scholarly journals A Spatial Ecosystem Services Assessment to Support Decision and Policy Making: The Case of the City of Bologna

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2787
Author(s):  
Francesca Vignoli ◽  
Claudia de Luca ◽  
Simona Tondelli
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Tree Canopy Cover ◽  
The City

In recent years, both mapping and assessing urban Ecosystem Services (ESs) to support urban planning has been a topic of great debate. This work aims at contributing to this discussion by developing and testing a methodological approach to first assess and map supply and demand of ESs, and then identify areas of priority of intervention. Starting from the existing models, the work develops a tailored approach to map and assess three ESs (water retention and runoff, PM10 removal, and carbon sequestration and storage) that are tested in the city of Bologna and tailored according to available open data. All data are processed in a GIS environment to allow for spatial distribution and visualization of ESs. These maps facilitate defining supply and demands and, consequently, the presence and distribution of ESs deficiencies. Building on mismatches, this paper proposes four clusters by grouping the city’s districts based on predominant land use (built-up, green urban areas) and tree canopy cover. This classification enabled the identification of intervention priority areas and suggestions of relevant nature-based solutions (NBS) to be implemented. The proposed method can serve other urban areas to perform a rapid assessment of their current needs and challenges in terms of ES provision.

scholarly journals Making Way for Trees? Changes in Land-Use, Habitats and Protected Areas in Great Britain under “Global Tree Restoration Potential”

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 5845
Author(s):  
Martin A. Wilkes ◽  
James Bennett ◽  
Sara Burbi ◽  
Sue Charlesworth ◽  
Katharina Dehnen-Schmutz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Tree Planting ◽  
Substantial Contribution ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Tree Canopy Cover ◽  
Restoration Potential

Numerous tree planting initiatives have been launched worldwide, based on the idea that carbon capture by trees can help to limit global warming. A recent study estimated the additional tree canopy cover that could be established given the growing conditions in every square kilometre of land on earth that is not already forested, urbanised, or used for crop production. It reported a total “tree restoration potential” of >900 million ha worldwide and identified hotspots where opportunities for tree planting initiatives may be the greatest. With the potential for an estimated 4.2 million ha of additional canopy cover, one such hotspot is Great Britain. We quantify the extent of habitats, land uses, and protected areas that would be impacted by tree planting on this scale in Great Britain and discuss the potential social–ecological trade-offs involved. Our findings show that realising the “tree restoration potential” would mean a considerable upheaval for the British landscape with 30–50% of ecologically valuable habitats lost and a reduction of 44% in the area of improved grassland. Up to 21% of land protected by law for its ecological, scientific, scenic, or cultural value would be impacted. Importantly, we demonstrate that an alternative approach based on increasing tree canopy cover by up to 20% in urban areas and on cropland could make a substantial contribution to tree planting targets, potentially offsetting losses elsewhere. Such shifts in the structure and function of the British landscape will depend on deep changes in the food system, evidence-based decisions about which existing habitats to protect, and a long-term commitment to tree planting and maintenance.

scholarly journals ASSESSING URBAN FOREST CANOPY COVER IN GREAT PLAIN CONSERVATION AREA (DÜZCE CITY, TURKEY) BETWEEN 1984 AND 2015

2021 ◽  
Vol XLVI-4/W5-2021 ◽  
pp. 539-544
Author(s):  
Z. Uçar ◽  
R. Eker ◽  
A. Aydin
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Tree Canopy Cover ◽  
Urban Tree Canopy

