scholarly journals Strong variations in urban allergenicity riskscapes due to poor knowledge of tree pollen allergenic potential

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Sousa-Silva ◽  
Audrey Smargiassi ◽  
Daniel Kneeshaw ◽  
Jérôme Dupras ◽  
Kate Zinszer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Pollen Allergy ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Tree Pollen ◽  
Allergenic Potential ◽  
Common Tree ◽  
Pollen Allergenicity

AbstractExposure to allergenic tree pollen is an increasing environmental health issue in urban areas. However, reliable, well-documented, peer-reviewed data on the allergenicity of pollen from common tree species in urban environments are lacking. Using the concept of ‘riskscape’, we present and discuss evidence on how different tree pollen allergenicity datasets shape the risk for pollen-allergy sufferers in five cities with different urban forests and population densities: Barcelona, Montreal, New York City, Paris, and Vancouver. We also evaluate how tree diversity can modify the allergenic risk of urban forests. We show that estimates of pollen exposure risk range from 1 to 74% for trees considered to be highly allergenic in the same city. This variation results from differences in the pollen allergenicity datasets, which become more pronounced when a city’s canopy is dominated by only a few species and genera. In an increasingly urbanized world, diverse urban forests offer a potentially safer strategy aimed at diluting sources of allergenic pollen until better allergenicity data is developed. Our findings highlight an urgent need for a science-based approach to guide public health and urban forest planning.

scholarly journals An Effect of Urban Forest on Urban Thermal Environment in Seoul, South Korea, Based on Landsat Imagery Analysis

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 630
Author(s):  
Peter Sang-Hoon Lee ◽  
Jincheol Park
Keyword(s):  
South Korea ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Cooling Effect ◽  
Surrounding Areas

The urban heat island effect has posed negative impacts on urban areas with increased cooling energy demand followed by an altered thermal environment. While unusually high temperature in urban areas has been often attributed to complex urban settings, the function of urban forests has been considered as an effective heat mitigation strategy. To investigate the cooling effect of urban forests and their influence range, this study examined the spatiotemporal changes in land surface temperature (LST) of urban forests and surrounding areas by using Landsat imageries. LST, the size of the urban forest, its vegetation cover, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were investigated for 34 urban forests and their surrounding areas at a series of buffer areas in Seoul, South Korea. The mean LST of urban forests was lower than that of the overall city, and the threshold distance from urban forests for cooling effect was estimated to be roughly up to 300 m. The group of large-sized urban forests showed significantly lower mean LST than that of small-sized urban forests. The group of urban forests with higher NDVI showed lower mean LST than that of urban forests with lower mean NDVI in a consistent manner. A negative linear relationship was found between the LST and size of urban forest (r = −0.36 to −0.58), size of vegetation cover (r = −0.39 to −0.61), and NDVI (r = −0.42 to −0.93). Temporal changes in NDVI were examined separately on a specific site, Seoul Forest, that has experienced urban forest dynamics. LST of the site decreased as NDVI improved by a land-use change from a barren racetrack to a city park. It was considered that NDVI could be a reliable factor for estimating the cooling effect of urban forest compared to the size of the urban forest and/or vegetation cover.

scholarly journals Potensi Biomassa Dan Karbon Tersimpan Tegakan di Ruang Terbuka Hijau Kota Polewali, Sulawesi Barat

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Daud Irundu ◽  
Mir A Beddu ◽  
Najmawati Najmawati
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Global warming is one of the major environmental issues of this century. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are the main cause of global warming. Green open space (RTH) such as urban parks, urban forests and green lines play an important role in mitigating global warming and climate change in urban areas because it is able to reduce CO2 from the atmosphere. This study aims to determine the potential of biomass and carbon stored in the Green Open Green Space of Polewali, West Sulawesi. Data collection for stored biomass and carbon is carried out at three green space locations including; Urban forest and city park and green lane each made three plots measuring 20 m x 20 m, and three plots on the Green Line measuring 1200 m. Retrieval of data by measuring tree height and diameter, analysis to obtain the dry volume, biomass and carbon stored for each tree species contained in the Polewali green space. Biomass is obtained by the formula M = BJ x Vk x BEF, the stored carbon value is obtained from the product of biomass by 0.47. The magnitude of the relationship of volume with biomass and carbon uses a regression equation (Ŷ=a+bX). The results show there are types of Glodokan (Polyalthia longifolia), Johar (Senna siamea), Mahogany (Swetenia sp) and Trambesi (Samanea saman) which are spread in the Polewali open green space. Trambesi is a type that has dominant biomass and stored carbon of 381.95 (tons / ha) and 179.52 (ton/ha). Green lane is the type of green space that has the most stored carbon and is currently 440.94 (ton/ha) and 207.24 (ton/ha). The overall green space biomass is 571.83 (ton/ha) and stored carbon is 268.76 (ton/ha) found in urban forests, urban gardens and green belt. The relationship of volume with biomass and stored carbon shows a very strong relationship with the coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.96.  

