Promoting integrated urban development. An application in Naples metropolitan area.

Abstract The impact of 1973–2005 land use–land cover (LULC) changes on near-surface air temperatures during four recent summer extreme heat events (EHEs) are investigated for the arid Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) in conjunction with the Noah Urban Canopy Model. WRF simulations were carried out for each EHE using LULC for the years 1973, 1985, 1998, and 2005. Comparison of measured near-surface air temperatures and wind speeds for 18 surface stations in the region show a good agreement between observed and simulated data for all simulation periods. The results indicate consistent significant contributions of urban development and accompanying LULC changes to extreme temperatures for the four EHEs. Simulations suggest new urban developments caused an intensification and expansion of the area experiencing extreme temperatures but mainly influenced nighttime temperatures with an increase of up to 10 K. Nighttime temperatures in the existing urban core showed changes of up to ∼2 K with the ongoing LULC changes. Daytime temperatures were not significantly affected where urban development replaced desert land (increase by ∼1 K); however, maximum temperatures increased by ∼2–4 K when irrigated agricultural land was converted to suburban development. According to the model simulations, urban landscaping irrigation contributed to cooling by 0.5–1 K in maximum daytime as well as minimum nighttime 2-m air temperatures in most parts of the urban region. Furthermore, urban development led to a reduction of the already relatively weak nighttime winds and therefore a reduction in advection of cooler air into the city.

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Fish, Maringá urban streams, Pirapó River drainage, upper Paraná River basin, Paraná state, Brazil

Check List ◽

10.15560/5.2.273 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 273 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Almir Manoel Cunico ◽

Weferson Junio da Graça ◽

Angelo Antonio Agostinho ◽

Wladimir Marques Domingues ◽

João Dirço Latini

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Urban Development ◽

Fish Species ◽

Metropolitan Area ◽

Native Species ◽

Headwater Streams ◽

Urban Streams ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Upper Paraná River ◽

Upper Paraná River Basin

The metropolitan area of Maringá, Paraná state (southeastern Brazil), has many small headwater streams that are affected by urban development. Checklists of fish species in these sites are important tools to learn about the biodiversity of impacted environments. Samples were taken every two months from July 2007 to June 2008 in three different sites along 10 small headwater streams in Maringá city within a gradient of urbanization. A total of 38 fish species ascribed to six orders, 12 families, and 27 genera were collected, including six non-native species, and 14 that are probably new species.

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