Application of Ilex Plants in Urban Greening

Ilex plants have abundant germplasm resources,with unique aesthetic characteristics endowed by their biological characteristics.Based on the demand of urban greening,this paper introduces the beauty of tree form,leaf form and fruit of Ilex plants,expounds the planting form and application mode of point,line and plane of Ilex plants in urban greening,and puts forward some suggestions for urban greening.

A Study of the Impact of the Digital Economy on the Efficiency of Urban Green Economy--Based on the Yangtze River Delta City Cluster

This paper adopts the non-expected output-super-efficiency SBM(Slacks-Based Model)model and principal component analysis to calculate the green economy efficiency and the digital economy level of 27 prefecture-level cities in China’s Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration between 2011 and 2019,respectively,and examines the impact of the digital economy on the green economy efficiency by using benchmark regression and mechanism analysis.The findings show that,first,the digital economy has a significant contribution to the green economic efficiency of cities,and this conclusion still holds after robustness tests such as replacing explanatory and interpreted variables and introducing province-fixed effects.Second,through the mechanism test,it is found that the digital economy can indirectly promote urban green economic efficiency through the positive mechanism effect of promoting industrial structure upgrading.

China’s urban green innovation:Regional differences,distribution dynamics,and convergence

Urban green innovation(UGI)is essential to environmental protection,ecological conservation,and high quality economic growth.Using green patents,our study assessed the level of UGI of 287 Chinese cities at and above the prefecture level.Then,using the Dagum Gini coefficient,kernel density estimation(KDE),and con‐vergence models,we examined regional differences,distribution dynamics,and convergence of UGI across China.The study’s findings are as follows:(1)Overall,regional differences in UGI tended to narrow,and the main contributor to these differences was the difference between economic zones.(2)KDE showed that the level of UGI was rising,which was polarized within each economic zone.(3)The national UGI in economic zones other than the Northeast and Middle Yellow River Economic Zones featured significantσconvergence,while each economic zone showed absolute and conditionalβconvergence.

Does innovative city pilot policy promote urban green growth in China?An analysis of green total factor productivity,2005-2020

The innovative city pilot policy(ICPP)is an essential manifestation of China’s construction of an innovative and green-driven development country.We incorporated urban green total factor productivity(GTFP)growth into the evaluation of ICPP.Based on the panel data of 223 cities in China from 2005 to 2020,we used the difference-in-differences model to empirically assess the influence and mechanism of the ICPP on urban GTFP growth.The main results show that(i)The ICPP has maintained an effectively fluctuating promotion on urban GTFP growth,mainly manifested in the urban green technological progress improvement.(ii)The ICPP has urban heterogeneity in promoting GTFP growth in pilot cities,mainly affecting key cities such as provincial capitals.(iii)The interaction between the agglomeration of producer services and the ICPP inhibits GTFP growth in pilot cities.

GIS-Based Analysis to Identify the Distribution and Accessibility of Urban Green Space in Dhaka Metropolitan City, Bangladesh

Urban Green Space (UGS) plays an important role in minimizing the negative effects of urbanization on city dwellers, which is predominantly factored into the accessibility to UGS. This study elucidated the distribution and accessibility of UGS in Dhaka, Bangladesh considering the paucity of such important scientific studies in the given area. The methodological structure of this study employed a multispectral Landsat satellite image from 2020 for identifying the logically defined UGSs, as well as a minimum proxy distance being the parameter to estimate accessibility to the UGS through a primary survey scheme and literature review. Considering UGS as a public area, we adopted a hybrid (combination of supervised and unsupervised classification) method followed by post-classification for UGS distribution assessment. The unsupervised classification identified the overall distribution of green spaces, whereas the anomalies of generated classes were rectified during the post-classification. Following the study findings, UGS in Dhaka metropolitan city accounts for only 602 ha or 1.9% of the total geographical space, with Ramna thana ranked as the highest contributor of 111 ha. However, in terms of accessibility to the UGS by city residents, 19.9% of the buildings in Dhaka metropolitan city were computed to be within the determined proxy distance of 500 m around the UGS. Also, parallel to UGS distribution, green space in Ramna thana (111 ha) exhibited the highest accessibility rate (64%) to the UGS compared with other thanas in Dhaka metropolitan city. The baseline findings will contribute to the long-term sustainable urban planning and development of more accessible green spaces in the study area.

