Submitted by Nadir Basilio (nadirsb@uninove.br) on 2018-05-14T17:14:34Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Jose Ulisses Bezerra de Franca.pdf: 2023273 bytes, checksum: 980a8d350639f6331e8e513ee5874fbe (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-14T17:14:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jose Ulisses Bezerra de Franca.pdf: 2023273 bytes, checksum: 980a8d350639f6331e8e513ee5874fbe (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-18 / The disorderly growth of urban centers has brought a series of social and environmental complications, among them the fragmentation of green areas, the loss of biodiversity and the introduction of exotic and invasive species that directly affect the provision of ecosystem services. Such services are fundamental in urban environments, especially in poorly planned cities, such as the city of São Paulo. Thus, it is fundamental to evaluate the urban green spaces, mainly regarding the composition of species and carbon stock. In this sense, the present master's work investigated the floristic composition of public square trees in the city of São Paulo, as well as the carbon stock associated with this vegetation. Thirteen public squares were selected in four Regional Prefectures belonging to two zones, East and West. All trees with diameter at breast height (DBH) greater than 5 cm were selected and identified by means of collection of the preferentially flowering branch and the DAP and height were measured. They were inventoried 1510 individuals, belonging to 29 botanical families and 91 different species. Of this total, 56.4% were exotic species, 45.3% native and 0.3% undetermined. The most representative botanical family of this study was Fabaceae and in relation to functional groups, 87% of the individuals were trees and only 13% were palm trees. The square with the greatest abundance of species was José Ória and Carlos januário and in general, a positive correlation was observed between the size of the area of the square and abundance of species, however, the size of the area was not correlated (alpha <95%) with other attributes And ecological ecological indexes. However, floristic similarity was found in squares of the same size, with emphasis on the taxonomic family level. It was observed that all the individuals stored a total of 464.9 tons of C, being that this value is equivalent to 65.2 Ton C. ha-1. The exotic species had great contribution in the storage of the element in their respective trunks. Thus, the urban green areas of the present study show a floristic pattern that follows some tendencies of urbanized areas outside the country, due to the scarcity of studies of this nature in Brazil, and they store a reasonable amount of C per hectare of area Sampled, thus providing a great environmental service for the city of São Paulo. Based on these possible results, it is hoped to contribute to proposals and management plans for urban afforestation in the city of São Paulo, especially with regard to the creation of ecological corridors for the transit of urban fauna. / O crescimento desordenado dos centros urbanos tem trazido uma série de complicações de ordem social e ambiental, dentre as quais se destacam a fragmentação das áreas verdes, a perda da biodiversidade e a introdução de espécies exóticas e invasoras que afetam diretamente a prestação de serviços ecossistêmicos. Tais serviços são fundamentais em ambientes urbanos, principalmente em cidades mal planejadas, como é o caso da cidade de São Paulo. Assim, torna-se fundamental a avaliação dos espaços verdes urbanos, principalmente no que diz respeito a composição de espécies e estoque de carbono. Neste sentido, o presente trabalho de mestrado investigou a composição florística de árvores de praças públicas da cidade de São Paulo, bem como o estoque de carbono associado a esta vegetação. Treze praças públicas foram selecionadas em quatro Prefeituras Regionais pertencentes a duas zonas, a Leste e a Oeste. Todas as árvores com diâmetro a altura do peito (DAP) maior do que 5 cm foram selecionadas e identificadas por meio de coleta do ramo preferencialmente florido e tiveram o DAP e a altura mensuradas. Foram inventariados 1510 indivíduos, pertencendo a 29 famílias botânicas e 91 espécies diferentes. Deste total, 56,4% eram espécies exóticas, 45,3% nativas e 0,3% indeterminadas. A famílias botânicas mais representativa deste estudo foi Fabaceae e em relação aos grupos funcionais 87% dos indivíduos eram árvores e apenas 13% palmeiras. A praça com maior abundância de espécies foi José Ória e Carlos Januário e em geral, notou-se correlação positiva entre o tamanho da área da praça e abundância de espécies, porém, o tamanho da área não foi correlacionado (alfa<95%) com outros atributos e índices ecológicos. No entanto, encontrou-se similaridade florística em praças de mesmo tamanho, com destaque para o nível taxonômico de família. Observou-se que todos os indivíduos estocam um total de 464,9 toneladas de C, sendo que este valor equivale a 65,2 Ton C. ha-1. As espécies exóticas tiveram grande contribuição no armazenamento do elemento em seus respectivos troncos. Com isso, nota-se que as áreas verdes urbanas do presente estudo apresentam um padrão florístico que segue algumas tendências de áreas urbanizadas fora do país, dado a escasses de estudos desta natureza no Brasil, e estocam uma quantidade razoável de C por hectare de área amostrada, prestando assim um ótimo serviço ambiental para a cidade de São Paulo. A partir destes possíveis resultados, espera-se contribuir para propostas e planos de manejo da arborização urbana da cidade de São Paulo, principalmente no que tange a criação de corredores ecológicos para o trânsito da fauna urbana.

