A silvicultura urbana é um dos elementos essenciais à manutenção da qualidade de vida nos grandes centros urbanos. A existência de uma ampla rede de arvores distribuída ao longo das vias e dos espaços públicos atua promovendo a qualidade do ar, a conservação de água, o conforto térmico, acústico e psicológico dos cidadãos. Florestas urbanas são capazes de amenizar as emissões dos Gases do Efeito Estufa (GEE), tais como o CO2, atuando como sumidouros. Visto sua importância, novas aplicações de ferramentas de sensoriamento remoto têm surgido para auxiliar no planejamento e implantação da silvicultura urbana. O sistema de escaneamento a laser aerotransportado LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging em inglês), gera uma representação em três dimensões do objeto alvo por meio de uma nuvem de pontos georreferenciados. O cruzamento com sensores de altíssima resolução espectral proporciona analises mais aprofundadas do objeto, podendo-se extrair diversas métricas florestais tais como altura, área basal, e até mesmo espécie. O trabalho teve como objetivo verificar a contribuição do uso de informações derivadas da nuvem de pontos LiDAR, na identificação e classificação das seis espécies florestais mais frequentes do Parque Municipal Américo Renné Giannetti em Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil, a fim de auxiliar no planejamento e manejo da silvicultura urbana. Para tanto, por meio de classificação supervisionada, cruzou-se informações de levantamento de campo, segmentação de copas, pontos de topo de copa de árvore extraídos da nuvem LiDAR, e uma imagem multiespectral WordlView-2. A acurácia da classificação foi medida por análise da exatidão global do processo e por meio do índice Kappa. Os pontos de topo de copa de árvore derivados da nuvem LiDAR contribuíram para a localização e classificação das classes referentes às espécies florestais, quando comparados ao mesmo processo sem estes pontos. A segmentação das copas executada pelo programa eCognition facilitou o lançamento das amostras treinamento e teste. O classificador ECHO conseguiu melhores valores de acurácia e índice Kappa, frente aos outros classificadores do programa Multispec. O uso de informações provenientes da nuvem de pontos LiDAR se mostrou promissor em imagens multiespectrais de ambiente florestal urbano, aumentando a acurácia geral da classificação supervisionada. / Urban forestry is a key element to maintaining the quality of life in urban centers. The existence of a broad network of trees distributed along roads and public spaces acts to promote air quality, water conservation, thermal comfort, acoustic and psychological citizens. Urban forests are able to mitigate the emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) such as CO2, acting as sinks. Since its importance, new applications of remote sensing tools have emerged to assist in planning and implementation of urban forestry. The laser scanning system airborne LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), generates a three-dimensional representation of the target object through a cloud of points georeferenced. The crossing with very high resolution sensors provides more in-depth analysis of the object and can be extracted several forest metrics such as height, basal area, and even species. The study aimed to verify the contribution of LiDAR derived points in the identification and classification of six most common tree species in Parque Municipal Americo Renne Giannetti, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, in order to assist urban forestry planning and management. Through supervised classification, field survey information, segmented areas, LiDAR treetop points, and a multispectral WordlView-2 image were crossed together. The classification accuracy was measured by analyzing overall accuracy and Kappa index. The LiDAR treetop points contributed to location and classification of tree species\' classes, when compared to the same process without these points. The segmentation of crowns performed by eCognition program facilitated the launch of training and test samples. ECHO classifier showed the best accuracy and Kappa index in comparison to other Multispec program classifiers. The aggregation of LiDAR data showed promise in urban forest multispectral images, increasing supervised classification overall accuracy.

A compreensão de como a floresta urbana interage com a poluição atmosférica é importante tanto para o planejamento urbano quanto para a saúde pública. A floresta urbana é capaz de reter e absorver os poluentes atmosféricos além de poder ser utilizada como biomonitor de baixo custo em localizações privilegiadas. O Parque Ibirapuera localizado em uma região central da cidade de São Paulo tem uma floresta urbana heterogênea e dentro dele há as principais árvores encontradas nas ruas da cidade. Esse aspecto facilitou o estudo da interação dessas árvores com a poluição atmosférica. Para a realização do estudo foi necessária a coleta das folhas das árvores e sua moagem para a análise dos componentes inorgânicos. Houve a partir desse estudo a determinação dos elementos presentes nas folhas de árvores através da técnica de fluorescência de raio X. Dos componentes encontrados a partir da moagem foram estudados aqueles que possuíam emissão de fontes veiculares para que se fizesse uma relação desses com a interação da vegetação e como essa pode ser utilizada para amenizar os ambientes poluídos e para o biomonitoramento. / The comprehension of the urban forest interaction with atmospheric pollution is important to urban planning and public health. The urban forest is able to held back and absorb the air pollution besides the use as low coast biomonitor and privileges location. The Ibirapuera Park located in a central area of the city of São Paulo has an heterogeneous urban forest and inside of this park there are the mains trees founded in the streets of São Paulo. This aspect has made easier the study of the interaction of those trees with the air pollution. For the realization of this study was need the collection of the foils of the trees and theirs grind for the analyses of the inorganic components. The determination of the elements presents in the leaf of the trees with the technique of x-ray fluorescence allows understand the interaction of these elements with the tree and give the tree the function of ambient biomonitor.

