scholarly journals Methods for identifying green infrastructure

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Honeck ◽  
Arthur Sanguet ◽  
Martin A. Schlaepfer ◽  
Nicolas Wyler ◽  
Anthony Lehmann
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Landscape Connectivity ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
Political Decisions

AbstractNature forms interdependent networks in a landscape, which is key to the survival of species and the maintenance of genetic diversity. Nature provides crucial socio-economic benefits to people, but they are typically undervalued in political decisions. This has led to the concept of Green Infrastructure (GI), which defines an interlinked network of (semi-)natural areas with high ecological values for wildlife and people, to be conserved and managed in priority to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services. This relatively new concept has been used in different contexts, but with widely diverging interpretations. There is no apparent consensus in the scientific literature on the methodology to map and implement GI. This paper serves as an informed primer for researchers that are new to GI mapping understand the key principles and terminology for the needs of their own case-study, and as a framework for more advance researchers willing to contribute to the formalization of the concept. Through a literature review of articles on creating GI networks, we summarized and evaluated commonly used methods to identify and map GI. We provided key insights for the assessment of diversity, ecosystem services and landscape connectivity, the three ‘pillars’ on which GI identification is based according to its definition. Based on this literature review, we propose 5 theoretical levels toward a more complex, reliable and integrative approach to identify GI networks. We then discuss the applications and limits of such method and point out future challenges for GI identification and implementation.

scholarly journals A Framework for Optimizing Green Infrastructure Networks Based on Landscape Connectivity and Ecosystem Services

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10053
Author(s):  
Xuemin Shi ◽  
Mingzhou Qin ◽  
Bin Li ◽  
Dan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Yellow River ◽  
Landscape Connectivity ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Spatial Pattern Analysis ◽  
Least Cost Path

Optimizing the layout of green infrastructure (GI) is an effective way to alleviate the fragmentation of urban landscapes, coordinate the relationship between urban development and urban ecosystem services, and ensure the sustainable development of cities. This study provides a new technical framework for optimizing GI networks based on a case study of Kaifeng, an exemplar of many ancient cities along the Yellow River in China. To do this, we used a morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) methodology and combined it with Procedure for mAthematical aNalysis of lanDscape evOlution and equilibRium scenarios Assessment (PANDORA) model to determine the hubs of the GI network. Then we employed a least-cost path approach to simulate potential corridors linking the hubs. We further identify the key ‘pinch points’ of the GI network that need priority protection based on circuit theory. Altogether, this framework takes patches that have a high level of ecosystem services and are more important in maintaining overall connectivity as hubs, thereby improving the accuracy of hub identification. Moreover, it establishes a direct connection between GI construction and ecosystem services, and improves biodiversity conservation by optimizing the network structure of GI. The results of the case study show that this framework is suitable for GI planning and construction, and can provide effective technical support for the formulation of urban sustainable development strategies.

Multiple Benefits of Blue-Green Infrastructure and the Reduction of Environmental Risks: Case Study of Ecosystem Services Provided by a SUDS Pond

2021 ◽  
pp. 247-262
Author(s):  
Vladimir Krivtsov ◽  
Steve Birkinshaw ◽  
Valerie Olive ◽  
Janeé Lomax ◽  
Derek Christie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Environmental Risks

scholarly journals Green Infrastructure Planning Principles: An Integrated Literature Review

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 525
Author(s):  
Renato Monteiro ◽  
José C. Ferreira ◽  
Paula Antunes
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Landscape Management ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Infrastructure Planning ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Sustainable Landscape Management ◽  
Sustainable Landscape

Green infrastructure is a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas, including green and blue spaces and other ecosystems, designed and managed to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services at various scales. Apart from the ecological functions, green infrastructure, as a planning tool, contributes to social and economic benefits, leading to the achievement of sustainable, resilient, inclusive and competitive urban areas. Despite recent developments, there is still no consensus among researchers and practitioners regarding the concept of green infrastructure as well as its implementation approaches, which makes it often difficult for urban planners and other professionals in the field to develop a robust green infrastructure in some parts of the world. To address this issue, an integrative literature review was conducted to identify which green infrastructure planning principles should be acknowledged in spatial planning practices to promote sustainability and resilience. As a result of this literature review, the most common eight green infrastructure planning principles were selected—connectivity, multifunctionality, applicability, integration, diversity, multiscale, governance, and continuity. These principles intend to promote and simplify the development and use of green infrastructure by different academic and implementation organizations and provide a more defined model for sustainable landscape management in order to help practitioners and decision makers during the conceptualization and planning of green infrastructure.

scholarly journals Sustaining Forest Ecosystem Services Through Social Enterprises: Motivations and Challenges from a Case Study in Scotland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaohui Zhang ◽  
James S. Paterson ◽  
Teppo Hujala
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Current Policy ◽  
Forest Ecosystem Services

AbstractBoth the concepts of ecosystem services and social enterprise have gained popularity as means of addressing social and environmental issues in recent years. But while research on ecosystem services has focused on non-governmental organisation and local community-led approaches, the role of social enterprises has received less attention. In Scotland, social enterprises play an important role in delivering social and environmental justice, as well as reaping economic benefits through forest-based practices. These practices are often small-scale and attract participants from local communities. But despite this prominence their motivations and the challenges they face remain largely unexplored. This research attempts to integrate both concepts mainly using field observations and interviews, and to reinforce the findings with the existing literature. It explores the motivations and challenges of social enterprises in sustaining forest ecosystem services through a case study, and discusses their potential within the context of current policy. The research suggests that social enterprises are equipped to tackle a range of social and environmental issues. The enterprise under investigation aims to improve participants’ wellbeing and employability, as well as to provide public education and promote environmental awareness. But these efforts are often hindered by the difficulties of high requirements of the manager and staff members in balancing multiple objectives and most importantly, of managing financial risks. The research concludes that a practical method of assessing cultural ecosystem services as well as the use of innovative funding norms may resolve these challenges, allowing social enterprises to fill the current policy gap and create synergies in the fields of ecosystem services and social enterprise.

