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In 1949, a lumber executive and city alderman in Charleston, South Carolina, named Alfred O. Halsey produced a visually unique map of the Charleston peninsula. The map highlights the fluctuations and changes of the urban landscape through time and traces the contours of historic events in the city. Although his depiction is compelling, tapping into a dialectical understanding of the city landscape, there are distinct cultural forgettings and silences in the map particularly in terms of the city's long historical trajectory of racial inequality and systemic violence. The following discussion both unpacks Halsey's dialectical vision of the peninsula, and indicate a space where archaeology can intervene in the gaps and silences in an act of memory-work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generalist wildlife species often thrive in urban environments because of increased anthropogenic resources. However, human-wildlife interactions, especially if negative, raise concerns for urban wildlife management. An enhanced understanding of wildlife behavioural flexibility has been suggested to be a key tool to provide educated and effective management strategies. We therefore investigated how availability of semi-naturally occurring food affected behavioural foraging patterns of urban vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus), a generalist primate commonly found in urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Over one year, we conducted 20 min. focal animal observations recording foraging behaviour and food consumption. We used a combination of a generalised linear model and descriptive statistics to examine the relationship between anthropogenic food consumption and semi-natural food availability. Our analyses showed that anthropogenic food consumption decreased as semi-natural food availability increased. We also showed that increased aggression from humans towards vervet monkeys decreased time spent foraging on anthropogenic food. Our study highlights how vervet monkeys have adapted to their urban landscape, showing foraging flexibility in response to available food resources and the frequency of human interactions. We suggest how our results can be applied for management recommendations, particularly controlling anthropogenic food availability and decreasing negative human-wildlife interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban areas are increasing globally causing fragmentation and loss of habitats for many forest dwelling species. At the same time new habitats are created, which may be exploited by species with a broad ecological tolerance. Bats form the largest mammal group living in cities in Central Europe. Species diversity might be higher in some cities compared to rural areas. Yet, habitat-specialists struggle with rapid landscape change and urban development. The Bechstein's bat Myotis bechsteinii is dependent on old growth deciduous forests that supply tree cavities to roost in. The use of small home ranges requires high prey abundance around roosts. Despite their habitat specialization we identified two Bechstein's maternity colonies within the metropolitan area of Frankfurt/Main (Germany). The colonies numbered 25 and 31 adult females respectively. We radio tracked individuals from both colonies (n = 14) and compared their habitat use to that of females (n = 79) of 11 colonies from rural woodlands. We identified a total of 29 roosts used by the two maternity colonies during summer. Roost choice of the urban forest colonies was similar to the rural forest colonies with a preference for oak trees with woodpecker holes. The distances between roosts were similar between urban and rural colonies. Habitat selection was strongly towards old forest patches. We emphasize the importance of the persistence of old forest islands within urban areas to support remaining bat colonies with a network of bat areas, similar to the important bird areas (IBAs). Specialized species that fail to adapt to the rapid changes may survive within the urban environment relying on old forest patches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is occurring and is influencing biological systems through augmented temperatures, more inconstant precipitation, and rising CO2 in the atmosphere. For sustainable landscaping, it was essential to assess the diversity of native/wild grasses and their suitability for turf and to combat the salinity problem in the region. For this purpose, a native halophytic grass, Aeluropus lagopoides, was investigated by conducting mowing tests on its ecotypes during the year 2014–2016 under desert climatic conditions. The research was carried out in two phases, i.e. Phase-I was for collection and establishment of ecotypes from various parts of UAE, while in Phase-II, mowing tests were conducted. During mowing tests, 50 ecotypes of A. lagopoides were given various mowing treatments (i.e. they were cut back at 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-cm heights) in field conditions. Significant differences were found among various ecotypes for different agronomic parameters such as ground cover, canopy stiffness, leaf number, clippings fresh and dry weights and internode length. Overall, the grass exhibited better performance at mowing heights of 3 and 4 cm, which are the standard mowing heights for turfgrasses. Ecotypes FA5, RA3, RUDA2, RUDA7 and RUADA1 of A. lagopoides showed the best performance against mowing shock and became the candidates for the turfgrass varieties from the native Arabian flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian flying fox Pteropus giganteus (Brünnich, 1782) is one of the largest fruit bats (Pteropodidae) in the world. However, studies on seasonal variations and influence of weather parameters on diurnal roosting of this species in urban areas are almost non-existent. We carried out this study in a major urban landscape of India to determine which weather parameters influence diurnal roosting behaviours of Indian flying fox. Behavioural data was assessed through scan sampling method. Sleeping, thermoregulatory, locomotion and communicative behaviour, all of which varied significantly, showing highest incidences of sleeping followed by thermoregulatory, locomotion and communicative behaviours. Sleeping was negatively related with thermoregulatory, locomotion and communicative behaviours; thermoregulatory behaviour was positively related with locomotion and locomotion with communicative behaviour. Except sleeping, all other behaviours were positively related to temperature and were higher in summer than winter. Cloud cover negatively influenced sleeping and positively influenced thermoregulatory and locomotion behaviour; humidity negatively influenced thermoregulatory behaviour and rainfall negatively influenced locomotion behaviour of Indian flying foxes. Our findings might be useful for conservation of diurnal roosting sites of fruit bats in many urban landscapes in the recent scenario of changing climate and rapid urbanization throughout the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reflect ecosystem services in environmental policies, it is necessary to assess multiple ecosystem services as well as the correlations among them in complex urban landscapes. Although landscape multifunctionality based on different land use statuses and intensity cause variations in the ecosystem services of complex urban landscapes, research that connect the urban landscape multifunctionality in terms of ecosystem services and urbanization processes is limited. In this study, we assessed ecosystem services and their correlations using correlation and principal component analysis. Then, we identified the urban landscape multifunctionality using ecosystem service bundles with diversity and capacity indices in two coastal cities of South Korea. Subsequently, five landscapes were categorized according to ecosystem services, which reflected landscape multifunctionality in accordance with urbanization levels. The provision of ecosystem services is affected by levels of urbanization from coast areas toward forest areas with increase in diversity and capacity indices. This study contributes to realistically examining the dimensions of regional ecosystem services within complex landscapes with land use changes. The results will support effective management plans and could be applied to other landscapes at various spatial scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the densest cities in the world, Manila suffers from constant population overflow. Hardly any spot in the urban landscape is unpopulated. Successive governments argue that the population overflow has crippled or arrested the potential of Metro Manila. In response, governments have resorted to resettlement, displacing urban poor populations and emplacing them often in far-flung and desolate sites. While the justifications for resettlement projects have gradually changed in the past half-century, we argue that its practice constitutes certain continuities—the conscious and constant attempt to establish and