scholarly journals Urban Forest Sustainability in Residential Areas in the City of Santo Domingo

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 884
Author(s):  
Solhanlle Bonilla-Duarte ◽  
Víctor Gómez-Valenzuela ◽  
Alma-Liz Vargas-de la Mora ◽  
Agustín García-García
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Forest Planning ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Santo Domingo ◽  
Sustainability Index ◽  
The City

Cities are territories vulnerable to climate change. An alternative to increase resilience and mitigate the effects of the climate context is urban forest planning to increase ecosystem services. This research constructed a forest cover sustainability index, based on 147 semi-structured interviews with residents of four residential areas of the city of Santo Domingo (Gazcue, Zona Colonial, Ciudad Nueva, and San Carlos), in which information was collected based on both benefit perception and tree management in their home and nearby public areas. The socioeconomic characteristics of the population and the information gathered from the measurements of the urban forest in both public and private areas of the city during the 2016–2019 period were considered, including these four residential areas, which established the ecosystem services provided by the urban forest. The results showed that Gazcue had a higher value in the forest cover sustainability index. The factors that influenced this result were: job stability, medium-high income, and property ownership. Likewise, the added value of the territory, whether in terms of tourism or the socioeconomic value of the population that inhabits it, is closely related to a greater attention to urban planning, prioritizing the conservation and landscape harmony that the arboreal component can provide. In conclusion, urban forest planning in cities should consider tree species, the design and structure of spatial arrangements, and a competent legal framework that can meet the challenges of territorial sustainability and contribute to the resilience and mitigation of climate change impacts.

scholarly journals Structure, Diversity, and Carbon Stocks of the Tree Community of Kumasi, Ghana

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bertrand Nero ◽  
Daniel Callo-Concha ◽  
Manfred Denich
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Urban Forestry ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
Structure Diversity

Urban forestry has the potential to address many urban environmental and sustainability challenges. Yet in Africa, urban forest characterization and its potential to contribute to human wellbeing are often neglected or restrained. This paper describes the structure, diversity, and composition of an urban forest and its potential to store carbon as a means of climate change mitigation and adaptation in Kumasi. The vegetation inventory included a survey of 470,100-m2 plots based on a stratified random sampling technique and six streets ranging from 50 m to 1 km. A total of 3757 trees, comprising 176 species and 46 families, were enumerated. Tree abundance and species richness were left skewed and unimodally distributed based on diameter at breast height (DBH). Trees in the diameter classes >60 cm together had the lowest species richness (17%) and abundance (9%), yet contributed more than 50% of the total carbon stored in trees within the city. Overall, about 1.2 million tonnes of carbon is captured in aboveground components of trees in Kumasi, with a mean of 228 t C ha−1. Tree density, DBH, height, basal area, aboveground carbon storage, and species richness were significantly different among green spaces (p < 0.05). The diversity was also significantly different among urban zones (p < 0.0005). The DBH distribution of trees followed a modified reverse J-shaped model. The urban forest structure and composition is quite unique. The practice of urban forestry has the potential to conserve biological diversity and combat climate change. The introduction of policies and actions to support the expansion of urban forest cover and diversity is widely encouraged.

scholarly journals Circular Statistics Applied to the Study of the Solar Radiation Potential of Rooftops in a Medium-Sized City

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2813 ◽  
Author(s):  
María-Eugenia Polo ◽  
Mar Pozo ◽  
Elia Quirós
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Urban Morphology ◽  
Circular Data ◽  
Circular Statistics ◽  
Sustainable Cities ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
City Center ◽  
Alternative Energy Sources ◽  
The City

