Search Results (23)

Landscape health assessments are crucial for balancing conservation and use practices. However, studies considering different land use intensities and grid scales from a functional perspective are limited. This study aimed to develop a landscape classification and indicator system based on functional characteristics using Xiqiao Mountain National Forest Park and Yunyong National Forest Park as research objects. The entropy weight method was used to determine indicator weights, and grid analysis and spatial interpolation were used to analyze the spatial distribution, impact differences, and factors influencing landscape health. The effect of different grid scales on landscape health under varying land use intensities first weakened and then strengthened with increasing grid scales; the optimal grid scales for the two parks were 54 × 54 m and 66 × 66 m, respectively. The forest/non-forest area ratio decreased as the health level of the landscape increased. At the optimal grid scale, the threshold range of the forest/non-forest area ratio for achieving optimal landscape health was 4.46–5.81 and 0.79–0.87 in the two parks, respectively. The results indicate that improved landscape health in suburban forest parks requires the intensive development of construction land, enhanced forest management, and functional synergistic designs to promote coordinated functional development. Full article

Carbon (C) sequestration and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) accumulation in urban forest green spaces are significant for global climate regulation and alleviating nutrient pollution. However, the effects of management and conservation practices across different urban forest vegetation types on soil C, N, and P contents and stoichiometric ratios remain largely unexplored. We selected forest soils from Guangzhou, a major Metropolis in China, as our study area. Soil samples were collected from two urban secondary forests that naturally regenerated after disturbance (108 samples) and six urban forest parks primarily composed of artificially planted woody plant communities (72 samples). We employed mixed linear models and variance partitioning to analyze and compare soil C, N, and P contents and their stoichiometry and its main driving factors beneath suburban forests and urban park vegetation. These results exhibited that soil pH and bulk density in urban parks were higher than those in suburban forests, whereas soil water content, maximum storage capacity, and capillary porosity were higher in urban forests than in urban parks. Soil C, N, and P contents and their stoichiometry (except for N:P ratio) were significantly higher in suburban forests than in urban parks. Multiple analyzes showed that soil pH had the most pronounced negative influence on soil C, N, C:N, C:P, and N:P, but the strongest positive influence on soil P in urban parks. Soil water content had the strongest positive effect on soil C, N, P, C:N, and C:P, while soil N:P was primarily influenced by the positive effect of soil non-capillary porosity in suburban forests. Overall, our study emphasizes that suburban forests outperform urban parks in terms of carbon and nutrient accumulation, and urban green space management should focus particularly on the impact of soil pH and moisture content on soil C, N, and P contents and their stoichiometry. Full article

Urbanization changes the environment through physical constructions, disturbances, and altered resource availability. These modifications influence both prey and predator assemblages. Several studies have indicated that hole-nesting birds outnumber ground nesters in cities. Differential nest predation can be one reason behind this observation. We conducted a multi-year artificial nest predation experiment along an urban gradient by using artificial ground nests and nestboxes in Rovaniemi, Finland. Because visually searching avian predators dominate in cities, we predicted that nest predation of ground nests will increase with urbanization, whereas nests in holes will be better protected than ground nests. Ground nest predation increased with urbanization, being lowest in forest and rural areas, intermediate in suburban area and highest in urban area. However, there was no year-effects on artificial ground nest predation, suggesting that even a single-year results of artificial nest predation experiment can be reliable. In the city, ground nest predation was greater than nestbox predation. In forests, nestbox predation was greater than ground nest predation. Among ground nests, predation was greater in the city than in forests. Among nestboxes, predation was greater in forest than in urban or suburban habitats. Only the ground nest predation was greater in managed than in un-managed parks. Ground nest predation decreased with tree cover and increased with the patch area. No variables were entered in the models of the nestboxes. The results indicated that ground nesters might avoid urban areas as nesting sites. We assume that visually searching avian predators benefit from the lack of covering vegetation in city parks. However, because most avian nest predators, like corvids, are not effective nest predators of hole-nesting birds, urban areas are safe nesting areas for hole-nesters. The results suggest that nest predation is one important factor that could explain, why hole-nesting bird species outnumbered ground-nesting species in cities. The result give support for the hypothesis that nest predation pressure can modify urban bird assemblage structure. Full article

