Characteristics of blooming and pollen in flowers of two Syringa species (f. Oleaceae)

Bożena Denisow; Monika Strzałkowska-Abramek

doi:10.5586/aa.2013.052

Characteristics of blooming and pollen in flowers of two Syringa species (f. Oleaceae)

Acta Agrobotanica ◽

10.5586/aa.2013.052 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 66 (4) ◽

pp. 65-72 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Bożena Denisow ◽

Monika Strzałkowska-Abramek

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Pollen Viability ◽

Corolla Tube ◽

Flowering Phenology ◽

Early Morning ◽

Diurnal Pattern ◽

Insect Visitation ◽

Flower Traits ◽

Species Effect

The observations were conducted in long-term sequence studies in the years 2006, 2009, 2013, in the Lublin area, Poland (51o 16’ N, 22o 30’ E). The flowering phenology, diurnal pattern of blooming, pollen production and insect visitation to the shrubs of Syringa oblata Lindl. var. dilatata (Nakai) Rehd. and S. meyeri ‘Palibin’ Schn. were examined. Syringa oblata var. dilatata and S. meyeri ‘Palibin’ blo- omed from the mid May till mid June. The species are characteristic of early morning diurnal pattern of blooming, with approx. of 60% of daily instalment of flowers opened before 9.00 (GMT + 2h). Both species studied had the corolla tube 2-fold deeper during the pollen shedding phase compared to bud stage (mean = 14.9 mm ± 3.2 SD vs. 7.8 mm ± 2.8). No species effect was found for the size of anthers, for the mass of pollen produced in anthers and for the pollen viability. A constant number of 2 stamens in the flowers of Syringa species entailed the pollen yield was derivative mainly to the number of developed flowers. Therefore significant differences were noted for the pollen yield between individual shrubs (mean 0.9 kg for S. meyeri ‘Palibin’, and 8.1 kg/ha for S. oblata var. dilatata ). The Syringa oblata var. dilatata and S. meyeri ‘Palibin’ due to their attractive flowering period, and the abundance of blooming are suitable for different ornamental designs in urban areas. Unfortunately, despite the entomophilous flower traits, the insect visitors appeared sporadically.

Flowering, pollen production and insect visitation in two Aconitum species (Ranunculaceae)

Acta Agrobotanica ◽

10.5586/aa.2014.020 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 67 (2) ◽

pp. 3-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sebastian Antoń ◽

Bożena Denisow ◽

Karol Milaniuk

Keyword(s):

Flowering Phenology ◽

Pollen Production ◽

Diurnal Pattern ◽

Floral Reward ◽

Diurnal Dynamics ◽

Se Poland ◽

Insect Visitation ◽

June July ◽

Aconitum Carmichaelii

Flowering phenology, diurnal dynamics of blooming, insect visitation and pollen production in Aconitum lycoctonum L. and Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux were investigated in 2012–2013 in the Lublin area, SE Poland. Flowering of A. lycoctonum occurred in June/July, whereas A. carmichaelii bloomed in September/October. Both Aconitum species differed in terms of the diurnal pattern of flowering. The flowers of A. lycoctonum started opening at 5.00, whereas those of A. carmichaelii started blooming at 8.00 (GMT+2h). The species differed in the number of anthers per flower, the size of anthers, and the mass of pollen produced in anthers. As a result, the flowers of A. lycoctonum produced less pollen (mean = 1.0 mg per 10 flowers) than the flowers of A. carmichaelii (mean = 8.2 mg per 10 flowers). The estimated pollen yield was 0.2 g per m2 for A. lycoctonum and 1.6 g per m2 for A. carmichaelii. The flowers of both Aconitum species were foraged exclusively by bumblebees with the predominance of the long-tongued Bombus hortorum. Nectar was a more attractive floral reward than pollen. The propagation of Aconitum lycoctonum and A. carmichaelii in ornamental gardens may support the conservation of bumblebees whose populations are steadily declining.

A Study of UVER in Santiago, Chile Based on Long-Term In Situ Measurements (Five Years) and Empirical Modelling

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14020368 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 368

Author(s):

Lisdelys González-Rodríguez ◽

Amauri Pereira de Oliveira ◽

Lien Rodríguez-López ◽

Jorge Rosas ◽

David Contreras ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Solar Spectrum ◽

Sun Exposure ◽

Great Accuracy ◽

In Situ Measurements ◽

Uv Index ◽

Empirical Modelling ◽

The People

Ultraviolet radiation is a highly energetic component of the solar spectrum that needs to be monitored because is harmful to life on Earth, especially in areas where the ozone layer has been depleted, like Chile. This work is the first to address the long-term (five-year) behaviour of ultraviolet erythemal radiation (UVER) in Santiago, Chile (33.5° S, 70.7° W, 500 m) using in situ measurements and empirical modelling. Observations indicate that to alert the people on the risks of UVER overexposure, it is necessary to use, in addition to the currently available UV index (UVI), three more erythema indices: standard erythemal doses (SEDs), minimum erythemal doses (MEDs), and sun exposure time (tery). The combination of UVI, SEDs, MEDs, and tery shows that in Santiago, individuals with skin types III and IV are exposed to harmfully high UVER doses for 46% of the time that UVI indicates is safe. Empirical models predicted hourly and daily values UVER in Santiago with great accuracy and can be applied to other Chilean urban areas with similar climate. This research inspires future advances in reconstructing large datasets to analyse the UVER in Central Chile, its trends, and its changes.

