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The Apulian Region (Italy) is a socio-ecological system shaped by the millennial co-evolution between human actions and ecological processes. It is characterized by monumental olive groves protected from Regional Law 14/2007 for the cultural value of the landscape, currently threatened by the spread of a devastating phytopathogen, the bacteria Xylella fastidiosa. The aim of this paper is to apply landscape resilience analysis focusing on ecosystem services to understand the potential effects and trade-offs of regeneration policies in a peri-urban area characterized by monumental olive groves land cover. The study involved land-cover and land-use analysis, supported by a survey on the inhabitants and an ecosystem services analysis. The results showed a mismatch between the agroecosystem and the social and economic use linked to leisure or hospitality. The study area was defined as a peri-urban landscape characterized by tourist use. From the interviews of the users, the cultural heritage of olive groves seems linked to the presence of olive trees like a status quo of the landscape and olive oil productions. The culture aspect could thus be preserved by changing the type of olive trees. In addition, the analysis showed that the microclimate could be preserved and enhanced in terms of air temperature and thermal comfort, by replacing the olive trees with varieties resistant to Xylella, such as cv. Leccino. Therefore, regeneration policies that promote replacing dead olive groves with new olive trees could be efficient to stimulate social components of the landscape and improve the resilience of ecosystem services in peri-urban areas in the interest of the cultural heritage of the users and benefits that they provide. An ecosystem services analysis at a local scale could be a strategy for an integrated regenerate approach between land-use and land-cover with social, ecological, and economic evolutions vision orientated to a sustainable and desirable future.
Teodoro Semeraro; Elisa Gatto; Riccardo Buccolieri; Valentina Catanzaro; Luigi De Bellis; Lorenzo Cotrozzi; Giacomo Lorenzini; Marzia Vergine; Andrea Luvisi. How Ecosystem Services Can Strengthen the Regeneration Policies for Monumental Olive Groves Destroyed by Xylella fastidiosa Bacterium in a Peri-Urban Area. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8778 .
AMA StyleTeodoro Semeraro, Elisa Gatto, Riccardo Buccolieri, Valentina Catanzaro, Luigi De Bellis, Lorenzo Cotrozzi, Giacomo Lorenzini, Marzia Vergine, Andrea Luvisi. How Ecosystem Services Can Strengthen the Regeneration Policies for Monumental Olive Groves Destroyed by Xylella fastidiosa Bacterium in a Peri-Urban Area. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (16):8778.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTeodoro Semeraro; Elisa Gatto; Riccardo Buccolieri; Valentina Catanzaro; Luigi De Bellis; Lorenzo Cotrozzi; Giacomo Lorenzini; Marzia Vergine; Andrea Luvisi. 2021. "How Ecosystem Services Can Strengthen the Regeneration Policies for Monumental Olive Groves Destroyed by Xylella fastidiosa Bacterium in a Peri-Urban Area." Sustainability 13, no. 16: 8778.
This study analyses the interactions and impacts between multiple factors i.e., urban greening, building layout, and meteorological conditions that characterise the urban microclimate and thermal comfort in the urban environment. The focus was on two neighbourhoods of Lecce city (southern Italy) characterised through field campaigns and modelling simulations on a typical hot summer day. Field campaigns were performed to collect greening, building geometry, and microclimate data, which were employed in numerical simulations of several greening scenarios using the Computational Fluid Dynamics-based and microclimate model ENVI-met. Results show that, on a typical summer day, trees may lead to an average daily decrease of air temperature by up to 1.00 °C and an improvement of thermal comfort in terms of Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT) by up to 5.53 °C and Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) by up to 0.53. This decrease is more evident when the urban greening (in terms of green surfaces and trees) is increased by 1266 m2 in the first neighbourhood and 1988 m2 in the second one, with respect to the current scenario, proving that shading effect mainly contributes to improving the urban microclimate during daytime. On the contrary, the trapping effect of heat, stored by the surfaces during the day and released during the evening, induces an increase of the spatially averaged MRT by up to 2 °C during the evenings and a slight deterioration of thermal comfort, but only locally where the concentration of high LAD trees is higher. This study contributes to a better understanding of the ecosystem services provided by greening with regard to microclimate and thermal comfort within an urban environment for several hours of the day. It adds knowledge about the role of green areas in a Mediterranean city, an important hot spot of climate change, and thus it can be a guide for important urban regeneration plans.
