scholarly journals Living in the concrete jungle: a review and socio-ecological perspective of urban raptor habitat quality in Europe

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon Mak ◽  
Robert A. Francis ◽  
Michael A. Chadwick
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Apex Predators ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Ecological Resources ◽  
Ecological Aspects ◽  
Raptor Conservation

AbstractRaptors can be important components of urban ecosystems due to their role as apex predators, the presence of which may bring benefits to people. Urban environments may provide good quality habitats, and the raptors’ ability to utilize resources found here can contribute to their success. However, urban environments are socio-ecological systems and such mechanisms shaping habitats and ecological resources therein are less understood. This paper explores how raptors utilize urban resources, and the socio-ecological processes influencing their quality and availability. It begins with a systematic mapping of the literature to summarize the utility of urban resources by raptors with European distributions. Eighteen species were documented in the literature successfully exploiting novel hunting and/or nesting opportunities in both green and built-up locations of urban areas. We discuss how these may be consequential of human activities, some of which intentionally provided as subsidies, and how their utility by raptors create opportunities for human-raptor interactions further shaping public perception and decisions which potentially affect the raptors. Finally, we demonstrate these concepts by drawing on our experience from an urban peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) conservation site in London, UK. The paper concludes with a call for urban raptor conservation and research to consider social and ecological aspects together, appropriately reflecting urban environments as socio-ecological systems.

scholarly journals The application of selected invasion frameworks to urban ecosystems

NeoBiota ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 62 ◽  
pp. 365-386
Author(s):  
Luke J. Potgieter ◽  
Marc W. Cadotte
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Economic Impacts ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Urban Effect ◽  
Invasion Stage ◽  
Invasion Impact ◽  
Urban Invasions

Urbanization is a major driver of global change. Profound human-mediated changes to urban environments have provided increased opportunities for species to invade. The desire to understand and manage biological invasions has led to an upsurge in frameworks describing the mechanisms underpinning the invasion process and the ecological and socio-economic impacts of invading taxa. This paper assesses the applicability of three commonly used invasion frameworks to urban ecosystems. The first framework describes the mechanisms leading to invasion; the second and third frameworks assess individual species, and their associated environmental and socio-economic impacts, respectively. In urban areas, the relative effectiveness of the barriers to invasion is diminished (to varying degrees) allowing a greater proportion of species to move through each subsequent invasion stage, i.e. “the urban effect” on invasion. Impact classification schemes inadequately circumscribe the full suite of impacts (negative and positive) associated with invasions in urban areas. We suggest ways of modifying these frameworks to improve their applicability to understanding and managing urban invasions.

scholarly journals Urbanization drives the evolution of parallel clines in plant populations

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1845) ◽  
pp. 20162180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken A. Thompson ◽  
Marie Renaudin ◽  
Marc T. J. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Snow Cover ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Freezing Damage ◽  
Urban Centre ◽  
Dominant Feature ◽  
Urbanization Gradients ◽  
The City

Urban ecosystems are an increasingly dominant feature of terrestrial landscapes. While evidence that species can adapt to urban environments is accumulating, the mechanisms through which urbanization imposes natural selection on populations are poorly understood. The identification of adaptive phenotypic changes (i.e. clines) along urbanization gradients would facilitate our understanding of the selective factors driving adaptation in cities. Here, we test for phenotypic clines in urban ecosystems by sampling the frequency of a Mendelian-inherited trait—cyanogenesis—in white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) populations along urbanization gradients in four cities. Cyanogenesis protects plants from herbivores, but reduces tolerance to freezing temperatures. We found that the frequency of cyanogenic plants within populations decreased towards the urban centre in three of four cities. A field experiment indicated that spatial variation in herbivory is unlikely to explain these clines. Rather, colder minimum winter ground temperatures in urban areas compared with non-urban areas, caused by reduced snow cover in cities, may select against cyanogenesis. In the city with no cline, high snow cover might protect plants from freezing damage in the city centre. Our study suggests that populations are adapting to urbanization gradients, but regional climatic patterns may ultimately determine whether adaptation occurs.

