SWITCH in Birmingham, UK: experimental investigation of the ecological and hydrological performance of extensive green roofs

This paper summarises research based in the city of Birmingham, UK, into the ecological and hydrological performance of extensive green roofs designed to act as mitigation for the loss of brownfield habitat. It focuses particularly on possible trade-offs between design elements that maximise biodiversity potential, and design elements that maximise rainfall run-off management potential.     

顾及屋顶绿化的城市三维生态网络构建——以南京市中心城区为例

屋顶绿化作为一种新型绿色基础设施与基于自然的解决方案,已成为提升城市生态韧性与维持生物多样性的重要生态路径。然而,目前城市生态网络研究多关注二维的地面生态空间,而顾及屋顶绿化的三维生态网络构建研究尚不多见。以南京市中心城区为例,基于LiDAR、高分辨率遥感及建筑属性等多源数据,采用多因子叠置与电路理论等方法,构建了顾及屋顶绿化的城市三维生态网络整合分析框架：即采用多因子叠置方法,从建筑高度、屋面坡度、建筑年代、历史文化属性四个方面分析了屋顶绿化建设的适宜性;其次,结合建筑与植被三维结构特征数据,采用电路理论构建了有无屋顶绿化两种情景下的生态网络;最后,通过比较生态廊道数量、长度、平均阻力等指标分析了屋顶绿化对城市三维生态网络结果的潜在影响。研究结果表明：1）研究区有46.59%的屋顶适宜进行绿化,表明屋顶绿化具有很大的发展潜力。2）顾及屋顶绿化的生态廊道数量由205条增加到209条,生态网络总长度增加,单位长度阻力值减小,表明屋顶绿化能够显著提高城市生态空间的景观连通性、增加生态廊道密度,为高流动性生物提供重要的栖息地和垫脚石。3）屋顶绿化对城市生态网络优化的作用存在显著的空间差异,在城市中心区的优化作用最大,工业区次之,在生态良好片区优化作用较小。研究结果可为实现城市高密度区域地面生态空间与屋顶绿化空间的整合分析与统筹规划提供决策参考。     

生态智慧引导下的太原市棕地修复逻辑与策略

城市生态系统是一个复杂的人工系统,城市经过快速掠夺式的发展已经造成绿地生态空间锐减,水体资源缺乏且污染严重,热岛效应突出和城市棕地面积大且污染严重等一系列生态问题。以资源枯竭型城市内大量存在的棕地为研究对象,认为城市棕地的修复需要生态智慧的引导,在建立生态智慧引导的城市棕地修复逻辑和框架的基础上,结合太原市棕地生态修复实践,建立从棕地安全性修复、棕地功能修复和棕地景观修复的综合修复框架,提出分期分类多元化再生,分类利用城市功能活化,去棕还绿抗污染植物配置棕地修复的生态智慧策略。     

Heavy Metal Contamination in the Brownfield Soils of Cleveland

The results esults of a survey of heavy metal contamination at Cleveland area brownfields and public spaces are presented. Soils were analyzed using a 24?h, 1N HCl extraction procedure. The study was conducted to seek brownfield soils that manifest properties of “old” sequestered contamination and to develop a better understanding of the nature and extent of heavy metal burdens at brownfield sites in the Greater Cleveland area. The results indicated that Cleveland brownfields commonly yield soil burdens well above remediation triggers for residential soils and often yield values above industrial remediation triggers. It was also discovered that public areas in the vicinity of brownfields commonly have heavy metal contamination significantly above background levels and occasionally above residential remediation triggers. These results indicate that brownfields redevelopment initiatives should proceed with caution. The appropriate remediation goals or restrictions must be imposed to control urban exposure to heavy metal contamination.     

Importance of Backyard Habitat in a Comprehensive Biodiversity Conservation Strategy: A Connectivity Analysis of Urban Green Spaces

Connectivity has been an accepted goal in ecological restoration of wilderness areas for some time, but it is a relatively new approach in urban areas. The connectivity analysis presented here explores the numbers and patterns of corridors required to connect urban green spaces as part of an overall biodiversity conservation strategy. Green spaces in this study were weighted based on size and a habitat requirement of 0.5 ha for a hypothetical indicator species. Thirteen potential networks were evaluated using Gamma, Beta, and Cost Ratio indices. The study zone contained 54 green spaces (habitat nodes) with a combined area of 636.5 ha in a total urban area of approximately 2,600 ha. Several models (Travelling Salesman, Paul Revere, and Least Cost to User) were used to evaluate possible connections. These results indicated that at least 325 linkages are necessary to connect half of the nodes. Such large numbers of linkages are only feasible by enhancing the matrix of backyard habitat, planted boulevards, and utility rights‐of way found in a city. Strengthening such networks should work well to support the biota protected in urban parks and wildlife refuges and the seasonal migrants that sometimes depend on urban habitats for their survival.     