Elisa Gatto; Fabio Ippolito; Gennaro Rispoli; Oliver Carlo; Jose Santiago; Eeva Aarrevaara; Rohinton Emmanuel; Riccardo Buccolieri. Analysis of Urban Greening Scenarios for Improving Outdoor Thermal Comfort in Neighbourhoods of Lecce (Southern Italy). Climate 2021, 9, 116 .
AMA StyleElisa Gatto, Fabio Ippolito, Gennaro Rispoli, Oliver Carlo, Jose Santiago, Eeva Aarrevaara, Rohinton Emmanuel, Riccardo Buccolieri. Analysis of Urban Greening Scenarios for Improving Outdoor Thermal Comfort in Neighbourhoods of Lecce (Southern Italy). Climate. 2021; 9 (7):116.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElisa Gatto; Fabio Ippolito; Gennaro Rispoli; Oliver Carlo; Jose Santiago; Eeva Aarrevaara; Rohinton Emmanuel; Riccardo Buccolieri. 2021. "Analysis of Urban Greening Scenarios for Improving Outdoor Thermal Comfort in Neighbourhoods of Lecce (Southern Italy)." Climate 9, no. 7: 116.
This study carries out a quantitative analysis of the impact on microclimate (air temperature and thermal comfort) of a row of 165 historical Pinus pinea L. located in a central neighbourhood of Rome (Italy). The analysis starts from a qualitative general analysis on the stressful conditions leading to tree decline in the urban environment especially during extreme climate change phenomena. Subsequently, the effects of planting new types of trees are assessed using ENVI-met, a 3D prognostic non-hydrostatic model for the simulation of surface-plant-air interactions. Results, obtained by simulating three different scenarios in which the trees are first removed and then modified, show that a gradual renewal of the existing trees, based on priority criteria of maturity or senescence, vegetative and phytosanitary conditions, efficiency of ecosystem services and safety for citizens, has positive effects on thermal comfort. By integrating current results and scientific literature, the final aim of this work is to provide stakeholders with a strategic and systemic planning methodology, which, based on the innovative integrated use of tree management and modelling tools, may (i) enhance the benefits of greening in a scenario of climate change and (ii) lead to intervention strategies based on complementarity between conservation of existing trees and tree renewal.
Elisa Gatto; Riccardo Buccolieri; Leonardo Perronace; Jose Santiago. The Challenge in the Management of Historic Trees in Urban Environments during Climate Change: The Case of Corso Trieste (Rome, Italy). Atmosphere 2021, 12, 500 .
AMA StyleElisa Gatto, Riccardo Buccolieri, Leonardo Perronace, Jose Santiago. The Challenge in the Management of Historic Trees in Urban Environments during Climate Change: The Case of Corso Trieste (Rome, Italy). Atmosphere. 2021; 12 (4):500.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElisa Gatto; Riccardo Buccolieri; Leonardo Perronace; Jose Santiago. 2021. "The Challenge in the Management of Historic Trees in Urban Environments during Climate Change: The Case of Corso Trieste (Rome, Italy)." Atmosphere 12, no. 4: 500.
This paper is devoted to the assessment of urban greening effects on two important ecosystem services, i.e., air quality and CO2 storage, including the corresponding economic impacts in a real urban area, i.e., a district located in the Mediterranean city of Lecce (southern Italy). Two tools were employed, i-Tree Canopy and the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) microclimate model ENVI-met. i-Tree Canopy allowed fully determining the land-cover percentage on the basis of different ground cover classes and obtaining an estimate of annual values of CO2 storage, air pollutant removal, and economic benefits in the presence of urban greening. The estimate in i-Tree Canopy considered only the amount of greening; therefore, air pollutant removal estimates were only potential. As the vegetation was located in street canyons, its interaction with local meteorology and urban geometry strictly affected the dispersion of nitrogen oxides (NOx) (taken here as an example) as obtained from ENVI-met simulations. In ENVI-met, both deposition/absorption and aerodynamic effects were considered, and local increases in concentration were found in the district. The analysis of results obtained from different tools (one complex (CFD model) and the other simple (i-Tree model)) showed the error associated with the simple model in the computation of impacts if the interaction among the vegetation characteristics, the meteorological conditions, and the urban geometry was neglected; however, it also uncovers a novel approach for comprehensively characterizing a given area in terms of its vegetation cover, CO2 storage, and economic benefits, as well as local effects on air quality. This study is set in a broader context aimed at assessing the air quality in urban canopies of Mediterranean areas characterized by the presence of narrow street canyons where pollutants can accumulate due to ineffective air exchange with the above atmosphere.
