Exploring urban parks: plant communities, visitor experiences, and manager perspectives in Portland, Oregon

Urban parks are biodiversity hotspots within cities and have the potential to provide a range of socio-cultural benefits for people, but may not always meet the needs and desires of park visitors. A variety of land use practices and environmental factors affect urban park biodiversity and vegetation structure, composition, and ecological function, but more studies are needed to compare plant taxonomic composition, biodiversity patterns, and species traits across different types of urban green spaces. Additionally, there is a lack of research that explores park user experiences, vegetation perceptions, and accessibility issues in a range of urban park types interspersed throughout Portland using qualitative methods to observe and interview visitors on-site. More research is also needed that focuses on interviewing park managers about their perspectives on park benefits and management. The findings of my interdisciplinary dissertation may assist managers in their aims to achieve various ecological goals, as well as meet the needs and desires of park visitors within increasingly developed urban areas. The purpose of this research is three-fold, and includes examining: 1) The relationships between plant community composition, biodiversity patterns, environmental variables, and species traits in a range of urban parks in Portland, Oregon; 2) how the vegetation in these urban parks currently meets the needs and desires of visitors; and 3) how park managers currently manage vegetation in the parks to meet the needs and desires of visitors. We used a stratified random sampling design to select 15 urban parks of different types based on use, which included natural-passive use parks, recreational-active use parks, and multi-use parks. Multivariate analyses were used to explore plant composition data and associations. One-way analysis of variance was used to test hypotheses about variables associated with diversity. Significant differences in plant species richness and biodiversity indices were found between different park types. More native species were found in natural-passive use parks than other park types, more non-native species were found in multi-use parks than other park types, and more invasive species were found in natural passive-use parks than in recreational-active use parks. Attributes such as natural-passive use park type, wetland habitat, steep slopes, native species origin, non-native species origin, and vine and tree plant forms were most strongly correlated with the non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination, indicating that they exert the strongest influence on species abundance and distribution. These findings may assist managers in their aims to promote native species cover, reduce invasive species presence, or achieve additional management goals. For the second research question, I used qualitative research methods, including observation and semi-structured interviews, with 43 park visitors in the same 15 urban parks. Vegetation was often related to the reasons why people visited parks, which sometimes varied based on park type. Plants influenced how accessible the park was to some participants, including sufficient maintenance along trails/paths, shade, and/or open space. Across park types, visitors discussed trees, plant size, colors, and diversity as their favorite aspects of the plants. Trees were especially important to recreational-active use and multi-use park visitors who commented on their size and shade. Plant diversity appeared to be more important to natural-passive use and multi-use park visitors than those of recreational-active use parks. While the plants met the preferences of many visitors, more than half of them recommended changes. The recreational-active use and multi-use parks visitors wanted more colorful vegetation, flowers, middle-growth/shrubs, and improved placement of plants, while visitors of natural-passive use parks wanted removal of invasive and/or harmful plants. Overall, the participant demographics were relatively similar to Portland, but differed in terms of park type (e.g., fewer women and racial/ethnic minority individuals in natural-passive use parks), which implied that the range of potential socio-cultural benefits of parks may not be shared equitably. Managers should consider these findings to improve urban parks and vegetation planning and maintenance. Management actions are needed to better integrate plant preferences into park design and improve accessibility for women, ethnic/racial minorities, and individuals with disabilities. For the third research question, I conducted a total of 21 semi-structured interviews with managers of the same 15 parks. I also used a mixed methods approach to evaluate the manager interviews alongside the visitor interviews and quantitative plant community composition data collected at the parks. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordinations were created to evaluate perspectives of plant management that were most strongly correlated with different urban parks. The managers’ favorite aspects of plant management were related to maintenance (e.g., weed/invasive management) across park types and ecosystem management in natural-passive use parks. Most managers indicated they would not make changes to plant management, but others discussed improving maintenance, increasing staffing, adding plants, updating infrastructure, and improving species selection. The ways in which managers perceived how visitors interacted with the vegetation and visitor comments influenced many plant choices and/or design such as eliminating hiding/camping places, improving aesthetics, selecting hearty plants to withstand trampling, and removing hazardous plants. However, not all visitor feedback from previous interviews was fully represented in the park visitor comments provided to managers, which implies that managers should solicit more feedback. Managers also described limitations such as funding and budget, staff resources, and unfavorable visitor behaviors that prevented them from managing in the ways they might prefer. There are opportunities to meet both the needs of managers and visitors by continuing to manage trails/paths in natural-passive use parks, removing weeds/invasive plants in all park types, and selecting a diversity of plants for recreational-active use and multi-use parks that have more color and flowers, but are also more climate-adapted, disease-resistant, drought-tolerant, and/or provide habitat for pollinators. Future research should investigate how manager and visitor preferences can be better integrated to maximize ecosystem services and benefits for both people and the environment. Ultimately, it is important to increase communication and collaboration between government agencies, non-profit organizations, and community members, as well as continue to invest in the many social and ecological benefits of urban parks

