LAI based trees selection for mid latitude urban developments: A microclimatic study in Cairo, Egypt

To study the leaf area index, LAI, based thermal performance in distinguishing trees for Cairo's urban developments, ENVI-met plants database was used as platform for a foliage modeling parameter, the leaf area density, LAD. Two Egyptian trees: Ficus elastica. and Peltophorum pterocarpum were simulated in 2 urban sites with one having no trees, whilst the second is having Ficus nitida trees. Trees LAD values were calculated using flat leaves' trees LAI definition to produce maximum ground solid shadow at peak time. An empirical value of 1 for LAI is applied to numerically introduce LAD values for ENVI-met. Basically, different meteorological records showed improvements for pedestrian comfort and ambient microclimate of the building using E elastica. About 40-50% interception of direct radiation, reductions in surfaces' fluxes around trees and in radiant temperature T-mrt in comparison to base cases gave preferability to E elastica. The lack of soil water prevented evapotranspiration to take place effectively and the reduced wind speeds concluded negligible air temperature differences from both base cases except slightly appeared with the F elastica. Results show that a flat leaves tree if does not validate LAI of 1, the ground shading would not fulfill about 50% direct radiation interception and this value can be used as a reference for urban trees selection. Further simulations were held to investigate LAI value of maximum direct radiation interception. Performing additional simulations, F elastica of LAI of 3 intercepted almost 84% of direct radiation and revealed implications about urban trees in practice and its actual LAI. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Do position and species identity of neighbours matter in 8–15-year-old post harvest mesic stands in the boreal mixedwood?

Neighbourhood competition indices (NCI), where position and species identity of neighbours are known, have been used to investigate growth and competitive interactions among adult trees. In this study, we used NCI in 8–15-year-old stands following clear-cutting in a boreal mixedwood forest of eastern Canada to improve our understanding of early successional forest dynamics. Trees of increasing diameter from the center (≥1 cm) to the edge (≥5 cm) were mapped in twenty-five circular 450m2 plots. Target trees (DBH≥1 cm) were sampled in plot center to determine their annual radial stem growth. For each species, we compared a set of growth models using either a spatially explicit NCI or a non-spatial competition index. Both types of indices estimated a species-specific competition coefficient for each pair of competitor–target species. NCI were selected as the best competition model for all target species although differences in variance explained relative to the non-spatial index were small. This likely indicates that competition occurs at the local level but that the high density and the relative uniformity of these young stands creates similar neighbourhoods for most trees in a given stand. The effective neighbourhood radius for competitors varied among species and was smaller for shade tolerant species. Intraspecific neighbours were the strongest competitors for most species. Aspen (Populus tremuloides) was a weak competitor for all species as opposed to balsam fir (Abies balsamea) which was a strong competitor in all cases. These results are in contradiction with some widely used forest policies in North America (e.g. free-to-grow standards) that consider broadleaf species, such as aspen, as the strongest competitors. For these early successional forests, the decision regarding the use of spatial or non-spatial competition indices should rest on the intended use. For even-age management, spatial indices might not justify their use in highdensity stands but they are needed for the simulation of novel harvest techniques creating complex stand structure

Managing understory light conditions in boreal mixedwoods through variation in the intensity and spatial pattern of harvest: A modelling approach