maintain urban divides around binary notions of order/disorder, purity/danger, and wealth/poverty. While resettlement projects often fail to produce the desired outcomes, they still have effects. In the paper, we hone in on different scales of effects, namely the transformation of progressive politics; reconfigured class relations in Manila as well as in the resettlement sites; and the transformation of spatial-temporal configurations and modes of belonging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Biophony is the acoustic manifestation of biodiversity, and humans interact with biophony in many ways. However, quantifying biophony across urban landscapes has proven difficult in the presence of anthrophony, or sounds generated by humans. Improved assessment methods are required to progress our understanding of the processes influencing biophony across a variety of spatial–temporal scales. Objectives: We aimed to identify how the landscape influences biophony, as well as the total acoustic environment, along an urban to rural gradient. We designed the study to quantify how soundscape–landscape relationships change across a variety of spatial–temporal scales. Methods: We recorded the afternoon acoustic environment during the spring of 2016 at 30 locations in the city of Innsbruck, Austria using a spatially balanced random sampling design. We quantified the total acoustic environment with the sound exposure level (SEL) metric, and developed a new metric, percent biophony (PB), to quantify biophony while avoiding noise bias. We quantified relationships with land cover (LC) classes, as well as a landscape index, distance to nature (D2N), across 10 scales. Results: D2N within 1280 m best predicted PB, while both the LC class trees and D2N within 40 m best predicted SEL. PB increased more throughout the spring at locations with more natural surrounding LC, while PB did not change significantly at locations with more urban surrounding LC. Conclusions: LC and composite indices can serve as reasonable predictors for the acoustic environment; however, the relationships are scale dependent. Mapping soundscapes can help to illustrate possible driving mechanisms and provide a valuable tool for urban management and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the intimate mechanisms underlying urban growth and the resulting impact on local-scale landscape structures is an intriguing issue worldwide. Metropolitan expansion in the last decades resulted in (more or less) scattered settlements consuming (or degrading) semi-natural areas devoted to agriculture and forestry. This process has progressively led to multi-faceted landscape configurations influenced by different socioeconomic, demographic, cultural and political factors. At the same time, lack of comparable information among metropolitan areas prevents a comprehensive investigation of patterns and processes of urban expansion. Based on these premises, our study investigates the micro-scale structure of urban landscapes using a spatially-explicit analysis based on Geographic Information Systems tools. This approach was applied to a comparative, fine-grained analysis of landscape structures in three Southern European metropolitan areas characterized by different socioeconomic contexts (Barcelona, Rome and Athens). Results of this paper shed light on the intrinsic linkage between landscape structure and social functions, providing an informed knowledge of land-use transformations in contemporary cities. Rethinking complex interactions between contemporary landscapes and the (evolving) socioeconomic background is particularly urgent in urban contexts characterized by weak planning systems and limited participation to land-use decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the interrelationship of mosquito communities and land use changes is of paramount importance to understand the potential risk of mosquito disease transmission. This study examined the effects of land use types in urban, peri-urban and natural landscapes on mosquito community structure to test whether the urban landscape is implicated in increased prevalence of potentially harmful mosquitoes. Three land use types (park, farm, and forest nested in urban, peri-urban and natural landscapes, respectively) in Klang Valley, Malaysia, were surveyed for mosquito larval habitat, mosquito abundance and diversity. We found that the nature of human activities in land use types can increase artificial larval habitats, supporting container-breeding vector specialists such as Aedes albopictus, a dengue vector. In addition, we observed a pattern of lower mosquito richness but higher mosquito abundance, characterised by the high prevalence of Ae. albopictus in the urban landscape. This was also reflected in the mosquito community structure whereby urban and peri-urban landscapes were composed of mainly vector species compared to a more diverse mosquito composition in natural landscape. This study suggested that good environmental management practices in the tropical urban landscape are of key importance for effective mosquito-borne disease management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analytical evaluation of urban landscapes is a time-consuming and difficult process as it concerns a large number of components in a complex network of interactions. Studies are either very general and superficial, or unidirectional and in-depth based on certain indicators. For this reason, suitability analyses based on analytic hierarchy process (AHP) create an appropriate framework for evaluating multicomponential urban landscapes systematically. The purpose of this research is to establish an important framework for sustainable landscape planning decisions by comparing it with the artificial topography, population density and biotope characteristics evaluated in the context of microclimatic occurrences in urban landscapes. For this purpose, artificial topography was analyzed by means of AHP according to slope–aspect and elevation criteria. These criteria (slope–aspect–elevation) used to evaluate the artificial topography were preferred for having the potential to represent microclimatic formations such as wind corridor, shading and runoff that affect the decisions on urban landscape planning and management significantly. Artificial topography suitability map obtained was compared to biotope types and population density in research area. In regions with high population density topography compliance is low. In appropriate areas, the building and park biotopes attract attention. These findings indicate that green roof-façade systems should be introduced in such areas and ecological balances should be considered in park design. A balanced distribution of building stock gardens influenced the quality of life positively. It was seen that suitability of topography addressed with regard to life quality and microclimatic comfort is inversely proportional to population density. It was determined by evaluating the relationship of artificial topography with urban biotopes that the predominant biotopes in the areas with high suitability of topography such as garden and grove have high ecological value. Artificial surfaces, such as roads and buildings, gain weight in the areas with high population density and unsuitable urban topography. Considering all of these findings, it was concluded that artificial urban topography is an important indicator for interpreting the relationship with habitat-population density and taking decisions on planning and management of urban landscapes which are in a rapid transformation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization may negatively affect forest obligate bat species. We compared the roosting behavior of federally endangered Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) in a fragmented site, located on the leading edge of a developing urban area (Indianapolis, IN), with a site of relatively contiguous forest cover in Indiana, USA, during the summers of 2013–2015. Bats in both sites used large standing dead trees and bat boxes with low levels of overhead canopy closure (fragmented site: 26.1 ± 11.0%, contiguous site: 20.1 ± 7.3%) as primary roosts (large groups of bats resident over many days). Between the 2 sites, secondary roosts (individual bats or small groups resident for only a few days) differed in canopy closure at the roost-scale (fragmented site: 66.9 ± 5.1%, contiguous site: 37.1 ± 9.3%); secondary roosts in the contiguous site resembled solar-exposed primary roosts. Bats in the fragmented site switched roosts less often (1.7 ± 0.5 switching events/bat, 5.8 ± 1.7 days of use/roosts) and traveled shorter distances between roosts (702 ± 211 m) than bats in the contiguous site (2.3 ± 0.6 switching events/bat, 2.4 ± 0.4 days of use/roosts; 1216 ± 337 m between roosts). This suggests that the fragmented site may have had low densities of available roosts, which may help explain the heavy use of bat boxes by bats in the fragmented site. These data suggest that urban populations of Indiana bats behave differently than those in rural areas, which managers should consider while managing for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bottom-up approaches are often presented as a remedy to environmental governance problems caused by poorly aligned social institutions and fragmented ecosystems. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence demonstrating how such social–ecological fit might emerge and help achieve desirable outcomes. This paper combines quantitative social–ecological network analysis with interviews to investigate whether bottom-up approaches in lake governance improve the fit. We study groups of residents seeking to improve management of a network of lakes in Bengaluru, India. Results show that 23 'lake groups' collaborate in a way that aligns with how lakes are hydrologically connected, thus strengthening the social–ecological fit. Three groups founded around 2010 have mobilized support from municipal officers and introduced an ecosystem-based approach to lake management that recognizes their ecological functions and dependence on, the broader hydrological network. These groups have also changed how other lake groups operate: groups founded after 2010 are more collaborative and more prone to contribute to social–ecological fit compared to the older lake groups. This paper demonstrates the utility of a theoretically informed method for examining the impact of bottom-up approaches, which, we argue, is important for a more informed perspective on their relevance and potential contribution to urban environmental governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Cities are a challenging habitat for obligate nocturnal mammals because of the ubiquitous use of artificial light at night (ALAN). How nocturnal animals move in an urban landscape, particularly in response to ALAN is largely unknown. Objectives: We studied the movement responses, foraging and commuting, of common noctules (Nyctalus noctula) to urban landscape features in general and ALAN in particular. Methods: We equipped 20 bats with miniaturized GPS loggers in the Berlin metropolitan area and related spatial positions of bats to anthropogenic and natural landscape features and levels of ALAN. Results: Common noctules foraged close to ALAN only next to bodies of water or well vegetated areas, probably to exploit swarms of insects lured by street lights. In contrast, they avoided illuminated roads, irrespective of vegetation cover nearby. Predictive maps identified most of the metropolitan area as non-favoured by this species because of high levels of impervious surfaces and ALAN. Dark corridors were used by common noctules for commuting and thus likely improved the permeability of the city landscape. Conclusions: We conclude that the spatial use of common noctules, previously considered to be more tolerant to light than other bats, is largely constrained by ALAN. Our study is the first individual-based GPS tracking study to show sensitive responses of nocturnal wildlife to light pollution. Approaches to protect urban biodiversity need to include ALAN to safeguard the larger network of dark habitats for bats and other nocturnal species in cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Tree canopy connectivity is important for supporting biodiversity. In urban landscapes, empirical examinations of habitat connectivity often overlook residential land, though yards and gardens often comprise a large portion of urban forests. Objectives: We quantify structural composition (patches and paths), connectivity and fragmentation of an entire tree canopy network spanning 1220 Boston's neighborhoods to assess the configuration of the urban forest potentially affecting tree-dependent wildlife species, such as some birds and arboreal mammals. Methods: The urban landscape was classified by land use, and residential yards were further subdivided into front yards, backyards, and corner yards. Structural composition, connectivity and fragmentation of the tree canopy was assessed using morphological spatial pattern and network analysis. Canopy metrics were then related to the land use of 349,305 property parcels. Results: Back yard tree canopy cover was 65.23%. The majority of canopy links were on residential land (60.95% total), and particularly in backyards. Back yards contained the highest number of canopy fragments (48.65% total). Fragmentation of the canopy network peaked at ~ 23% of total canopy cover. Canopy fragmentation, distance among patches and their shape complexity were lower in neighborhoods with more tree canopy. Conclusions: The important role that yards have in sustaining canopy connectivity across urban landscapes poses challenges and opportunities. Urban land management and planning need to protect connectivity links within urban forests when located on private residential realm. A prioritization strategy aimed at expanding urban tree cover could focus on yards to ensure that urban landscape connectivity is maintained and increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial ecosystems across the world experience large-scale and widespread urbanization, causing a sharp decline, fragmentation and segregation of natural landscapes. Nevertheless, fragments of natural habitats that are found within the largest cities may still be capable of preserving high species diversity that amount to a large portion of the regional biodiversity. Knowing which variables of the urban landscape promote the conservation of species' assemblages in large cities helps us to implement measures that support biodiversity conservation. We sampled the butterfly assemblages of eight urban forest fragments in Curitiba (Southern Brazil), from September 2015 to April 2016. At each site, richness, diversity and composition of butterflies were estimated and then correlated to nine landscape variables measured at two spatial scales (buffers of 250 and 750m). A total of 298 species were recorded in these fragments, representing 53.7% of all species known to occur in the city. Despite of great difference in the size of the fragments (between 27 and 56.3 ha), there were no significant differences in species richness among the fragments. On the other hand, some significant correlations were observed between landscape variables and butterfly composition other than the fragment itself, such as the paved area and total forested area present around the fragments. These results reinforce the idea that the conservation of natural fragments in urban areas requires public policies that enhance not only the habitat quality of the fragment itself, but also enrichment of the landscape around them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many nonhuman primates adjust their behavior and thrive in human-altered habitats, including towns and cities. Studying anthropogenic influences from an animal's perspective can increase our understanding of their behavioral flexibility, presenting important information for human–wildlife cohabitation management plans. Currently, research on anthropogenically disturbed wildlife considers either positive or negative aspects of human–wildlife encounters independently, highlighting a need to consider potential interactions between both aspects. Vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) are a suitable species to address this gap in research as they tolerate urbanization; however, they are understudied in urban landscapes. We conducted this study in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, where vervet monkeys are commonly found throughout the anthropogenic landscape. Here we determined, from a monkey's perspective, how the frequency and nature of human–monkey interactions, both positive (human food availability) and negative (human–monkey aggression), affected vervet monkey ranging patterns in an urban environment. We assessed the movement patterns of three groups of urban vervet monkeys over 1 year, analyzing both 95% and 50% kernel density estimates of their home ranges alongside daily path lengths and path sinuosities every month using generalized linear mixed models. Overall, we found that human interactions within the urban landscape affected all measures of ranging to some degree. The core home ranges of vervet monkeys increased with a higher rate of positive human encounters, and their total home range increased with an interaction of both positive and negative human encounters. Furthermore, vervet monkeys were less likely to respond (i.e., increase daily path length or path sinuosity) to human aggression when food rewards were high, suggesting that effective management should focus on reducing human food foraging opportunities. Our results highlight the complex interplay between positive and negative aspects of urban living and provide guidance for managers of human–nonhuman primate interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization has aggravated the urban thermal risk and highlighted the urban heat island (UHI) effect. To improve understanding on the effect of urbanization on the UHI effect, it is essential to determine the relationship between the UHI effect and the complexities of urban function and landscape