Butterfly taxonomic and functional diversity in the urban green spaces of Hefei city

Urbanization has profound impacts on ecological environments. Green spaces are a vital component of urban ecosystems and play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and enhancing sustainability. This study aimed to investigate the community composition characteristics of butterflies in urban green spaces within the context of rapid urbanization. Simultaneously, it explored the status and differences in butterfly taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, and functional traits among different types of urban green spaces, regions, and urban gradients to provide relevant insights for further improving urban green space quality and promoting biodiversity conservation. We conducted a year-long survey of 80 green spaces across different urban regions and ring roads within Hefei City, Anhui Province, with monthly sampling intervals over 187 transects. A total of 4822 butterflies, belonging to 5 families, 17 subfamilies, 40 genera, and 55 species were identified. The species richness, Shannon, Simpson, functional richness, and Rao's quadratic entropy indices of butterflies in urban park green spaces were all significantly higher than those in residential and street green spaces(P < 0.05). Differences in butterfly diversity and functional traits among different urban regions and ring roads were relatively minor, and small-sized, multivoltine, and long flying duration butterflies dominated urban green spaces. Overall, these spaces offer more favorable habitats for butterflies. However, some residential green spaces and street green spaces demonstrate potential for butterfly conservation.

Research on the Spatio-Temporal Evolution and Driving Forces of Green Spaces in the Central Urban Area of Zunyi City

Green space,as a medium for carrying out urban functions and guiding urban development,is becoming a scarce resource along with the urbanization process and the intensification of environmental problems.In the face of the spatial mismatch between high demand and low supply,it is of great significance to clarify the evolution mechanism of green space to undertake national spatial planning,protect the natural strategic resources in the urban fringe area,and promote the sustainable development of the“three living spaces.”The study focuses on the Zunyi City Center,selecting the 20 years of rapid development following its establishment as a city as the study period.It explores the dynamic evolution of green space and the main driving forces during different periods using remote-sensing image data.The study shows that from 2003 to 2023,the total scale of green space has an obvious decreasing trend along with the expansion of the urban built-up area.A large amount of arable land is being converted to construction land,resulting in a sudden decrease in arable land area.In the past 10 years,the comprehensive land use dynamics have accelerated.Still,the spatial difference has gradually narrowed,indicating that the overall development intensity of Zunyi City’s central urban area has increased.There is a gradual spread of the trend to the hilly areas.The limiting effect of the mountainous natural environment on the city’s development has gradually diminished under the superposition of external factors,such as economic development,industrial technological upgrading,and policy orientation so the importance of the effective protection and rational utilization of urban green space has become more prominent.

Utilisation of green urban space for food sufficiency and the realisation of the sustainable development goals-UK stakeholders perspective

The exponential growth of food demand due to the increasing global population has the potential to seriously threaten the quality and quantity of food supplies due to climate change.This study explores the utilisation of green urban spaces for achieving food self-sufficiency by investigating the extent to which sustainable urban farms could be used to reduce the consumption of imported produce in the UK.It also examines urban farming stakeholders'perspective on how food self-sufficiency can help realise the SDGs especially SDG 2(Zero hunger)and SDG 13(Climate action).The study adopts a mixed method approach through a survey with 115 respondents and semi-structured interviews conducted with 12 respondents from 4 different urban farming stakeholder groups.The findings of this study presented a strong correlation between stakeholders who had concerns about where their food came from and the carbon footprint of imported produce.The research shows that,urban farms will no doubt play a vital role in the future of food security in our cities/communities and that the SDGs could be realised through sustainable urban farms implemented within the relevant planning regulations/policies.

Landscape Planning and Design of Urban Waterfront Green Spaces

Definition of urban waterfront green spaces is given,its design principles are summarized as:human-centered,ecology-first,integrated nature and humanity,highlighting regional characteristics,unified planning and overall coordination.Design of ecological plant community,design of traffic network and revetment management is analyzed to explore design contents and techniques of urban waterfront green spaces.In terms of the design of ecological plant community,the selection of landscape plants and landscaping of waterfront green spaces are analyzed;traffic network is further classified into water traffic,waterfront pathway,and driveway system;waterfront revetment management is specifically discussed from the original natural revetment,natural revetment reinforced by natural designs,and natural revetment reinforced by artificial designs.Problems in the modern urban waterfront green spaces are proposed,such as contradictions between diversified functions and simple designs,lack of regional characteristics,viewers are kept away from water;countermeasures are also given in the hope of pushing urban waterfront green spaces in a healthy development road,so as to improve the overall landscape quality of urban waterfront green spaces.