In the context of partial harvesting, adequately managing post-harvest light conditions are essential to obtain a desired composition of tree species regeneration. The objective of this study was to determine how varying the intensity and spatial pattern of harvest would affect understory light conditions in boreal mixedwood stands of northwestern Quebec using the spatially explicit SORTIE-ND light model. The model was evaluated based on comparisons of observed and predicted light levels in both mapped and un-mapped plots. In mapped plots, reasonably accurate predictions of the overall variation in light levels were obtained, but predictions tended to lack spatial precision. In un-mapped plots, SORTIE-ND accurately predicted stand-level mean GLI (Gap Light Index) under a range of harvest intensities. The model was then used to simulate nine silvicultural treatments based on combinations of three intensities of overstory removal (30%, 45% and 60% of basal area) and three harvest patterns (uniform, narrow strips, large gaps). Simulations showed that increasing overstory removal had less impact on light conditions with uniform harvests, and a more marked effect with more aggregated harvest patterns. Whatever the harvest intensity, uniform cuts almost never created high light conditions (GLI > 50%). Gap cuts, on the other hand, resulted in up to 40% of microsites receiving GLI > 50%. Our results suggest that either a 30% strip or gap cut or a 45–60% uniform partial harvest could be used to accelerate the transition from an aspen dominated composition to a mixedwood stand because both types of cut generate the greatest proportion of moderately low light levels (e.g., 15–40% GLI). These light levels tend to favour an accelerated growth response among shade-tolerant conifers, while preventing excessive recruitment of shade-intolerant species. A better understanding of how spatial patterns of harvest interact with tree removal intensity to affect understory light conditions can provide opportunities for designing silvicultural prescriptions that are tailored to species’ traits and better suited to meet a variety of management objectives

Urban Congestion Pricing – Economists and Practitioners Join Hands

Verkehrsstau, Stadt, Straßenbenutzungsgebühr, Stadtverkehrspolitik, Traffic jam, Town, Road pricing, Urban transport policy

Verzeichnis der in Oberösterreich ausgegebenen Polizei-Kennzeichen für Automobile

VERZEICHNIS DER IN OBERÖSTERREICH AUSGEGEBENEN POLIZEI-KENNZEICHEN FÜR AUTOMOBILE Verzeichnis der in Oberösterreich ausgegebenen Polizei-Kennzeichen für Automobile ( - ) Einband ( - ) Werbung ( - ) Titelseite ([3]) Werbung ([4]) Die Buchstaben am Auto. (5) Triptyque-Länder. (5) [Tabelle]: Verteiler der Evidenznummern über die Kraftfahrzeuge. ([8]) [Tabelle]: Kennzeichen CZ. welche von den d.-ö. Grenzzollämtern für die Autos aus fremden Staaten, die der Pariser Automobilkonvention nicht angehören, ausgegeben werden. ([8]) C (9) Linz-Stadt (9) Steyr-Stadt (11) Braunau (12) Freistadt (13) Gmunden (13) Kirchdorf (14) Linz-Land (15) Perg (15) Ried i. I. (16) Rohrbach (17) Schärding (17) Steyr-Land (18) Urfahr-Umgebung (19) Vöcklabruck (19) Wels (20) Vöcklabruck (21) Eferding (22) Braunau (22) Linz-Land (23) Gmunden (24) Urfahr-Umgebung (27) Grieskirchen (28) C I (30) Linz-Stadt (30) Grieskirchen (31) Wels (32) Steyr-Stadt (33) Linz-Stadt (34) Wels (35) Linz-Stadt (37) Steyr-Land (40) Steyr-Stadt (41) Kirchdorf (44) Schärding (45) Ried i. I. (45) Vöcklabruck (46) Gmunden (47) Braunau (49) Wels (50) Grieskirchen (51) Perg (52) Ried i. I, (54) C II (56) Ried i. I. (56) Linz-Stadt (57) Urfahr (68) Werbung ( - ) Einband ( -

Nachhaltige Transformation urbaner Räume: Eine produktive Stadt – eine lebenswerte Stadt?

Vor dem Hintergrund der Rückkehr der Produktion in die Stadt stellt sich die Frage, wie eine produktive und somit funktionsgemischte Stadt gleichzeitig auch eine lebenswerte Stadt sein kann. Hierzu bedarf es der Ergründung, was unsere Städte lebenswert macht und welchen Beitrag eine produktive Stadt hierbei leisten kann. In diesem Zuge gilt es des Weiteren zu hinterfragen, in welcher Art Stadt wir leben wollen und wie eine nachhaltige Transformation der Städte gelingen kann. Dieser Beitrag stellt anhand von zwei Fallbeispielen heraus, inwieweit Urbane Produktion die Lebensqualität der Stadtbewohner positiv beeinflussen kann. Das hierzu verwendete Analyseschema orientiert sich an den Eigenschaften Urbaner Produktion und stellt spezifische Wirkungszusammenhänge in Hinblick auf das unmittelbare Umfeld der Stadtbewohner heraus, um darauf aufbauend die Potenziale Urbaner Produktion für eine lebenswerte Stadtzu diskutieren

