EFI Biocities Facility’s Post

Urban Ecology focuses on the interaction between organisms (including humans) and the non-living urban environment, such as buildings, water, the subsurface and so on. Interest in this first emerged in the post-war period, as all kinds of new opportunities for life arose amidst the rubble. Urban Ecology has traditionally been dominated by biologists, explains Tillie. This makes sense when you consider that the specialisation has its origins in the Green movement. ‘Over the last decade or so, it’s become increasingly clear that this field of research can benefit hugely from perspectives from other domains, such as landscape architecture and urbanism. People from those disciplines are more designers than biologists, which enables them to take a more practical approach to the ideas of Urban Ecology.’ ‘Partly because of the major contribution made by biologists, the main focus used to be on biodiversity (which remains a crucial component). But Urban Ecology can have a positive influence in many other areas in addition to biodiversity, such as climate adaptation, health, water and energy consumption and circularity. Especially on a campus such as ours, Urban Ecology should be right at home.’ #snsinstitutions #snsdesignthinkers #designthinking

One of the main goals of Dr Nico Tillie, head of the Urban Ecology Design group, is to provide more space for nature on the TU Delft campus. Traditionally, Urban Ecology has been dominated by biologists, Nico explains. "But during the past decade or so, it has become increasingly clear that this research area benefits enormously from visions from other fields, such as landscape architecture or urban planning. They can give a more practical interpretation to the ideas from Urban Ecology." One of the main projects undertaken by Nico and his team is ECOCampus. It serves a double purpose: making the campus a nicer place for people and creating links in Delft's ecological web. #biodiversity #urbanecology Read more: https://lnkd.in/eh3Uchw

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Professor in Landscape Architecture Maria Ignatieva has recently co-authored an article published in the Urban Ecosystems journal titled ‘Urban biodiversity and design in time of (post)pandemics: research perspectives from URBIO international network’. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This article is about the research development within Urban Biodiversity and Design Network (URBIO) and discusses the consequences of current global changes (ongoing urbanisation, biodiversity loss, land-use changes, globalisation, etc.) to the emergence and outbreaks of the COVID-19 pandemic. It analyses the main outcomes of the URBIO webinar (December 2021) and the URBIO conference (November 2022) and the results of the question­naire survey among the URBIO experts on the impact of COVID-19 on the biodiversity, design and society in their local contexts as well as on the ongoing and future URBIO research directions. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g3XH6r8F ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Image: Wildlife in the time of pandemic in Perth. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The University of Western Australia ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #universitywa #uwadesign #landscapearchitecture

New paper alert: 'Restoration Ecology meets Engineering'. (shared post of Christine ;) This is the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, which aims to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. Succeeding in this goal - at a scale meaningful to delivering social and environmental benefits - requires that our investments are both cost-effective and successful in restoring ecosystems and preventing further decline. In a new paper in Science of the Total Environment (STOTEN) developed with Tjisse Van der Heide, Martijn Verkuijl, Christine Angelini and myself, we present the argument that amplifying restoration success and scale can be achieved by capitalizing on the expertise and ingenuity of restoration ecology and industrial and systems design engineering. We present a new 5-step process to blend fundamental knowledge of how ecosystems establish in degraded environments with design engineering strategies to prototype and then mass-produce structures that mimic the ecological traits that vital to kickstarting vibrant ecosystems. Take a look and - for all my colleagues working on ecosystem restoration - consider a new collaboration with an industrial designer to solve challenges around scaling successful ecosystem restoration approaches! Study is here: https://lnkd.in/ekM4UySE

The role of Landscape architecture is to weave ecology and anthropocentric design together to create more sustainable solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation. Northern western ghat of India is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. Its restoration also needs a regenerative approach. It is important to understand the multi-layered seed dispersal system among Primates, avifauna, and carnivores. Nature-based solution for ecological restoration for tropical wet deciduous forest. Share your nature-based solution for climate adaptation. #landscapearchitecture #biodiversity #restoration #climatechange #environmentalsustainability #ympäristö #circulareconomy #naturebasedsolutions