Negative air ions (NAIs) have the effect of improving environmental quality and human health. This study for the first time constructed an evaluation system for forest release of NAIs employing five capacity indicators: release contribution rate (L), release coefficient (n), release rate (s), instantaneous standing stock (v), and total release amount (Z). These were applied to evaluate the forest’s ability to release NAIs in the suburban urban green space of Beijing—Xishan National Forest Park. The results showed that: (1) during the growing season of the forest, the value ranges of these indicators were as follows: L: 6.04~9.71%, n: 6.63~11.05%, s: 4.53 × 10³~7.49 × 10³/cm²/min, v: 4.48 × 10⁴~7.34 × 10⁴/cm², Z: 2.70 × 10⁵~4.40 × 10⁵/cm², with the spring and autumn “noon and evening” and summer “morning and evening” forests having the strongest effect and the highest release capacity of NAIs; (2) the daily changes of L, n, s, v, and Z are generally in a “bimodal” pattern, and the overall trend of “rise and fall, rise and fall” among various indicators is consistent, showing a “linkage”; (3) weather characteristics affect release capacity in the order of sunny > rainy > cloudy, with the strongest NAI release ability from forests at 6:00 on cloudy days (0.53%, 1.7%, 877.19/cm²/min, 3.56 × 10⁴/cm², 9.67 × 10⁴/cm²) and at 18:00 on rainy days (4.58%, 4.83%, 3.16 × 10³/cm²/min, 3.16 × 10⁴/cm², 1.90 × 10⁵/cm²), with poorer NAI release ability in the afternoon on cloudy and rainy days; (4) forests can produce over 100 million levels of NAIs throughout the year, with an average daily production of over one million levels of NAIs. From 2019 to 2021, NAI production showed an increasing trend year by year, and the increase rate increased year by year to 19.6% and 56.5%.; and (5) the five indicators are significantly positively correlated with solar radiation and temperature in the range of 0–200 w/m² and 5–20 °C, respectively. This study provides a new method to reveal the ability of forests to release NAIs, providing strong evidence for creating a livable ecological environment. Full article

Urban biodiversity is crucial for ecological security, balance, and important for fostering awareness on human-nature interconnectedness among the public. The diversity of birds, as an urban ecosystem indicator, reflects ecosystem services and is impacted by urban development. To explore the impacts of urbanization on bird diversity, stratified to songbirds, terrestrial birds, climbers, swimming birds, wading birds, and raptors, we specifically investigated the existing and potential distributions of selected bird species, analyzed different contributions of environmental factors, and compared these with urban biodiversity conservation policies. We used bird records from the China Birdwatching Record Center (over 1400 species of birds for querying) and remotely-sensed landcover data, based on the MaxEnt model, to analyze bird spatial distribution characteristics and potential habitat corridors throughout Beijing. The results showed that: (1) Songbirds and terrestrial birds were predominantly concentrated in water areas in urban areas. Wading birds, climbers, swimming birds, and raptors were gathered in forest-covered areas, near wetlands and farmland in suburban areas. Projections indicated that the raptor species Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) showed a notable shift toward urban cores. (2) Among climbers, Gray-headed Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos canicapillus) occupied the highest proportion of high-quality habitats (10.34%), contrasting with the representative songbird species Blackbird (Turdus merula) at 1.38%, which demonstrated adaptability to urban environments. Critical habitats were concentrated in shrub forests, supporting habitat connectivity. Proximity to water bodies was critical for raptors, wading, swimming, and climbers, whereas terrestrial birds and songbirds were more affected by artificial lighting. (3) The “urban and suburban park rings” policy has effectively enhanced habitat quality and connectivity, promoting urban biodiversity resilience. This study improves our understanding of how different bird communities adapt to urbanization in terms of habitats and movement corridors, and provides useful information for formulating urban bird biodiversity conservation strategies. Full article

