Towards an indicator of urban centrality? Exploring changes in present and resident population (1991–2011) in Greece

This study compares the spatial distribution of resident and present population at the municipal scale in Greece (1991–2011) with the aim to infer recent trends in urban expansion. The ratio of present to resident population is proposed as a proxy of urban centrality indicating variations in urban hierarchy over time. Results of the analysis outline relevant changes in the spatial distribution of present and resident population along the urban–rural gradient. Apart from the metropolitan areas of Athens and Salonika (which concentrate nearly half of Greek population), the density of present and resident population varied largely across time and space. Urban regions showed higher values in the ratio of resident to present population than rural regions. The indicator proposed in this study contributes to defining more precisely urban and rural areas and may integrate decision support systems for diachronic analysis of urbanization patterns and processes.     

Vegetation development on extensive vegetated green roofs: Influence of substrate composition, establishment method and species mix

Technology for establishment of vegetated roofs (green roofs) has developed rapidly over recent years but knowledge about how these systems will develop over time is still limited. This study investigates vegetation development on unfertilised thin extensive vegetated roofs during a 3-year period. The vegetation systems investigated were designed to be low maintenance and had a saturated weight of 50 kg/m², a thickness of 4 cm and drought-resistant succulent and bryophyte vegetation.Vegetation development was investigated in relation to: establishment method, species mixture and substrate composition in a factorial experiment. Vegetation cover was investigated using point intercept.Moss was found to develop on most substrates and reached more than 80% cover on some plots. Sedum album and Sedum acre were the dominant species on the roofs. S. acre was found to decrease drastically after 2 years. The lack of difference found in this study between the establishment techniques shows that there are other possible marketable ways to construct vegetated roofs in Sweden, as an alternative to vegetation mats. Uniform extensive vegetated roofs with a high dominance of succulent species have limited value for plant biodiversity, as few species establish spontaneously.     

Comparison of phenological characteristics for several woody plants in urban climates

Phenological properties of woody species were compared between two urban climates during 1997 and 1998. The study areas were Chungdam Park, Chungdam-dong, Kangnam-gu, Seoul (the urban center, 43 species) and Namhan-sansung Area, Sansung-ri, Joongbu-myon, Kwangju Gun, Kyonggi Province (the urban periphery, 16 species). Distance between these sites was 13.5 km. The differences of budding, foliation, and flowering times (1997 versus 1998) were 10.9, 3.2, and 7.4 days, respectively. Species that budded and flowered earlier were strongly influenced by Nuttonson’s Index (Tn) of February and March, but those with later dates were only weakly influenced. Unlike for budding and flowering times, foliation time was determined by air temperature or other factors in the leaf-growing season rather than by Tn. The Tn influence over phenology was stronger in shrubs and lianas than in trees. Phenophases in Chungdam Park appeared earlier than those in the Namhansansung area. The phenological differences between the two areas were 7.3 days in budding time, 8.3 days in foliation time, and 10.2 days in flowering time in mean values, with variations among species. Based on flowering-time data, the phenological variation between the two areas was equivalent to a 2.5° latitude difference. Budding time varied the most (20 days) inZelkova serrate, compared with only 3 days forPrunus padus. Differences in foliation time ranged from 15 days (inAlnus hirsute andStyrax obassia) to 0 days (P. padus). Flowering time differences were largest (24 days) inRhododendron mucronulatum and smallest (2 days) inP. padus. One can conclude that heat pollution in the urban center in Seoul severely changed phenology, and that sensitivity to that pollution differed among plant species.     

