In the recently ended year 2021, The European Federation of Soil and water Bioengineering celebrates 25 years . As we announced earlier this year, we wanted to celebrate this very important anniversary, reinforcing, and reissuing our commitment to the planet and its current challenges , especially with the necessary restoration and recovery of our ecosystems […]
The Declaration ‘Scientists in Support of an Ambitious European Union Nature Restoration Law’ was approved on 10.9.2021 resulting of the 12th European Conference on Ecological Restoration organised by SER Europe. 30 expert networks and organisations from 12 European countries and 5 European-wide, support the Declaration. 1329 individual European scientists and experts in the field of […]
Special Issue “Urban Green Infrastructure for Climate-proof and Healthy Cities” in the Journal Sustainability (Section: Sustainable Urban and Rural Development, publisher mdpi) has had a great success. The topic will be continued as a Topical Collection! We therefore encourage you to continue your research and publication on ALL GI related issues and welcome […]
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- https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/special_issues/Urban_Green_Infrastructure_for_Climate_Proof_and_Healthy_Cities
- https://boku.ac.at/baunat/iblb
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Carlo Bifulco (Ph.D.) Professor Adjunto de Engenharia Natural / Adjunct Professor of Soil and Water Bioengineering
Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra / Coimbra College of Agriculture
Politécnico de Coimbra / Polytechnic of Coimbra 3045-601 COIMBRA PORTUGAL
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Grande novità, la realizzazione di un prototipo 1:2 ha consentito di applicare più tecniche, affrontando i problemi legati all’impiego dei mezzi meccanici, alle difficoltà di taglio del legname, delle chiodature e dell’approvvigionamento di materiali vegetali, terra e massi[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”verde”][vc_column][vc_column_text]With a big innovation, the construction of a 1:2 prototype gave the opportunity to apply various techniques, facing issues connected with the use of mechanical equipment, problems with wood cutting, nailing and the supply of plant material, earth and stones[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”verde”][vc_column][vc_column_text]
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AGéBio et A-IGEco travaillent en collaboration avec le «Centre de Ressources Génie Ecologique
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]AGéBio travaille en ce moment en collaboration avec l’association fédérative des acteurs de l’Ingénierie et du Génie Écologique «A-IGéco», Entre autres activités l’établissement de l’annuaire national de la filière du génie écologique qui ressence les acteurs de l’ingénierie et du génie écologique en France http://a-igeco.fr/annuaire-ge-copy/ .Ce projet, soutenu par le Ministère de l’Écologie, a pour but de fournir aux maitres d’ouvrage publics et privés un outil leur permettant d’identifier par région les entreprises privées de la filière du Génie écologique.Pour +d’infos http://a-igeco.fr
Le « Centre de ressources Génie écologique»http://www.genieecologique.fr/gouvernance est une plateforme de mutualisation des retours d’expériences, des outils et méthodes et de documentation sur le génie écologique. Cette plateforme animée par l’Office français de la biodiversité (OFB) est pilotée par un comité de pilotage et orientée par un comité scientifique et technique.
Pour +d’infos http://www.genieecologique.fr/content/centre-de-ressources[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”verde”][vc_column][vc_column_text]AGéBio is currently working in collaboration with the federative association of professionals in Soil and Water Bioengineering and Ecological Engineering “A-IGéco”, Among other activities the establishment of the national directory of the ecological engineering sector which resembles all the players in the SWBioengineering and ecological engineering in France http://a-igeco.fr/annuaire-ge-copy/. This project, supported by the Ministry of Ecology, aims to provide public and private contractors with a tool allowing them to identify private companies in the ecological engineering sector by region.For more info http://a-igeco.fr
The “Ecological Engineering Resource Center” http://www.genieecologique.fr/gouvernanceis a platform for pooling experience feedback, tools and methods and documentation on ecological engineering. This platform, run by the French Biodiversity Office (OFB), is steered by a steering committee, and guided by a scientific and technical committee.For more info http://www.genieecologique.fr/content/centre-de-ressources[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Volume 158, 1 December 2020, 106048
Assessment of safety-relevant woody vegetation structures along railway corridors
Stephan Hoerbingera, Michael Obriejetana, Hans Peter Raucha, MarkusImmitzerb
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2020.106048
Railway networks are linear landscape elements that are mostly accompanied by adjacent lineside vegetation. In order to maintain safe railway operation, lineside vegetation must be continuously monitored and maintained. A large-scale assessment approach to identify safety-relevant woody vegetation structures along a railway corridor is presented in this paper. Based on accurate surface and terrain data, precise models of the lineside vegetation and the railway corridor were created for a study site. A proximity analysis was performed to assess elements of woody vegetation that are tall enough and close enough to strike the railway infrastructure in the case of failure. Information about the vegetation type and the geometric position of identified safety-relevant vegetation is provided in hazard classes. Falling curves of safety-relevant vegetation were calculated to indicate areas where trees pose a potential risk to the railway track. Analysis of datasets from 2012 and 2017 shows a dynamic development of safety-relevant vegetation along the railway corridor between the two studied years. A vegetation risk index (VRI) was calculated for the study site. Both sections of high presence and sections where safety-relevant vegetation is completely absent could be identified. The study has confirmed that airborne remote sensing technologies have great potential to provide data for large-scale lineside vegetation assessments. Through a combination of airborne laser scanning data and high resolution orthophotos, safety-relevant vegetation could be mapped successfully. The presented approach can support tree care management and contribute to maintaining safe and functional lineside vegetation.
