Existing Vegetation Cover Research Articles

Ecological and floristic features of modern plant groupings on the territory of the Kipchak archaeological complex

The article presents the results of the study of the peculiarities of the existing vegetation cover on the territory of the Kipchak archaeological complex (Republic of Bashkortostan). The data of ecological and botanical description are presented, which contribute to the interpretation of the natural state of vegetation groupings on the territory where archaeological surveys are conducted. The investigated burial ground and settlement are part of the objects of the Kipchak archaeological complex and are located near the village of Kipchakovo. The article includes a list of vascular plants that were discovered and described in this area during the survey in 2022, indicating their relevance to the trial areas of the Kipchak archaeological complex. According to the survey data the most widespread species of vascular plants were identified, they include: Vicia tenuifolia Roth, Fragaria vesca L., Trifolium alpestre L., Galium verum L., Achillea millefolium L., Achillea millefolium L., Dactylis glomerata L., mountain clover Trifolium montanum L., Trifolium medium L., Galium boreale L., Elytrigia repens (L.) Nevski. To date, the study area is assessed as slightly disturbed.

Types of vegetation cover of the protected natural area “Los Mangroves of Tumbes National Sanctuary”, Tumbes, Peru

In the present research, satellite images have been used, which with the appropriate processing have allowed to evaluate the existing vegetation cover in the territorial space of the protected natural area The Mangroves of Tumbes National Sanctuary – Peru and that was verified with a face-to-face tour. It was possible to determine the presence of 7 types of areas inside, 2 without water cover bodies and salty zones – sandbanks; and 5 with vegetation cover such as semi-dense dry forest, dense dry forest, low strip mangrove, middle strip mangrove and high strip mangrove. Mangrove covers occupy most of the interior of the natural area. Likewise, in the mangrove ecosystem the species with the highest value of index of importance (IVI) is the species Rhizophora mangle and in the dry forest ecosystem it is the species Caesalpinia paipai.

Population status of two species of Ericaceae in the High Montane Forest

In this work, a demographic study of Gaultheria glomerata and Disterigma empetrifolium was carried out in the Indiviso sector of the Baquerizo Moreno parish, Píllaro canton, Tungurahua province. The vegetation was analogous between montane forest and shrubby moorland, located at coordinates 01°18'S; 78°30'W, altitude 3400 m.a.s.l., where the Braun-Blanquet methodology for vegetation cover was adapted by means of plots, which were established randomly, the minimum distance between plot and plot was considered to be 100 meters. In the field work, the existing vegetation cover was quantified by percentages within 10 plots of 10x10m, in each of them were evaluated its subquadrants in the form of L, at each meter. The species were identified in the Herbarium of the ESPOCH, and the calculated data were 35.69% of vegetation cover for Disterigma empetrifolium and 13.19% for Gaultheria glomerata, which are in an abundance index of 2-3 on the Blanquet scale that tells us that it belongs to a medium abundant and abundant cover, Therefore, it was determined that Disterigma empetrifolium has a cover between 25-50%, thus concluding that it is in index 3 on Blanquet's scale, and Gaultheria glomerata was found in a percentage of 5-25%, concluding that this species is in index 2 on Blanquet's scale.

Using Floristic Analysis and Dendrochronology to Plan Ecological Restoration within a Forest–Prairie Ecotone

The limestone bluffs of the central Mississippi River Valley represent a significant portion of the remaining intermingled xeric hill prairie-savanna-woodland systems of the Midwest where different cover types may co-occur at very fine scales. Efforts to restore these landscapes would benefit from a data-driven tool to delineate existing vegetation cover characteristics and reconcile these with desired management outcomes on a spatially explicit basis. This study employed hierarchical cluster analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling in combination with indicator species analysis and dendrochronological methods to examine the structure, composition, and temporal community patterns of the forest–prairie gradient in the Mississippi River Bluffs of Jersey County, Illinois. Four distinct community types were identified on the gradient: (1) a woodland community dominated by Juniperus virginiana, Carya glabra, Quercus stellata, and Lonicera maackii; (2) open oak woodland with high exposed soil and overstory of Acer saccharum, Q. velutina, and Q. muehlenbergii; (3) a hill prairie community with grass coverage as the sole indicator; and (4) a transitioning community with 14 significant indicators and a trajectory advancing toward mesophytic forest composition. These data, within context with stem age, historical documents, and drought data, reveal the role of historical disturbances in temporal patterns of forest–prairie dynamics and provide a resolution in greater detail than previous studies of forest and nonnative invasive shrub encroachment. Pairing management activities to stand conditions, as informed by understanding drivers of ecosystem change, provides continuity with historical disturbance regimes and an objective basis for restoration activities and targets.

