scholarly journals Urban ecosystems assessment: An integrated approach to maintenance of habitats and their biodiversity

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 99-106
Author(s):  
Lidiya Semerdzhieva ◽  
Bilyana Borisova
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Outdoor Recreation ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Health Improvement ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Local Climate Zones

Natural habitats and their biodiversity are usually associated with protected areas, incompatible with direct anthropogenic influence. Is there a biodiversity in urban environment, what is the role of peri-urban areas to the provision of species richness and is their potential being properly utilized? These are current issues that deserve the attention of decision-makers because the human's need of natural environment in cities is expressed more intensely than in any previous period in history. Green and blue infrastructure elements, being part of the larger system of urban ecosystems, provide an essential and proven benefits to the city dwellers, like health improvement, opportunities for nature-based daily outdoor recreation, strengthening sense of place etc. The main objective of this research is to assess this part of the landscape elements in urban and peri-urban environment, which are most supportive to the maintenance of habitats and their biodiversity. Selected Functional urban area with center city of Burgas is choosen for a case study. The urban ecosystems are assessed in GIS environment with unified indicator (based on City Biodiversity Index approach) according to 5 criteria: hemeroby index, share of protected areas, fragmentation index, presence of water and species richness. The assessment is performed on two spatial levels: within Functional urban area by Urban Atlas spatial units and within urban core – by grid cells (local climate zones). The final higher scores identify areas that provide the greatest extent the maintenance of habitats and their biodiversity. The results could support the urban planning and help to optimize the link between the natural elements within the Functional urban areas, providing ecological, economic and social benefits to the regions through the enhancement of the urban ecosystem’s functions and their services.

scholarly journals Bat Fauna (Chiroptera) in an urban environment in the Atlantic Forest, northeastern Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-82
Author(s):  
Edson Silva Barbosa Leal ◽  
Deoclécio de Queiróz Guerra Filho ◽  
Daniel de Figueiredo Ramalho ◽  
Julianne Moura da Silva ◽  
Rafael Sales Bandeira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Significant Difference

In Brazil, only few works have been conducted regarding urban bats and information about richness, composition and ecological interactions in urban areas is little known. Additional studies are important to understand the dynamic of urban bats and offer strategies for their protection. In this paper, we present the results of a bat inventory at the Dois Irmãos campus of UFRPE, Recife, Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil, with analyzes of the composition, richness, diversity, and seasonal variation. From May 2006 to April 2007, we captured 950 bats from 16 species (five families). Frugivores bats accounted for 84.42% of the captures, followed by insectivores, piscivorous, nectarivores, omnivores, and hematophages. The species Artibeus planirostris was the most abundant. There was no significant difference (t = 0.35443, p = 0.7257) on abundance between the seasons of the year. We observed a richer and more diverse bat fauna as one would expect in an urban area, which suggests that the campus is being used for foraging, commuting, or as shelters for these animals.

scholarly journals Impact of urban environment on land surface temperature in local climate zones

2021 ◽  
Vol 333 ◽  
pp. 02008
Author(s):  
Anna Gosteva ◽  
Sofia Ilina ◽  
Aleksandra Matuzko
Keyword(s):  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Land Surface Temperature ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Landsat 8 ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Spatial Coverage ◽  
Artificial Environment ◽  
Local Climate Zones

The replacement of the natural landscape by artificial environment has led to changes in the ecosystem and physical properties of the surface, such as heat storage capacity, and thermal conductivity properties. These changes increase the difficulty of heat transfer between urban areas and the environment. Land surface temperature (LST) images from various satellites are widely used to represent urban thermal environments, which are more convenient and intuitive way. LST maps provide full spatial coverage, which distinguishes them from air temperature data obtained from meteorological stations. The study of LST according to the Landsat 8 data of Krasnoyarsk city over the past 10 years allowed the authors to talk about the observation of constant seasonal urban heat islands (UHI). For a more detailed consideration of the urban environment, this study further considers urban landscapes, thus the idea of local climate zone (LCZ) is introduced to study these diverse impacts in addition to the traditional map of LST. And analysis of the interaction of UHI and LCZ.

scholarly journals MIGRATIONS, POWER AND URBAN SPACES IN SICILIJA THROUGH AN ETHNOGRAPHIC CASE STUDY

2020 ◽  
pp. 7-19
Author(s):  
Daria Settineri
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environment ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Urban Spaces ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Ethnographic Case Study ◽  
The Social ◽  
Extra State