scholarly journals Traces of urban forest in temperature and CO<sub>2</sub> signals in monsoon East Asia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keunmin Lee ◽  
Je-Woo Hong ◽  
Jeongwon Kim ◽  
Jinkyu Hong
Keyword(s):  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Forest Canopies ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Drought Period ◽  
Vegetation Activity ◽  
Urban Heat ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Cities represent a key space for our sustainable trajectory in a changing environment, and our society is steadily embracing urban green space for its role in mitigating heatwaves and anthropogenic CO2 emissions. This study reports two-year surface fluxes of energy and CO2 measured via the eddy covariance method in an artificially constructed urban forest to examine the impact of urban forests on air temperature and net CO2 exchange. The urban forest site shows typical seasonal patterns of forest canopies with the seasonal march of the East Asian summer monsoon. Our analysis indicates that the urban forest reduces both the warming trend and urban heat island intensity compared to the adjacent high-rise urban areas and that photosynthetic carbon uptake is large despite relatively small tree density and leaf area index. During the significant drought period in the second year, gross primary production and evapotranspiration decreased, but their reduction was not as significant as those in natural forest canopies. We speculate that forest management practices, such as artificial irrigation and fertilization, enhance vegetation activity. We also stipulate that ecosystem respiration in urban forests is more pronounced than typical natural forests in a similar climate zone. This can be attributed to the substantial amount of soil organic carbon available due to intensive historical soil use and soil transplantation during forest construction, as well as relatively warmer temperatures in urban heat domes. Our observational study also indicates the need for caution in soil management for less CO2 emissions in urban areas.

scholarly journals Assessing the relative importance of human and spatial pressures on non-native plant establishment in urban forests using citizen science

NeoBiota ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 65 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Katherine Duchesneau ◽  
Lisa Derickx ◽  
Pedro M. Antunes
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Plant Introductions ◽  
Native Species Richness ◽  
Urban Activities

Since 2007, more people in the world live in urban than in rural areas. The development of urban areas has encroached into natural forest ecosystems, consequently increasing the ecological importance of parks and fragmented forest remnants. However, a major concern is that urban activities have rendered urban forests susceptible to non-native species incursions, making them central entry sites where non-native plant species can establish and spread. We have little understanding of what urban factors contribute to this process. Here we use data collected by citizen scientists to determine the differential impacts of spatial and urban factors on non-native plant introductions in urban forests. Using a model city, we mapped 18 urban forests within city limits, and identified all the native and non-native plants present at those sites. We then determined the relative contribution of spatial and socioeconomic variables on the richness and composition of native and non-native plant communities. We found that socioeconomic factors rather than spatial factors (e.g., urban forest area) were important modulators of overall or non-native species richness. Non-native species richness in urban forest fragments was primarily affected by residential layout, recent construction events, and nearby roads. This demonstrates that the proliferation of non-native species is inherent to urban activities and we propose that future studies replicate our approach in different cities to broaden our understanding of the spatial and social factors that modulate invasive species movement starting in urban areas.

scholarly journals Estimation of the Allergenic Potential of Urban Trees and Urban Parks: Towards the Healthy Design of Urban Green Spaces of the Future

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 1357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cariñanos ◽  
Grilo ◽  
Pinho ◽  
Casares-Porcel ◽  
Branquinho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Allergenic Potential ◽  
Causative Agents ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ornamental Species

The impact of allergens emitted by urban green spaces on health is one of the main disservices of ecosystems. The objective of this work is to establish the potential allergenic value of some tree species in urban environments, so that the allergenicity of green spaces can be estimated through application of the Index of Urban Green Zones Allergenicity (IUGZA). Multiple types of green spaces in Mediterranean cities were selected for the estimation of IUGZ. The results show that some of the ornamental species native to the Mediterranean are among the main causative agents of allergy in the population; in particular, Oleaceae, Cupressaceae, Fagaceae, and Platanus hispanica. Variables of the strongest impact on IUGZA were the bioclimatic characteristics of the territory and design aspects, such as the density of trees and the number of species. We concluded that the methodology to assess the allergenicity associated with urban trees and urban areas presented in this work opens new perspectives in the design and planning of urban green spaces, pointing out the need to consider the potential allergenicity of a species when selecting plant material to be used in cities. Only then can urban green areas be inclusive spaces, in terms of public health.

