scholarly journals The Legacy of Hurricanes, Historic Land Cover, and Municipal Ordinances on Urban Tree Canopy in Florida (United States)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Koeser
Keyword(s):  
Urban Forest ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
P Value ◽  
Lower Intensity ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Canopy Coverage ◽  
Intensity Category ◽  
Urban Tree Canopy

Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) greatly enhances the livability of cities by reducing urban heat buildup, mitigating stormwater runoff, and filtering airborne particulates, among other ecological services. These benefits, combined with the relative ease of measuring tree cover from aerial imagery, have led many cities to adopt management strategies based on UTC goals. In this study, we conducted canopy analyses for the 300 largest cities in Florida to assess the impacts of development practices, urban forest ordinances, and hurricanes on tree cover. Within the cities sampled, UTC canopy ranged from 5.9% to 68.7% with a median canopy coverage of 32.3% Our results indicate that the peak gust speeds recorded during past hurricanes events were a significant predictor of canopy coverage (P-value = <0.001) across the sampled cities. As peak gust speeds increased from 152 km/h (i.e., a lower-intensity Category 1 storm) to 225 km/h (lower-intensity Category 4 and the maximum gusts captured in our data), predicted canopy in developed urban areas decreased by 7.7%. Beyond the impacts of hurricanes and tropical storms, we found that historic landcover and two out of eight urban forest ordinances were significant predictors of existing canopy coverage (P-landcover <0.001; P-tree preservation ordinance = 0.02, P-heritage tree ordinance = 0.03). Results indicate that local policies and tree protections can protect or enhance urban tree canopy, even in the face of rapid development and periodic natural disturbances.

scholarly journals ASSESSING URBAN FOREST CANOPY COVER IN GREAT PLAIN CONSERVATION AREA (DÜZCE CITY, TURKEY) BETWEEN 1984 AND 2015

2021 ◽  
Vol XLVI-4/W5-2021 ◽  
pp. 539-544
Author(s):  
Z. Uçar ◽  
R. Eker ◽  
A. Aydin
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Tree Canopy Cover ◽  
Urban Tree Canopy

Abstract. Urban trees and forests are essential components of the urban environment. They can provide numerous ecosystem services and goods, including but not limited to recreational opportunities and aesthetic values, removal of air pollutants, improving air and water quality, providing shade and cooling effect, reducing energy use, and storage of atmospheric CO2. However, urban trees and forests have been in danger of being lost by dense housing resulting from population growth in the cities since the 1950s, leading to increased local temperature, pollution level, and flooding risk. Thus, determining the status of urban trees and forests is necessary for comprehensive understanding and quantifying the ecosystem services and goods. Tree canopy cover is a relatively quick, easy to obtain, and cost-effective urban forestry metric broadly used to estimate ecosystem services and goods of the urban forest. This study aimed to determine urban forest canopy cover areas and monitor the changes between 1984–2015 for the Great Plain Conservation area (GPCA) that has been declared as a conservation Area (GPCA) in 2017, located on the border of Düzce City (Western Black Sea Region of Turkey). Although GPCA is a conservation area for agricultural purposes, it consists of the city center with 250,000 population and most settlement areas. A random point sampling approach, the most common sampling approach, was applied to estimate urban tree canopy cover and their changes over time from historical aerial imageries. Tree canopy cover ranged from 16.0% to 27.4% within the study period. The changes in urban canopy cover between 1984–1999 and 1999–2015 were statistically significant, while there was no statistical difference compared to the changes in tree canopy cover between 1984–2015. The result of the study suggested that an accurate estimate of urban tree canopy cover and monitoring long-term canopy cover changes are essential to determine the current situation and the trends for the future. It will help city planners and policymakers in decision-making processes for the future of urban areas.