A new data‐driven riparian revegetation design method

AbstractHydrologic and physical gradients influence vegetation zonation and can form the basis of riparian revegetation design. We present a new data‐driven method to develop riparian revegetation designs by relating the ground height above river (HAR) or a low streamflow water surface as a groundwater proxy to existing vegetation cover types and applying those relationships to design conditions. Steps in the process are as follows: (1) map existing vegetation within the riparian corridor; (2) construct existing and design topographic and groundwater digital elevation models (DEMs), and then difference those DEMs to create a HAR detrended DEM (HAR dtDEM); (3) define existing vegetation habitat zones using the relationship between existing HAR dtDEM and mapped vegetation cover types; (4) apply habitat zone boundaries to detrended design topography; and (5) develop planting schematics using habitat zones and detrended design topography. We developed a revegetation design for a rehabilitation site on the Trinity River, California, using the HAR dtDEM method. We used a data‐driven method to define five habitat zones in riparian areas: aquatic, emergent margin, mesic, mesic–xeric transition, and xeric zones. Zonal boundaries were identified using four criteria: (1) capillary fringe elevation above the low flow water surface, (2) shifts from herbaceous to woody‐dominated cover types, (3) a difference equal to or >0.5 m between two adjacent ranked cover types, and (4) locations where a linear trendline intersected median HAR values or where a group of regression residuals changed from positive to negative or vice versa. The capillary fringe height was the most effective method when determining vegetation zones near the channel. The shift between herbaceous and woody‐dominated cover types defined the boundary between the emergent margin and mesic zone. Elevation increases >0.5 m between adjacent ranked cover types defined the upper and lower mesic–xeric transition zone boundaries best. Comparing linear residuals was most useful for separating drier cover types occurring on higher ground surfaces. Existing habitat zone boundaries were applied to detrended design topography to direct which selected native plant species could be arranged within habitat zones to improve planting survival and increase ecological function following rehabilitation.

Atmospheric moisture contribution to the growing season in the Amazon arc of deforestation

The Amazon moisture recycling system has been widely examined because it is fundamental to maintain some of the global climate processes, however, we have yet to know to what extent the agricultural growing season is dependent on the evapotranspiration contribution from the Amazon forest. Here we use a moisture tracking model to calculate the forest’s contribution to downwind precipitation. Specifically, we calculate the influence of moisture recycling on the seasonality of precipitation in the arc of deforestation with respect to the agricultural growing season. We calculated the wet season start, end and length using three scenarios (a) total precipitation with existing vegetation cover; (b) where we replace forest’s contribution to precipitation by replacing it with the equivalent from short vegetation; (c) where the forest’s contribution to precipitation is completely removed. We found that forest moisture recycling contributes up to 40% of monthly precipitation in the arc of deforestation. However, there is a strong spatial gradient in the forest’s contribution to precipitation, which decreases from west to east. This gradient also coincides with suitability for double-cropping agriculture. Our scenarios excluding precipitation originating from forest indicated that forest is a key contributing factor in determining the wet season start. We found that even when the precipitation originating from forest was replaced by short vegetation there was a significant delay in the wet season start in our study regions. Interestingly the wet season end was more resilient to changes in precipitation source. However it is clear that moisture recycling plays a key role in determining the wet season end as when forest’s contribution to precipitation was entirely removed the wet season end arrived significantly earlier. These differences in wet season length were not detectable in the eastern states of Tocantins and Maranhão, as much less of the precipitation in these states originates from the forest. Our findings demonstrate the importance of forest in supporting double-cropping agriculture in the arc of deforestation. As agricultural intensification by double-cropping increases land-use efficiency, it may also reduce the demand for further deforestation. Therefore it is important to identify how the current forest extent provides this important ecosystem service.