The spatial-temporal pattern and influencing factors of negative air ions in urban forests, Shanghai, China

Negative air ions are natural components of the air we breathe Forests are the main continuous natural source of negative air ions （NAI）. The spatio-temporal patterns of negative air ions were explored in Shanghai, based on monthly monitoring in 15 parks from March 2009 to February 2010. In each park, sampling sites were selected in forests and open spaces. The annual variation in negative air ion concentrations （NAIC） showed peak values from June to October and minimum values from December to January. NAIC were highest in summer and autumn, intermediate in spring, and lowest in winter. During spring and summer, NAIC in open spaces were significantly higher in rural areas than those in suburban areas. However, there were no significant differences in NAIC at forest sites among seasons. For open spaces, total suspended particles （TSP） were the dominant determining factor of NAIC in sum- mer, and air temperature and air humidity were the dominant determining factors of NAIC in spring, which were tightly correlated with Shanghai＇s ongoing urbanization and its impacts on the environment. R is suggested that urbanization could induce variation in NAIC along the urban-rural gradient, but that may not change the temporal variation pattern. Fur- thermore, the effects of urbanization on NAIC were limited in non-vegetated or less-vegetated sites, such as open spaces, but not in well-vegetated areas, such as urban forests. Therefore, we suggest that urban greening, especially urban forest, has significant resistance to theeffect of urbanization on NAIC.

Analysis of problems in urban green space system planning in China

This paper discusses the major problems in urban green space system （UGSS） planning at both general and special planning levels in China. At general planning level, the problems of the UGSS are mainly from the ignorance in the characteristics of urban nature spaces and the limitation factors of the urban planning system. Great importance is attached to the green spaces in the built area of city, but the green spaces in surrounding areas of the city is unnoticed. Furthermore, because the area of UGSS planning is strictly limited by the administrative zoning, the green space system loses its integrity and rationality in spatial patterns. The schedules of urban development planning mismatched the paces and progresses of the ecological restoration cycles. At special plan level, the problem of the UGSS in China is that the green spaces quantity was over emphasized but the rationality of their layouts is neglected.. Meanwhile, the requirement of the spatial structures and the green spaces layouts to balance between the urban development and the natural ecological environments is often ignored. With regard to the layouts in the UGSS planning practices, the existing problems are the compromising to the existing land-uses, the ＇filling in＇ approach to plan green spaces and an over-emphasis on the layout patterns.

Factors influencing the concentration of negative air ions during the year in forests and urban green spaces of the Dapeng Peninsula in Shenzhen, China

Negative air ions(NAIs)benefit the mental and physical health of humans,but rapid urbanization can decrease the abundance of NAIs.Quantifying the spatial and seasonal distribution of NAIs and determining the factors that infl uence the concentration during urbanization is thus essential.In the present study of a typical developing urban district in southern China,negative air ion concentrations(NAICs)in 60 forests sites and 30 urban green spaces were quantifi ed on seven consecutive days in each of the four seasons.Large seasonal variations in NAIC were revealed in forests and urban green spaces with trough values in summer.NAIC progressively decreased from forests to urban green spaces and was infl uenced by local land morphology,vegetation characteristics,and climatic factors.The vast,heavily vegetated northeastern region was the richest area for NAIs,whereas the narrow central region(urbanized area)was the poorest,implying dramatic impacts of urbanization on the spatial distribution of NAIs.The relationship between air temperature and NAIC was better fi tted with a quadratic equation than a linear equation.Moreover,the NAIC was more sensitive to local morphology in urban green spaces than in urban forests,indicating the vulnerability of NAIs in urbanized areas.Therefore,the appropriate design of local urban morphology is critical.