Abstract. Urban trees and forests are essential components of the urban environment. They can provide numerous ecosystem services and goods, including but not limited to recreational opportunities and aesthetic values, removal of air pollutants, improving air and water quality, providing shade and cooling effect, reducing energy use, and storage of atmospheric CO2. However, urban trees and forests have been in danger of being lost by dense housing resulting from population growth in the cities since the 1950s, leading to increased local temperature, pollution level, and flooding risk. Thus, determining the status of urban trees and forests is necessary for comprehensive understanding and quantifying the ecosystem services and goods. Tree canopy cover is a relatively quick, easy to obtain, and cost-effective urban forestry metric broadly used to estimate ecosystem services and goods of the urban forest. This study aimed to determine urban forest canopy cover areas and monitor the changes between 1984–2015 for the Great Plain Conservation area (GPCA) that has been declared as a conservation Area (GPCA) in 2017, located on the border of Düzce City (Western Black Sea Region of Turkey). Although GPCA is a conservation area for agricultural purposes, it consists of the city center with 250,000 population and most settlement areas. A random point sampling approach, the most common sampling approach, was applied to estimate urban tree canopy cover and their changes over time from historical aerial imageries. Tree canopy cover ranged from 16.0% to 27.4% within the study period. The changes in urban canopy cover between 1984–1999 and 1999–2015 were statistically significant, while there was no statistical difference compared to the changes in tree canopy cover between 1984–2015. The result of the study suggested that an accurate estimate of urban tree canopy cover and monitoring long-term canopy cover changes are essential to determine the current situation and the trends for the future. It will help city planners and policymakers in decision-making processes for the future of urban areas.

scholarly journals Prey abundance and urbanization influence the establishment of avian predators in a metropolitan landscape

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1890) ◽  
pp. 20182120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer D. McCabe ◽  
He Yin ◽  
Jennyffer Cruz ◽  
Volker Radeloff ◽  
Anna Pidgeon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Tree Canopy Cover

Urbanization causes the simplification of natural habitats, resulting in animal communities dominated by exotic species with few top predators. In recent years, however, many predators such as hawks, and in the US coyotes and cougars, have become increasingly common in urban environments. Hawks in the Accipiter genus, especially, are recovering from widespread population declines and are increasingly common in urbanizing landscapes. Our goal was to identify factors that determine the occupancy, colonization and persistence of Accipiter hawks in a major metropolitan area. Through a novel combination of citizen science and advanced remote sensing, we quantified how urban features facilitate the dynamics and long-term establishment of Accipiter hawks. Based on data from Project FeederWatch, we quantified 21 years (1996–2016) of changes in the spatio-temporal dynamics of Accipiter hawks in Chicago, IL, USA. Using a multi-season occupancy model, we estimated Cooper's ( Accipiter cooperii ) and sharp-shinned ( A. striatus ) hawk occupancy dynamics as a function of tree canopy cover, impervious surface cover and prey availability. In the late 1990s, hawks occupied 26% of sites around Chicago, but after two decades, their occupancy fluctuated close to 67% of sites and they colonized increasingly urbanized areas. Once established, hawks persisted in areas with high levels of impervious surfaces as long as those areas supported high abundances of prey birds. Urban areas represent increasingly habitable environments for recovering predators, and understanding the precise urban features that drive colonization and persistence is important for wildlife conservation in an urbanizing world.

scholarly journals Bird Diversity Unconsciously Increases People’s Satisfaction with Where They Live

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 153
Author(s):  
Lauren Hepburn ◽  
Adam C. Smith ◽  
John Zelenski ◽  
Lenore Fahrig
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Neighbourhood Satisfaction ◽  
Tree Canopy Cover

There is growing evidence that exposure to nature increases human well-being, including in urban areas. However, relatively few studies have linked subjective satisfaction to objective features of the environment. In this study we explore the links among objective environmental features (tree cover, water, and bird diversity) and subjective judgements of satisfaction. We surveyed residents of Ottawa, Canada (n = 1035) about their satisfaction with their local neighbourhoods. We then compared the survey responses to measures of nature near their homes, including bird diversity (number of bird species), tree canopy cover, and distance to water. After controlling for effects of income and subjective happiness, residents’ neighbourhood satisfaction was positively related to the number of bird species nearby, even before participants were prompted to consider nature. Residents’ appreciation of their local neigbourhood relative to others also increased with tree canopy cover and nearness to water. Unsolicited comments from participants following the survey indicated that while residents consciously appreciate trees and water, the relationship between bird diversity and neighbourhood satisfaction appears to be unconscious; very few of the participants mentioned birds. Based on these results, we speculate that a diverse local bird community may provoke feelings of satisfaction through their presence, activity, and songs. Our results create a compelling argument for city planners and individual residents to maintain bird-friendly spaces in urban areas.

scholarly journals Analisis Kemampuan Ruang Terbuka Hijau Dalam Menyerap Sisa Emisi Karbon (Studi Kasus: Hutan Kota Muhammad Sabki Kota Jambi)