structure. For this purpose, 5116 urban function zones (UFZs), representing the basic function units of urban planning, were identified in Beijing. Land cover and land surface temperature (LST) values were extracted based on remote sensing data. UFZ, land cover, and LST were used to represent the urban function, landscape, and UHI characteristics, respectively. Then, the effects of urban function and landscape structure on the UHI effect were examined. The results indicated that the urban thermal environment exhibited obvious spatiotemporal heterogeneity due to the variation of urban function and landscape complexity: (1) UFZs showed significantly different LST characteristics for different functions and seasons, and the mean LST gap among different types of UFZ can reach 1.72–3.85 °C. (2) During warm seasons, the UHI region is mainly composed of residential, industrial, and commercial zones, while recreational zones contribute as an important UHI source region during cold seasons. (3) Urban developed land and forest are the most important landscape factors contributing to the UFZ effect in the urban thermal environment. These findings have useful implications for urban landscape zoning to mitigate the UHI effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In four habitats of the city of Kaluga, 64 ground beetle species were found. Only 17 species have a complete demographic structure in at least one of the habitats. These species are considered residential and form a stable component in the taxocenoses studied. Only 5–9 species were resident in the habitats considered. The labile component (migrants and sporadic species) were more diverse in all the habitats. The stable component was significantly more abundant than the labile component. Apparently, no more than half of the Carabidae species found in cities are permanent inhabitants of urban landscapes. The composition of the stable and labile components in Carabidae taxocenoses in Kaluga is more similar to that in the taxocenoses of the azonal habitats. At the same time, the urban taxocenoses of ground beetles are formed mainly by the species of the nearest zonal communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment samples were collected from urban zones in Ekaterinburg over the course of a year in order to analyze the gross beta activity. The bulk samples were categorized into three size groups: dust, fine sand, and coarse sand. A small amount of the obtained samples was used to develop a new method for measuring the concentration of gross-beta activity. The results show a statistically significant trend in beta-activity as the dust size of the samples increased between winter and autumn. The observed dependencies reflect geochemical processes in the formation and transportation of urban sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Urbanization is a global change which deeply impacts landscapes. Long studied through transects along urbanization gradients, ecological response to urbanization can now be investigated precisely using direct GIS-based measures. Ecological responses are strongly scale-dependent as both large- and fine-scale environments drive species distributions. Objectives: To bridge the gaps regarding the effect of multiple scales on the distribution of biodiversity in the context of urbanization, the present study questions how urbanization structures the distribution of Tetramorium ants at different spatial scales. Methods: Based on model averaging procedures, we investigated ~ 1400 individuals belonging to four Tetramorium species at four distinct spatial scales, from urban microhabitat (1 m around the nest) to urban landscape (500 m around the nest) in 19 urban gradients in South-eastern France. Results: The probabilities of occurrences of Tetramorium caespitum and T. immigrans simultaneously depended on urbanization at the landscape and local scales, with T. caespitum avoiding urban microhabitats and impervious landscapes whereas T. immigrans favored them. These multi-scale impacts of urbanization were species-dependent as T. moravicum was associated with nonurban landscapes only, and T. semilaeve showed no association whatever the tested variables. Conclusions: These results highlight the importance of considering several spatial scales simultaneously to study the impact of urbanization on species distributions. The highly contrasted responses to urbanization of T. immigrans and T. caespitum may indicate niche partitioning processes driven by urbanization. The future monitoring of the distribution range dynamics of these two species should provide insightful information into the impact of urbanized landscapes on species distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The urban gradient concept has been applied widely to test biological responses to urbanization. However, a general understanding of the effects of urbanization has remained elusive, largely due to inconsistencies in the definition of 'urban'. Moreover, ambiguities about how to measure urban gradients exist, despite well-established best practices in landscape ecology of landscape gradient definition. Objectives: To describe current practices of urban gradient definition and characterize how existing approaches compare to established best practices. In particular, we seek to evaluate the extent to which a single decision framework exists across gradient definitions. Methods: We reviewed 250 urban ecology focused research articles that invoke the urban gradient concept. For each, we recorded metrics related to the methodological process of urban landscape quantification. Results: Our review revealed striking methodological consistency aligning with the best practices of gradient definition: (1) the selection of features representative of the urban landscape, (2) identifying associated data to characterize features, and (3) selection of an appropriate spatial scale. Apparent inconsistencies in urban gradient definition, thus, reflect ecological context of the study (i.e. species, location). This decision framework can be synthesized into a standardized landscape gradient framework that promotes candid reporting and justification for, decisions made regarding landscape features, data selection and processing, and spatial scale. Conclusions: As the global human population grows, it is imperative to understand ecological processes in urban regions to create socially and ecologically sustainable cities. Practicing the transparent decision framework described herein will help to standardize methods, and improve consistency in urban ecology research, and better understand the process underlying ecological patterns in human dominated landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanisation has contributed to significant biodiversity loss, yet, urban areas can facilitate biodiversity conservation. For instance, there is evidence of urban trees supporting natural establishments of orchids, the most species-rich plant family on Earth. However, the germination niches—which include both suitable biophysical conditions and orchid mycorrhizal fungus/fungi (OMF)—are not sufficiently known for most species, especially tropical epiphytic orchids. The fate of their dispersed seeds is poorly understood as well. We conducted fungal baiting and seed sowing experiments, next-generation sequencing, generalised linear models, and seed viability tests to detect and identify potential OMF, investigate biophysical factors that influenced OMF availability and orchid germination, and assess seed longevity. Ceratobasidiaceae- and Serendipitaceae-associated OMF were successfully detected in three of four orchid species. In general, orchid species and humus presence had significant effects on OMF availability. Orchid species and temperature were predictive of germination. Post-experiment viability tests revealed that one orchid species, Grammatophyllum speciosum Blume, may produce long-lived seeds. The results suggest that urban trees can support OMF and orchid germination, but both processes are limited by biophysical factors. This study also indicates the possibility of seed persistence among epiphytic species. As orchid germination niches are complex and tend to be unique to individual species, we do not encourage generalisations. In contrast, species-specific information can help formulate useful recommendations towards conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Urbanization is a substantial force shaping the genetic and demographic structure of natural populations. Urban development and major highways can limit animal movements, and thus gene flow, even in highly mobile species. Characterizing varying species responses to human activity and fragmentation is important for maintaining genetic continuity in wild animals and for preserving biodiversity. As one of the only common and wide-ranging large wild herbivores in much of urban North America, deer play an important ecological role in urban ecosystems, yet the genetic impacts of development on deer are not well known. Objectives: We assessed genetic connectivity for mule deer to understand their genetic response