Spatial dynamics of aboveground carbon stock in urban green space:a case study of Xi'an,China

Greenhouse gas emission of carbon dioxide（CO2） is one of the major factors causing global climate change.Urban green space plays a key role in regulating the global carbon cycle and reducing atmospheric CO2.Quantifying the carbon stock,distribution and change of urban green space is vital to understanding the role of urban green space in the urban environment.Remote sensing is a valuable and effective tool for monitoring and estimating aboveground carbon（AGC） stock in large areas.In the present study,different remotely-sensed vegetation indices（VIs） were used to develop a regression equation between VI and AGC stock of urban green space,and the best fit model was then used to estimate the AGC stock of urban green space within the beltways of Xi＇an city for the years 2004 and 2010.A map of changes in the spatial distribution patterns of AGC stock was plotted and the possible causes of these changes were analyzed.Results showed that Normalized Difference Vegetation Index（NDVI） correlated moderately well with AGC stock in urban green space.The Difference Vegetation Index（DVI）,Ratio Vegetation Index（RVI）,Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index（SAVI）,Modified Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index（MSAVI） and Renormalized Difference Vegetative Index（RDVI） were lower correlation coefficients than NDVI.The AGC stock in the urban green space of Xi＇an in 2004 and 2010 was 73,843 and 126,621 t,respectively,with an average annual growth of 8,796 t and an average annual growth rate of 11.9%.The carbon densities in 2004 and 2010 were 1.62 and 2.77 t/hm2,respectively.Precipitation was not an important factor to influence the changes of AGC stock in the urban green space of Xi＇an.Policy orientation,major ecological greening projects such as ＂transplanting big trees into the city＂ and the World Horticultural Exposition were found to have an important impact on changes in the spatiotemporal patterns of AGC stock.

Evaluation method of the ecological benefits of urban green spaces and application conditions

The importance of ecological benefit analyses about green space systems has been widely discussed on the basis of a perceived bias towards the landscaping effect of green spaces to be built in urban areas as opposed to the perception of comprehensive ecological benefits of designed plant communities. Given the basic principle of ecological benefit analyses and evaluation methods widely applied today, the methodology to calculate ecological benefits and to model the expansion of urban green spaces by CITY- green 5.0 and its conditions for application were explored. We propose that aerial images can be substituted by AutoCAD graphics of a green space containing detailed information of plant dispositions by digitizing the key features during the working process in order to evaluate the ecological benefits quickly and to offer proper guidance to the establishment of small scale green spaces in urban areas. The theoretical foundation, potential application range and prospects for extension of the method are introduced by using the analysis of ecological benefits of the green spaces on the campus of Southwest Forestry College, Kunming, as an example.

Construction of Ecological Network for Urban Green Space System from the Perspective of Landscape Ecology:A Case Study of Wanzhou District, Chongqing Municipality

Green spaces in Wanzhou District, Chongqing Municipality were not closely linked and failed to form an integrated ecological network, this paper analyzed and assessed current situation of green spaces in the local area from the perspective of landscape ecology, and then established the landscape ecology-oriented ecological network construction, restructured green paces in Wanzhou District using the landscape composition of "patch–corridor–matrix", and connected the scattered green patches using green corridors, so as to form a reasonable ecological network of green spaces.