scholarly journals What can WE do for urban insect biodiversity? Applying lessons from ecological research

Zoosymposia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALVIN J. HELDEN ◽  
GEOFFREY J. MORLEY ◽  
GABRIELLE L. DAVIDSON ◽  
EDGAR C. TURNER
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Grassland Management ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Insect Biodiversity ◽  
Invertebrate Biodiversity ◽  
Invertebrate Abundance ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Private Individual

Urban ecosystems are not unique, as the ecological processes and anthropological effects they encapsulate can equally be found in a range of human dominated environments. Applying ecological lessons from both within and outside urban areas is important for insect conservation within our expanding towns and cities. The management of urban grasslands, which in many cases is controlled by private individual and corporate landowners, has the potential to make a large difference to the biodiversity they support. Here we report on an investigation of invertebrate biodiversity within a series of small urban grasslands with contrasting frequency of management by mowing. Seven gardens and five other grassland areas were suction sampled for grassland invertebrates in July 2016. Samples were taken in patches that were regularly cut on a 7-14 day cycle (very short), those cut every six weeks (short) and those than had not been cut since the previous year (long). Invertebrates were mostly identified to order level, with the Hemiptera to species or morphospecies. Invertebrate abundance was significantly inversely related to mowing frequency but overall species richness did not differ between short and very short grasslands. Community structure also was most distinct in the long grasslands. The pattern of abundance varied between different taxonomic groups, with the Hemiptera particularly benefiting from very low levels of management. The value to invertebrates, especially Hemiptera, of reduced grassland management is discussed, with reference to how the owners of gardens and other urban grassy areas can make simple changes to benefit biodiversity on their land

Diversity of organisms

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip James
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Native Species ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
The Common ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Micro Organisms ◽  
Diversity Of Life

The focus of this chapter is an examination of the diversity of living organisms found within urban environments, both inside and outside buildings. The discussion commences with prions and viruses before moving on to consider micro-organisms, plants, and animals. Prions and viruses cause disease in plants and animals, including humans. Micro-organisms are ubiquitous and are found in great numbers throughout urban environments. New technologies are providing new insights into their diversity. Plants may be found inside buildings as well as in gardens and other green spaces. The final sections of the chapter offer a discussion of the diversity of animals that live in urban areas for part or all of their life cycle. Examples of the diversity of life in urban environments are presented throughout, including native and non-native species, those that are benign and deadly, and the common and the rare.

scholarly journals High-Resolution Modelling of Thermal Exposure during a Hot Spell: A Case Study Using PALM-4U in Prague, Czech Republic

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 175
Author(s):  
Jan Geletič ◽  
Michal Lehnert ◽  
Pavel Krč ◽  
Jaroslav Resler ◽  
Eric Scott Krayenhoff
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Heat Exposure ◽  
Thermal Exposure ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Cooling Effect ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Climate Index ◽  
Street Canyons ◽  
General Terms

The modelling of thermal exposure in outdoor urban environments is a highly topical challenge in modern climate research. This paper presents the results derived from a new micrometeorological model that employs an integrated biometeorology module to model Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). This is PALM-4U, which includes an integrated human body-shape parameterization, deployed herein for a pilot domain in Prague, Czech Republic. The results highlight the key role of radiation in the spatiotemporal variability of thermal exposure in moderate-climate urban areas during summer days in terms of the way in which this directly affects thermal comfort through radiant temperature and indirectly through the complexity of turbulence in street canyons. The model simulations suggest that the highest thermal exposure may be expected within street canyons near the irradiated north sides of east–west streets and near streets oriented north–south. Heat exposure in streets increases in proximity to buildings with reflective paints. The lowest heat exposure during the day may be anticipated in tree-shaded courtyards. The cooling effect of trees may range from 4 °C to 9 °C in UTCI, and the cooling effect of grass in comparison with artificial paved surfaces in open public places may be from 2 °C to 5 °C UTCI. In general terms, this study illustrates that the PALM modelling system provides a new perspective on the spatiotemporal differentiation of thermal exposure at the pedestrian level; it may therefore contribute to more climate-sensitive urban planning.

