Making biodiversity measures accessible to non-specialists: An innovative method for rapid assessment of urban biodiversity

Urban biodiversity studies provide important inputs to studying the interactions between human societies and ecological systems. However, existing urban biodiversity methods are time intensive and/or too complex for the purposes of rapid biodiversity assessment of large urban sites. In this paper the authors present a biodiversity assessment method that is innovative in its approach, is reliable, and from which the data generated can be presented in an understandable way to non-ecologists. This method is based on measuring the land cover of different vegetation structures and the diversity of vascular plants, and then combining these into an overall biodiversity score. The land cover of vegetation structures was recorded by using a checklist in combination with Tandy’s Isovist Technique and the Domin cover scale. Vascular plant diversity was recorded at genus level by walking along defined transects within circular sampling areas of sixty five meter radius and using a checklist. A scoring procedure assigns an overall biodiversity score to different combinations of land cover of vegetation structures and vascular plant diversity. This method was tested in three urban locations in the United Kingdom which differed according to size, design and land use. Descriptive statistics of the resulting biodiversity scores differentiated between the biodiversity distribution within each one of the three locations, as well as across them. The main strength of this rapid biodiversity assessment method is its simplicity. Furthermore, by producing accurate results this biodiversity assessment method can be most useful in rapidly identifying areas where more detailed ecological surveys are needed

Peoples’ use of, and concerns about, green space networks: A case study of Birchwood, Warrington New Town, UK

Cultural services provided by green space networks and in particular leisure and recreational opportunities are central to the quality of life of those living in urban areas. However, the literature concerned with green space networks has mainly focussed on planning aspects rather than on recreational use. The aim of this study was to evaluate the recreational use of, and concerns about, a naturalistic green space network. The case study location was the naturalistic woodland framework in Birchwood, Warrington, UK, known as Birchwood Forest Park. Non-participant observation and content analysis of local archives were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Birchwood Forest Park was used more for leisure activities (52.8%, N = 1,825; i.e. recreation, sports or play) than for utilitarian purposes (47.2%, N = 1,825; i.e. as walking or cycling thoroughfare). However, utilitarian walking (30%, N = 1,825) was the most frequent type of activity observed. The maintenance of the naturalistic woodland framework was the most frequent concern mentioned in the local archives (33.3%, N = 234). This case study suggests that the recreational patterns in, as well as peoples’ concerns about, naturalistic urban landscapes may be a factor of high quality maintenance and associated local aesthetic and cultural perceptions. In developing, planning or managing comprehensive urban green space networks it is important to ensure that natural looking scenes are well maintained and that the local community is culturally connected to such scenes

Mapping urban green infrastructure : a novel landscape-based approach to incorporating land-use and land-cover in the mapping of human-dominated systems

Common approaches to mapping green infrastructure in urbanized landscapes invariably focus on measures of land-use or land-cover and associated functional or physical traits. However, such one-dimensional perspectives do not accurately capture the character and complexity of the landscapes in which urban inhabitants live. The new approach presented in this paper demonstrates how open-source, high spatial and temporal resolution data with global coverage can be used to measure and represent the landscape qualities of urban environments. Through going beyond simple metrics of quantity, such as percentage green and blue cover it is now possible to explore the extent to which landscape quality helps to unpick the mixed evidence presented in the literature on the benefits of urban nature to human well-being. Here we present a landscape approach, employing remote sensing, GIS and data reduction techniques, to map urban green infrastructure elements in a large UK city-region. Comparison with existing urban datasets demonstrates considerable improvement in terms of coverage and thematic detail. The characterisation of landscapes, using census tracts as spatial units, and subsequent exploration of associations with social-ecological attributes highlights the further detail which can be uncovered with the approach. For example, eight urban landscape types identified for the case study city exhibited associations with distinct socio-economic conditions accountable not only to quantities but also qualities of green and blue space. The identification of individual landscape features through simultaneous measures of land-use and land cover demonstrated unique and significant associations between the former and indicators of human health and ecological condition. The approach may therefore provide a promising basis for developing further insight into the processes and characteristics which affect human health and wellbeing in urban areas, both in the UK and beyond

Spatiotemporal variability of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution in Manchester (UK) city centre (2017-2018) using a fine spatial scale single-NOx diffusion tube network

