scholarly journals Checklist of bee species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) in the urban areas of Cerrado in Barreiras, Bahia, Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. e978
Author(s):  
Felina Kelly Marques Bulhoes ◽  
Franciélli Cristiane Gruchowski Woitowicz ◽  
Ramon Lima Ramos ◽  
Favízia Freitas de Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Urban Growth ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Western Region ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Bioindicator Species ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
The City

In a global context, few studies have investigated the effects of urbanization on apifauna, as well as the importance of green areas in urban centers for the conservation of local bee fauna. In Brazil, this line of research is still quite recent, with most studies carried out in regions with a predominance of the Atlantic Rainforest phytogeographic domain. For the Brazilian state of Bahia, such research is still scarce and, especially, if we consider the large territorial dimension that this state denotes. In the area that covers the Cerrado, few studies have been carried out that inventory the urban apifauna. In this paper we present a list of bee species recorded in urban areas of the city of Barreiras, Bahia, Brazil, which represent the first apifauna inventory in the Western region of Bahia. Specimens were collected fortnightly from November 2019 to April 2020, using two sampling methods: colored water traps (ARCAs/pantraps) and entomological net, in two remnants of vegetation used as sampling points. A total of 749 specimens were sampled, distributed in four families, 18 tribes, 29 genera, and 45 species. A total of 369 (49.3%) specimens were collected using the entomological net and 380 specimens (50.7%) by using the ARCAs. Our results showed that the area with the highest level of urbanization had bioindicator species of degraded environments, which benefit from urbanization, and despite the urban growth, the fragments found in the matrix can serve as a refuge for bee fauna, as long as they are well planned.

Using Land Cover, Population, and Night Light Data for Assessing Local Temperature Differences in Mainz, Germany

2015 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 658-670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Lindén ◽  
Jan Esper ◽  
Björn Holmer
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Light Intensity ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
Urban Growth ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Surface Coverage ◽  
Daily Maximum ◽  
Source Areas ◽  
Maximum Temperatures ◽  
The City

AbstractUrban areas are believed to affect temperature readings, thereby biasing the estimation of twentieth-century warming at regional to global scales. The precise effect of changes in the surroundings of meteorological stations, particularly gradual changes due to urban growth, is difficult to determine. In this paper, data from 10 temperature stations within 15 km of the city of Mainz (Germany) over a period of 842 days are examined to assess the connection between temperature and the properties of the station surroundings, considering (i) built/paved area surface coverage, (ii) population, and (iii) night light intensity. These properties were examined in circles with increasing radii from the stations to identify the most influential source areas. Daily maximum temperatures Tmax, as well as daily average temperatures, are shown to be significantly influenced by elevation and were adjusted before the analysis of anthropogenic surroundings, whereas daily minimum temperatures Tmin were not. Significant correlations (p < 0.1) between temperature and all examined properties of station surroundings up to 1000 m are found, but the effects are diminished at larger distance. Other factors, such as slope and topographic position (e.g., hollows), were important, especially to Tmin. Therefore, properties of station surroundings up to 1000 m from the stations are most suitable for the assessment of potential urban influence on Tmax and Tmin in the temperate zone of central Europe.

scholarly journals An automated classification system for urban areas matching the ‘city country fingers’ pattern: the cases of Kamakura (Japan) and Acireale (Italy) cities

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Spina ◽  
Emiliano Tramontana
Keyword(s):  
Urban Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Classification Model ◽  
Complete Analysis ◽  
City Development ◽  
Essential Condition ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
The City

Abstract The uncontrolled expansion of urban areas is one of the main factors that reduce the liveability of cities. In recent years, to contrast urban sprawl, several nations have promoted policies aimed at developing urban green spaces. The importance of green oases within cities had already been highlighted, in 1977, by the architect Christopher Alexander who had developed a series of patterns including ‘City Country Fingers’ claiming that city development should consider the prolongation of country land in to the urban area. In several cities, especially in Japan, it is possible to recognize the imprint of urban development based on country fingers. This term refers to extensive urban intersections of agricultural land or wooded hills which, from the peripheral areas, penetrate the city. Inside them, there are urban windows, called city fingers, whose development direction is opposite to those of the country fingers. To recognize and analyze, in an automated way, these particular structures, a Python-based application was created. Starting from the original high-resolution image of Google Earth, a complete analysis was performed, labeling and delimiting urban and vegetational areas and extrapolating the main geometric parameters of the country and city fingers. The finalization of the results obtained was carried out through a classification model whose criteria were based on Alexander’s pattern. Thanks to this classification scheme, the distinction between Active Green Areas (country fingers) and Passive Green Areas (gardens and public parks) have been revealed for the analyzed cities. The tests performed showed almost ideal conditions for the city of Kamakura and a limited match for the urban area of Acireale. The proposed method is suitable for fields of application that require a qualitative and quantitative determination of the vegetation cover present within the city, an essential condition for correct territorial planning.