scholarly journals An Eco-Friendly Multimodal Route Guidance System for Urban Areas Using Multi-Agent Technology

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 2057
Author(s):  
Abdallah Namoun ◽  
Ali Tufail ◽  
Nikolay Mehandjiev ◽  
Ahmed Alrehaili ◽  
Javad Akhlaghinia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Flow ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Guidance System ◽  
Planning System ◽  
Flow Density ◽  
Route Guidance ◽  
Agent Based

The use and coordination of multiple modes of travel efficiently, although beneficial, remains an overarching challenge for urban cities. This paper implements a distributed architecture of an eco-friendly transport guidance system by employing the agent-based paradigm. The paradigm uses software agents to model and represent the complex transport infrastructure of urban environments, including roads, buses, trolleybuses, metros, trams, bicycles, and walking. The system exploits live traffic data (e.g., traffic flow, density, and CO2 emissions) collected from multiple data sources (e.g., road sensors and SCOOT) to provide multimodal route recommendations for travelers through a dedicated application. Moreover, the proposed system empowers the transport management authorities to monitor the traffic flow and conditions of a city in real-time through a dedicated web visualization. We exhibit the advantages of using different types of agents to represent the versatile nature of transport networks and realize the concept of smart transportation. Commuters are supplied with multimodal routes that endeavor to reduce travel times and transport carbon footprint. A technical simulation was executed using various parameters to demonstrate the scalability of our multimodal traffic management architecture. Subsequently, two real user trials were carried out in Nottingham (United Kingdom) and Sofia (Bulgaria) to show the practicality and ease of use of our multimodal travel information system in providing eco-friendly route guidance. Our validation results demonstrate the effectiveness of personalized multimodal route guidance in inducing a positive travel behavior change and the ability of the agent-based route planning system to scale to satisfy the requirements of traffic infrastructure in diverse urban environments.

Wetland Roofs as an Attractive Option for Decentralized Water Management and Air Conditioning Enhancement in Growing Cities—A Review

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1845
Author(s):  
Andreas Zehnsdorf ◽  
Keani C. U. Willebrand ◽  
Ralf Trabitzsch ◽  
Sarah Knechtel ◽  
Michael Blumberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Positive Side ◽  
Climate Regulation ◽  
Decentralized Treatment ◽  
Attractive Option ◽  
Stormwater Retention ◽  
Positive Side Effects

While constructed wetlands have become established for the decentralized treatment of wastewater and rainwater, wetland roofs have only been built in isolated cases up to now. The historical development of wetland roofs is described here on the basis of a survey of literature and patents, and the increasing interest in this ecotechnology around the world is presented. In particular, this article describes the potential for using wetland roofs and examines experience with applications in decentralized water management in urban environments and for climate regulation in buildings. Wetland roofs are suitable as a green-blue technology for the future—particularly in cities with an acute shortage of unoccupied ground-level sites—for the decentralized treatment of wastewater streams of various origins. Positive “side effects” such as nearly complete stormwater retention and the improvement of climates in buildings and their surroundings, coupled with an increase in biodiversity, make wetland roofs an ideal multi-functional technology for urban areas.

scholarly journals Urban Ecological Restoration

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul H. Gobster
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Fixed Set ◽  
Natural Diversity ◽  
Urban Ecological Restoration