scholarly journals Breeding density of the Tawny Owl Strix aluco in urban forests of Ljubljana City (Central Slovenia)

Acrocephalus ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (172-173) ◽  
pp. 31-35
Author(s):  
Tjaša Pršin ◽  
Darja Kušar ◽  
Tanja Obermajer ◽  
Al Vrezec
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Forest Patches ◽  
Tawny Owl ◽  
Point Count ◽  
Strix Aluco ◽  
Nature Park ◽  
Territory Density ◽  
Point Count Method

SummaryResults of the survey carried out in the territories of Tawny Owl Strix aluco in Ljubljana urban forests (Tivoli, Rožnik and Šišenski hrib Nature Park and Golovec Hill) were compared with the species territory density in non-urban forest of Mt. Krim. Surveys were performed with the point count method using playback in the springs of 2002 and 2016. The density established at Golovec Hill was 9.3 territories / 10 km2, while in Tivoli, Rožnik and Šišenski hrib Nature Park it reached 10.4 territories / 10 km2, which was higher than at Mt. Krim (4.1-5.8 territories / 10 km2), although densities between sites were not statistically different. Based on our surveys, the estimated population size of the urban Tawny Owl in Ljubljana would consist of 57 to 65 pairs. Our results suggest that the Tawny Owl can adapt well to the living conditions in the city urban forests and indicate the importance of the forest patches in urban areas.

scholarly journals PEMENUHAN LUASAN HUTAN KOTA SEBAGAI PENCEGAH MASALAH LINGKUNGAN DI SURABAYA

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martika Dini Syaputri ◽  
Nany Suryawati
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Open Space ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
Management And Development ◽  
The Government ◽  
The City

AbstractEnvironmental problems in urban areas are a problem that never stops. That every community needs a healthy life, but this seems difficult to become a reality for urban communities because the population continues to increase every year so that land conversion occurs which results in increased air and water pollution. Therefore, the central government hopes that each region or region can provide RTH 30% of the city area. The purpose of this study is to analyze the enforcement of the City Forest Regulations in Surabaya and to find out the efforts of local governments in fulfilling urban forest land in urban areas. This study uses a normative juridical method. As part of RTH, the development of urban forests in Surabaya is very much needed by the community, therefore cooperation between the government and the community is needed in the management and development of urban forests. Fulfillment of urban forest areas in Surabaya can be done by maximizing the form of urban forest that has been regulated based on the City Forest Regulation, either in the form of channels, groups or scattered.Keywords: city forest; green open space; urbanAbstrakMasalah lingkungan hidup diwilayah perkotaan merupakan masalah yang tak kunjung berakhir. Bahwa setiap masyarakat membutuhkan hidup sehat, namun hal tersebut seolah sulit menjadi kenyataan bagi masyarakat perkotaan yang disebabkan karena jumlah penduduk yang tiap tahun meningkat sehingga terjadi pengalihfungsian lahan yang berakibat pada semakin meningkatnya pencemaran udara maupun pencemaran air. Oleh karena itu, pemerintah pusat mengharapkan bagi setiap wilayah atau daerah menyediakan RTH 30% dari luasan kota. Tujuan dilakukannya penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisa pemberlakuan Perda Hutan Kota di Surabaya serta mengetahui upaya pemerintah daerah dalam memenuhi lahan hutan kota pada wilayah perkotaan. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode yuridis normatif. Sebagai bagian dari RTH, pengembangan hutan kota di Surabaya sangat dibutuhkan oleh masyarakat oleh karenanya diperlukan kerjasama antara pemerintah dengan masyarakat dalam pengelolaan dan pengembangan hutan kota. Pemenuhan luasan hutan kota di Surabaya dapat dilakukan dengan mamaksimalkan bentuk dari hutan kota yang telah diatur berdasarkan pada Perda Hutan Kota, yakni dapat dengan bentuk jelaur, mengelompok maupun menyebar.

scholarly journals Traces of urban forest in temperature and CO<sub>2</sub> signals in monsoon East Asia