MORE INFORMATION
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925857420303360
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]URBAN FOREST EDGE MANAGEMENT –
A COMPARISON STUDY OF THE APPLICATION OF COPPICING IN ALNARP (SE), SALZBURG AND VIENNA (AT)
Master’s thesis for being awarded the academic title Diplom-Ingenieur (Dipl.-Ing.) at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Magdalena Kofron (B. Sc.)
Bregenz, June 2020
Researchers have witnessed increasing landscape fragmentation, generated by the enormous land area consumption of urbanisation. This landscape fragmentation is the reason for a negative ratio of the length of circumference to area of a biotope. The resulting forest edges cannot be undone, hence best possible management is necessary in order to maintain the ecological services from these green patches. This thesis is devoted to coppicing as a method to preserve and enhance biodiversity, structure and subsequently the edges’ resiliance within an urban and urbanised context. Three different forest edges, in Alnarp (SE), Salzburg and Vienna (AT), were mapped according to biometric parameters, including; plant height, crown area, stem diameter, circumference, height of the coppiced stool and the number of stems. Subsequently, the data was compared by employing descriptive statistics, ANOVA and the Pearson correlation test.
The results indicated that (1) a well-adjusted and dynamic management plan reconciles the aimed for target vegetation, with the option to adapt management to react on species competition. It further suggests that coppicing is (2) most suitable in rather low forest edge stands, in terms of structural development, by virtue of better light conditions above ground level. Lastly, the results stress the (3) integral role of plant reaction to disturbances in order to avoid a negative plant competition, and hence, a deterioration in structure and species composition. This was observed in Alnarp and Vienna where the Shannon diversity index (SDI) after coppicing was 1.25 and 1.5, respectively. However, Salzburg was in a rather good condition and had a SDI of 2.01.
This work concludes that there is great potential to apply coppicing in urban forest edges, in order to foster structural components and enhance biodiversity that can cope with the environmental and climatic challenges in urban and urbanised landscapes. It further encourages researchers to test alternatives to the typical coppice species. Especially regarding climate change exotic plants in urban forest edges may serve well without outcompeting native species.
Keywords: Coppice management structure, biodiversity, management method, urban forest edges, urban forestry, Shannon-diversity-index, resilience[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”verde”][vc_column][vc_column_text]Die Fragmentierung der Landschaft ist ein Prozess, der durch einen hohen Flächenverbrauch und die Urbanisierung vorangetrieben wird. Eine von vielen Folgen dieses Geschehens ist die Zerschneidung zusammenhängender Biotope und ein damit einhergehendes Missverhältnis zwischen der Gesamtfläche eines Biotops und der Länge des Umfangs dieser Fläche. Deutlich zeigt sich diese Entwicklung bei Stadtwäldern. Der tatsächliche Waldbestand wird im Verhältnis zur Waldrandfläche immer kleiner. Basierend auf europäischen Bemühungen wie der Strategie zur Grünen Infrastruktur oder der Strategie zur Förderung der Artenvielfalt ist eine enorme ökologische Bedeutung auf städtische Waldränder als Pufferzone zwischen Natur und Mensch zurückzuführen. Um eine bestmögliche Funktionalität der Waldränder im Sinne der Ökosystemleistungen und der Resilienz zu erhalten, ist die Pflege ein integraler Bestandteil zur Erreichung der Ziele. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wird untersucht, welche Auswirkungen der Stockschnitt als Pflegemaßnahme auf den Waldrand hat. Hierzu wurden drei unterschiedliche Waldrandabschnitte in Alnarp (Schweden), Salzburg und Wien (Österreich), in denen der Stockschnitt praktiziert wurde, kartiert und untersucht. Erhoben wurden biometrische Daten wie Höhe der Bäume und Sträucher, Kronendurchmesser, Stammdurchmesser, Stockumfang, Stockhöhe und die Anzahl der Stämme nach Stockausschlag. Die Daten wurden mithilfe der deskriptiven Statistik gesichtet und aufbereitet. Fernen wurden der Pearson’s Korrelationstest sowie eine ANOVA eingesetzt.