Scorpionfish rapidly change colour in response to their background

Urban areas are increasing worldwide, which poses threats to animal wildlife. However, in certain cases cities can provide refuges for endangered animals. The European green toad (Bufotes viridis) is one of such examples, which is known from cities throughout their distribution. In contrast, considerable areas of their former (primary) habitats have been degraded. The primary habitats of this species include steppes and wild river floodplains, both characterized by dynamic changes and the presence of open areas. We used available green toad observation data (2007–2020) to model the effects of land-use types on occurrence probability in the city of Vienna. Forest and densely populated areas were highly significantly negatively associated with green toad presence, while transformation/construction site areas showed a strong positive effect. Such occurrence pattern might be characteristic for early succession species, which depend on stochastic environmental disturbances (e.g., droughts and floods) in their primary habitats. We argue that urban landscape planning should appreciate the potential ecological value of open land in cities which is either in a transition phase or a permanent ‘wasteland’. Ecological managing of such landscape could vastly increase urban biodiversity.

     

Landscape ecology and urban biodiversity in tropical Indonesian cities

Indonesia has recently been faced with a number of great problems: poverty, natural disasters such as tsunami, earthquakes, flooding and typhoons, volcanic eruptions, loss of biodiversity, decreasing water quality and quantity, increased pollution, and aesthetic degradation of the landscape. These disturbances have been caused by rapid changes in land use and land cover, deforestation, the application of monoculture farming systems in commercial agriculture, urbanization, industrialization, and other types of infrastructure development. The government, urban communities and companies have promoted some programs to ameliorate the problem of environmental degradation. The government has ratified law no. 26/2007 as a commitment to sustainability; this law ensures that cities are obliged to provide green open spaces covering a minimum of 30% of urbanized areas. Many metropolitan cities have feverishly enacted policies to promote greening programs, such as those applied in Jakarta. However, a new town—Sentul City—has engaged in policies that aim to create a well-designed eco-city with urban greenery and ecological networks. This new policy is supposed to herald a better future for urban quality. It is expected that green spaces will provide environmental services: water resource management, biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, and landscape beauty.     

Digging the New York City Skyline: Soil Fungal Communities in Green Roofs and City Parks

In urban environments, green roofs provide a number of benefits, including decreased urban heat island effects and reduced energy costs for buildings. However, little research has been done on the non-plant biota associated with green roofs, which likely affect their functionality. For the current study, we evaluated whether or not green roofs planted with two native plant communities in New York City functioned as habitats for soil fungal communities, and compared fungal communities in green roof growing media to soil microbial composition in five city parks, including Central Park and the High Line. Ten replicate roofs were sampled one year after planting; three of these roofs were more intensively sampled and compared to nearby city parks. Using Illumina sequencing of the fungal ITS region we found that green roofs supported a diverse fungal community, with numerous taxa belonging to fungal groups capable of surviving in disturbed and polluted habitats. Across roofs, there was significant biogeographical clustering of fungal communities, indicating that community assembly of roof microbes across the greater New York City area is locally variable. Green roof fungal communities were compositionally distinct from city parks and only 54% of the green roof taxa were also found in the park soils. Phospholipid fatty acid analysis revealed that park soils had greater microbial biomass and higher bacterial to fungal ratios than green roof substrates. City park soils were also more enriched with heavy metals, had lower pH, and lower quantities of total bases (Ca, K, and Mg) compared to green roof substrates. While fungal communities were compositionally distinct across green roofs, they did not differentiate by plant community. Together, these results suggest that fungi living in the growing medium of green roofs may be an underestimated component of these biotic systems functioning to support some of the valued ecological services of green roofs.     

A multifunctional green infrastructure design to protect and improve native biodiversity in Rio de Janeiro

The city of Rio de Janeiro now covers what was formerly coastal Atlantic rainforest. Native biodiversity has been lost from most of the metropolitan area due to changes in land use, introduction of exotic species, and influence of foreign designs in public and private parks and gardens. This paper presents a multifunctional green infrastructure planning proposal to protect and regenerate native biodiversity in the last remaining natural ecosystem fragments in a watershed within the city’s limits. The proposal is based on social–ecological assessments and analyses. The watershed contains an extensive mangrove remnant surrounded by a protected massif partially covered by coastal Atlantic rainforest and is one of the very last productive landscapes where residents experience a strong sense of place. The strategy is to reconcile urban development with environmental achievements to conserve existing ecosystem patches, which will be connected by way of riparian corridors and other open spaces, such as streets, private yards and public areas, by using native species and ecological design. The green infrastructure framework is planned at the watershed scale. On a neighborhood and local scale, the plan is to promote public participation, develop new ecological aesthetics, encourage the planting of native species, and establish an innovative circulation system within a low-impact design framework to achieve various abiotic, biotic, and cultural goals. In addition to the economic benefits, accessible food production, rural tourism and ecotourism have the potential to unite people and nature within the city.     

