Nyárültetvények őszi lombszíneződésének vizsgálata három MODIS-színcsatorna alapján

A cikkben egy nemesnyárültetvény őszi lombszíneződésének kutatását összegezzük, mellyel előkészítjük egy – a 21. században várható éghajlatváltozás hatására bekövetkező lombszíneződés-változást elemző – fenológiai modell építését. Bemutatjuk a kutatásba vont taxon (Populus X canadensis) kiválasztásának szempontjait, valamint a vizsgálati helyszín (Tiszaroff) kijelölésének fontosabb ismérveit. Áttekintjük a szabadon hozzáférhető adatokat szolgáltató szenzorokat és a lombszínre vonatkozó, korábban publikált, különböző mérőszámokat. A MODIS-szenzor három kiválaszott színcsatornájára építve újabb lombszíneződési mérőszámokat alkotunk, és ezeket kiértékeljük abból a szempontból, hogy várhatóan mennyire alkalmazhatóak az őszi lombszíneződés jövőbeli fenológiai eltolódásának és megváltozásának modellezése során.

Potential urban distribution of Phlebotomus mascittii Grassi and Phlebotomus neglectus Tonn. (Diptera: Psychodidae) in 2021–50 in Budapest, Hungary

Background & Objective: The most northern populations of two sand fly species (Phlebotomus mascittii and Phlebotomus neclectus) in the Carpathian Basin are known from Central Hungary. The most important limiting factor of the distribution of Phlebotomus species in the region is the annual minimum temperature which may be positively affected by the urban heat island and the climate change in the future. Method: Based on the latest case reports of the species, Climate Envelope Model was done for the period 1961-1990 and 2025-2050 to project the potential urban distribution of the species. The climatic data were obtained from RegCM regional climate model and MODIS satellite images. Results: The recent occurrence of the species in Central Hungary indicates that Phlebotomus species can overwinter in non-heated shelters in the built environment. Interpretation & Conclusion: Jointly heat island and future climate change seem to be able to provide suitable environment for the studied species in urban areas in a great extent.

Modelling the growth of young individuals of Pinus nigra on thin carbonate soils under climate change in Hungary

Climate change highly impacts on tree growth and also threatens the forest of the karstic terrains. From the 1980s the frequency of decay events of the Pinus nigra Arnold forests showed a marked increase in Hungary. To understanding the vulnerability of Pinus nigra forests to climate change on shallow karstic soils in continental-sub Mediterranean climatic conditions we developed the study of three sampled population in the typical karstic landscape of Veszprém in North Transdanubia. We built our model on non-invasive approach using the annual growth of the individuals. MPI Echam5 climate model and as aridity index the Thornthwaite Agrometeorological Index were used. Our results indicate that soil thickness up to 11 cm has a major influence on the main growth intensity, however, aridity determines the annual growth rate. Our model results showed that the increasing decay frequency in the last decades was a parallel change to the decreasing growth rate of pines. The climate model predicts the similar, increased decay frequency to the presents. Our results can be valid for a wider areas of the periphery of Mediterranean climate zone while the annual-growth based model is a cost-effective and simple method to study the vitality of pine trees in a given area.

Stylization: a method for preserving the character of climate sensitive habitats. A case study of acidofrequent mixed forests

Stylization is a common method of ornamental plant use that imitates nature and evokes the scenery. This paper discloses a not yet proposed aspect of stylization, since the method offers the possibility of preserving the physiognomy of those habitats that seem to vanish due to future climate change. In addition, novelty of the method is founded also on that vulnerability of the Hungarian habitats has been examined by the researchers only from the botanical and ecological point of view so far and not in terms of its landscape design value. In Hungary, acidofrequent mixed forests appear to be highly sensitive to climate change according to ecological models. We are going to discuss the methodology of stylization of climate sensitive habitats and briefly refer to acidofrequent mixed forests as a case study. Those coniferous and deciduous tree species of the studied habitat that are water demanding are proposed to be substituted by drought tolerant ones with similar characteristics, and an optionally expandable list of these taxa is presented. Based on this the authors suggest experimental investigations of those of the proposed taxa for which the higher drought tolerance is based on observations only.