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Plant Health and Greenness of Different Income-level Neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon Using Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS Surface Reflectance

Parks have the potential to play a role in conserving biodiversity as urbanization increases. Motivations for conserving biodiversity in urban areas may include protecting important populations and rare species, creating corridors, facilitating responses to environmental changes, connecting people with nature, providing ecosystem services, and fulfilling ethical responsibilities. The goal of this study is to quantify plant biodiversity patterns and functioning in different types of parks in Portland. A stratified random sampling design was used to select 15 urban parks within the city boundary for analysis based on size, location, and park type (i.e., passive natural, active recreational, and multi-use as described by Weems, 2016). Within each park, data was collected in five randomly selected 20 m2 plots for number of tree, sapling, shrub, and woody vine species and cover, as well as 1 m2 plots of herbaceous species and cover. Additional information was collected on the number of trees, general vicinity, landform, slope, and bare ground. The preliminary results of this study indicate a total of 178 species in 65 plant families, of which 76 (43%) are native, 56 (31%) are non-native, 37 (21%) are invasive, and 9 (5%) are of unknown native status. The study also compares species, cover (i.e. tree, sapling/shrub, vine, herbaceous), and functional groups among the three surveyed park types. This on-going research is supported by the Urban Water Innovation Network (UWIN), a nationwide consortium of universities and partners that seeks to address various challenges to water systems (UWIN National Science Foundation Grant Award #1444758)

Plant community composition patterns in urban parks of Portland, Oregon

Urban parks are biodiversity hotspots and are integral components of green infrastructure as development increases in urban areas. The purpose of this study is to better understand the relationships between plant community composition, structural patterns, and environmental and species traits in different types of urban parks in Portland, Oregon. A stratified random sampling design was used to select 15 parks in Portland of three different types based on use: 1) recreational-active use parks, 2) natural-passive use parks, and 3) multi-use parks. Within each of the selected parks, plant species/cover and environmental data were collected in five 400-m2 square plots. In terms of taxonomic composition, the data include a total of 178 plant species belonging to 141 genera and 65 families. The average species richness and biodiversity indices (Shannon-Weiner and Simpson) were highest in natural-passive use parks, followed by multi-use parks, and then recreational-active use parks. This study describes a range of patterns for native, non-native, invasive species in different parks as well as plant form (i.e., trees, sapling/shrubs, herbs, vines), various environmental variables, and plant traits (i.e., monocots, dicots, perennial, etc.). The plant community composition information, cluster analysis groups, non-metric multidimensional scaling ordinations with joint plots, and hilltop plots can be used to highlight particular parks and/or plants, as well as provide information for potential management actions. Overall, this plant community composition research may assist park managers in their aims to promote native species cover, reduce invasive species cover, or achieve additional management goals for Portland’s urban parks

Visitor access, use, and desired improvements in urban parks

Urban parks can provide many physical and mental health benefits, but these may not be shared equitably among visitors. The purpose of this study was to explore park visitor demographics and activities, as well as in-depth narratives regarding experiences, perceptions of accessibility, and desired improvements in a range of urban park types of Portland, Oregon. We used a mixed-methods approach to interview and observe visitors in urban parks. The most common activities were physical recreation, adult interactions, and adult-child interactions, which all support well-being. Ninety-four percent of observed children were engaged in physical recreation and three-fourths were interacting with children. Our non-metric multidimensional scaling ordinations with joint plots indicated some trends in visitor demographics and activities across park types, but we found no significant differences in total number of observed visitors, females and males, racial-ethnic groups, or adults and children across park types. Our complementary in-depth, semi-structured interviews revealed motivations for visitation, access concerns, and desired improvements. Visitation was primarily motivated by physical recreation opportunities, accessibility, and children, whereas the main access concerns were park proximity, trails/paths, and maintenance. Feelings of safety were particularly important for female visitors, while a sense of community helped to create a welcoming atmosphere for visitors with underrepresented racial-ethnic backgrounds. Participants across demographics groups discussed desired improvements, which focused on enhancing amenities and social atmosphere. Only 19% indicated that no changes were necessary. We provide strategies for planners, governmental agencies, and community groups to continue enhancing urban park experiences and accessibility for diverse visitors

Urban Park Visitor Preferences for Vegetation – an On-site Qualitative Research Study in Portland, Oregon