Numerous researchers have demonstrated the positive impacts of urban green spaces on human physiology and psychology. In mountainous urban regions, mountains have often been preserved as green spaces during urban sprawl, owing to the limited costs associated with development. While the landscape elements of these mountain parks exhibit differences depending on their locations, the nature and effects of such differences on the public’s physiological and psychological perceptions remain unclear. Therefore, we employed panoramic cameras and semantic segmentation (PSPNet-based training algorithm) to analyze the composition of landscape elements in mountain parks along an urban gradient (i.e., urban areas [UA], suburban areas [SA], and exurban areas [EA]). Concurrently, open-ended questionnaires and portable physiological monitors (ErgoLAB 3.0 Portable physiological monitoring equipment) were utilized to examine relationships between specific landscape elements and the public’s physiological and psychological responses. Our findings revealed that: (1) Urban park landscapes possessed high proportions of paved areas, humanistic vibe, vegetation hierarchy, and vegetation color richness, alongside lower scene clutter; suburban mountain park landscapes were characterized by heightened contemporary ambiance and wide viewshed area; and exurban mountain park landscapes exhibited high green view indices, expansive water surfaces, broad view area, and low scene clutter. (2) HRV and EMG differed significantly between mountain parks situated across the urban gradient. EMG also significantly varied across landscape types. All four psychological perception metrics showed significant distinctions across the three urban gradients and three green space categories. It further highlighted the importance of naturalness perception in urban mountain parks. (3) Viewshed area, average sight distance, architecture, enclosure, humanistic vibe, contemporary elements, vegetation color richness, trees and shrubs, distant hills, and scene clutter showed significant effects on both physiological and psychological outcomes. However, the application of these findings needs additional refinement tailored to the typology of the landscape. (4) To provide practical insights for constructing diverse green space typologies, we employed partial correlation modeling to eliminate covarying factors and developed a perception feedback model for public physiological and psychological indicators. Our findings elucidate relationships between landscape elements and the benefits of urban forests for public physiology and psychology. By shedding light on these connections, we further understand how landscape elements shape human perceptions of mountainous urban forests. These results offer valuable insights for shaping policies that promote favorable urban forest landscapes while also advancing landscape perception research through the use of semantic segmentation and portable physiological monitoring. Full article

It is generally accepted that mycobiota diversity in urban greenhouses is poorer than in natural ecosystems, but our knowledge on this field of research is fragmentary. Here, we present the results of a long-term study of aphyllophoroid macrofungi (Basidiomycota) forming fruitbodies on non-native sub/tropical woody and herbaceous plants in the greenhouses of Saint Petersburg, Moscow, and Ekaterinburg botanical gardens located in the hemiboreal vegetation subzone of Eastern Europe. Over 20 years of research, fruitbodies of 58 species of aphyllophoroid fungi have been identified. Fungal species that developed on the wooden structures of greenhouses and building materials made of local wood are discussed separately. The list of fungi on non-native substrates is dominated by saprobes (93.1% of total list) as well as mycorrhizal with basidiomata on plants (8.6%). Phytopathogens have the lowest number (7.0%), and ¾ of species are widespread locally. Non-native plants are dominated by native fungal species (78.9%), while the percentage of non-native species is low (21.1%). In the three surveyed cities, the area of the studied greenhouses is 2.8 ha, and not a single species of fungi has been found twice on the same substrate. Half of the identified species are characterized by a single specimen (29 species/50.9%). Hymenochaete rheicolor was discovered in Russia for the first time and its known distribution is discussed. Only six (Antrodia gossypium, Hyphodontia arguta, Lyomyces sambuci, Peniophora cinerea, Ramariopsis kunzei, and Trechispora farinacea) local species (10.5%) were collected in all the three cities. The α-diversity of mycobiota (mean number of species per site, Shannon Index, and Menhinick Index) in the Ekaterinburg’s greenhouses is 1.2–3.0 times lower compared to suburban forest parks and old-growth natural forests, while β-diversity (Whittaker Index, Jaccard Index, and Morisita–Horn Index), on the contrary, is 2.1–7.7 times higher. With the plants’ age, the probability of detecting fungi on them increases significantly. In greenhouses, phytopathogenic aphyllophoroid macrofungi are collected on woody plants only, but the probability of their development is not related to the plants’ age. Full article

Assessing the landscape health of suburban forest parks is a prerequisite for achieving the dual objectives of forest resource conservation and recreational services. However, studies that analyze landscape health in suburban forest parks at a landscape scale by subdividing the landscape into multiple sampling units and adopting a multi-functional perspective have been limited. This study focuses on Xiqiao Mountain National Forest Park and establishes a landscape classification system and indices, taking into account its multifunctionalities. The study employs the entropy weight method to determine indicator weights and utilizes grid analysis and spatial interpolation to analyze the spatial distribution of landscape health under multiple sampling units and functionalities, along with the differences in its impact and influencing factors. The results indicate that: (1) regions with “very poor” and “poor” landscape health grades under multiple sampling units and functionalities exhibited a sheet-like distribution pattern, covering approximately 69.46% to 98.86% of the total area. In contrast, regions with “very good” and “good” grades are primarily located in block-like or linear patterns in the northern, central, and southern regions of the park, accounting for approximately 1.07% to 17.20% of the total area. (2) The area ratios of “very good” and “good” landscape health grades for recreational landscapes under varying sampling units were consistently higher than those of the same grades for eco-conservational landscapes, with a 5.03%–15.43% difference. This suggests a greater emphasis on recreational functionality. (3) The impact of three different sampling unit sizes on the landscape health of Xiqiao Mountain National Forest Park under multifunctionalities is not significantly different; however, the forest/non-forest area ratio and quantity ratio are vital factors influencing its landscape health. The landscape health assessment results, considering multiple sampling units and functionalities in this study, serve to provide technical method support and practical case references for the planning, construction, and management decision-making of suburban forest parks. Full article

