Heavy Metal Contamination in Urban Surface Soil of Klang District (Malaysia)

This study aimed to determine bioavailability of heavy metal concentrations (Al, Fe, Zn, Cu, Co, Cd, Pb and Cr) in 76 urban surface soil samples of Klang district (Malaysia). This study also aimed to determine health risks posed by bioavailability of heavy metals in urban soil on adults and children. For bioavailability of heavy metal concentrations, a physiologically bioavailability extraction test in vitro digestion model was used. Mean values of bioavailability heavy metal concentrations for this study were found to be the highest in Al (25.44 mg/kg) and lowest in Cr (0.10 mg/kg). Results of Spearman correlation coefficient (r) values showed significant correlations were observed for Al-Fe (r = 0.681), Cd-Co (r = 0.495), Cu-Zn (r = 0.232), Fe-Pb (r = 0.260), Fe-Zn (r = 0.239). For cluster analysis, output showed that these heavy metals could be classified into four clusters: Cluster 1 consisted of Cd, Cr, Co, and Pb; Cluster 2 consisted of Zn and Cu; Cluster 3 consisted of Fe; and Cluster 4 consisted of Al. For Clusters 1 and 2, anthropogenic sources were believed to be the sources, while for Clusters 3 and 4 the heavy metals originated from natural sources. Health risks were determined in adults and children through health risk assessment. For adults, Hazard Quotient (HQ) value was <1, indicating no non-carcinogenic risk, while for children, the HQ value was >1, indicating a non-carcinogenic risk. Meanwhile, for carcinogenic risk, heavy metal contamination in the Klang district might not pose a carcinogenic risk to adults while it may pose a carcinogenic risk to children because TR values in this study were >1.0E-04 for children. Output has identified the general health risk in the Klang district. Moreover, this study's findings will contribute to fill in the gap of knowledge on heavy metals' impacts on human health and urban development in the Klang District.     

Mapping urban ecology education in the UK

Abstract

Urban ecology has matured as a field of investigation. This paper explores how well it has transitioned into the educational curricula of UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) by mapping the presence of urban ecological or environmental topics across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The prevalence of different topics, the level at which they are taught, and the disciplinary areas in which they are housed, are quantified. Urban ecological topics are found in programmes across 50 of 147 HEIs (34%), mainly taught in ancillary fashion to support wider subjects, though some specialist modules and even programmes do exist. Only one HEI incorporates a compulsory (core) dedicated urban ecology module at undergraduate level. Much urban ecology teaching takes place at advanced undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Applied topics are usually taught from an environmental science perspective, with common examples including urban hydrology, climate, and green infrastructure; probably to address global concerns about urban sustainability and resilience. In particular there is scope for greater incorporation of urban ecology topics and themes into biological and ecological programmes, and utilising cities as labs to explore these topics. The paper concludes with a discussion of some of these possibilities.     

基于系统动力学的城市住区形态变迁对城市代谢效率的影响

改革开放以来我国的城市化率急速提高,城市住区形态变迁呈现出大规模、翻新频率快和多样化的特点。研究不同城市住区形态变迁前后的代谢效率变化,对我国的可持续人居环境构建有着重大的意义。运用功能分类法设计了城市代谢系统分类框架作为构建城市代谢系统动力学模型的基础,继而通过对住区与住区形态的文献调研与形态分析,将典型住区类型分为旧式住区、传统单位住区、普通商品房住区、新式商品房住区与半城市化住区。选择厦门市为研究区域,采用调查问卷进行了数据收集,并用能值分析法计算出不同住区类型的代谢效率,随后用Vensim软件构建了住区形态变迁对城市代谢效率影响的系统动力学模型。通过情景模拟后发现:住区形态的更迭过程基本上都会带来福利效率的提升,但在很多情况下会给城市整体物质代谢效率带来负面影响,交通效率与住房效率的下滑是最主要的原因。旧式住区向半城市化住区转变是仅有一个城市整体物质代谢效率提高的情景。半城市化住区和普通商品房住区向新式商品房住区转变的情景下,城市整体物质代谢效率的下降幅度与福利效率的增长幅度都较为适中。     