Assessment of Vegetation Cover of Bengaluru City, India, Using Geospatial Techniques

Bengaluru has a unique place due to its pleasant weather and green cover. Off late, the city has witnessed phenomenal urban growth, especially during last few decades. This study was envisaged to assess the decadal changes in vegetation cover of Bengaluru using multispectral IRS satellite imagery of 2006 and 2019 within Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) area. Satellite datasets were analysed to assess changes in vegetation cover during the last decade. Vegetation (tree cover) within BBMP area was estimated to be 26.1% (18,572.2 ha) in 2019 as compared to 30.1% (21,414.9 ha) in 2006, indicating an overall reduction of 4%. Overall classification accuracy was estimated to be 92.1% for 2006 and 95.9% for 2019. Based on the analysis, a vegetation change map highlighting positive change areas, negative change areas and no change areas within vegetation categories were prepared for 198 BBMP wards. A total of 730 GT sample points were also collected along with geo-tagged field photographs, which covered diverse niche areas with different vegetation components and density classes, as well as non-vegetated urban and other areas. Recommendations have been given to sustain and improve existing vegetation cover.

The available situation of meadows in Şanlıurfa and the usage areas of useful and harmful plants

Meadows and grasslands are one of the most important natural resources in the region. These areas are the cheapest sources of production where our need for animal nutrition is met, as well as where the need for roughage is met so that animals can produce high yields. As a result of continuous excessive and uncontrolled grazing of meadows and grasslands, losses have occurred in the existing vegetation cover. These areas are covered with plant communities where animals do not eat and have difficulty in digestion. To correct this situation and take necessary measures, a vegetation study was carried out in 2016. In the study carried out in the single and fatik mountains representing the city of Şanlıurfa, vegetation study was carried out with the wheel point method and it was studied in 12 determined areas. According to the results of the study, 32% of the pastures are covered with plants, while the remaining part is devastated by overgrazing and drought. Nowadays, plants that grow spontaneously in meadows and pastures are the food sources consumed by people in various ways. Plants that are beneficial according to the structure and properties of the plants collected by humans have been used by people for making food rather than medicine. Some of the plants have a poisonous effect and if the animals consume, the damage occurs. Useful and harmful plant species rates were determined as 19.3% and 32.5%, respectively. Poisonous herbs cause anorexia in animals, irreversible problems in excessive use, and even cause their death. As a result, the plants that are beneficial and harmful to human health in the meadow pastures of Şanlıurfa province, the existence of these plants should be protected and their properties and use should be explained to people, both medically and as a food. It was concluded that the pastures in two different mountains in Şanlıurfa province were degraded due to overgrazing and that they should be urgently protected by applying appropriate breeding methods.

The importance of ecotonic habitats in the spatial organization of the Late Pleistocene ecosystems of Yakutia

The mosaic of the existing vegetation cover of Yakutia in the Late Pleistocene is due to a combination of arid climate, as well as because of permafrost spreading and frequent fires. The combination of these factors creates necessary conditions for the formation of ecotone natural systems represented by dissipative plant communities. Sparse plant communities are characterized by the absence or weak expression of phytocenotic bonds. Their formation occurs stochastically under the absolute influence of external factors and is genetically entirely dependent on the surrounding vegetation, which acts as a donor of patient and ruderal species. Such processes were characteristic of the Late Pleistocene ecosystems of the Northern Hemisphere. A low productivity of such biotopes did not allow them to act as the main pastures for the representatives of the mammoth megafauna, apart from the saiga and bighorn sheep, but contributed to the increase in the biodiversity of the late Pleistocene ecosystems.

