Edible green infrastructure: An approach and review of provisioning ecosystem services and disservices in urban environments

Recreation is an important cultural ecosystem service and is one way in which communities experience the direct and indirect benefits arising from the experiential use of their environment. The recent rise in popularity of Global Positioning System (GPS) game applications, which combine information technology with an activity that increases mobility and encourages outdoor enjoyment, provides ecosystem service practitioners with an opportunity to make use of this georeferenced data to assess recreational ecosystem services. Geocaching is one such worldwide outdoor game. It has fixed points of incursion where people can hide and look for caches. This study explores the possibility of using geocaching data as a proxy for recreational ecosystems services in the Maltese Islands. A quantitative analysis of the georeferenced caches was used together with their visit rates and number of favourite points. This was supplemented by two questionnaires that investigated the preferences and experiences of both geocache placers (n=39) and hunters (n=21). Results show that the highest number of caches were placed and searched for in urban areas and that geocaching is strongly associated with the presence and accessibility of urban green infrastructure. The number of geocachers who stated preference for experiences in nature did not translate into high visit rates to sites of high conservation value (protected areas) but landscape value was significantly associated with recreational ecosystem services flow. The results presented here provide evidence that geocaching spatial data can act as an indicator for assessing and mapping recreational ecosystem services in urban environments and in cultural landscapes.

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Planning Cemeteries: Their Potential Contribution to Green Infrastructure and Ecosystem Services

Frontiers in Sustainable Cities ◽

10.3389/frsc.2021.789925 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Author(s):

Katie McClymont ◽

Danielle Sinnett

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Detailed Analysis ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Potential Contribution ◽

Infrastructure Networks ◽

Planning Policy ◽

Cultural Regulation ◽

Depth Analysis

Cemeteries are often included in typologies of green infrastructure features, but there has been little exploration of their role within a multifunctional network of green infrastructure. This paper uses national greenspace data to map the contribution that cemetery space makes to accessible greenspace England. In doing so we provide a more comprehensive and detailed analysis of the scale of cemetery space in contemporary settlements, finding that cemeteries provide around 4% of accessible greenspace and are particularly important in high-density urban environments. Focusing then on an in-depth analysis of an urban case study, we survey 11 cemeteries that provide accessible greenspace for neighbourhoods in Bristol, UK. This suggests that cemeteries are delivering, or have the potential, to deliver ecosystem services and therefore form an important component of green infrastructure networks, but at the same time also need to provide culturally sensitive space for burial and remembrance. Despite the rhetoric, planning policy for cemeteries is not consistent in articulating their role as green infrastructure. We highlight the opportunities for greater cultural, regulation and maintenance services to be delivered, but also the need for greater dialogue between the different players involved in the maintenance and delivery of cemeteries.

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Integration of Ecosystem Services in Strategic Environmental Assessment of a Peri-Urban Development Plan

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13010122 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 122

Author(s):

Teodoro Semeraro ◽

Benedetta Radicchio ◽

Pietro Medagli ◽

Stefano Arzeni ◽

Alessio Turco ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Urban Development ◽

Environmental Assessment ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽

Development Plan ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

South Italy ◽

Urban Plan

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) can support decision-makers in constructing more sustainable plans, programs, and policies (PPPs). To be more coherent with new frontiers of sustainable cities, PPPs need to include conservation objectives and to increase ecosystem service (ES) strategies. The ES concept is not intrinsic to the SEA process; therefore, it is necessary to develop an approach and methodology to include it. In this paper, we propose a methodology to integrate the concept of ecosystem services in all phases of the SEA process for a sub-urban plan, including the design of mitigation measures. The case study is represented by a peri-urban development plan in the municipality of Gallipoli in South Italy, characterized by a strong tourism economy and valuable agro-ecosystems. The analysis shows the priority ecosystem services that are selected considering the sustainable development and environmental goals, the context of referment, and the aims of the peri-urban plan. After, we highlight the potential ecosystem services developed considering the design of mitigation actions like green infrastructure, which could be implemented in the peri-urban plan. The capacity to develop green infrastructure in SEA processes can configure the SEA as a tool for ecological urban design that is integrated with urban planning. This requires the ability to transfer ecological and planning theories into practical actions and the capacity of different disciplines to work in a transdisciplinary approach.