A case study in resort climatology of Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Tourists often use weather data as a factor for determining vacation timing and location. Accuracy and perceptions of weather information may impact these decisions. This study: (a) examines air temperature and dew points from seven exclusive resorts in the Phoenix metropolitan area and compares them with official National Weather Service data for the same period, and (b) utilizes a comfort model called OUTCOMES—OUTdoor COMfort Expert System—in a seasonal appraisal of two resorts, one mesic and one xeric, compared with the urban Sky Harbor International Airport first-order weather station site in the central urban area of Phoenix, Arizona, USA (lat. 33.43°N; long. 112.02°W; elevation at 335 m). Temperature and humidity recording devices were placed within or immediately adjacent to common-use areas of the resorts, the prime recreational sites used by guests on most resort properties. Recorded data were compared with that of the official weather information from the airport station, a station most accessible to potential tourists through media and Web sites, to assess predicted weather for vacation planning. For the most part, Sky Harbor’s recorded air temperatures and often dew points were higher than those recorded at the resorts. We extrapolate our findings to a year-round estimate of human outdoor comfort for weather-station sites typical of resort landscapes and the Sky Harbor location using the OUTCOMES model to refine ideas on timing of comfortable conditions at resorts on a diurnal and seasonal basis.     

Urban Areas and Isolated Remnants of Natural Habitats: An Action Proposal for Botanical Gardens

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) advocates an increase of the number of botanical gardens throughout the world as one of the measures that can help to preserve the world's biodiversity. To implement this strategy, the present work brings forward a suggestion particularly suited to tropical regions: establishing municipal botanical gardens. It refers to the experience of a newly opened municipal botanical garden in Brazil, comparing its attractive power on visitors to that of other botanical gardens included in the Brazilian network of Botanical Gardens. It also presents considerations on in situ conservation in small remnants and on the importance of urban reserves to preserve the regional biodiversity and spread the conservationist philosophy. The present proposal promotes the participation of local communities making the public opinion more aware and active, besides being able to counterbalance proposals that support protecting the world biodiversity through interventionist actions. It assumes that, through actions planned and coordinated by regional and national botanical garden networks, the measure proposed can mitigate the anthropic actions exerted on important natural reserves all over the world.     

熵权模糊综合评价法在城市生态安全评价中的应用

为了拓新城市复合生态系统生态安全评价方法的研究,根据压力-状态-响应模型,构建了一个有3个要素和33项具体指标的城市生态安全水平度量的指标体系,并运用客观的熵权法赋权、模糊综合评价法以及划分的等级标准对我国5个经济发达城市的生态安全水平进行量化分析.结果表明,苏州市和北京市对“较安全”级别的隶属度最大,分别为0.376和0.286;深圳市、上海市和广州市则处于“临界安全”状态.另外,深圳市具有较大的系统压力,苏州市的系统状态和系统响应表现最优.与其它评价方法相比,该方法评价过程简易,结果定量和相对客观可信.     

The spontaneous flora around street trees in cities—A striking example for the worldwide homogenization of the flora of urban habitats

Cities are well known as rich in vascular plant species. To evaluate the importance of this richness for global biodiversity it is necessary to know the degree of homogenization of the city flora at a continental or even worldwide scale. Therefore, we looked for a habitat type that is typical urban and which is represented in nearly all cities of the world: the area around street trees (“Baumscheiben”). The spontaneous flora of this habitat was recorded in seven West and Central European metropolises situated in six countries and in Baltimore (USA). To test for floristic homogenization, the dissimilarity among the Baumscheiben Flora in the European cities was compared with dissimilarity among relevés of the potential natural vegetation in the cities. On average 81 species were found growing on Baumscheiben in each of the European cities. 29 species (i.e. more than one third of the total) were found in every city, 59 species (i.e. 74%) were represented in at least four of the seven cities. The obvious homogenization of the flora of this habitat is confirmed by low total variation among European Baumscheiben. Furthermore, the dissimilarity among Baumscheiben was much lower than among the potential natural vegetation (forests) around these cities. There is not only low variation between the Baumscheiben flora of the seven European metropolises analyzed, but also great similarity to the Baumscheiben flora of Baltimore: 80% of the species found on Baumscheiben in Baltimore also belong to the spontaneous flora of most European cities and 26% even belong to the group of the most common species of West and Central European tree bases.     