Natura 2000 erdők közgazdasági környezetének elemzése (Assessment of the economic environment of Natura 2000 forests)

Ebben a tanulmányban a Natura 2000 erdők közgazdasági kérdéseit jártuk körül az ökoszisztéma-szolgáltatások koncepciójának segítségével, nemzetközi és hazai szakirodalomra építve. Emellett a természetközeli erdőgazdálkodás fogalomkörét, s azon belül a folyamatos erdőborítást szolgáló erdőgazdálkodást vettük alapul. A következőkben néhány összegző megállapítást teszünk, és kijelölünk további kutatási irányokat. _____ This study has been prepared within the LIFEinFORESTS – Improved communication, cooperation and capacity building for preserving biodiversity in Natura 2000 forests (B2 action, LIFE13 INF/HU/001163) – project in the framework of LIFE+ Information and Communication under the contract signed with the Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate. The main aim of the study is to summarize the international and Hungarian economic and environmental economic literature related to the Natura 2000 forests, and serve as a background study for the communication with and training of forest owners and users operating at Natura 2000 sites. The concept of ecosystem services (ESs) is used as an overall framework for the study. In our opinion it is able to show all the benefits provided by forests and can also help to reveal that the benefits of nature-oriented, continuous cover forest management (CCF) can exceed the benefits of traditional rotation forest management (RFM). The definition and the classification of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA, 2003, 2005) is used throughout the study, so provisioning, cultural, regulating and supporting services are distinguished.

Nature-based solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation in urban areas: perspectives on indicators, knowledge gaps, barriers, and opportunities for action

Nature-based solutions promoting green and blue urban areas have significant potential to decrease the vulnerability and enhance the resilience of cities in light of climatic change. They can thereby help to mitigate climate change-induced impacts and serve as proactive adaptation options for municipalities. We explore the various contexts in which nature-based solutions are relevant for climate mitigation and adaptation in urban areas, identify indicators for assessing the effectiveness of nature-based solutions and related knowledge gaps. In addition, we explore existing barriers and potential opportunities for increasing the scale and effectiveness of nature-based solution implementation. The results were derived from an inter- and transdisciplinary workshop with experts from research, municipalities, policy, and society. As an outcome of the workshop discussions and building on existing evidence, we highlight three main needs for future science and policy agendas when dealing with nature-based solutions: (i) produce stronger evidence on nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation and raise awareness by increasing implementation; (ii) adapt for governance challenges in implementing nature-based solutions by using reflexive approaches, which implies bringing together new networks of society, nature-based solution ambassadors, and practitioners; (iii) consider socio-environmental justice and social cohesion when implementing nature-based solutions by using integrated governance approaches that take into account an integrative and transdisciplinary participation of diverse actors. Taking these needs into account, nature-based solutions can serve as climate mitigation and adaptation tools that produce additional cobenefits for societal well-being, thereby serving as strong investment options for sustainable urban planning.

Key insights for the future of urban ecosystem services research

Understanding the dynamics of urban ecosystem services is a necessary requirement for adequate planning, management, and governance of urban green infrastructure. Through the three-year Urban Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (URBES) research project, we conducted case study and comparative research on urban biodiversity and ecosystem services across seven cities in Europe and the United States. Reviewing > 50 peer-reviewed publications from the project, we present and discuss seven key insights that reflect cumulative findings from the project as well as the state-of-the-art knowledge in urban ecosystem services research. The insights from our review indicate that cross-sectoral, multiscale, interdisciplinary research is beginning to provide a solid scientific foundation for applying the ecosystem services framework in urban areas and land management. Our review offers a foundation for seeking novel, nature-based solutions to emerging urban challenges such as wicked environmental change issues.

Parques lineares ao longo de corpos hídricos urbanos : conflitos e possibilidades; o caso da orla do lago Paranoá – DF

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Programa de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação da Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, 2016.

Citizen science program shows urban areas have lower occurrence of frog species, but not accelerated declines

Understanding the influence of landscape change on animal populations is critical to inform biodiversity conservation efforts. A particularly important goal is to understand how urban density affects the persistence of animal populations through time, and how these impacts can be mediated by habitat provision; but data on this question are limited for some taxa. Here, we use data from a citizen science monitoring program to investigate the effect of urbanization on patterns of frog species richness and occurrence over 13 years. Sites surrounded by a high proportion of bare ground (a proxy for urbanization) had consistently lower frog occurrence, but we found no evidence that declines were restricted to urban areas. Instead, several frog species showed declines in rural wetlands with low-quality habitat. Our analysis shows that urban wetlands had low but stable species richness; but also that population trajectories are strongly influenced by vegetation provision in both the riparian zone and the wider landscape. Future increases in the extent of urban environments in our study area are likely to negatively impact populations of several frog species. However, existing urban areas are unlikely to lose further frog species in the medium term. We recommend that landscape planning and management focus on the conservation and restoration of rural wetlands to arrest current declines, and the revegetation of urban wetlands to facilitate the re-expansion of urban-sensitive species.