Pattern Change of Urban Green Space in Beijing from 2000 to 2010

With the rapid urbanization in Beijing, the vegetated surfaces have been increasingly replaced by impervious built surfaces. A clear recognition on the changes in green spaces pattern is vital for urban administrators and planners to optimize the urban development areas and define the ecological protection red lines. Based on the SPOT images and field investigation data of urban green spaces within the sixth ring road of Beijing in 2000, 2005 and 2010, the study investigated the dynamic changes of urban green spaces in this area, by means of GIS techniques and landscape ecology methods. The results indicated that green spaces in Beijing have decreased by 207 km2 from 2000 to 2010 at the expense of agricultural lands and waters. Although there has been some increases in urban forests and grasslands, it cannot compensate the rapid decrease of urban green spaces. The land cover types conversion occurred mainly in the areas between the fifth and sixth ring roads while the zones encircled by the fourth ring road had a little change. In addition, landscape metrics such as number of patches(NP) and shape index(SHAPE) increased, but the mean nearest-neighbor distance(MNN), aggregation index(AI) and patch cohesion index(COHESION) decreased during the period of 2000-2010. Also green landscapes became considerably isolated and fragmented. The study disclosed the obvious changes of green space size, composition and layout in urban districts of Beijing City from 2000 to 2010, and highlighted that construction of urban green space should consider not only the geometric or aesthetic effect, but also the increase of vertical green volume and optimization of spatial layout to fully develop the ecological service functions of green spaces.

Study on Ecological Development of Urban Parks

Research background,significance,characteristics and planning methods of the ecological development of urban parks were elaborated.This paper took green space planning of Xishan Park in Qianxi City for example,explored the application of ecological development theories in green space planning of urban park.

Application of Drought-resistant Varieties in Urban Green Spaces

As the connotations of urban green spaces and urban eco-green spaces have been more realized,drought-resistant green spaces have become a unique development trend,and drought-resistant flowers have been more applied in green spaces.This paper summarized characteristics of drought-resistant flowers,foreign and domestic researches in this field,advantages and disadvantages of their application in urban green spaces,and proposed key directions of the future researches.

Study on the Layout of Urban Planning in Rapid Urbanization Areas under the Background of Air Pollution

China＇s urbanization has been over the medium-term process,which has made great achievements,but also triggered a huge problem of air pollution. Air pollution has become a big problem after the water pollution in China,and a serious threat to people＇s life and health. Under the background of ＂ the construction of beautiful China＂ and rapid urbanization,how to build a beautiful home has become the focus of attention. Taking Shenyang as an example,the author contrastively analyses the spatial distribution of the main air pollutants（ PM10,PM2. 5,and SO2） and the present situation of land use,and thus finds out the rules between pollutants distribution and land use. Then combining the urban planning scheme and the rules obtained above,reasonable suggestions are proposed for the scheme to improve the air quality,and reduce or avoid air pollution,and providing the basis for the construction of a piece of blue sky. The conclusions are as follows： 1 air pollutants concentration above Light Oil Gas Making Factory in south vice city of Shenyang reaches the peak value,and industrial point source is the main air pollutants emission source; 2 pollutants concentration above greenbelt is the lowest; 3 the overall spatial structure of urban planning can insulate the industrial agglomeration areas to some extent; greenbelt planning covers 40%- 50% of the area with high concentration of air pollutants,and it is suggested to achieve full coverage; traffic planning can achieve shunt most of the pollutants in many regions,but it can also expand the scope of pollutants in some certain regions,in such regions,it should reduce the road density.

An integrated approach to evaluation on ecological service functions for urban green space and its application

This methodological investigation deals with measurement and valuation of ecological service functions for urban green space. Social, economic and ecological dimensions for such types of function were analyzed and a concept “integrated ecological service functions” (IESF) was put forward for evaluation. Based upon this conceptual approach, an index system for measuring IESF for urban green space was established. With a methodological integration of fuzzy mathematics, decision making analysis and Delphi method, an AHP fuzzy evaluation techniques for IESF for urban green space, called AFIFUG method, was developed. Such a method has been directly applied to the land use strategic planning of Tianjin out ring green belt(TOGB), and its analysis results have been successfully put into operation.