Long-term effects of land use/land cover change on surface runoff in urban areas of Beijing, China

Journal of Applied Remote Sensing ◽

10.1117/1.jrs.8.084596 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 084596 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Zhongchang Sun ◽

Xinwu Li ◽

Wenxue Fu ◽

Yingkui Li ◽

Dongsheng Tang

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Cover ◽

Land Cover Change ◽

Surface Runoff ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Land Use Land Cover ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Effects Of Land Use ◽

Beijing China

Urban Ecological Restoration

Nature and Culture ◽

10.3167/nc.2010.050301 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 227-230 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Paul H. Gobster

Keyword(s):

Ecological Restoration ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Indigenous Species ◽

Reference Sites ◽

Urban Context ◽

Ecological Processes ◽

Fixed Set ◽

Natural Diversity ◽

Urban Ecological Restoration

What does ecological restoration mean in an urban context? More than half of the world’s population now lives in cities, and in response to the dynamic patterns of urbanization, a growing number of ecologists, land managers, and volunteers are focusing their efforts in and around cities to restore remnants of natural diversity (Ingram 2008). Ecological restoration is still a quite youthful field, yet many scientists and practitioners hold a relatively fixed set of criteria for what defines a successful restoration project, irrespective of where sites are located. Among the criteria commonly stated, sites should be composed of indigenous species, have a structure and diversity characteristic of currently undisturbed or historically documented “reference” sites, and be maintained through ecological processes such as fire that ensure long-term sustainability with minimal human assistance (Ruiz-Jaén and Aide 2005; SER International 2004). Application of these criteria has led to many ecologically successful restorations, but some ecologists in the field have begun to question whether the same standards can be realistically applied to sites such as those within urban areas that have been radically altered by past human activity (e.g., Martínez and López-Barerra 2008) or are being influenced by novel conditions that result in unpredictable trajectories (Choi 2007). Perhaps more significantly, it is becoming increasingly recognized that the broader viability of restoration projects, especially those in urban areas, hinges on how socially successful they are in gaining public acceptance for restoration activities and practices, building constituencies to assist with implementation and maintenance, and addressing a broader set of sustainability goals that reach beyond the protection of native biodiversity (e.g., Choi et al. 2008; Hobbs 2007; Rosenzweig 2003).

Returning home to die: Circular labour migration and mortality in South Africa 1

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1080/14034950701355619 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 35 (69_suppl) ◽

pp. 35-44 ◽

Cited By ~ 119

Author(s):

Samuel J. Clark ◽

Mark A. Collinson ◽

Kathleen Kahn ◽

Kyle Drullinger ◽

Stephen M. Tollman

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Terminal Illness ◽

Event History Analysis ◽

Historical Period ◽

Short Term ◽

History Analysis ◽

Working Age

Aim: To examine the hypothesis that circular labour migrants who become seriously ill while living away from home return to their rural homes to convalesce and possibly to die. Methods: Drawing on longitudinal data collected by the Agincourt health and demographic surveillance system in rural northeastern South Africa between 1995 and 2004, discrete time event history analysis is used to estimate the likelihood of dying for residents, short-term returning migrants, and long-term returning migrants controlling for sex, age, and historical period. Results: The annual odds of dying for short-term returning migrants are generally 1.1 to 1.9 times (depending on period, sex, and age) higher than those of residents and long-term returning migrants, and these differences are generally highly statistically significant. Further supporting the hypothesis is the fact that the proportion of HIV/TB deaths among short-term returning migrants increases dramatically as time progresses, and short-term returning migrants account for an increasing proportion of all HIV/TB deaths. Conclusions: This evidence strongly suggests that increasing numbers of circular labour migrants of prime working age are becoming ill in the urban areas where they work and coming home to be cared for and eventually to die in the rural areas where their families live. This shifts the burden of caring for them in their terminal illness to their families and the rural healthcare system with significant consequences for the distribution and allocation of health care resources.