城市化鸟类群落变化及其与城市植被的关系

持续而快速的城市化进程正在助长全球生物多样性的丧失,其中鸟类是城市生态系统的重要环节和城市生物多样性保护的重点目标,同时也是研究的热点内容。从城市环境变化压力下,鸟类群落组成与结构、空间分布和繁殖营巢方式的改变分析,重点介绍了支持城市地区鸟类多样性的植物环境因素与影响机制的最新研究成果。结果表明：1）城市中的植被和绿色空间为城市鸟类提供生存空间和食物资源,是城市鸟类最主要的栖息地。2）保留原生乡土植物和大型树木的地区能支持更丰富的鸟类物种。3）植被的结构和盖度对鸟类群落有显著影响。林冠覆盖率增加,复杂的垂直空间和多样的植物种类的组合产生各种不同类型的植物空间和栖息地类型,吸引不同的鸟类物种,相应地也会导致更丰富的鸟类群落。总之,保持和加强城市中植物环境良好和稳定是保护城市生物多样性的有效手段。据此,提出城市环境与鸟类群落关系研究的未来发展方向,指出了其在鸟类多样性保护和城市可持续发展等领域的应用前景。     

高度城市化地区屋顶绿化径流调控效益评价——以厦门岛为例

屋顶绿化的降雨径流调控效益对城市水安全与可持续发展具有重要作用,尤其是在土地资源紧缺与环境问题突出的高度城市化地区,然而目前针对城市尺度进行屋顶绿化降雨径流调控效益的研究较少。以厦门岛142 km~2的典型高度城市化地区为研究对象,采用ArcGIS与SCS-CN水文模型,研究了四种屋顶绿化实施场景在四种不同重现期(2、5、10、20年)降雨事件下各汇水区屋顶绿化的降雨径流调控效益,并依其空间分异特征制定差异化生态建设策略。结果显示,(1)平均地表径流减少率随城市屋顶绿化量的增加从0.91%增加至4.51%,随降雨强度的增加从2.86%下降到2.01%。屋顶绿化对南部城市核心区中山路商圈汇水区的地表径流削减作用最为显著,在2年重现期降雨事件和100%屋顶绿化实施场景下地表径流减少了8.84%。(2)厦门岛易积水区域主要分布在高崎机场、西北部港口、筼筜湖、五缘湾和环岛路;在四种屋顶绿化实施场景下,平均积水深度降低1.68、4.68、6.45、14.43 cm,平均积水面积减少6.11、16.89、23.29、52.06 hm~2,而随着降雨强度的增加,积水面积减少率幅度降低,屋顶绿化对中低...     

醴陵市绿色屋顶生态系统服务潜力评估及规划

近年来,生态系统服务评估逐渐地被运用到城市绿色基础设施的规划建设当中,发掘能提供高生态效益的绿色屋顶潜力区域是增加城市生态空间有效途径.以提供城市空气净化、雨水截留、生物栖息地、热环境调节四个方面的生态服务为目标,借助GIS平台确定醴陵市绿色屋顶生态空间潜力区域并提出规划策略,为醴陵市以绿色屋顶形式完善城市生态空间结构...     