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is linked to poor air quality and severe human health impacts, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and being responsible annually for approximately 23,500 premature deaths in the UK. Automated air quality monitoring stations continuously record pollutants in urban environments but are restricted in number (need for electricity, maintenance and trained operators), only record air quality proximal to their location and cannot document variability of airborne pollutants at finer spatial scales. As an alternative, passive sampling devices such as Palmes-type diffusion tubes can be used to assess the spatial variability of air quality in greater detail, due to their simplicity (e.g. small, light material, no electricity required) and suitability for long-term studies (e.g. deployable in large numbers, useful for screening studies). Accordingly, a one passive diffusion tube sampling approach has been adapted to investigate spatial and temporal variability of NO2 concentrations across the City of Manchester (UK). Spatial and temporal detail was obtained by sampling 45 locations over a 12-month period (361 days, to include seasonal variability), resulting in 1080 individual NO2 measurements. Elevated NO2 concentrations, exceeding the EU/UK limit value of 40 µg m−3, were recorded throughout the study period (N = 278; 26% of individual measurements), particularly during colder months and across a wide area including residential locations. Of 45 sampling locations, 24% (N = 11) showed annual average NO2 above the EU/UK limit value, whereas 16% (N = 7) showed elevated NO2 (> 40 µg m−3) for at least 6 months of deployment. Highest NO2 was recorded in proximity of highly trafficked major roads, with urban factors such as surrounding building heights also influencing NO2 dispersion and distribution. This study demonstrates the importance of high spatial coverage to monitor atmospheric NO2 concentrations across urban environments, to aid identification of areas of human health concern, especially in areas that are not covered by automated monitoring stations. This simple, reasonably cheap, quick and easy method, using a single-NOx diffusion tube approach, can aid identification of NO2 hotspots and provides fine spatial detail of deteriorated air quality. Such an approach can be easily transferred to comparable urban environments to provide an initial screening tool for air quality and air pollution, particularly where local automated air quality monitoring stations are limited. Additionally, such an approach can support air quality assessment studies, e.g. lichen or moss biomonitoring studies

Sustainable Development Stakeholder Networks for Organisational Change in Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study from the UK

Progressing towards sustainable development remains a key global challenge. And yet, the various interpretations of the concept of sustainable development and the questions it raises about economic growth make its implementation difficult. Higher education institutions may help to overcome these difficulties by developing new processes of change. However, to achieve this they need to integrate sustainable development in all their areas of activity. The aim of this paper was to develop new insights into organisational change processes in universities relating to sustainable development. Contributing to this aim, this paper reports on a case study of United Kingdom higher education drawing on findings and conclusions from a survey of their policy frameworks relating to sustainable development. The method comprised a critical policy analysis in order to identify, differentiate and categorise stakeholder interactions. The data generated comprised the range of higher education stakeholders and the network of interactions that they formed. Theoretical insights from social network analysis, stakeholder theory and the normative business model were used to find opportunities to address the difficulties in the implementation of sustainable development. Results suggested that the existing networks identified in the policy frameworks may not support the effective integration of sustainable development in higher education. Low-density of the national networks; the lack of a clear governance vocabulary for national policy frameworks; and the lack of explicit funding flows between organisations all pose problems for organisational change towards sustainable development in higher education

High spatial resolution assessment of air quality in urban centres using lichen carbon, nitrogen and sulfur contents and stable-isotope-ratio signatures

Air pollution and poor air quality is impacting human health globally and is a major cause of respiratory and cardiovascular disease and damage to human organ systems. Automated air quality monitoring stations continuously record airborne pollutant concentrations, but are restricted in number, costly to maintain and cannot document all spatial variability of airborne pollutants. Biomonitors, such as lichens, are commonly used as an inexpensive alternative to assess the degree of pollution and monitor air quality. However, only a few studies combined lichen carbon, nitrogen and sulfur contents, with their stable-isotope-ratio signatures (δ13C, δ15N and δ34S values) to assess spatial variability of air quality and to ‘fingerprint’ potential pollution sources. In this study, a high-spatial resolution lichen biomonitoring approach (using Xanthoria parietina and Physcia spp.) was applied to the City of Manchester (UK), the centre of the urban conurbation Greater Manchester, including considerations of its urban characteristics (e.g., building heights and traffic statistics), to investigate finer spatial detail urban air quality. Lichen wt% N and δ15N signatures, combined with lichen nitrate (NO3−) and ammonium (NH4+) concentrations, suggest a complex mixture of airborne NOx and NHx compounds across Manchester. In contrast, lichen S wt%, combined with δ34S strongly suggest anthropogenic sulfur sources, whereas C wt% and δ13C signatures were not considered reliable indicators of atmospheric carbon emissions. Manchester’s urban attributes were found to influence lichen pollutant loadings, suggesting deteriorated air quality in proximity to highly trafficked roads and densely built-up areas. Lichen elemental contents and stable-isotope-ratio signatures can be used to identify areas of poor air quality, particularly at locations not covered by automated air quality measurement stations. Therefore, lichen biomonitoring approaches provide a beneficial method to supplement automated monitoring stations and also to assess finer spatial variability of urban air quality

Implications of vertical policy integration for sustainable development implementation in higher education institutions

The United Nations together with various national and local actors have acknowledged the importance of sustainable development. However, sustainable development implementation is not straightforward and requires contribution by different actors. Universities have a role in influencing and contributing towards sustainable development. Also, some universities have committed to support sustainable development implementation. One of the instruments to implement sustainable development are policy frameworks, which exist at international, national and institutional level. Vertical policy integration is crucial to support effective implementation of sustainable development. Analysing vertical policy integration could provide information to help improve sustainable development implementation. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to improve understanding of sustainable development implementation in higher education by undertaking a multilevel (international, nationally, organisational) analysis of policy frameworks. Results suggested that policy frameworks include policy issues such as collaboration, partnership, education, outreach, teaching and learning, staff development, curriculum review, research, campus operations and policy that can support sustainable development implementation. However, these policy issues are not consistently integrated at all levels of policy frameworks. Achieving consistency could enhance sustainable development implementation in higher education institutions