Human dimensions of urban blue and green infrastructure during a pandemic. Case study of Moscow (Russia) and Perth (Australia)

Significant challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted that features of a modern, sustainable and resilient city should not only relate to fulfilling economic and social urban strategies, but also to functional urban design, in particular, related to urban blue and green infrastructure (BGI). Using results from a web-based questionnaire survey conducted May–July 2020 in Moscow (Russia) and Perth (Australia), this paper provides insights regarding citizens’ needs for and values of urban BGI as well as their changes during and after the COVID-19 restrictions. Survey data collected during the lockdown period have captured information about people’s ability to access green and blue spaces within urban BGI, inequalities in access, feelings, and values as well as needs and perceived pathways of future development of urban natural environment. In both cities, lockdowns limited access of people to green spaces which affected their mental and physical health. Survey results revealed that the quality, functionality, and location of open green spaces illustrated a disparity in distribution, meaning that in many cases several communities from particular neighborhoods suffered from limited access to BGI. Furthermore, in addition to analyzing perceptions and values of urban nature during the COVID-19 pandemic, some suggestions for improvement of urban BGI based on the survey responses are provided.</p

Human-Nature Interactions during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic in Moscow, Russia : Exploring the Role of Contact with Nature and Main Lessons from the City Responses

Urban green spaces (UGS) as essential elements of the urban environment provide multiple ecosystem services including benefits for physical and mental health. Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions have influenced human relationships with nature. Based on empirical research, this article explores the pathways and implications of human-nature interactions during and after COVID-19 and how human health and well-being could be supported by contact with nature. The article discusses the reasons that attract people to visit UGS (value of UGS, their perceptions, ways of contact with urban nature, etc.). It also analyses the effects of social isolation on the usage and perception of UGS during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The research revealed current needs for UGS and their role in adaptation of urban development and greening strategy. For this purpose, an online questionnaire survey among residents of Moscow was conducted in April–July of 2020 when restrictive measures were imposed in the city in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, non-participatory observations and photo documentation were used to supplement the data on UGS visitation and use. The GIS mapping method was applied to analyze the UGS provision (availability and accessibility of UGS). Moreover, expert interviews were conducted aiming to explore the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the urban fabric and life of the citizens. The aim was to reveal the main tendencies that can be used in the adaptation of urban development plans, especially regarding UGS and human-nature interactions. The results show that citizens (both survey respondents and experts) highly value urban nature as a tool for coping with COVID-19 challenges. They underlined a need for accessible UGS, most notably for breathing fresh air, reducing stress, relaxing, and observing and enjoying nature. The survey also revealed the particular health effects resulting from the reduction of UGS visitations due to COVID-19 restrictions. Several changes in human-nature interactions were also observed: many respondents especially missed spending time outdoors and meeting other people. That highlights the fact that while UGS normally provides places for social integration and socializing, during the COVID-19 isolation UGS were especially valued in regard to physical health and well-being (self-recovery). Both respondents and experts expressed their opinions regarding the future development of UGS network and how the UGS’s structure and design should be adapted to the current challenges. The claimed interests/preferences included the need for providing all residents equal access to UGS in a time of pandemics and post pandemics. A set of limitations and directions for future research of UGS was suggested

Microbial Properties of Urban Soils With Different Land-Use History in New Moscow

Soil microbial properties are highly sensitive to present and past anthropogenic influences such as urban expansion, which is among the most drastic form of land-use change having substantial consequences for soils. New Moscow is an ambitious project to reduce the population of Moscow city that resulted in a rapid urbanization of former croplands, fallow lands, and forested areas. This study aimed to investigate the effects of historical land use in New Moscow on urban soil microbial properties. The land-use map of New Moscow from 2016 was compared with a similar map from 1981 to investigate the main urbanization pathways and land-use history of the new urbanized areas. Compared with 1981, the 2016 urban areas were more than three times greater, and the forest, pasture, and cropland areas were reduced by 9%, 87%, and 18%, respectively. Topsoil (0–10 cm) and subsoil (10–30 cm) samples were collected from 11 nonurbanized and 11 urbanized areas from current and former forest, pasture, and cropland soils. Soil microbial biomass carbon and respiration rates and chemical (pH and total C and N) and physical (bulk density and texture) properties were compared. Urban soils converted from forests and pastures showed negative effects of urbanization on topsoil microbial properties, whereas a conversion of cropland to urban soil increased microbial biomass carbon and microbial respiration. Soil microbial properties and N and C contents showed a strong correlation. The influence of historic land use on subsoil microbial properties was not significant

The Prosocial Driver of Ecological Behavior: The Need for an Integrated Approach to Prosocial and Environmental Education

Although both altruistic and ecological behaviors can be considered prosocially driven behaviors, our psychological understanding of what motivates action in either the human or ecological domains is still in its infancy. We aimed to assess connection to nature and connection to humans as mediators of the relationship between prosocial propensity and prosocial behaviors in both the ecological and human domains. This study used empathy as an indicator of an individual&rsquo;s prosocial propensity. The data for the study was collected through surveys in Russian (841 participants) and Spanish (418 participants). The study demonstrated that an individual&rsquo;s prosocial propensity can be actioned into ecological (nature-related) behavior through connection to nature. Similarly, an individual&rsquo;s prosocial propensity can be actioned into altruistic (human-related) behavior through connection to humans. However, the present study also demonstrates that an individual&rsquo;s prosocial propensity can be directed to humans through a connection to nature. Thus, altruistic and ecological behaviors are two related classes of behavior, driven by the same prosocial propensity of the individual. This study is an important step towards generating scientific support for the claim that traditionally separate teaching of prosocial and environmental subjects should be combined into a single educational approach. An integrated approach will contribute to a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary effort to create a society that is both ecologically and socially sustainable