Riccardo Buccolieri; Elisa Gatto; Michela Manisco; Fabio Ippolito; Jose Santiago; Zhi Gao. Characterization of Urban Greening in a District of Lecce (Southern Italy) for the Analysis of CO2 Storage and Air Pollutant Dispersion. Atmosphere 2020, 11, 967 .
AMA StyleRiccardo Buccolieri, Elisa Gatto, Michela Manisco, Fabio Ippolito, Jose Santiago, Zhi Gao. Characterization of Urban Greening in a District of Lecce (Southern Italy) for the Analysis of CO2 Storage and Air Pollutant Dispersion. Atmosphere. 2020; 11 (9):967.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRiccardo Buccolieri; Elisa Gatto; Michela Manisco; Fabio Ippolito; Jose Santiago; Zhi Gao. 2020. "Characterization of Urban Greening in a District of Lecce (Southern Italy) for the Analysis of CO2 Storage and Air Pollutant Dispersion." Atmosphere 11, no. 9: 967.
This paper presents a conceptual framework that looks at photovoltaic systems in synergy with ecosystem services. The focus is to connect business success with social and ecological progress based on the operative concept of multifunctional land use. Such an approach attempts to harmonise the needs of the industrial processes of photovoltaic systems and the ecological and social needs of the landscape context. Different from the usual design of ground photovoltaic systems in farmlands or brownfields, a new framework is proposed, combining photovoltaic panels and vegetation. A case study is considered, applying the framework to existing photovoltaic systems in the Apulia region (southern Italy). The analysis shows how the framework has, among others, the major functions of increasing solar energy production, recycling wastewater, creating raw material for biofuel, as well as providing animal habitat and mitigating air temperature. The latter is preliminarily evaluated by means of modelling simulations performed with a computational fluid dynamics and microclimate model, ENVI-met. This approach opens up a new vision of the infrastructure design of photovoltaic systems which can produce new social and economic income.
Teodoro Semeraro; Roberta Aretano; Amilcare Barca; Alessandro Pomes; Cecilia Del Giudice; Elisa Gatto; Marcello Lenucci; Riccardo Buccolieri; Rohinton Emmanuel; Zhi Gao; Alessandra Scognamiglio. A Conceptual Framework to Design Green Infrastructure: Ecosystem Services as an Opportunity for Creating Shared Value in Ground Photovoltaic Systems. Land 2020, 9, 238 .
AMA StyleTeodoro Semeraro, Roberta Aretano, Amilcare Barca, Alessandro Pomes, Cecilia Del Giudice, Elisa Gatto, Marcello Lenucci, Riccardo Buccolieri, Rohinton Emmanuel, Zhi Gao, Alessandra Scognamiglio. A Conceptual Framework to Design Green Infrastructure: Ecosystem Services as an Opportunity for Creating Shared Value in Ground Photovoltaic Systems. Land. 2020; 9 (8):238.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTeodoro Semeraro; Roberta Aretano; Amilcare Barca; Alessandro Pomes; Cecilia Del Giudice; Elisa Gatto; Marcello Lenucci; Riccardo Buccolieri; Rohinton Emmanuel; Zhi Gao; Alessandra Scognamiglio. 2020. "A Conceptual Framework to Design Green Infrastructure: Ecosystem Services as an Opportunity for Creating Shared Value in Ground Photovoltaic Systems." Land 9, no. 8: 238.