Long-term enrichment with the camedor palm (Chamaedorea elegans Mart.) improved forest cover in an anthropogenic tropical landscape

The use of non-timber forest products forms part of the strategy contributing to the well-being of populations near forest areas. Chamaedorea is one of the most important palm genera that is globally commercialized profitably for its attractive foliage used in floral decorations. In our study area located in the central region of Veracruz, Mexico we identified changes in tree cover between 1973 and 2017 using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). We conducted plant surveys to identify tree species richness associated with the cultivation of C. elegans. We conducted semi-structured interviews with local palm producers to understand their perceptions regarding changes in tree cover in the study area and its association with the presence of the camedor palm. Soil cover patterns and vegetation index signatures indicated an increase in the forested area from 1973 to 2017 (after more than 43 years), with a 69% gain in secondary vegetation coverage with low NDVI values. This increase is associated with the cultivation of palm, since arboreal cover had previously been dominated by species traditionally used as shade for camedor cultivation. Tree diameters at breast height (DBH) were low, indicating young secondary forests with low recruitment and diversity in the understory suggestive of simplified species assemblages; most of the associated species were long-living pioneers and typical of the secondary forest favored by the palm producers. Producers mentioned they did not remove coffee because it is their main means of subsistence, and in combination with the palm, there is greater economic benefit. They also confirmed an increase in forest cover owing to the introduction of palm cultivars in the areas north and south of the study area. This was confirmed with the NDVI results, which detected the same spatial pattern. These changes resulted in the interruption of the processes of succession without the transition of secondary to old-growth forests. However, the canopy of the study area provides better environmental services than did the previously existing vegetation cover. This study showed the need for the assessment of non-timber forest products as key indicators of land use change and alterations in associated plant cover.

Biogenic and anthropogenic isoprene emissions in the subtropical urban atmosphere of Delhi

This study examines the seasonal and intraday variations in isoprene, benzene and toluene at different sites in Delhi with a view to estimate the anthropogenic and biogenic fractions of isoprene and their ozone formation potential. For this purpose, measurements of ambient isoprene, benzene and toluene were made at selected vegetative and traffic sites of Delhi using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. The study reveals that the average isoprene concentrations were higher at vegetative sites (4.40 ± 3.35 μg/m3) as compared to traffic sites (0.56 ± 0.22 μg/m3). The benzene and toluene levels, on the other hand, were found to be higher at the traffic sites (23.22 ± 10.94 and 60.58 ± 20.27 μg/m3) as compared to vegetative sites (8.01 ± 4.56 and 24.75 ± 10.86 μg/m3) respectively. The isoprene concentrations at vegetative sites were found to be the highest in summer (6.51 ± 3.56 μg/m3) followed by post-monsoon (4.80 ± 3.18 μg/m3) and winter (1.82 ± 0.57 μg/m3). In the context of intraday variation, isoprene concentrations attained maximum values during the afternoon period. However, no significant intraday/seasonal variation was observed in isoprene concentration at traffic sites. Estimation of anthropogenic and biogenic fractions of isoprene revealed that anthropogenic contribution varied between 60 and 70% at traffic sites and less than 10% at the vegetative sites. Upon computation of ozone formation potential of isoprene, benzene and toluene it is seen that isoprene's contribution towards ozone formation is higher at vegetative sites as compared to traffic sites. But, the anthropogenic isoprene's contribution towards ozone formation is found to be minimal in the present study. In view of the existing vegetation cover (~20%) of Delhi, however, the role of isoprene in surface ozone formation cannot be understated.

LANDFIRE Remap Prototype Mapping Effort: Developing a New Framework for Mapping Vegetation Classification, Change, and Structure

LANDFIRE (LF) National (2001) was the original product suite of the LANDFIRE program, which included Existing Vegetation Cover (EVC), Height (EVH), and Type (EVT). Subsequent refinements after feedback from data users resulted in updated products, referred to as LF 2001, that now served as LANDFIRE’s baseline datasets and are the basis for all subsequent LANDFIRE updates. These updates account for disturbances and vegetation transition changes that may not represent current vegetation conditions. Therefore, in 2016 LANDFIRE initiated the Remap prototype to determine how to undertake a national-scale remap of the LANDFIRE primary vegetation datasets. EVC, EVH, and EVT were produced (circa 2015) via modeling for ecologically variable prototyping areas in the Pacific Northwest (NW) and Grand Canyon (GC). An error analysis within the GC suggested an overall accuracy of 52% (N = 800) for EVT, and a goodness of fit of 51% (N = 38) for percent cover (continuous EVC) and 53% (N = 38) for height (continuous EVH). The prototyping effort included a new 81-class map using the National Vegetation Classification (NVC) within the NW. This paper presents a narrative of the innovative methodologies in image processing and mapping used to create the new LANDFIRE vegetation products.

