Park Environment Research Articles

Spatial Estimation of the Latent Heat Flux in a Tropical Dry Forest by Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

In this paper, we address the retrieval of spatially distributed latent heat flux ( λ E) over a tropical dry forest using multi-spectral and thermal unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery. The study was carried out in the Santa Rosa National Park Environmental Monitoring Super-Site, Costa Rica, in June 2016. The triangle method was used to derive λ E from the UAV imagery and the results were compared to λ E measurements of an eddy covariance system within the coincident eddy flux tower footprint. The tower footprint was derived using a two-dimensional parameterization model for flux footprint prediction. The comparisons with the flux tower measurements showed a mean relative difference of 10.98% with a slight overestimation of the UAV-based flux retrievals by nearly 7.7 Wm − 2 . The results are in good agreement with satellite-based retrievals, as provided by the literature, for which the triangle method was initially developed and mostly used so far. This study proved to be a promising approach for transferring the triangle method to UAV imagery in ecosystems such as tropical dry forests. With the presented approach, new details in spatially distributed latent heat flux estimates at ultra-high resolution are now possible, thereby potentially closing the gap in spatial resolution between satellites and flux towers. Even more, it allows tracing the latent heat flux from single trees at leaf level. Besides, this approach also opens new perspectives for the monitoring of latent heat fluxes in tropical dry forests.

ISLAMIC STYLE IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN ON THE EXAMPLE OF ANCIENT GARDENS OF THE TEMURID PERIOD

The article considers the history of the creation and development of the Islamic garden, the characteristic features of landscape gardening art in the Islamic style through the prism of the development of ancient gardens of the Temurid period, in particular, on examples of gardens in Central Asia, Afghanistan and India, and other countries, including their perspectives development, as well as proposals for the creation of modern landscape design. Today, with the urbanization and the growth of cities, less territory remains for the green zone, therefore one of the main problems throughout the world is the preservation of the environment, and especially landscape architecture. Gardening art has come a long way and many masterpieces have been irretrievably lost. Today, all aspects of the history and development of Islamic-style gardens and parks are still not disclosed. For this reason the issue of studying traditional Islamic-style gardens and, of course, reviving the traditional park-building culture of the Temurids and Baburids era was raised in Uzbekistan to create a green environment of historical sites and national parks. As a result of the research, the following were considered and identified: the history of the development of Islamic landscape design, the types of gardens in the Islamic style, the history of the creation of various gardens, their names, planning and compositional solutions, characteristic features, decorative techniques for building gardens in Central Asia, Afghanistan, India, technical and water devices used in the Temurid Gardens, as well as the importance of the Temurids dynasty in creating gardens and parks in Afghanistan and India. The conducted research, the experience of designing and creating Islamic gardens in Central Asia, Afghanistan, India and other countries will allow using the recommendations aimed at creating a modern garden in the Islamic style not only in Uzbekistan, but in other countries.

Air Quality in Brno City Parks

Parks embody an important element of urban infrastructure and a basic type of public space that shapes the overall character of a city. They form a counterweight to built-up areas and public spaces with paved surfaces. In this context, parks compensate for the lack of natural, open landscapes in cities and thus have a fundamental impact on the quality of life of their inhabitants. For this reason, it is important to consider the quality of the environment in urban parks, air quality in particular. Concentrations of gaseous pollutants, namely, nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3), were measured in parks of Brno, the second-largest city in the Czech Republic. Relevant concentration values of PM10 solids were determined continuously via the nephelometric method, followed by gravimetric method-based validation. The results obtained through the measurement of wind direction, wind speed, temperature, and relative humidity were used to identify potential sources of air pollution in parks. The “openair” and “openairmaps” packages from the OpenSource software R v. 3.6.2 were employed to analyze the effect of meteorological conditions on air pollution. Local polar concentration maps found use in localizing the most serious sources of air pollution within urban parks. The outcomes of the analyses show that the prevailing amount of the pollution determined at the measuring point most likely originates from the crossroads near the sampled localities. At the monitored spots, the maximum concentrations of pollutants are reached especially during the morning rush hour. The detailed time and spatial course of air pollution in the urban parks were indicated in the respective concentration maps capturing individual pollutants. Significantly increased concentrations of nitrogen oxides were established in a locality situated near a busy road (with the traffic intensity of 33,000 vehicles/d); this scenario generally applied to colder weather. The highest PM10 concentrations were measured at the same location and at an average temperature that proved to be the lowest within the entire set of measurements. In the main city park, unlike other localities, higher concentrations of PM10 were measured in warmer weather; such an effect was probably caused by the park being used to host barbecue parties.

