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Environment

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Volume XV |
Environment

Modelling of Ecosystem Indicators in Geographic Information System Environment (A Case Study of the Sweet Chestnut Forest, Belasitsa Mountain, Bulgaria)

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Abstract: The aim of the present research is to show the possibilities of applying computer technology in ecosystem investigations. The object of the research is the chestnut forests located on the Northern slopes of Belasitsa mountain (Southwest Bulgaria). Three study areas are determined for detailed investigation of structural and functional parameters (indicators) of chestnut ecosystems. These areas are located in forests with different ages (45-120 years old), different forestry management and different state. Ecosystem indicators are modeled on the base of field investigation and available published data, and the assessment of the forest state is done by spatial interpolation (inverse distance weighted) in geographic information system (GIS) environment (ArcGIS). Resulting model values are verified and validated by field investigations. An output layer showing the state of the chestnut forest in the investigated region is generated on the base of the raster surfaces, result of the interpolation and application of map algebra. Also, weight coefficients to the assessment values of the different indicators are used which makes the spatial analysis more correct. Created mapping model shows significant matching areas of forests in poor condition and forests in good conditions compared to the relevant determined on the base of forest management plan. The research confirms the advantages of GIS technology in processing large and varied data for assessing the impact of many factors on forest vegetation.

Keywords: , , , ,
Full article 10.5775/fg.2016.089.iDates:
Received: 07-04-2016 Accepted: 10-05-2016 Printed: 30-06-2016 Online: 16-11-2016
Affiliations:
  • 1 Faculty of Forestry, Department of Dendrology, University of Forestry, Sofia, Bulgaria
  • 2 Faculty of Geoexploration, Department of Geoinformatics University of Mining and Geology, Sofia, Bulgaria
Corresponding author:
  • v.nikolova@mgu.bg
Citation:
APA 6 | Harvard 2008 | Turabian 6 | MLA 7
RIS | BibTeX
Acknowledgements: The study was realised with the financial support of the project: Assessment of the dynamic of structural and functional parameters of chestnut coenosis (CastaneasativaeMill.) – Belasitsa in the condition of global climate change (CAST Bul), 2003-2004, NFA.
Copyright: © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Forum geografic.
Provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License.
Open Access article.
Volume XV |
Environment

Derivation of ecological indicators for assessing landscape health and habitat disturbance in Lower Barpani watershed of Assam (India)

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Abstract: Landscape health is a primary concern for management of resources and restoration of habitats of various fauna and avifauna in watershed. We derived landscape health index using Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite data of 1987 and 2011. Standard precipitation index, normalized difference water index, normalized difference moisture index, normalized difference barren land index, normalized difference vegetation index, human disturbance, height, slope, land use/ land cover were integrated to assess landscape health and habitat disturbance in Lower Barpani watershed in India. Landscape health was categorized into five groups, i.e. very good, good, moderate, poor and very poor. Spatial-temporal variation of landscape health revealed that the area under very good health has degraded from 45% in 1987 to only 1% registering a decrease of 97.26%. The area under good, moderate, poor and very poor categories of landscape health experienced positive change. Habitat disturbance in forests and wetlands has also increased due to shifting agriculture, deforestation and cultivation in wetlands. Remotely sensed indices of landscape health and habitat disturbance can effectively be utilized for prioritizing ecological restoration across space at various scales.

Keywords: , , , ,
Full article 10.5775/fg.2016.018.iDates:
Received: 29-02-2016 Accepted: 05-05-2016 Printed: 30-06-2016 Online: 16-11-2016
Affiliations:
  • 1 Department of Geography, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
Corresponding author:
  • haroon.geog@gmail.com
Citation:
APA 6 | Harvard 2008 | Turabian 6 | MLA 7
RIS | BibTeX
Copyright: © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Forum geografic.
Provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License.
Open Access article.
Volume XIV |
Environment

The Human Pressure on the Environment Quality Through Land Use in Northern Side of the Someșean Plateau – Romania

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Abstract: The analysed rural area has encountered, over the years, a series of economic, demographic and especially ecological changes, driven by the development of the society. Most of these changes had negative effects upon the environment. Human activities have also determined positive and negative topographic changes on the environment. The economic activities taking place in this rural area suffer from a lack of diversity and focus only on the usage of local resources, mainly agricultural and forestry. This is the main reason that caused the increase of the human impact upon the landscape and its components.The current state of the quality of the environment and the changes it has suffered should have a significant importance for the rural community, so that one may issue some measures for protecting the ecosystems, for a sustainable development process to take place. The present study analyses the main human activities from the northern part of the Someșean Plateau in order to draw attention to the impact of human pressure on the quality of the environment.