Construction of Economic Urban Green Spaces with a Case Study of Shijiazhuang City

The accelerating urbanization has brought various problems in environment, land, fund and so on. With the guidance of market economy, economic urban green spaces have become the optimal choice in urban landscaping of China, which can not only improve urban landscapes, ecological environment, satisfy higher spiritual and cultural demands of people, but also create considerable economic benefits, and enhance the coordinated development of economy, society and environment. With Shijiazhuang City as an example, the approaches of constructing economic urban green spaces fit for Shijiazhuang City were analyzed in this study, to provide references for the construction of economic urban green spaces in other cities.

Landscape Expressions in Hospital Green Spaces Based on the Needs of Patients

According to the Hierarchy of Needs Theory proposed by Abraham Maslow, demands of patients on the landscape environment of hospital green spaces were analyzed, and based on analyzing the psychological characters and behavior patterns of patients, differences of those demands were distinguished. It was proposed that the best stimulation principle should be applied to design patient-centered hospital green spaces based on their needs.

Landscape Design of Green Spaces in Residential Districts

Field investigation shows that neighboring green space is an important part of the public landscaping for all residential districts,because it is able to highlight effects of landscaping and beautification,satisfy needs of human-centered designs and show individualized landscape characteristics,moreover,it shows great influence on the landscape quality of residential districts.In view of problems in landscape design of residential districts,this study focuses on plant furnishing patterns,landscape demonstration effects and landscape differences,and then gives suggestions correspondingly,for example,plant furnishing patterns and cultural connotations of landscapes should be improved,human needs put on the top priority,and spaces organized in a proper way.The study aims to provide useful reference for the construction of external environment in residential districts.

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.

Reform of Green Spaces in Old Residential Districts——A Case Study of the Old Wujie Residential District of Urumqi Railway Bureau in China

Taking green space reform in the Old Wujie Residential District of Urumqi Railway Bureau for example, current situation of green spaces in old residential districts of Urumqi City was introduced, and problems were summarized as "limited plant species, simple plant furnishings; improper planting location; conflicts between plant and pipe layout; serious competition leading to poor growth of plants; small ratio of green space, worn infrastructure; backward management level, and poor protection consciousness of residents". In view of these problems, relevant suggestions were given to improve infrastructure and plant furnishings in the study district, and to provide reference for green space reform in old residential districts in northwest China.

Effects of Light Source in Road Green Spaces on the Growth of Picea koraiensis in Harbin

With Picea koraiensis as the research object which have similar growth vigor in a same habitat, the photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, chlorophyll content, weight of dry-matter and leaf color change of Picea koraiensis in different lighting conditions were determined. Environment without light sources was taken as the control group. The results showed that different light sources and different distances from light sources to plants had diversified impact on the photosynthetic physiology of Picea koraiensis. Among these different color lights, green light had the least influence on Picea koraiensis, yellow light and purple light had greater influence.

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.

An Assessment of Ecosystem Services of Urban Green Spaces Based on i-Tree

Ecosystem services of urban green spaces play an important role in the sustainable development of the urban ecosystem. How to quantify the ecological benefits of urban green spaces and evaluate their ecological services is a hot topic in related fields. Currently, with the advancement of science and technology, the assessment method has been developed from the traditional ones such as the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers(CTLA) method, afforestation cost method, and carbon tax method to CITYgreen and i-Tree. The latter two models have been widely used in countries of Europe and America, while the use of i-Tree has not been promoted in China. In this paper, i-Tree Eco(UFORE) was selected for research, and its application in the assessment of the ecosystem services of urban green spaces, including energy saving, air quality improvement, interception of rainwater, and aesthetic benefits, were analyzed. This study aims to provide a theoretical and scientific basis for the introduction and localization of i-Tree, as well as its generalization in the assessment of forest ecosystem services domestically.

