Information technology and urban green analysis

It is well recognized that green area plays a pivotal role in improving urban environment, such as preserving water and soil, controlling temperature and humidity of air, preventing pollution, flood prevention, functioning as buffers between incompatible land uses, preserving natural habitat, and providing space for recreation and relaxation. However, due to pressures from new development both in urban fringes and urban centres, urban green and open spaces are seen to be rapidly declining in term of allocated spaces and quality. Without careful urban land use planning, many open spaces will be filled with residential and commercial buildings. Therefore, there is a need for proper planning control to ensure that the provisions of green spaces are adequately being conserved for current and future generations. The need for an urban green information system is particularly important for strategic planning at macro level and local planning at the micro level. The advent of information technology has created an opportunity for the development of new approaches in preserving and monitoring the development of urban green and open spaces. This paper will discuss the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) incorporated with other data sources such as remote sensing images and aerial photographs in providing innovative and alternative solutions in the management and monitoring of urban green. GIS is widely accepted in urban landscape planning as it can provide better understanding on the spatial pattern and changes of land use in an area. This paper will primarily focus on digital database that are developed to assist in monitoring urban green and open spaces at regional and local context. The application of GIS in the Klang Valley region or better known as AGISwlk developed since mid-1990's is currently being used by various organisations in the region. The focus of AGISwlk is not merely in providing relevant database to its stakeholders but more importantly, assist in making specific and relevant decisions with regard to spatial planning. It is also used to monitor the loss of green areas by using several temporal data sets. The method of classifying green and open spaces in the region is also being discussed. This paper demonstrates that GIS can be an effective tool in preserving and monitoring green and open spaces in an urban area. The contribution of urban green digital database in someway may leads toward landscape sustainability as to satisfy the ever changing society

Local and regional desertification indicators in a global perspective: Seminar proceedings

This volume contains the proceedings of the International Seminar on Local and Regional Desertification Indicators in a Global Perspective held in Beijing, China, in May 2005. Aim of the seminar was to provide a precious opportunity to exchange information and experiences about the identification and use of desertification B&I among representatives of UNCCD Annexes, while contributing to strengthen linkages among them and exploring possible synergies. The seminar was organised in the framework of the AIDCCD project (Active Exchange of Experiences on Indicators and Development of Perspective in the Context of UNCCD), aiming at developing and co-ordinating exchange of experience across the world among institutions involved in the implementation of the UNCCD regional Annexes

Survey of Impact of Technology on Effective Implementation of Precision Farming in India

The advancements in technology have made its impact on almost every field. India being an agricultural country, proper use of technology can greatly help in improving the standard of living of the farmers. With varying weather conditions, illiteracy of farmers and non-availability of timely assistance, the farmers of this country could not get the best out of their efforts. Precision farming focuses mainly on the aspects that can improve the efficiency based on the data collected from various sources viz. meteorology, sensors, GIS, GPS, etc. The information pertaining to farmland (e.g., soil moisture, soil pH, soil nitrogen) and agro-meteorology (e.g., temperature & humidity, solar radiation, wind speed, atmospheric CO2 concentration, rainfall, climate change and global warming) are used as input parameters to decide the varying requirements of the crop cultivation. Historical farm land data are used as a means to decide on the kind of actions to be taken under a specific scenario. This paper surveys the existing methods of precision farming and highlights the impact of technology in farming. An overview of different technologies used in precision farming around the world and their implications on the yield are discussed. The methods adopted towards managing different types of crops, the varying environmental conditions and the use of realtime data being collected through sensors are also analyzed. Also, the need for dynamic approaches to assist the farmers in taking context specific decisions has been highlighted

Remote Sensing Applications in Monitoring of Protected Areas

Protected areas (PAs) have been established worldwide for achieving long-term goals in the conservation of nature with the associated ecosystem services and cultural values. Globally, 15% of the world’s terrestrial lands and inland waters, excluding Antarctica, are designated as PAs. About 4.12% of the global ocean and 10.2% of coastal and marine areas under national jurisdiction are set as marine protected areas (MPAs). Protected lands and waters serve as the fundamental building blocks of virtually all national and international conservation strategies, supported by governments and international institutions. Some of the PAs are the only places that contain undisturbed landscape, seascape and ecosystems on the planet Earth. With intensified impacts from climate and environmental change, PAs have become more important to serve as indicators of ecosystem status and functions. Earth’s remaining wilderness areas are becoming increasingly important buffers against changing conditions. The development of remote sensing platforms and sensors and the improvement in science and technology provide crucial support for the monitoring and management of PAs across the world. In this editorial paper, we reviewed research developments using state-of-the-art remote sensing technologies, discussed the challenges of remote sensing applications in the inventory, monitoring, management and governance of PAs and summarized the highlights of the articles published in this Special Issue

