Article
Construction & Building Technology
Jianhua Guo, Zhiheng Liu, Xiao Xiang Zhu
Summary: This study creates a high-resolution urban tree canopy cover dataset using deep learning based on remote sensing images, revealing the heterogeneity of tree canopy cover in Brazilian cities. The results show regional variations in tree canopy cover and a difference between old and new urban areas, with most urban populations exposed to low tree canopy coverage. Climate factors play a major role in determining the tree canopy cover patterns. Therefore, the study suggests the Brazilian government should focus on greening renovation in old urban areas and formulate effective tree irrigation policies for cities with limited rainfall.
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY
(2024)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yarong Yang, Jie Ma, Hong Liu, Lili Song, Wei Cao, Yifan Ren
Summary: Understanding the spatial distribution of urban forest ecosystem services is crucial for urban planning and sustainable development. This study used the i-Tree Eco model and kriging interpolation to quantify and map the services in Zhengzhou, China. The results showed significant spatial heterogeneity, with higher ecosystem services in watershed and woodland areas. This study provides a basis for future urban construction and management, contributing to improved ecosystem services and the health of urban residents.
Article
Geography, Physical
Jianhua Guo, Qingsong Xu, Yue Zeng, Zhiheng Liu, Xiao Xiang Zhu
Summary: Urban tree canopy maps are crucial for providing urban ecosystem services. This study developed a semi-supervised deep learning method to robustly segment urban trees from high-resolution remote sensing images in order to better serve Brazil's urban ecosystem. The results showed that the urban tree canopy coverage in Brazil ranges from 5% to 35%, with an average coverage of approximately 18.68%. These canopy maps quantified the nationwide urban tree canopy inequality problem in Brazil. It is expected that these maps will encourage research on Brazilian urban ecosystem services, support urban development, and improve inhabitants' quality of life to achieve the Agenda for Sustainable Development goals.
ISPRS JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND REMOTE SENSING
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Dexter Henry Locke, Lara A. Roman, Jason G. Henning, Marc Healy
Summary: This study used a land cover change dataset spanning 40 years to analyze the relationship between land cover change and socioeconomic factors in Philadelphia. The research found that land cover stability dominated the transition sequences, and increases in homeownership, income, and educational attainment were associated with a higher probability of tree canopy persistence. These findings highlight the importance of connecting land cover changes with socioeconomic changes.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Sebastian Martinuzzi, Dexter H. Locke, Olga Ramos-Gonzalez, Monika Sanchez, J. Morgan Grove, Tischa A. Munoz-Erickson, Wayne J. Arendt, Gerald Bauer
Summary: Understanding the relationship between urban tree canopy cover and socioeconomic characteristics is crucial for urban planning and ecological research. A study in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic revealed that previous theories developed in North American cities only partially applied, with only two out of five socioeconomic variables showing consistent relationships with tree canopy cover. It also emphasized the importance of utilizing high-spatial resolution satellite data for examining urban areas and the need for further research outside North America.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Behzad Kiani, Benoit Thierry, Daniel Fuller, Caislin Firth, Meghan Winters, Yan Kestens
Summary: This study examines the relationship between urban vegetation increase and green inequities at the census tract level, and analyzes the impact of social indicators on this relationship. The analysis of Montreal, Canada from 2011 to 2017 shows an increase in greenspace and tree canopy. However, census tracts with higher material deprivation or a larger percentage of visible minority population have less greenspace and tree canopy. Moreover, areas that are not gentrified also have less greenspace and tree canopy. The study highlights the importance of prioritizing areas with higher material deprivation, more visible minorities, or no gentrification for increasing urban vegetation and reducing green inequities.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mehdi Pourpeikari Heris, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Austin R. Troy, Jarlath P. M. O'Neil-Dunne
Summary: The National Land Cover Database (NLCD) provides time-series data characterizing the land surface for the United States, including land cover and tree canopy cover. Study finds that NLCD underestimates tree canopy cover in urban areas, with a greater underestimation in higher-density urban areas. By using various datasets, the accuracy of NLCD-TC can be improved. Additionally, the study shows the importance of improved urban tree cover data in urban environmental models.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yang Liu, Huaiqing Zhang, Zeyu Cui, Kexin Lei, Yuanqing Zuo, Jiansen Wang, Xingtao Hu, Hanqing Qiu
Summary: In this study, a repeatable method called superpixel-enhanced deep neural forests (SDNF) was developed to detect the distribution of urban tree canopy (UTC) from very high resolution (VHR) images. Compared with the random forest (RF) model, SDNF consistently outperformed RF in terms of overall accuracy, with a 10% improvement. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of SDNF in UTC detection based on VHR images.