What does ecological restoration mean in an urban context? More than half of the world’s population now lives in cities, and in response to the dynamic patterns of urbanization, a growing number of ecologists, land managers, and volunteers are focusing their efforts in and around cities to restore remnants of natural diversity (Ingram 2008). Ecological restoration is still a quite youthful field, yet many scientists and practitioners hold a relatively fixed set of criteria for what defines a successful restoration project, irrespective of where sites are located. Among the criteria commonly stated, sites should be composed of indigenous species, have a structure and diversity characteristic of currently undisturbed or historically documented “reference” sites, and be maintained through ecological processes such as fire that ensure long-term sustainability with minimal human assistance (Ruiz-Jaén and Aide 2005; SER International 2004). Application of these criteria has led to many ecologically successful restorations, but some ecologists in the field have begun to question whether the same standards can be realistically applied to sites such as those within urban areas that have been radically altered by past human activity (e.g., Martínez and López-Barerra 2008) or are being influenced by novel conditions that result in unpredictable trajectories (Choi 2007). Perhaps more significantly, it is becoming increasingly recognized that the broader viability of restoration projects, especially those in urban areas, hinges on how socially successful they are in gaining public acceptance for restoration activities and practices, building constituencies to assist with implementation and maintenance, and addressing a broader set of sustainability goals that reach beyond the protection of native biodiversity (e.g., Choi et al. 2008; Hobbs 2007; Rosenzweig 2003).

scholarly journals Biomimetic Urban and Architectural Design: Illustrating and Leveraging Relationships between Ecosystem Services

Biomimetics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 2
Author(s):  
Maibritt Pedersen Zari
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Design ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Spatial Design ◽  
Key Barrier

Redesigning and retrofitting cities so they become complex systems that create ecological and cultural–societal health through the provision of ecosystem services is of critical importance. Although a handful of methodologies and frameworks for considering how to design urban environments so that they provide ecosystem services have been proposed, their use is not widespread. A key barrier to their development has been identified as a lack of ecological knowledge about relationships between ecosystem services, which is then translated into the field of spatial design. In response, this paper examines recently published data concerning synergetic and conflicting relationships between ecosystem services from the field of ecology and then synthesises, translates, and illustrates this information for an architectural and urban design context. The intention of the diagrams created in this research is to enable designers and policy makers to make better decisions about how to effectively increase the provision of various ecosystem services in urban areas without causing unanticipated degradation in others. The results indicate that although targets of ecosystem services can be both spatially and metrically quantifiable while working across different scales, their effectiveness can be increased if relationships between them are considered during design phases of project development.

scholarly journals Diversity of Listeria Species in Urban and Natural Environments

2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (12) ◽  
pp. 4420-4433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian D. Sauders ◽  
Jon Overdevest ◽  
Esther Fortes ◽  
Katy Windham ◽  
Ynte Schukken ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Environmental Samples ◽  
Nearest Neighbor ◽  
Allelic Diversity ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Source Tracking ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Molecular Source ◽  
Listeria Seeligeri

ABSTRACTA total of 442Listeriaisolates, including 234Listeria seeligeri, 80L. monocytogenes, 74L. welshimeri, 50L. innocua, and 4L. marthiiisolates, were obtained from 1,805 soil, water, and other environmental samples collected over 2 years from four urban areas and four areas representing natural environments.Listeriaspp. showed similar prevalences in samples from natural (23.4%) and urban (22.3%) environments. WhileL. seeligeriandL. welshimeriwere significantly associated with natural environments (P≤ 0.0001),L. innocuaandL. monocytogeneswere significantly associated with urban environments (P≤ 0.0001). Sequencing ofsigBfor all isolates revealed 67 allelic types with a higher level of allelic diversity among isolates from urban environments. SomeListeriaspp. andsigBallelic types showed significant associations with specific urban and natural areas. Nearest-neighbor analyses also showed that certainListeriaspp. andsigBallelic types were spatially clustered within both natural and urban environments, and there was evidence that these species and allelic types persisted over time in specific areas. Our data show that members of the genusListerianot only are common in urban and natural environments but also show species- and subtype-specific associations with different environments and areas. This indicates thatListeriaspecies and subtypes within these species may show distinct ecological preferences, which suggests (i) that molecular source-tracking approaches can be developed forListeriaand (ii) that detection of someListeriaspecies may not be a good indicator forL. monocytogenes.

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