In this article, the author, based on concrete factual material, explores the specifics of modern migration processes considered within an urban area localized in Palermo (Sicily). In the context of this complex heterotopic space, resorting to the conceptual apparatus of M. Foucault, this kind of rhizome, if we operate with the concepts of J. Deleuze and F.Guattari, the author analyzes the actions of various actors of power – local and transnational – which dominate in this closed socio-urban environment, outlined by the framework of certain city blocks, – formal and informal, institutionalized and not, state and extra-state, legal and illegal, political, social, ecclesiastical, economic, criminal, the objects of projection and manifestation of which are migrants (primarily illegal) concentrated in these urban areas, who coexist there with the local population. The author also studies reactions of “newcomers” to the factors that affect them, including their ways of understanding and familiarizing with of their new place of residence as a micro- and the macrocosm, in all the diversity and complexity of the social connections that permeate this habitat and the factors that affect it.

scholarly journals Are soils in urban ecosystems compacted? A citywide analysis

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 771-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill L. Edmondson ◽  
Zoe G. Davies ◽  
Sarah A. McCormack ◽  
Kevin J. Gaston ◽  
Jonathan R. Leake
Keyword(s):  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Soils ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystem ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Flood Frequency ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Compacted Soils

Soil compaction adversely influences most terrestrial ecosystem services on which humans depend. This global problem, affecting over 68 million ha of agricultural land alone, is a major driver of soil erosion, increases flood frequency and reduces groundwater recharge. Agricultural soil compaction has been intensively studied, but there are no systematic studies investigating the extent of compaction in urban ecosystems, despite the repercussions for ecosystem function. Urban areas are the fastest growing land-use type globally, and are often assumed to have highly compacted soils with compromised functionality. Here, we use bulk density (BD) measurements, taken to 14 cm depth at a citywide scale, to compare the extent of surface soil compaction between different urban greenspace classes and agricultural soils. Urban soils had a wider BD range than agricultural soils, but were significantly less compacted, with 12 per cent lower mean BD to 7 cm depth. Urban soil BD was lowest under trees and shrubs and highest under herbaceous vegetation (e.g. lawns). BD values were similar to many semi-natural habitats, particularly those underlying woody vegetation. These results establish that, across a typical UK city, urban soils were in better physical condition than agricultural soils and can contribute to ecosystem service provision.

scholarly journals Habitat and Seasonality Affect Mosquito Community Composition in the West Region of Cameroon

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Paul Audrey Mayi ◽  
Roland Bamou ◽  
Borel Djiappi-Tchamen ◽  
Albin Fontaine ◽  
Claire L. Jeffries ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
The West ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
West Region ◽  
Dry Seasons

To identify potential sylvatic, urban and bridge-vectors that can be involved in current or future virus spillover from wild to more urbanised areas, entomological field surveys were conducted in rural, peri-urban and urban areas spanning the rainy and dry seasons in western Cameroon. A total of 2650 mosquitoes belonging to 37 species and eight genera were collected. Mosquito species richness was significantly influenced by the specific combination of the habitat type and the season. The highest species richness was found in the peri-urban area (S = 30, Chao1 = 121 ± 50.63, ACE = 51.97 ± 3.88) during the dry season (S = 28, Chao1 = 64 ± 25.7, ACE = 38.33 ± 3.1). Aedes (Ae.) africanus and Culex (Cx.) moucheti were only found in the rural and peri-urban areas, while Cx. pipiens s.l. and Ae. aegypti were only found in the urban area. Cx. (Culiciomyia) spp., Cx. duttoni and Ae. albopictus were caught in the three habitat types. Importantly, approximately 52% of the mosquito species collected in this study have been implicated in the transmission of diverse arboviruses. This entomological survey provides a catalogue of the different mosquito species that may be involved in the transmission of arboviruses. Further investigations are needed to study the vectorial capacity of each mosquito species in arbovirus transmission.

scholarly journals Drivers of avian species richness and community structure in urban courtyard gardens

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Pirzio Biroli ◽  
Benjamin M Van Doren ◽  
Ada Grabowska-Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Model Averaging ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Avian Species ◽  
Theoretic Approach ◽  
Ecosystem Research