Soundscape is an essential component of urban forest landscapes, acoustic indices can be effectively used to monitor biodiversity, but whether they can be used for soundscape perception assessments needs to be further explored. In this study, soundscape recordings were collected in Beijing Eastern Suburban Forest Park, and acoustic indices were used to explore the relationship between the acoustic environment and soundscape perception, as well as the possible effects of temporal changes. To achieve this, audio recordings collected in spring and summer were divided, and a total of 90 audio segments were extracted from three time periods—morning, afternoon, and evening—to calculate the acoustic index and complete a questionnaire survey. The urban forest soundscape was evaluated according to the eight perceptual attribute quality indicators of ISO 12913, and generalized linear models were constructed to quantify the relationships between the acoustic indices and perception. The results showed that the temporal variation of the soundscape influenced the subjective evaluation, with the highest overall evaluation relating to the morning soundscape. The combination of acoustic indices explained the soundscape pleasantness (R² = 0.58) better than the soundscape eventfulness (R² = 0.54), demonstrating the utility of these indices in soundscape assessment. Linking acoustic indices to human perception generates innovative ideas and theoretical support for soundscape enhancement, contributing to a more pleasant acoustic environment and maximizing the social value of urban forests. Full article

Snake sloughs in bird nests can reduce nest predation and serve as an anti-predator strategy. However, the anti-predator function of snake sloughs in nests has only been tested twice, and it is difficult to speculate around the origin of the differences, which may well include habitat, as predator species and predation risk vary in different habitat types. Habitat would be a good place to speculate as to how differences in habitats could explain differences in responses by nest predators. Thus, we selected three different habitats, namely, the Diaoluoshan National Nature Reserve in Hainan (DLS, tropical forest), the Hainan Normal University campus (HNU, urban area), and Qingchuifeng National Forest Park in Hebei (QCF, suburban area), to verify the anti-predator function of snake sloughs in bird nests. The experimental results showed that snake sloughs in the nests reduced the predation rate of the experimental nests in HNU, whereas no such effect occurred in DLS and QCF. This suggests that the anti-predatory function of snake sloughs may not be the same over some environmental gradients and could be dependent on the species of nest predators and food resources in the habitat, which does not apply to all types of habitats. Full article

The paper presents the results of stationary, detailed studies on the variability of the mutual share of two fluvial loads, i.e., suspended solids and dissolved material during floods caused by rainstorm, continuous rainfalls and snowmelt in selected rivers (Silnica, Sufraganiec) draining small catchments in central Poland, including two characterized by a high level of urbanization. Irrespective of the origin of the flood, the share of suspended solids load did not exceed 80% in urbanized catchments, in suburban catchments—44%, and in forest catchments—32%. In the former, the gradient of the increase in the share of suspended solids and concentration time in the first phase of the flood was several times higher than in the other catchments. It was proved that statistically significant relationships exist between the share of sealed surfaces (roads, car parks, roofs, etc.) in the total catchment area and the average share of suspended solids, both in the rising and falling phase of the flood wave, regardless of their origin. Similar relationships were documented by analyzing: the density of the drainage network (storm sewers, roads, etc.)—the share of suspension. The obtained results have an interesting cognitive aspect and in practice are used for the development of hydrotechnical documentation related to water management in the city. Full article