Compact development minimizes the impacts of urban growth on native mammals

Unprecedented global human population growth and rapid urbanization of rural and natural lands highlight the urgent need to integrate biodiversity conservation into planning for urban growth. A challenging question for applied ecologists to answer is: What pattern of urban growth meets future housing demand whilst minimizing impacts on biodiversity? We quantified the consequences for mammals of meeting future housing demand under different patterns of compact and dispersed urban growth in an urbanizing forested landscape in south-eastern Australia. Using empirical data, we predicted impacts on mammals of urban growth scenarios that varied in housing density (compact versus dispersed) and location of development for four target numbers of new dwellings. We predicted that compact developments (i.e. high-density housing) reduced up to 6% of the area of occupancy or abundance of five of the six mammal species examined. In contrast, dispersed developments (i.e. low-density housing) led to increased mammal abundance overall, although results varied between species: as dwellings increased, the abundance or occurrence of two species increased (up to ∼100%), one species showed no change, and three species declined (up to ∼39%). Two ground-dwelling mammal species (Antechinus stuartii and Rattus fuscipes) and a tree-dwelling species (Petaurus australis) were predicted to decline considerably under dispersed rather than compact development. The strongest negative effect of dispersed development was for Petaurus australis (a species more abundant in forested interiors) which exhibited up to a 39% reduction in abundance due to forest loss and an extended negative edge effect from urban settlements into adjacent forests. Synthesis and applications. Our findings demonstrate that, when aiming to meet demand for housing, any form of compact development (i.e. high-density housing) has fewer detrimental impacts on forest-dwelling mammals than dispersed development (i.e. low-density housing). This is because compact development concentrates the negative effects of housing into a small area whilst at the same time preserving large expanses of forests and the fauna they sustain. Landscape planning and urban growth policies must consider the trade-off between the intensity of the threat and area of sprawl when aiming to reduce urbanization impacts.

The evolving landscape of natural resource planning and governance in Australia

Australia’s governance of land and natural resources involves multiple polycentric domains of decision-making from global through to local levels. Although certainly complex, these arrangements have not necessarily translated into better decision-making or better environmental outcomes as evidenced by the growing concerns over the health and future of the Great Barrier Reef, (GBR). However within this system, arrangements for natural resource management (NRM) and reef water quality, which both use Australia’s integrated regional NRM model, have showed signs of improving decision-making and environmental outcomes in the GBR. In this paper we describe the latest evolutions in the governance and planning for natural resource use and management in Australia. We begin by reviewing the experience with first generation NRM as published in major audits and evaluations. As our primary interest is the health and future of the GBR, we then consider the impact of changes of second generation planning and governance outcomes in Queensland. We find that first generation plans, although developed under a relatively cohesive governance context, faced substantial problems in target setting, implementation, monitoring and review. Despite this, they were able to progress improvements in water quality in the Great Barrier Reef Regions. Second generation plans, currently being developed, face an even greater risk of failure due to the lack of bilateralism and cross-sectoral cooperation across the NRM governance system. The findings highlight the critical need to re-build and enhance the regional NRM model for NRM planning to have a positive impact on environmental outcomes in the GBR.

Sustainability and the Multifunctional Landscape: An Assessment of the Cairngorms National Park Authority’s Approach to Planning and Management in Upland Scotland.

Upland Scotland contains some of Britain’s most prized areas of natural heritage value. However, although such areas may appear both ‘wild’ and ‘remote’, these are typically working landscapes which symbolise the interdependence of nature and society. The complexity of this relationship means that management responses will need to address a multitude of potentially conflicting priorities whilst at the same time ensuring that sufficient social and institutional capital exists to allow for the promotion of landscape integrity. The introduction of national parks to Scotland in the form of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 allows for a high-level of protection for designated areas in upland Scotland. Yet, whilst the recent Act outlines the statutory purpose and direction national parks should take, it allows a significant degree of flexibility in theway in which the Actmay be implemented. This level of discretion allows for significant local distinctiveness within the model but also raises questions about the potential effectiveness of chosen responses. In order to assess the potential implications of a model rooted in self-determination,we provide a case study review of the institutional basis of the Cairngorms National Park along with an assessment of the strategic character of the first National Park Plan. It is argued that whilst the Cairngorms National Park Authority has developed a significant level of stakeholder engagement, the authority may struggle to bridge the policy-implementation gap. Although a number of shortcomings are identified, particular concerns relate to the potential mismatch between strategic ambition and local level capacity.