Data Model and Analysis for Spatial Assessment of Environmental Impact and Targeting of Agri-Environmental Schemes at Regional Scales

The report introduces the concepts and strategies for implementing spatial based methods for the assessment of actual environmental impact of Rural Development agri-environmental measures. The objective is to set directions for research work proposing an array of possibilities to identify, assess and to map the impact of the Rural Development schemes related to the Community environmental priorities in contribution to the EC defined evaluation indicators. Specific research results will be reported separately.JRC.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource

High-Precision Land-Cover-Land-Use GIS Mapping and Land Availability and Suitability Analysis for Grass Biomass Production in the Aroostook River Valley, Maine, USA.

High-precision land-cover-land-use GIS mapping was performed in four major townships in Maine’s Aroostook River Valley, using on-screen digitization and direct interpretation of very high spatial resolution satellite multispectral imagery (15–60 cm) and high spatial resolution LiDAR data (2 m) and the field mapping method. The project not only provides the first-ever high-precision land-use maps for northern Maine, but it also yields accurate hectarage estimates of different land-use types, in particular grassland, defined as fallow land, pasture, and hay field. This enables analysis of potential land availability and suitability for grass biomass production and other sustainable land uses. The results show that the total area of fallow land in the four towns is 7594 hectares, which accounts for 25% of total open land, and that fallow plots equal to or over four hectares in size total 4870, or 16% of open land. Union overlay analysis, using the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) soil data, indicates that only a very small percentage of grassland (4.9%) is on “poorly-drained” or “very-poorly-drained” soils, and that most grassland (85%) falls into the “farmland of state importance” or “prime farmland” categories, as determined by NRCS. It is concluded that Maine’s Aroostook River Valley has an ample base of suitable, underutilized land for producing grass biomass

Precision Agriculture Technology for Crop Farming

This book provides a review of precision agriculture technology development, followed by a presentation of the state-of-the-art and future requirements of precision agriculture technology. It presents different styles of precision agriculture technologies suitable for large scale mechanized farming; highly automated community-based mechanized production; and fully mechanized farming practices commonly seen in emerging economic regions. The book emphasizes the introduction of core technical features of sensing, data processing and interpretation technologies, crop modeling and production control theory, intelligent machinery and field robots for precision agriculture production

Trends in High Nature Value Farmland and Ecosystem Services Valuation: A Bibliometric Review

High Nature Value farmland (HNVf) represents a rural landscape characterized by extensive farming practices. These lands not only deliver vital ecosystem services (ES) but also serve as significant harbors of biodiversity, underscoring their critical conservation status. Consequently, European Union countries have prioritized the identification, monitoring, and enhancement of HNVf systems in their policies. As governments and international organizations increasingly lean on green subsidies to promote sustainable environmental practices, the valuation of ecosystem services (VES) emerges as a crucial tool. This valuation offers both an economic rationale for conservation and aids in determining the optimal allocation of these subsidies for maximum environmental and economic return on investment. Given the potential for such valuations to shape and justify conservation subsidies, there is a growing imperative to understand the research trends and knowledge gaps in this realm. This article, through a bibliometric review, seeks to illuminate the size, growth trajectory, and thematic tendencies within HNVf and VES literature. Bibliometric analysis is recognized as promising in identifying research trends; thus, this article consists of a bibliometric review of HNVf and VES research. The objective is to identify the size, growth trajectory, and geographic distribution of HNVf and VES literature between the first publication until 2022, while assessing the critical publishing journals, authors, documents, and conceptual structure of the research fields (e.g., economic, social, and environmental). The analysis revealed a predominant concentration of research on HNVf in Europe, with limited studies conducted outside this continent. The primary focus of these studies revolved around subject areas such as environmental science, agriculture, and biological sciences. Conversely, regarding research on VES, there was no clear regional concentration. VES research publications mainly covered the interdisciplinary fields of economics, biology, and policymaking. As the fields of HNVf and VES have evolved, it is evident that there has been a stronger push towards data-driven approaches, emphasizing the need for tangible assessments and precise understanding. In examining the overlap between topics, the analysis revealed a gap between methodologies for HNVf monitoring and conservation and VES, highlighting the need for further development in crafting an integrated approach encompassing both areas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio