Spectral analysis of flowers used by nectar-feeding birds in an urban area in Southeastern Brazil

The objective of this study was to determine the spectral characteristic of nectar-producing flowers visited by nectarivorous birds in urban areas. This study was carried out in the central area of the city of Taubaté, in the northeast of the State of São Paulo. The sample areas included green areas, such as squares and parks, and the vegetation of streets and avenues. Twelve plant species were recorded with flowers visited by five nectar-feeding birds. The most visited flower species were those that reflected in long wavelengths (>600 nm). The study discussed the birds' detection capability due to the tetrachromatic vision of nectar-feeding birds and the conspicuity of flowers in urban environments. Finally, the study assessed the scarcity of plants attractive to nectar-feeding birds and the need for a management strategy to favour these species and biodiversity in urban areas.

Download Full-text

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

Journal of Urban Ecology ◽

10.1093/jue/juab023 ◽

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.

Download Full-text

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

Journal of Hymenoptera Research ◽

10.3897/jhr.85.65725 ◽

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.

Download Full-text

Tolerance to Human Presence, a Comparison between Rural and Urban Birds in Southeastern Brazil

10.54026/esecr/1023 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 1-4

Author(s):

Maria Cecília Barbosa de Toledo

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Bird Species ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Special Focus ◽

Forest Fragments ◽

Urban Birds ◽

Human Presence ◽

Individual Bird

Green urban areas such as parks, squares, gardens, and forest fragments present a large diversity of uses and conservation objectives. These spaces provide resources for many species of birds that are confronted with the necessity of living in proximity to humans. It is assumed that bird species that acquire resources in urban environments live in a constant state of fear to guarantee survival and reproduction. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the tolerance of birds with respect to human presence in two distinct conditions, rural areas (low level of human presence) and urban areas (high level of human presence). The fieldwork was conducted in a city in the Southeast region of Brazil, and the methodology used the alert distance and flight initiation measurements based on the approach of an observer to the individual bird being focused. Our results suggest that individuals observed in urban areas rely on shorter alert and escape distances, especially males, adults, and birds that forage in interspecific flocks. We discuss the challenges and strategies with respect to escape characteristics of urban birds, with special focus on the economic escape theory. In general, our results support those from studies conducted in other urban areas in different biogeographic regions, and they will aid in comprehending the impacts caused by the increase in urban areas around the world.

Download Full-text

Spectral Analysis of Traffic Functions in Urban Areas

PROMET - Traffic&Transportation ◽

10.7307/ptt.v27i6.1686 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 27 (6) ◽

pp. 477-484 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Florin Nemtanu ◽

Ilona Madalina Costea ◽

Catalin Dumitrescu

Keyword(s):

Spectral Analysis ◽

Fourier Transform ◽

Fourier Analysis ◽

Traffic Flow ◽

Traffic Control ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Urban Traffic ◽

The Fourier Transform ◽

The City ◽

Different Time Scales

The paper is focused on the Fourier transform application in urban traffic analysis and the use of said transform in traffic decomposition. The traffic function is defined as traffic flow generated by different categories of traffic participants. A Fourier analysis was elaborated in terms of identifying the main traffic function components, called traffic sub-functions. This paper presents the results of the method being applied in a real case situation, that is, an intersection in the city of Bucharest where the effect of a bus line was analysed. The analysis was done using different time scales, while three different traffic functions were defined to demonstrate the theoretical effect of the proposed method of analysis. An extension of the method is proposed to be applied in urban areas, especially in the areas covered by predictive traffic control.

Download Full-text

Understanding the Role of Urban Morphology and Green Areas Configuration During Heat Waves

Megacities and Rapid Urbanization ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-9276-1.ch025 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 502-517

Author(s):

Marialuce Stanganelli ◽

Carlo Gerundo

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Heat Waves ◽

Statistical Correlation ◽

Urban Morphology ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Open Spaces ◽

Green Areas ◽

Planning Strategies

This paper focuses on urban planning strategies to adapt cities to the increasing rising of temperatures during summer heat waves. The main target is to investigate which configuration and distribution pattern of green spaces could effectively improve natural cooling of urban environments. Although the benefit that green areas give to natural cooling is well known, this kind of studies has hardly been carried out, especially at an urban scale where it is crucial to define quantities and density of green areas to address open spaces design. To reach this goal, a methodology based on the interpretation of the statistical correlation among temperature, urban parameters and green areas configurational indicators was implemented and applied to the case study of the Municipality of Naples, performing all the analysis in a GIS. Results provide guidelines to improve natural cooling in urban areas adopting the most effective configuration and distribution of green areas within a densely-built context.

Download Full-text

Analysis of the feeding habits of the swallow-tailed hummingbird, Eupetomena macroura (Gmelin, 1788), in an urban park in southeastern Brazil

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/s1519-69842008000200027 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 68 (2) ◽

pp. 419-426 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

MCB. Toledo ◽

DM. Moreira

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Feeding Habits ◽

Mangifera Indica ◽

Food Resources ◽

Plant Part ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Urban Park ◽

Territorial Defense ◽

The City

The aim of this work was to observe and describe the feeding habits and available food resources of the swallow-tailed hummingbird, Eupetomena macroura. The study was carried out in a municipal park located in the city of Taubaté, in the state of São Paulo. The observations took place between December 2003 and October 2004, recording the following variables: 1) the plant species visited for feeding and territorial defense; 2) the kinds of food resources; and 3) the kinds of flight to procure and obtain food. E. macroura visited 12 plant species. For territorial defense, Mangifera indica was the most visited, whereas Malvaviscus arboreus was most visited for feeding. The foliage was the plant part that received the most frequent visits. In order to obtain nectar, the only species visited was M. arboreus; to obtain arthropods, the species most visited were Mangifera indica and Hymenaea stilbocarpa. In the dry season, the hummingbirds visited flowers, whereas in the rainy season they visited leaves to acquire food. The arthropod groups most frequently found on leafy branches were Homoptera and Psocoptera. Finally, the results of the type of flight analysis showed that flight used to capture food was more often observed than were flights to search for food. In conclusion, these observations suggest that E. macroura shows plasticity in feeding behavior, which can help it to persist in urban areas.

Download Full-text

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

GeoTextos ◽

10.9771/1984-5537geo.v8i1.5495 ◽

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.

Download Full-text

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

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-760 ◽

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

<p>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 & tier-2 cities.&#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.</p>

Download Full-text

Decline in Distribution and Abundance: Urban Hedgehogs under Pressure

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10091606 ◽

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.

Download Full-text

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

International Journal of Ecology ◽

10.1155/2011/704084 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2011 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

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.

Download Full-text