scholarly journals Niche Analysis and Conservation of Bird Species Using Urban Core Areas

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6327
Author(s):  
Vasilios Liordos ◽  
Jukka Jokimäki ◽  
Marja-Liisa Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki ◽  
Evangelos Valsamidis ◽  
Vasileios J. Kontsiotis
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
City Center ◽  
Ecological Requirements ◽  
Urban Core ◽  
Priority Species ◽  
Core Areas ◽  
The City ◽  
Eleven Species

Knowing the ecological requirements of bird species is essential for their successful conservation. We studied the niche characteristics of birds in managed small-sized green spaces in the urban core areas of southern (Kavala, Greece) and northern Europe (Rovaniemi, Finland), during the breeding season, based on a set of 16 environmental variables and using Outlying Mean Index, a multivariate ordination technique. Overall, 26 bird species in Kavala and 15 in Rovaniemi were recorded in more than 5% of the green spaces and were used in detailed analyses. In both areas, bird species occupied different niches of varying marginality and breadth, indicating varying responses to urban environmental conditions. Birds showed high specialization in niche position, with 12 species in Kavala (46.2%) and six species in Rovaniemi (40.0%) having marginal niches. Niche breadth was narrower in Rovaniemi than in Kavala. Species in both communities were more strongly associated either with large green spaces located further away from the city center and having a high vegetation cover (urban adapters; e.g., Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris), Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)) or with green spaces located closer to the city center and having high gray area cover and anthropogenic disturbance level (urban exploiters; e.g., Western Jackdaw (Corvus monedula), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica)). The eleven species that were common to both study areas similarly used the environmental variables and had similar niches, indicating that birds respond similarly to urbanization irrespective of latitude. Sixteen species in Kavala and eleven species in Rovaniemi were identified as conservation priority species, based on their niche specialization level and conservation status. The management actions proposed for the conservation of priority species will also benefit other species with similar ecological requirements and ultimately help maintain diverse bird communities in small-sized green spaces in urban core areas.

scholarly journals The Contribution of Urban Morphology to the Formation of the Microclimate in Compact Urban Cores: A Study in the City Center of Thessaloniki

Urban Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Georgios-Rafail Kouklis ◽  
Athena Yiannakou
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
Urban Form ◽  
Simulation Method ◽  
Urban Morphology ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
City Center ◽  
Outdoor Spaces ◽  
Microclimatic Conditions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the contribution of urban morphology to the formation of microclimatic conditions prevailing within urban outdoor spaces. We studied the compact form of a city and examined, at a detailed, street plan level, elements related to air temperature, urban ventilation, and the individual’s thermal comfort. All elements examined are directly affected by both the urban form and the availability of open and green spaces. The field study took place in a typical compact urban fabric of an old city center, the city center of Thessaloniki, where we investigated the relationship between urban morphology and microclimate. Urban morphology was gauged by examining the detailed street plan, along with the local building patterns. We used a simulation method based on the ENVI-met© software. The findings of the field study highlight the fact that the street layout, the urban canyon, and the open and green spaces in a compact urban form contribute decisively both to the creation of the microclimatic conditions and to the influence of the bioclimatic parameters.

scholarly journals A soundscape analysis for selected parks in Bydgoszcz

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 00097
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Sztubecka
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sound Level ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Subjective Perception ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
City Center ◽  
The City

Areas that are considered human-friendly are green spaces. The existing urban parks are designed to fulfill the role of relaxation, recreation, and entertainment. However, in many cases, these are historic places, which at the time didn't have much of an impact on external factors. Sustainable development issues are related to the quality of life and the usage of the environment and its resources by present and future generations. Noise and noise protection is an issue that is part of sustainable development. The inadequate implementation of the principles of sustainable development and non-inclusion of noise can noticeably lead to negative effects now and in the future. The aim of the paper is to analyze the soundscapes of two Bydgoszcz parks located in the city center. The values of the equivalent sound level for these areas were obtained from the existing Bydgoszcz acoustic plan. Subsequently, the resulting distribution of noise was compared with the results of subjective perception of sounds by visitors. On this basis, conclusions can be drawn regarding the ways of shaping such areas while taking into account the perception of visitors.

scholarly journals Analysis of Green Spaces by Utilizing Big Data to Support Smart Cities and Environment: A Case Study About the City Center of Shanghai