Development practices and ordinances predict inter-city variation in Florida urban tree canopy coverage

2019 ◽  
Vol 190 ◽  
pp. 103603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah R. Hilbert ◽  
Andrew K. Koeser ◽  
Lara A. Roman ◽  
Keir Hamilton ◽  
Shawn M. Landry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Canopy Coverage ◽  
Urban Tree Canopy

scholarly journals Application and Evaluation of a Deep Learning Architecture to Urban Tree Canopy Mapping

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1749
Author(s):  
Zhe Wang ◽  
Chao Fan ◽  
Min Xian
Keyword(s):  
Deep Learning ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Urban Tree Canopy ◽  
Overall Performance

Urban forest is a dynamic urban ecosystem that provides critical benefits to urban residents and the environment. Accurate mapping of urban forest plays an important role in greenspace management. In this study, we apply a deep learning model, the U-net, to urban tree canopy mapping using high-resolution aerial photographs. We evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the U-net in tree canopy mapping through experiments at four spatial scales—16 cm, 32 cm, 50 cm, and 100 cm. The overall performance of all approaches is validated on the ISPRS Vaihingen 2D Semantic Labeling dataset using four quantitative metrics, Dice, Intersection over Union, Overall Accuracy, and Kappa Coefficient. Two evaluations are performed to assess the model performance. Experimental results show that the U-net with the 32-cm input images perform the best with an overall accuracy of 0.9914 and an Intersection over Union of 0.9638. The U-net achieves the state-of-the-art overall performance in comparison with object-based image analysis approach and other deep learning frameworks. The outstanding performance of the U-net indicates a possibility of applying it to urban tree segmentation at a wide range of spatial scales. The U-net accurately recognizes and delineates tree canopy for different land cover features and has great potential to be adopted as an effective tool for high-resolution land cover mapping.

scholarly journals REMOTE SENSING FOR URBAN TREE CANOPY CHANGE DETECTION WITH LANDSAT SATELLITE DATA IN NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY AWKA – NIGERIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-112
Author(s):  
John Agbo Ogbodo ◽  
Loretta M. Obimdike ◽  
Yason Benison
Keyword(s):  
Confusion Matrix ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Land Area ◽  
Change Analysis ◽  
University Campuses ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Infrastructural Development ◽  
Urban Tree Canopy ◽  
Landsat Satellite

Urban tree canopy within a university boundary is a measure of the university's tree cover as a percentage of its total land area. The overall objective of the present study is to conduct a sSpatio-temporal change analysis of urban tree canopy in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka-Nigeria. Landsat data of years 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2019 were analysed using Maximum Likelihood Classifier and Confusion Matrix Spatial Analyst in ArcGIS 10.7.1 software. In terms of tree cover loss, there is a steady rate of decrease rate from -31.59 Hectares (ha) between 1991 and 2001; -82.32 ha (2001/2011) and -64.53 ha (2011/2019). Whereas, at an initial land area of 9.40 ha in 1991, physical infrastructural development is progressively increased with 16.92 ha between 1991 and 2001; 43.79 ha 2001/2011 and 12.37 ha between 2011 and 2019. The dominant drivers of tree cover change in the study area related to the expansion of physical infrastructures and sprawling agriculture as a result of encroachers into the study area. In conclusion, tropical forests within university campuses face many threats, such as those posed by unregulated physical infrastructural development and a lack of investment and management of forest relics. As a recommendation, Nigerian universities should invest and conserve their existing forested landscapes towards promoting land resources in line with Sustainable Development Goals number 15 (SDG-15) strategies.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Three Methods for Measuring Local Urban Tree Canopy Cover

2013 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen King ◽  
Dexter Locke
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Tree Canopy Cover ◽  
Urban Tree Canopy

Measurements of urban tree canopy cover are crucial for managing urban forests and required for the quantification of the benefits provided by trees. These types of data are increasingly used to secure funding and justify large-scale planting programs in urban areas. Comparisons of tree canopy measurement methods have been conducted before, but a rapidly evolving set of new technologies and applications may leave urban foresters wondering, “Which method is most appropriate for my circumstances?” This analysis compares two well-established measures of local tree canopy and building cover with a third, relatively untested technique. Field-based visual estimations (using the USDA Forest Service’s i-Tree protocols), summaries of highresolution land cover data using geographic information systems (GIS), and an analysis of skyward-oriented hemispherical photographs at 215 roadside sites across the five diverse counties of New York City, New York, U.S., are the methods evaluated herein. The study authors found no statistically significant differences between the methods when comparing tree canopy; however, the hemispherical camera had a tendency to overestimate building coverage. It is concluded that hemispheric photo techniques are understudied in urban areas, and that the i-Tree and GIS-based approaches are complementary and reinforcing tools indispensable for both the urban forest management and research communities.