In this dissertation I address urban sustainability with a focus on loss of cultural heritage and ecological knowledge by expanding the concept “extinction of experience” (EoE). Conceptualized by conservationist Robert Michael Pyle, EoE is the loss of nature experiences leading to apathy towards biodiversity and degradation of the common habitat. I expand upon Pyle’s formulation of the concept by considering the EoE cycle as an indirect driver that amplifies biodiversity losses. Additionally, I introduce the analysis of interrelated losses of biological and cultural diversity in relation to EoE. With a biocultural approach I discuss that EoE is tied to the infrastructural inertia within the global urban economy. I propose that addressing the EoE cycle is critical in that as a complex and multi-faceted process, it cements threats to biological and cultural diversity as permanent fixtures within society by obscuring their significance in light of economic development. This cycle remains a hidden problematic in that it perpetuates the environmental crisis while making such losses invisible within day-to-day lifestyle habits, constructing an emerging urban culture within the global economy that is ignorant of ecological processes and sustainability requirements. I frame the implications of EoE with an analysis of the newly proposed revisions of the UN Sustainable Development Goals voted on in September 2015 to prioritize local ecological knowledge and biocultural heritage.

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In recent years, a second generation of Web-based technologies have as “Web 2.0” At the core of Web 2.0 are web-based services, social networking and online collaborative functions. Forestry, like other disciplines, has the potential to take advantage of these technologies to alter or change the way traditional interaction between forestry professionals and other interested parties is undertaken. This dissertation explores the use of Web 2.0 and social networking technologies in two domains: (1) eBusiness and (2) Urban Ecology. The thesis is designed to provide essentially two chapters that stand on their own, and describe the background and the design and development of two Web 2.0 online systems. The eBusiness chapter of this thesis includes the research on the applicability of the online community model for today’s forest sector electronic businesses-to-business platforms. The Urban Ecology chapter consists of the research how data integration along with a “content management system” designed for a social network website can be exploited to improve collaboration among geographically distant researchers, policy makers and other stakeholders interested in Urban Ecology. In addition to the text in this dissertation, a “supplement” to this dissertation are two computer systems and databases that the author developed over the course of 2006-2007.

Faced with population increases but stagnant capital improvements and impacts from global warming, cities around the world are experimenting with smaller-scale and cheaper strategies in order to accommodate the new influx of residents. New York City has led the way in converting low-efficiency intersection space into public plazas with a limited range of permanently installed elements and San Francisco has pioneered the concept of the parklet, which converts two to four street parking spaces into a modular and flexible pedestrian space. I seek to answer two questions about these spaces: What are common factors influencing the viability and successful implementation of parklets and public plaza? And what are the social and environmental outcomes of constructing parklets and public plazas at a site-specific level and across larger urban scales? Previous research has examined the dynamics and components of public spaces in cities. This research builds upon previous research efforts. By answering these questions, cities and communities seeking to create more pedestrian-friendly and human-oriented space have insights into the components that make parklets and public plazas work and what impacts these developments can have throughout their built environment. I conducted theoretical research of scholarly works concerning urban ecology, resilience, and the social components of cities, and conducted structured observations of plazas and parklets and appropriate control sites in New York City and San Francisco. At a site-specific scale, these developments promote a diverse range of uses and can serve as localized nodes. Across larger scales, these developments can use design considerations to change the perception of an area or neighborhood and have the potential to create a linked system that provides widespread circulatory and ecological improvements. Creating programs that facilitate parklet installations and plaza conversions give cities and communities the most bang for their buck because they provide flexible spaces that do not involve major and expensive capital improvements. Parklets and public plazas are viable projects for providing green space and promoting pedestrian circulation within neighborhoods and communities.

