scholarly journals Application of New Methods of Environment Analysis and Assessment in Landscape Audits – Case Studies of Urban Areas Like Czestochowa, Poland

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Pukowiec-Kurda ◽  
Urszula Myga-Piatek
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Shape Index ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Environment Analysis ◽  
Uniform Cover ◽  
Landscape Units

Following the 2000 European Landscape Convention, a new act strengthening landscape protection instruments has been in force since 2015. It sets forth legal aspects of landscape shaping (Dziennik Ustaw 2015, poz. 774) and introduces landscape audits at the province level. A landscape audit consists in identification and characterization of selected landscapes, assessment of their value, selection of so-called priority landscapes and identification of threats for preservation of their value. An audit complies with GIS standards. Analyses use source materials, i.e. digital maps of physical-geographical mesoregions, current topographic maps of digital resources of cartographic databases, latest orthophotomaps and DTMs, maps of potential vegetation, geobotanic regionalization, historic-cultural regionalization and natural landscape types, documentation of historical and cultural values and related complementary resources. A special new methodology (Solon et al. 2014), developed for auditing, was tested in 2015 in an urban area (Myga-Piatek et al. 2015). Landscapes are characterized by determining their analytic (natural and cultural) and synthetic features, with particular focus on the stage of delimitation and identification of landscape units in urban areas. Czestochowa was selected as a case study due to its large natural (karst landscapes of the Czestochowa Upland, numerous forests, nature reserves) and cultural (Saint Mary’s Sanctuary, unique urban architecture) potential. Czestochowa is also a city of former iron ore and mineral resources exploitation, still active industry, dynamic urban sprawl within former farming areas, and dynamically growing tourism. Landscape delimitation and identification distinguished 75 landscape units basing on uniform landscape background (uniform cover and use of the land). Landscape assessment used a new assessment method for anthropogenic transformation of landscape – the indicator describing the correlation between the mean shape index (MSI) and the Shannon diversity index (SHDI) (Pukowiec-Kurda, Sobala 2016). Particular threats and planning suggestions, useful in development of urban areas, were presented for selected priority landscapes.

Creative Reconstruction: A Systematic Approach to Reinventing Large Cities in Democratic Republic of Congo

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1485-1497
Author(s):  
Mia Nsokimieno Misilu Eric
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Capital City ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Large Cities ◽  
Current State ◽  
Legacy Cities

The current state of large cities in Democratic Republic of Congo highlights the necessity of reinventing cities. More than fifty years after the independence, these major cities, like Kinshasa the capital city, are in a state of are in a state of disrepair. They are damaged, dysfunctional, and more vulnerable. Today, these legacy cities do not meet the international requirements of livable cities. Democratic Republic of Congo faces the challenge of rebuilding its cities for sustainability. The movement for independence of African countries enabled the shift from colonial cities to legacy cities. It is important to understand the cultural and ideological foundations of colonial city. Commonly, colonial cities served as purpose-built settlements for the extraction and transport of mineral resources toward Europe. What's required is a creative reconstruction to achieve a desired successful urban change. Creative reconstruction tends to ensure urban transformation in relation with urbanization, by making continuous and healthy communities. Creative reconstruction seems appropriate way of building back cities in harmony with cultural values. The article provides a framework for urban regeneration. The study is based on principle of thinking globally and acting locally in building back better cities.

scholarly journals Landscape Evaluation as a Complementary Tool in Environmental Assessment. Study Case in Urban Areas: Salamanca (Spain)

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6395
Author(s):  
Marco Criado ◽  
Antonio Martínez-Graña ◽  
Fernando Santos-Francés ◽  
Leticia Merchán
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Territorial Planning ◽  
Assessment Study ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Study Case ◽  
Partial State ◽  
Landscape Units ◽  
Objective Methodology