Vegetation, topography and daily weather influenced burn severity in central Idaho and western Montana forests

Burn severity as inferred from satellite‐derived differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) is useful for evaluating fire impacts on ecosystems but the environmental controls on burn severity across large forest fires are both poorly understood and likely to be different than those influencing fire extent. We related dNBR to environmental variables including vegetation, topography, fire danger indices, and daily weather for daily areas burned on 42 large forest fires in central Idaho and western Montana. The 353 fire days we analyzed burned 111,200 ha as part of large fires in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2011. We expected that local “bottom‐up” variables like topography and vegetation would influence burn severity, but that our use of daily dNBR and weather data would uncover stronger relationships between the two than previous studies have shown. We found that percent existing vegetation cover had the largest influence on burn severity, while weather variables like fine fuel moisture, relative humidity, and wind speed were also influential but somewhat less important. Our results could reflect contrasting scales of predictor variables, as many topography and vegetation variables (30‐m spatial resolution) accounted for more of the variability in burn severity (also 30‐m spatial resolution) than did fire danger indices and many daily weather variables (4‐km spatial resolution). However, we posit that, in contrast to the strong influence of climate and weather on fire extent, “bottom‐up” factors such as topography and vegetation have the most influence on burn severity. While climate and weather certainly interact with the landscape to affect burn severity, pre‐fire vegetation conditions due to prior disturbance and management strongly affect vegetation response even when large areas burn quickly.

Cross-sectional and temporal relationships between bird occupancy and vegetation cover at multiple spatial scales.

Scale is a key concept in ecology, but the statistically based quantification of scale effects has often proved difficult. This is exemplified by the challenges of quantifying relationships between biodiversity and vegetation cover at different spatial scales to guide restoration and conservation efforts in agricultural environments. We used data from 2002 to 2010 on 184 sites (viz., site scale) nested within 46 farms (the farm scale), nested within 23 landscapes (the landscape scale). We found cross-sectional relationships with the amount of vegetation cover that were typically positive for woodland birds and negative for open-country birds. However, for some species, relationships differed between spatial scales, suggesting differences in nesting and foraging requirements. There was a 3.5% increase in the amount of native vegetation cover in our study region between 2002 and 2010, and our analyses revealed that some open country species responded negatively to these temporal changes, typically at the farm and/or site scale, but not the landscape scale. Species generally exhibited stronger cross-sectional relationships with the amount of vegetation cover than relationships between changes in occupancy and temporal changes in vegetation cover. This unexpected result can be attributed to differences in habitat use by birds of existing vegetation cover (typically old-growth woodland) vs. plantings and natural regeneration, which are the main contributors to temporal increases in vegetation cover. By taking a multi-scaled empirical approach, we have identified species-specific, scale-dependent responses to vegetation cover. These findings are of considerable practical importance for understanding which species will respond to different scales of protection of existing areas of native vegetation, efforts to increase the amount of native vegetation over time, and both approaches together.

The temporal trend of urban green coverage in major Chinese cities between 1990 and 2010

Information on changes in urban green spaces and the causes of these changes is important for urban planning. In this study the trends of urban green coverage (UGC) between 1990 and 2010 in 30 major Chinese cities were studied using classified Landsat satellite images. Associations between the trends and natural and socio-economic variables were analyzed using the maximum information-based nonparametric exploration method. The results showed that, overall, the studied cities have become greener over the past two decades. Greening in old city districts and expanded built-up areas (BUAs) led to the increase of urban green coverage at a mean annual rate of 1.51%. However rapid urbanization also caused a dramatic turn-over in vegetation covers. On a regional scale, around 46.89% of original vegetation cover was converted to other land cover types. The trends of UGC cannot be attributed to any one of natural or socio-economic variables alone. The combined influences of economic growth, climate change, and urban greening policies are the most likely causes behind the detected trend. One lesson from this study is that the preservation of existing vegetation cover must be a priority in urban greening programs.