Engaging citizen scientists to build healthy park environments in Colombia.

Colombia's Recreovía program offers community-based free physical activity (PA) classes in parks. We evaluated built and social environmental factors influencing Recreovía local park environments, and facilitated a consensus-building and advocacy process among community members, policymakers and academic researchers aimed at improving uptake and impact of the Recreovía program. We used a mixed-methods approach, with individual and contextual PA measurements and a resident-enabled participatory approach (the Our Voice citizen science engagement model). Recreovía participants were likely to be women meeting PA recommendations, and highly satisfied with the Recreovía classes. Reported facilitators of the Recreovía included its role in enhancing social and individual well-being through PA classes. Reported barriers to usage were related to park maintenance, cleanliness and safety. The Our Voice process elicited community reflection, empowerment, advocacy and action. Our Voice facilitated the interplay among stakeholders and community members to optimize the Recreovía program as a facilitator of active living, and to make park environments more welcoming.

The Environmental Management and Recreational Facilities Usage

Assessment of Environmental and Recreation Facility Maintenance was carried out in Kainji Lake National Park. Questionnaire method of data collection was employed to collect the data needed. Purposive and simple random techniques were adopted to sample respondents in the study area. One hundred questionnaires were designed and administered. The data collected were analyzed through simple percentage and presented in table and charts. However, the results showed that recreation facilities are 99% present, while swimming pool is 65% functional. The study showed that visitors came there three times in a week indicating 44% of the respondents while on maintenance of the park environment and the facilities indicated 94% and 88% of the respondents respectively. The study further recommended the followings facilities basketball pitch. Hockey game, volley ball and well-constructed swimming pool.

The extent of stunting in trees growing within car parks compared with those situated in peripheral landscaped areas in the UK

ABSTRACT Tree planting in towns and cities offers a range of important social, economic and environmental benefits; however, the harsh growing conditions of urban sites can substantially limit these benefits. This study investigated the effect of a car park environment upon the growth and development of trees planted within 13 sites in the UK. The size and condition of trees planted 11 to 27 years ago in restricted soil volumes surrounded by car park surfaces (n = 160) were compared to trees of the same age and species situated within the landscaped peripheries (n = 33) of 13 sites. Crown density was assessed at three sites planted with Acer platanoides L. as an additional measure of tree health. Analysis of stem diameter identified that trees in the landscaped areas exhibited 64.2% greater girth when compared to those planted in pits and 49.9% greater girth compared to those planted in strips within car park areas (excluding sites containing Platanus x acerifolia (Aiton) Willd., which coped well within car parks). Trees in peripheral landscaping areas were on average 20% taller in height and tree condition was significantly associated with estimated soil volumes. Sampled crown density also identified that the Norway maples within three car parks had around 30% sparser crowns than trees of the same species planted in adjacent landscaping areas. This study concludes that species and substrate conditions are crucial factors influencing the growth of most tree species in a car park setting. The stunted trees arising from inadequate car park design in the last three decades in the UK provide a sanguine lesson on how not to establish the urban forest of the future

연령대별 신체활동 증진을 위한 공원환경 개선방안

연령대별 신체활동 증진을 위한 공원환경 개선방안

The Relationship Between Women’s Preferences for Landscape Spatial Configurations and Relevant Socio-Economic Variables

People’s preferences for urban parks are influenced by the spatial and contextual characteristics of spaces, where landscapes form the main body of parks. The present study examined women’s preferences for landscape spatial quality indicators (including coherence, mystery, complexity, legibility, prospect, and refuge) in two urban parks. Also, the study explored the impact of socio-economic variables such as age, income, and education on women’s preferences. In this spirit, a photo survey was conducted among 178 women as park users in Tabriz in 2017. Descriptive analysis, factor analysis, and comparison tests such as one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Based on the results, the highest preferences were for mystery, complexity, and prospect. The results also revealed that the preference for landscape spatial quality indicators (LSQIs) varies among different age groups, education levels, and income statuses, where middle-aged women show the highest preference toward all of the LSQIs. Similarly, perception of and preference for landscape were seen to increase with education level, with less educated women demonstrating the lowest preferences for LSQIs in a park environment. Also, women with low and high income levels had the highest preference for mystery, complexity, and prospect of LSQIs. The population of middle-aged residents is increasing, which renders it necessary for special attention to be paid to understanding their opinions and demands for public spaces, such as landscape quality. It was likewise confirmed that users’ characteristics should be taken into account in planting design, particularly its spatial configurations in urban parks.

