The impacts of urbanisation and habitat size on local biodiversity and ecosystem functioning

Urban growth is considered to be a major driver of environmental change. Urbanisation can affect urban biodiversity in different ways. So far, most studies focused on the impact of urbanisation on single taxa in one habitat type. In this study, we used data of species inventories and GIS-based landscape elements to examine the effects of habitat size and landscape composition on the species diversity of three taxonomic groups (vascular plants, Orthoptera and Lepidoptera) in meadows and ruderal sites in the urban region of Basel, Switzerland. We also related the responses of three species traits (body size, dispersal ability and food specialisation) to habitat size in Orthoptera and Lepidoptera. We found that species of the different taxonomic groups differed in their response to habitat size and landscape composition both in meadows and ruderal sites depending on the traits examined. The species richness of Orthoptera and Lepidoptera was positively related to meadow size but not to the size of ruderal sites, while the opposite was true for plants. For Lepidoptera in ruderal sites, the percentage cover of ruderal area in the closer surroundings was a better predictor of species richness than habitat size per se. To sustain high levels of urban biodiversity, we recommend that urban planners develop adequate management strategies to satisfy the different requirements of various taxonomic groups and to increase the quality of green sites surrounding the target habitat.

A simplified mapping method has been employed to quantify avian assemblages in a plot with a mosaic of built-up areas (129 ha) and semi-natural or open areas (85 ha; grass, trees, shrubs) in the Katima Mulilo town, Namibia. Overall, 65 breeding bird species were recorded in the study plots (51 in the built-up areas, and 50 in the ‘open’ areas). Five of them, Rock Dove Columba livia, Grey-headed Sparrow (Passer diffuses), Dark-capped Bulbul (Pycnonotus tricolor), Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis) and Blue Waxbill (Uraeginthus angolensis) were classified as dominants. The cumulative dominance was 69.9% in the built-up area and 55.6 % in the ‘open’ area. The structure of the avian community in the built-up area was unexpectedly similar to that in the ‘open’ area. Almost the same number of breeding species was recorded, and almost identical diversity and evenness indices were calculated. However, the Sorensen Similarity Index was rather low (I = 0.69). Also, the overall density of all breeding birds was much lower in ‘open’ than in the built-up area. Granivorous birds were by far the most numerous feeding guild comprising in the built-up area 68.1% and in ‘open’ area 62.2 % of all breeding birds. Also, similar between the two areas compared was the proportion of granivores (17.7% vs. 19.7%) and insectivores (11.5% vs. 13.2%). These were also similar to the proportions of the main nesting guilds. Only the guild nesting in/on buildings was much higher in built-up than in the ‘open’ area. Although species richness was not high, population densities of some species were very high in the urbanised habitat. It is recommended to protect the larger specimens of marulas and other tree species in this habitat, as they play a vital role in maintaining the high population densities.

Fil: Filloy, Julieta. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecologia, Genetica y Evolucion de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecologia, Genetica y Evolucion de Buenos Aires; Argentina

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12957/geouerj.2014.9668 Uma das caracteristicas mais marcantes do espaco geografico e sua transformacao ininterrupta, fruto da relacao dialetica entre a sociedade e a natureza, na qual ambos se influenciam reciprocamente, transformando-se uns aos outros. Sob a egide do capitalismo, as transformacoes espaciais sao rapidas e, muitas vezes, tao profundas que produzem impactos socioambientais e socioespaciais que sao dificeis de serem mitigados. O processo de urbanizacao demonstra claramente a magnitude das transformacoes pelas quais o homem e a natureza passam. Em Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, o rapido crescimento do municipio e de sua area urbana legaram a populacao um restrito e irregular numero de areas verdes publicas, fundamentais na melhoria da qualidade ambiental urbana e de vida da populacao. A analise da dinâmica demografica e do Indice de Areas Verdes de parques, pracas, canteiros e da UFJF, de cada uma das 81 Regioes Urbanas do municipio e suas areas de influencia, reforcadas pelo calculo e analise da Densidade de Areas Verdes e do Percentual de Areas verdes, se apresentam como importantes procedimentos na compreensao do status atual dessas areas, que irao subsidiar propostas de politicas publicas que visem proteger, ampliar e construir novas areas verdes, bem como facilitar que a legislacao existente seja colocada efetivamente em pratica.

