Characteristics of novel urban vegetation in two Portuguese urban regions (original) (raw)
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The composition of the urban vegetation that comprises the green infrastructure of a highly urbanized Neotropical city was mapped and described in order to assess how it can be used to preserve and maintain urban biodiversity. Supervised classification was used, followed by Map Algebra methodology, to identify the elements that comprise the green infrastructure of the southern region of Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais, Brazil). Species composition of the street trees community was also assessed. Almost half of the study area is occupied by 12 types of woody and herbaceous vegetation, composed mostly by urban parks and gardens. Forty-one percent of the almost 90,000 street trees is composed by 10 species from which only four are native. These results show that the green infrastructure of this urban landscape is comprised by a large amount of different types of green elements, and has a great potential for biodiversity conservation. However, management strategies are needed such as better planning of the urban afforestation process, increasing street tree species richness. This study is the first step towards a better understanding of how such urban landscape influences local biodiversity.
Landscape and Urban Planning, 2012
Urban landscapes support a high and rich diversity often occurring as unusual or unique communities. Urban green areas are a vital part of the urban landscape, providing contact with wildlife and environmental services with additional socio-ecological benefits to the overall quality of life. The composition and diversity of vascular plants and macromycetes were assessed in an urban green area of the city of Coimbra (central Portugal) comprising three landscape types (Oak-, Eucalyptus-, and Olive-stands), with historical periurban agriculture and forest uses. We recorded 287 taxa of plants, including three taxa with important ecological value (Quercus suber, Quercus faginea subsp. broteroi and Ruscus aculeatus) and 96 taxa of macromycetes. The pattern of land use resulted in the establishment of different plant and soil fungal communities' composition and diversity among these landscapes. The plant richness and diversity indices revealed similar trends within the landscape types, with the highest values found in the Olivestands due to the presence of herbaceous that decreased with tree cover density. Richness and diversity of macromycetes were higher in Oak-stands especially the symbiotic ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal communities. Although not significant, higher saprobic fungi richness and diversity values were found in the Eucalyptus-stands. Given the undoubted ecological complexity of urban green areas and the value of these ecosystems for society in terms of goods and services, it is imperative to select bioindicators that are readily accessible and reliable to design balanced urban ecosystems by linking wildlife and biological parameters to human well-being.
Urban vegetation of Almerı́a City—a contribution to urban ecology in Spain
Landscape and Urban Planning, 2002
In this paper, we analyzed the vegetation of the city of Almerõ Âa (southeast of Spain) using numerical methods. We distinguished 16 communities. Although most of them had an eminent ruderal character, some phytocoenoses were typical from non-disturbed environments. These communities can be distinguished not only by means of the dominant species, but also by the abundance of different biological forms. Thus, they can be grouped into six phytosociological classes. It was not found that diversity and coverage values were related to the features of the different habitats, but woody and herbaceous communities tended to occupy different types of biotopes. From the ecological point of view, the communities can be included into ®ve groups, the¯oristic composition of which is related to the frequency of disturbance events as well as to the water availability of soils. According to the species composition and to the ecological signi®cance of the communities detected, the city can be subdivided into three zones. These areas match the three historical phases of the city development. Finally, the possible implications of the results obtained are discussed in the context of urban planning and development, taking into consideration the conservation of valuable rare species and plant communities.
Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Arborização Urbana
We mapped and described the composition of the urban vegetation that comprises the green infrastructure of a highly urbanized Neotropical city, and discussed how it can be used to preserve and maintain urban biodiversity. Almost half of our study area is occupied by 12 types of arboreal and herbaceous vegetation, composed mostly of urban parks, gardens and street trees. Forty-one percent of the almost 90,000 street trees are composed of 10 species with only 4 native species. These results show that this urban landscape is highly heterogeneous and has a great potential for biodiversity conservation. However, management strategies are needed, such as better planning of the urban forestry. This study is the first step towards a better understanding of how this landscape influences local biodiversity, and can be used as a management tool to increase urban resilience and functionality.
Urban Ecosystems, 2010
Shaped by European influences, the Brazilian urban landscape was marked by the predominant use of exotic species in planted areas. In the 19th century along the city streets of Rio de Janeiro, trees were planted at a standard distance from each other. With time, native species began to be used in the urban landscape. Our purpose was to evaluate the utilization of exotic plant species in the urban landscape of Rio de Janeiro, evaluate the city’s arboreal deficit, and relate its neighborhood arboreal density to its economic index. Arboreal deficit represents the negative difference between the total number of expected trees and the observed number in the streets based in the standard distance used in the past. Twenty native and 40 exotic species were found in the 1701 streets sampled. A high percent of streets did not have any planted trees and the number of trees was greater in wealthier neighborhoods. The strong prevalence of exotic species is indicative of the negative impact of human activity on the biota. Since the municipality of Rio de Janeiro harbors forested areas, the risk for dissemination of exotic species is high.