Current state of Gagarin Park: its problems and the ways to improve the comfort of recreational environment

The state of recreational facilities and their accessibility for citizens is an integral part of life quality. Within the scope of work aimed at transition to comfortable urban environment, one of the most significant recreational facilities in Samara - Yuri Gagarin Park– has been examined. The following indicators have been researched and evaluated as the indicators of the park environment’s comfort- the character of the established functional zoning has been described- the zones of acoustic comfort have been defined- the quality of water in water bodies has been evaluated- the recreational load has been measured- the expression of the recreational landscape has been evaluated.The recommendations how to improve the comfort of the environment have been worked out, and they may be in demand while developing urban special-purpose programs.

Audio in VR: Effects of a Soundscape and Movement-Triggered Step Sounds on Presence.

For effective virtual realities, “presence,” the feeling of “being there” in a virtual environment (VR), is deemed an essential prerequisite. Several studies have assessed the effect of the (non-)availability of auditory stimulation on presence, but due to differences in study design (e.g., virtual realities used, types of sounds included, rendering technologies employed), generalizing the results and estimating the effect of the auditory component is difficult. In two experiments, the influence of an ambient nature soundscape and movement-triggered step sounds were investigated regarding their effects on presence. In each experiment, approximately forty participants walked on a treadmill, thereby strolling through a virtual park environment reproduced via a stereoscopic head-mounted display (HMD), while the acoustical environment was delivered via noise-canceling headphones. In Experiment 1, conditions with the ambient soundscape and the step sounds either present or absent were combined in a 2 × 2 within-subjects design, supplemented with an additional “no-headphones” control condition. For the synchronous playback of step sounds, the probability of a step being taken was estimated by an algorithm using the HMD's sensor data. The results of Experiment 1 show that questionnaire-based measures of presence and realism were influenced by the soundscape but not by the reproduction of steps, which might be confounded with the fact that the perceived synchronicity of the sensor-triggered step sounds was rated rather low. Therefore, in Experiment 2, the step-reproduction algorithm was improved and judged to be more synchronous by participants. Consequently, large and statistically significant effects of both kinds of audio manipulations on perceived presence and realism were observed, with the effect of the soundscape being larger than that of including footstep sounds, possibly due to the remaining imperfections in the reproduction of steps. Including an appropriate soundscape or self-triggered footsteps had differential effects on subscales of presence, in that both affected overall presence and realism, while involvement was improved and distraction reduced by the ambient soundscape only.

Traffic-derived noise, air pollution and urban park design

ABSTRACT Parks provide a range of ecosystem services and make major contributions to urban life. Improved environmental quality was observed in urban parks as pollutants and noise disperse. Numerical models were used to assess the role of various design elements in air pollution and noise attenuation in parks. The walls reduced pollutants and sound noticeably in its shadow. Dense conifers can trap pollutants in park borders and lower concentrations in interiors, but less efficient in noise reduction. A study of a design for a small urban park suggests principles for achieving lower user exposure to pollution and healthier park environment.

Methods of Reconstruction of Park Territories on Condition of Ecosystem Conservation

The article discusses the process of the urban framework transformation that occurs as a result of the development of urban tissue. The authors analyzed the most common changes in the state of urban park territories, as well as approaches for their further use. The need for structuring the functional areas of park territories taking into account the existing environmental situation is singled out. Two main city park subsystems are identified: ecosystem and recreational environment. The principles of their interaction are revealed. The forms of degradation and destruction of the ecosystem of park territories depending on the factors of aggressive influence are indicated. The authors analyzed the typical functional composition of the park recreational environment. The main characteristics and anthological problems of urban park areas are identified on the example of the author’s concept for reconstruction of the Gorky Park located in Samara city. The universal method of preserving the ecosystem in an urban park environment is proposed, which is based on the principle of segregation of zones and concentration of functional consumer facilities.

Appraising the sonic environment of urban parks using the soundscape dimension of visually impaired people

ABSTRACTThe study aimed to investigate the specific soundscape dimension of visually impaired people and to learn about the possibly unique soundscape dimension elicited by the hearing sense alone. The soundscape dimension of the visually impaired will be used as a reference for improving urban parks to accommodate users inclusively. A semantic-scale questionnaire survey of sighted and visually impaired people in both in-situ and off-site modes was performed. Data were extracted using principal component analysis with polychoric correlations, which produced three soundscape dimensions elicited from the sighted and six from the visually impaired. In sum, evaluation of the park’s sonic environment identified the eventfulness soundscape dimension and the pleasantness soundscape dimension as being the most prominent for visually impaired and sighted people, respectively.HighlightsAn entirely aural soundscape method by visually impaired people is used to appraise urban parks.Soundscape dimension of eventfulness is the most prominent for visually impaired people.Visually impaired people extract more information from the acoustic environment.Visually impaired people sense the danger and direction of a space from sound.