This paper is devoted to the application of the modelling approach, as one of the methods for the evaluation of thermal comfort, to neighborhoods located in two cities characterized by a different climate, i.e., a Mediterranean city in southern Italy (Lecce) and a northern European city in southern Finland (Lahti). The impact of the presence of vegetation in both places is evaluated and compared, further considering alternative scenarios for thermal comfort improvement. The thermal comfort condition is expressed in terms of indices (mean radiant temperature (MRT) and predicted mean vote (PMV)). Results show that at pedestrian level the presence of vegetation lead to an improvement of thermal comfort in summer of about 2 points in both neighborhoods. This improvement is also evident observing the spatial distribution of MRT with a difference of 7 °C in the Lecce neighborhood and 3 °C in Lahti. In winter, thermal discomfort is observed in the presence of vegetation with a difference of 1.3 °C in the Lecce neighborhood and 1.5 °C in Lahti in terms of MRT. However, trees and green cover have the important potential to offset climate change impact and to make urban environments less thermally stressful. This study aims to guide urban planners towards a motivated and necessary transaction towards new green infrastructure whose effect should, however, be analyzed and investigated case by case.
Elisa Gatto; Riccardo Buccolieri; Eeva Aarrevaara; Fabio Ippolito; Rohinton Emmanuel; Leonardo Perronace; Jose Luis Santiago. Impact of Urban Vegetation on Outdoor Thermal Comfort: Comparison between a Mediterranean City (Lecce, Italy) and a Northern European City (Lahti, Finland). Forests 2020, 11, 228 .
AMA StyleElisa Gatto, Riccardo Buccolieri, Eeva Aarrevaara, Fabio Ippolito, Rohinton Emmanuel, Leonardo Perronace, Jose Luis Santiago. Impact of Urban Vegetation on Outdoor Thermal Comfort: Comparison between a Mediterranean City (Lecce, Italy) and a Northern European City (Lahti, Finland). Forests. 2020; 11 (2):228.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElisa Gatto; Riccardo Buccolieri; Eeva Aarrevaara; Fabio Ippolito; Rohinton Emmanuel; Leonardo Perronace; Jose Luis Santiago. 2020. "Impact of Urban Vegetation on Outdoor Thermal Comfort: Comparison between a Mediterranean City (Lecce, Italy) and a Northern European City (Lahti, Finland)." Forests 11, no. 2: 228.
This paper is devoted to the quantification of changes in ventilation of a real neighborhood located in Pamplona, Spain, due to the presence of street trees Pollutant dispersion in this urban zone was previously studied by means of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations. In the present work, that research is extended to analyze the ventilation in the whole neighborhood and in a tree-free street. Several scenarios are investigated including new trees in the tree-free street, and different leaf area density (LAD) in the whole neighborhood. Changes between the scenarios are evaluated through changes in average concentration, wind speed, flow rates and total pollutant fluxes. Additionally, wind flow patterns and the vertical profiles of flow properties (e.g., wind velocity, turbulent kinetic energy) and concentration, horizontally-averaged over one particular street, are analyzed. The approach-flow direction is almost perpendicular to the street under study (prevailing wind direction is only deviated 4º from the perpendicular direction). For these conditions, as LAD increases, average concentration in the whole neighborhood increases due to the decrease of wind speed. On the other hand, the inclusion of trees in the street produces an increase of averaged pollutant concentration only within this street, in particular for the scenario with the highest LAD value. In fact, the new trees in the street analyzed with the highest LAD value notably change the ventilation producing an increase of total pollutant fluxes inward the street. Additionally, pollutant dispersion within the street is also influenced by the reduction of the wind velocity along the street axis and the decrease of turbulent kinetic energy within the vegetation canopy caused by the new trees. Therefore, the inclusion of new trees in a tree-free street should be done by considering ventilation changes and traffic emissions should be consequently controlled in order to keep pollutant concentration within healthy levels.
Jose-Luis Santiago; Riccardo Buccolieri; Esther Rivas; Beatriz Sanchez; Alberto Martilli; Elisa Gatto; Fernando Martín. On the Impact of Trees on Ventilation in a Real Street in Pamplona, Spain. Atmosphere 2019, 10, 697 .