Responses of Runoff and Soil Erosion to Vegetation Removal and Tillage on Steep Lands

Land use and land cover change is a key driver of environmental change. To investigate the runoff and erosion responses to frequent land use change on the steep lands in the Three Gorges area, China, a rainfall simulation experiment was conducted in plots randomly selected at a Sloping Land Conversion Program site with three soil surface conditions: existing vegetation cover, vegetation removal, and freshly hoed. Simulated rainfall was applied at intensities of 60 (low), 90 (medium), and 120 mm h−1 (high) in each plot. The results indicated that vegetation removal and hoeing significantly changed runoff generation. The proportion of subsurface runoff in the total runoff decreased from 30.3% to 6.2% after vegetation removal. In the hoed plots, the subsurface runoff comprised 29.1% of the total runoff under low-intensity rainfall simulation and the proportion rapidly decreased with increasing rainfall intensity. Vegetation removal and tillage also significantly increased soil erosion. The average soil erosion rates from the vegetation removal and hoed plots were 3.0 and 10.2 times larger than that in the existing vegetation cover plots, respectively. These identified that both the runoff generation mechanism and soil erosion changed as a consequence of altering land use on steep lands. Thus, conservation practices with maximum vegetation cover and minimum tillage should be used to reduce surface runoff and soil erosion on steep lands.

Anticipating land surface change

The interplay of human actions and natural processes over varied spatial and temporal scales can result in abrupt transitions between contrasting land surface states. Understanding these transitions is a key goal of sustainability science because they can represent abrupt losses of natural capital. This paper recognizes flickering between alternate land surface states in advance of threshold change and critical slowing down in advance of both threshold changes and noncritical transformation. The early warning signals we observe are rises in autocorrelation, variance, and skewness within millimeter-resolution thickness measurements of tephra layers deposited in A.D. 2010 and A.D. 2011. These signals reflect changing patterns of surface vegetation, which are known to provide early warning signals of critical transformations. They were observed toward migrating soil erosion fronts, cryoturbation limits, and expanding deflation zones, thus providing potential early warning signals of land surface change. The record of the spatial patterning of vegetation contained in contemporary tephra layers shows how proximity to land surface change could be assessed in the widespread regions affected by shallow layers of volcanic fallout (those that can be subsumed within the existing vegetation cover). This insight shows how we could use tephra layers in the stratigraphic record to identify "near misses," close encounters with thresholds that did not lead to tipping points, and thus provide additional tools for archaeology, sustainability science, and contemporary land management.

Análise morfométrica das sub-bacias hidrográficas Perdizes e Fojo no município de Campos do Jordão, SP, Brasil

The State of Sao Paulo Water Resources Policy established, in 1991, the Integrated Water Resources Management System (SIGRHI) and defined the basic principles for water management, adopting the watershed as the basic unit for studies, integrated planning for sustainable development. This study characterized the morphology of sub-basins Fojo and Perdizes in the city of Campos do Jordao, SP. Morphometric analysis involved the characterization of geometric parameters, topography and drainage network, and the analysis of land use and land cover of the sub-basins. The morphometric characterization revealed that Perdizes sub-basin has an area of 12.70 km², a perimeter of 19.85 km, and a main channel length of 6.86 km, while Fojo sub-basin has a drainage area of 13.97 km ², a perimeter of 19.74 km, and a main channel length of 6.94 km. These results indicate similarities between the two sub-basins. The compactness coefficient (Kc) for Perdizes was 1.56 and for Fojo 1.41. These values associated with the respective form factors, F = 0.27 and F = 0.29, indicate that these sub-basins, under a normal precipitation regime are not susceptible to flooding. The results of these indices are consisted with the circularity index (CI) found: CI = 0.41 for Perdizes and CI = 0.45 for Fojo, respectively. As CI values found are far from one, they indicate that these sub-basins tend to have a more elongated shape and, therefore, lower flow concentration tendency. The results obtained for the maintenance coefficient indicate that in order to maintain the flow of each channel meter, Perdizes sub-basin needs 286.5 m² and Fojo sub-basin needs 243.9 m². Land cover and land use analysis revealed that among the four existing vegetation cover types, Forest is dominant in both sub-basins with 649 ha (51.1%) in Perdizes, and 608.8 ha (43.6%) in Fojo; Reforestation cover ranks second with similar areas in both sub-basins, Perdizes with 218 ha (17.2%) and Fojo with approximately 214 ha (15.3%). In terms of conservation, Fojo sub-basin can be considered better conserved with a smaller urban area, larger rangeland natural coverage area, and only slightly smaller forest coverage area than Perdizes.