The effect of four calcium-based amendments on soil aggregate stability of two sandy topsoils

International audienceThe structural stability of soil is a physical characteristic that affects soil degradation processes. Calcium-based amendments, such as calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, and calcium oxide/hydroxide, have been shown to improve the stability of soil aggregates. This study seeks to determine which calcium-based soil amendments, and at what concentration, are the most efficient in improving aggregate stability of sandy topsoils derived from granitic and metamorphic parent materials, and to analyze the mechanisms involved. In the pot experiment, soils amended with CaCO3, CaCl2, and CaSO4 did not present significant differences in aggregate stability compared to the control or among each other. In contrast, Ca(OH)(2) soil amendment brought the greatest stability to the soil aggregates. A dose of 1% Ca(OH)(2) significantly increased the stability of soil aggregates. This effect is due to the reaction of Ca(OH)(2) with atmospheric CO2 which leads to the formation of CaCO3, a delayed reaction not showed by the other soil amendments tested. Likewise, the greater solubility of Ca(OH)(2) compared to CaCO3 exerts a greater aggregation effect on soil. Thus, the mechanism of action of Ca(OH)(2) is related to cementation, rather than flocculation. Future studies should be carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of Ca(OH)(2) under field conditions

Комплексный анализ почв и зеленых насаждений в парках Новой Москвы, образованных на месте бывших сельскохозяйственных территорий и леса

Recreational areas contribute considerably to the establishment of sustainable and comfortable urban environment. Green stands and soils of recreational areas provide important environmental functions and ecosystem services, their utilization depends on natural and anthropogenic factors distinguished by land-use history. For the case of the recreational areas of New Moscow, a comparative analysis of trees (n=1909) and soils (n=39, 0—10 cm layer) of the parks, established on former forested and fallow lands, was performed. It was shown that the species diversity was higher although the tree condition score was lower in the forest-parks, compared to the parks established on former fallow lands, which were generally characterized by a higher level of maintenance. Soils of these parks had a neutral pHH20 (7.2±0.8) and high content of organic matter (8.5±2.5 %), whereas the forest-parks soils were similar to the natural Retisols of the forest area with pHH20 6.4±0.2 and 5.1±0.2, organic matter content 5.9±0.2 и 3.5±0.2 %, respectively. Soils of the parks, established on the former fallow lands, had also a higher pollution level by particular heavy metals as well as considering the integral pollution index. Thus, a higher level of maintenance of the parks established on former fallow lands coincided with a higher anthropogenic pressure and ecosystem alteration. However, reorganization of forests into forest-parks allowed partial preservation of the natural ecosystems. That is necessary to consider for planning the new urbanized areas in Moscow.Рекреационные зоны выполняют значимую роль в формировании устойчивой и ком -фортной городской среды. Зеленые насаждения и почвы рекреационных зон обеспечивают важные эко-логические функции и экосистемные сервисы, реализация которых зависит от сочетания естественных и антропогенных факторов, определяемых во многом историей землепользования. В рекреационных зонах Новой Москвы проведен сравнительный анализ древесных насаждений (n= 1909) и почв (n= 39, слой 0—10 см) парков, созданных на месте лесных и залежных территорий. Показано, что для лесо-парков видовое разнообразие было выше, а балл состояния ниже, чем для парков, созданных на месте залежей, для которых в целом отмечен более высокий уровень благоустройства. Для почв таких парков характерна нейтральная реакция (pHH20 7,2±0,8) и высокое содержание органическое вещества (8,5±2,5 %), в то время как почвы лесопарков были ближе к фоновой дерново-подзолистой почве лесного участка — pHH20 6,4±0,2 и 5,1±0,2; органическое вещество 5,9±0,2 и 3,5±0 % соответственно. Для почв парков, созданных на месте залежей, выявлен более высокий уровень загрязнения как по отдельным тяжелым металлам, так и по интегральному индексу загрязнения. Таким образом, более высокий уровень благо-устройства парков на месте залежных земель сопряжен с более значительной антропогенной нагрузкой и изменением экосистемы, в то время как реорганизация лесов в лесопарки позволяет частично сохранить естественные экосистемы, что необходимо принимать во внимание при планировании развитии новых урбанизированных территорий Москв

Assessing soil-like materials for ecosystem services provided by constructed technosols

Urbanization results to a wide spread of Technosols. Various materials are used for Tech-nosols’ construction with a limited attention to their ecosystem services or disservices. The research focuses on the integral assessment of soil-like materials used for Technosols’ construction in Moscow megalopolis from the ecosystem services’ perspective. Four groups of materials (valley peats, sediments, cultural layers, and commercial manufactured soil mixtures) were assessed based on the indicators, which are integral, informative, and cost-effective. Microbial respiration, C-availability, specific respiration, community level physiological profile, and Shannon’ diversity index in the materials were compared to the natural reference to assess and rank the ecosystem services and disser-vices. The assessment showed that sediments and low-peat mixtures (≤30% of peat in total volume) had a considerably higher capacity to provide C-sequestration, climate regulation and functional diversity services compared to peats and high-peat mixtures. Urban cultural layers provided ecosystem disservices due to pollution by potentially toxic elements and health risks from the pathogenic fungi. Mixtures comprising from the sediments with minor (≤30%) peat addition would have a high potential to increase C-sequestration and to enrich microbial functional diversity. Their implementation in urban landscaping will reduce management costs and increase sustainability of urban soils and ecosystem