Temporal patterns and trends of surface ozone concentrations over Portugal

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-5119 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Carla Gama ◽

Alexandra Monteiro ◽

Myriam Lopes ◽

Ana Isabel Miranda

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Iberian Peninsula ◽

Human Health ◽

Temporal Variability ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Surface Ozone ◽

Quality Data ◽

Ozone Concentrations ◽

Long Term Study

Tropospheric ozone (O3) is a critical pollutant over the Mediterranean countries, including Portugal, due to systematic exceedances to the thresholds for the protection of human health. Due to the location of Portugal, on the Atlantic coast at the south-west point of Europe, the observed O3 concentrations are very much influenced not only by local and regional production but also by northern mid-latitudes background concentrations. Ozone trends in the Iberian Peninsula were previously analysed by Monteiro et al. (2012), based on 10-years of O3 observations. Nevertheless, only two of the eleven background monitoring stations analysed in that study are located in Portugal and these two stations are located in Porto and Lisbon urban areas. Although during pollution events O3 levels in urban areas may be high enough to affect human health, the highest concentrations are found in rural locations downwind from the urban and industrialized areas, rather than in cities. This happens because close to the sources (e.g., in urban areas) freshly emitted NO locally scavenges O3. A long-term study of the spatial and temporal variability and trends of the ozone concentrations over Portugal is missing, aiming to answer the following questions:-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; What is the temporal variability of ozone concentrations?-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Which trends can we find in observations?-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; How were the ozone spring maxima concentrations affected by the COVID-19 lockdown during spring 2020?In this presentation, these questions will be answered based on the statistical analysis of O3 concentrations recorded within the national air quality monitoring network between 2005 and 2020 (16 years). The variability of the surface ozone concentrations over Portugal, on the timescales from diurnal to annual, will be presented and discussed, taking into account the physical and chemical processes that control that variability. Using the TheilSen function from the OpenAir package for R (Carslaw and Ropkins 2012), which quantifies monotonic trends and calculates the associated p-value through bootstrap simulations, O3 concentration long-term trends will be estimated for the different regions and environments (e.g., rural, urban).&#160; Moreover, taking advantage of the unique situation provided by the COVID-19 lockdown during spring 2020, when the government imposed mandatory confinement and citizens movement restriction, leading to a reduction in traffic-related atmospheric emissions, the role of these emissions on ozone levels during the spring period will be studied and presented.&#160;Carslaw and Ropkins, 2012. Openair&#8212;an R package for air quality data analysis. Environ. Model. Softw. 27-28,52-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2011.09.008Monteiro et al., 2012. Trends in ozone concentrations in the Iberian Peninsula by quantile regression and clustering. Atmos. Environ. 56, 184-193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2012.03.069

Top-Down NOX Emissions of European Cities Based on the Downwind Plume of Modelled and Space-Borne Tropospheric NO2 Columns

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s18092893 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 2893 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Willem W. Verstraeten ◽

Klaas Folkert Boersma ◽

John Douros ◽

Jason E. Williams ◽

Henk Eskes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Transport Model ◽

Nox Emissions ◽

Inventory Data ◽

Ozone Monitoring Instrument ◽

Top Down ◽

Chemistry Transport Model ◽

European Cities ◽

Tropospheric No2

Top-down estimates of surface NOX emissions were derived for 23 European cities based on the downwind plume decay of tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) columns from the LOTOS-EUROS (Long Term Ozone Simulation-European Ozone Simulation) chemistry transport model (CTM) and from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite retrievals, averaged for the summertime period (April–September) during 2013. Here we show that the top-down NOX emissions derived from LOTOS-EUROS for European urban areas agree well with the bottom-up NOX emissions from the MACC-III inventory data (R2 = 0.88) driving the CTM demonstrating the potential of this method. OMI top-down NOX emissions over the 23 European cities are generally lower compared with the MACC-III emissions and their correlation is slightly lower (R2 = 0.79). The uncertainty on the derived NO2 lifetimes and NOX emissions are on average ~55% for OMI and ~63% for LOTOS-EUROS data. The downwind NO2 plume method applied on both LOTOS-EUROS and OMI tropospheric NO2 columns allows to estimate NOX emissions from urban areas, demonstrating that this is a useful method for real-time updates of urban NOX emissions with reasonable accuracy.