scholarly journals Update on the invasion status of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868), in Madrid, a large city in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula

2021 ◽  
Vol 85 ◽  
pp. 161-177
Author(s):  
Diego López-Collar ◽  
Francisco J. Cabrero-Sañudo
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Necessary Conditions ◽  
Large City ◽  
Linepithema Humile ◽  
Argentine Ant ◽  
Invasive Ant ◽  
Personal Communications ◽  
Great Capacity ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
The City

New geolocated records of the invasive ant Linepithema humile (Mayr, 1868) are added to the previous references for the city of Madrid and its surroundings, and the possible causes of the occurrence and permanence of this species in urban areas are discussed. The data collection corresponds to a series of samplings carried out for the last three years in green areas of the city, bibliographic searches, citizen science platforms and personal communications. To date, eleven locations in the urban area of Madrid and four points outside the city have been registered. The city of Madrid is undergoing a colonisation by the Argentine ant, although it is not widespread yet, since observations over time and space are isolated and apparently unrelated. However, this species has a great capacity to disperse and establish new colonies, mainly human-mediated through the transport of goods, plants, gardening tools, etc. Considering the numerous colonizable urban green areas in the city that can provide the necessary conditions for its expansion, the Argentine ant should not be underestimated, and immediate action is strongly recommended.

scholarly journals Identification of Urban Leprosy Clusters

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Antonio Armani Paschoal ◽  
Vania Del’Arco Paschoal ◽  
Susilene Maria Tonelli Nardi ◽  
Patrícia Sammarco Rosa ◽  
Manuela Gallo y Sanches Ismael ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Urban Growth ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Space Time ◽  
Time Analysis ◽  
Clinical Forms ◽  
Physical Spaces ◽  
The City

Overpopulation of urban areas results from constant migrations that cause disordered urban growth, constituting clusters defined as sets of people or activities concentrated in relatively small physical spaces that often involve precarious conditions.Aim. Using residential grouping, the aim was to identify possible clusters of individuals in São José do Rio Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil, who have or have had leprosy.Methods. A population-based, descriptive, ecological study using the MapInfo and CrimeStat techniques, geoprocessing, and space-time analysis evaluated the location of 425 people treated for leprosy between 1998 and 2010. Clusters were defined as concentrations of at least 8 people with leprosy; a distance of up to 300 meters between residences was adopted. Additionally, the year of starting treatment and the clinical forms of the disease were analyzed.Results. Ninety-eight (23.1%) of 425 geocoded cases were located within one of ten clusters identified in this study, and 129 cases (30.3%) were in the region of a second-order cluster, an area considered of high risk for the disease.Conclusion. This study identified ten clusters of leprosy cases in the city and identified an area of high risk for the appearance of new cases of the disease.

Long-Run Urban Growth with Agglomeration Economies

1987 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 1083-1092 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Miyao
Keyword(s):  
Urban Growth ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Economy ◽  
Agglomeration Economies ◽  
Urban Growth Model ◽  
Steady Growth ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Growth Equilibrium ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The City

It is widely recognized that agglomeration economies are a crucially important factor in explaining the existence and growth of urban areas, and therefore should be explicitly taken into consideration in long-run urban growth analysis. Once such economies are introduced, however, the urban economy tends to diverge from a steady state equilibrium and may ‘explode’ without limit. A possible way to solve this dilemma is shown. First, a simple urban growth model with production and factor migration functions in the presence of agglomeration economies is set up. It is proved that the urban economy with agglomeration economies tends to approach a kind of balanced growth path in the long run, although the growth rate itself is accelerating without limit. It is also shown that if the total demand for the output of the city is growing at an exogenously given rate, a sustainable steady growth equilibrium exists and is unique and globally stable. Then, land is introduced to show that the availability of the third factor of production will make it more likely to achieve a steady growth equilibrium in the presence of agglomeration economies. Last, the model is generalized to include many factors of production.

scholarly journals A topofilia dos cidadãos para com o patrimônio natural urbano: O caso da cidade de Coimbra