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (23) ◽  
pp. 17833-17853
Author(s):  
Keunmin Lee ◽  
Je-Woo Hong ◽  
Jeongwon Kim ◽  
Sungsoo Jo ◽  
Jinkyu Hong
Keyword(s):  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Forest Canopies ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Drought Period ◽  
Vegetation Activity ◽  
Urban Heat ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Cities represent a key space for a sustainable society in a changing environment, and our society is steadily embracing urban green space for its role in mitigating heat waves and anthropogenic CO2 emissions. This study reports 2 years of surface fluxes of energy and CO2 in an artificially constructed urban forest measured by the eddy covariance method to examine the impact of urban forests on air temperature and net CO2 exchange. The urban forest site shows typical seasonal patterns of forest canopies with the seasonal march of the East Asian summer monsoon. This study shows that the urban forest reduces both the warming trend and urban heat island intensity compared to the adjacent high-rise urban areas and that photosynthetic carbon uptake is large despite relatively small tree density and leaf area index. During the significant drought period in the second year, gross primary production and evapotranspiration decreased, but their reduction was not as significant as those in natural forest canopies. We speculate that forest management practices, such as artificial irrigation and fertilization, enhance vegetation activity. Further analysis reveals that ecosystem respiration in urban forests is more pronounced than for typical natural forests in a similar climate zone. This can be attributed to the substantial amount of soil organic carbon due to intensive historical soil use and soil transplantation during forest construction, as well as relatively warmer temperatures in urban heat domes. Our findings suggest the need for caution in soil management when aiming to reduce CO2 emissions in urban areas.

scholarly journals Review on Urban Forests and Trees as Nature-Based Solutions over 5 Years

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1453
Author(s):  
Xiangqi Kong ◽  
Xinna Zhang ◽  
Chengyang Xu ◽  
Richard J. Hauer
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Sustainable Living ◽  
Keyword Analysis ◽  
Research Pattern

As human living environments face increasing challenges with resilience, the concept of nature-based solutions (NBS) was proposed in recent years as a way to promote sustainable living in urban environments. Urban forests and trees play important roles in urban ecosystems, while their potential as an NBS is promising. A bibliometric analysis was first conducted to explore the research pattern of NBS in urban environments. Studies of urban forest and tree-based green infrastructure in NBS research were further investigated using a systematic literature review method. The initial studies on NBS have increased since 2015 with 493 documents published from 142 sources in over 70 countries and regions. Keyword analysis showed green infrastructure had a rather high frequency of utility and received considerable attention. As for urban forests as nature-based solutions (UF-NBS) research, the most prominent study approaches used at different scales and the main benefits and typologies of urban forest studied in the articles were identified. UF-NBS research is still relatively scarce at present. Despite the role of urban forest and trees in addressing environmental challenges being well recognized, UF-NBS studies still need to be conducted in a more comprehensive context, taking social and economic aspects into account.

scholarly journals EVALUASI KELAYAKAN HUTAN KOTA STUDI KASUS HUTAN KOTA SRENGSENG, JAKARTA BARAT

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 2731
Author(s):  
Randy Kusuma Markho ◽  
Suryono Herlambang ◽  
Parino Rahardjo ◽  
Suryadi Santoso
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Physical Development ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Catchment Areas ◽  
The Future ◽  
Water Catchment

Urban forests are one of the most important parts in urban areas. With urban physical development that continues to occur makes it difficult and expensive to add urban forests. Whereas urban forests have important benefits for urban communities, such as providing a balance to ecosystems, as water catchment areas, and being a place of carbondioxide to oxygen cycles. One of the urban forests in Jakarta is Hutan Kota Srengseng. In this research, we want to find out whether Hutan Kota Srengseng meets the criteria so that it is worth mentioning as an urban forest. The method used in this research is qualitative, field observations and literature studies. The results of this study will find out the ecosystem services provided by the Hutan Kota Srengseng and the potential that exists in the Hutan Kota Srengseng so that they can make optimal plans for developing and managing Hutan Kota Srengseng in the future. Keywords: Ecosystem Services; Urban; Urban ForestAbstrak Hutan kota merupakan salah satu bagian terpenting di perkotaan. Dengan perkembangan fisik perkotaan yang terus terjadi membuat sulit dan mahal untuk menambah hutan kota. Padahal hutan kota mempunyai memberikan manfaat yang penting untuk masyarakat kota, seperti memberikan keseimbangan bagi ekosistem, sebagai areal resapan air, dan menjadi tempat daur karbondioksida menjadi oksigen. Salah satu hutan kota yang ada di Jakarta adalah Hutan Kota Srengseng. Pada penelitian kali ini ingin mengetahui apakah Hutan Kota Srengseng telah memenuhi kriteria sehingga layak disebut sebagai sebuah hutan kota. Metode yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah kualitatif, observasi lapangan dan studi literatur. Hasil penelitian ini akan mengetahui layanan ekosistem yang diberikan oleh Hutan Kota Srengseng dan potensi yang ada di Hutan Kota Srengseng sehingga dapat membuat rencana pengembangan dan pengelolaan Hutan Kota Srengseng yang optimal kedepannya.

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