A silvicultura urbana é um dos elementos essenciais à manutenção da qualidade de vida nos grandes centros urbanos. A existência de uma ampla rede de arvores distribuída ao longo das vias e dos espaços públicos atua promovendo a qualidade do ar, a conservação de água, o conforto térmico, acústico e psicológico dos cidadãos. Florestas urbanas são capazes de amenizar as emissões dos Gases do Efeito Estufa (GEE), tais como o CO2, atuando como sumidouros. Visto sua importância, novas aplicações de ferramentas de sensoriamento remoto têm surgido para auxiliar no planejamento e implantação da silvicultura urbana. O sistema de escaneamento a laser aerotransportado LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging em inglês), gera uma representação em três dimensões do objeto alvo por meio de uma nuvem de pontos georreferenciados. O cruzamento com sensores de altíssima resolução espectral proporciona analises mais aprofundadas do objeto, podendo-se extrair diversas métricas florestais tais como altura, área basal, e até mesmo espécie. O trabalho teve como objetivo verificar a contribuição do uso de informações derivadas da nuvem de pontos LiDAR, na identificação e classificação das seis espécies florestais mais frequentes do Parque Municipal Américo Renné Giannetti em Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil, a fim de auxiliar no planejamento e manejo da silvicultura urbana. Para tanto, por meio de classificação supervisionada, cruzou-se informações de levantamento de campo, segmentação de copas, pontos de topo de copa de árvore extraídos da nuvem LiDAR, e uma imagem multiespectral WordlView-2. A acurácia da classificação foi medida por análise da exatidão global do processo e por meio do índice Kappa. Os pontos de topo de copa de árvore derivados da nuvem LiDAR contribuíram para a localização e classificação das classes referentes às espécies florestais, quando comparados ao mesmo processo sem estes pontos. A segmentação das copas executada pelo programa eCognition facilitou o lançamento das amostras treinamento e teste. O classificador ECHO conseguiu melhores valores de acurácia e índice Kappa, frente aos outros classificadores do programa Multispec. O uso de informações provenientes da nuvem de pontos LiDAR se mostrou promissor em imagens multiespectrais de ambiente florestal urbano, aumentando a acurácia geral da classificação supervisionada. / Urban forestry is a key element to maintaining the quality of life in urban centers. The existence of a broad network of trees distributed along roads and public spaces acts to promote air quality, water conservation, thermal comfort, acoustic and psychological citizens. Urban forests are able to mitigate the emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) such as CO2, acting as sinks. Since its importance, new applications of remote sensing tools have emerged to assist in planning and implementation of urban forestry. The laser scanning system airborne LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), generates a three-dimensional representation of the target object through a cloud of points georeferenced. The crossing with very high resolution sensors provides more in-depth analysis of the object and can be extracted several forest metrics such as height, basal area, and even species. The study aimed to verify the contribution of LiDAR derived points in the identification and classification of six most common tree species in Parque Municipal Americo Renne Giannetti, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, in order to assist urban forestry planning and management. Through supervised classification, field survey information, segmented areas, LiDAR treetop points, and a multispectral WordlView-2 image were crossed together. The classification accuracy was measured by analyzing overall accuracy and Kappa index. The LiDAR treetop points contributed to location and classification of tree species\' classes, when compared to the same process without these points. The segmentation of crowns performed by eCognition program facilitated the launch of training and test samples. ECHO classifier showed the best accuracy and Kappa index in comparison to other Multispec program classifiers. The aggregation of LiDAR data showed promise in urban forest multispectral images, increasing supervised classification overall accuracy.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Agriculture)) --University of Limpopo, 2008 / The mineral nutrition of indigenous crop species is not well documented like other known crop species, thus making it difficult for one to know how to plant and maintain the crops. Mmupudu (Mimusops zeyheri), which, happens to be a wild crop, is one of the indigenous trees of interest to the Discipline of Plant Production, University of Limpopo. The current study gives baseline information that will be important in various environmental physiology studies of this plant. Physiological studies will be necessary to assess the importance of “limiting” mineral nutrients in the accumulation of certain mineral nutrients in Mmupudu in relation to its productivity. The experiment was arranged as a 2 x 3 factorial in RCBD, with the first and second factors being time of sampling and location, respectively. The three locations where data were collected were Chuenespoort, Bochum and Sekgosese. In each location, the experiment was replicated 10 times. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and means were separated using the least significant difference test. The two-factor interaction was nonsignificant (P ≥ 0.10) for both pH and electrical conductivity. Soil pH was not affected by time in all three locations suggesting that abscised flowers and fruitlets have no effect on pH. Leaf K experienced an increase of 65% at Chuenespoort and a decrease of soil K after fruiting by 44%. Leaf and soil P decreased after fruiting in all locations as was the case with Cu. Chuenespoort and Sekgosese experienced a decrease in leaf Mn after fruiting while soil Mn decreased in all locations after fruiting. Sekgosese experienced an increase of 25% soil Mg after fruiting, whereas leaf Mg decreased in all locations. / National Research Foundation and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry

My thesis research concerns Thomas Charles George Weston (1866-1935). Its principal focus is his landscape vision for Australia's national capital in its founding days and his innovative horticultural and arboricultural work in that vision's execution. Between 1913 and 1926 his work involved reversing, by afforestation planting and conservation measures, the existing process of degradation of the site's landscape. He also achieved for the new city a densely planted landscape using indigenous and exotic trees and shrubs. Weston's pioneering work made a significant contribution to Canberra's contemporary 'city in the landscape' image. Part of my research is about understanding the context of Weston's earlier professional experiences in Britain and New South Wales in the period 1878 to 1912. A brief insight into his personal life and career shows how the people he worked for, the skills he acquired, and the type of landscapes he worked in shaped his approach to his landscape activity at Canberra. Of particular note are the valuable influences of David Thomson and Joseph Maiden, respected figures in botany and horticulture in Britain and Australia respectively. My research on Weston's achievements in Canberra demonstrates his technical and professional thoroughness. I have documented all his work on a project-by-project basis to provide accurate reference material for on-going professional practice and research. His afforestation and conservation work from 1913 onwards and his urban planting in the crucial 1921 to 1926 period reflects the depth of his training and skills and understanding of landscape. Analyses of disputes between Weston and others including Walter Burley Griffin demonstrate the soundness of his professional judgment. I have concluded that Charles Weston had a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve, the necessary skills and experience to achieve that vision and a thorough understanding of the national capital site. He also possessed the necessary personal qualities to achieve his vision which responded sensitively to the aspirations of Australians for their national capital. Largely because of Weston Canberra will remain a highly significant step in the development of Australian landscape architecture.

This item was digitized as part of the Million Books Project led by Carnegie Mellon University and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Cornell University coordinated the participation of land-grant and agricultural libraries in providing historical agricultural information for the digitization project; the University of Arizona Libraries, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Office of Arid Lands Studies collaborated in the selection and provision of material for the digitization project.

A compreensão de como a floresta urbana interage com a poluição atmosférica é importante tanto para o planejamento urbano quanto para a saúde pública. A floresta urbana é capaz de reter e absorver os poluentes atmosféricos além de poder ser utilizada como biomonitor de baixo custo em localizações privilegiadas. O Parque Ibirapuera localizado em uma região central da cidade de São Paulo tem uma floresta urbana heterogênea e dentro dele há as principais árvores encontradas nas ruas da cidade. Esse aspecto facilitou o estudo da interação dessas árvores com a poluição atmosférica. Para a realização do estudo foi necessária a coleta das folhas das árvores e sua moagem para a análise dos componentes inorgânicos. Houve a partir desse estudo a determinação dos elementos presentes nas folhas de árvores através da técnica de fluorescência de raio X. Dos componentes encontrados a partir da moagem foram estudados aqueles que possuíam emissão de fontes veiculares para que se fizesse uma relação desses com a interação da vegetação e como essa pode ser utilizada para amenizar os ambientes poluídos e para o biomonitoramento. / The comprehension of the urban forest interaction with atmospheric pollution is important to urban planning and public health. The urban forest is able to held back and absorb the air pollution besides the use as low coast biomonitor and privileges location. The Ibirapuera Park located in a central area of the city of São Paulo has an heterogeneous urban forest and inside of this park there are the mains trees founded in the streets of São Paulo. This aspect has made easier the study of the interaction of those trees with the air pollution. For the realization of this study was need the collection of the foils of the trees and theirs grind for the analyses of the inorganic components. The determination of the elements presents in the leaf of the trees with the technique of x-ray fluorescence allows understand the interaction of these elements with the tree and give the tree the function of ambient biomonitor.