to habitat fragmentation, due to development and highway barriers, in an increasingly urbanized landscape. Methods: Using non-invasive sampling across a broad region of southern California, we investigated genetic structure among several natural areas that were separated by major highways and applied least-cost path modelling to determine if landscape context and highway attributes influence genetic distance for mule deer. Results: We observed significant yet variable differentiation between subregions. We show that genetic structure corresponds with highway boundaries in certain habitat patches, and that particular landscape configurations more greatly limit gene flow between patches. Conclusions: As a large and highly mobile species generally considered to be well adapted to human activity, mule deer nonetheless showed genetic impacts of intensive urbanization. Because of this potential vulnerability, mule deer and other ungulates may require further consideration for effective habitat management and maintenance of landscape connectivity in human-dominated landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The response of rare species to human land use is poorly known because rarity is difficult to study; however, it is also important because rare species compose most of biodiversity, and are disproportionately vulnerable. Regional bee pollinator faunas have not been assessed for rarity outside of Europe. Therefore, we do not know to what extent anthropogenic landscapes support rare North American bee biodiversity. Objectives: We ask how richness and abundance of bee species respond to land use, within quartiles of species defined by their numerical, phenological, and geographical rarity. Methods: We conducted a field study to sample bee communities in forested, agricultural, and urban landscapes replicated across a large spatial extent of the northeastern United States. We used large independent data sets to classify observed bee species according to three forms of rarity: their numerical rarity (low regional frequency in a museum-based data set), phenological rarity (short flight season length) and geographical rarity (small range size). Results: For all three forms of rarity, we found half as many rare bee species in agricultural landscapes compared to forest. We found half as many phenologically rare species in urban landscapes. Bees that had both shorter flight seasons and smaller range sizes were between one-third and one-half as rich in both types of anthropogenic landscapes, regardless of regional frequency. Conclusions: Although a minority of rare bee species were found in anthropogenic landscapes, our overall conclusion is that the native vegetation of our region, forest, is critical for supporting rare bee biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities position themselves to compete in the global economy using large-scale entrepreneurial interventions, which have the potential to significantly alter urban landscapes (Harvey 1989). Within this broad urban entrepreneurial approach, it is useful to reflect on localised knowledge production processes and the actors and power embedded in them, which result in particular urban development outcomes in cities. This paper analyses a spatial planning exercise, the Back of Port (BoP) Project, initiated in Durban in 2007 by its administrative entity eThekwini Municipality, and produced by local consultants, which reflects a particular form of urban entrepreneurialism. The BoP Project aimed to increase the competitiveness of the Durban port through improving city infrastructure, addressing congestion at the port-city interface and ensuring economic growth in the city, in a highly contested and political space. The resultant knowledge production process and the spatial framework that was produced, were shaped by global urban policy and the politics and practices of local government, civil society organisations and the knowledge fields of specialist consultants. The BoP spatial planning exercise reveals how urban policy is unfolding in a city in the South, in response to global processes of urban economic development, national imperatives and local challenges. The research reveals that knowledges associated with an economic and functional discourse-coalition became hegemonic, whilst counter-hegemonic knowledges around social and environmental justice struggled to frame the spatial plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing and new public symbols in Durban have been the source of much contestation. Here, the focus is on two state-led instances of urban inscription: the renaming of streets and the installation of a group of elephant statues. Public dissention over the rationale, selection and implementation process of new road names was vocal and signs bearing the revised names were defaced. The completion of the elephant statutes was hampered by political intervention, raising concerns regarding the role of art and politics and their relative influences in the landscaping of the city. Engagements between government, politicians and the broader citizenry highlight the power relations invested in urban landscapes, as well as competing notions of place. By examining these struggles, this paper explores the ongoing negotiation of representation in the contemporary South African city and thereby signals the ways in which identity formation is enmeshed in the politics of urban transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In the Pacific Northwest of North America, research addressing lentic-breeding amphibian population vulnerability has emphasized aquatic habitats, frequently neglecting terrestrial habitats. Consequently, wetland protection and restoration often fails to preserve or restore adjacent uplands required by lentic-breeding amphibians. Inattention to the juxtaposition and connectivity of uplands to wetlands could locally extirpate lentic-breeding amphibians. The objective of this research is to identify the relative importance of juxtaposed terrestrial and aquatic habitats in a lentic-breeding amphibian, the northern red-legged frog ( Rana aurora), by evaluating the relationship between its occurrence and abundance with its aquatic and terrestrial habitats. To accomplish this, egg mass counts were used to quantify R. aurora populations in 30 stillwater habitats across an urbanization gradient. Using a Geographic Information System, seven descriptors of aquatic and surrounding terrestrial habitats were measured to evaluate their relationships to R. aurora occurrence and abundance. Results: Rana aurora occurrence and breeding abundance both reflect the forested area around wetland breeding sites and forest connectivity to those sites. Rana aurora breeding abundance also strongly reflects the percent of forested perimeter around wetland breeding sites. The forest habitat most important for R. aurora breeding abundance seems to be > 200 m from the breeding wetlands. The American bullfrog presence and the two aquatic parameters measured, wetland area and vegetated area, were unrelated to R. aurora occurrence and breeding abundance. Conclusions: Area and connectivity of juxtaposed forested terrestrial habitat may represent a basic control on R. aurora presence and population size. Urban development policies should consider preservation and restoration of upland forest habitats beyond current fixed-width buffers and wetland habitat area at landscape scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Connectivity is fundamental to understanding how landscape form influences ecological function. However, uncertainties persist due to the difficulty and expense of gathering empirical data to drive or to validate connectivity models, especially in urban areas, where relationships are multifaceted and the habitat matrix cannot be considered to be binary. Objectives: This research used circuit theory to model urban bird flows (i.e. 