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Liu ◽  
Hidayat Ullah ◽  
Wanggen Wan ◽  
Zhangyou Peng ◽  
Li Hou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smart Cities ◽  
Relative Difference ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽  
City Center ◽  
The Hours ◽  
Spatiotemporal Behavior ◽  
Public Behavior ◽  
The City

Green areas or parks are the best way to encourage people to take part in physical exercise. Traditional techniques of researching the attractiveness of green parks, such as surveys and questionnaires, are naturally time consuming and expensive, with less transferable outcomes and only site-specific findings. This research provides a factfinding study by means of location-based social network (LBSN) data to gather spatial and temporal patterns of green park visits in the city center of Shanghai, China. During the period from July 2014 to June 2017, we examined the spatiotemporal behavior of visitors in 71 green parks in Shanghai. We conducted an empirical investigation through kernel density estimation (KDE) and relative difference methods on the effects of green spaces on public behavior in Shanghai, and our main categories of findings are as follows: (i) check-in distribution of visitors in different green spaces, (ii) users’ transition based on the hours of a day, (iii) famous parks in the study area based upon the number of check-ins, and (iv) gender difference among green park visitors. Furthermore, the purpose of obtaining these outcomes can be utilized in urban planning of a smart city for green environment according to the preferences of visitors.

scholarly journals Species Assemblage of Birds’ Community in Protected Areas of Delhi-NCR

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
deepali chatrath ◽  
Lipakshi Bhatt ◽  
Janmejay Sethy ◽  
Meesala K. Murthy
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Recent Decade ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Psychological Benefits ◽  
Box Plots ◽  
Avian Biodiversity ◽  
Changing Trend ◽  
The City ◽  
Zoological Park

Abstract Green spaces in cities especially in the capital city of India provide necessary recreational, social and psychological benefits to stressing residents of the city. Cities and towns depict the extreme human-modified environments with only remnants of the original habitats present. Study undertaken to know the abundance, diversity and species richness of avian fauna in urban protected landscapes of Delhi, NCR. In the following paper, the methods include data is extracted from e-Bird of past 40 years to illustrate the changing trend of bird species from 1980-2019 from 7 greenspaces of Delhi-NCR which are Aravalli Biodiversity Park, Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, Deer Park, Dheerpur Wetland, National Zoological Park, Northern Ridge, Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Sanjay Van, Yamuna Biodiversity Park and analysed as box plots using PAST. The result showed a varied trend from 1980-2019, which included the usage of e-Bird by the period. The result indicated that the recent decade is well updated with data on e-Bird, hence several birds’ individual is maximumly observed from 2011-2019. The study has shown the wavy trend from 1980-2019 in species composition in the capital city of India. This also suggest that people have started recording observation on a single platform and shown interest in last decade. This study will lead to taking the necessary step to maintain the avian biodiversity in the green spaces of the capital city- Delhi-NCR.

Spatial and temporal distributions of NO2 and aerosols over the urban environment of Vienna during the VINDOBONA project (2017-2019)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Schreier ◽  
Andreas Richter ◽  
Tim Bösch ◽  
Kezia Lange ◽  
Michael Revesz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Estimation ◽  
Trace Gas ◽  
Optical Absorption Spectroscopy ◽  
Retrieval Algorithm ◽  
City Center ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Urban Core ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Distributions ◽  
The City ◽  
Selection Of

<p>Within the scope of the VINDOBONA (VIenna horizontal aNd vertical Distribution OBservations Of Nitrogen dioxide and Aerosols) project, spectral UV/vis measurements at selected viewing directions are performed with three MAX-DOAS (Multi AXis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) instruments, which are located in the northeast, northwest, and south of the city center of Vienna, Austria. The selection of viewing directions of the three instruments was chosen in a way to provide data for the retrieval of horizontal and vertical trace gas and aerosol distributions, in particular over the urban core.</p><p>In the present work, the profile retrieval algorithm BOREAS (Bremen Optimal estimation REtrieval for Aerosols and trace gaseS) is used to retrieve aerosol and NO2 vertical profiles as well as accompanying parameters aerosol optical depth, tropospheric NO2 vertical columns (TVC NO2), and near-surface NO2 on days with cloudless conditions. The retrieval results are compared with co-located ceilometer, sun photometer, surface air quality, and TVC NO2 measurements, with the latter being obtained by applying the geometrical approximation and converting zenith-sky NO2 measurements.</p>

scholarly journals Indicators for the Planning and Management of Urban Green Spaces: A Focus on Public Areas in Padua, Italy