Solar energy constitutes one of the most effective alternative energy sources for combating climate change. However, the solar potential in a city can vary depending on the urban morphology. The purpose of this paper is to perform a directional statistical analysis of the distribution of the monthly solar potential of rooftops in the city of Cáceres, Spain, in relation to the orientations and slopes of the rooftops. Two residential areas, one in the city center and one on the outskirts of the city, and an industrial zone, all of which exhibit different urban morphologies, have been evaluated. Statistics have been assessed in consideration of the orientation and slope values of the rooftops as circular data, and the radiation values as linear data. The three dissimilar urban morphologies result in different solar potential values, and the monthly disaggregation of the data enables the ability to detect the differences existing in the solar potential between each zone, during each month. The proposed analysis could also be extrapolated to urban planning for the design of more sustainable cities to face the challenges associated with climate change.

scholarly journals Tree Species Diversity and Socioeconomic Perspectives of the Urban (Food) Forest of Accra, Ghana

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bertrand Nero ◽  
Nana Kwapong ◽  
Raymond Jatta ◽  
Oluwole Fatunbi
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Urban Forestry ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
The City

Urban and peri-urban forestry has emerged as a complementary measure to contribute towards eliminating urban hunger and improved nutritional security. However, there is scanty knowledge about the composition, diversity, and socioeconomic contributions of urban food trees in African cities. This paper examines the diversity and composition of the urban forest and food trees of Accra and sheds light on perceptions of urbanites regarding food tree cultivation and availability in the city. Using a mixed methods approach, 105 respondents in six neighborhoods of Accra were interviewed while over 200 plots (100-m2 each) were surveyed across five land use types. Twenty-two out of the 70 woody species in Accra have edible parts (leaves, fruits, flowers, etc.). The food-tree abundance in the city is about half of the total number of trees enumerated. The species richness and abundance of the food trees and all trees in the city were significantly different among land use types (p < 0.0001) and neighborhood types (p < 0.0001). The diversity of food-bearing tree species was much higher in the poorer neighborhoods than in the wealthier neighborhoods. Respondents in wealthier neighborhoods indicated that tree and food-tree cover of the city was generally low and showed greater interest in cultivating food (fruit) trees and expanding urban forest cover than poorer neighborhoods. These findings demonstrate the need for urban food policy reforms that integrate urban-grown tree foods in the urban food system/culture.

Proposing a typology of nature-based solutions for strengthening resilience of Central Vietnamese cities – First findings from the GreenCityLabHue project

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Scheuer ◽  
Jessica Jache ◽  
Kora Rösler ◽  
Tran Tuan Anh ◽  
Nguyen Ngoc Tung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Urban Ecosystem Services ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Central Vietnam ◽  
The City

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Idea and Objectives:&lt;/em&gt; This case study presents first findings of the GreenCityLabHue project. The project aims at implementing an urban learning lab in the city of Hue, Vietnam, for the participatory identification and implementation of innovative nature-based solutions for the protection and improvement of urban ecosystem services and climate change adaptation. We will present urgent environmental and societal challenges for the city of Hue, including the estimated impacts of climate change and resulting disaster risks. Subsequently, we will discuss elements of the green-blue infrastructure to tackle these risks in a sustainable and environmentally just manner in the context of a proposed typology of nature-based solutions. This typology specifically shifts the focus from a European perspective towards nature-based solutions that are locally relevant to strengthen the resilience of Hue and comparable cities in Central Vietnam and/or South-East Asia.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Background:&lt;/em&gt; Vietnam is a country that faces multiple challenges. It is a country that experiences rapid urban growth, with an estimated 50% of citizens living in urban areas by 2030 up from 35%, resulting in urban expansion that necessitates safeguarding urban ecosystem services, e.g., for the protection of human health and human well-being. Vietnam is also heavily affected by climate change. Particularly in Central Vietnam, cities face increasing risks of flooding, storms, and temperature extremes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;By providing multifunctional ecosystem services and diverse benefits, nature-based solutions&amp;#8212;and in particular green-blue infrastructure elements&amp;#8212;may help to address the aforementioned environmental and societal challenges in a sustainable and integrative manner, e.g., for maintaining air quality, stormwater mitigation, climate regulation, and improving environmental equity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hue is the capital of the Thua Thien-Hue province, located in Central Vietnam on the banks of the Perfume River. It has a population of approximately half a million people, represents a touristic and educational hotspot, and is rated a &amp;#8220;top priority city&amp;#8221; by the Vietnamese government. In Hue, first steps that consider strengthening the green-blue infrastructure were devised in form of the Hue GrEEEn City Action Plan. However, a more holistic urban planning approach that also addresses challenges related to climate change is still lacking.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Veränderung von Wald und Waldleistungen in der Landschaft Davos im Zuge des Klimawandels

