EFFECT OF COMPOST ON THE MICROCLOVER ESTABLISHMENT AND USE OF COMPOST AND MICROCLOVER TO REDUCE LAWN NUTRIENT RUNOFF

High volume compost incorporation can reduce runoff from compacted soils but its use also associated with elevated N and P concentrations in runoff making it difficult to assess if this practice will reduce nutrient loading of surface waters. Additionally, little is known about how this practice will effect leguminous species establishment in lawns as means to reduce long term fertilizer use. When 5 cm of compost was incorporated into soil a reduction in runoff of 40 and 59% was needed for N and P losses from a tall fescue + microclover lawn to be equivalent to a non-compost amended soil supporting a well fertilized tall fescue lawn. Use of compost as a soil amendment resulted in quicker lawn establishment and darker color, when compared to non-amended soil receiving a mineral fertilizer. Biosolid composts containing high amounts ammonium severely reduce the establishment of clover in tall fescue + micrclover seed mixture.

Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance: Design Implications of an Urban Case Demonstration in Baltimore, Maryland

This research-design thesis explores the implementation of Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance (RSC) as a retrofit of an existing impervious drainage system in a small catchment in the degraded Jones Falls watershed in Baltimore City. An introduction to RSC is provided, placing its development within a theoretical context of novel ecosystems, biomimicry and Nassauer and Opdam’s (2008) model of landscape innovation. The case site is in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood on City-owned land adjacent to rowhomes, open space and an access point to a popular wooded trail along a local stream. The design proposal employs RSC to retrofit an ill-performing stormwater system, simultaneously providing a range of ecological, social and economic services; water quantity, water quality and economic performance of the proposed RSC are quantified. While the proposed design is site-specific the model is adaptable for retrofitting other small-scale impervious drainage systems, providing a strategic tool in addressing Baltimore City’s stormwater challenges.

SHIFTING SCALES, ADJUSTING LENSES: A FRAMEWORK FOR INVESTIGATING BALTIMORE’S URBAN VACANCY

This thesis addresses contemporary gaps of vacancy within literature by using qualitative and quantitative methods and tools to determine the quantity, location, and interspatial relationships of vacant buildings and lots located in Baltimore Maryland. Spatial analyses were conducted to answer three questions of vacancy: 1) how many vacant lots and buildings exist, 2) whether there are spatial patterns of vacancy, such as clustering around geographic locations or within watersheds, and 3) how to prioritize intervention opportunities that respond to the city's larger issues? Using the city’s vacant lot and building data-sets, two concepts emerged from these investigations. First, Utilized Landscapes as a classification system that identifies lands that serve a function but have un-traditional qualities that make them susceptible to being labeled “vacant.” Second, the development of Transitional Zones, geographical areas with a high density of vacant buildings or lots that should be prioritized.

Câmara Municipal de Loures: uma experiência em arquitetura paisagista no sector público

O presente relatório de estágio reflete o trabalho realizado e a experiência adquirida ao longo de seis meses na Câmara Municipal de Loures. Os trabalhos desenvolvidos correspondem, sobretudo, ao que era pretendido por parte da Câmara Municipal tendo sido aplicados, em parte, os conhecimentos adquiridos ao longo da licenciatura e do mestrado em Arquitetura Paisagista na Universidade de Évora. Este relatório incide sobre a regulamentação do mobiliário urbano em todo o Município de Loures, na caracterização e proposta de intervenção para alguns espaços abertos pertencentes ao concelho e na importância da Arquitetura Paisagista no sector público; ABSTRACT: City Council of Loures: An Experience in Landscape Architecture in the Public Sector This internship report reflects the work done and experience gained over six months at the City Council of Loures. The work developed are primarily to what was intended by the City Council having been applied in part the knowledge acquired throughout the undergraduate and master's degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Évora. This report focuses on the regulation of street furniture throughout the Loures Municipality, characterization and proposal of intervention for some open spaces belonging to the municipality and the importance of Landscape Architecture in the public sector.