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Influence of Land Use on Avian Diversity in North African Urban Environments

Land ◽

10.3390/land10040434 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 434

Author(s):

Hani Amir Aouissi ◽

Alexandru-Ionuţ Petrişor ◽

Mostefa Ababsa ◽

Maria Boştenaru-Dan ◽

Mahmoud Tourki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Green Infrastructure ◽

Diversity Index ◽

Research Question ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Ecological Group ◽

Avian Diversity ◽

North African ◽

Index Method ◽

Urban Green Spaces

Land cover and use changes are important to study for their impact on ecosystem services and ultimately on sustainability. In urban environments, a particularly important research question addresses the relationship between urbanization-related changes and biodiversity, subject to controversies in the literature. Birds are an important ecological group, and useful for answering this question. The present study builds upon the hypothesis according to which avian diversity decreases with urbanization. In order to answer it, a sample of 4245 observations from 650 sites in Annaba, Algeria, obtained through the point abundance index method, were investigated by computing Shannon-Wiener’s diversity index and the species richness, mapping them, and analyzing the results statistically. The findings confirm the study hypothesis and are relevant for planning, as they stress the role of urban green spaces as biodiversity hotspots, and plead for the need of connecting them. From a planning perspective, the results emphasize the need for interconnecting the green infrastructure through avian corridors. Moreover, the results fill in an important lack of data on the biodiversity of the region, and are relevant for other similar Mediterranean areas. Future studies could use the findings to compare with data from other countries and continents.

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Towards an enhanced indication of provisioning ecosystem services in agro-ecosystems

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment ◽

10.1007/s10661-020-08816-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 193 (S1) ◽

Author(s):

Claudia Bethwell ◽

Benjamin Burkhard ◽

Katrin Daedlow ◽

Claudia Sattler ◽

Moritz Reckling ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Case Studies ◽

Strong Dependence ◽

Well Being ◽

Vital Role ◽

Conceptual Base ◽

Provisioning Ecosystem Services ◽

Pros And Cons ◽

Anthropogenic Contributions

AbstractProvisioning ecosystem services play a vital role in sustaining human well-being. Agro-ecosystems contribute a significant share of these services, besides food and fodder and also fuel and fibre as well as regulating and cultural ecosystem services. Until now, the indication of provisioning ecosystem services of agro-ecosystems has been based almost only on yield numbers of agricultural products. Such an indication is problematic due to several reasons which include a disregard of the role of significant anthropogenic contributions to ecosystem service co-generation, external environmental effects and strong dependence on site conditions. We argue for an enhanced indication of provisioning ecosystem services that considers multiple aspects of their delivery. The conceptual base for such an indication has been made by prior publications which have been reviewed. Relevant points were taken up in this article and condensed into a conceptual model in order to develop a more holistic and expanded set of indictors, which was then exemplarily applied and tested in three case studies in Germany. The case studies represent different natural conditions, and the indicator set application showed that ecosystem services (ES) flow—in terms of output alone—does not characterise agro-ecosystems sufficiently. The proposed aspects of provisioning ecosystem services can give a fuller picture, for example, by input-output relationships, as it is possible by just using single indicators. Uncertainties as well as pros and cons of such an approach are elaborated. Finally, recommendations for an enhanced indication of provisioning ecosystem services in agro-ecosystems that can help to integrate agricultural principles with ideas of sustainability and site-specific land use are derived.

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Adjusted Unit Value Transfer as a Tool for Raising Awareness on Ecosystem Services Provided by Constructed Wetlands for Water Pollution Control: An Italian Case Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18041531 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 1531

Author(s):

Anacleto Rizzo ◽

Giulio Conte ◽

Fabio Masi

Keyword(s):

Water Pollution ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Constructed Wetlands ◽

Pollution Control ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Low Cost ◽

