Evaluating the quality of street trees in Washington,D.C.: Implications for environmental justice

Urban street trees are part of the bundle of environmental amenities that support healthy social, economic, and environmental functions. In this study, we systematically evaluate the quality of 196,825 street trees at the US. Census tract level in Washington D.C., as well as related impacts from socioeconomic, landscape patterns and environmental factors using Ordinary least-squares (OLS) regression, geographically weighted regression (GWR) and structural equation modeling (SEM). Our results reveal that environmental and socioeconomic factors can explain most of the spatial variation of street tree quality in Washington, D.C. There is a substantial statistical negative relationship between median household income and the percent of street trees under stress, which provided the evidence of the inequities of street tree quality in Washington D.C. Higher-income neighborhoods exhibited a lower proportion of street trees under stress. In addition, the extreme summer temperature is positively associated with the proportion of street trees under stress. The quality of street trees is directly impacted by environmental and landscape pattern factors. There is also an indirect impact from socioeconomic factor toward quality of street trees. Our findings suggest that multiple variables, related to income, age, education, landscape pattern, and environment contribute to the quality of street trees in D.C. Based upon our findings, we identify strategies and insights for urban street tree management in DC to not only address environmental inequity and injustice, but also promote a more inclusive and resilient urban greenery system.     

Tree species-rich open oak woodlands within scattered urban landscapes promote biodiversity

It is becoming increasingly evident that cities are important places for biodiversity. Biodiverse urban forests are vital green areas within cities and have favorable impacts on the citizens, including their health. We focused on the effect of the urban forest environment on biodiversity in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. We used a multi-taxon approach with five taxa of different ecological demands: butterflies, bees and wasps, vascular plants, mosses, and lichens. We modeled their responses to the various urban forest attributes at four hierarchical levels – plot, permeability, forest, and landscape. Our results revealed that temporally continuous forests dominated by native oaks with open canopies, a high number of admixed and interspersed tree species and shrubs, together with scattered trees in the surrounding landscape, were optimal biodiverse forest environments. The most influential parameter that positively influenced bees and wasps, plants, and lichens at the plot level was canopy openness. We found that the permeability was suitable mainly on 20 m surroundings and increasing coverage of native oaks and tree species richness were the most important parameters. Continuity was the only found parameter that influenced mosses at the forest level. Scattered tree vegetation was the most important landscape parameter and positively drove the species richness of bees and wasps. Forest management methods can relatively easily solve the improvement of the scattered light gap structure within urban forests. Applying traditional forest management (pasture management, controlled burning and/or coppicing) is also an option but requires sensitive communication with the public. The canopy cover has been used as an indicator of urban forest health conditions, now indicating that artificial disturbances could be important issues for urban forest management and planning in the future. Therefore, active forest management is an essential method for biodiversity maintenance. We conclude that urban forests have a high potential for increasing native biodiversity. The response of the studied groups in urban forests was complementary. The resulting biodiverse stages of urban forests are akin to the established idea of the open temperate deciduous woodlands.     

果树施药仿形喷雾神经网络模型及其应用

在试验的基础上,建立了反映果树施药仿形喷雾过程参量与分布质量系数之间映射关系的BP神经网络模型,在建模中运用了正交试验设计、交叉评价网络训练法、样本标准化处理和主元分析等技术,对网络结构及其参数进行了优选。结果显示,网络模型输出同试验结果相关系数R达到0.99,表明具有广泛的适应性。同时,该网络可以实现各种定量分析计算,例如：预测在特定过程参量下的分布质量系数,或者根据指定的效果目标,确定合适的喷雾参量等。     

一种基于小波变换的图像过渡区提取及分割方法

具有复杂背景的树木图像的分割对于精确对靶施药及智能化植保机械的设计具有重要意义。为实现树木图像的精确分割,针对该类图像的特点,该文提出了一种基于小波变换的过渡区提取树木图像分割方法。通过对比小波变换系数、小波变换系数聚类以及小波包系数,最终选取了同时能够分解出更多高频、低频信息的小波包变换系数提取特征,根据小波包变换系数定义了小波能量比参数,将小波能量比参数值归一化为图像灰度值,采用自适应阈值和神经网络两种方法提取了过渡区,实现了具有复杂背景树木图像的分割。试验表明,该方法分割精度高,对于分割复杂背景的树木图像具有特别意义。     

中国引种的柏科树种概况

自２０世纪以来我国先后从国外引进柏科树种大约５属５２种１１变种，至今保存２属５２种４变种。表现最好且在生产上有较大栽培面积的主要是柏木属、扁柏属和圆柏属的１０余个种：日本扁柏和日本花柏已成为长江中下游各省（区）中高山地带的优良造林树种；墨西哥柏和绿柏已成为我国中亚热带中、低山地区的优良造林树种；铅笔柏在北亚热带和暖温带湿润地区栽培较广；欧洲刺柏和辅地柏在北方一些城市广泛用作园林树种；铅笔柏在北亚热     

基于探地雷达杂波抑制与偏移成像的树木根系定位方法

探地雷达在果树和古树名木养护管理领域具有广阔的应用前景。针对探地雷达采集的B-scan图像中杂波影响根系定位精度的问题,提出了基于鲁棒深度自动编码器(RDAE)、直接最小二乘法(DLS)和频率-波数域偏移(FKM)相结合的树木根系定位方法。首先,通过RDAE将零点校正后的B-scan图像分解为表示杂波的低秩分量和表示根系目标回波的稀疏分量,保留稀疏分量完成杂波抑制;然后使用DLS拟合目标回波形成的双曲线估算土壤的相对介电常数;最后,根据土壤的相对介电常数计算得出偏移速度作为频率-波数域偏移的输入进行偏移成像,获取根系的半径和深度信息从而完成根系定位。实验结果表明：RDAE方法在仿真和实测数据上的杂波抑制效果对比均值减法(MS)、奇异值分解(SVD)和鲁棒主成分分析(RPCA)有着更高的信杂比和改善因子,通过DLS估计的土壤相对介电常数均方根相对误差为3.84%,根系定位的最大半径相对误差和最大深度相对误差分别为8.5%、8.7%,能够完成根系位置标定,满足根系无损检测的需求,可为树木健康管理和移植提供决策支持。     

中国红豆杉中主要紫杉烷类物质的分布研究

对中国红豆杉[Taxus chinensis(Pilg.)Rehd.]中的紫杉烷类化合物紫杉醇及两种重要前体巴卡亭III(B III)和10-脱乙酰巴卡亭III(10-DAB)的分布进行了研究.结果表明,紫杉醇的含量在同一棵树中的分布依主干皮、根皮、侧枝树皮、种子、须根、嫩枝、叶的次序递减,并发现侧枝茎中紫杉醇在横截面方向呈梯度分布,且紫杉醇含量最高部位是在次生木质层.10-DAB和B III在叶中含量最高,在须根中含量最低,叶子中10-DAB的含量达0.02%～0.03%,高于B III的含量.在2～3 a生的小树枝、叶中未检测到紫杉烷类物质,提示其合成可能与植株发育有关.紫杉醇在30 a 树龄的当年生嫩叶中春季高于秋季,而10-DAB在当年生和多年生的叶中积累都较多,且秋季比春季含量高.