'current'), and compared results to observed abundance. The aims were to explore the ability of this approach to predict wildlife flows and to test relationships between modelled connectivity and variation in abundance. Methods: Circuitscape was used to model functional connectivity in Bedford, Luton/Dunstable, and Milton Keynes, UK, for great tits ( Parus major) and blue tits ( Cyanistes caeruleus), drawing parameters from published studies of woodland bird flows in urban environments. Model performance was then tested against observed abundance data. Results: Modelled current showed a weak yet positive agreement with combined abundance for P. major and C. caeruleus. Weaker correlations were found for other woodland species, suggesting the approach may be expandable if re-parameterised. Conclusions: Trees provide suitable habitat for urban woodland bird species, but their location in large, contiguous patches and corridors along barriers also facilitates connectivity networks throughout the urban matrix. Urban connectivity studies are well-served by the advantages of circuit theory approaches, and benefit from the empirical study of wildlife flows in these landscapes to parameterise this type of modelling more explicitly. Such results can prove informative and beneficial in designing urban green space and new developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seedling recruitment shapes tree communities, including those found in altered landscapes such as urban forests. However, little data exists on local- and broad-scale tree seed immigration and recruitment in these communities. Interspecific competition and seed predation are two major causes of recruitment failure for plants. In North American urban forests, these pressures may be exacerbated by an altered disturbance regime and prevalent invasive species combined with dense populations of rodents and browsers. Preliminary investigation in an urban forest on the eastern shore of Lake Erie indicated very low long-term tree seedling recruitment in the mature canopy stands. Our competing hypotheses were that seed establishment (habitat suitability) and seed limitations (seed availability) explained the tree recruitment failure. We tested seed establishment using field experiments (burning and vertebrate herbivore exclosures) and seed limitation by introducing native tree seeds. Moreover, we tested also seed limitation by examining local and regional seed input using seed traps. We found that seedling recruitment increased significantly with experimental reductions in predators and competitors, suggesting strong biotic establishment limitations in the urban forest. In addition, seed rain correlated significantly with immediately proximate parent plants, but no species arrived beyond what occurs within 50 m of the experimental plots. Essentially, then, the existing canopy species are not replacing themselves and extant seeds are not immigrating to replace them. At the patch scale, habitat quality, particularly seed predation and browsing, as well as competition from nonnative understory shrubs, constrained native tree recruitment in the urban forest. At the landscape scale, the evidence of poor long-term seed recruitment and the lack of long-distance seed input also suggest low native tree seed availability. The tree recruitment failure suggests that, in the absence of active management, this urban forest may eventually convert to an invasive-species dominated urban shrubland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several species of the ambrosia beetle Euwallacea (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) cultivate Ambrosia Fusarium Clade (AFC) species in their galleries as a source of food. Like all other scolytine beetles in the tribe Xyleborini, Euwallacea are thought to be obligate mutualists with their fungal symbionts. Published diversification-time estimates suggest that the Euwallacea - Fusarium symbiosis evolved once approximately 21 million years ago. Female Euwallacea possess paired oral mycangia within which foundresses transport their Fusarium symbiont vertically from their natal gallery to new woody hosts. During the past two decades, exotic Asian Euwallacea - Fusarium mutualists have been introduced into the United States, Israel and Australia. Because these invasive pests attack and can reproduce on living woody hosts, they pose a serious threat to native forests, urban landscapes and the avocado industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Markets were integral to the development of Charleston's urban landscape, and the interaction between African Americans and market spaces shaped Charleston. The archaeology of the South Carolina low country highlights African Americans' role in Charleston's market economy and the significance of this economy in forging an African American cultural identity, the Gullah. The linkage between markets and African American space in Charleston persists, and these connections indicate that markets and the market economy have deep-seated meanings to the Gullah. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The creation of the urban built landscape is perhaps one of the most dramatic examples of anthropogenic environmental change. This paper explores the creation of the urban landscape in downtown Boston during the early 18th century. Archaeological excavations next to Faneuil Hall, Boston's iconic market building, recovered evidence for land-making processes and the filling of Town Dock. The macrobotanicals, pollen, faunal remains, and insects in the landfill reveal, at very different scales, the changing nature of the urban environment from the area immediately around the site to the broader region. A study of these data in the context of the filling of Town Dock thus provides a detailed view of human actions in the creation and structuring of the urban landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Understanding how landscape components affect the urban heat islands is crucial for urban ecological planning and sustainable development. Objective: The purpose of this study was to quantify the spatial pattern of land surface temperatures (LSTs) and associated heat fluxes in relation to land-cover types in Beijing, China, using portable infrared thermometers, thermal infrared imagers, and the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer. Methods: The spatial differences and the relationships between LSTs and the hierarchical landscape structure were analyzed with in situ observations of surface radiation and heat fluxes. Results: Large LST differences were found among various land-use/land-cover types, urban structures, and building materials. Within the urban area, the mean LST of urban impervious surfaces was about 6-12 °C higher than that of the urban green space. LSTs of built-up areas were on average 3-6 °C higher than LSTs of rural areas. The observations for surface radiation and heat fluxes indicated that the differences were caused by different fractions of sensible heat or latent heat flux in net radiation. LSTs decreased with increasing elevation and normalized difference vegetation index. Conclusions: Variations in building materials and urban structure significantly influenced the spatial pattern of LSTs in urban areas. By contrast, elevation and vegetation cover are the major determinants of the LST pattern in rural areas. To alleviate urban heat island intensity, urban planners and policy makers should pay special attention to the selection of appropriate building materials, the reasonable arrangement of urban structures, and the rational design of landscape components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper, which focuses upon the analysis of street names and public monuments in the central area of Budapest, leads us to consider how the fundamental and far-reaching under-girdings of literature (world literature, the very system of writing, literary art, literary institutions) ultimately influence the portayal of the cityscape and the very representation of the city. In such evocations of Budapest, one discovers that description and depiction constitute, above all else, a conduit for political content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estonian literature of the late nineteenth century is examined in terms of its various and often questionable depictions of the town of Tallinn. Such representations appear in several stories as well as in the first Estonian city-novel. The townscape that emerges from such writings is controversial: it is seemingly divided into different spaces, and each encounter brings with it some sort of conflict. In this optic, we, as readers, witness the perceptions of the city through the lens of given writers at a given moment in literary history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many polylectic bee species are known to specialize locally on one or a few pollen types to increase foraging efficiency. What is relatively unknown is how different landscapes influence foraging decisions, and whether habitat alteration, such as that resulting from urbanization, influences broad-scale foraging activities of bees. This study evaluates the type and diversity of pollen collected by two solitary bees that are common in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the native Osmia pumila and the exotic O. caerulescens, sampled in trap nests set up in urban parks and gardens. We found that the dominant pollen in every successful brood cell was either of one widespread, cosmopolitan lawn-invasive plant species ( Trifolium repens) or one of two wind-pollinated tree genera ( Quercus spp. and Betula spp.). In combination, these three represented more than 90 % of all pollen collected by each bee species. Despite considerable overlap in the dominant pollen types collected by each bee species, the exotic O. caerulescens was significantly more specialized than the native O. pumila. Brood cells with Betula as the dominant pollen type were more pollen species-rich than those cells having Trifolium or Quercus as dominant, perhaps a result of the comparatively low protein content in Betula pollen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bogotá, the capital of the Republic of Colombia, is a tropical highland city located 2,650 m above sea level. It is the 25th largest