scholarly journals Publicly available data sources to compile an urban natural capital account according to the SEEA EEA: A London case study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Northridge ◽  
Mikaël J. A. Maes ◽  
Ben Milligan
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Public Access ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Capital Account ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Ecosystem Accounting ◽  
United Nations System

Government organisations and other public sector bodies are compiling standardised environmental accounts to encourage more sustainable land use choices and improve management of the natural environment and associated benefits. While the United Nations System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Experimental Ecosystem accounting (SEEA EEA) provides such as framework, practical challenges remain in particular decision-making contexts. In urban areas, natural ecosystems have unique challenges because of anthropogenic pressures, providing a mix of ecosystem services (ES) that may be valued differently compared to non-urban natural ecosystems due to peoples proximity to these. It is unknown whether existing publicly available data sources for urban areas are compatible with the SEEA EEA framework and if these sources are sufficient for the development of an inclusive natural capital accounts. Here, we explore whether an inclusive urban natural capital account that includes a broad range of ES can be compiled from publicly available data sources for Greater London between 2007 and 2018. We showed that it was not possible to compile an inclusive urban natural capital account for London per year consistent with the SEEA EEA framework because of issues with (1) temporal inconsistencies, (2) land cover classifications and (3) lack of public access to certain data sources. Greater collaboration between institutions and other organisations could support our understanding of linkages between ecosystem extent, condition and ES flows. Overall, our findings suggest the need for renewed efforts to develop a cohesive source of publicly available data, which could be supported by making interdisciplinary work standard practise.

scholarly journals Sylvatic Mosquito Diversity in Kenya—Considering Enzootic Ecology of Arboviruses in an Era of Deforestation

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 342
Author(s):  
Gillian Eastwood ◽  
Rosemary C. Sang ◽  
Joel Lutomiah ◽  
Philip Tunge ◽  
Scott C. Weaver
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Anopheles Funestus ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Mosquito Vector ◽  
Vector Species ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Natural Habitats

As new and re-emerging vector-borne diseases are occurring across the world, East Africa represents an interesting location, being the origin of several arboviruses with a history of urbanization and global spread. Rapid expansion of urban populations and alteration of natural habitats creates the opportunity for arboviruses to host-switch from wild, sylvatic hosts or vectors into urban transmission affecting human populations. Although mosquito surveillance regularly takes place in urban areas of Kenya, for example identifying vectors of dengue virus or malaria viruses, little work has been carried out to determine the distribution and abundance of sylvatic vectors. Here, we describe the mosquito vector species and diversity collected at twelve forest habitats of rural Kenya. We conducted arbovirus screening of over 14,082 mosquitoes (47 species, 11 genera) as 1520 pools, and detected seven viruses (six bunyaviruses, and one flavivirus-bunyavirus co-infection) isolated from pools of Aedes dentatus, Anopheles funestus, Culex annulioris, and Cx. vansomereni. Awareness of sylvatic vector species and their location is a critical part of understanding the ecological foci and enzootic cycling of pathogens that may be of concern to public, animal or wildlife health. As natural ecosystems come under anthropogenic pressures, such knowledge can inform us of the One Health potential for spillover or spillback leading to outbreaks, and assist in vector control strategies.

The Biology of Invasive Alien Plants in Canada. 4. Heracleum mantegazzianum Sommier & Levier

2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 569-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas A. Page ◽  
Ronald E. Wall ◽  
Stephen J. Darbyshire ◽  
Gerald A. Mulligan
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Leaf Shape ◽  
Herbarium Specimens ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Alien Plant ◽  
Invasive Alien Plant ◽  
Heracleum Mantegazzianum

Heracleum mantegazzianum (giant hogweed) is an invasive alien plant of management concern in southern Canada where it has escaped from horticulture and established and spread in natural, ruderal, and agricultural ecosystems. It poses a threat to natural ecosystems and human health, and is also a weed in agricultural and urban areas. It is a member of the Carrot family (Apiaceae) and is closely related to the native species Heracleum maximum Bartram (cow-parsnip). It is a monocarpic perennial, which generally flowers in its 3rd or 4th year. Large size, leaf shape, dark reddish pigments in patches on stems and petioles, and fruit characteristics readily distinguish H. mantegazzianum from other plants in Canada. It is increasingly common in riparian areas, floodplains, and forest edges in or near urban areas in southwestern British Columbia and southern Ontario. Based on herbarium specimens, H. mantegazzianum was first recorded in Ontario in 1949, British Columbia in 1964, Nova Scotia in 1980, Quebec in 1990, and New Brunswick in 2000. The development of dense stands of H. mantegazzianum can also reduce the richness of native plants. Contact with H. mantegazzianum can cause phytophotodermatitis, a serious skin inflammation caused by UV photo-activation of furanocoumarins present in the sap. Control methods include herbicide application, mechanical cutting, and animal grazing, but strategies to address seed dispersal and re-establishment from dormant seed must also be adopted. Widespread establishment in southern Canada suggests that eradication is unlikely. However, range expansion and rapid population growth can be prevented through strategic management including public education. Key words: Giant hogweed, Heracleum mantegazzianum, Apiaceae, HERMZ, invasive plant, weed biology, furanocoumarins