2012 ◽  
Vol 163 (12) ◽  
pp. 493-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Bebi ◽  
Michaela Teich ◽  
Frank Hagedorn ◽  
Natalie Zurbriggen ◽  
Sibyl Hanna Brunner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Spatially Explicit Models ◽  
Snow Conditions ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
And Storage

Changes in forest cover and ecosystem services in Davos under climate change The effects of climate change on forests of Davos were examined with field experiments near treeline, analyses of avalanche-forest interactions and with spatially explicit models for the valuation of ecosystem services. Experimental trees at the Stillberg research site showed species-specific responses to elevated CO2 and soil warming. Growth and mortality of the trees planted in the year 1975 were strongly driven by the duration of snow cover and microtopography. Together with other field studies in the region this suggests that during the next decades the treeline will rise only slowly and mainly on favorable microsites. Avalanche protection will also in future be the most important forest service in Davos, although critical weather and snow conditions for forest avalanches show a decreasing trend over the last 40 years. The density of forest structures is likely to further increase with potential positive effects on avalanche protection. Decreases of the protective effect against avalanches may however occur by an increase of natural disturbances such as fires or bark beetle outbreaks. Quantification and overlay of five selected ecosystem services (avalanche protection, recreation, CO2 sequestration and storage, habitats of capercaillie, timber production) suggest in general an increase in the value of most considered ecosystem services.

scholarly journals Visiting the Forest with Kindergarten Children: Forest Suitability

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 696 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mojca Nastran
Keyword(s):  
School Children ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Kindergarten Children ◽  
Forest Planning ◽  
Forest Environment ◽  
The City

By providing ecosystem services, urban forests contribute significantly to the well-being of urban populations. Urban forests, along with other urban green spaces, are often the closest natural environment in the city where a child can play. The majority of pre-school children spend a large part of the day in kindergarten, which means that forest visits should have a prominent place in the kindergarten curriculum. Therefore, this study focuses on making the forest more suitable and thus more accessible for visits with children. The first goal of the research is to identify teachers’ preferences for the forest environment they visit with a group of pre-school children. The second goal is to present a forest suitability model for a visit with kindergarten children based on the teachers’ preferences. Based on the research survey conducted among the teachers in Slovenian public kindergartens, we formed and evaluated the criteria for the construction of a model of forest suitability for a visit with children. As the most important requirement for visiting a forest, the teachers note its proximity. They prefer a mature, mixed forest, with a bit of undergrowth, dead wood, and a presence of water and a meadow. Based on the identified criteria, we used the multi-criteria evaluation method in the GIS-environment in order to build a model of urban forest suitability for a visit with kindergarten groups of children in the study area of the City of Ljubljana, Slovenia. The results are useful in urban forest planning and management to ensure better forest suitability and accessibility for visits by children. Suitability maps can be used as one of the spatial foundations necessary for an integrated urban forest planning with emphasis on social functions. The model can be adapted beyond Slovenia to different spatial and social requirements and contexts.

scholarly journals Entender a natureza para projetar: a Paleta Vegetal do Projeto Paisagístico do Parque Capibaribe

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 281
Author(s):  
Joelmir Marques da Silva ◽  
Ana Raquel Santos de Meneses ◽  
Maiara Costa Mota
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Lowland Forest ◽  
Environmental Recovery ◽  
The Face ◽  
Environmental Network ◽  
The City ◽  
Selection Of