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Muhammad Fajar ◽  
G M Saragih ◽  
Soni Pratomo
Keyword(s):  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Open Space ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Living Things ◽  
Tree Canopy Cover ◽  
Average Residual ◽  
The City

Muhammad Sabki City Forest is one of the urban forests that is used as Green Open Space in Jambi City, one of the functions of urban forests is absorbing CO2 gas emissions, the analysis carried out in the forest city of Muhammad Sabki in Jambi is to find out how much CO2 emissions remaining by determining tree canopy / cover points consisting of 3 measurement locations, measurements carried out in the morning, afternoon and evening where location I with tree canopy / cover is rarely obtained on average the remaining emis of CO2 produced for 1 week at in the morning at 420.762 ppm, during the day 403.057 ppm, and in the afternoon at 409.038 ppm, while at location II with density / medium tree cover, in the morning it was 420.610 ppm, during the day 401.762 ppm, and in the afternoon 409,210 ppm, then at the location of point III in the morning it was 420,429 ppm, during the day 402,981 ppm and in the afternoon 414,638 ppm. Where is the average residual CO2 emissions produced? an annual 0,150 (tons / year) this shows that it is still in accordance with the criteria for quality standards for air quality so that the city of Muhammad Sabki Jambi City still has good quality in absorbing residual CO2 emissions generated from activities or activities of humans and other living things.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Three Methods for Measuring Local Urban Tree Canopy Cover

2013 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen King ◽  
Dexter Locke
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Tree Canopy Cover ◽  
Urban Tree Canopy

Measurements of urban tree canopy cover are crucial for managing urban forests and required for the quantification of the benefits provided by trees. These types of data are increasingly used to secure funding and justify large-scale planting programs in urban areas. Comparisons of tree canopy measurement methods have been conducted before, but a rapidly evolving set of new technologies and applications may leave urban foresters wondering, “Which method is most appropriate for my circumstances?” This analysis compares two well-established measures of local tree canopy and building cover with a third, relatively untested technique. Field-based visual estimations (using the USDA Forest Service’s i-Tree protocols), summaries of highresolution land cover data using geographic information systems (GIS), and an analysis of skyward-oriented hemispherical photographs at 215 roadside sites across the five diverse counties of New York City, New York, U.S., are the methods evaluated herein. The study authors found no statistically significant differences between the methods when comparing tree canopy; however, the hemispherical camera had a tendency to overestimate building coverage. It is concluded that hemispheric photo techniques are understudied in urban areas, and that the i-Tree and GIS-based approaches are complementary and reinforcing tools indispensable for both the urban forest management and research communities.

Zoning, land use, and urban tree canopy cover: The importance of scale

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah K. Mincey ◽  
Mikaela Schmitt-Harsh ◽  
Richard Thurau
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Tree Canopy Cover ◽  
Urban Tree Canopy

scholarly journals Understanding policing demand and deployment through the lens of the city and with the application of big data

Urban Studies ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 004209802098100
Author(s):  
Mark Ellison ◽  
Jon Bannister ◽  
Won Do Lee ◽  
Muhammad Salman Haleem
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Multilevel Model ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Criminological Research ◽  
The Social ◽  
Generalised Method Of Moments ◽  
The City

The effective, efficient and equitable policing of urban areas rests on an appreciation of the qualities and scale of, as well as the factors shaping, demand. It also requires an appreciation of the factors shaping the resources deployed in their address. To this end, this article probes the extent to which policing demand (crime, anti-social behaviour, public safety and welfare) and deployment (front-line resource) are similarly conditioned by the social and physical urban environment, and by incident complexity. The prospect of exploring policing demand, deployment and their interplay is opened through the utilisation of big data and artificial intelligence and their integration with administrative and open data sources in a generalised method of moments (GMM) multilevel model. The research finds that policing demand and deployment hold varying and time-sensitive association with features of the urban environment. Moreover, we find that the complexities embedded in policing demands serve to shape both the cumulative and marginal resources expended in their address. Beyond their substantive policy relevance, these findings serve to open new avenues for urban criminological research centred on the consideration of the interplay between policing demand and deployment.

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