Historical and Future Land-Cover Change in a Municipality of Ghana

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 1-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel M. Attua ◽  
Joshua B. Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Land Cover Change ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Land Cover Changes ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Land Administration

Abstract Urban land-cover change is increasing dramatically in most developing nations. In Africa and in the New Juaben municipality of Ghana in particular, political stability and active socioeconomic progress has pushed the urban frontier into the countryside at the expense of the natural ecosystems at ever-increasing rates. Using Landsat satellite imagery from 1985 to 2003, the study found that the urban core expanded by 10% and the peri-urban areas expanded by 25% over the period. Projecting forward to 2015, it is expected that urban infrastructure will constitute 70% of the total land area in the municipality. Giving way to urban expansion were losses in open woodlands (19%), tree fallow (9%), croplands (4%), and grass fallow (3%), with further declines expected for 2015. Major drivers of land-cover changes are attributed to demographic changes and past microeconomic policies, particularly the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP); the Economic Recovery Programme (ERP); and, more recently, the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS). Pluralistic land administration, complications in the land tenure systems, institutional inefficiencies, and lack of capacity in land administration were also key drivers of land-cover changes in the New Juaben municipality. Policy recommendations are presented to address the associated challenges.

scholarly journals Assessing the Potential of Nontraditional Water Sources for Landscape Irrigation

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 436-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raul I. Cabrera ◽  
James E. Altland ◽  
Genhua Niu
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Aesthetic Quality ◽  
The Impact

Scarcity and competition for good quality and potable water resources are limiting their use for urban landscape irrigation, with several nontraditional sources being potentially available for these activities. Some of these alternative sources include rainwater, stormwater, brackish aquifer water, municipal reclaimed water (MRW), air-conditioning (A/C) condensates, and residential graywater. Knowledge on their inherent chemical profile and properties, and associated regional and temporal variability, is needed to assess their irrigation quality and potential short- and long-term effects on landscape plants and soils and to implement best management practices that successfully deal with their quality issues. The primary challenges with the use of these sources are largely associated with high concentrations of total salts and undesirable specific ions [sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), boron (B), and bicarbonate (HCO3−) alkalinity]. Although the impact of these alternative water sources has been largely devoted to human health, plant growth and aesthetic quality, and soil physicochemical properties, there is emergent interest in evaluating their effects on soil biological properties and in natural ecosystems neighboring the urban areas where they are applied.

scholarly journals The Valuation of Environmental Assets

Conservation ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 140-158
Author(s):  
Charles Perrings
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Economic ◽  
Total Factor Productivity ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Rate Of Return ◽  
Factor Productivity ◽  
Natural Resource Use ◽  
The World ◽  
United Nations System ◽  
Nations System

Chapter 6 examines the value of environmental assets, which lies in the discounted stream of services they offer. Their conservation depends on the expected rate of change in their value, if conserved, relative to the rate of return on alternative assets. This chapter considers how the portfolio of environmental assets—natural capital—has been valued at the national scale. The two main approaches adopted are the United Nations’ System of Environmental-Economic Accounts (SEEA), and the World Bank’s (Inclusive) Wealth Accounts. The authors consider both approaches, and what they mean for the sustainability and the efficiency of natural resource use. Particular attention is paid to the residual left over after taking account of all marketed inputs in production: total factor productivity.

scholarly journals HEALTHY LIFESTYLE OF URBAN RESIDENTS. CASE STUDY: SRI PAHANG PUBLIC HOUSING, BANGSAR, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Ling Hoon Leh ◽  
Nur Hidayah Shaharom ◽  
Marlyana Azyyati Marzukhi ◽  
Sharifah Zannierah Syed Marzuki
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Urban Development ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Public Housing ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
The Relationship

The natural ecosystems are increasingly being replaced by urban built-up area due to fast urbanisation. The urban development pressure brought urban areas to the uncontrolled built environment which, in turn, significantly compromises the quality of public spaces and facilities. Furthermore, the urban environment discourages active living. Thus, research on the relationship between urbanisation and physical health is rapidly coming to the force. Urbanisation can have detrimental effects, particularly on physical health, which further attributed to unsustainable urban development. A study was carried out at Sri Pahang Public Housing (Flat), Kuala Lumpur with the aim to investigate the healthy lifestyle among residents and the relationship with the public facilities available at study area for the physical activity. Data was obtained through questionnaire survey. The relationship between healthy lifestyle particularly the level of physical activity and the facilities in the study area was analysed using correlation test. It was found that most of the respondents were physically inactive and their healthy lifestyle can be related to the planning aspects of facilities in the study area.