Research problem: “A comparative study to assess the knowledge and attitude regarding mental illness among adults residing in selected urban and rural areas of district Sangrur, Punjab” Background of the study: A sound mental health is the key component of health. Absence of mental health could create a great deal of burden to the functioning of a nation. Mental illness is an age-old problem of humankind as documented in the literature of the oldest civilizations the world over. The public view towards mental illness has been considered as negative, stigmatized, uninformed and fearful entity right from the ancient time till date which varies according to age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, tradition, and education of the different community. Aim of the study: The aim of the study to compare the knowledge and attitude regarding mental illness among adults residing in selected urban and rural areas. Objectives of the Study: 1. To assess the knowledge and attitude regarding mental illness among adults residing in selected urban and rural areas of district Sangrur, Punjab. 2. To compare the knowledge and attitude regarding mental illness among adults residing in selected urban and rural areas of district Sangrur, Punjab. 3. To determine the co-relation between knowledge and attitude regarding mental illness among adults residing in selected urban and rural areas of district Sangrur, Punjab. 4. To determine the association between knowledge and attitude regarding mental illness among adults and selected socio- demographic variables. Methodology: A comparative research design was adopted on 100 adults residing in selected urban and rural areas by using convenient sampling technique. A self administered structured knowledge questionnaire and Likert’s scale were used to assess the knowledge and attitude respectively. The analysis of data was computed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Result: The majority of adults residing in selected urban and rural areas has average knowledge score i.e. 32 (64%) and 31 (62%), regarding mental illness respectively. In urban area adults have neutral attitude i.e. 27 (54%) and rural area adults have positive attitude i.e. 29 (58%) regarding mental illness. There was no significant comparison between knowledge and attitude scores and adults residing in selected urban and rural areas. There was significant association between knowledge score with educational qualification of adult’s residing in urban area and educational qualification & monthly income of adult’s residing in rural area. There was no significant association except educational qualification and monthly income values indicated significant association between attitude scores of adults residing in urban area. In rural area there was significant association except occupation and monthly income values indicated no significant association between attitude scores of adults regarding mental illness. Conclusion: It was concluded that adults have good knowledge and positive attitude regarding mental illness in both urban and rural areas. Thus, present study suggested that there was growing awareness about mental illness in general population.

A great contribution both to the energy consumption and to the air pollution results from road transport and mainly from travels in urban areas. The great number of trips occurring into the urban areas is certainly due to the increase of people in the cities, which will increase in the future representing thus a large proportion of the world population. Therefore, it is most influential the reference of the urbanization model and related transport model. In fact, for different historical periods, the shape of cities was depending on transportation technologies. The massive use of the cars has induced the extension of the urban areas in all directions without a prevalent priority, it has encouraged the private motorized mobility with respect to the widespread accessibility and it has allowed the separation of urban functions. As a consequence a reduced quality of life, social segregation - especially for people with a low level of self-sufficiency, and a reduced sense of community of residents are occurring. This led to a progressive impoverishment of the neighbourhoods that instead represent places of interaction for the individual well-being, community cohesion and urban vitality. The study area is the 13th District (Ostia) of Rome – Italy, where it has been carried out a design laboratory in the frame of an European project”VillemiZero”. This area has been urbanized after 1960 and it is representative of low-density settlements separated by agricultural enclaves. Infact this District has a population density of 13.6 inhabitants per hectare, one of the lowest of Rome. The collective transport can not support these density so low that instead are supported by private motorized transport. A plan that encourages a higher urban density and mixed land use can have significant benefits in terms of provision of basic urban services that would allow a reduction in car use and as a consequent of GHG emissions and traffic congestion, increasing at the same time, the efficiency of the public transport and slow mobility. However, it is difficult to act on the density in urban areas already built. As a consequence we can act on the transportation modes used on the distance of proximity or short haul. According to these conception a reduction of use of the car and, consequently, of the traffic congestion and GHG emissions , can be achieved by increasing the component of slow mobility for travel within and among close neighbourhoods can be achieved through the increase of slow mobility for travels occurring within and among neighbourhoods. Finally, this paper aims to highlight the role of cycling as an important carrier for a renewed layout and use of public space inside of neighbourhoods.