Creating a Phenology Trail Around Central Park Pond

In this study, we aimed to determine whether the life cycle stages, or phenophases, of some plants in the urban environment of Central Park, New York, differ from the typical phenophases of the same plant species. To address this aim, we created the first phenology trail in Central Park, New York, by monitoring physical changes in thirteen plants over time and using DNA barcoding to confirm the visual identification of plant species on the trail. We isolated DNA barcodes from thirteen leaf samples by performing DNA extraction, PCR, and gel electrophoresis, before sending the samples for sequencing. We created an online map of our phenology trail using the program iNaturalist so that said map may be used by future researchers and citizen scientists. We hypothesized that the phenophases of the thirteen plants we studied would differ from their typical phenophases due to the 2 to 3 degree increase in temperature resulting from the urban heat island effect, which would have an impact on temperature-determined phenophases. We observed that, although the phenophases of five of our plants matched up with typical trends, there were distinct changes in the phenophases of the other eight, possibly resulting from the urban heat island effect.

Urban parks and their impact on the sustainable development of the tourist area: international experience and prospects of its application in the Kaliningrad region and the Republic of Tatarstan (RF)

Nowadays, self-organized travel, in which a tourist without the help of travel agents forms his tour package, buying air tickets, booking hotels, transfers and other services, is becoming increasingly popular. All this became possible primarily thanks to the development of Internet services, which have recently become available and easy to use. In addition, the system of electronic payments allows you to pay for the ordered services in a short time anywhere in the world. It can be concluded that the share of independent travel will increase every year. The most popular destinations for such independent travel are national capitals and large cities with well-developed infrastructure. According to the latest research, tourists come on average for 3-4 days, stay in economy class hotels (or rented apartments), eat in authentic medium level establishments. While on holiday, they visit certain sights, such as museums, monumental buildings, nature reserves and so on. Much time is also spent walking around the city, when tourists enjoy visiting and resting in city parks. In this article, we will consider the impact of urban parks on tourism, as well as highlight the main benefits of developing the urban park environment in the context of sustainable development of the territory and attracting tourists.

A Longitudinal Investigation of Urban Park Management in Hong Kong: A Managerial Perspective

Urban park management is key for urban green spaces to achieve their functions of ecosystem services and sustainability. While the complex management-user relationship is often a challenge for user conflicts and resource depletion in urban parks nowadays, park managers have also had changing management expectations and perceptions over the years. To understand the trend of management held by urban park managers and the changing importance and performance of different park resources and characteristics, it is essential to investigate park managers’ perceptions regarding areas of their concern. Specifically, these areas can be represented by indicators that allow park managers to consider selecting, applying, measuring and monitoring park conditions periodically.This paper presents a longitudinal study on the perceptions of urban park managers in Hong Kong through a comparison of their importance and the performance ratings of selected indicators, which captured findings from two previous studies in 2004 and 2012, respectively. With an updated list of indicators from literature review and a modified Delphi screening process by park managers, academics and park users reported in a previous study, the refined indicator items were presented to park managers with a structured questionnaire-based survey in each round of opinion collection and ratings. The results show that urban park management in Hong Kong has emphasized resource and environmental dimensions such as physical features and hardware facilities in parks. Over the years, urban park managers have possessed a clear set of management objectives to enhance the park environment, landscaping and other physical conditions, but are confined to these controllable or manageable tasks within their park’s jurisdiction. Park managers have found it increasingly difficult to handle complaints, or to engage park users and surrounding communities. It is recommended that urban park authorities should break through their administrative nature and encourage more public and community engagement with urban park settings and management. In the case of Hong Kong’s urban parks, the dominant operative management approach is largely similar to the major constraint of urban parks worldwide. It is strongly advised that more public and community engagement should be encouraged to add more elements such as art and creativity, smart recreation and innovative design to urban park settings and management. This involves a gradual administrative breakthrough especially in the apparent silo form of park management and operation in Hong Kong. Subscribe to JPRA