MOWING TO GROWING: TRANSFORMING A MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE TO URBAN AGRICULTURE IN BALTIMORE CITY

This thesis demonstrates how landscape architects can transform underused golf course facilities located within cities for urban agriculture (UA). In the last decade more than 1000 golf courses have closed in the United States. Municipal golf courses represent some of the largest pieces of open space in cities and because of their inherent infrastructure they can provide the ideal location to support large-scale UA. In Southwest Baltimore large food deserts are a serious health concern and represent a lack of access to healthy food options for residents. Carroll Urban Agriculture Park is a design response resulting from a detailed analysis of the existing Carroll Park Golf Course and the surrounding community of Southwest Baltimore. The design will create an urban farm in a park-like setting to provide readily accessible healthy food options and various educational opportunities, and to support current and future urban agriculture related businesses in Baltimore.

Reclaiming the Fall Zone: Mediating Physical and Cultural Exchange in Richmond, VA

This thesis will address cultural and physical place reclamation, at the ambiguous intersection of ‘city’ and nature.’ By creating a juxtaposed sequence of multi-scalar interventions, which challenge the conventional boundaries of architecture, and landscape architecture; in order to make commonplace a new dynamic threshold condition in Richmond, Virginia. At its core, this thesis is an attempt at place-making on a site which has become ‘no place.’ This concept will be manifest via a landscape park on Mayo Island in Richmond, anchored by a community retreat center, and architectural follies along a constructed path. The interventions will coincide with value of place in historical Richmond: an integrated, socially desegregated waterfront hinge; a social nexus of inherent change, at the point which the river itself changes at the fall line.

Arquitetura paisagista na Câmara Municipal de Alvito

O presente relatório de estágio ambiciona dar a conhecer todos os trabalhos realizados ao longo do estágio no Gabinete Técnico da Unidade Municipal de Obras e Serviços Urbanos (UMOSU) na Câmara Municipal de Alvito. No decorrer do estágio desenvolveram-se vários trabalhos a nível da Arquitetura Paisagista sendo estes solicitados pela Câmara Municipal. Tendo como base todos os conhecimentos académicos adquiridos ao longo da licenciatura e mestrado em Arquitetura Paisagista ambos doutrinados na Universidade de Évora. Em suma o presente relatório incide sobre o estudo, caracterização e avaliação da paisagem do concelho de Alvito, bem como a análise e proposta de intervenção sobre diversos espaços abertos das freguesias de Alvito. Pretende ainda dar a conhecer à Câmara Municipal as funções de um Arquiteto Paisagista; ABSTRACT: LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE IN THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF ALVITO The Present internship Report aims to raise awareness of all the Work Accomplished Along Stage not Technical Office of the Municipal Unit of Works and Urban Services ( UMOSU ) in the Municipal council of Alvito. During intership developed various works at the level of Landscape Architecture being these requested for the City Council. Having bases in how knowledge all academic bought along the undergraduate and master's degree in Landscape Architecture, both indoctrinated in University of Évora. In short the present report covers the study characterization and evaluation of the county of Alvito landscape , as well as the analysis and proposal of on intervention Several Open Spaces of the parishes of Alvito . Also responsible to inform the City Council the functions of a Landscape Architect.

Propostas de gestão participativa para o desenvolvimento sustentável dos recursos naturais e biodiversidade de Santa Maria

