently assessed urban ES belong to the category Regulating and Maintenance. Only a few have considered individual small structures such as green roofs or single gardens; green spaces are often aggregated into one, mostly city-wide, object of investigation, with resulting oversimplifications. Moreover, generalizing methods are mostly applied. Simultaneously, many studies have applied methods to evaluate location-specific primary data. More research is needed on small-scale structures, in particular to consider site-, and thus location-specific, parameters in order to successfully implement the ES concept into urban planning and to obtain realistic results for ES assessments.

Proposing a typology of nature-based solutions for strengthening resilience of Central Vietnamese cities – First findings from the GreenCityLabHue project

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Scheuer ◽  
Jessica Jache ◽  
Kora Rösler ◽  
Tran Tuan Anh ◽  
Nguyen Ngoc Tung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Urban Ecosystem Services ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Central Vietnam ◽  
The City

<p><em>Idea and Objectives:</em> This case study presents first findings of the GreenCityLabHue project. The project aims at implementing an urban learning lab in the city of Hue, Vietnam, for the participatory identification and implementation of innovative nature-based solutions for the protection and improvement of urban ecosystem services and climate change adaptation. We will present urgent environmental and societal challenges for the city of Hue, including the estimated impacts of climate change and resulting disaster risks. Subsequently, we will discuss elements of the green-blue infrastructure to tackle these risks in a sustainable and environmentally just manner in the context of a proposed typology of nature-based solutions. This typology specifically shifts the focus from a European perspective towards nature-based solutions that are locally relevant to strengthen the resilience of Hue and comparable cities in Central Vietnam and/or South-East Asia.</p><p><em>Background:</em> Vietnam is a country that faces multiple challenges. It is a country that experiences rapid urban growth, with an estimated 50% of citizens living in urban areas by 2030 up from 35%, resulting in urban expansion that necessitates safeguarding urban ecosystem services, e.g., for the protection of human health and human well-being. Vietnam is also heavily affected by climate change. Particularly in Central Vietnam, cities face increasing risks of flooding, storms, and temperature extremes.</p><p>By providing multifunctional ecosystem services and diverse benefits, nature-based solutions—and in particular green-blue infrastructure elements—may help to address the aforementioned environmental and societal challenges in a sustainable and integrative manner, e.g., for maintaining air quality, stormwater mitigation, climate regulation, and improving environmental equity.</p><p>Hue is the capital of the Thua Thien-Hue province, located in Central Vietnam on the banks of the Perfume River. It has a population of approximately half a million people, represents a touristic and educational hotspot, and is rated a “top priority city” by the Vietnamese government. In Hue, first steps that consider strengthening the green-blue infrastructure were devised in form of the Hue GrEEEn City Action Plan. However, a more holistic urban planning approach that also addresses challenges related to climate change is still lacking.</p>

scholarly journals Estimation of Ecosystem Services Provided by Street Trees in Kyoto, Japan

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 311
Author(s):  
Xiaoyang Tan ◽  
Satoshi Hirabayashi ◽  
Shozo Shibata
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Street Trees ◽  
Flowering Dogwood ◽  
Runoff Reduction ◽  
Kyoto City ◽  
Salix Babylonica

Street trees are integral components of urban green infrastructure. The importance of benefits provided by street trees has motivated the development of various tools to quantify the value of ecosystem services. The i-Tree Eco is a widely applied method for quantifying urban forest structure, ecosystem services, and values. Since its first release in 2006, i-Tree Eco has been successfully utilized in over 100 countries around the world. This study described one of the first applications of the i-Tree Eco international project in Kyoto, Japan, by customizing the models and parameters to enhance the accuracy of analysis results. Kyoto’s street trees are prominently dominated by Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba L.), Trident Maple (Acer buergerianum Miq.), Japanese Zelkova (Zelkova serrata (Thunb.) Makino.), Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida L.), London Planetree (Platanus × acerifolia), Plum/cherry (Prunus spp.), and Weeping willow (Salix babylonica), which account for 92% of the 1230 sample trees and deliver ecosystem service benefits at US$71,434.21 annually or US$58.07/tree/year. The annual value of each function was estimated at US$41.34/tree for carbon storage and sequestration, US$3.26/tree for stormwater runoff reduction, US$11.80/tree for adverse health mitigation effects, and US$1.67/tree for energy savings. The street tree species of Kyoto city that produce the highest average annual benefits are among the largest trees currently in the population, including P. × yedoensis (US$225.32/tree), Z. serrata (US$123.21/tree), S. babylonica (US$80.10/tree), and P. × acerifolia (US$65.88/tree). Our results demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of street trees benefits for Kyoto city, providing baseline information for decision-makers and managers to make effective urban trees management decisions, developing policy, and setting priorities.

scholarly journals Urban Ecosystem Services (UES) Assessment within a 3D-Virtual Environment: A Methodological Approach for the Larger Urban Zones (LUZ) of Naples (Italy)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Cerreta ◽  
Roberta Mele ◽  
Giuliano Poli
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Spatial Configuration ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Urban Structure ◽  
Urban Ecosystem Services ◽  
3D Virtual Environment

