What causal drivers influence carbon storage in Shanghai, China's urban and peri-urban forests?

Studies have documented many biophysical factors that are correlated with urban forest carbon storage. This urban forest function is also increasingly being promoted as a nature-based solution for cities. While urbanization affects both the structure and function of urban forest ecosystems, quantitative analyses of specific casual drivers of carbon storage in urban versus periurban forests are scarce. To address this lack of information, we used field data of random plots located along an urban to rural gradient in Shanghai, China, region-specific biomass equations, and path analysis of commonly studied urban forest socioeconomic and ecological drivers to analyze their effects on above ground tree carbon storage. An urbanization index was also developed to quantitatively differentiate urban from peri-urban sites along the transect. Results show that in both urban and peri-urban forests, percent tree and shrub cover had a significant and positive effect on tree and shrub carbon, but tree and shrub density had an even greater effect. Further, tree and shrub species diversity had no effects on carbon storage, while the effects of species composition on tree and shrub carbon in urban forests was different from those in peri-urban areas. Peri-urban forests also exhibited a significant effect of percent tree and shrub cover on tree and shrub species diversity. This approach, using a path analysis of field and plot data and site-specific dendrometric and urbanization information, can be used to quantitatively identify little explored causal dependences between drivers and ecosystem services without relying exclusively on spatial land cover data often not available in developing countries. © 2017 by the authors

From Smart Urban Forests to Edible Cities: New Approaches in Urban Planning and Design

In recent years, the pressing environmental, social, and economic problems affecting cities have resulted in the integration of the disciplines of landscape architecture and urban forestry via a transdisciplinary approach to urban planning and design. Now, new urban forestry approaches and concepts have emerged for more sustainable city planning. The discipline is using different methods and approaches to address many pressing issues such as human well-being and also food security. But, research on these topics is still limited and not available for many cities in the world. To fill this gap, we present this thematic issue “From Smart Urban Forests to Edible Cities: New Approaches in Urban Planning and Design.” The findings from this thematic issue offer new insight to policymakers and practitioners, as well as contribute to the emerging literature on edible and forest cities. Furthermore, the findings spanning different cities from different geographies can be used towards achieving the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals of making cities and human settlements more resilient, inclusive, safe, and sustainable, as well as ending hunger, achieving food security, and improving nutrition. However, further studies are still needed, especially in developing countries and the Global South

Does greening of neotropical cities considerably mitigate carbon dioxide emissions? The case of Medellin, Colombia

Cities throughout the world are advocating highly promoted tree plantings as a climate change mitigation measure. Assessing the carbon offsets associated with urban trees relative to other climate change policies is vital for sustainable development, planning, and solving environmental and socio-economic problems, but is difficult in developing countries. We estimated and assessed carbon dioxide (CO2) storage, sequestration, and emission offsets by public trees in the Medellin Metropolitan Area, Colombia, as a viable Nature-Based Solution for the Neotropics. While previous studies have discussed nature-based solutions and explored urban tree carbon dynamics in high income countries, few have been conducted in tropical cities in low-middle income countries, particularly within South America. We used a public tree inventory for the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley and an available urban forest functional model, i-Tree Streets, calibrated for Colombia's context. We found that CO2 offsets from public trees were not as effective as cable cars or landfills. However, if available planting spaces are considered, carbon offsets become more competitive with cable cars and other air quality and socio-economic co-benefits are also provided. The use of carbon estimation models and the development of relevant carbon accounting protocols in Neotropical cities are also discussed. Our nature-based solution approach can be used to better guide management of urban forests to mitigate climate change and carbon offset accounting in tropical cities lacking available information. © 2017 by the authors

Transportation carbon dioxide emission offsets by public urban trees: A case study in Bolzano, Italy

Increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in urban areas due to rapid population growth and consequent increased energy use and vehicular traffic is a worldwide problem contributing to an altered global climate. Studies from North America and Asia have reported that urban trees can be used to mitigate these emissions. However, little is known about the role of European urban streetscapes in mitigating similar emissions from the transportation sector. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a method to calculate carbon dioxide storage and sequestration at the streetscapes level using field data, an existing tree inventory and available region-specific allometric equations. Results were compared to annual vehicular CO2 emissions from a city in the Italian Alps to determine the CO2 offset potential of urban streetscapes. We found that the trees in Bolzano's streetscapes through sequestration annually offset 0.08% of the amount of CO2 emitted by the transportation sector. Results, applications, and a potential indicator are discussed and compared against other studies. Findings from this study can be used as indicators and to better understand the potential role of urban streetscapes in reducing urban atmospheric CO2 emissions

Edible green infrastructure: An approach and review of provisioning ecosystem services and disservices in urban environments

Recently published green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and ecosystem disservices (ED) literature have focused primarily on the supply of urban regulating and cultural ecosystem services (ES). Other literature on urban and peri-urban agriculture has mostly studied the role of localized, intensive agricultural practices in providing food to inhabitants. The aim of this review is to raise awareness and stress the knowledge gap on the importance of urban provisioning ES, particularly when implementing an edible green infrastructure (EGI) approach as it can offer improved resilience and quality of life in cities. We compiled and systematically analyzed studies on urban ES and ED related to a number of EGI typologies. Our systematic review of the relevant literature via an EGI framework, identified more than 80 peer-reviewed publications that focused on ES and food production in urban areas. An EGI approach can contribute socially, economically, and environmentally to urban sustainability and food security. However, such benefits must be weighed against ED trade-offs, including: potential health risks caused by human exposure to heavy metals and organic chemical contaminants often present in urban surroundings. We conclude with recommendations and guidelines for incorporating EGI into urban planning and design, and discuss novel areas for future research

Assessing urban tree carbon storage and sequestration in Bolzano, Italy

Recent climate change, environmental design, and ecological conservation policies require new and existing urban developments to mitigate and offset carbon dioxide emissions and for cities to become carbon neutral. Some North American models and tools are available and can be used to quantify the carbon offset function of urban trees. But, little information on urban tree carbon storage and sequestration exists from the European Southern Alps. Also, the use of these North American models in Europe has never been assessed. This study developed a protocol to quantify aboveground carbon (C) storage and sequestration using a subsample of urban trees in Bolzano, Italy, and assessed two existing and available C estimation models. Carbon storage and sequestration were estimated using city-specific dendrometrics and allometric biomass equations primarily from Europe and two other United States models; the UFORE (Urban Forest Effects Model) and the CUFR Tree Carbon Calculator (CTCC). The UFORE model carbon storage estimates were the lowest while the CUFR Tree Carbon Calculator (CTCC) C sequestration estimates were the highest. Results from this study can be used to plan, design, and manage urban forests in northern Italy to maximize C offset potential, provide ecosystem services, and for developing carbon neutral policies. Findings can also be used to predict greenhouse gas emissions from tree maintenance operations as well as estimating green waste yield from landscape maintenance activities and its use as biofuel and compost. Managers need to be aware that available models and methods can produce statistically different C storage and sequestration estimates

Estudo comparativo de diferentes modelos paramétricos para estimativa da irradiância direta na incidência normal (DNI) em Botucatu/SP/Brasil

A modelagem da irradiância direta na incidência normal (DNI) na condição de céu claro é importante para diferentes aplicações solarimétricas. Neste estudo, é apresentada uma revisão de 12 modelos de transferência radiativa. Esses modelos são usados para estimar a DNI em dia de céu claro na partição horária na região de Botucatu/SP/Brasil. Os modelos revisados são categorizados em duas classes: modelos simples e complexos. Foram utilizados MBE, RMSE e MAPE para avaliar o desempenho dos modelos. Os modelos que exigem mais entradas atmosféricas (modelos complexos) tiveram um desempenho melhor do que os modelos mais simples. A estimativa de DNI com os modelos mais simples é menos preciso e apresenta erros maiores. Apesar de limitações consistentes no uso de parâmetros estimados, o desempenho dos modelos pode ser considerado satisfatório com base na métrica dos índices estatísticos. Os melhores desempenhos são destacados para os modelos #10 (MRM5) e #12 (Yang).The modeling of direct irradiance at normal incidence (DNI) in the clear sky condition is important for different solarimetric applications. In this study, a performance review of 12 radiative transfer models is presented. These models are used to estimate the DNI in day of clear sky in the hourly partition, in the region of Botucatu/SP/Brazil. The revised models are categorized into two classes, simple and complex models. MBE, RMSE and MAPE were used to evaluate the performance of the models. Models requiring more atmospheric inputs (complex models) generally performed better than the simpler models. The DNI estimate with the simpler models is less accurate and has larger errors. Despite consistent limitations in the use of estimated parameters, the performance of the models can be considered satisfactory based on the metric of the statistical indices. The best performances are highlighted for models # 10 (MRM5) and # 12 (Yang).Asociación Argentina de Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente (ASADES