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With over 16,500 documented vacant commercial and residential units, roughly 20 miles of abandoned rail lines, a historic loss of approximately 330,000 residents, millions of gallons of annual surface water sewage discharges, and a decade-long failed water quality consent decree - Baltimore, Maryland lies at a crux of chronic challenges plaguing America’s formerly most economically and industrially powerful cities (Open Baltimore GIS [Vacancies Shapefile], 2017; “Harbor Water Alert” Blue Water Baltimore, 2017). Impending environmental threats in the “Anthropocene” (Crutzen, 2004) and increased attention to societal injustices warrant heightened inclusivity of social and natural urban functions. Socioecological inequities are often highly conspicuous in declining post-industrial American cities such as Baltimore. Chronic social, economic, and environmental perturbations have rendered some of once critical American infrastructure outdated, underutilized, and/or abandoned. Rivers, forests, rail corridors, as well as residential and industrial building stock are in significantly less demand than when America’s industrial age shaped urban landscapes in the late nineteenth/early twentieth centuries. Compounded by insensitive traditional urban development, these phenomena jeopardize urban social and ecological function. This thesis is an examination of contemporary urban ecology concepts as a systemic approach for revitalizing socially and ecologically marginalized urban areas, with an application in West Baltimore, Maryland neighborhoods. Through an examination of socioecological dilemmas and root causes, a conceptual procedure for urban blight mitigation along the Gwynns Falls corridor is proposed. Adopting an urban green infrastructure plan offers comprehensive alternative solutions for West Baltimore’s contemporary challenges. Master plans are proposed for the Shipley Hill, Carrollton Scott, and Mill Hill neighborhoods in West Baltimore. Site scale socioecological connections are suggested for the Shipley Hill neighborhood with contextual linkages in the surrounding neighborhoods. Additionally, policy considerations are explored for revitalizing Baltimore’s most vulnerable landscapes. By transforming derelict industrial infrastructure to dynamic socioecological patches and corridors, this work aims to enhance socioecological equity and connectivity. Negative aspects of Baltimore’s contemporary urban condition such as blight, high vacancy rates, ecological damage, population decline, and other symptoms of shrinking cities are deeply rooted in a complex evolution of social, environmental, and economic management. Current challenges facing Baltimore can be directly linked to a long history, specifically including industrialization and systematic segregation of neighborhoods. As the United States entered a period of stability following the industrial revolution, domestic manufacturing dwindled, causing a once strong workforce population to leave industrial mega-cities such as Baltimore. This population exodus left behind prior workforce housing and industrial infrastructure, much of which now nonessential to Baltimore’s contemporary urban functions. Housing vacancies and abandoned infrastructure are most noticeable in Baltimore’s predominately minority neighborhoods. Historically marginalized by systematic segregation tactics, “redlined” neighborhoods largely continue to lack sufficient social and economic capital for adaptation to a transformative new era in Baltimore’s history. Disparities in these minority neighborhoods have shown lasting consequences and continue to suffer from financial, social, and ecological neglect. However, progressive urban planning processes pose significant opportunity for equitable inclusion of historically marginalized urban communities through the introduction of green infrastructure. Because socioecological disparities in Baltimore are incredibly complex, an equally complex solution is necessary to adequately alleviate symptoms of declining cities. Although much research and literature has been cited in systemic solutions aiming to address the totality of these issues, practical implication of these strategies remains limited. This thesis aims to identify primary drivers of socioecological inequity as well as recommend policy and spatial solutions to alleviate symptoms of shrinking cites specific to Baltimore. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning / With over 16,500 documented vacant commercial and residential units, roughly 20 miles of abandoned rail lines, a historic loss of approximately 330,000 residents, millions of gallons of annual sewage discharges, and continual annually self-reported “F’s” in surface water quality - Baltimore, Maryland lies at a crux of chronic challenges plaguing America’s formerly most economically and industrially powerful cities (Open Baltimore GIS [Vacancies Shapefile], 2017; “Harbor Water Alert” Blue Water Baltimore, 2017). Baltimore, Maryland has observed tremendous changes in social, environmental, and economic development since circa mid twentieth century. Baltimore has historically been known as an industrial powerhouse for American and global economies. However, industrial functions of port cities are in significant less demand than during the industrial revolution era. Consequently, job losses and suburbanization trends led to a population exodus from the city, leaving behind historic workforce housing and industrial infrastructure. With dramatically lower employment opportunities and nonessential railroads and streets, much of Baltimore’s initial urban development now lies vacancy, ruin, and decay. Quite simply, there is no longer a demand for some prior housing or infrastructure that served the once prosperous city nearly a century ago. Diminishment of private enterprise presence has hindered the city’s ability to maintain these vacant areas. Entire neighborhoods are sometimes like ghost towns, allowing for crime to flourish. This vagrancy is highly noticeable in West Baltimorean neighborhoods. Demographics in these neighborhoods are largely the result of segregation era politics. Historic discrimination has led to long-term marginalization and disinvestment. Significant opportunities are present in these areas for equitable redevelopment, namely green infrastructure. Vacancy and blight remediation in West Baltimore is a worthwhile cause. Adopting a green infrastructure plan offers opportunity to bolster social and environmental health. This thesis is an examination of contemporary urban ecology concepts as a systemic approach for revitalizing socially and ecologically marginalized urban areas, with an application in West