Water Woes in Zimbabwe’s Urban Areas in the Middist Of Plenty: 2000 -Present

European Journal of Sustainable Development ◽

10.14207/ejsd.2012.v1n2p151 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 151 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Enock C. Makwara

Keyword(s):

Waste Management ◽

Water Supply ◽

Urban Area ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Service Failure ◽

Urban Residents ◽

Contaminated Water ◽

Recent Outbreak

Zimbabwe’s urban areas are choking under the weight of over-crowdedness amidstdilapidated infrastructure that is characterised by constant service failure. The water andsewer systems of the country’s major urban centres are on the verge of collapse, thusputting millions of people in danger of consuming contaminated water, including thatfrom underground sources. Waste management and water supply problems manifestthemselves as challenges bedevilling many an urban area in the country. The quality andquantity of water supplied in Zimbabwe’s urban centres has plummeted in recent yearsand has assumed crisis proportions owing to the difficult economic situation and otherchallenges faced by the country. The situation is desperate and dire, as is evidenced by thepoor quality of delivered water, severe water rationing and the outbreak of water-bornediseases in the urban areas dotted across the country. The situation demands and dictatesthat solutions be proffered as a matter of urgency.The recent outbreak of epidemics hasbeen blamed on lack of access to safe water and poor sanitation, two crucial factors incontrolling the spread of diseases. An overly bureaucratic environment, where decisionsand processes take longer, makes life complicated for poor urban residents. Such ascenario motivated the researchers to examine the problem with a view to suggest waysand means of intervening to mitigate and resolve the problem. It emerged from thefindings that the problem is multifaceted in nature, hence a whole range of measures needto be adopted if a long-term solution is to be provided.

Exploring the Livelihoods of Internally Displaced Persons in Kachin State, Myanmar

10.26686/wgtn.17148899.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Htu Tawng Lazum

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Partial Solution ◽

Livelihood Strategies ◽

Internally Displaced Persons ◽

Displaced Persons ◽

Short Term ◽

Internally Displaced ◽

Long Run ◽

Emergency Assistance

The issue of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) is a global crisis yet little research has been focused on the issue of the livelihoods of IDPs. Providing short-term emergency assistance is not enough when the period of displacement becomes permanent or longer than expected. IDPs need long-term solutions in order to resume a normal life. Pursuing appropriate livelihoods in urban areas is a big challenge yet constructing potential livelihoods is fundamental to achieving decent living not only for short-term situations but also for the long run. The lack of access to livelihoods is one of the most serious obstacles to durable solutions for IDPs, and long-term livelihood strategies are needed to lay the foundation for future development. This study explores Kachin IDPs in Myanmar and their livelihood strategies and activities in urban camps by applying qualitative methods, the study focuses on how IDPs have been building their livelihoods during their displacement and who has been involved in supporting their livelihoods. This research also seeks insight into the effectiveness and sustainability of those livelihood activities and other potential strategies. Results show that most livelihood activities are supported by both local and international humanitarian and development agencies and are mainly undertaken through local organisations. Agriculture and livestock rearing are preferred livelihoods of IDPs although getting appropriate land is challenging in urban areas. Income-generating programmes such as food processing, carpentry and bamboo handicrafts are also popular and successful activities. Moreover, tailoring, brick making, and pig rearing are also effective and helpful livelihoods for individuals. Those who are involved in livelihood support activities receive benefits and advantages for their family and daily needs while the majority of IDPs are working in day labouring. Respondents believe current livelihood activities can become sustainable as long as they maintain the quality of the products. Some IDPs have adapted to the city environment quite well by applying their capacity and the skills they learnt from humanitarian organisations. Supporting livelihood strategies may not resolve the problems of IDPs, however, it is an effective partial solution.

Relationships between landslides and land use changes in the Sanbagawa and Mikabu Belts, Shikoku, Japan

Abstracts of the ICA ◽

10.5194/ica-abs-1-203-2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

pp. 1-1

Author(s):

Roxanne Lai ◽

Takashi Oguchi

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Spatial Data ◽

Landslide Susceptibility ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Land Abandonment ◽

Crystalline Schist ◽

Agricultural Abandonment ◽

Landslide Kinematics

Abstract. Changing land use is an increasingly important issue as human habits, behaviors, and needs change. There has been an increase in land and agricultural abandonment in some places of the world. In Japan, movement of the population from rural to urban areas have resulted in much land and agricultural abandonment. In 2016, a land ministry survey showed that 4.1 million hectares of land in Japan had unclear ownership, with farmland making up 16.9% of the total. As vegetation cover changes after land abandonment, this temporal and spatial effect may have important effects on geomorphic processes such as landslide susceptibility and landslide kinematics.Here we track long-term land use changes over vegetated landslide areas of the Sanbagawa and Mikabu Belts of Shikoku Island, Japan. The Sanbagawa and Mikabu Belts are metamorphic belts that run across Southwest Japan, and are home to numerous large crystalline schist landslides, including the widely-studied slow but continuously moving Zentoku landslide. Villages and communities have been built on these landslide areas due to historical and cultural factors, as well as the fertility of the soil. Consequently, given the changing land uses including land abandonment in these landslide areas over time, we use long-term high-resolution land cover vegetation datasets to examine first the long-term land use changes, and then use statistical methods to explore their relationships with landslide susceptibility and kinematics. Mapping of spatial data and their analysis using GIS constitute a core part of the research. The results suggest interconnections between land use changes and land movement.