基于MSPA与最小路径方法的巴中西部新城生态网络构建

目前快速城市化导致了生境斑块的日益破碎化,景观之间的连通性不断降低。构建生态网络可以连接破碎的生境斑块,增加绿地景观的连通性,对生物多样性保护具有重要意义。以高度景观破碎化的四川省巴中西部新城为研究区,采用形态学空间格局分析(MSPA)方法,提取出对研究区生态网络构建具有重要生态意义的核心区和桥接区两类景观要素,并选用整体连通性(IIC)、可能连通性(PC)和斑块重要性(d I)等景观指数,分别对核心区和桥接区进行景观连接度评价,遴选出对维持景观连通性贡献最大的10个核心区生境斑块作为生态网络的源地,并根据斑块对维持景观连通的重要性程度将其他核心区和桥接区进行类型划分,以此作为景观阻力的赋值依据,融入消费面模型中,最后采用最小路径方法构建了研究区潜在的生态网络,并基于重力模型对重要生态廊道进行了识别与提取,在此基础上有针对性地提出了生态网络优化的对策。研究结果表明,MSPA方法能够科学的辨识出研究区内对生态保护具有重要意义的结构性要素,例如作为物种栖息地的核心区和物种迁移通道的桥接区,这些要素是生态网络的重要组成部分;景观连通性的计算,明确了研究区景观要素的保护重点,为最小路径方法中的景观阻力赋值提供了重要的参考信息;基于MSPA与最小路径方法的生态网络分析框架综合了现有景观结构性要素识别、连通性分析以及物种潜在迁移路径分析等方法,将景观中潜在的生态源地和结构性廊道的连通性作为构建生态网络的重要基础和主要依据,从而使得生态网络的构建更科学。研究结果可为高度破碎化地区生态网络的构建提供重要的参考与依据,对其他地区生态网络的构建也具有一定的借鉴意义。     

如何在北京充分实现受胁鸟类栖息地保护?

实现有效生物多样性保护的关键在于提升生物多样性丰富的人口密集区的保护效率。北京人口密集且生物多样性丰富, 存在3类具有生态保护功能的区划——自然保护区、生态保护红线和限制建设线。上述区域可视为生态保护潜力区。本文以在北京有分布的30种受胁鸟类为主要对象, 探讨现有生态保护潜力区对这些物种栖息地的覆盖程度, 并对如何改善上述受胁鸟类栖息地的保护状况进行了建议。根据物种对栖息地的选择, 基于高分辨率卫星解译的土地利用类型图, 利用最大熵模型(MaxEnt)掩膜栖息地分布图, 得到各受胁鸟类的预测空间分布。叠加这些分布获得北京受胁鸟类丰富度分布格局并进行验证。依据物种丰富度高低, 将受胁鸟类栖息地划分为一至四级(最重要的栖息地是一级栖息地, 以此类推)。同时, 依据地表覆盖类型和人类活动强度高低将北京市域划分为城市建成区、乡村生境区和自然生境区。分别计算3类保护潜力区对上述3类区域以及四级栖息地的覆盖面积比例。结果表明: (1) 95.64%的一级关键栖息地和86.32%的二级关键栖息地分布在乡村生境区, 但仅有0.69%和15.15%的乡村生境区分别被自然保护区和生态保护红线覆盖; (2)未受到自然保护区和生态保护红线覆盖的一、二级关键栖息地主要为水域和沼泽地等湿地、高覆盖度草地和部分耕地, 以及含有较高比例水体的大型城市绿地。基于以上结果, 我们建议至少在一定区域内试行如下保护措施: (1)严格保护湿地及其周边的高覆盖度草地, 确保面积不减少; (2)维持基本农田规模和粮食种植模式; (3)将乡村生境区位于河道附近的水域、沼泽地、高覆盖草地和灌木林纳入生态保护红线范围; (4)在公园绿地中划定生物多样性保护区; (5)优化平原地区林地结构。以上措施将使北京的受胁鸟类栖息地得到更好保护, 为中国东部人口密集区生物多样性保护提供示范。     

基于生态单元制图的宝鸡市城区生物多样性保护规划研究

为探寻适合我国城乡生物多样性保护的有效措施和方法,以宝鸡城区为研究对象,通过实地调研和室内制图相结合的研究方法,创建一套融入植被结构因子(植被水平结构因子、植被优势种的年龄因子、植被垂直结构因子、林木类型因子)的生态单元分类系统,将研究区域内的城市绿地现状以图谱形式表示。通过对不同植被结构的绿地中维管束植物物种丰富度的对比,以检验此分类系统在城乡生物多样性信息采集中的有效性。基于制图信息和检验结果,分析研究区域内绿地空间结构存在的问题并针对宝鸡市城乡生物多样性保护提出相应策略,以期为今后我国城乡生物多样性保护提供理论依据和实践方法。     