Keywords: , , , ,
Full article 10.5775/fg.2067-4635.2015.198.dDates:
Received: 15-09-2015 Accepted: 03-12-2015 Printed: 30-12-2015 Online: 05-02-2016
Affiliations:
  • 1 Faculty of Geography, Department of Human and Economic Geography, University of Bucharest, 1 Nicolae Balcescu Blvd, 010041, Bucharest, Romania
Corresponding author:
  • elena.bogan@yahoo.com
Citation:
APA 6 | Harvard 2008 | Turabian 6 | MLA 7
RIS | BibTeX
Copyright: © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Forum geografic.
Provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License.
Open Access article.
Volume XIV |
Climatology, Environment

Biourbanism – a solution for mitigation of urban climate. Case study Bucharest city

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Abstract: As a living environment or biotope of the human species, urban structures must meet not only the economic, social and political rights of the people, but also their biological and neurophysiologic requirements. A new scientific approach to urban planning is biourbanism or organic urbanism, which considers the urban environment as being a hyper-complex living thing. From the scientific point of view, this approach opens the way to new scenarios for urban planning research. The aim of the study is to promote this modern concept of urban planning for Bucharest City in the context of its climate vulnerability. The objectives of our investigation are the following: analyzing the dynamic of climate conditions of the city, highlighting the weather risks for the population and devising scenarios for implementing the concept in Bucharest. The research methodology focused on the following: the discussion of conceptual framework based on specialty literature, the calculation of bioclimatic indices in order to assess the city’s vulnerability to climate conditions and the presentation of “biourban” improvement models applicable to urban fabric samples. The study reveals the vulnerability of Bucharest City in relation to the specific risks associated to the weather phenomena of the summer season (high temperatures and moisture deficit), as argument in favour of preparing implementation scenarios for biourbanism ideas.

Keywords: , , , ,
Full article 10.5775/fg.2067-4635.2015.118.iDates:
Received: 08-04-2015 Accepted: 04-05-2015 Printed: 30-06-2015 Online: 15-09-2015
Affiliations:
  • 1 University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, Department of Regional Geography and Environment, 1 Nicolae Bălcescu Avenue, Bucharest, Romania
  • 2 University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, Department of Human and Economic Geography, 1 Nicolae Bălcescu Avenue, Bucharest, Romania
  • 3 University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, Department of Meteorology and Hidrology, 1 Nicolae Bălcescu Avenue, Bucharest, Romania
  • 4 University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, Department of Geomorphology, Pedology and Geomatics, 1 Nicolae Bălcescu Avenue, Bucharest, Romania
Corresponding author:
  • maneagabriela2002@yahoo.com
Citation:
APA 6 | Harvard 2008 | Turabian 6 | MLA 7
RIS | BibTeX
Acknowledgements: The authors wish to express their thanks to Mr. Dragoș Săndulache, for his support in preparing the improvement models of the urban fabric samples (the Dâmboviţa River corridor and the wetlands adjacent to Lake Văcărești).
Copyright: © 2015 The Author(s). Published by Forum geografic.
Provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License.
Open Access article.
Volume XIV |
Climatology, Environment

Considerations on the influence of micro urban heat islands to the temperature – humidity index in Craiova

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Abstract: According to National Administration of Meteorology, July month of 2015, will represent one of the longest periods with canicular temperatures in the last decades. In Oltenia region and in Craiova city, too, yellow or orange code warning, had to be declared. To determine thermal discomfort sensation felt by the population of Craiova, experimental research concerning micrometeorological measurements of the real temperature and relative humidity that contribute to the local Temperature – Humidity Index (THI) value was performed. According to the experimental research results, con-firmed by using thermovision too, within Craiova, four micro urban heat islands were identified. Despite the low mean value of relative humidity, due to the temperature’s high mean value, in these hot spots the THI average was 94.93, and the thermal discomfort sensation would have made necessary special protection measures. The same air micrometeorological parameters in these four hot spots were compared with the ones recorded in English Park where due to vegetation and trees’ shadow, the THI average was 84.87, thus the thermal discomfort sensation would have made necessary adequate protection measures. The paper proposes several practical methods that would be utilized in order to decrease the pavements’ and buildings’ walls temperatures, or to increase the vegetation surfaces that contribute to the THI de-creasing in the micro urban heat islands of Craiova city.

Keywords: , , ,
Full article 10.5775/fg.2067-4635.2015.012.iDates:
Received: 01-07-2015 Accepted: 30-07-2015 Printed: 30-06-2015 Online: 15-09-2015
Affiliations:
  • 1 University of Craiova, Agriculture and Horticulture Faculty, 13, Al. I. Cuza Street., 200585, Craiova, Romania
  • 2 University of Craiova, Electrical Engineering Faculty, 107, Decebal Bld., 200404, Romania
Corresponding author:
  • adrosca2003@yahoo.com
Citation:
APA 6 | Harvard 2008 | Turabian 6 | MLA 7
RIS | BibTeX
Acknowledgements: The infrared thermal camera was provided by Research Infra structure for Applied Sciences - INCESA, supported by the strategic grant POSCCE - A.2. - O.2.2.1. - 2009 – 4, Cod SMIS – CNSR 13845, DRU/89/1.5/S/ 61968, Project ID61968 (2009), co-financed by the European Social Fund within the Sectorial Operational Program Human Resources Development 2007 – 2013.
Copyright: © 2015 The Author(s). Published by Forum geografic.
Provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License.
Open Access article.
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