关中平原城市群扩张对生态用地的多尺度影响

城市扩张与生态空间保护的矛盾是新型城镇化和国土空间规划过程中急需解决的问题之一。作为黄河流域生态保护与高质量发展的核心区域，关中平原城市群面临更加严峻的生态和资源胁迫。但相关研究主要对研究区整体的生态环境变化进行测度，少有研究分析城市群发展对生态用地的多尺度影响，且忽略了城市群中土地变化最剧烈，生态受胁迫最严重的城市边缘区。因此，基于土地利用数据，结合土地利用转移矩阵、景观指数、估算城市扩张间接影响的生态用地面积等方法，研究从城市群、重点城市和主要城市边缘区3个尺度分析1990-2018年城镇扩张对生态用地的直接和间接影响。结果表明：（1）关中平原城市群土地利用类型以半生态用地（耕地）为主，面积占比超过40%。而城市边缘区主要以半生态用地和建设用地为主。1990-2018年城市群建设用地面积比例由3.67%增长至5.93%，耕地面积共计减少3032.11 km²，自然生态用地的面积增加628.03 km²。受耕地占补、退耕还林等多重政策的影响，半生态用地和自然生态用地的变化呈现为"拉锯式"发展特征。（2）城市扩张对半生态用地的直接影响大于对自然生态用地的直接影响，各尺度土地利用转移变化大同小异，新增建设用地的主要来源均为耕地，其中城市边缘区的耕地受城镇扩张的挤占最为突出。（3）城市扩张对自然生态用地的间接影响大于直接影响，且不同城市建设用地对自然生态用地的间接影响因耕地补偿机制的不同而有所差异。因此，对关中平原城市群实施"一刀切"的耕地补偿政策实际上并不合理，应当因地制宜，考虑地区土地资源条件，适当调整发展和约束政策，更有利于城市群的可持续发展。     

Automated GIS-based derivation of urban ecological indicators using hyperspectral remote sensing and height information

Urban ecological indicators allow the objective and quantitative characterisation of ecological conditions in a spatially continuous way by evaluating the influence of urban surface types with respect to ecological functions and ecosystem services. Although the concept had already been developed in the 1980s, the variety of existing indicators had not been widely applied yet in urban planning practice, because of the high manual mapping effort that is required for spatially differentiated urban surface mapping. This paper presents a new automated remote sensing and GIS-based system for the flexible and user-defined derivation of urban ecological indicators. The system is based on automated surface material mapping using airborne hyperspectral image data and height information. Because the material classes obtained from remote sensing analysis differ in part from the surface types needed for the calculation of urban ecological indicators, they have been transformed into so-called linking categories representing the basis for the automated GIS-based derivation of urban ecological indicators. For this purpose, a computer-based system for flexible indicator derivation has been developed, allowing the user-defined integration of indicators based on the variable determination of mapping units, linking categories and respective weighting factors. Based on a comprehensive review of existing ecological indicators, 14 indicators have been selected and implemented in the system. To demonstrate the potential of the new system, a variety of indicators has been derived for two test sites situated in the German cities of Dresden and Potsdam, using city blocks defined by the municipal authorities as spatial mapping units. The initial mapping of surface materials was automatically performed on the basis of airborne hyperspectral image data acquired by the HyMAP system. The results of subsequent GIS-based indicator calculation were validated using results from field-based reference mapping that had been carried out for selected city blocks situated in both cities. An accuracy assessment for these reference city blocks has revealed mean errors of approximately 4%, confirming the suitability of the developed automated GIS-based system for flexible and efficient indicator calculation.     

Mismatches between ecosystem services supply and demand in urban areas: A quantitative assessment in five European cities

Assessing mismatches between ecosystem service (ES) supply and demand can provide relevant insights for enhancing human well-being in urban areas. This paper provides a novel methodological approach to assess regulating ES mismatches on the basis of environmental quality standards and policy goals. Environmental quality standards (EQS) indicate the relationship between environmental quality and human well-being. Thus, they can be used as a common minimum threshold value to determine whether the difference between ES supply and demand is problematic for human well-being. The methodological approach includes three main steps: (1) selection of EQS, (2) definition and quantification of ES supply and demand indicators, and (3) identification and assessment of ES mismatches on the basis of EQS considering certain additional criteria. While ES supply indicators estimate the flow of an ES actually used or delivered, ES demand indicators express the amount of regulation needed in relation to the standard. The approach is applied to a case study consisting of five European cities: Barcelona, Berlin, Stockholm, Rotterdam and Salzburg, considering three regulating ES which are relevant in urban areas: air purification, global climate regulation and urban temperature regulation. The results show that levels of ES supply and demand are highly heterogeneous across the five studied cities and across the EQS considered. The assessment shows that ES supply contributes very moderately in relation to the compliance with the EQS in most part of the identified mismatches. Therefore, this research suggests that regulating ES supplied by urban green infrastructure are expected to play only a minor or complementary role to other urban policies intended to abate air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions at the city scale. The approach has revealed to be appropriate for the regulating ES air purification and global climate regulation, for which well-established standards or targets are available at the city level. Yet, its applicability to the ES urban temperature regulation has proved more problematic due to scale and user dependent constraints.     