Planning and design of ecological networks in urban areas

Urban ecological networks are defined differently in ecology, urban planning and landscape ecology, but they all have linearity and linkage in common. Early urban representations evolved from the constraints of deep ecological structure in the landscape to built elements that must work around natural linear obstacles—rivers, coastlines, dunes, cliffs, hills and valley swamps. Village commons were linked by roads. The Industrial Revolution led to accelerating urban growth, where the role of open space focussed on public health and transport. The Renaissance, Baroque and Picturesque movements accentuated networks in wooded parks, boulevards and sweeping riverine vistas. These provided a new aesthetic and sense of grandeur in the urban centres of European empires and later their colonies. Grafted onto this visual connectivity has been an awakened ecological understanding of spatial dynamics. The emergent notion of ecological corridor functionality provided support for green linear features, although initially this was based on untested theory. The idea of organisms moving along green highways seemed logical, but only recently has unequivocal empirical evidence emerged that demonstrates this functionality. Nevertheless, the main role of corridors may be to provide habitat rather than to act as connectors of nodal habitats. Most organisms can utilise stepping stones, and these may accommodate desired meta-populations while deterring pest movement. Swale drains and treatment wetlands provide riparian services and serve as biodiversity corridors. However, to most people the obvious function is visual—providing green fingers through what would otherwise be urban grey. The health benefits of these are have been demonstrated to be psychological as much as biophysical.     

城市绿地类型的划分及其在生态城市建设中的意义和作用

根据生境和绿地功能把城市绿地划分为10个类型,并阐述了这些类型的组建和管护问题。10个绿地类型包括保护区,植物园,城市公园,城市片林,街心花园、草坪和花坛,道路两旁绿化区,庭园绿地,房顶、墙壁、凉台和室内的绿化,村落生态经济园及生态农业景观。根据归属部门、管理级别、保护对象、管理对象及监控类型的不同,对保护区进行了进一步的划分。城市绿地分类系统的建立既能把城市建设与生物多样性保护相结合,也有助于生物多样性公约的实施,并在维护城市生态安全、美化城市环境、建立具有特色的生物多样性产业、开展生态旅游和生态教育培训、繁荣地方经济和提高当地人民生活水平等方面有重要意义。     

城市绿地的生态环境效应研究进展

工业化的快速发展和城市化进程的加剧,使得城市生态环境的破坏和污染愈来愈严重,加速了城市的“生态环境危机”.城市绿地能够通过植被的光合作用、吸收作用、隔离阻挡作用、蒸腾以及蒸散作用改善城市的生态环境.目前研究主要集中在降温、增湿、固碳释氧、降噪、抗污染、生物多样性保护等6个方面.关于城区绿地对6种生态环境要素的改善程度、影响范围、机理问题以及不同植被种类生态环境效应的差异情况等,国内外学者都进行了大量详细的研究.基于传统实地观测数据进行城市绿地的生态环境效应研究是目前主要使用的研究方法,部分学者开始使用遥感技术手段研究城区绿地的降温增湿效应.在总结和分析前人研究成果的基础上,从研究内容的不同着手,主要总结并系统评估了目前关于城市绿地6种生态环境效应的研究,为今后相关研究提供参考.     

基于栖息地的城市湿地公园生物多样性特征与指标研究

城市湿地公园具有与湿地类似的生态功能和典型特征,对城市地区的生物多样性保护具有重要意义。本文对不同地区的城市湿地公园进行研究,包括不同气候类型、使用年份和面积大小等不同方面,并对野生动物栖息地特别是鸟类栖息地进行了数据统计和分类分析。通过文献研究、数据统计和比较分析,探索城市湿地公园生物多样性保护指标体系的基本组成及其相关性。本文写作目的是建立适当的城市湿地公园栖息地评估标准,支持生态中国建设。     

Ecological risk assessment of urban stormwater ponds: Literature review and proposal of a new conceptual approach providing ecological quality goals and the associated bioassessment tools

Stormwater ponds are a common feature of the urban landscape in many countries with advanced stormwater management. Built to control the impacts of urbanization in the form of increased runoff flows, volumes and pollution loads, stormwater ponds are exposed to strong anthropogenic pressures. Meanwhile, as open water systems, they represent new aquatic habitats potentially enhancing the biodiversity of urban areas and balancing the transformation of original ecosystems existing prior to urbanization. In the current context of sustainable development, assessing the ecological risks of stormwater ponds serving as aquatic habitats is therefore crucial for ensuring both the preservation and rehabilitation of biodiversity in urban areas. During the last decade, ecological risk assessments applied to stormwater ponds lacked adoption of integrated interdisciplinary approaches. This prevented advances in developing adaptive methodologies for assessing the ecological quality of stormwater ponds and for providing quality objectives for the management of these facilities. Also, the application of established integrated assessment methodologies, such as the Sediment Quality Triad widely used in North America, based on comparisons with reference sites, is challenged by the man-made features of urban stormwater ponds. The search for a more specific and effective methodology led to the proposal of supplementing the Sediment Quality Triad with the Oligochaete methodology, which was developed and standardized in France for determining the biological status of sediments in stagnant water ecosystems. The benefits of this approach are discussed in a conceptual framework providing ecological quality goals for urban stormwater ponds.