Highway Freight Flow Assignment in Massachusetts Using Geographic Information Systems

1998 ◽  
Vol 1625 (1) ◽  
pp. 156-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Venkatesh Krishnan ◽  
Kathleen L. Hancock
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Economic Indicator ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Flow Data ◽  
Indicator Variable ◽  
Commodity Flow ◽  
Goods Movement ◽  
Flow Assignment ◽  
Freight Flow ◽  
Quantitative Procedure

Goods movement is an important aspect of the transportation system. Freight flow, complemented with the much-researched passenger movement, provides a way for understanding the complete vehicle flow scenario on the highways. Commodity movement prediction has not received much attention because of the lack of sufficient and easily accessible data sources. Most data sources give aggregated commodity movements and, because of the heterogeneity of freight, accurate predictions of truck flows have not been possible. A methodology for calculating the truck flows on the various highways in Massachusetts from interstate commodity flow data is presented. Freight tons originating and ending in Massachusetts have been converted to truck numbers by using a quantitative procedure and distributed to different areas in the state by using employment as an economic indicator variable. The truck flow is assigned to the important highways and validated against existing survey counts. On comparison, a large percentage of the roads show the estimated truck counts are within a tolerable error margin. The research also shows that statewide analyses need to be refined near urban areas because of a variety of complexities involved.

scholarly journals Projecting population distribution under depopulation conditions in Japan: scenario analysis for future socio-ecological systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 295-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keiko Hori ◽  
Osamu Saito ◽  
Shizuka Hashimoto ◽  
Takanori Matsui ◽  
Rumana Akter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Population Distribution ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Simulated Population ◽  
Projection Model ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Scenario Analyses ◽  
Population Loss ◽  
Density Population ◽  
Future Population

AbstractThis study develops a projection model of future population distribution on the basis of Japan’s current depopulation trend and applies this model to scenario analyses that assume population compactification and dispersion. The model enables a description of population migration at two levels. First, municipal populations are projected using the cohort-component method, and second, the spatial distribution of populations within municipalities is projected at a 500 m grid resolution with the use of the gravity model. Based on the Japanese depopulation context and the country’s National Spatial Strategy, the compact scenario predicts the formation of medium-scale regional urban areas (population centers located across Japan) and the concentration of people on high-density population areas within municipalities. Meanwhile, the dispersed scenario predicts the formation of more but smaller regional urban areas and the dispersion of the population to low-density areas. The simulated population distribution for 2050 reveals spatial change in population density and age structure, as well as an abundance of areas that were inhabited in 2015 but will be zero population areas by 2050. Overlay analysis of future land use maps and the simulated population distribution maps can contribute toward identifying areas where natural capital such as farmland and forest plantation should be managed but where there will be significant population loss by 2050.

scholarly journals Singing in a silent spring: Birds respond to a half-century soundscape reversion during the COVID-19 shutdown

Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 370 (6516) ◽  
pp. 575-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth P. Derryberry ◽  
Jennifer N. Phillips ◽  
Graham E. Derryberry ◽  
Michael J. Blum ◽  
David Luther
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Behavioral Traits ◽  
Bay Area ◽  
Survival And Reproduction ◽  
Acoustic Space ◽  
Favorable Conditions

Actions taken to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have conspicuously reduced motor vehicle traffic, potentially alleviating auditory pressures on animals that rely on sound for survival and reproduction. Here, by comparing soundscapes and songs across the San Francisco Bay Area before and during the recent statewide shutdown, we evaluated whether a common songbird responsively exploited newly emptied acoustic space. We show that noise levels in urban areas were substantially lower during the shutdown, characteristic of traffic in the mid-1950s. We also show that birds responded by producing higher performance songs at lower amplitudes, effectively maximizing communication distance and salience. These findings illustrate that behavioral traits can change rapidly in response to newly favorable conditions, indicating an inherent resilience to long-standing anthropogenic pressures such as noise pollution.

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