Superbarrio

In dem Buch werden Erfahrungen, Schwierigkeiten und Möglichkeiten linker Interventionen in der Stadt dargestellt. Themen sind u.a.: linke Stadt(teil)politik der Vergangenheit, Frauen(interessen) in der Stadt, städtischer Raum und Kulturalisierung, Kriminalitäts- und Bedrohungsszenarien, Vertreibung und Ausgrenzung durch eine repressive Ordnungs- und Sozialpolitik, die Debatte um "Sozialrassismus" und Rassismus

Regionaler Konsum von Bier und Wein in Freiburg

Der Fokus dieses Berichts liegt auf dem Anteil von regionalem Bier und Wein, der in der Stadt Freiburg konsumiert wird. Die Studie wurde vom Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau (FiBL Schweiz) im Auftrag der Stadt Freiburg im Breisgau durchgeführt. Der Bericht ist damit eine Ergänzung zur Studie „Regionaler Konsum in Freiburg“ dar, die den Anteil von ausgewählten Lebensmitteln regionalen Ursprungs am Gesamtverbrauch im Gebiet der Stadt Freiburg ermittelte (s. Moschitz et al. 2015). Das Ziel der Gesamtstudie ist es, den Anteil von Lebensmitteln regionalen Ursprungs am Gesamtverbrauch im Gebiet der Stadt Freiburg zu ermitteln. Das Ergebnis ist ein Überblick über die Wichtigkeit regionaler Lebensmittelversorgung für Freiburg, mit einer differenzierten Aussage über einzelne Produktgruppen, sowie eine Übersicht über die vorhandenen Strukturen und Handelswege, die den regional produzierenden Landwirten und Verarbeitern Zugang zum Konsumort Stadt verschaffen

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum March.) growth is influenced by close conspecifics and skid trait proximity following selection harvest

In this study, we quantified the effects of local neighbourhood competition, light availability, and proximity to skid trails on the growth of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) trees following selection harvest. We hypothesized that growth would increase with decreasing competition and increasing light availability, but that proximity to skid trails would negatively affect growth. A total of 300 sugar maples were sampled 10 years after selection harvesting in 18 stands in Témiscamingue (Québec, Canada). Detailed tree and skid trail maps were obtained in one 0.4 ha plot per stand. Square-root transformed radial growth data were fitted to a linear mixed model that included tree diameter, crown position, a neighbourhood competition index, light availability (estimated using the SORTIE light model), and distance to the nearest skid trail as explanatory variables. We considered various distance-dependent or -independent indices based on neighbourhood radii ranging from 6 to 12 m. The competition index that provided the best fit to the data was a distance-dependent index computed in a 6 m search radius, but a\ud distance-independent version of the competition index provided an almost equivalent fit to data. Models corresponding to all combinations of main effects were fit to data using maximum likelihood, and weighted averages of parameter estimates were obtained usingmultimodel inference. All predictors had\ud an influence on growth, with the exception of light. Radial growth decreased with increasing tree diameter, level of competition and proximity to skid trails, and varied among crown positions with trees in suppressed and intermediate positions having lower growth rates than codominants and dominants. Our results indicate that in selection managed stands, the radial growth of sugarmaple trees depends on\ud competition from close (6 m) conspecific neighbours, and is still affected by proximity to skid trails 10 years after harvesting. Such results underscore the importance of minimizing the extent of skid trail networks by careful pre-harvest planning of trail layout. We also conclude that the impact of heterogeneity among individual-tree neighbourhoods, such as those resulting from alternative spatial patterns of harvest, can usefully be integrated into models of post-harvest tree growth