SYSTEMATICS OF COMPOSITIONS IN HISTORICAL GARDENS AS A DESIGN SUPPORT IN CONTEMPORARY DESIGN CONCEPTS

People always valued nature around them so the gardens accompanied their houses and residences from the ancient times. Some features of garden compositions were recurring in historical periods differing only in some aspects. In contemporary gardens they are repeated again. To assess the coincidences, a short graphic analysis of the basic features of historical gardens was developed. A tool that has allowed to identify differences and similarities between old and contemporary is the tabulation of composition schemes of well-known historic gardens and comparing the results with the features of the recent developments. This allowed us to investigate whether the same elements of composition, despite 21st century changes, apply today. Key words: residential garden, historical establishments, garden layout, composition, contemporary gardens, repeated solutions.

Citizen-science surveillance of triazole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus in UK residential garden soils

Compost is an ecological niche for Aspergillus fumigatus due to its role as a decomposer of organic matter and its ability to survive the high temperatures associated with the composting process. Subsequently, composting facilities are associated with high levels of A. fumigatus spores that are aerosolised from compost and cause respiratory illness in workers. In the UK, gardening is an activity enjoyed by individuals of all ages and it is likely that they are being exposed to A. fumigatus spores when handling commercial compost or compost they have produced themselves. In this study, 246 citizen scientists collected 509 soil samples from locations in their garden in the UK, from which were cultured 5,174 A. fumigatus isolates. Of these isolates, 736 (14%) were resistant to tebuconazole: the third most-sprayed triazole fungicide in the UK, which confers cross-resistance to the medical triazoles used to treat A. fumigatus lung infections in humans. These isolates were found to contain the common resistance mechanisms in the A. fumigatus cyp51A gene TR34/L98H or TR46/Y121F/T289A, and less common resistance mechanisms TR34, TR53, TR46/Y121F/T289A/S363P/I364V/G448S and (TR46)2/Y121F/M172I/T289A/G448S. Regression analyses found that soil samples containing compost were significantly more likely to grow susceptible and tebuconazole-resistant A. fumigatus than those that did not, and that compost samples grew significantly higher numbers of A. fumigatus than other samples.

Short communication: New report of Aedes albopictus in Souk Ahras, Northeast Algeria

Hamaidia K, Soltani N. 2021. Short communication: New report of Aedes albopictus in Souk Ahras, Northeast Algeria. Biodiversitas 22: 2901-2906. The present paper reports the occurrence of Aedes albopictus (Skuse), an aggressive Asian tiger mosquito in the city of Souk-Ahras (Northeast of Algeria). A “26 April” estate’ inhabitants (Souk-Ahras province) have reported unusual daytime bites by a striped mosquito. On early September 2020, an intensive field inspection was carried out for potential mosquito breeding sites in the locations around the city. A total of 105 specimens (8 larvae, 24 pupae and 73 adults) of Ae. albopictus were collected in a pile of old tyres in a residential garden. After previous records of this species in Algeria, this is the first evidence of its presence in Souk-Ahras province, and the findings enhance combined public participation with professional validation in surveillance of vector borne-diseases programs with emphasis on the need for sensitising citizens about controlling this important vector.

Socio-Demographic Factors Influencing the Extent of Residential Green Spaces in Galle City, Sri Lanka

Due to increasing urbanization, the distribution of human settlements is changing and this has led to the rapid decline of vegetation cover in cities and townships. Urbanization tends to decrease the proportion of land that is dedicated to public green spaces. Therefore, residential gardens (private gardens) will need to play a major role in contributing to urban green space in future though presently little attention is given to their relative value and importance. Several factors influence the function of residential gardens in an urban area. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the socio demographic factors that influence the size and presence of residential green spaces in an urban residential zone. As a case study, this research selected a primary residential zone in Galle City, Sri Lanka. Every housing unit (n=280) in a residential zone was surveyed to collect the data for multiple regression analysis. The analysis showed that factors such as land extent (LE), nature orientation (NO), perceptions about advantages of growing residential greenery (PA), perception about disadvantages resulting from residential garden (PDA), occupational status (husband and wife are not occupied) (D1), and their educational level (higher than degree) (D2) significantly affect to the extent of green area maintained by an urban residence. The relationship between extent of residential green space (EGA) and socio demographic factors can be explained by this model: EGA = 0.091 + 0.003LE + 0.060NO + 0.030PA – 0.040PDA + 0.198D1 + 0.240D2.

Spiritual Values in Urban Residential Garden: A Mitos or Reality?

This paper explains parts of the findings from the overall research entitled Landscape Alteration in Urban Residential Area of Malaysia. It focuses on the spiritual aspect existed in some of the gardens in the neighbourhood. A qualitative research method has been adopted in this research. The study informs on the aspect that was believed to have been totally diminished among the local residents; giving another insights of the meaning and values of the residents alternate garden.Keywords: residential garden, spiritual value, cultural landscape