A review of the environmental and human impacts from wind parks. A case study for the Prefecture of Lasithi, Crete

In this study, a knowledge-based fuzzy classification method was used to classify possible soil-landforms in urban areas based on analysis of morphometric parameters (terrain attributes) derived from digital elevation models (DEMs). A case study in the city area of Berlin was used to compare two different resolution DEMs in terms of their potential to find a specific relationship between landforms, soil types and the suitability of these DEMs for soil mapping. Almost all the topographic parameters were obtained from high-resolution light detection and ranging (LiDAR)-DEM (1 m) and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER)-DEM (30 m), which were used as thresholds for the classification of landforms in the selected study area with a total area of about 39.40 km2. The accuracy of both classifications was evaluated by comparing ground point samples as ground truth data with the classification results. The LiDAR-DEM based classification has shown promising results for classification of landforms into geomorphological (sub)categories in urban areas. This is indicated by an acceptable overall accuracy of 93%. While the classification based on ASTER-DEM showed an accuracy of 70%. The coarser ASTER-DEM based classification requires additional and more detailed information directly related to soil-forming factors to extract geomorphological parameters. The importance of using LiDAR-DEM classification was particularly evident when classifying landforms that have narrow spatial extent such as embankments and channel banks or when determining the general accuracy of landform boundaries such as crests and flat lands. However, this LiDAR-DEM classification has shown that there are categories of landforms that received a large proportion of the misclassifications such as terraced land and steep embankments in other parts of the study area due to the increased distance from the major rivers and the complex nature of these landforms. In contrast, the results of the ASTER-DEM based classification have shown that the ASTER-DEM cannot deal with small-scale spatial variation of soil and landforms due to the increasing human impacts on landscapes in urban areas. The application of the approach used to extract terrain parameters from the LiDAR-DEM and their use in classification of landforms has shown that it can support soil surveys that require a lot of time and resources for traditional soil mapping.

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Assessing the Benefits of Forested Riparian Zones: A Qualitative Index of Riparian Integrity Is Positively Associated with Ecological Status in European Streams

Water ◽

10.3390/w12041178 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 1178 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Francis J. Burdon ◽

Ellinor Ramberg ◽

Jasmina Sargac ◽

Marie Anne Eurie Forio ◽

Nancy de Saeyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Impacts ◽

Ecological Status ◽

Riparian Buffers ◽

Average Score ◽

Land Use Impacts ◽

Freshwater Biodiversity ◽

Functional Relationships ◽

Wide Range ◽

Qualitative Index

Developing a general, predictive understanding of ecological systems requires knowing how much structural and functional relationships can cross scales and contexts. Here, we introduce the CROSSLINK project that investigates the role of forested riparian buffers in modified European landscapes by measuring a wide range of ecosystem attributes in stream-riparian networks. CROSSLINK involves replicated field measurements in four case-study basins with varying levels of human development: Norway (Oslo Fjord), Sweden (Lake Mälaren), Belgium (Zwalm River), and Romania (Argeş River). Nested within these case-study basins include multiple, independent stream-site pairs with a forested riparian buffer and unbuffered section located upstream, as well as headwater and downstream sites to show cumulative land-use impacts. CROSSLINK applies existing and bespoke methods to describe habitat conditions, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Here, we summarize the approaches used, detail protocols in supplementary materials, and explain how data is applied in an optimization framework to better manage tradeoffs in multifunctional landscapes. We then present results demonstrating the range of riparian conditions present in our case-study basins and how these environmental states influence stream ecological integrity with the commonly used macroinvertebrate Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT) index. We demonstrate that a qualitative index of riparian integrity can be positively associated with stream ecological status. This introduction to the CROSSLINK project shows the potential for our replicated study with its panoply of ecosystem attributes to help guide management decisions regarding the use of forested riparian buffers in human-impacted landscapes. This knowledge is highly relevant in a time of rapid environmental change where freshwater biodiversity is increasingly under pressure from a range of human impacts that include habitat loss, pollution, and climate change.

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Human Impacts on Soil Erosion Identified Using Land-Use Changes: A Case Study From The Loess Plateau, China

Physical Geography ◽

10.2747/0272-3646.27.2.109 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 109-126 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Yingkui Li ◽

Jinren Ni ◽

Qinke Yang ◽

Rui Li

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Human Impacts ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

The Loess Plateau

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Quantifying Historic Human Impacts on Forest Environments: A Case Study in Bialowieza Forest, Poland

Environmental History ◽

10.1093/envhis/emt039 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 576-602 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

T. Samojlik ◽

I. D. Rotherham ◽

B. Jedrzejewska

Keyword(s):

Human Impacts ◽

Białowieża Forest

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The socio-economics dynamics of Dam on Rural Communities: A case study of Oyan Dam, Nigeria

Proceedings of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences ◽

10.5194/piahs-379-175-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 379 ◽

pp. 175-180

Author(s):

Amidu Ayeni ◽

Lawrence Ojifo

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Water Supply ◽

Water Level ◽

Human Impacts ◽

Economic Impacts ◽

Structured Interview ◽

Relative Reduction ◽

Water Abstraction ◽

And Storage

Abstract. Dams construction and operations have many benefits, nevertheless, they have also led to lots of negative social, health and human impacts. It is based on this that this study assesses the potential and socio-economics dynamics of Oyan dam between 1980 and 2016. The data used for this study include water level and discharge records of the dam between 2007 and 2016, Landsat imageries of 1984 and 2016 and socio-economic datasets for the period. Analysis of the dam potentials (water supply, agriculture and hydropower) and socio-economic impacts of the dam were carried out using basic statistical tools, land use change anaysis and field survey using questionnaire, structured interview with major stakeholders and personal observation. The results revealed that the water level and storage of the Oyan dam had a relative reduction of about 2 % as well as non-stationarity pattern of water abstraction and production for the period. The landuse classes show all classes decreased in extent except the cultivated landuse that acrued an increased of 19.9 % between 1984 and 2016. Furthermore, commercial water supply varied significantly between 2010 and 2016 while irrigation scheme is grossly under-utilized from the inception in 1983 to 2016. Finally, the result of socio-economic impacts revealed that majority of the selected communities' members are actually not benefiting from the dam and their livelihoods are not from the dam.

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