Plant ecological traits highlight the effects of landscape on riparian plant communities along an urban–rural gradient

Urban landscapes are characterized by an urban matrix often unfavorable for biodiversity, interspersed with remnant corridors such as riparian areas. Those are increasingly threatened by urban expansion and land use change worldwide. We investigated the effect of the two components, matrix versus corridor, by comparing the riparian plant diversity and the community-level ecological traits along an urbanization gradient. Species distribution was surveyed at a local-scale along an urban riparian corridor in Strasbourg, eastern France. Ninety plots were sampled along an urbanization gradient. Several plant metrics were measured using both plant richness (R) and mean ecological trait values of species weighted by their abundance (CWM). The surroundings of each plot were first described by selecting representative variables of matrix and corridor. Secondly, the distribution of plant species according to a given i ecological trait was analyzed in relation with different levels of urbanization. Using mixed effects models, we verified whether matrix or corridor variables best explain the distribution of traits. Three levels of urbanization were detected, termed urban, suburban and peri-urban, based on landscape composition. Neither the peri-urban nor the suburban level affected plant metrics. At the urban level, and whatever indicator value was considered, the CWMi metrics clearly decreased, whereas species richness Ri increased. The upstream distance to the nearest natural area and tree cover were the most influential variables on CWMi metrics, whereas Ri metrics were mainly driven by built component and landscape heterogeneity. Matrix variables were more important in explaining Ri metrics while corridor features affected CWMi metrics. These results highlight the preponderance of the corridor effect on plant ecological types and the importance of the matrix on the selection and/or the implantation of novel species. Thus, the urbanization gradient may operate simultaneously on the abundance of local species and impose the recruitment of new co-existing species. This study suggests that ecological type responds to the urbanization gradient and may be an alternative tool to understand plant distribution rather than plant diversity.     

An integrated approach to better define the concept and functions of Urban Biosphere Reserves

Abstract

The UNESCO-MAB Programme, and in particular the Biosphere Reserve Network, is described within the context of international strategies aimed at ecological sustainability in cities. An innovative acceptation of Biosphere Reserves for urban areas, based on the landscape ecology principle of the integration of natural, social, economic and cultural knowledge, is proposed. The interdisciplinary definition of structure and functions for Urban Biosphere Reserves envisages: (i) the inclusion of the whole metropolitan territory within the Reserve's boundaries; (ii) specific criteria for the delimitation of core areas and buffer zones in urban and periurban contexts; (iii) special focus on transition area requirements; (iv) the improvement in living conditions and a solution to the conflict between humans and the environment by enhancing and harmonizing the overall natural, economic, social and cultural qualities of cities; and (v) support for sustainable planning strategies on a local scale rather than the imposition of new conservation ties.     

Thermal sensation prediction by soft computing methodology

Thermal comfort in open urban areas is very factor based on environmental point of view. Therefore it is need to fulfill demands for suitable thermal comfort during urban planning and design. Thermal comfort can be modeled based on climatic parameters and other factors. The factors are variables and they are changed throughout the year and days. Therefore there is need to establish an algorithm for thermal comfort prediction according to the input variables. The prediction results could be used for planning of time of usage of urban areas. Since it is very nonlinear task, in this investigation was applied soft computing methodology in order to predict the thermal comfort. The main goal was to apply extreme leaning machine (ELM) for forecasting of physiological equivalent temperature (PET) values. Temperature, pressure, wind speed and irradiance were used as inputs. The prediction results are compared with some benchmark models. Based on the results ELM can be used effectively in forecasting of PET.