In recent years, the landscape has become another environmental resource, so it is important to incorporate it into planning actions. However, its broad sense of study has made it difficult to develop methodologies that precisely diagnose the state of the landscape and its management requirements, especially in dynamic spaces like urban areas. In order to develop a method capable of providing information that can be incorporated into environmental assessment and territorial planning tasks so that the needs of the landscape are taken into account in the decision-making stages, an objective methodology is presented based on the study of different parameters (biotic, abiotic and socioeconomic) analyzed in the field and subsequently geoprocessed through Geographic Information Systems according to their influence on the landscape. Through the proposed methodology it is possible to determine the quality, fragility and need of protection of the landscape, as well as to identify the diverse landscape units that form the landscape of a territory. Based on these results, a landscape diagnosis can be drawn up to quantify its overall and partial state, carry out monitoring analyses and make comparisons between different landscape units, so that management measures can be adopted according to the obtained scenarios.

scholarly journals Landscape structure and climate seasonality affect the amount, richness and diversity of pollen collected by honeybees in a Neotropical region of Colombia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula María Montoya-Pfeiffer ◽  
Guiomar Nates-Parra
Keyword(s):  
Landscape Structure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Forest Area ◽  
Colony Development ◽  
Monthly Precipitation ◽  
Forest Species ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Pollen Species

AbstractPollen is the main food for honeybee broods and young workers and so colony development and reproduction rely heavily on pollen availability, both spatially and temporally, in the environment. Intensification of agriculture and climate seasonality are known to alter honeybee foraging patterns and pollen intake through changes in resource availability in temperate regions; however, little is known about how honeybees respond to such environmental factors in tropical regions.Pollen species collected by honeybees in a Neotropical agricultural region of Colombia were identified. The effects of landscape structure (landscape Shannon Diversity Index, forest area in 1000 m around the apiary) and climate seasonality (mean monthly precipitation) on the amount, richness and diversity of pollen collected by the honeybees were evaluated for all pollen species together and pollen species segregated according to forest and anthropic areas (croplands, grasslands, woodlands, urban areas).Honeybees were found to be much more associated with anthropic than forest pollen species regardless of landscape structure or precipitation. However, the amount, richness and diversity of pollen from all species and forest species responded positively to landscape diversity and forest area, suggesting an advantage for honeybees in obtaining small quantities of pollen from forest species, in spite of being well-adapted to forage in anthropic areas. Precipitation was found not to be related to the overall amount and overall richness of pollen collected by honeybees, suggesting that climate seasonality was not an important factor for pollen foraging. Nonetheless, overall pollen diversity was negatively affected by precipitation in less diverse landscapes, while anthropic pollen diversity was negatively affected in more forested landscapes. These findings are compared with those from temperate regions, and the implications for honeybee productivity and survival, and their interactions with Neotropical native species, are discussed.

scholarly journals The possibility of reclamation criteria success in Indonesia: soil condition, vegetation structure and species composition

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 3201-3210
Author(s):  
Tedi Yunanto ◽  
Farisatul Amanah ◽  
Nabila Putri Wisnu
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Soil Condition ◽  
Mine Reclamation ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Standard Interval ◽  
Chemical Conditions

There are two regulations for mine reclamation success in the forestry area in Indonesia, namely Minister of Forestry Regulation No. P.60/Menhut-II/2009 and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Decree No. 1827.K/30/MEM/2018. Both regulations rule vegetation and soil success. This study aims to analyse criteria parameters from both regulations in the mine reclamation and compare them to the surrounding secondary natural forest (SNF). This study was conducted in 6 six types of mine reclamation stand structures: 1, 4, 6, 9, 11-year-old plantation and SNF using 1 hectare of the circular plot each (total 6 ha). Soil samples were collected from 40 cm depth to analyse physical, biological and chemical conditions. Mine reclamation areas had almost similar physical, biological and chemical soil conditions with SNF. Nevertheless, due to the potential acid-forming (PAF) material from overburden, the 1-year-old plantation had pH = 3.23-3.27. The highest diversity index and the number of species and families in all reclamation areas were H’ = 1.82 (11-year-old); 14 species (9-year-old); and 11 families (9-year-old), comparing with SNF were H’ = 3.48; 67 species, and 31 families. Conversely, vegetation structure parameters in mine reclamation areas were higher than SNF (diameter at height breast (DBH; 1.3 m) = 28.42 cm; tree density = 469/ha; basal area = 35.04 m2/ha; and total height = 16.85 m). Compared to the SNF, vegetation structure and soil conditions are mostly possible for mine reclamation success. Still, species composition needs to be considered further as a standard interval to meet the criteria.