Urban parks provide numerous cultural and ecological benefits, but may not always meet visitor preferences. The purpose of this study was to better understand vegetation preferences and accessibility by performing on-site semi-structured interviews at 15 different parks of three general park types, using a case study in Portland, Oregon. We asked: how does vegetation in urban parks currently meet visitor preferences? The data include detailed descriptions of the participants’ viewpoints provided during the interviews, which were coded for themes and patterns of meaning. Vegetation was often related to visitation, and across park types, visitors discussed trees, plant size, colors, and diversity as some of their favorite aspects of the vegetation. Trees were important for many visitors, particularly for their large size and shade in recreational-active use and multi-use parks. While the plants met many of the preferences of the park visitors, more than half of them recommended changes. Many visitors to recreational-active and multi-use parks described their desire for more flowers, color, middle growth/shrubs, and improved placement, while those in natural-passive use parks oftentimes preferred additional invasive/harmful plant removal. Some primary accessibility concerns were proximity, maintenance (e.g., of vegetation and trails), trail and path access, and relaxation opportunities. Management actions can integrate these vegetation preferences into park planning and maintenance to improve park experiences and accessibility for urban communities

Frontline Management Strategy and Quality of Life in Follicular Lymphoma: A Multi-Institutional Prospective Cohort Study

Background: Understanding the symptoms and quality of life (QOL) over time of adults with follicular lymphoma (FL) is important for treatment decision-making and clinical management. However, there are limited population-level data on the long-term QOL of adults with FL. We aim to describe the real-world, long-term QOL of adults with newly diagnosed FL up to 5/6 years after diagnosis. Methods: We used the Mayo Clinic/Iowa Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER) and the multi-institutional Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) to identify adults with grade 1-3A FL who completed QOL surveys at baseline and follow-up. Participants with lymphoma were prospectively enrolled within 9 months of diagnosis in the MER cohort from 2002-2015 and within 6 months of diagnosis in the multi-institutional LEO cohort study across 8 cancer centers from 2015-2020. The LEO/MER cohort studies systematically collected information on disease status, QOL, health behaviors, and functional assessment. Treatments, disease relapses, and deaths were verified by medical record review. Treating physicians determined clinical management. QOL was measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) at years 1, 2, 3, and 5/6 post-diagnosis. A higher FACT-G total score (range 0-108) indicated better QOL across 4 subscales (range): physical (0-28), social/family (0-28), emotional (0-24), and functional (0-28) well-being. We categorized participants based on their frontline management at time of diagnosis: “observation” (surveillance), “treatment” (systemic treatment with immunotherapy +/- chemotherapy), and “local” (radiation) groups. We employed a generalized linear mixed model to evaluate and compare the changes in QOL scores (as a continuous variable) from baseline for the observation, treatment, and local groups, adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, age, FLIPI risk, and cohort (i.e., LEO or MER). We also evaluated QOL changes by FLIPI risk. Results: Our study included 1,544 participants with FL and QOL data. At the time of enrollment, median age was 61 years (range 19-91), 88% were non-Hispanic White, and 49% were female. Based on initial management, 529 (34%) were in the observation group, 880 (57%) were in the treatment group, and 135 (9%) were in the local group. FLIPI risk was high for 17% in the observation group, 29.3% in the treatment group, and 3% in the local group. The mean (standard deviation) baseline FACT-G total score was lowest in the treatment group with the following baseline scores: 86 (13) for the observation group, 83 (14) for the treatment group, and 88 (12) for the local group (Table 1). The observation and local groups reported a greater worsening of their baseline FACT-G total score vs the treatment group at both the 2-year (-1.2, -0.8 vs +1.8, respectively) and 5/6 year (-5.4, -6 vs. -1.6, respectively) timepoints (Figure 1). This appeared to be driven by worsened physical and functional well-being in the observation (-1.3, -2.2, respectively) and local (-0.9, -2.4, respectively) groups vs the treatment group (0, -0.3, respectively). These differences were statistically significant between the observation vs treatment groups. There were no statistically significant differences in the other subscales, i.e., social/family and emotional well-being, by frontline management. Social/family well-being decreased across all groups by 5/6 years (-2.3 in observation, -2.2 in treatment, and -3 in local, p<0.05). Regardless of FLIPI risk, the total FACT-G scores decreased within each FLIPI risk group at 5/6 years (-4.4 for low, -3.8 for intermediate, and -4.9 for high, p<0.05). This was primarily due to worsened social/family well-being (-2.4 for low, -2.2 for intermediate, and -3 for high, p<0.05) at 5/6 years. There was no statistically significant difference in QOL between FLIPI risk groups. Conclusion: This is one of the first and largest studies with real-world longitudinal QOL data for FL. Our study suggests that frontline systemic treatment initially improved QOL and resulted in a lower degree of QOL decline over time. Social/family well-being decreased over time regardless of frontline management or FLIPI risk. Further research is warranted to explore the impact of timing and specific systemic treatments on QOL, incorporate the patient/caregiver experience to address social/family well-being, and identify the clinical significance of our findings

Epigenomic charting and functional annotation of risk loci in renal cell carcinoma

The epigenomic landscape of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains to be explored. Here, integrative epigenomic analysis of primary human RCC samples and RCC GWAS risk SNPs identifies transcription-factor specific subtypes and enrichment of risk variants in allelically-imbalanced peaks