Urban avifauna distribution explained by road noise in an Eastern European city

In Eastern Europe,efforts are being made for road infrastructure development,as this area has not yet reached the level of that in the West.Road noise negatively affects birds,especially in urban habitats.Therefore,seven green spaces from an Eastern European city were monitored,which were selected according to the urbanization gradient and the hydrographic peculiarities of the area.The correlation between species richness and human population density,urban mobility,or road noise was verified.These three factors together explained over 99%of species richness distribution in habitats and during study periods.Road noise was the strongest predictor and the most negative influencer of bird species.These correlations were higher when we also considered the variability of species in habitats over time,instead of the total species richness of a habitat,as it expresses more accurately the impact of noise on the presence of species.The presence of species has decreased from one habitat to another along the urbanization gradient,from the edge of the city to the center,both in the case of terrestrial and aquatic green spaces.The most central park differed significantly from the other terrestrial green spaces in the city.At the same time,no significant differences were registered between the aquatic habitats or the rest of the terrestrial habitats.The ideal mitigation measure in this case would be that there are no roads in the immediate vicinity of green spaces.Still,if this is not possible(as in the case of all the existing green spaces in a city),we discuss/recommend placing noise barriers at the edge of green spaces or high-speed roads.

Species-Related Difference to Noise Reduction Between Trees in Urban Forest: The Abidar Forest Park (Case Study)

Sound pollution is one of the most important urban problems which endangers mental and physical health of the residents.This study was aimed to assess the influence of different tree species,including Fraxinus rotundifolia,Robinia pseudoacacia,Platanus orientalis,Platycladus orientalis,and Pinus eldarica,in reducing noise pollution in the Abidar Forest Park.A further objective was to identify the contaminated areas of Sanandaj city and to propose suitable noise absorbent tree species in consistent conditions.For each tree stands the noise measurements were performed during intervals at frequencies of 250,500 and 1000 Hz,besides an open area with the same topography.With regards to the second purpose,a total of 50 stations with residential,commercial,residentialcommercial,and green space applications were selected across the city.Equivalent Continuous Sound Pressure Level(Leq)was determined in five replicates for 30 min.The measurements were performed under stable weather conditions and low wind velocity at 17:00(traffic peak)in summer and fall.All of the Leq values were above the threshold noise level.The highest noise reduction was recorded in summer(i.e.,green season);Platanus and Platycladus species demonstrated the highest and lowest noise absorption(31.43 dB and 22.28 dB,respectively).Furthermore,a meaningful difference was observed between Leq values of commercial,residential,commercial-residential,and green space urban applications,and the central parts of the city showed noticeable noise pollution.Taken together,due to being exposed to higher than the acceptable threshold noise level,the residents of Sanandaj will be endangered to health problems in the near future;thus consideration should be given to the noise pollution sources.

Balanced Consideration of Urban Park Green Space to Provide Services and Disservices

Ecosystem services(ES),the benefits of ecosystem function and structure to human well⁃being,have been receiving continued attention from international community since the publication of the millennium ecosystem assessment(MA).While humans enjoy all kinds of services provided by the ecosystem,they are also adversely affected by the services provided by the ecosystem,which are called ecosystem disservices(EDS).Based on EDS related research,this paper expounds the EDS concept and connotation to urban park green space as the research object,defines the concept and classification of urban park green space ecosystem disservices(PEDS),and introduces the influencing factors of the listed examples of urban PEDSs.It also discusses equilibrium relationship of the urban park green space service and disservice,and summarizes the research on urban PEDS to improve the meaning of human well⁃being.Finally,it points out the factors that should be considered in the planning,design,management,and maintenance of future urban park green space.

Development of green urbanization under the guidance of deep ecology

At present, green urbanization process is in the initial state in China. In the process of development, how to promote urban development and urbanization will highly integrated. And the ecological environment protection and economic development is an urgent problem to be solved. Based on the guidance of deep ecology, this paper studies the development process of green urbanization; and literature review method and exemplification method are adopted. Firstly, the concept of green urbanization is demonstrated. Secondly, combined with the current situation of green urbanization in China, guided by analysis of deep ecology, the challenge for the development of urbanization is analysed. Finally, based on the deep ecology guided by revelation, the green urbanization path is put forward.