GeoTextos ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Salles Maria de Macedo Rego ◽  
João Luis Jesus Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environment ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Field Analysis ◽  
Conceptual Argument ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
Quality Of Urban Life ◽  
The City

O trabalho em questão analisa, segundo o prisma da Geografia, a importância do patrimônio natural em ambiente urbano. Como objetivo principal, pretende compreender a percepção que os residentes na cidade de Coimbra (Portugal) têm da natureza e do papel que o património natural pode desempenhar na qualidade de vida da cidade. Para alcançar esses objetivos, inicia-se o texto com uma reflexão teórica que percorre conceitos como a topofilia e os olhares sociais sobre o ambiente e a natureza em contexto citadino. Depois, seguem-se dois procedimentos diferentes, mas complementares: (1) Como forma de registro da presença e do estado de conservação da natureza em Coimbra e da interação entre os cidadãos e o patrimônio natural naquele espaço geográfico, fez-se uma análise de campo com a montagem de um banco de dados fotográficos que representam excertos deste território; (2) Inquéritos por meio de entrevistas, em dois bairros da cidade – Vale das Flores e Monte Formoso – privilegiando adultos com idades superiores aos 30 anos. Apesar de a pesquisa ter revelado algumas contradições entre a prática e o discurso na percepção e na relação topofílica para com as áreas verdes urbanas, concluiu-se que a presença do patrimônio natural no ambiente urbano ainda se apresenta como uma questão secundária. Contudo, também se verificou que, para reforço desta relação simbólica e/ou funcional, o patrimônio natural deve estar presente em todo o contínuo urbano e não ficar restrito aos bairros mais elitizados ou aos parques. Abstract THE CITIZENS TOPOPHILIA AND THE NATURAL URBAN PATRIMONY: COIMBRA’S CASE STUDY This paper analyzes the importance of natural patrimony in the urban environment, under the prism of geography. The main objective of this study is to understand how nature is perceived in the city of Coimbra (Portugal) and the role that green areas and natural patrimony has in the quality of urban life. To achieve these objectives, this article discusses the conceptual argument about environmental perception, topophilia and the nature in the city. For this, it was used two different procedures: (1) Field analysis on the city of Coimbra with purpose to setting up a photographic database, to verify the presence, conservation and relationship to the natural patrimony inserted in urban environment; (2) Investigation through interviews in two neighborhoods of the city – Vale das Flores and Monte Formoso. The data revealed that the perception and the topophilic relationship to urban green areas are marked by the contradiction between practice and discourse. It was concluded that the presence of natural patrimony in the urban environment still present itself as a secondary issue. Moreover, it was concluded that to strengthen this relationship symbolically and/or functionally the natural patrimony must be present throughout all the continuous urban areas and should not be restricted to elite neighborhoods or parks.

scholarly journals MODELLING URBAN GROWTH FROM MEDIUM RESOLUTION LANDSAT IMAGERIES OF AKURE, NIGERIA

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 40-50
Author(s):  
Michael Ajide Oyinloye ◽  
Julius Olubumi Fasakin
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Urban Growth ◽  
Rapid Growth ◽  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Open Space ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Gis And Remote Sensing ◽  
Medium Resolution ◽  
The City

The city of Akure has experienced rapid growth in the past 2 to 3 decades which has led to the expansion of the core urban areas of the city into adjoining rural lands. The paper analyses the urban growth of Akure using medium resolution Landsat imageries. Landsat (MSS), Landsat Thematic Mapping(TM) and Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) images for 1972, 1986 and 2002 respectively were used in a post-classification comparison analysis to map the spatial dynamic of land cover changes and identify the urbanization process in Akure. The land cover statistical results revealed a rapid growth in the built-up area of Akure from 997.2 hectares in 1972 to about 3852.70 hectares in 2002 due to increase in population of Akure within this period. Results of the prediction showed that the built-up area of the city has increased in size from 977.2 hectares in 1972 to 5863.66 hectares in 2022 corresponding to 500% at the rate of 13.1% per annum. Implications of growth include loss of open space, pressure on limited infrastructure, overcrowding, traffic congestion and poor standard of living. The study recommends regular monitoring of urban area, development of small towns around the city area to avoid overcrowding, training of planners and administrators to acquire more knowledge in the use of GIS and remote sensing to enhance efficiency.