China’s ecosystem services planning: will Shanghai lead the way? A case study from the Baoshan district (Shanghai)

Erdkunde ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 271-293
Author(s):  
Harald Zepp ◽  
Matthias Falke ◽  
Franziska Günther ◽  
Lars Gruenhagen ◽  
Luis Inostroza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Planning ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
Baoshan District

Ecosystem services (ES) are a fundamental component of well-being and sustainable urban development with tremendous potential to enhance urban planning. Recently, several studies have evaluated the environmental performance of urban plans using the ES approach. To strengthen this science-policy integration, it is still necessary to perform ES assessments within the urban planning practice as well as to collect empirical evidence on the impacts of envisioned planning measures on the supply of ES in urban environments across the world. In this research, we analyzed the state-of-the-art of China’s new environmental governance, which aims to change China’s land use policy and particularly the role of Green Infrastructure (GI) regarding urban planning and ES. We focused on the Shanghai Baoshan district Master Plan as a case study, and analyzed it under the lenses of the supply of ES using the matrix approach. We ascertained the supply of ES as delineated in the ecological network plan for 2035, and developed an evaluation framework based on CICES v5.1 and two expert workshops. Our approach used an integrated preliminary ES-assessment, and evaluated the consequences for the supply of ES in Baoshan district, which is adaptable to varying urban geographies. The results of our assessment show that, if realized as planned, the district will increase the overall supply of ES, especially regulating and cultural services, that play an important role within GI on the urban level. In general, the land use plans should include fine-grained information within building blocks to allow for even better assessing of the spatial structure of the supply of ES

scholarly journals Mapping green infrastructure based on ecosystem services and ecological networks: A Pan-European case study

2015 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 268-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camino Liquete ◽  
Stefan Kleeschulte ◽  
Gorm Dige ◽  
Joachim Maes ◽  
Bruna Grizzetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Ecological Networks

scholarly journals Assessment of Urban Green Space Based on Bio-Energy Landscape Connectivity: A Case Study on Tongzhou District in Beijing, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 4943 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kunyuan Wanghe ◽  
Xinle Guo ◽  
Xiaofeng Luan ◽  
Kai Li
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Landscape Connectivity ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Beijing China

Green infrastructure is one of the key components that provides critical ecosystems services in urban areas, such as regulating services (temperature regulation, noise reduction, air purification), and cultural services (recreation, aesthetic benefits), but due to rapid urbanization, many environmental impacts associated with the decline of green space have emerged and are rarely been evaluated integrally and promptly. The Chinese government is building a new city as the sub-center of the capital in Tongzhou District, Beijing, China. A series of policies have been implemented to increase the size of green urban areas. To support this land-use decision-making process and achieve a sustainable development strategy, accurate assessments of green space are required. In the current study, using land-use data and environmental parameters, we assessed the urban green space in the case study area. The bio-energy and its fluxes, landscape connectivity, as well as related ecosystem services were estimated using a novel approach, the PANDORA model. These results show that (1) in the highly urbanized area, green space is decreasing in reaction to urbanization, and landscape fragmentation is ubiquitous; (2) the river ecology network is a critical part for ecosystem services and landscape connectivity; and (3) the alternative non-green patches to be changed to urban, urban patches which can improve landscape quality the most by being changed to green, and conservation priority patches for biodiversity purposes of urban green were explicitly identified. Conclusively, our results depict the spatial distribution, fluxes, and evolution of bio-energy, as well as the conservation prioritization of green space. Our methods can be applied by urban planners and ecologists, which can help decision-makers achieve a sustainable development strategy in these rapidly urbanizing areas worldwide.

scholarly journals Importance, Utilization and Health of Urban Forests: A Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-16
Author(s):  
Alexandra D. SOLOMOU ◽  
Eleni T. TOPALIDOU ◽  
Rafaelia GERMANI ◽  
Apostolia ARGIRI ◽  
George KARETSOS
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Visual Image ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Academic Resources

Urbanization and development of cities are rapidly increasing across the world and urban forests constitute important tools that maintain the basic environmental and ecological functions of cities on which plant, animal and human existence depend. This paper presents a literature review on importance, utilization and health of urban forests that are important in providing ecosystem services for the sustainability of cities. Analysis of the literature from the main academic resources databases indicates that urban forest is a dynamic system which includes trees, shrubs, green space, soil and water that supports them. Urban forests provide many functions, services and benefits which are needed for the sustainable development of urban areas. In addition, health and appearance of trees’ composition are the most important factors in determining a city’s visual image and quality of life. Thus, urban forests are an important component of an ecosystem in any community development. Furthermore, management of urban forests can increase their potentials and therefore their functions, services and benefits. Green infrastructure and ecosystem services are the most efficient tools that cities can utilise to remain healthy, robust and liveable. Hence, the planners, architects, engineers, foresters, agriculturists and all those involved in decision making should be utilized the present literature review and incorporate the concept of urban forest in their  plans and programs so as to achieve the sustainability of cities.

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