Urban Green Spaces and an Integrative Approach to Sustainable Environment

This paper explains the benefits and challenges of urban green spaces based on the critical discussion of study results from different studies in different cities. The important roles played by green spaces are social, economic, cultural and environmental aspects of sustainable development. Urban green spaces can be a comprehensive tool for long term protection of environmental sustainability through improving the quality of life and air quality, increasing property value due to their amenity and aesthetic characteristics, and reducing the energy costs of cooling buildings. Urban green spaces also can provide ecosystem services in which the recreation and relaxation facilities are especially available to urban dwellers and tourists too. To confirm the multiple roles played by green spaces, certain level of qualitative improvements and distribution of green spaces within the urban area should be considered and incorporated effectively into the environmental sustainability agenda. To do this, an integrated approach regarding the planning, monitoring, designing and maintaining of urban green spaces is required for improving the environmental sustainability in cities in different countries.

Investigation of Ancient and Large Tree Resources in Green Spaces of Urban Parks: A Case Study of Yunqizhujing Park in Hangzhou, China

Conservation of ancient and large trees in domestic and overseas cities was compared, ancient and large trees were regarded as important cultural relics playing an important role in optimizing urban natural environment and enriching urban humanistic and natural landscapes, and they were also important contents of urban garden works symbolizing urban parks. A case study was carried out Yunqizhujing Park to study conservation of ancient and large trees in park green spaces of Hangzhou City, solutions to current problems were proposed, and constructive suggestions were given for the conservation of ancient and large trees in urban park green spaces.

SPATIAL GRADIENT ANALYSIS OF URBAN GREEN SPACES COMBINED WITH LANDSCAPE METRICS IN JINAN CITY OF CHINA

Urban green spaces have been arisen growing concern responded to the social and environmental costs of urban sprawl. A wide range of planning and policies has been and/or will be designed to protect urban green spaces and optimize their spatial pattern. A better design or planning of urban green space can make a major contribution to quality of environment and urban life, and furthermore can decide whether we can have a sustainable development in the urban area. Information about the status quo of urban green spaces can help planners design more effectively. However, how to quantify and capture such information will be the essential question we face. In this paper, to quantify the urban green space, a new method comprising gradient analysis, landscape metrics and GIS was developed through a case of Jinan City. The results demonstrate: 1) the gradient analysis is a valid and reliable instrument to quantify the urban green space spatial pattern precisely; 2) using moving window, explicit landscape metrics were spatially realized. Compared with quantifying metrics in the entire landscape, it would be better to link pattern with process and establish an important basis for analyzing the ecological and socioeconomic functions of green spaces.

Application of Vertical Greening as a New Model of Expanding Urban Green Spaces

Vertical greening is a new pattern of expanding urban green spaces. Based on the concept of vertical greening, several approaches and available patterns were introduced for the vertical greening of urban spaces. Moreover, the mostly-applied vertical greening plants in China and their value were given to provide a new thought for urban greening.

Planning of Urban Public Disaster-prevention Green Spaces: A Case Study of Living Water Park in Chengdu City

Based on disaster-prevention functions of urban public green spaces, necessity and significance of emergency shelters in a city were analyzed. Taking Living Water Park in Chengdu for example, planning of urban public disaster-prevention green spaces was analyzed to further explore planning of urban disaster-prevention green space system and refugee spaces, and provide instructions for the planning and construction of urban disaster-prevention green spaces in China.

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.

Study on the Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Park Green Space in Wuhan City

The distribution characteristics of park green space in Wuhan City were studied by standard deviation ellipse(SDE)method,average nearest neighbor index,kernel density estimation(KDE)method and scale index method.At the same time,the influencing factors of its distribution were discussed from three aspects of nature,social economy and culture with a geographical detector.The results show that(1)the distribution of park green space in Wuhan was relatively concentrated,and the directionality was not strong.The distribution mode was clustered mode.There were four main aggregation centers,which were located in Jianghan District,Qingshan District,Dongxihu District and Wuchang District respectively.Among them,the scale index of Jianghan District was the highest,up to 0.5902,while that of Xinzhou district was the lowest,only 0.0047.(2)The order of interpretation intensity of park green space distribution in Wuhan was population density(0.382)>regional GDP(0.278)>location of historical relics(0.165)>urbanization rate(0.136)>watershed zoning(0.069)>altitude(0.012).(3)The interaction of population density and watershed zoning had the strongest explanation for the distribution of park green space in Wuhan.Except for the influence of population density,the interaction of urbanization rate and regional GDP had the strongest explanation for the distribution of park green space in Wuhan.

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.