广州市城区公园对周边环境的降温效应

城市化的快速发展使得大量的人造建筑物取代了自然地表,极大的改变了城市的热环境,加速了城市的"热岛效应",给人类的身体健康、生活环境带来许多危害。以公园为主体的城市绿地通过植被的光合作用、蒸腾以及蒸散作用降低温度、增加湿度,是缓解城市热岛效应的有效途径之一。选取广州市城区17个公园作为研究对象,使用TM遥感影像反演公园周边温度,分析了公园周边温度的分布情况。研究表明,在一定范围内,公园周边温度与公园边界点温度的温差随着其远离公园边界距离的增大而增加,且增长趋势逐渐减缓,近似于一条过原点的三次多项式;公园的平均降温范围与公园绿地面积存在显著的正相关关系,拟合曲线近似于一种对数形式增加;水体面积比例较大的公园,比同等条件下水体面积较小的公园降温效果好;而长宽比较大(≥2)的公园,即使公园面积较小,降温效果也较明显。首次对广州市城区公园周边温度分布规律进行了定量研究,研究结果对像广州这样的大城市生态规划尤其是公园规划设计具有实质性的指导意义,也可为世界其他类似地区、城市进行公园规划设计提供重要的理论依据和参考价值。     

Multiple hypotheses testing of fish incidence patterns in an urbanized ecosystem

Ecological and evolutionary theories have focused traditionally on natural processes with little attempt to incorporate anthropogenic influences despite the fact that humans are such an integral part of virtually all ecosystems. A series of alternate models that incorporated anthropogenic factors and traditional ecological mechanisms of invasion to account for fish incidence patterns in urban lakes was tested. The models were based on fish biology, human intervention, and habitat characteristics. However, the only models to account for empirical patterns were those that included fish invasiveness, which incorporated species-specific information about overall tolerance and fecundity. This suggests that species-specific characteristics are more important in general distributional patterns than human-mediated dispersal. Better information of illegal stocking activities is needed to improve human-mediated models, and more insight into basic life history of ubiquitous species is needed to truly understand underlying mechanisms of biotic homogenization.     

Decorative Landscaping Rock as a Source for Heavy Metal Contamination,Las Vegas,Nevada

Recent drought coupled with population growth throughout the southwestern United States has increased the demand for water-efficient landscaping alternatives. As a result, xeriscaping has become a popular approach to landscaping in arid climates. Currently, no regulations control the mineralogy of decorative rocks that are used in these applications. Eight public sites were examined in Las Vegas, NV, where green and white salt crusts appeared on recently emplaced decorative rocks. The landscaping rocks, underlying soil, surface salt crusts, irrigation water runoff, and plants were analyzed for mineralogy and/or chemistry. Pyrite and high levels of copper were identified in the decorative rock. Acid-rock drainage caused by pyrite oxidation has concentrated copper in salt efflorescences, and As, Cu, Mo, Pb, and Cr in plant tissues. These metals are not known to occur naturally in Las Vegas Valley soils, and our results indicate that their source is the landscaping aggregate. These highly soluble salt crusts have the potential to contaminate the environment, and increase the risk of human exposure. Additionally, expenses resulting from plant mortality and infrastructure damage due to increased sulfate production are undesirable. This research supports the development of regulations preventing the use of sulfide-bearing rocks in future landscaping applications.