Currently, Malaysia like other Asian countries has experienced rapid expansion of urbanization due to economic development, industrialization, massive migrations as well as natural population growth. This expansion particularly unplanned consumed a huge amount of arable land in the urban milieu and in its surrounding areas. This paper aims to measure arable land loss due to massive urbanization in Balik Pulau region of Penang State, Malaysia. Landsat TM (Thematic Mapper) images of 1992 and 2002 at the resolution of 30 m and Landsat ETM (Enhanced Thematic Mapper) 2010 have been used to measure the rate of urban expansion and its impact on agricultural land. The integration of Remote Sensing and Geographical information system GIS were used to quantify the conversion of arable land to built-up areas in Penang State. The result reveals that built-up areas have expanded rapidly during the last four decades at the expense of agricultural land in Balik Pulau Region. Built-up areas had increased from 1793.22 ha in 1992 to 3235.38 ha in 2002, while agricultural areas decreased from 6171.32 to 4727.83 ha during the same period. The expansion of Built-up area is directed towards low-lying areas with less topographical barrier causing heavy loss in productive land and environmental degradation. In order to safeguard the environment and maintain arable land, urbanization should be controlled and rationalized through legislative measures, wise policy and public awareness. More attention should be given to the areas that have witnessed massive urbanization and coordination between various sectors involved in development is a must.

Zero-waste is a recent phenomenon which is one of the most cost-effective local solution to handle some of the environmental, social and economic challenge in urban area. Urbanization and rising populations will affect the increase in consumption, which in turn will also increase waste production in urban areas. In 2020, it was noted that 24 percent of waste in Indonesia had not been processed properly. Thus, the waste management approach needs to prioritize not only through a qualified technology system but also needs to be supported by the transformation of people's behavior, one of which is through zero-waste. Bulk store is an urban initiative that applies the concept of zero-waste. This shop combines social and entrepreneurial concepts as well as the environment in carrying out its business processes. Through the concept of zero-waste, people must bring their own containers to shop here. This study aims to examine the opportunities and challenges of bulk store as an initiative to achieve zero-waste communities in urban areas. The method used in this research is qualitative approach through interviews and observations with shop owners, consumers and networks. The results obtained from this study are that education is the main factor determining the success of the bulk store. Apart from that, bulk stores also have another role, namely as a market-hub for local producers around urban areas. This makes bulk stores have a strategic role in supporting the zero-waste community

Diversity and ecosystem functioning: Litter decomposition dynamics in the Atlantic Rainforest

Hong Kong went through a period of major urbanization in the past half century. Much more land than before is now under concrete. Clusters of tall buildings have invaded into previously open country. At the same time, the increase in population as well as per capita energy consumption in this affluent society have meant the burning of much more coal and petrol than before, with the attendant emissions of gases and particulates. The atmosphere overlying Hong Kong cannot escape interacting with these changes. In the process of doing so, the climate in Hong Kong has changed. Leung et al. (2004) have documented the long-term changes in various observed parameters up to 2002. This paper extends the data series to 2005 and also looks at a couple of aspects not covered before. 2. Temperature The aspect of change in Hong Kong which is most obvious to all is the generally warmer climate in the urban areas. Figure C4 shows the time series of the annual mean temperature recorded at the headquarters of the Hong Kong Observatory between 1947 and 2005. The Observatory is situated at the heart of Tsimshatsui and is characteristic of a location where urbanization is at its most active in Hong Kong over the past half century. Over the entire period, the temperature rose at 0.17°C per decade. However towards the end of the period, between 1989 and 2005, the rate increased sharply to 0.37°C per decade. In order to contrast with stations in locations less affected by urbanization, the temperature series at Ta Kwu Ling and Lau Fau Shan which are situated in the northeastern and northwestern New Territories respectively are shown in Figure 1. The rates of temperature rise at these two stations over the same period 1989 – 2005 were 0.08 and 0.25°C per decade respectively. That the urban area has been warming up much more rapidly than the “countryside” is thus evident. It is well-established that where urbanization bears on the long-term temperature trend, the effect is more on the daily minimum temperature than on the daily maximum temperature (Karl et al., 1993). This is related to the increase in the thermal capacity of the urban area where concrete stores the heat absorbed during the day and releases it during the night, thus holding the temperature at a level higher than it would be in the absence of so much concrete. Figure C5 portrays the trends in mean daily maximum and minimum temperature at the headquarters of the Hong Kong Observatory over the period 1947 – 2005, that is, the post-war development years. The trend in daily maximum temperature was nearly flat, the influence of general global warming having been overshadowed by the increasingly turbid sky (a point which we shall return to later). In contrast, the mean daily minimum temperature has been rising steadily throughout the period, at a rate of 0.28°C per decade. The signature of urbanization in the temperature trend is thus abundantly clear.

