358 research outputs found
Geospatial approach using socio-economic and projected climate change information formodelling urban growth
Urban growth and climate change are two interwoven phenomena that are becoming global environmental issues. Using Niger Delta of Nigeria as a case study, this research investigated the historical and future patterns of urban growth using geospatialbased modelling approach. Specific objectives were to: (i) examine the climate change pattern and predict its impact on urban growth modelling; (ii) investigate the historical pattern of urban growth; (iii) embrace some selected parameters from United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and examine their impacts on future urban growth prediction; (iv) verify whether planning has controlled urban land use sprawl in the study area; and (v) propose standard operating procedure for urban sprawl in the area. A MAGICC model, developed by the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), was used to predict future precipitation under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 emission scenarios, which was utilized to evaluate the impact of climate change on the study area from 2016 to 2100. Observed precipitation records from 1972 to 2015 were analysed, and 2012 was selected as a water year, based on depth and frequency of rainfall. A relationship model derived using logistic regression from the observed precipitation and river width from Landsat imageries of 2012 was used to project the monthly river width variations over the projected climate change, considering the two emission scenarios. The areas that are prone to flooding were determined based on the projected precipitation anomalies and a suitability map was developed to accommodate the impact of climate change in the projection of future urban growth. Urban landscape changes between 1985 and 2015 were also analysed, which revealed a rapid urban growth in the region. A Cellular Automata/Markov Chain (CA-Markov) model was used to project the year 2030 land cover of the region considering two scenarios; normal projection without any constraint, and using some designed constraints (forest reserves, population and economy) based on some selected UN SDGs criteria and climate change. On validation, overall simulation accuracies of 89.25% and 91.22% were achieved based on scenarios one and two, respectively. The projection using the first scenario resulted to net loss and gains of - 7.37%, 11.84% and 50.88%, while that of second scenario produced net loss and gains of -4.72%, 7.43% and 48.37% in forest, farmland and built-up area between 2015 and 2030, respectively. The difference between the two scenarios showed that the UN SDGs have great influence on the urban growth prediction and strict adherence to the selected UN SDGs criteria can reduce tropical deforestation, and at the same time serve as resilience to climate change in the region
Land use controls, equine landscapes and the role of political culture in managing sprawl development.
This dissertation is a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of land development growth management programs at two communities that are thoroughbred horse centers - Ocala/Marion County, Florida and Lexington/Fayette County, Kentucky. The study period was 1970 to 2010. Marion County has had a state-mandated growth management program in place since 1985 and Fayette County has had an urban growth boundary since 1957. The agricultural use of the thoroughbred horse industry was selected because it is known to be highly sensitive to sprawl-type development and the long-term economic strength of each location is dependent upon a strong thoroughbred industry as it contributes more than 2.4 billion economic impact on Fayette County, Kentucky. The study evaluated the spatial extent of population growth using the US Census of Population. Using GIS, sprawl was quantified in several ways: through density gradients\u27 regression analysis, and through measurement of the linear miles of built streets per square mile in each county. Fayette County was found to have sprawled less during the study period. The next step involved investigation into the political culture to ascertain why stricter growth controls were implemented in one locale and not the other. Political culture, defined as the attitudes, values, beliefs, and orientations that individuals within a society hold regarding their political system. Following Ingelhart (1990), political culture is operationalized through analysis of educational attainment and income levels. The role of the growth machine (Molotch, 1976) was also explored. In Florida, growth machine elites included developers and retirees, largely due to the economic model of retirement/second home development and tourism that has grown the Florida economy since the 1960s. Through participant-observer analysis, it is determined that the growth machine in Lexington seems to be the thoroughbred industry, which maximizes its interests through controlling the incursion of incompatible land uses onto the thoroughbred farms. Therefore, the growth machine may not always be interested in more development. In this case study, it is demonstrated that the growth machine is anti-development, in order to maximize its own profits
Forest landscapes and global change. New frontiers in management, conservation and restoration. Proceedings of the IUFRO Landscape Ecology Working Group International Conference
This volume contains the contributions of numerous participants at the IUFRO Landscape Ecology Working
Group International Conference, which took place in Bragança, Portugal, from 21 to 24 of September 2010. The
conference was dedicated to the theme Forest Landscapes and Global Change - New Frontiers in Management,
Conservation and Restoration. The 128 papers included in this book follow the structure and topics of the
conference. Sections 1 to 8 include papers relative to presentations in 18 thematic oral and two poster sessions.