#Ecology | 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 | A study led by doctoral student Yannek Käber in the Professorship of Forest Ecology at ETH Zürich, in collaboration with colleagues from ETH and Eidg. Forschungsanstalt WSL, along with the European Forest Research Initiative, has unveiled a fresh insight into natural forest regeneration. This first-ever study on protected European forests examines how regeneration processes advance without human influence. The research involved analyzing nearly 300 natural forest reserves across Europe, observing the complex relationship between tree species traits, forest density, disturbances, and climate. Findings suggest that protective interactions between trees only occur among a few species, rarer than previously surmised. Cold stress tends to induce more supportive interactions from trees than drought. On the other hand, water scarcity results in intense tree competition, often suppressing smaller trees. The study forms a crucial foundation for understanding natural forest development, thereby informing future adaptive strategies for forests amidst looming climate changes. 👉 Learn more >> https://lnkd.in/gTvWh5tR 👉 Original publication >> https://lnkd.in/g8D2W7T2 🇨🇭 Follow #ScienceSwitzerland for the latest news and insights into Swiss science, technology, education, and innovation >> swissinnovation.org Follow us >> Science-Switzerland #Science | #Education | #Research | #Innovation

Some articles you read … some articles you edit …. Some articles make you think what way are we heading ..what are we taking along and what are we leaving behind!!!!! Grab a copy and do read !

New issue of INTACH Journal of Heritage Studies is now available for PRE-ORDER! Grab your copy now by using this link https://lnkd.in/gns7GHYK 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞 1 𝐈𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞 2 The 2024 issue of the INTACH Journal of Heritage Studies (IJHS) Volume 1, Issue 2, explores the theme ‘Heritage and Ecology’, where 'heritage' encompasses architectural, intangible cultural and natural resources of significance, while 'ecology' refers to the relationship between living beings and their physical as well as socio-cultural environment. This issue of IJHS comprises five papers, a book review and a photo essay, exploring the various facets of the relationship between communities and heritage, where nature and culture are intertwined. The global conversation increasingly focusses on heritage and climate change, and nature-culture linkages, with intersections such as climate change affecting cultural landscapes, traditional knowledge systems and sacred sites, causing disruptions and biodiversity loss. However, traditional knowledge systems play a crucial role in mitigating climate change, and efforts are required to integrate these systems into conservation initiatives. Additionally, it is also crucial to adopt sustainable heritage management and environmentally sustainable practices to safeguard the delicate balance between nature, culture and heritage amidst the environmental challenges. This issue aims to enhance the understanding of heritage and ecology, promoting a holistic conservation approach for the current and future generations. #journal #academic #academicwriting #heritage #heritageday #heritagepreservation #heritageculture #ecology #ecologylife #ecologymatters #urbanecology #natureculture #natureculturefuture #natureculturespirit #naturecultureinharmony #naturecultureconservation #natureculturesynergy

INTEGRATING PUBLIC URBAN LANDSCAPES WITH FOOD PRODUCTION Landscapes Good Enough to Eat was the title of my thesis for my Degree and it was certainly the most stressful year of my life up till then. But I had fun along the way; there were only three of us that year so classes were intimate and we had no roster expect the project headline, "turn this abandoned, fragmented and accidental park into something functional". I dove in the theory of Gaia and how people of all industries need to work together and operate in symbiosis to help protect the planet and minimize our greenhouse emissions. Deep Ecology also played a huge role in my discussion and brought to light its 8 principles summarized and reworked by George Sessions and Arne Naess. They highlighted the difference between Deep Ecology and Sustainability. Namely how Deep Ecology is centered around the wellbeing of nature and how Sustainability is human orientated. These two should not work separately, but rather SYMBIOTICALLY. Solutions like Hydroponics and Aquaponics (incorporating fish into hydroponics) were discussed and precedent studies from all over the world where highlighted; Oranjesicht City Farm (Cape Town), 18onBroadway (Kansas) and Brooklyn Grange. I was certainly proud of all the work I had put into my final document and looking back I certainly agree with the younger me, "The main point is that there needs to be a level of honesty, permeability and educational value. This way, the general public can be rest assured in knowing what they are eating and where it came from and how to teach others to do the same in order to spread the idea and concept of sustainability and self-sufficiency."

https://shorturl.at/gjlpS Recent publication as a Springer book chapter. In this study, we tried to quantify the cognition of ecological sustainability by determining several facets of landscape ecology of landuse patterns in the recently formed "New Town" project in eastern India, using the landscape metric approaches cumulated with Fuzzy AHP. The results also exhibit significant association with the traditional approach of #ndvi. This newly prescribed index-based methodological approach in determining ecological sustainability could be replicated in further studies, especially the Environmental Impact Assessment in preparing Master Plans of new urban projects. Do have a look: https://shorturl.at/gjlpS #remotesensing #gis #ecology #sustainability #urbanplanning