TreeHugger: The eco-systemic prototypical urban intervention

The paper discusses co-design, development, production, application of TreeHugger (see Figure 1). The co-design among community and tran-sdisciplinary participants with different expertise required scope of media mix, switching between analogue, digital and back again. This involves different degrees of physical and digital ‘GIGA-Mapping’ (Sevaldson, 2011, 2015), ‘Grasshopper3d’ (Davidson, 2017) scripting and mix of digital and analogue fabrication to address the real life world. The critical participation of this ‘Time-Based Design’ (Sevaldson, 2004, 2005) process is the interaction of the prototype with eco-systemic agency of the adjacent environment – the eco-systemic performance. The TreeHugger is a responsive solid wood insect hotel, generating habitats and edible landscaping (Creasy, 2004) on bio-tope in city centre of Prague. To extend the impact, the code was uploaded for communities to download, local-specifically edit and apply worldwide. Thus, the fusion of discussed processes is multi-scaled and multi-layered, utilised in emerging design field: Systemic Approach to Architectural Performance

Eco-biostratigraphic advances in late quaternary geochronology and palaeoclimate : the marginal Gulf of Mexico analogue

This study combines high-resolution planktonic foraminiferal eco-biostratigraphy and palaeoclimatic data from the high-sedimentation-rate core JPC-26 from the northwestern margin of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). The eco-biozones recognized (GOMPFE1-12) being correlated with published Mg/Ca-based sea surface temperatures. This updated palaeoclimatic and stratigraphic reference record facilitates correlations with the Greenland ice core events and their climatic relationships, and also provides a solid stratigraphic framework for correlations with other palaeoclimatic and palaeoceanographic records in the circum-GOM/Caribbean region. This multidisciplinary approach underlines the utility of supporting conventional dating methodologies with different constraints, and further reveals a powerful tool for reliably correlating marine records between comparable deep-sea marginal settings and coeval sequences of this region

Spartan Daily, February 10, 1937

Volume 25, Issue 78https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/2563/thumbnail.jp

Ideas and perspectives : Tracing terrestrial ecosystem water fluxes using hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes – challenges and opportunities from an interdisciplinary perspective

The authors thank Marialaura Bancheri, Michele Bottazzi, Roman Cibulka, Massimo Esposito, Alba Gallo, Cesar D. Jimenez-Rodriguez, Angelika Kuebert, Ruth Magh, Stefania Mambelli, Alessia Nannoni, Paolo Nasta, Vladimir Rosko, Andrea Rücker, Noelia Saavedra Berlanga, Martin Šanda, and Anna Scaini for their contributions during the discussion at the workshop “Isotope-based studies of water partitioning and plant–soil interactions in forested and agricultural environments”. The authors also thank “Villa Montepaldi” and the University of Florence for the access to the workshop location, and the municipality of San Casciano in Val di Pesa for logistical support. The authors thank the Department of Innovation, Research and University of the Autonomous Province of Bozen/Bolzano for covering the Open Access publication costs. Last, but not least, the authors wish to thank Matthias Sprenger, Stephen Good, and J. Renée Brooks, as well as the Editor David R. Bowling, whose constructive reviews greatly improved this manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

An ecological approach to the reclamation and improvement of arid rangelands using adapted fodder plants

The world we live in is changing rapidly. Ecological, economic and social aspects and understandings are all undergoing paradigm shifts. Communities, farmers and individuals in arid zones are experiencing climate changes, more so than city dwellers. A better understanding of the current thinking in range ecology and management, especially of arid environments, is critical to the management of these delicate, complex systems. Ecosystems in equilibrium or in disequilibrium react differently to management and reclamation efforts. An understanding of the basic principles and how they evolved is important in order to apply these principles correctly in the management of arid zones. The use of keystone species and simple technologies, such as water harvesting and mulching, can all be used to reclaim and manage the arid zones. Understanding the differences between systems in equilibrium and disequilibrium can be used as a guide for planning appropriate future research in the arid zones. Searching for new indigenous species to help in the reclamation of arid zones is of the utmost importance. An ecological criterion was used to identify potential plant species for reclamation of degraded arid rangelands of southern Africa. Tripteris sinuatum and Sutherlandia microphylla were identified as possible candidates. Germination studies, with seeds harvested from naturally occurring plants, were conducted for both species. Treatments were based on the natural seed dispersal mechanisms for both species. S. microphylla has the potential to become an important plant species for reclamation purposes in arid zones of southern Africa. Not only potential new species should be sought, but also the management of species, already in use, are of critical importance. The relative palatability and survival of 16 different Atriplex species and accessions were determined at two different localities in the arid Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Significant differences were found between species at both localities. It is believed that because of the variety of species in the Atriplex genus, relative palatability and survival should be used to determine which of the different species could be useful under specific climatic and soil conditions. The establishment and reaction of Atriplex nummularia and Cassia sturti were tested for season of planting and the use of a stone mulch at two locations in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. A. nummularia reacted the best to a moderate pruning treatments, while Cassia sturtii reacted best to severe pruning. These results should aid in the management of planted fodder plantations. Numerous attempts at improving natural veld have failed in the past. An examination of landscape function and the potential to harvest water in localized areas should drive veld improvement in arid zones. Seeds from two different plants species (Tetragonia calycina and Tripteris sinuatum) were used to inter-seed a bare patch in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. The two species, with two treatments, (brush packing or not) in two different locally occurring eco-topes, were used to determine plant establishment. The water run-on eco-tope showed a significantly higher plant establishment percentage than the water run-off eco-tope. The establishment of perennial grass species was also found on the water run on eco-tope, three years after establishing the reclamation site. Such sites could form an important link in biodiversity conservation.Dissertation (MSc Agric (Pasture Science))--University of Pretoria, 2007.Plant Production and Soil Scienceunrestricte

Nature and the City in Three Norwegian Picturebooks

Representations of urban environments are not very common in Norwegian picturebooks, yet they allow for a nuanced understanding of how nature functions in picturebook iconotexts. This article aims to examine the relationship between nature and the city in the following works: Anda i ødemarka (2012) by Ragnar Aalbu, Fugl (2013) by Lisa Aisato, and Glassklokken (2010) by Bjørn Arild Ersland and Lilian Brøgger. Drawing upon the notion of the chronotope (Bakhtin, 1981), particularly Nikolajeva’s (1996) writings on the chronotope in children’s literature as well as Gifford’s (1999; 2012; 2014) scholarship on the pastoral and post-pastoral, the article provides an ecocritical reading of these picturebooks, inspired by some of the key questions of ecocriticism (Glotfelty, 1996). The analysis considers both the narrative and visual dimensions of the iconotexts, making it possible to shed light on environmental issues addressed in the books.publishedVersio