Ante as demandas globais emergentes relacionadas à conservação da natureza e às mudanças climáticas, a cidade do Recife, capital do Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil, vem buscando estratégias para enfrentar tais problemáticas. Entre os projetos em desenvolvimento destaca-se o do Parque Capibaribe que visa promover uma nova forma de experienciar a cidade atrelada à recuperação ambiental e viabilizada pela criação e valorização dos espaços públicos, notadamente aqueles que englobam porções de natureza, e por sua conexão aos fragmentos florestais urbanos, públicos ou privados, formando uma grande rede ambiental. Contudo, um dos grandes desafios estava na seleção de espécies vegetais da Floresta Ombrófila Densa das Terras Baixas, característica do sítio, para compor a Paleta Vegetal do Projeto Parque Capibaribe, por existir uma lacuna referente ao seu emprego no paisagismo. Desta forma, objetiva-se com este artigo, apresentar e discutir o processo da seleção das espécies que compõem esta Paleta Vegetal. Por meio de pesquisa bibliográfica, sobre levantamentos florísticos e fitossociológicos de fragmentos florestais próximos ao Rio Capibaribe, chegou-se a um total de 523 espécies, que posteriormente foram submetidas a critérios relacionados ao uso dos espaços e manutenção, resultando em 194 espécies de diferentes estratos.  Understanding nature in order to design: the Vegetation Palette of the Capibaribe Park Landscape ProjectA B S T R A C TIn the face of emerging global demands concerning nature conservation and climate change, Recife, capital of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil, has been seeking strategies to address these issues. Among the projects under development, the Capibaribe Park Project, which aims to promote a new way of experiencing the city in conjunction with environmental recovery, stands out for its creation and enhancement of public spaces, notably those that include pockets of nature, and their connection to fragments of public or private urban forest, forming a large environmental network. However, one of the major challenges has been the selection of plant species from the Dense Ombrophilous Lowland Forest, characteristic of the locality, to compose the Capibaribe Park Vegetation Palette, since there is a knowledge gap regarding their use in landscaping. The aim of this article is thus to describe the methodological process of selecting the species that make up this vegetation palette, which, through bibliographic research on floristic and phytosociological surveys of forest fragments near the Capibaribe River, reached a total of 523 species. From these, 194 species from different strata were subsequently selected according to space use and maintenance criteria.Keywords: Environmental Recovery, Urban Parks, Urban Sustainability, Landscape, Vegetation.

scholarly journals Residential-type urban forest design in Buana Cicalengka Raya Estate, Cicalengka District, Bandung Regency

2021 ◽  
Vol 918 (1) ◽  
pp. 012006
Author(s):  
Y Hidayat ◽  
R Sudirja ◽  
M F Fadhilah ◽  
I M Dhafien
Keyword(s):  
Urban Forest ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Residential Area ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Line Pattern ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Pattern Design ◽  
Planting Pattern ◽  
Mixed Pattern ◽  
Opposite Line

Abstract The existence of urban forests in the middle of residential areas will provide added value for beauty, comfort, and environmental health that could increase the value of land and buildings in the residential area. Residential-type urban forests need to be well designed so that they are compatible with the type of building and match the residential environment’s conditions. The purpose of this design is to create an appealing, multi-benefit urban forest design, which includes aspects of the urban forest theme concept, zoning arrangement, and vegetation arrangement, including species composition, density, and planting pattern. The outcome of the design resulted in a residential type, urban forest design by the theme of RINDU BCR Urban Forest (Relaxation, Inspiration, and Education for Buana Cicalengka Raya). The RINDU BCR Urban Forest functions as (1) a place of relaxation, (2) seeking positive inspiration, and (3) environmental education for the community. The planting pattern design consists of four types, namely: (1) opposite line pattern; (2) zigzag line pattern; (3) single line pattern, and (4) mixed pattern. The front-facing area of the RINDU BCR Urban Forest is designed by planting tree species that have the criteria of being ornamental, providing shade and safety, having a height of more than 300 cm, and a diameter of more than 10 cm.

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