scholarly journals As paisagens de Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais: decodificação no espaço e no tempo

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rossi Allan Silva ◽  
José Aldo Alves Pereira ◽  
Schirley Fátima Nogueira da Silva Cavalcante Alves
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Satellite Images ◽  
Minas Gerais ◽  
Field Trips ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Conservation Units ◽  
Minas Gerais State ◽  
Slow Evolution ◽  
Physical Elements ◽  
Landscape Units

Landscapes are formed by physical elements of material order and abstract elements of immaterial order, so their management and planning should consider these two aspects. Aiming to understand the landscapes of Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais State, the appropriation by the actors who work in the landscape was identified and classified, and also its dynamics from 1973 to 2015. The research analyzed the current landscape and its historical evolution, distinguishing material and immaterial dimensions, from field trips, soil types, relief, slope, drainage, conservation units, administrative zoning, urban areas, natural resources, transport and building infrastructure, satellite images, and semi-structured interviews. As a result, a map with the landscape units and their subunits, which have distinct characteristics, with their proper settings was obtained. The landscape has continuous boundaries with various operating scales, posing a major challenge for its proper management. The number of generated ecosystem services are difficult to measure, but its benefits are used by everyone. The dynamics of the landscape has been shaped by a slow evolution, set by mining activities, including revegetation areas after clear cuts and currently the inclusion of tourism in certain regions.

Legal aspects of ecotourism: towards creating an international legislative framework

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Stanković ◽  
Ana Batrićević ◽  
Vladan Joldžić
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Law Reform ◽  
Cultural Resources ◽  
Protective Measures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Legal Documents ◽  
Legislative Framework

Purpose This study aims to highlight the most important preventive measures that should be proposed by policymakers and adopted by (inter)national legislative bodies by changing existing or adopting new legal documents. The implementation of these measures should be performed by state bodies responsible for ecotourism, natural and cultural resources protection and ecotourism services users. Design/methodology/approach The theoretical legal approach was applied, based on a systematic review of international legally binding and non-binding documents related to ecotourism, adopted by relevant international organizations. Analysis of norms for preventive protection of natural and cultural values was done and followed by law-reform research in the form of recommendations that should be adopted as binding. Findings International legal documents relevant to ecotourism analysed in this paper are divided into two groups. The first regulates exclusively ecotourism issues, whereas the second deals with sustainable development and indirectly refers to ecotourism, as one of its segments. Analysed international legal documents require unambiguous norms regulating preventive protective measures in ecotourism by prescribing actual obligations and prohibitions for relevant subjects. Given recommendations are grouped into five types according to the subjects they are addressing (ecotourism experts, policymakers, legislators, natural and cultural conservationists, local communities, educators). Originality/value This study is the first that points to the need to amending international legal documents related to ecotourism through recommendations regarding natural and cultural values’ preventive protection.

DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL AREAS IN THE SARATOV REGION AND THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 937-950
Author(s):  
M.S. Yurkova ◽  
◽  
G.A. Ermakova ◽  
E.A. Likhovtsova ◽  
Ch.U. Akimbekova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Necessary Conditions ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Demographic Development ◽  
Social Bias ◽  
Saratov Region ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Social Organizational ◽  
The Village

The article analyzes the main organizational and legal aspects and administrative decisions in the field of ensuring and regulating the socio-economic and demographic development of the village at the regional level using the example of the Saratov region. The foreign experience is also considered on the example of Kazakhstan and its domestic policy of development of rural areas. The most effective measures in this area will be carried out taking into account regional characteristics and national and cultural values in order to eliminate the existing shortcomings associated with the emergence of depopulation of rural areas and the underestimation of its consequences, the absence of hierarchically aligned priorities in the implementation of socio-economic policy. The basis for the development of the village is the creation of prerequisites for the formation of points of growth in socio-cultural and economic spheres and should be carried out on the basis of an increase in the income of residents, an increase in labor productivity and the use of various alternative factors inherent in a market economy with a social bias. It is required to create the necessary conditions to improve the quality of life of the population of the village at the expense of state support funds, the use of part of the profits of large agricultural formations and rich peasant (farmer) households. Regulation of labor migration is necessary at the level of not only making appropriate state decisions (regional or local), but also establishing social, organizational and economic measures by agricultural and other producers themselves in order to prevent the outflow of the able-bodied population. It is also required to generate the necessary conditions for effective employment of the population in rural areas based on the development of agricultural and non-agricultural activities based on the needs of the consumer market.