Os Açores reúnem nove ilhas com singularidades peculiares em termos paisagísticos, arquitetónicos e riqueza dos seus recursos naturais. Este panorama levanta contudo grandes desafios de sustentabilidade, de entre eles a reorientação de estratégias, atendendo à especificidade da região (segundo os objetivos à escala nacional em sede da Estratégia Nacional Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ENDS)). No caso da Ilha de Santa Maria (SMA), pequena ilha em que as estratégias tendem a ser ignoradas, a participação da população e dos dirigentes locais é minorada por interesses económicos desvinculados do desenvolvimento sustentável (DS). Para inverter esta situação é necessário conhecer para preservar, proteger para conservar, planificar e orientar os comportamentos e atitudes visando a sustentabilidade dos recursos naturais (RN) da ilha. Aplicando uma metodologia que conjugou os métodos quantitativos e qualitativos, com uma componente prática, utilizando um método de amostragem não casual dirigida, não probabilística com um método de amostragem por clusters, agrupado em grupos (workshop, séniores e jovens), pretendeu-se descrever os conhecimentos, as práticas e as perceções sobre a gestão dos RN’s, DS e instrumentos de gestão territorial (IGT’s). Os resultados mostram que os conhecimentos, práticas e perceções dos diferentes grupos são insuficientes no que respeita ao conhecimento dos conceitos e dimensões do DS (independentemente das idades ou habilitações literárias), verificando-se contudo melhorias, por vezes significativas, após as ações de sensibilização e educação. É imperativo continuar o esforço de valorização dos RN’s, envolvendo a população nas estratégias de conservação, objetivando uma proposta orientadora e participada numa visão para sustentabilidade da Ilha (SMA). Recomenda-se uma proposta de modelo de Estratégia DS dos recursos naturais e biodiversidade para SMA e diversas propostas de ações para colocar em prática essa estratégia como desenvolvimentos futuros.

Corredores verdes em Ferreira do Alentejo - a paisagem como infraestrutura

O relatório apresenta o trabalho desenvolvido durante o estágio na Câmara Municipal de Ferreira do Alentejo, objetivado pela obtenção do grau de mestre em Arquitetura Paisagista. Este trabalho pretende valorizar os princípios adquiridos ao longo do percurso académico em licenciatura e mestrado de Arquitetura Paisagista, na ilustre Universidade de Évora, e dar resposta ao objetivo proposto pela entidade acolhedora no presente estágio – a proposta de um percurso potenciador da Paisagem no espaço urbano de Ferreira do Alentejo; ABSTRACT: This report presents the work carried out during the internship at the municipality of Ferreira do Alentejo, which was objectified for obtainment of Master degree in Landscape Architecture. This work aims to enrich the principles acquired during the academic path with the graduation and master degree at the Évora University and to respond to the host institution objective for this internship - the proposal for a landscape enhancer pathway in urban areas of Ferreira do Alentejo.

Changes in the community structure of urban and rural forest patches in Baltimore from 1998 to 2015

Urban forests are often highly fragmented with many exotic species. Altered disturbance regimes and environmental pollutants influence urban forest vegetation. One of the best ways to understand the impacts of land-use on forest composition is through long-term research. In 1998, the Baltimore Ecosystem Study established eight forest plots to investigate the impacts of urbanization on natural ecosystems. Four plots were located in urban forest patches and four were located in rural forests. In 2015, I revisited these plots to measure abundances and quantify change in forest composition, diversity, and structure. Sapling, shrub, and seedling abundance were reduced in the rural plots. Alpha diversity and turnover was lower in the rural plots. Beta diversity was reduced in the rural plots. The structure of the urban plots was mostly unchanged, except for a highly reduced sapling layer. Beta diversity in the urban plots was consistent across surveys due to high species turnover.

A MORE COMPLETE STREET A STREET FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY, NORTH EAST STREET, FREDERICK, MARYLAND – A DESIGN INVESTIGATION OF DIFFERENT STREET DESIGN THEORIES