노인의 공원환경 인식이 공원이용 만족도에 미치는 영향

노인의 공원환경 인식이 공원이용 만족도에 미치는 영향

Monitoring of vector-borne diseases in the west part of Ukraine

During recent years, infectious and invasive animal diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, and protozoa and transmitted by ticks have been a new problem in medical and veterinary practice. Many of these diseases are zoonoses and lead to the disability and mortality of humans and animals. Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus are species of ticks that are commonly attack animals and humans in Europe. These ticks are spread throughout the EU and are involved in the transmission of a large number of vector-borne diseases. To date, relatively limited data on the circulation of tick-borne diseases and their transmission in western Ukraine are presented. The purpose of this study was to monitor the types of ixodid ticks, as well as to identify pathogens in ticks collected from the environment in urban parks and from dogs and cats. A total of 215 ticks (22 Ixodes ricinus and 193 Dermacentor reticulatus) collected in two regions of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk were investigated. Pathogens, namely, Rikettsia spp., Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Bartonella spp., were detected in 64.0% of the I. ricinus ticks. Overall, 18.2% of I. ricinus ticks were positive for Rikettsia spp., 54.5% for Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis, 9.1% for A. phagocytophilum and Bartonella spp. confirmed in 4.5% of the studied ticks. Mixed infestations were found in 5 samples of I. ricinus DNA, representing 22.7%. In addition, 74.6% of D. reticulatus ticks were infested with these pathogens. Overall, 30.0% of D. reticulatus ticks were positive for Rikettsia spp., Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis was confirmed in 54.9%, A. phagocytophilum in 1.6%, and Bartonella spp. in 6.2% of the studied ticks. Mixed infestations were found in 35 D. reticulatus DNA samples, representing 18.1%. The prevalence of Rikettsia spp. in two regions of Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk, among the studied ticks was 28.8%, Bartonella spp. – 6.0%, A. phagocytophilum – 2.3%, Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis – 54.9%. Our data indicate the presence of pathogens in urban populations of ticks of I. ricinus and D. reticulatus in west part of Ukraine. Monitoring of tick-borne diseases is an important tool in the prevention and control of infections transmitted to humans and animals.

Aesthetic perception of the compositional structure of the park environment

The article deals with the peculiarities of the influence of the composition structure of the park environment on aesthetic perception and its influence on the formation of preferences with the involvement of respondents (76 people).The peer review methodological approach was applied, which includes a parallel analysis of two interrelated structures (material and imaginative), as well as their relation to the aesthetic evaluation results of the respondents. Surveys involving respondents were conducted for four seasons 2017-2018 directly on the territory of the Park of Glory in Kyiv.We defined the relationship between the aesthetic evaluation of the park environment and the features of its compositional organization, which influence the formation of preferences and cause their variability during the year. It is revealed that the combination of features of the park environment, which are perceived as attractive due to the evolution of human as a biological species and the influence of socio-cultural factors increases the emotional impact and aesthetic evaluation of the park environment, but can both reduce and enhance its informative qualities. The presence of distant vistas and panoramas is an important feature that promotes the aesthetic qualities of the environment, but reduces, and in some cases, eliminates the influence of direct means of expression of ideological meaning. The compositional coherence of the architectural components of the park environment and plants, as well as the formation of perspectives on the memorial objects enhances emotional impact, informational qualities and aesthetic appreciation in general.

Biocultural diversity (BCD) in European cities – Interactions between motivations, experiences and environment in public parks

Urban green spaces (UGS) provide multiple benefits, and public parks in particular have a key role in supporting ecological and social sustainability in cities, contributing to human-nature interactions. We studied the interrelationships between uses, experiences and the environment by adopting a novel concept of urban biocultural diversity (BCD). The concept identifies three interlinked spheres of urban BCD: materialised, lived and stewardship. We conducted place-based research in 33 parks located in four European capitals: Helsinki, Berlin, Bucharest and Lisbon. A total of 1474 visitors were interviewed concerning their motivations to use the park and their experiences during the visit. Using an open-ended survey, we revealed more than 50 motivations for park use and over 100 features people enjoyed during their visits. On the other hand, visitors mentioned far fewer things that disturbed them (60). We revealed that despite the fact motivations to use parks were strongly human-oriented, visitors widely enjoyed the environmental characteristics of parks, and especially nature. We found that parks located in neighbourhoods with low socio-economic status and outside the central area of the city were structurally less diverse than parks located in the city core. The structurally diverse parks enhanced motivations to use them, and increased overall enjoyments of the environment. We revealed clear differences in motivations and enjoyments between cities, implying that the day-to-day practices of people using and experiencing nature varies between cities.