AMA StyleJose-Luis Santiago, Riccardo Buccolieri, Esther Rivas, Beatriz Sanchez, Alberto Martilli, Elisa Gatto, Fernando Martín. On the Impact of Trees on Ventilation in a Real Street in Pamplona, Spain. Atmosphere. 2019; 10 (11):697.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJose-Luis Santiago; Riccardo Buccolieri; Esther Rivas; Beatriz Sanchez; Alberto Martilli; Elisa Gatto; Fernando Martín. 2019. "On the Impact of Trees on Ventilation in a Real Street in Pamplona, Spain." Atmosphere 10, no. 11: 697.
This paper is devoted to the analysis of the impact of changes in olive urban forests affected by Xylella fastidiosa on ecosystem services. The focus is on microclimate and thermal comfort evaluated by two indices: the temperature of equivalent perception (TEP) and the predicted mean vote (PMV), which take into account both microclimate parameters and personal factors (heat resistance of clothing and human activity). The work has been carried out through (i) a qualitative analysis of the potential ecosystem services changes caused by temporary transition from olive groves to uncultivated soil, (ii) a study of the potential change of land use from monumental olive groves to other types of use, and (iii) a quantitative analysis on microclimate impact due to the loss of ecosystem services in two selected neighborhoods located in the Apulia region and chosen due to their proximity to the urban context. The analysis revealed that (i) direct effects on ecosystem services are principally linked with regulation functions and cultural services, (ii) a critical loss of cultural value of monumental olive groves occurred in the two neighborhoods, (iii) such a loss may lead to an increase of TEP and PMV, indicating a decrease of thermal comfort in the whole neighborhoods. Thus, it is necessary to plan the replanting policies of the use of the areas affected by X. fastidiosa not only in terms of agricultural planning but also in terms of landscape, urban planning, and human well-being.
Teodoro Semeraro; Elisa Gatto; Riccardo Buccolieri; Marzia Vergine; Zhi Gao; Luigi De Bellis; Andrea Luvisi. Changes in Olive Urban Forests Infected by Xylella fastidiosa: Impact on Microclimate and Social Health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2019, 16, 2642 .
AMA StyleTeodoro Semeraro, Elisa Gatto, Riccardo Buccolieri, Marzia Vergine, Zhi Gao, Luigi De Bellis, Andrea Luvisi. Changes in Olive Urban Forests Infected by Xylella fastidiosa: Impact on Microclimate and Social Health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019; 16 (15):2642.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTeodoro Semeraro; Elisa Gatto; Riccardo Buccolieri; Marzia Vergine; Zhi Gao; Luigi De Bellis; Andrea Luvisi. 2019. "Changes in Olive Urban Forests Infected by Xylella fastidiosa: Impact on Microclimate and Social Health." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 15: 2642.
This paper discusses current state-of-the-art features of the “plant evaluation model”, a framework which, starting from the representation of vegetation and its effects in microclimate models, defines a number of indices which can be employed for the evaluation of outdoor microclimate in terms of thermal environment and comfort in the urban environment. The key point of taking into account the impact of vegetation on microclimate is to implement appropriate parameterizations of such impact in a microclimate model. The paper, based on a review of literature studies, thus illustrates the basic principle and technical path of the impact assessment model of vegetation on microclimate and introduces related software. The aim is to provide the scientific community with a summary of (i) the current definition of vegetation in models employed for the evaluation of the impact of vegetation on urban outdoor microclimate, (ii) main models and evaluation indices and (iii) main input, output, vegetation-related processes implemented, strengths and weaknesses of those models, with suggested measures for output improvement. This review is not exhaustive but may help the user to select the proper model, which takes into account the effects of vegetation on outdoor urban microclimate, depending on the specific objective.
Yujin Yang; Elisa Gatto; Zhi Gao; Riccardo Buccolieri; Tobi Eniolu Morakinyo; Hongning Lan. The “plant evaluation model” for the assessment of the impact of vegetation on outdoor microclimate in the urban environment. Building and Environment 2019, 159, 106151 .