Les marchés réclament des fruits parfaits sans symptômes de maladies ou piqures. En conséquence les arboriculteurs appliquent des pesticides ayant des effets négatifs sur l’environnement et la santé. Des méthodes alternatives existent mais peuvent être risquées et réduire les performances agronomiques. Face à ces enjeux et sur l’exemple de la protection en culture de pommes, la plus traitée en pesticides, l’étude vise à répondre à la problématique suivante: quelle démarche mettre en place pour aider les arboriculteurs à évaluer leurs marges de manœuvre et les effets d’une évolution de leur stratégie de production sur le fonctionnement et les performances de leur exploitation?La première phase de la démarche vise à comprendre les stratégies de protection des arboriculteurs et évaluer leurs effets sur les performances des exploitations. Les pratiques d’utilisation des pesticides d’une coopérative ont été analysées à partir de 557 calendriers de traitements, à l’aide d’indicateurs de fréquence, de toxicité et d’efficience. Puis 35 enquêtes qualitatives ont été conduites dans deux régions pour comprendre les processus qui aboutissent à ces pratiques et identifier les leviers et freins à leurs évolutions.Malgré un contexte commun, quatre grands types de pratiques ont été mis en évidence. Trois types se distinguent par une utilisation relativement importante d’un type de pesticide: anti-tavelure, anti-insecte, pesticides naturels, et la quatrième est équilibrée. Pour chaque type, les indicateurs couvrent une diversité de valeurs. Les liens entre eux sont complexes, et montrent que l’indicateur de fréquence cache une diversité de pratiques, n’est pas synonyme d’efficience, et n’explique qu’en partie la toxicité environnementale des parcelles. Des actions pour diminuer l’utilisation des pesticides ont été discutées, comme la prise en compte de la diversité et l’amélioration de la surveillance des ravageurs et maladies correspondants aux pesticides les plus utilisés.L’étude des processus aboutissant aux choix des pratiques de protection à l’échelle de l’exploitation a mis en évidence trois stratégies, répondant à des objectifs environnementaux et économiques différents. Pour chaque stratégie, ces objectifs sont cohérents avec la stratégie commerciale, les ressources en main d’œuvre, la diversification/spécialisation et la surface cultivée. L’influence de l’organisation du travail et de la stratégie commerciale sont à prendre en compte pour aider les stratégies à évoluer et anticiper les freins aux transitions.La seconde phase vise à développer un processus d’accompagnement des producteurs dans leurs réflexions d’évolution de leur stratégie. Un outil de simulation (CoHort) a été coconstruit avec deux techniciens de coopérative. Il représente la structure et le fonctionnement d’une exploitation arboricole, dans sa dimension technique et son organisation du travail. Chaque scénario est évalué après simulation en termes économique, environnemental et de bilan travail. Ces résultats alimentent la discussion entre producteurs et techniciens sur les évolutions des exploitations envisageables. CoHort a été utilisé sur des exploitations ayant des projets d’évolution, puis sur des scénarios de rupture élargissant les types de changement explorés : cas de l’introduction d’ovins dans les vergers.En combinant les échelles parcelle et exploitation, la démarche saisit la complexité et la diversité des processus analysés. Ces connaissances ont permis de développer un processus d’accompagnement des producteurs basé sur un outil générique, qui prend en compte leurs contraintes et la diversité des situations.A moyen terme, l’outil de simulation CoHort sera transmis aux techniciens. La démarche globale pourrait être déployée sur un territoire plus large ou utilisée pour d’autres types de productions arboricoles. Mais pour déclencher des transitions et produire des fruits sans pesticides, la filière entière doit être intégrée aux réflexions. / Markets ask for perfect looking fruits without any symptoms of diseases or insect bites. To fulfill these criteria, fruit tree farmers spray pesticides that have negative impacts on human health and on the environment. Alternative methods can be risky and affect the economic performances of the farm. Based on the example of apple crop protection, the most sprayed fruit tree crop, this study addresses the following issue: which approach can be implemented to support fruit tree farmers in evaluating ways of changing their production strategies and their impacts on farm performances?The first phase of the study aims at describing and understanding the protection strategies implemented by farmers, and at evaluating their impacts on farm performances. Practices of pesticide use were analyzed using 557 spray records of a cooperative. Frequency, toxicity and efficiency indicators were used to evaluate practices’ environmental and health impacts. Then, 35 interviews were conducted in two regions of France, to understand farmers’ decision making processes that influence these practices, and to identify the levers and barriers for evolving towards less pesticide use.Despite a common climatic and marketing context, four types of pesticide use sets were identified. Three types showed a relatively important use of a given pesticide category: anti-scab, anti-insect, natural pesticides. The fourth one was balanced. Within each type, the different indicators covered a large range of scores. The frequency indicator covered a diversity of practices. It was not linked with the efficiency indicator, and it explained only a part of the plots’ environmental toxicity. Possible actions for improvements towards