Examining the Effects of Heat Mitigation on the Physical Properties of Urban Green Space and Urban Blue Space: A Case Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pruthvin Shetty ◽  
Dwarakish g s
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Landsat 8 ◽  
World Population ◽  
Tier 2 ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Areas ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
Tier 3 ◽  
The City

&lt;p&gt;The smart and sustainable city idea gained momentum in recent years in order to cope with population growth in urban areas and to make the city live. Cities are projected to consume 70% of the world's resources and 66% of the world population by 2050. Most of tier-3 and tier-2 cities will convert to tier-1 city, and we need to identify and protect the urban green spaces. Urban green areas have many esthetic advantages, including environmental benefits such as a fall in city temperature in the summer and absorption of rainwater. Social advantages are such as feelings of happiness and peace. Objective quantification of greenery on its neighbourhood spatial distribution may help identify essential and potential areas. Heterogeneous land uses describe urban areas. Urban heat island (UHI), with high Land surface temperatures (LST), is distinguished by its city development pattern, socioeconomic and anthropogenic activities. The LST is rising rapidly not only in cities but also in tier-3 &amp; tier-2 cities.&amp;#160; Urban green areas, including parks, playgrounds, gardens and areas, such as ponds, pools, lakes and rivers, will contribute to the control of land temperatures in and around the city. Such spaces also lead to the formation of the Urban Cooling Island (UCI), where temperatures are comparatively cooler than surrounding temperatures, because of their shade of the trees and their evapotranspiration. This cooling island formation is referred to as the Park Cooling Island (PCI) impact. The present work aims to describe the effect of urban green and urban blue spaces on LST using a range of data sources with geospatial technologies. Udupi town, which comes under Udupi district, Karnataka, India is a tier-3 city, selected for the present research work. The data used in the study include Landsat 8 temporal satellite images and secondary data, such as field data from various government and semi-government organisations. LST has been measured using the emissivity reference channel algorithm from Landsat 8 thermal bands. Different indices such as Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index NDWI, Land Shape Index (LSI) are determined from images from Landsat 8. The results show that LST exists with high spatial variability and urban green, blue spaces have a stronger influence on LST.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Decline in Distribution and Abundance: Urban Hedgehogs under Pressure

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1606
Author(s):  
Anouk L. Taucher ◽  
Sandra Gloor ◽  
Adrian Dietrich ◽  
Madeleine Geiger ◽  
Daniel Hegglin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Spaces ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Science Methods ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
Abundance And Distribution ◽  
The City ◽  
Insect Biomass

Increasing urbanization and densification are two of the largest global threats to biodiversity. However, certain species thrive in urban spaces. Hedgehogs Erinaceus europaeus have been found in higher densities in green areas of settlements as compared to rural spaces. With recent studies pointing to dramatically declining hedgehog numbers in rural areas, we pose the question: how do hedgehogs fare in urban spaces, and do these spaces act as refuges? In this study, recent (2016–2018) and past (1992) hedgehog abundance and distribution were compared across the city of Zurich, Switzerland using citizen science methods, including: footprint tunnels, capture-mark recapture, and incidental sightings. Our analyses revealed consistent negative trends: Overall hedgehog distribution decreased by 17.6% ± 4.7%, whereas abundance declined by 40.6% (mean abundance 32 vs. 19 hedgehogs/km2, in past and recent time, respectively), with one study plot even showing a 91% decline in this period (78 vs. 7 hedgehogs/km2, respectively). We discuss possible causes of this rapid decline: increased urban densification, reduction of insect biomass, and pesticide use, as well as the role of increasing populations of badgers (a hedgehog predator) and parasites or diseases. Our results suggest that hedgehogs are now under increasing pressure not only in rural but also in urban areas, their former refuges.

scholarly journals Trees and the City: Diversity and Composition along a Neotropical Gradient of Urbanization

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rubén Ortega-Álvarez ◽  
Hernando A. Rodríguez-Correa ◽  
Ian MacGregor-Fors
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Tree Species Richness ◽  
Exotic Tree ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
The City ◽  
Tree Composition

In this study we assessed tree species richness, density, and composition patterns along a gradient of urbanization of a megacity. Our results show that total, native, and exotic tree densities were highest in green areas where larger spaces are considered for greening purposes. Conversely, total, native, and exotic tree species richness were highest in land uses with intermediate levels of urban development (residential, residential-commercial areas). Not finding highest tree species richness in less developed urban areas suggests that cultural factors may shape the array of species that are planted within cities. Supporting this, tree composition analyses showed that green areas are comprised of different tree species when compared to the rest of the studied urban land uses. Thus, our results suggest that, to increase the ecological quality of cities, residents and managers should be encouraged to select a greater variety of trees to promote heterogeneous green areas.

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