The importance of fragmentation and habitat quality of urban grasslands for butterfly diversity

As a result of centuries-long process of urban growth and development all around the world, we are now living in an “urban planet”. The urbanization has accelerated in the last couple of decades. Now more than half of world population lives in cities and two-third of the world population will be in urban areas in 2025 according to UN population division report (2008). Therefore, urban areas are getting more important than ever because of the fact that there are where economy (investment), population (human power), service (employment), transportation (logistic), social problems, cultural contradictions and spatial conflicts are. Besides all these social, political, economic, cultural and environmental features and problems of urban places, liveability is another important rising concept in urban researches. Since people’s understanding about a liveable urban area is highly depends on their socio-economic and cultural features, historical backgrounds and traditions, socio-political conditions and personal preferences, liveability measurement and evaluation is difficult and subjective. This research attempts to explore liveability perceptions and understanding based on gender. Accessibility of public places, availability of green spaces and environmental quality are defined as indicators of this study. 1029 surveys were conducted with residents of the study area by phone, online and street survey techniques. People were asked about current conditions of their city and neighbourhood related to study indicators. Responses of male and female contributors were analysed comparatively.

The development of urban areas carried out by the government and the private sector as an activity can affect and bring impacts on the environment and the surrounding environment. The trend of increasing urbanization in urban areas in various cities in Indonesia, including Semarang as an urban destination, generally raises various problems, the lack of availability of various service facilities for primary community life needs, especially residential issues and other public facilities, namely various facilities transportation, decreasing the quality of the urban environment and the ineffectiveness and efficiency of the land and space used plan regulation. Departing from the reality of the above problems, the focus of the study in this article is what is the urgency of the availability of public green open spaces in sustainable urban spatial planning. The results of the research on the topics raised in this article are briefly formulated, namely: a) Availability of public space and green open space (RTH) is an integral and inseparable part of urban spatial planning; b) Public spaces and urban green spaces have a main and strategic function for the social interaction of urban communities, the heart of the balance of ecosystems and the environment of the city, and as a manifestation of social, economic, cultural values and actualization of the face of urban life; and c) Sustainable management, designation and utilization of public space and green open space can be carried out optimally from synergies between city government, the private sector and the community. Recommendations from this study are: a) Realization of management, designation, and utilization of public spaces and green and sustainable open spaces can be done formally and informally by the city government with the support of the private sector and the community. b) Policies and arrangements for urban area development must be based on a plan for sustainable urban spatial planning and attention to environmental aspects in addition to economic and social aspects; c) to be able to realize the functions and designation of public spaces and green open spaces whose concessions and sustainability are in accordance with the development plan and urban spatial planning, it is necessary to enforce the law and impose strict and severe sanctions on all parties who violate the law.

Due to population growth and urbanization that occurred in Brazil, there was a significant disorganized growth of cities, and consequently an increase in number of irregular occupations, many of them existing in permanent preservation areas and consolidated through slums, settlements arising from invasions and occupations, and also irregular and illegal settlements. In this sense, legally or illegally, cities have developed and many urban occupations were consolidated, and its reversal is virtually impossible. So with the rules arising from Forest Law n°. 12.651/2012, combined with Law n°. 11.977/2009, a land tenure policy of urban consolidated areas was established. Therefore, the present study, will be exclusively bibliographical research, seeks to accomplish a reflexive analysis of the issues involving the consolidated urban areas in areas of permanent preservation.

Air pollution is a growing reality around the world due to large amount of released daily waste, mainly from burning fossil fuels and industrial waste. This work shows the distribution of lichens alongan urbanization gradient in the city of Estrela, RS. The analysis was done along a street that was considered a transect, through the center of the town until reach an area with rural characteristics. The street was divided into six points, in which three are near downtown; two points are in an area with few homes and rural features, including an unpaved road and a point of transition between the urbanized and rural area. The methodology uses the CorelDraw 12 software to calculate the lichens coverage over the trees. The results indicate a reduction in the percentage of lichens in relation to the urban and rural gradient. The points located near the transition rural / urban areas presented higher percentage of lichens presence.