For too long, many refined transportation models have focused solely on private and public transportation, assuming that bicycles only require simple models, such as bird flight distance or trips on horizontal tracks at a constant speed. This paper aims to study the impact of the road characteristics, such as road gradient, type of road and pavement surface of the road, on cyclists’ behavior using dedicated modules of MATSim. For that, we compare two approaches: a standard approach which does not consider the road characteristics, and a second approach that uses MATSim bicycle extension of Ziemke et al. The two approaches are analyzed over a sub-regional area around a district, focusing on a suburban city with an undulating relief made of average-to-steep hills. The focus is on the bicycle transportation model because the catchment area has a particularly challenging altitude profile and a large variety of roads, whether in type—from residential to national highway—or in pavement surface due to the number of green areas, such as parks and forests. This area is defined as a rather large 7 × 12 km, including five suburban cities in the South of Paris, France. A synthetic population of 126,000 agents was generated at a regional scale, with chains of activity made of work, education, shopping, leisure, restaurant and kindergarten, with activity-time choice, location choice and modal choice. We wanted to know how accurately a standard model of bicycle travels can be made with a 2D flat Earth assumption by comparing it to an algorithm extension that explicitly considers road characteristics in cyclists’ route choices. Our finding is that the MATSim bicycle extension model impacts mainly the long trips. Otherwise, the differences are minimal between the two models in terms of travel time and travel distance. Full article

The forest community structure and dynamic structure provide basic data for in-depth study of the community maintenance mechanisms and succession processes of urban forest ecosystems. Moreover, the study on the dynamics of suburban forest communities can provide a reference for the succession process of forest communities under severe human disturbance. In this context, this study analyzes the species composition and community structure of a 6 ha subtropical secondary evergreen broad-leaved forest plot in Wuchaoshan National Forest Park, Hangzhou, Eastern China. There are 36,757 existing woody plants (with DBH ≥ 1 cm), belonging to 94 species (45 evergreen species, and 48 deciduous species) in 63 genera of 34 families, with a plant density of 6126 plants/ha. The overall size–class distribution shows an obvious inverted “J” shape. Species with the top-five important values in the sample are Schima superba, Camellia fraternal, Symplocos anomala, Cyclobalanopsis glauca, Eurya rubiginosa, accounting for 57.3% of all individuals within the sample. In addition, different species have different habitat preferences and different distribution areas. The Wuchaoshan forest is in the middle and late stages of the succession. Different interference histories in the community succession process are demonstrated through studies of secondary evergreen broad-leaved forests. Long-term community monitoring contributes to indicating the direction and potential of the secondary forest succession. Full article

The world’s population and the proportion of it living in cities and urban areas has exploded in recent decades. In the European Union, 62% of the population lives in urban areas and 80% in suburban areas, and these proportions are projected to increase further in the coming decades. It has long been researched and proven that ‘urban greenery’ can play a major role in mitigating the so-called urban heat island effect, and during the COVID-19 pandemic the role of daily recreation has come to the forefront. The combined memorial, recreational, and touristic use of cemeteries can help to ensure their economic management, and thus the long-term preservation of their value. In international tourism the model of managing cemeteries as tourist attractions already exists; however, this is not yet part of conventional practice. In addition to traditional cemetery tourism (e.g., visiting the graves of celebrities or enjoying artistic treasures and values), cemeteries are used as venues for events and sports activities. In Western Europe forest and park cemeteries have been established since the 19th century, and their large green areas and open spaces are a prerequisite for their use as public parks. Thus, the use of cemeteries as public parks is a common if quite specific practice. Our aim with this article is to identify the green space values of Budapest’s cemeteries, in addition to their well-known cultural and architectural significance, as well as to define the potential and means of their involvement in tourism-related activities. Another aim of our study is to raise awareness of green cemeteries within the tourism profession as potentially wider tourist attractions. We consider it important to draw the attention of decision-makers to the significance of the greenspace values when preserving or reusing closed cemeteries. Based on our work, other major cities in Hungary can identify and exploit the touristic and green space potential of their cemeteries. Full article

City green space can promote people’s health and aesthetic satisfaction; however, most extant research focuses on suburban forests and urban parks. Urban landscape forests have important ecological and aesthetic value for urban environments. This study conducted a visual stimulation to examine the impact of four common spatial element combinations in urban landscape forests on teenagers’ recovery potential and preference. The results indicate that urban landscape forests had positive physiological and psychological effects on adolescents, including decreased blood pressure, improved heart rate, reduced anxiety, and improved recovery ability. Diastolic blood pressure relief performance was better among males than females. In addition, a stepwise linear regression analysis was performed to explore the quantitative relationship between spatial elements and recovery and preference values. The results demonstrate that water elements were a significant predictor in the quantitative relationship between spatial elements in landscape forests and restoration and preference values. Terrain, flower, and shrub elements did not have a significant effect on overall restoration and preference values. This study highlights the intervention value of urban landscape forests in promoting the health and well-being of adolescents, with implications for future planning and design of urban landscape forests. Full article