Zoning, land use, and urban tree canopy cover: The importance of scale

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah K. Mincey ◽  
Mikaela Schmitt-Harsh ◽  
Richard Thurau
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Tree Canopy Cover ◽  
Urban Tree Canopy

scholarly journals Linking Urban Tree Cover Change and Local History in a Post-Industrial City

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 403
Author(s):  
Lara A. Roman ◽  
Indigo J. Catton ◽  
Eric J. Greenfield ◽  
Hamil Pearsall ◽  
Theodore S. Eisenman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Local History ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
Post Industrial

Municipal leaders are pursuing ambitious goals to increase urban tree canopy (UTC), but there is little understanding of the pace and socioecological drivers of UTC change. We analyzed land cover change in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States) from 1970–2010 to examine the impacts of post-industrial processes on UTC. We interpreted land cover classes using aerial imagery and assessed historical context using archival newspapers, agency reports, and local historical scholarship. There was a citywide UTC increase of +4.3 percentage points. Substantial UTC gains occurred in protected open spaces related to both purposeful planting and unintentional forest emergence due to lack of maintenance, with the latter phenomenon well-documented in other cities located in forested biomes. Compared to developed lands, UTC was more persistent in protected open spaces. Some neighborhoods experienced substantial UTC gains, including quasi-suburban areas and depopulated low-income communities; the latter also experienced decreasing building cover. We identified key processes that drove UTC increases, and which imposed legacies on current UTC patterns: urban renewal, urban greening initiatives, quasi-suburban developments, and (dis)investments in parks. Our study demonstrates the socioecological dynamism of intra-city land cover changes at multi-decadal time scales and the crucial role of local historical context in the interpretation of UTC change.

Cholera in London and Urban Tree Canopy in Baltimore

2015 ◽  
pp. 144-171
Author(s):  
J. Morgan Grove ◽  
Mary L. Cadenasso ◽  
Steward T. A. Pickett ◽  
Gary E. Machlis ◽  
William R. Burch
Keyword(s):  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Urban Tree Canopy

scholarly journals Do Trees in Halifax Grow on Money?: A Comparison of Urban Tree Canopy Cover and Median Household Income in North End and South End Halifax

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kendra Marshman
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Median Household Income ◽  
Tree Canopy Cover ◽  
Urban Tree Canopy ◽  
Statistics Canada ◽  
North End

Trees in the city provide numerous ecological, health, and social benefits to urban residents. Studies from large North American cities have confirmed a spatial pattern that higher urban forest tree canopy positively correlates with higher levels of affluence. The just distribution of trees will become increasingly important for urban planners and foresters as there is a national trend towards living in cities. This research report investigates the equity of distribution of urban tree canopy cover in two neighbourhoods on the peninsula of Halifax, Nova Scotia. High spatial resolution land cover data from 2007 and 2006 Statistics Canada census data was used to create maps and tables to answer the research question. The socio-economic indicators of median household income and population density are represented based on census tract dissemination areas from the 2006 Statistics Canada long survey. Preliminary results indicate lower median household income and higher population density in the chosen study area of North End Halifax compared to higher median household income and lower population density in the chosen study area of South End Halifax. Tree canopy cover density is slightly lower in North End Halifax (5.3%) than in South End Halifax (7.6%). These preliminary results coincide with findings of other researchers that higher household income and lower population density at the neighbourhood level may result in increased urban forest canopy. However, further research and more reliant tree canopy cover data is needed to determine the accuracy of these findings. 

scholarly journals Miami-Dade County Urban Tree Canopy Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hartwig Hochmair ◽  
◽  
Adam Benjamin ◽  
Daniel Gann ◽  
Levente Juhasz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Urban Development ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Dade County ◽  
Impervious Surfaces ◽  
Vector Data ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Urban Tree ◽  
Wetland Water ◽  
Urban Tree Canopy

This assessment focuses on describing urban tree canopy (UTC) within the Urban Development Boundary of Miami-Dade County, as defined by the Miami-Dade County Transportation Planning Organization (Figure 1). The area (intracoastal water areas excluded) encompasses approximately 1147 km2 (443 mi2). A combination of remote sensing and publicly available vector data was used to classify the following land cover classes: tree canopy/shrubs, grass, bare ground, wetland, water, building, street/railroad, other impervious surfaces, and cropland.

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