Abstract Increasing global urbanisation has steered research towards understanding biodiversity in urban areas. Old city spaces throughout Europe have a proliferation of urban court gardens, which can create a mosaic of habitat pockets in an urban area. This article examines the patterns and drivers of avian species richness and community structure in 20 gardens of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. We conducted morning surveys across 7 weeks in May and June 2017 and used an information-theoretic approach and model averaging to identify important habitat predictors of species richness. We also studied community structure with Sorensen indices and non-metric multi-dimensional analysis. A total of 43 avian species were observed across all sites. Our sites generally differed in their avian assemblages, with greater species turnover than nestedness between sites. Site area was the strongest predictor of site species richness and surrounding habitat composition was the dominant driver of community structure. Thus, the largest gardens were the most species rich, but species composition among gardens differed based on the habitats in which they were embedded. We support using island biogeography theory to understand the avian species assemblages of urban ecosystems and stress the suitability of our study sites for future urban ecosystem research and generating wildlife awareness.

scholarly journals To Act or Not to Act: Are Natural Landscapes a Key Force in the Resilience of Historic Urban Landscapes?

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10356
Author(s):  
Wei Gao ◽  
Gengyu Chen ◽  
Fanying Jiang ◽  
Jiake Shen ◽  
Yuncai Wang
Keyword(s):  
Urban Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Differential Analysis ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
Natural Landscape ◽  
Natural Landscapes ◽  
Man And Nature

Ignoring the function of natural landscapes in the rapid development of urbanization, and especially in the conservation of historic urban landscapes, is still obvious today, and this has caused a large decrease in natural space, loss of habitats, and an increase in disasters. The resilience of a whole city and parts of it, such as historic urban areas where the historical process of man and nature have been recorded, as well as the interaction between nature, economy, and culture, is not strong enough to maintain the stability of urban ecosystems. It is misleading to think that the resilience can be built in a historic urban area without a natural landscape. We question whether this is true. Using a semantic differential analysis method from a historical perspective, this paper aims to answer this question through research on the correlation between resilience and man and nature through a case study of Yudai Trench historic urban landscape in Guangzhou, a historic urban area with 1000 years of history. A total of 212 pieces of evidence were extracted from 59 historical sources. The results showed that the cultural and economic conditions were in the same step and cycles as nature, which were influenced strongly by climate change, and that the natural landscape has a correlation on and is a dominant force in the resilience of historic urban landscapes.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus and Its Risk Factors among Permanently Settled Tribal Individuals in Tribal and Urban Areas in Northern State of Sub-Himalayan Region of India

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dhiraj Kapoor ◽  
Ashok Kumar Bhardwaj ◽  
Dinesh Kumar ◽  
Sunil Kumar Raina
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Tribal Area ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Northern State ◽  
Stage 1

Background.Effect of urban environment on the development of DM and its risk factors is studied with an ecological fallacy due to their study designs that formulate the background for the present study.Objective.To study the prevalence of DM and associated lifestyle related risk factors in traditional tribal individuals residing in tribal area and migrating persons of the same tribe to urban area of sub-Himalayan northern state of India.Methodology.Population based cross-sectional study.Results.A total of 8000 individuals (tribal: 4000; urban: 4000) were recruited. Overall, among urban tribes the prevalence of central obesity (59.0%), overweight (29.3%), stage 1 (22.8%) and stage 2 (5.3%) hypertension, and DM (fasting: 7.8%; OGTT: 8.5%)(P=0.00)was significantly higher than the tribes of tribal area. Based on OGTT, the prevalence of DM was found to be 9.2% among central obese tribes of urban area and 6.7% of tribal area(P=0.00). DM showed a significant high prevalence among urban tribes with prehypertension (urban: 8.3%; tribal: 2.9%;P=0.00), and stage 1 (urban: 14.1%; tribal: 8.7%;P=0.00) and stage 2 (urban: 17.5%; tribal: 13.9%;P=0.59) hypertension.Conclusion. Urban environment showed a changing lifestyle and high prevalence of DM among tribal migrating urban tribes as compared to traditional tribes.

scholarly journals Herpetofauna of Stara Zagora, Southern Bulgaria: Species composition and distribution along the natural habitat-urban areas gradient

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 270-274
Author(s):  
Dian Georgiev ◽  
Dilian Georgiev
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Central City ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Crop Farming ◽  
Species Composition And Distribution

Herpetofauna of Stara Zagora city is characterized by exceptional species richness. In the this urban area and its adjacent territories, twenty-nine species from 13 families and four orders of class Amphibia and class Reptilia were found. From all species encountered in the studied region, 21 were established in suburban zones. Ten species were registered in residential areas and their adjacent territories, and 18 species – in city parks. An obvious increase in number of species and their spread to the peripheral and central city areas was observed. The least number of species (5 sp.) was observed in construction areas, areas of intensive crop farming (6 sp.) and around administrative buildings (6 sp.).

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