AMA StyleYujin Yang, Elisa Gatto, Zhi Gao, Riccardo Buccolieri, Tobi Eniolu Morakinyo, Hongning Lan. The “plant evaluation model” for the assessment of the impact of vegetation on outdoor microclimate in the urban environment. Building and Environment. 2019; 159 ():106151.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYujin Yang; Elisa Gatto; Zhi Gao; Riccardo Buccolieri; Tobi Eniolu Morakinyo; Hongning Lan. 2019. "The “plant evaluation model” for the assessment of the impact of vegetation on outdoor microclimate in the urban environment." Building and Environment 159, no. : 106151.
This study quantifies the influence of green spaces on microclimate and PM10 concentration in a typical residential district of Nanjing (China) by employing the CFD-based and microclimate model ENVI-met 4. Five green indices, related to quantity and structure of vegetation, are employed to investigate the impact of different types (grass, shrub and tree) and layouts of a green space located in the center of the residential district under an average Nanjing summer day. Results show that the thermal comfort (expressed by the mean radiant temperature MRT and the predicted mean vote PMV) is slightly enhanced with increasing green quantity, especially trees, even though more trees may increase the wind blocking effect with a consequent slight increase of pollutant concentration. In this regard, a single patch of trees located in the central part of the green space is preferable. The green indices are shown to be useful for studying the relationship between green space morphology, microclimate and air quality in cities.
Liyan Rui; Riccardo Buccolieri; Zhi Gao; Elisa Gatto; Wowo Ding. Study of the effect of green quantity and structure on thermal comfort and air quality in an urban-like residential district by ENVI-met modelling. Building Simulation 2018, 12, 183 -194.
AMA StyleLiyan Rui, Riccardo Buccolieri, Zhi Gao, Elisa Gatto, Wowo Ding. Study of the effect of green quantity and structure on thermal comfort and air quality in an urban-like residential district by ENVI-met modelling. Building Simulation. 2018; 12 (2):183-194.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLiyan Rui; Riccardo Buccolieri; Zhi Gao; Elisa Gatto; Wowo Ding. 2018. "Study of the effect of green quantity and structure on thermal comfort and air quality in an urban-like residential district by ENVI-met modelling." Building Simulation 12, no. 2: 183-194.
This paper assesses the effects of trees (Platanus x hispanica) of different leaf area density on ventilation, NOx and PM2.5 concentrations across heights in Marylebone Rd street canyon in London (UK). Computational Fluid Dynamics steady state simulations are performed with OpenFOAM. The ventilation is evaluated through flow patterns and the analysis of the impact of trees on wind speed, turbulence kinetic energy, flow rates, mean and turbulent pollutant exchanges. Results show that the effects of trees are local. For parallel winds planting new trees is positive since flow channelling and turbulence distribute the pollutant over the height which is removed by both mean flow and turbulent fluctuations through the roof. Both areas close and far from the trees within the road have a beneficial effect, with pedestrian average concentration reductions up to 18% due to aerodynamic effects. For perpendicular winds recirculation zones diminish the dispersion of pollutants and the introduction of trees has an additional negative effect with local average concentration increase up to 108% close to trees. Overall, the positive deposition effects are larger for increased LAD and for perpendicular winds may counterbalance the negative aerodynamic effects at locations close to trees.
Riccardo Buccolieri; Antoine P.R. Jeanjean; Elisa Gatto; Roland J. Leigh. The impact of trees on street ventilation, NOx and PM2.5 concentrations across heights in Marylebone Rd street canyon, central London. Sustainable Cities and Society 2018, 41, 227 -241.
AMA StyleRiccardo Buccolieri, Antoine P.R. Jeanjean, Elisa Gatto, Roland J. Leigh. The impact of trees on street ventilation, NOx and PM2.5 concentrations across heights in Marylebone Rd street canyon, central London. Sustainable Cities and Society. 2018; 41 ():227-241.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRiccardo Buccolieri; Antoine P.R. Jeanjean; Elisa Gatto; Roland J. Leigh. 2018. "The impact of trees on street ventilation, NOx and PM2.5 concentrations across heights in Marylebone Rd street canyon, central London." Sustainable Cities and Society 41, no. : 227-241.