Determination of plant characteristics used in discharge capacity assessment of Turkey Creek watershed on South Carolina coastal plain, USA

Determination of plant characteristics used in discharge capacity assessment of Turkey Creek watershed on South Carolina coastal plain, USA. Riparian vegetation type, composition, structure, and its abundance on fl oodplains exert a strong infl uence on riparian surface and subsurface hydrology and discharges of rivers and streams. The conditions of fl ood waters fl ow in such valley types are shaped by the existing vegetation cover. In this study, on the basis of vegetation inventory in four selected and representative basins, the substitute geometrical parameters of the medium and tall vegetation were determined and friction coeffi cients for low vegetation. These parameters were determined for 72 km2 forested watershed draining a 3rd order stream as affected by fl oodplain riparian vegetation on the Atlantic Coastal Plain in South Carolina, USA. The vegetation parameters, determined directly from the measurements, were verifi ed against the rating curve, that was achieved from discharge measurements as well as from discharge capacity calculations of the valley cross-section. In discharge capacity calculation, the Pasche method was used to calculate the total Darcy-Weisbach friction factor for each cross section according to the type of vegetation and fl ow interaction between the main channel and vegetated areas. In this approach friction caused by interaction between the main channel and vegetated areas are taken into account. The calculations performed on the basis of determined geometrical parameters of tall vegetation, show good agreement between the model and the measurements.

Examining the Ecological Quality of Küçükçekmece District Parks in Istanbul in Terms of Permeability and Natural Vegetation

Kucukcekmece, is one of the important districts to define the city of Istanbul at the international level with its historical, cultural, and natural values. In this study, the parks in District were examined in terms of ecological quality, principles, and standards. Ecological quality is a composite of the structural and functional features determining the habitat values of a landscape. An objective evaluation on the ecological quality of parks is important from the point of rehabilitation from an existing situation, and providing areas which will have high habitat value in the future. Recovery in the existing park area will generate a livable urban atmosphere. In line with this basic comprehension, the ecological quality of the parks in Istanbul's District was examined. There are four principles determining ecological quality of an area: vegetative production, water, permeability (soil), and natural vegetation cover (biological diversity). This research was done in two phases regarding the permeability and natural vegetation cover using ecological quality principles. In the first phase of the study, a vegetation list was provided by the Park and Garden Department of the Municipality. The park names and size were acquired from the Kucukcekmece District green corridor Transformation Project. The space where the soil surface is covered by soil material, or is suppressed because of overuse and can not sustain plant growth is accepted as an impermeable soil surface. Whether there is a relation between park areas and permeable surface areas was examined using the Spearman correlation test. Whether permeability ratio of parks changes according to their location was analyzed using the Chi-Square test. In the second stage of the study, the existing vegetation cover was analyzed on-site. Existing vegetation cover analysis is made according to trees, shrubs, bushes, flowers, and trailings. Findings of, this study show that the average permeability ratio is 35.19% and the naturality ratio is 52% in the 63 parks under examination. This study shows that the permeable land surfaces of the parks remain incapable of sustaining vegetative growth and therefore the habitat values of the park areas, which can have an economic, social and ecologic contribution to the urban environment, will reduce. Result of this study will contribute to the sampling used for the ecological quality principles in other parks in other districts. The study reveals the importance of the ecological quality factors that need to be taken into consideration in the design and planning of parks.