less pesticide use were discussed, such as taking into account the diversity of practices and improving the monitoring of the pests and diseases corresponding to the most sprayed pesticides.Studying the decision making processes at the farm scale highlighted three different strategies, depending on the farmers’ environmental and economic objectives. Each strategy was consistent regarding the farmers’ objectives, their marketing strategy, their labor resources, their position between diversification and specialization, and the apple area. Work organization and marketing strategy were considered as instrumental components for defining alternative strategies and for anticipating implementation difficulties.A methodology aiming at supporting fruit tree farmers in their strategical thinking towards innovative production strategies was developed during the second phase of the study. A simulation tool called CoHort was developed with two technicians. CoHort depicts the structure of a tree fruit farm, the crop management per homogeneous block and its work organization. Each scenario corresponds to a specific configuration of the farm. It is evaluated in terms of economic and environmental performances and of impacts on work organization. The simulation results feed the discussions between farmers and their technicians on the potential evolutions of the farm. CoHort was used at first by addressing some farmers’ projects regarding their farm evolution projects. Then it was used on de novo scenarios allowing exploring new types of evolutions such as combining apple and sheep production within a farm.The analysis at both farm and plot scales permitted to capture the complexity and the diversity of the management processes observed in the farm sample surveyed. It provided the knowledge required to develop a support process based on a generic simulation tool, which can cover a large diversity of farm contexts and projects. A mid-term objective is to transfer CoHort to the technicians for extending their advice activities to strategic issues. The whole approach could also be used at the supply chain scale, or on other fruit tree crops. Indeed, enhancing transitions towards less pesticide used will require to involve the whole fruit supply chains.

Trees in a community provide numerous benefits, including reducing ambient temperature, removing gaseous and particulate pollutants from the air, sequestering atmospheric carbon, and improving stormwater retention and filtration. However, trees also pose risks, especially in proximity to overhead utility lines. Trees near utility lines cause a large proportion of electrical power outages. As such, trees must be frequently and often severely pruned away from lines to minimize this risk. Presumably, community trees not growing near overhead utility lines are not pruned as frequently or severely. The objectives of this study are to (i) assess factors related to both individual trees and the sample populations of trees growing near and away from overhead utility lines, and (ii) determine whether those factors differed between the two groups. From May through September 2020, I sampled 200 utility easement plots and 200 non-utility plots in Eversource Energy’s distribution territories, measuring 2361 trees. I measured diameter at breast height (DBH), crown height and spread, percent crown missing, percent twig dieback, and likelihood of failure. Using this field collected data, I conducted an i-Tree Eco assessment to evaluate the contribution ecosystem services delivered by trees at each sampling site.

Arborists are exposed to many occupational hazards and experience more than three times the overall fatality rate of all U.S. workers. Investigations into fatal incidents lead to a better understanding of industry dangers. However, this knowledge does not extend to how tree workers operate when an injury or fatality does not occur. Current research regarding fatal and nonfatal injuries does not include the accreditation status of the company at which the worker was employed, nor whether certified arborists were on staff. Given the highly skilled nature of the work involved, certification and accreditation might ensure a minimum level of demonstrated safety practices. This study aimed to 1. Determine whether certification and accreditation in the tree care industry are associated with safer workplace behavior, and 2. Identify safety practices that tree workers commonly violate. Tree care companies in southern New England were divided into three categories: accredited, non-accredited with certified arborists on staff, and non-accredited with no certified arborists on staff. A stratified random sample of 63 companies was evaluated in the field by direct observation, assessing workers’ adherence to the industry’s safety standard, the American National Standards for Arboricultural Operations (ANSI Z133.1-2006). Analysis indicated that, overall, accredited companies and those with certified arborists on staff complied with the Z133.1 Standard more than those without. Although these companies were more compliant, few significant differences emerged, and low overall compliance was found for personal protective equipment and chainsaw and chipper safety. There were low levels of compliance across all types of companies with the basic aspects of safety, including feeding the chipper from the curbside, not drop-starting a chainsaw, and using head, eye, and hearing protection. Implications of findings include possible considerations for improvements on accreditation and certification processes. Further findings address aspects of the Z133.1 Safety Standard that are currently unclear.