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 7071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Campagnaro ◽  
Tommaso Sitzia ◽  
Vito Emanuele Cambria ◽  
Paolo Semenzato
Keyword(s):  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
City Center ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Public Areas ◽  
Trends Over Time ◽  
The City

Green spaces and trees are fundamental for the sustainability of cities. The use of management and planning indicators for green spaces, including urban forests, have been proposed, but are rarely applied and their potential to provide ecological, social, and economic benefits is usually overlooked by policy makers and managers. Here, we apply a set of indicators describing green spaces and their variability in different urban units within the Basso Isonzo, an area of the city of Padua (northern Italy). Eleven indicators were selected based on their capacity to consider availability, accessibility and the preservation or increase of urban green spaces and tree cover. The value of indicators was standardized and enabled to have five classes indicating increasing performance. The study indicates green spaces’ heterogeneous conditions. Interestingly, the indicators commonly change moving from the city center to the outskirts. Monitoring through these indicators will enable understanding whether specific management and planning targets are met and, in the absence of these targets, identifying main trends over time. The proposed approach and indicators applied are simple to collect, analyze, and convey information. The indicators are related to relevant social, economic and ecological conditions pertaining to green spaces. The proposed indicators can therefore be used as a simple tool to guide decision-making with the aim of enhancing green spaces.

scholarly journals A Proposed Target State for a Floodplain Forest Ecosystem Within an Ecological Network, with Reference to the Ecological Requirements of an Umbrella Bird Species: The Common Kingfisher

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivo Machar
Keyword(s):  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Cultural Landscape ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Floodplain Forest ◽  
Ecological Network ◽  
Umbrella Species ◽  
Target State ◽  
Ecological Requirements ◽  
Core Areas ◽  
The Common

A Proposed Target State for a Floodplain Forest Ecosystem Within an Ecological Network, with Reference to the Ecological Requirements of an Umbrella Bird Species: The Common KingfisherThe present day cultural landscape of Europe is comprised of an ecological network of corridors and core areas (biocentres). This article proposes the use of umbrella species to define the target state of an ecosystem in a floodplain biocentre of the European Ecological Network. The umbrella species used were chosen to represent typical bird species of forested floodplains. Case studies were developed in the Litovelské Pomoraví Protected Landscape Area, a Bird Area in the Czech Republic.

Patch, matrix and disturbance variables negatively influence bird community structure in small-sized managed green spaces located in urban core areas

2021 ◽  
pp. 149617
Author(s):  
Vasilios Liordos ◽  
Jukka Jokimäki ◽  
Marja-Liisa Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki ◽  
Evangelos Valsamidis ◽  
Vasileios J. Kontsiotis
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Core ◽  
Core Areas

scholarly journals Microclimatology and ecophysiology of the urban vegetation of a city with tropical climate modified by altitude in Mexico

2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor L. Barradas ◽  
Juan Pablo Ruiz-Cordova ◽  
Manuel Esperó-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Rural Area ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Species Selection ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
City Center ◽  
Ligustrum Lucidum ◽  
Pressure Bomb ◽  
Dry Seasons ◽  
The City ◽  
Wet And Dry Seasons

Background. The urban area continues growing, and in most cases, the planning of green areas does not include in the species selection their physiological characteristics, which determine plant survival.Question/Hypothesis. Stomatal conductance (gS) is a key variable that provides information on how the environment affects a plant physiology. Therefore it is important to inquire how gS is affected in an urban site.Studied species/Data description. Data of environmental variables (photosynthetically active radiation, PAR; air temperature, TA; vapor pressure deficit, VPD), leaf water potential, ?; and gS were collected in four species Ficus retusa, Fraxinus uhdei, Ligustrum lucidum and Quercus rugosa.Study site and years of study. Two sites, in the center and in the rural area, were selected in Puebla, Mexico, during the wet and dry seasons (2012-2013).Methods. Environmental variables, gS and ? were measured with a diffusion porometer and a pressure bomb through the day every two hours in apparently healthy leaves. Also an experiment under greenhouse conditions was performed.Results. Maximum values of PAR, TA  and VPD were registered in the city center in the dry season, whereas maximum gS and ? were found in the rural area in the wet season. ? and gS were significantly higher in F. retusa followed by F. uhdei, whereas the lower values were observed in L. lucidum and Q. rugosa. All variables affected gS for all species.Conclusions. The results demonstrate that it is possible to recommend Ficus retusa and Fraxinus uhdei as suitable species to ameliorate the urban environment.

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