The complexity of urban spatial configuration, which affects human-well being and landscape functioning, needs acquisition and 3d visualisation data to inform decision-making process better. One of the main challenges in sustainability research is to conceive spatial models which are capable of adapting to changes in scale and recalibrating the related indicators depending on the degree of detail and data availability. In this perspective, the inclusion of the third dimension into Urban Ecosystem Services (UES) assessment studies highlights the details of urban structure-function relationships, improves modelling and visualisation of data and impacts, aiding decision-makers to localise, assess and manage urban development strategies. The main goal of the proposed framework concerns mapping, evaluating and planning of the UES within a 3d-virtual environment to improve the visualisation of the spatial relationships among the services allocation and the urban fabric density.

scholarly journals Native Trees as a Provider of Vital Urban Ecosystem Services in Urbanizing New Zealand: Status Quo, Challenges and Prospects

Land ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Jihwi Jang ◽  
Su Young Woo
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Planted Forests ◽  
Native Trees ◽  
Native Tree

In New Zealand, over 87% of the population currently resides in cities. Urban trees can face a myriad of complex challenges including loss of green space, public health issues, and harm to the existence of urban dwellers and trees, along with domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions. Despite New Zealand being a biodiversity hotspot in terms of natural environments, there is a lack of knowledge about native tree species’ regulating service (i.e., tree development and eco-physiological responses to low air quality, GHG, rising air temperatures, and drought) and how they grow in built-up environments such as cities. Therefore, we argue for the value of these native species in terms of ecosystem services and insist that they need to be viewed in relation to how they will respond to urban abiotic extremes and climate change. We propose to diversify planted forests for several reasons: (1) to improve awareness of the benefits of diverse planted urban forests; (2) to foster native tree research in urban environments, finding new keystone species; and (3) to improve the evidence of urban ecosystem resilience based on New Zealand native trees’ regulating services. This article aims to re-evaluate our understanding of whether New Zealand’s native trees can deal with environmental stress conditions similarly to more commonly planted alien species.

Systematic Review on Urban Ecosystem Services in South-East Asia: Asean Countries

2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 256-266
Author(s):  
Nur Shazwanie Rosehan ◽  
◽  
Azlan Abas ◽  
Kadaruddin Aiyub ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Urban Ecosystem Services ◽  
Climate Regulation ◽  
Flood Regulation ◽  
Asean Countries ◽  
The Right

Urban ecosystem services refer to all the benefits of nature especially to the urban community and economy for maintaining human well-being. This concept links to the economic, community and environmental aspects and shows how nature conservation is important for human and economic principles. However, the view of urban ecosystem services assessment based on essential categories with current urban development is provided. So, this paper reviews the aim to analyze the types and assessing the categories of urban ecosystem services and the methodological used in ASEAN countries. Furthermore, understanding studies about urban ecosystem services are important in long-term studies for monitoring purpose. As a result, 8 out of 10 ASEAN countries excluding Laos and Brunei have studied urban ecosystem services. In this context, the result also shows the most studies specify the significance of the ecosystem services given by the urban as regulating (waste absorption, climate regulation, water purification, flood regulation, and disease control) and followed by cultural (tranquility, social relations, and recreation). Thus, exploring urban ecosystem interaction in current ASEAN countries may have added benefits in terms of improving the urban ecosystem services to streamline the urban area planning. Finally, we conclude that all the ASEAN countries should play an important role to make sure the countries maintain sustainable and more livable with the right policies and guidelines like can fit in Paris Agreement especially in Climate Strategies and plans.

scholarly journals Tree Ecosystem Services, for Everyone? A Compositional Analysis Approach to Assess the Distribution of Urban Trees as an Indicator of Environmental Justice

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Cruz-Sandoval ◽  
María Isabel Ortego ◽  
Elisabet Roca
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Environmental Justice ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Compositional Data ◽  
Compositional Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Compositional Data Analysis ◽  
Equal Distribution

Trees provide a broad amount of ecosystem services in urban areas. Although it is well documented that trees are essential for the well-being and livability of cities, trees are often not evenly distributed. Studies have found that urban residents with a deprived socioeconomic status are associated with a lower coverage and access to urban trees in their communities, yet a fair distribution of trees contributes to the sustainability and resilience of cities. In this context, the environmental justice movement seeks to ensure equal distribution of green infrastructure and its benefits throughout a territory. The objective of this study is threefold: (i) to determine whether urban trees in Guadalajara, Mexico, are distributed equally; (ii) to assess the association between urban trees and socioeconomic status; and (iii) to introduce compositional data analysis to the existing literature. Due to the compositional nature of the data, compositional analysis techniques are applied. We believe this novel approach will help define the proper management of data used in the literature. The outcomes provide insights for urban planners working towards the Sustainable Development Goals to help eradicate the uneven distribution of urban trees in cities.

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