Green space networks as natural infrastructures in PERI-URBAN areas

Abstract

Focusing on the analysis of green spaces of urban and peri-urban borders, this paper puts into practice a methodology designed for the analysis of green areas and peri-urban spaces as green infrastructures, but from a multifunctional and integrating perspective, as it is stated in the European Strategy for Green Infrastructures and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals. The deadline for implementing European legislation in this area means that strategic plans are being developed at local and regional level. In Spain there are municipal and regional strategies already developed and implemented but the national strategy has not yet been approved. To this end, the development of monitoring and evaluation tools such as the one presented in this article, can help not only in local decision-making, but also in the establishment of common criteria to help assess its future evolution.This research analyses the large peri-urban parks located in the southwest of the Community of Madrid (Spain). The evaluation is carried out from a local to a regional scale applying multifunctionality criteria to the planning, design, execution, maintenance and resilience phases. From the point of view of landscape structures, the findings of this study reflect a high environmental and social services delivery value, which makes it possible to understand the need to create networks to integrate the peri-urban spaces into the city and to attend to and understand the needs of all actors involved: citizens, political leaders, municipal technicians and private companies, providing them a common vision that improves the future of these spaces.This makes them core areas from which to design strategic plans for natural infrastructure and improvement of biodiversity in the urban area, being, likewise, an example that can be extrapolated and applied to large cities whose urban areas are adjoined and where peri-urban parks can be the starting point for designing supramunicipal strategies for open spaces.Based on these results we can conclude that south-west Madrid provides the ideal conditions for implementing a supramunicipal strategy for green infrastructures which, starting with its large forest parks, showcases the periurban areas which connect them with the urban green network. The Móstoles Green Network and Bosquesur are two strategic projects which, together with the forest parks, constitute a working framework based on which the Supra-municipal Strategy for Open Spaces in South-west Madrid can be devised.

Hibernation Conditions Contribute to the Differential Resistance to Cadmium between Urban and Forest Ant Colonies

“…Colonies were fed every other day with a mixture made of yoghurt, dried crickets, diluted honey, and vitamins, with 100 µg/g of cadmium in the food (cadmium treatment) or without cadmium (control treatment). This concentration is 50 times higher than the average cadmium concentration in urban wood soils of Paris, but corresponds to the LC 50 determined in a previous study [ 30 ]. Food was provided in excess (approximately 5 g of food per colony).…”

“…Genetic adaptation to cadmium pollution has been documented in some arthropod species such as O. cincta (collembola) [ 12 ], Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera) [ 28 ], and Porcellio scaber (Isopod) [ 29 ] by comparing populations living in heavily contaminated sites (ancient mining sites, blast furnace steelworks factories [ 10 ]) and rural sites. However there is, to our knowledge, only one study assessing whether urban populations also display some adaptation to this trace metal [ 30 ]. Interestingly, a previous study showed that in the ant Temnothorax nylanderi , urban colonies are more resistant to cadmium than their forest counterparts, with a weaker negative impact of cadmium on larval survival and body size of emerging workers [ 30 ].…”

“…However there is, to our knowledge, only one study assessing whether urban populations also display some adaptation to this trace metal [ 30 ]. Interestingly, a previous study showed that in the ant Temnothorax nylanderi , urban colonies are more resistant to cadmium than their forest counterparts, with a weaker negative impact of cadmium on larval survival and body size of emerging workers [ 30 ]. However, this study was conducted on colonies that had overwintered in the field.…”

“…In this paper, we tested whether the effect of cadmium compared to a control differentially affected the colonies life history traits according to (i) the hibernation conditions (in the field or under common laboratory conditions) and (ii) the origin of the colonies (urban or forest colonies). More specifically, we tested whether the differential colony response to cadmium previously observed between urban and forest populations of the ant T. nylanderi [ 30 ] is maintained under a common garden (lab) hibernation condition. This would indicate that the differential response is not caused by external environmental factors and that genetic adaptation may have occurred in city populations, even though maternal and epigenetic effects could not be ruled out.…”

Urban Green Fabric Analysis Promoting Sustainable Planning in Guatemala City

“…We share views in processes and outcomes currently occurring like the proposal of a Metropolitan blue and green fabric that enforce our suggestions to protect, connect and restore green spaces at the metropolitan level with a collaborative view [58]. We should add the need to enhance the metropolitan land mosaic via different types of green spaces and land uses in which peri-urban green areas are key to connectivity [142].…”