Distribution pattern of the flora in a peri-urban forest: an effect of the city–forest ecotone
Landscape and Urban Planning, 2003
We studied the spatial variation of plant assemblages in a 4383 ha deciduous forest in the periphery of Brussels. All vascular plant species were recorded following a grid-map of 1 km 2 -cells totally or partly covered by the forest. A total of 414 plant species was observed. Species composition and plant functional groups in forest edges and the neighbouring forest interior are studied. The study quantifies plant functional groups (e.g. ancient forest plants, true forest species, rare species, geophytes, C, S or R-strategists) in the plots and tests for relationships with the geographical position in the forest according to a city-to-forest gradient. Our results led us to identify distinct characteristics of forest flora based on the distance to the actual city border. The study revealed significant outer edge effects on the flora. Plant composition of the forest interior and forest edge can be separated by ordination on species composition, suggesting that these two biotopes have a distinct species assemblage. χ 2 -test and Two-Way-Indicator-Species-Analysis detected significant edge-associated species that were recorded exclusively in the edge or were the most frequent in the forest edge. We found that forest stands close to urban areas support populations of indicators of disturbance (pioneer species, C and R-strategists and aliens) to plots which are distant from the city. However, our observations also suggest that species groups with high conservation value (e.g. ancient forest species, or rare species) may also be more represented at the edge than in the core of the forest. Moreover, no forest specialists which would occur only in the interior zone were found. These observations are in disagreement with the hypothesis that true forest plants and species groups of high conservation value would be more frequent in the forest than on the borders. These findings are applicable to the management of forests in an urban context.
Composition and Functional Diversity of the Urban Flora of Alfenas-MG, Brazil
Floresta e Ambiente, 2019
Urban tree cover has important environmental and social functions and can act as ecological refuges. The objective of the present study was to investigate the taxonomic and functional diversities of urban plant communities in Alfenas, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. We sampled all trees DBH ≥ 3 cm in eight different urban green areas, recording 1,138 individuals and 119 species; two species were dominant: Poincianella pluviosa (Fabaceae) and Syagrus romanzoffiana (Arecaceae). The high species richness encountered reflected, in part, the presence of exotic species, which corresponded to 40% of the species and 25% of the total abundance. The functional diversity index (HF') was considered low, with the predominant functional traits among the species being small size, entomophily, zoochory, evergreen leaves, and dry fruits. We recommend that future urban afforestation projects incorporate strategies that increase the use of regional species as well as the functional diversity/complexity of those environments.
The ecology and tree species of urban green areas within the municipality of Campestre, Minas Gerais
Urban green areas produce benefits such as reduced air pollution, climate mitigation, reduced wind action, less noise pollution, shelter for fauna, and increased water uptake from the soil as well as increased water infiltration to the soil. This work carried out a floristic survey related to its diverse and characterized habit and dispersion, and also related to the origin of the species existing in four public squares within the municipality of Campestre, Minas Gerais. Thus, the floristic and ecological aspects of trees and shrubs were surveyed in four urban green areas of the municipality. All arboreal and shrubby individuals were marked and identified. Each identified species was classified according to habit, dispersion, and origin. In total, 313 tree individuals, shrubs, and palm trees were registered and distributed among 73 species, (62 genera and 30 botanical families). When considering all squares, Shannon’s diversity was 3.72, and Pielou’s evenness coefficient was 0.87. Lower values of diversity and evenness were observed for each public square. There was greater richness and number of individuals of native species compared to exotic ones. The yellow ipe (Handroanthus serratifolius) was the only species present in all studied squares. Sassafras (Ocotea odorifera) and pau-brasil (Paubrasilia echinata) are endangered species and underrepresented. The most represented forms of dispersion were zoochory and anemochory.
2018
ECLAS 2018: BOOK OF PROCEEDINGS TABLE OF CONTENTS 006 1. IntroductIon Simon Bell 010 2. Welcome to unIverSIty college ghent Stefanie delarue 014 3. lAndScAPeS oF conFlIct organising committee eclAS 2018 022 4. Keynote lectureS 024 4.1. Piet chielens 'the men and Women who Planted trees' coordinator In Flanders Fields museum (ypres, Be) 026 4.2. Peter vanden Abeele: 'conflict driven development. Five tips and tricks' city government Architect ghent (Be) 028 4.3. elke rogge 'get your ducks In A row! the Potential of Systems thinking in the design of landscapes of conflict' research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food coordinator In Flanders (Be) 030 4.4. matthew Powers: 're-aligning the roots of thought' Associate Professor clemson university (uSA) 032 4.5. Peter Swyngedauw 'over de rand: A Plea for the landscape Architect as a chief Architect' Bureau omgevIng (Be) 034 4.6. Bas Smets 'Augmented landscapes in Search of the resilience of the territory' Bureau Bas Smets (Be) 036 5. Full PAPerS And PechA KuchA PAPerS 038 5.1. human and nature group A 070 5.1. human and nature group d 170 5.1. human and nature group I 204 5.1. human and nature group m 254 5.2. Planting design and ecology group B 298 5.2. Planting design and ecology group J 350 5.3. conservation and development group c 386 5.3. conservation and development group K 440 5.3. conservation and development group o 500 5.4. Participation and coproduction group F 550 5.5. teaching and learning group g 608 5.6. theory and Practice group h 652 5.6. theory and Practice group l 698 5.6. theory and Practice group P 752 5.7. experience and economy group n 806 6.
Urban vegetation of Almería City--a contribution to urban ecology in Spain
Landscape and Urban planning, 2002
In this paper, we analyzed the vegetation of the city of Almería (southeast of Spain) using numerical methods. We distinguished 16 communities. Although most of them had an eminent ruderal character, some phytocoenoses were typical from non-disturbed environments. These ...