This design-research thesis suggests that the improvement of North East Street performances by using Complete Streets, Green Street, Place Making and Context Sensitive Solution principles and practices. Heavily used by a variety of users, often conflicting with one another, University of Maryland Campus Drive would benefit from a major planning and design amelioration to meet the increasing demands of serving as a city main street. The goal of this thesis project is to prioritize the benefits for pedestrians in the right-of-way and improve the pedestrian experience. This goal also responds to the recent North East Street Extension Phrase I of economic renaissances. The goal of this design-research thesis will be achieved focusing on four aspects. First, the plans and designs will suggest to building mixed use blocks, increase the diversity of street economic types and convenience of people’s living. Second, design and plans will propose bike lanes, separate driving lanes from sidewalks and bike lanes by street tree planters, and narrow driving lanes to reduce vehicular traffic volume and speed in order to reduce pedestrian and vehicle conflicts. Third, plans and designs will introduce bioswales, living walls and raingardens to treat and reuse rain water. Finally, the plans and designs will seek to preserve local culture and history by adding murals and farmers market. The outcome of the design-research thesis project is expected to serve as an example of implementing Complete Streets, Green Street, Place Making and Context Sensitive Solution principles and practices in urban landscape, where transportation, environment and social needs interact with each other.

Bacterial communities of the specialty crop phyllosphere: response to biological soil amendment use, rainfall, and insect visitation

Microorganisms in the plant rhizosphere, the zone under the influence of roots, and phyllosphere, the aboveground plant habitat, exert a strong influence on plant growth, health, and protection. Tomatoes and cucumbers are important players in produce safety, and the microbial life on their surfaces may contribute to their fitness as hosts for foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes. External factors such as agricultural inputs and environmental conditions likely also play a major role. However, the relative contributions of the various factors at play concerning the plant surface microbiome remain obscure, although this knowledge could be applied to crop protection from plant and human pathogens. Recent advances in genomic technology have made investigations into the diversity and structure of microbial communities possible in many systems and at multiple scales. Using Illumina sequencing to profile particular regions of the 16S rRNA gene, this study investigates the influences of climate and crop management practices on the field-grown tomato and cucumber microbiome. The first research chapter (Chapter 3) involved application of 4 different soil amendments to a tomato field and profiling of harvest-time phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbial communities. Factors such as water activity, soil texture, and field location influenced microbial community structure more than soil amendment use, indicating that field conditions may exert more influence on the tomato microbiome than certain agricultural inputs. In Chapter 4, the impact of rain on tomato and cucumber-associated microbial community structures was evaluated. Shifts in bacterial community composition and structure were recorded immediately following rain events, an effect which was partially reversed after 4 days and was strongest on cucumber fruit surfaces. Chapter 5 focused on the contribution of insect visitors to the tomato microbiota, finding that insects introduced diverse bacterial taxa to the blossom and green tomato fruit microbiome. This study advances our understanding of the factors that influence the microbiomes of tomato and cucumber. Farms are complex environments, and untangling the interactions between farming practices, the environment, and microbial diversity will help us develop a comprehensive understanding of how microbial life, including foodborne pathogens, may be influenced by agricultural conditions.

Percepção Ambiental em Museus Paisagens de Arte Contemporânea: a legibilidade dos museus Inhotim/Brasil e em Serralves/Portugal avaliada pelo público/visitante

This thesis nalyzes the wayfinding in Landscape Museum of Contemporary Art (MPAC), based on the Institute of Contemporary Art CACI, Minas Gerais, Brazil and the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Serralves Foundation, Porto, Portugal. The study focuses on the interrelationship of the public/visitors with the landscape, architecture and contemporary art museums in these, in order to understand visual perception and apprehension of such an environment for their users. For both were confronted documentation (visual and written) and people talk. The main hypothesis put forward is that the audience/visitor MPAC appreciates the interrelationship between the natural environment (park/garden) and built environment (the works of contemporary art and the galleries), giving equal value to both. To complement this, a second hypothesis is that during the visit to MPACS, visitors define their paths spontaneously, but strongly influenced by existing visual indicators (maps, signage and striking landscape elements), which facilitate the readability of space, which also contribute to the offered services and the experiences of similar institutions. The analytical basis of the research used the concepts of legibility (LYNCH, 2009), wayfinding (GIBSON, 2009; ARTHUR, PASSINI, 2002; WEISMAN, 1982), Experiential Cotinnum (TUAN, 1985), Space Bound (CRUZ PINTO, 2007) and habitus (BOURDIEU, 1992). Methodologically was used qualitative research (DEMO 2000) by means of a case study (YIN, 2005; STAKE, 1999) and participant observation (WHYTE, 2005). In the two institutions interviews with researchers and curators, behavior observation and questionnaires from employees, trainees, monitors and the public/visitor of the two museums were performed. Although partially referende the initial hypothesis, the research showed that the public/visitor value appears more natural environments, they experience a greater intensity and in addition to the factors listed in the second case, your perception and definition of paths suffer significant influence of emotional relations established with space. Generally the audience/visitor adapts easily to different demands of contemporary art exhibition in the two museums and the built environment (park/garden and museum) interferes with your reading path during the visit, perceived by the public/visitor condition as a factor that favors the enjoyment of works on different mounts (wayfinding), though often become a factor that hinders the legibility of the building and its built environment