The TRAPSENSOR facility: an open-ring 7 tesla Penning trap for laserbased precision experiments

APenning-trap facility for high-precision mass spectrometry based on a novel detection method has been built. This method consists in measuring motional frequencies of singly-charged ions trapped in strong magnetic fields through the fluorescence photons from laser-cooled 40Ca+ ions, to overcome limitations faced in electronic single-ion detection techniques. The key element of this facility is an open-ring Penning trap coupled upstream to a preparation Penning trap similar to those used at Radioactive Ion Beam facilities. Here we present a full characterization of the trap and demonstrate motional frequency measurements of trapped ions stored by applying external radiofrequency fields in resonance with the ions’ eigenmotions, in combination with time-of-flight identification. The infrastructure developed to observe the fluorescence photons from 40Ca+, comprising the 12 laser beams and the optical system to register the image in a high-sensitive CCD sensor, has been proved by taking images of the trapped and cooled 40Ca+ ions. This demonstrates the functionality of the proposed laser-based mass-spectrometry technique, providing a unique platform for precision experiments with implications in different fields of physics.This work was supported by the European Research Council (contract no. 278648-TRAPSENSOR), from the SpanishMINECO/ FEDER (project nos. FPA2012-32076, FPA2015-67694-P, FIS2015-69983-P, UNGR10-1E- 501, UNGR13-1E-1830), Ramón y Cajal Grant RYC-2012-11391, Juan de la Cierva grant IJCI-2015-26091, Centro Nacional de Partículas, Astropartículas y Nuclear CPAN13-TM01, and ‘Sistema Nacional de Garantía Juvenil y del Programa Operativo de Empleo Juvenil’; from the SpanishMECD(PhD grant nos. FPU15-04679 and FPU17/02596); from Junta de Andalucía/FEDER (project no. IE-57131) and ‘Programa de Empleo Juvenil; from Basque Government (PhD grant no. PRE-2015-1-0394) and (project no. IT986-16), and from the University of Granada ‘Plan propio-Programa de Intensificación de la Investigación PP2017-PRI.I-04’. I.A, L.L. and E.S acknowledge also support from projects OpenSuperQ (820363) and QMiCS (820505) of the EUFlagship on Quantum Technologies

A Xenogeneic-Free Protocol for Isolation and Expansion of Human Adipose Stem Cells for Clinical Uses

Human adipose stem cells (hASCs) play a crucial role in the fields of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering for different reasons: the abundance of adipose tissue, their easy harvesting, the ability to multipotent differentiation and the fact that they do not trigger allogeneic blood response or secrete cytokines that act as immunosuppressants. The vast majority of protocols use animal origin reagents, with the underlying risk of transmitting infections by non-human pathogens. We have designed a protocol to isolate and maintain the properties of hASCs avoiding xenogeneic reagents. These changes not only preserve hASCs morphology, but also increase cell proliferation and maintain their stem cell marker profile. On the other hand, human serum albumin (HSA), Tryple® and human Serum (HS), do not affect hASCs multipotent differentiation ability. The amendments introduced do not trigger modifications in the transcriptional profile of hASCs, alterations in key biochemical pathways or malignization. Thus, we have proven that it is possible to isolate and maintain hASCs avoiding animal reagents and, at the same time, preserving crucial culture parameters during long term culture. Thereby we have revealed a novel and effective tool for the improvement of clinical, cell-based therapies.Peer reviewe