city in the world and, among large cities, is also one of the highest. In common with other cities in Latin America, a large part of its urban growth during recent centuries has been unplanned and informal. The introduction of green spaces into urban planning in Bogotá began in the mid-20th century, but was first included in official legislation during the 1990s through the concept of Ecological Main Structure (EMS). Initially developed by Dutch scholars, EMS was brought to Colombia via biological conservation practitioners as a means of enhancing biological connectivity in rural and natural landscapes, extended in this case to urban landscapes as a top-level planning instrument. EMS originally included a variety of components, from protected areas and biological conservation tools to environmental urban elements - the emphasis being on biodiversity conservation, without sufficient recognition of specific urban structures and functions. This process led to conceptual disciplinary-based divergence and conflicting political interpretations. The current emergence of EMS as a planning tool for urban regions represents an opportunity for integration, although the risk of divergent interpretations remains, as no integrative conceptual framework has yet been developed. In this paper we review the concepts underlying EMS that have been incorporated within urban and regional planning, especially those of ecological networks and green infrastructure, and also diagnose conceptual and institutional barriers to its current integration, challenges and opportunities which are set in the context of an emerging urban region. We propose a trans-disciplinary framework for multi-level integration of EMS, along a gradient from wild environments to built structures that incorporates emerging concepts such as urban biodiversity, ecosystem services and design in the urban landscape, with the aim of contributing to the creation of an urban landscape that is resilient to environmental change and suitable for human well-being and adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work investigates the everyday experience of urban landscapes to explore the individual meanings associated with landscape encounters aiming to provide greater clarity regarding the role/functioning of everyday environmental elements within the urban scene. In particular, it explores the concept and formation of ‘loops’, i.e. the reflexive cycles of sensory input and construction of meaning associated with engagement in the landscape, how they are specific to individual experience and the subsequent positive, meaningful outcomes. Ideas are developed through the presentation of two researched case studies involving the collection of qualitative data which involve - residents’ perceptions of street trees in a residential environment in SW England and - user experience of the central canal-scape of Birmingham, UK. It considers how users react to these landscapes, how their use supports individuals in terms of their personal identities and their requirements to engender a highly positive interaction. The study uses data derived from a variety of methodologies, including survey questionnaires, interviews, walking-and-talking methods, as well as self-narrated walking to present a range of information. The findings suggest that a shift change is required in the ways that we evaluate users’ experiences of the environment to consider impact in the specific context of individual identities, to embrace methodologies which are capable of revealing their deep meaning and importance of these elements to the individual. Ideas are summarised to help explain the formation of perception loops that are associated with high levels of interaction/synergy between the environment and the individual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Notable historical events are most commonly commemorated by state-sanctioned monumental structures designed as collective memorials. In contrast, this essay attends to Gunter Demnig's Stumbling Stones, a countermemorial to the Holocaust, set in the vernacular landscape of cities throughout Europe. As participants in a trip sponsored by the German government, bringing American Jews to the capital city of Berlin, we reflect upon our experiences as we question the narrative differences between monumental memorials and countermemorials. This ethnographic study moves the reader through the crowded boulevards of Germany's capital city, past historical sites and into museums where we share space and commune with the voices of the past that have come to define individual and collective memory in Berlin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cities are social-ecological systems characterized by remarkably high spatial and temporal heterogeneity, which are closely related to myriad urban problems. However, the tools to map and quantify this heterogeneity are lacking. We here developed a new three-level classification scheme, by considering ecosystem types (level 1), urban function zones (level 2), and land cover elements (level 3), to map and quantify the hierarchical spatial heterogeneity of urban landscapes. Methods: We applied the scheme using an object-based approach for classification using very high spatial resolution imagery and a vector layer of building location and characteristics. We used a top-down classification procedure by conducting the classification in the order of ecosystem types, function zones, and land cover elements. The classification of the lower level was based on the results of the higher level. We used an object-based methodology to carry out the three-level classification. Results: We found that the urban ecosystem type accounted for 45.3% of the land within the Shenzhen city administrative boundary. Within the urban ecosystem type, residential and industrial zones were the main zones, accounting for 38.4% and 33.8%, respectively. Tree canopy was the dominant element in Shenzhen city, accounting for 55.6% over all ecosystem types, which includes agricultural and forest. However, in the urban ecosystem type, the proportion of tree canopy was only 22.6% because most trees were distributed in the forest ecosystem type. The proportion of trees was 23.2% in industrial zones, 2.2% higher than that in residential zones. That information "hidden" in the usual statistical summaries scaled to the entire administrative unit of Shenzhen has great potential for improving urban management. Conclusions: This paper has taken the theoretical understanding of urban spatial heterogeneity and used it to generate a classification scheme that exploits remotely sensed imagery, infrastructural data available at a municipal level, and object-based spatial analysis. For effective planning and management, the hierarchical levels of landscape classification (level 1), the analysis of use and cover by urban zones (level 2), and the fundamental elements of land cover (level 3), each exposes different respects relevant to city plans and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Europe, the debate on the recovery of the historic centres has been developed, over the years, around the balance between conservation and transformation needs in order to meet the new demands of the contemporary world. In the field of urban planning, the strictly conservative and binding approach has gradually been supported by flexible and consensual mechanisms that act as a stimulus to private initiative in the redevelopment and regeneration of the historic urban landscape. The consolidated Italian experience in the policies for the protection and enhancement of historical settlements is being significantly innovated after the entry into force of the Urbani Code, which extends the character of landscape heritage to the historic urban fabric, transferring to the regional authorities the task of establishing the specific regulations for its use and transformation. The Region of Sardinia has achieved an important role in the implementation of policies for the recovery and redevelopment of the historic centres identified by the Regional Landscape Plan (RLP). The common and consolidated practice is still characterized by the use of traditional regulative instruments, in particular the detailed plan, which provide rules for the requalification of the compromised urban fabrics through a set of rules and guidelines to be applied to the replacement of recent buildings and the renovation of urban patterns that for density, ratios between solids and voids, heights, alignments and elevations are incompatible with the values of the context. The constraint and binding approach is effective in the conservation strategies but often inadequate to implement actions of integrated redevelopment of urban fabric altered by new buildings in contrast with the historic urban landscape features, also due to the global crisis situation and the shortage of public funding. The paper proposes the use of the non-financial compensation tool, based on the granting of bonus development rights to realising on site or in alternative locations, in order to encourage urban regeneration projects