Water Pollution Control ◽

Italian Case ◽

Value Transfer ◽

Unit Value

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are nature-based solutions (NBS) for water pollution control that can also be designed to be multipurpose in terms of additional ecosystem services (ESs), such as biodiversity support and social benefits. Awareness about additional ESs of CWs can be raised with value transfer (VT) methods for ESs monetization, in particular, the simplified adjusted unit VT method. A multi-criteria analysis (MCA) was performed to compare grey and green infrastructure alternatives for the management of a combined sewer overflow in the Buccinasco town (Italy), in which the criteria related to ESs were monetized with an adjusted VT method (B£ST software). The results highlighted the potential interest in the implementation of the green infrastructure in a new urban park, due to the activation of additional ESs of interest, such as health and recreational aspects. The results were also confirmed by a sensitivity analysis, which simulated the variation of preferences among different stakeholder groups (e.g., citizens, environmentalists). In conclusion, this work provided a transparent methodology to support decisions regarding green and grey infrastructure, allowing to evaluate additional ESs from the beginning of the decision stage with low cost and efforts.

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Forecasting Agroforestry Ecosystem Services Provision in Urban Regeneration Projects: Experiences and Perspectives from Milan

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13052434 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 2434 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ambrogio Zanzi ◽

Federico Andreotti ◽

Valentina Vaglia ◽

Sumer Alali ◽

Francesca Orlando ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Food System ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Urban Food System ◽

Notable Increase ◽

Living Fences ◽

The Difference ◽

Pollution Removal ◽

The Relationship

The expansion of urban agglomerates is causing significant environmental changes, while the demand and need for sustainability keep on growing. In this context, urban and peri-urban agriculture can play a crucial role, mainly if associated with an agroecological approach. Indeed, the extensive use of living fences and tree rows can improve the environmental quality, assuring ecosystem services (ES), developing a sustainable urban food system and increasing local productions and the related socio-economic improvements. This study aims to assess the benefits of an agroecological requalification of a dismissed peri-urban area in the South Milan Agricultural Regional Park (Italy), by evaluating two possible scenarios, both involving planting trees and shrubs in that area. The software I-Tree Eco simulates the ecosystem services provision of planting new hedgerows, evaluating the benefits over 30 years. The study underlines the difference between the two scenarios and how the planted area becomes an essential supplier of regulating ecosystem services for the neighbourhoods, increasing carbon storage and air pollution removal. Results were then analysed with a treemap, to better investigate and understand the relationship between the different ecosystem services, showing a notable increase in carbon sequestration at the end of the simulation (at year 30). The study shows a replicable example of a methodology and techniques that can be used to assess the ES in urban and peri-urban environments.

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Estimating Air Pollution Removal and Monetary Value for Urban Green Infrastructure Strategies Using Web-Based Applications

Land ◽

10.3390/land10080788 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 788

Author(s):

Alessio Russo ◽

Wing Tung Chan ◽

Giuseppe T. Cirella

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Well Being ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Pollutant Removal ◽

Tree Canopy ◽

Tree Planting ◽

City Centre ◽

Online Tools ◽

Pollution Removal

More communities around the world are recognizing the benefits of green infrastructure (GI) and are planting millions of trees to improve air quality and overall well-being in cities. However, there is a need for accurate tools that can measure and value these benefits whilst also informing the community and city managers. In recent years, several online tools have been developed to assess ecosystem services. However, the reliability of such tools depends on the incorporation of local or regional data and site-specific inputs. In this communication, we have reviewed two of the freely available tools (i.e., i-Tree Canopy and the United Kingdom Office for National Statistics) using Bristol City Centre as an example. We have also discussed strengths and weaknesses for their use and, as tree planting strategy tools, explored further developments of such tools in a European context. Results show that both tools can easily calculate ecosystem services such as air pollutant removal and monetary values and at the same time be used to support GI strategies in compact cities. These tools, however, can only be partially utilized for tree planting design as they do not consider soil and root space, nor do they include drawing and painting futures. Our evaluation also highlights major gaps in the current tools, suggesting areas where more research is needed.

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A review of empirical studies of cultural ecosystem services in urban green infrastructure

Journal of Environmental Management ◽

10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112895 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 293 ◽

pp. 112895

Author(s):

Xin Cheng ◽

Sylvie Van Damme ◽

Pieter Uyttenhove

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Green Infrastructure ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽

Urban Green ◽

Urban Green Infrastructure

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

Biomimetics ◽

10.3390/biomimetics6010002 ◽

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.

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