Baltimore, Maryland neighborhoods. Through an examination of socioecological dilemmas and root causes, a conceptual procedure for urban blight mitigation along the Gwynns Falls corridor is proposed. Master plans are proposed for the Shipley Hill, Carrollton Scott, and Mill Hill neighborhoods in West Baltimore. Site scale socioecological connections are suggested for the Shipley Hill neighborhood with contextual linkages in the surrounding neighborhoods. Additionally, policy considerations are explored for revitalizing Baltimore’s most vulnerable landscapes. By transforming derelict industrial infrastructure to dynamic socioecological patches and corridors, this work aims to enhance socioecological equity and connectivity in West Baltimore’s most vulnerable landscapes. Negative aspects of Baltimore’s contemporary urban condition such as blight, high vacancy rates, ecological damage, population decline, and other symptoms of shrinking cities are deeply rooted in a complex evolution of social, environmental, and economic management. Current challenges facing Baltimore can be directly linked to a long history, specifically including industrialization and systematic segregation of neighborhoods. As the United States entered a period of stability following the industrial revolution, domestic manufacturing dwindled, causing a once strong workforce population to leave industrial mega-cities such as Baltimore. This population exodus left behind prior workforce housing and industrial infrastructure, much of which now nonessential to Baltimore’s contemporary urban functions. Housing vacancies and abandoned infrastructure are most noticeable in Baltimore’s predominately minority neighborhoods. Historically marginalized by systematic segregation tactics, “redlined” neighborhoods largely continue to lack sufficient social and economic capital for adaptation to a transformative new era in Baltimore’s history. Disparities in these minority neighborhoods have shown lasting consequences and continue to suffer from financial, social, and ecological neglect. However, progressive urban planning processes pose significant opportunity for equitable inclusion of historically marginalized urban communities through the introduction of green infrastructure. Because socioecological disparities in Baltimore are incredibly complex, an equally complex solution is necessary to adequately alleviate symptoms of declining cities. Although much research and literature has been cited in systemic solutions aiming to address the totality of these issues, practical implication of these strategies remains limited. This thesis aims to identify primary drivers of socioecological inequity as well as recommend policy and spatial solutions to alleviate symptoms of shrinking cites specific to Baltimore.

Global urbanization is rapidly expanding, leading to habitat degradation and fragmentation, which present strong challenges for native wildlife. At the same time, urbanization is often accompanied by the introduction of non-native species, which alter community and habitat structures. These changes may disrupt ecosystem functions upon which animals and humans rely. Therefore, it is essential to understand the impact of anthropogenic habitat modifications on urban animals. In this dissertation, I use three case studies to examine anthropogenic influences on 1) species dispersal in Caribbean lizards, 2) mammalian behavior along an urban-rural gradient, 3) tick-borne disease host and vector communities. In my first chapter, I examined the influence of urbanization and road networks on dispersal of three lizard species in the context of their development tolerance. I found that development tolerance is a key predictor of dispersal impact, with the least tolerant species experiencing dispersal restriction and the most tolerant species experiencing dispersal facilitation. In my second and third chapters, I investigated the influence of urbanization and invasive understory vegetation along an urban-rural gradient in southeastern Pennsylvania. The second chapter focused on behavioral responses of four urban-adapted mammal species to urbanization across temporal and spatial scales. I found that behavioral changes were not driven by landscape-scale development, but rather by temporal and local-scale variables, most importantly local vegetation structure. Finally, in my third chapter, I again examined the effects of landscape-scale urbanization and local-scale vegetation density, this time in relation to tick-borne disease dynamics. My results suggest that invasive vegetation influenced small mammal and tick habitat use at micro-habitat scales, with important ramifications for tick-borne disease infection. In combination, the results from my three disparate chapters add to our understanding of anthropogenic impacts on urban animals. / Biology

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture, Regional and Community Planning / Tim Keane / During a 75-year building boom starting in the early to mid 1900's we built most of the stormwater and sewage infrastructure that sustains us today. As these infrastructural systems begin to meet their life expectancy, and with our cities being impacted by flooding, rapid urbanization, and water quality concerns there is a need for designers to begin rethinking these infrastructural systems. With rapid urbanization cities are seeing increased peak flow discharge volumes within their river systems and combined sewer overflow occurrences. The River des Peres located in the City and County of Saint Louis, Missouri, is an urban waterway that is affecting the natural ecosystem and community well-being. The main stem of the River des Peres is a heavily degraded concrete trapezoidal channel that in 1988 became a National Historic Civil Engineering landmark for its sewerage and drainage works. Which leads to the question of why a historic civil engineering landmark, such as the River des Peres, is such a wreck today? In compliance with the Clean Water Act the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to implement enhanced green infrastructure and stormwater/sewer storage tanks to reduce the amount of Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) occurrences in the River des Peres watershed. However, through review of literature, site inventory and analysis, a watershed stormwater BMP plan, and corresponding site design developments it has been found that return frequency flow can be reduced as much as 56% in the watershed, reducing the need for storage tanks and reducing CSO occurrences. Through the incorporation of stormwater best management practices (BMPs) the River des Peres responds to recurrence flow, wildlife habitat, and to the well-being of the community.