UNDERSTANDING LATE SEASON FRUIT ROT PATHOSYSTEMS AND INSECT INTERACTIONS IN MID-ATLANTIC VINEYARDS

Fungal fruit rots and insect pests are among the most important problems negatively affecting the yield and quality of mid-Atlantic wine. In pathogenicity trials of fungi recovered from diseased Chardonnay and Vidal blanc grapes, Alternaria alternata, Pestalotiopsis telopeae, and Aspergillus japonicus were found to be unreported fruit rot pathogens in the region. Additionally, P. telopeae and A. japonicus had comparable virulence to the region’s common fruit rot pathogens. Furthermore, a timed-exclusion field study was implemented to evaluate vineyard insect-fruit rot relationships. It was found that clusters exposed to early-season insect communities that included Paralobesia viteana had a significantly greater incidence of sour rot than clusters protected from insects all season. These results were contrary to the current assumption that fall insects are the primary drivers of sour rot in the region. This research provides diagnostic tools and information to develop management-strategies against fungal and insect pests for mid-Atlantic grape growers.

Projeto de arquitetura paisagista: Clichy-Batignolles Paris, a resposta a ambições políticas e aos novos desafios urbanos

A cidade resulta de fatores sociais, das políticas urbanas, das dinâmicas económicas e dos valores ambientais, no espaço e no tempo. Compreender a complexidade do seu funcionamento permite ao arquiteto paisagista interagir com ela. O projeto de Clichy-Batignolles, objeto do presente estudo, surge como resposta às problemáticas da cidade, enquanto metrópole de dimensão mundial, de políticas urbanas associadas à competitividade e à atratividade de pessoas e atividades económicas. O projeto integra o parque Martin Luther King senda a referência de desenvolvimento urbano sustentável e ecológico de Paris. A visão metabólica, que o projeto integra, concilia habitação, mobilidade, ecologia, sustentabilidade e experiência de Natureza, que a extensão da aglomeração urbana transformou em necessidade básica. A cidade ecológica impõe-se às politicas urbanas. É neste contexto de crise ambiental, económica e social que a arquitetura paisagista se posiciona no centro dos grandes desafios contemporâneos da evolução das cidades; Abstract: Landscape Architecture Project: Clichy-Batignolles Paris, the answer to policies ambitions and urban new challenges The city is a result social factors, urban policies, economical dynamics and environmental values, in space and time. Understanding the complexity of its mechanism allows the landscape architect to interact with it. The Clichy-Batignolles urban project, the subject of the present study, is a response to the problematic issues of the metropolitan worldwide city, in which competitiveness and attractiveness urban policies are created to attract people and economical activities. The project incorporates the Martin Luther King park and is the reference of ecological and sustainable development in Paris. The metabolic vision of the project conciliates habitation, mobility, ecology, sustainability and Nature experience, which the urban concentration length as transformed in basic living needs. The ecological city is imposed to the megacities urban policies. In this environmental, economic and social crisis context, landscape architecture occupies a center position in the contemporary challenges of cities evolution.