Section 9 is devoted to a wide-range of landscape ecology fields covered in the 12 symposia of the conference.
The Proceedings of the IUFRO Landscape Ecology Working Group International Conference register the growth
of scientific interest in forest landscape patterns and processes, and the recognition of the role of landscape
ecology in the advancement of science and management, particularly within the context of emerging physical,
social and political drivers of change, which influence forest systems and the services they provide. We believe
that these papers, together with the presentations and debate which took place during the IUFRO Landscape
Ecology Working Group International Conference – Bragança 2010, will definitively contribute to the
advancement of landscape ecology and science in general.
For their additional effort and commitment, we thank all the participants in the conference for leaving this record
of their work, thoughts and science
Ecology-based planning. Italian and French experimentations
This paper examines some French and Italian experimentations of green infrastructures’ (GI) construction in relation to their techniques and methodologies. The construction of a multifunctional green infrastructure can lead to the generation of a number of relevant bene fi ts able to face the increasing challenges of climate change and resilience (for example, social, ecological and environmental through the recognition of the concept of ecosystem services) and could ease the achievement of a performance-based approach. This approach, differently from the traditional prescriptive one, helps to attain a better and more fl exible land-use integration. In both countries, GI play an important role in contrasting land take and, for their adaptive and cross-scale nature, they help to generate a res ilient approach to urban plans and projects. Due to their fl exible and site-based nature, GI can be adapted, even if through different methodologies and approaches, both to urban and extra-urban contexts. On one hand, France, through its strong national policy on ecological networks, recognizes them as one of the major planning strategies toward a more sustainable development of territories; on the other hand, Italy has no national policy and Regions still have a hard time integrating them in already existing planning tools. In this perspective, Italian experimentations on GI construction appear to be a simple and sporadic add-on of urban and regional plans
Optimizing Private Land Conservation and Public Land Use Planning/Regulation
Report of the 2010 Berkley Workshop
Held at the Pocantico Conference Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund - July 201
Human-Nature Interactions
This edited volume aims to widen the discussion about the diversity of human-nature relationships and valuation methods and to stimulate new perspective that are needed to build a more sustainable future, especially in face of ongoing socio-environmental changes. Conceptual and empirical approaches, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methodologies have been used to highlight the importance of an integrative understanding of socio-ecological systems, where healthy ecosystems underpin the quality of life and societal activities largely drive environmental changes. Readers will obtain a comprehensive overview of the many and diverse ways the relationships between people and nature can be characterized. This includes understanding how people assign values to nature, discuss how human-nature interactions are shaped and provide examples of how these values and interactions can be systematically assessed across different land systems in Europe and beyond. This open access book is produced by internationally recognized scientists in the field but written in an accessible format to be of interest to a large audience, including prospective students, lecturers, young professionals and scientists embarking to the interdisciplinary field of socio-ecological research and environmental valuation
Drones and Geographical Information Technologies in Agroecology and Organic Farming
Although organic farming and agroecology are normally not associated with the use of new technologies, it’s rapid growth, new technologies are being adopted to mitigate environmental impacts of intensive production implemented with external material and energy inputs. GPS, satellite images, GIS, drones, help conventional farming in precision supply of water, pesticides, fertilizers. Prescription maps define the right place and moment for interventions of machinery fleets. Yield goal remains the key objective, integrating a more efficient use or resources toward an economic-environmental sustainability. Technological smart farming allows extractive agriculture entering the sustainability era. Societies that practice agroecology through the development of human-environmental co-evolutionary systems represent a solid model of sustainability. These systems are characterized by high-quality agroecosystems and landscapes, social inclusion, and viable economies.
This book explores the challenges posed by the new geographic information technologies in agroecology and organic farming. It discusses the differences among technology-laden conventional farming systems and the role of technologies in strengthening the potential of agroecology. The first part reviews the new tools offered by geographic information technologies to farmers and people. The second part provides case studies of most promising application of technologies in organic farming and agroecology: the diffusion of hyperspectral imagery, the role of positioning systems, the integration of drones with satellite imagery. The third part of the book, explores the role of agroecology using a multiscale approach from the farm to the landscape level. This section explores the potential of Geodesign in promoting alliances between farmers and people, and strengthening food networks, whether through proximity urban farming or asserting land rights in remote areas in the spirit of agroecological transition.
The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons 4.0 license
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