Die Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass (1) ein angepasster und flexibler Pflegeplan von großer Bedeutung ist, um eine vorher festgelegte Zielvegetation zu etablieren und gegebenenfalls rasch auf unerwartete Ereignisse reagieren zu können. Weiters hat sich gezeigt, dass (2) der niedrigste Waldrand in Salzburg am struktur- und artenreichsten ist. Es ist davon auszugehen, dass der Stockschnitt die Lichtverhältnisse im Waldrand begünstigt und eine positive Entwicklung eingeleitet hat. Außerdem ist die Prüfung, ob jene Pflanzen, die auf den Stock gesetzt worden sind, ähnlich reagieren, unerlässlich, um Dysbalancen innerhalb des Biotops zu vermeiden. Bestärkt wird diese Annahme durch die Ergebnisse des Shannon-Diversity-Index in Alnarp und Wien, die verhältnismäßig niedrig ausgefallen sind mit 1, 25 und 1,5. In Salzburg ergab der Index 2,01 im Vergleich.
Aus dieser Arbeit geht hervor, dass Stockschnitt in städtischen Waldrändern einen positiven Effekt hat auf die Vegetationsstruktur sowie die Biodiversität. Ferner wird davon ausgegangen, dass der Stockschnitt eine kontinuierliche Verjüngung garantiert trotz sich klimatisch verändernder Bedingungen und des anthropogen verursachten Nutzungsdrucks. Die Arbeit soll Forscher*innen ermutigen, zukünftig vertiefend das Ausschlagsverhalten von Gehölzen zu untersuchen – insbeondere von jenen, die als Klimabaumarten ausgewiesen worden sind – um diese künftig gezielt in Waldränder einzubringen.
Schlagwörter: Stockausschlag, städtischer Waldrand, Stadtwald, Vegetationsstruktur, Biodiversität, Pflegemaßnahmen, Shannon-Index, Resilienz
Bregenz, June 2020
Researchers have witnessed increasing landscape fragmentation, generated by the enormous land area consumption of urbanisation. This landscape fragmentation is the reason for a negative ratio of the length of circumference to area of a biotope. The resulting forest edges cannot be undone, hence best possible management is necessary in order to maintain the ecological services from these green patches. This thesis is devoted to coppicing as a method to preserve and enhance biodiversity, structure and subsequently the edges’ resiliance within an urban and urbanised context. Three different forest edges, in Alnarp (SE), Salzburg and Vienna (AT), were mapped according to biometric parameters, including; plant height, crown area, stem diameter, circumference, height of the coppiced stool and the number of stems. Subsequently, the data was compared by employing descriptive statistics, ANOVA and the Pearson correlation test.
The results indicated that (1) a well-adjusted and dynamic management plan reconciles the aimed for target vegetation, with the option to adapt management to react on species competition. It further suggests that coppicing is (2) most suitable in rather low forest edge stands, in terms of structural development, by virtue of better light conditions above ground level. Lastly, the results stress the (3) integral role of plant reaction to disturbances in order to avoid a negative plant competition, and hence, a deterioration in structure and species composition. This was observed in Alnarp and Vienna where the Shannon diversity index (SDI) after coppicing was 1.25 and 1.5, respectively. However, Salzburg was in a rather good condition and had a SDI of 2.01.
This work concludes that there is great potential to apply coppicing in urban forest edges, in order to foster structural components and enhance biodiversity that can cope with the environmental and climatic challenges in urban and urbanised landscapes. It further encourages researchers to test alternatives to the typical coppice species. Especially regarding climate change exotic plants in urban forest edges may serve well without outcompeting native species.
Keywords: Coppice management structure, biodiversity, management method, urban forest edges, urban forestry, Shannon-diversity-index, resilience[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]MORE INFORMATION[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]