Article
Plant Sciences
Ruiyang Yu, Xicun Zhu, Xueyuan Bai, Zhongyu Tian, Yuanmao Jiang, Guijun Yang
Summary: By comparing the accuracy of two methods for inverting reflectance at multiple wavelengths, it was found that the Ground-UAV-Linear Spectral Mixture Model (G-UAV-LSMM) is more suitable for obtaining canopy inversion reflectance.
JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. Shamsipour, H. Heidari, R. Avatefi
Summary: This study evaluates the effects of urban gardens on air quality improvement in Shiraz, Iran. The findings suggest that urban gardens have a temperature moderating effect, with lower temperatures during the day and higher temperatures at night. Walnut trees and cypress are found to have higher carbon sequestration capacity. The canopy weight method is shown to accurately estimate carbon sequestration in gardens and tree species.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Sungmin Lee, Ryun Jung Lee, Sebastian Scherr
Summary: This study explores the association between tree canopy coverage, suicide attempts, and neighborhood deprivation to address the lack of knowledge about the benefits of urban trees on mental health. The findings suggest that tree canopy cover can significantly decrease suicide attempts, while neighborhood deprivation can significantly increase them. The level of area deprivation also moderates the relationship between overall tree canopy and attempted suicide. This study highlights the importance of tree canopy cover in improving local mental health and emphasizes the need for environmental justice interventions in disadvantaged areas.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ebru Ersoy Tonyaloglu, Birsen Kesgin Atak
Summary: The study assesses the impacts of land cover change on urban tree cover (UTC) and ecosystem services in the Efeler District, Turkey between 2004 and 2021. The results show a decline in UTC, leading to reductions in carbon sequestration, air pollution benefits, and economic valuation. The approach used in the study demonstrates the potential of such methodology, despite limitations in data and resources.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anne Timm, Valerie Ouellet, Melinda Daniels
Summary: This study identified significant negative correlations between water temperature and percent tree canopy in the 5 m riparian area, and positive correlations between water temperature and total length of stormwater pipes. The mixed-effects models predicted that tree canopy cover in the riparian area would reduce water temperatures by 0.01 to 6°C, while the total length of stormwater pipes would increase water temperatures by 0.01 to 2.6°C.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuan Yao, Yee Leung, Tung Fung, Zhenfeng Shao, Jie Lu, Deyu Meng, Hanchi Ying, Yu Zhou
Summary: This paper analyzes the differences between traditional remote sensing data and continuous multi-angle remote sensing (CMARS) data, highlighting the advantages of using CMARS data for classification. Real-life experiments show the superiority of CMARS data over traditional data in classification, with an increase in overall accuracy of up to about 9%. The research also explores the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing CMARS data directly and the potential for better utilization through the extraction of key features characterizing spectral reflectance variations.
Article
Plant Sciences
Xichan Ren, Patricia R. Torquato, Stefan K. Arndt
Summary: Trees in urban centers provide ecosystem services and increasing tree canopy cover is a key strategy for many cities. However, urban trees face multiple stresses, and their growth can be affected by urban density and impervious surfaces. In the City of Merri-bek, differences in urban form did not significantly influence tree canopy growth and all species showed similar expansion rates. Smaller trees had a greater relative increase in canopy, while larger trees had a greater absolute growth. Protecting and maintaining older and larger trees is important for achieving canopy expansion.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2023)