that also involve the replacement of buildings incompatible with historical urban landscape morphological patterns. The integration of a methodology for assessing the financial feasibility of the demolition and reconstruction of the incompatible structures in the planning process, as tested in the case study of Villasor municipality, has allowed the elaboration of a model to support the use of a compensation mechanism for the redevelopment of historical settlement values. In this perspective, the paper aims to investigate the opportunities provided by market-oriented and flexible approaches to support and promote private urban regeneration projects. In particular, it illustrates the experimental results of a methodology for the analysis of the urban fabric that takes into account the factors influencing the feasibility of the intervention of demolition and reconstruction of the incompatible buildings. Finally a model for the assessment of any bonus in terms of additional building capacity is suggested, to be granted to private operators as an incentive to ensure the cost-effectiveness of the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the acceleration of urbanization, the heat island effect, as a prominent feature of urban climate, has attracted more attention. Differences in urban landscape patterns have an essential impact on the urban thermal environment. The objective of the study is to examine the impact of urban landscape types and patterns on surface temperature. Taking Zhengzhou City, China, as an example, using Google Earth remote sensing images, an urban landscape type map was created, and landscape indices were calculated. The land surface temperature (LST) of the study area was retrieved by the Landsat-8 thermal infrared band. Correlation analysis indicated that the relationships between urban landscape patterns and the thermal environment were as follows: (i) The scale indices (percentage of landscape (PLAND), largest patch index (LPI), edge density (ED), patch density (PD)) of urban landscape types with cooling effect (water body, riverfront area, park, high-rise building) were significantly negative correlated with mean LST of each partition. (ii) Conversely, there were significant positive correlations between the PLAND and LPI of landscape types with warming effect (block, development land, railway land) and the LST of the partition. (iii) The DIVISION index of the four kinds of landscapes with cooling effect was highly positively correlated with LST, and the DIVISION and SPLIT indices of the three kinds of landscapes with warming effect displayed a remarkable negative relationship with LST. Therefore, under the condition of scale control, integrated distribution of landscape with cooling effect, scattered distribution of landscape with warming effect, and reduced connectivity of landscape with warming effect will contribute to effectively alleviating the formation of urban heat islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to determine the potential for using medicinal aromatic plants, which have been considered living heritage since prehistoric times, in urban landscapes. The area of study covers Malatya City and its counties, which are found in Eastern Anatolia, a region of importance in terms of the endemic species in Turkey. Malatya is specifically selected as the study area, as the city's geomorphological, hydrological and climatic characteristics favour a high floral diversity. The methods used in this paper consist of five stages: floristic field works conducted in Battalgazi county (Malatya) in the scope of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) Project No. 217O290, the identification of the plants by a taxonomist, the determination of the medicinal and aromatic species in other counties of Malatya based on literature review, the establishment of criteria for the application potential of the identified species in landscape designs and the assessment of the use of the identified species in landscape architecture according to the parameters set in the criteria. Aromatic medicinal species were analysed to generate planting designs in landscape projects; the aesthetic properties (flower, leaf and fruit characteristics), sensory properties (scent and texture), seasonal change characteristics (flowering period and colour change) and use areas (flower parterres, solitary plantings, live fences and site coverings) of the plants were analysed. As a result of ethnobotanical and floristic studies carried out within the boundaries of the study area, a total of 189 medical aromatic species were identified. A total of 157 of these species were herbaceous plants. In conclusion, it was determined that 80 aromatic medicinal species conform to the planting design criteria and could be used in landscape designs in Malatya City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last couple of decades have seen remarkable spatial growth in the urban areas of developing countries. The process of urbanization is directly linked with land transformation which can be an effective way to monitor the spatio-temporal pattern of urban growth. New Delhi, the capital city of India has experienced a large-scale urban growth during the last decade. In order to identify the pattern of urban expansion in and around Delhi, the present study aims to assess the process of land transformation using multi-temporal Landsat datasets (1977–2014). The areas under various land use and land cover (LULC) extracted by support vector machine (SVM) hybrid classifier reveal asignificant change in the LULC pattern of the area. A good agreement was found between field-based information and maps generated using satellite images (kappa ≥ 0.84). Land transformation maps indicate rapid growth of few urban centres located outside Delhi National Capital Territory (NCT), like Gurgaon, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Faridabad and Ghaziabad. These centres have been remarkably expanded because of transformation of agricultural and vegetated lands. However, green patches within the city have not been affected by the consequences of urbanization. In tune with the rapid urbanization in the periurban centres of Delhi, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS)-derived land surface temperature (LST) images revealed significant change in the level of LST. The inter-relationship of impervious surface fraction (ISF) and LST proves a good agreement between them. The increasing trend observed in the long-term (1987–2011) summer temperature data obtained from India Meteorological Department (IMD) indicates the rise of mean summer temperature in the last few decades. Land transformation along with rapid urbanization especially in the periurban areas of Delhi NCT played a key role in the increasing trend of surface temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization process converts natural landscape into an anthropogenic urban landscape. The present paper attempts to understand spatiotemporal urban dynamics of a mid-sized Indian town—Khammam in Telangana—by carrying out Land Use Land Cover Change Analysis for assessing urban growth pattern. A set of metrics of Landscape Analysis available to analyze growth pattern and broadly categorized into two sets—composition and configuration. Principal Component Analysis was used to identify three critical metrics from Landscape Analysis, viz., Number of Patches and Edge Length and Splitting Indexes while two additional metrics of the composition set, viz., Shannon Diversity and Shannon Evenness Indexes, based on expert opinion were added to make the study amenable. Twenty-three indicators of City Biodiversity Index broadly grouped into three core components, viz., Native Biodiversity in City, Ecosystem Services provided, and governance and management of CBI, were analyzed, and five indicators that were amenable to digital interpretation of satellite data pertaining to proportion of park and natural area within city, availability of water or quantum of water for urbanization, extent of natural protected area, extent of parks and natural area, and impact of vegetated area on ambient cooling were studied. Study indicated that in Khammam score of 8 out of a total score of 20 in CBI analysis indicated unsustainable growths, although trends among individual LULC components varied making it essential to study individual patterns. Study highlights need to use such indicators to guide urban development in mid-sized urban towns and cities that could substitute for large metropolitan cities as the growth engine in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on Thành Chuong and his paintings. Thành Chuong, one of the most internationally renowned artists in Vietnam, was born in Nha Nam, north of Hanoi in 1949. His paintings depict people, water buffaloes, and bright colors which show the Southeast Asian countryside. They show the colors of the urban center including pastoral elements such as oxen, rice fields, and sunshine. They also demonstrate the pantropical migration of people from countryside to cities as well as the simplicity of the rural life.