scholarly journals A spatial decision support system for enhancing resilience to floods. Bridging resilience modeling and geovisualization techniques

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Heinzlef ◽  
Vincent Becue ◽  
Damien Serre
Keyword(s):  
Decision Support ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Decision Support Tool ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Spatial Decision Support System ◽  
Urban Resilience ◽  
Spatial Decision Support ◽  
Urban Flood ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Resilience Indicators

Abstract. In the context of climate change and increasing urbanization, floods are considerably affecting urban areas. The concept of urban resilience may be an interesting means of responding to urban flood issues. The objective of this research is to propose a spatial decision support tool based on geovisualization techniques and a resilience assessment method. The goal is to localize the level of resilience modeled in different territories. The methodology proposed consists in integrating three resilience indicators applied to a case study in Avignon (Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur Region, France) and the use of geovisualization techniques: using GIS for data processing and analysis, visualization, mapping and model processing. The methodology integrates decision-making by identifying characteristics capable of improving urban resilience and facilitating its understanding using a visual tool. The results demonstrate the usefulness of modeling resilience using geovisualization techniques to identify the potential for local resilience, integrate local stakeholders into a process of clarifying the concept through the contribution of visualization, and consider easier access to this concept based on data analysis, processing and visualization through the design of maps.

Exergy-Based Model of the Depletion of Mineral Resources

2010 ◽  
Vol 650 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Xue Sun ◽  
Zuo Ren Nie ◽  
Yu Liu ◽  
Zhi Hong Wang ◽  
Xian Zheng Gong
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Natural Minerals ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
Core Idea ◽  
Primary Problem

The primary problem of eco-materials is how to judge whether a material is environmentally friendly or not, and the method of life cycle assessment is usually used to evaluate it. The depletion of mineral resources is a very important indicator of LCA, but its characterization is still filled with dispute. At present, the most commonly used method is CML, which is put forward by Leiden University, and its core idea is that using the ratio of exploitation amount and reserves of mineral resources as the degree of scarcity. Although being accepted by most of the scholars at work on LCA, CML doesn’t grasp the essence of the depletion of mineral resources. Recently, a new assessment method, injecting new ideas to the conventional life cycle assessment, combines exergy with LCA is arising, which can be used to solve some specific problems of LCA especially the depletion of mineral resources. In this paper, two results of elements’ exergy calculated by Rivero and Szargut respectively are compared, and the exergy of some natural minerals, which can be used in LCA and other minerals-related research, is calculated based on the data of Chinese mineral resources.

scholarly journals Dynamic relationship between embodied and operational impacts of buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 70-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saheed O. Ajayi ◽  
Lukumon O. Oyedele ◽  
Jamiu A. Dauda
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dynamic Relationship

Purpose Buildings and their construction activities consume a significant proportion of mineral resources excavated from nature and contribute a large percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere. As a way of improving the sustainability of building construction and operation, various sustainable design appraisal standards have been developed across nations. Albeit criticism of the appraisal standards, evidence shows that increasing sustainability of the built environment has been engendered by such appraisal tools as Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficacy, among others. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of the appraisal standards in engendering whole lifecycle environmental sustainability of the built environment. Design/methodology/approach In order to evaluate the adequacy of sustainability scores assigned to various lifecycle stages of buildings in the appraisal standards, four case studies of a block of classroom were modelled. Using Revit as a modelling platform, stage by stage lifecycle environmental impacts of the building were simulated through Green Building Studio and ATHENA Impact estimator. The resulting environmental impacts were then compared against the assessment score associated with each stage of building lifecycle in BREAAM and CfSH. Findings Results show that albeit the consensus that the appraisal standards engender sustainability practices in the AEC industry, total scores assigned to impacts at each stage of building lifecycle is disproportionate to the simulated whole-life environmental impacts associated with the stages in some instances. Originality/value As the study reveals both strengths and weaknesses in the existing sustainability appraisal standards, measures through which they can be tailored to resource efficiency and lifecycle environmental sustainability of the built environment are suggested.

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