Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is a uniquely-tall and long-lived tree species that occupies a narrow fog-belt along the Pacific coast of North America. Despite its ecological and conservation significance, existing maps of redwood distribution remain limited in spatial resolution, accuracy, and timeliness. In this study, we present an updatable and field-validated distribution map of S. sempervirens across its entire native range—from southwestern Oregon to central California—developed using freely available Sentinel-2 multispectral and Sentinel-1 SAR data. We compiled a georeferenced canopy classification dataset of 960 points, combining field surveys conducted in October 2024 with field-based ground truth points collected in 2017 from a prior mapping study, and externally sourced field-based redwood presence records. This dataset was used to train machine learning models (Random Forest and Gradient Boosted Trees) within a cloud computing framework to classify redwood presence and absence at 10 m spatial resolution. Binary classification models achieved high predictive performance, with the best model yielding over 88% overall accuracy and an AUC of 0.92 on a 30% hold-out validation set. Ten-fold cross-validation further confirmed model consistency (TPR = 0.89; FPR = 0.17). To assess geographic transferability, spatial block cross-validation yielded a mean overall accuracy of 0.78, demonstrating robust performance across the species' range despite reduced accuracy in under-sampled southern regions. A secondary multi-class model differentiated between redwood-dominated and mixed-conifer forest types, achieving an overall accuracy of 73.82%. Comparison with previous redwood distribution datasets revealed substantial agreement but also significant discrepancies, with the new model suggesting redwood presences in previously unmapped redwood fragments and absences in locations previously mapped as redwood. Validation against field data suggested higher accuracy in the new map. The resulting range-wide redwood map offers a current, field-validated, and updateable platform for conservation planning, habitat monitoring, and ecological research. It also establishes a high-confidence baseline for tracking redwood distribution dynamics under ongoing climate and land-use change.
Achieving a sustainable future for water resources demands accurate models that address the interdisciplinary nature of water dynamics. The eco-hydrological-socioeconomic (ECHO) framework integrates physics-based hydrological models with data-driven machine learning techniques, leveraging reanalysis and multi-source remote sensing data. This enables dynamic estimation of sector-specific water demand and interaction with hydrological estimates. ECHO's modular structure allows coupling with grid-based models and includes modules for runoff, evapotranspiration (ET), groundwater flow, surface water routing, and water demand estimation. Calibration and validation demonstrate robust performance in simulating rainfall-runoff processes, with strong agreement observed for monthly ET estimates and gravity recovery and climate experiment-follow on (GRACE-FO) data on total water storage changes. The model accurately estimates total water demand across sectors and aligns with recorded water use data. Simulation outputs of water stress closely match findings from the China Water Resources Bulletin, while also showing promise to enhance projections aligned with sustainable development goals (SDGs) for global water management strategies. By providing high-resolution, dynamic assessments, ECHO offers a scalable tool for policymakers to identify water stress hotspots and optimize allocation strategies essential for meeting SDG targets.
Understanding how the urban–rural gradient modulates vegetation dynamics under climate change and rapid urbanization is crucial for precise ecological management. However, existing research often uses coarse gradient classifications, while prevailing projection models are either limited by a lack of geospatial process simulation or constrained by the discrete-cell assumption, hindering their ability to capture the continuous nature of vegetation change. To address these challenges, this study adopts a six-zone urban–rural gradient classification (Natural—Agricultural—Rural—Suburban—Urban Expansion—Urban Core). Based on a systematic investigation of the spatiotemporal evolution and driving mechanisms of NDVI in the Yangtze River Delta, the mixed-cell cellular automata (MCCA) framework is migrated and extended from discrete land use simulation to continuous NDVI simulation. For this purpose, a development probability calculation strategy that couples historical trends with the natural background is employed to project future NDVI trends. The results indicate that: (1) From 2000 to 2022, the overall NDVI in the Yangtze River Delta increased but exhibited a complex “U-shaped” spatial pattern along the urban–rural gradient, characterized by significant greening in the urban core and severe degradation in the urban expansion and suburban zones. Notably, the rural zone constituted the most extensive hotspot of vegetation degradation. (2) This pattern is shaped by a systematic shift in dominant drivers along the gradient and the dual role of socioeconomic factors, with the latter being closely linked to the planning orientations and land tenure systems in each gradient zone. (3) The adaptively modified MCCA model demonstrates its applicability, outperforming mainstream machine learning methods in both numerical accuracy and trend consistency, and is shown to be suitable for medium-to-short-term (approx. 10–12 years in this study) numerical projections and long-term trend analysis. (4) Future scenario projections for 2023–2035 show that, compared to the unstable SSP5–8.5 pathway, the SSP2–4.5 pathway, despite higher localized degradation risks, promises more robust ecological recovery, better aligning with the region's sustainability goals. This study not only deepens the understanding of vegetation dynamics in complex urban–rural systems but also validates the feasibility of the MCCA framework as an effective tool for NDVI simulation, offering a new perspective for the predictive simulation of medium-to-short-term vegetation NDVI. The findings provide critical scientific support for formulating spatially differentiated and precise ecological governance strategies in rapidly urbanizing regions.
The socio-economic and environmental transformations undergoneby fishing villages, as a result of the premature insertion of this sectorinto the international economy, come in addition to a variety of modernisationprocesses affecting the societies which inhabit coastal spaces, changingtheir daily lives. A second factor is the growing supply of tourism servicesalong the coast, implying new adaptations for fishing settlements. Thesefactors act on the coastline, generating processes of disadaptation and disorientationin fishing communities. This constitutes a negative factor bothfor territorial ordering and for the administration of the resources on whichsmall-scale fishing depends. In this context, the article examines in greaterdepth the territorial dynamics present in two coastal communities on ChiloéIsland, through analysis of the economic and cultural processes and thevariations over time of the fishing grounds used by small-scale fishermen.A qualitative methodology is used, based on participative cartography andin-depth interviews, as well as a bio-economic survey. The central objectiveis to understand from a geosocial focus the economic and productive processesin the two villages, together with possible causes of conflict. Finally,we present the basic factors and aspirations which have made the two communitiesa focus of attention in the ambit of local development in this typeof productive activity.
Context and background:
With the advent of rising global initiatives to address climate change and sustainability, interest in addressing theoretical and practical alignment of how professional valuers consider environmental attributes has become the focus of much attention. Yet the overlap between consideration and non-consideration of environmental factors might significantly impact the value.
Goal and objectives:
This paper evaluates the perceptions of professional valuers on the consideration of environmental features during their valuation.
Methodology:
Data to inform the study was collected through questionnaires distributed to 89 randomly selected valuers registered with the VRB. The collected data were analyzed by using SPSS, and Cronbach’s alpha was used to determine the reliability of the questionnaire survey. The relative importance index was used to rank the importance of environmental factors, whereas the Chi-square test was used to examine existing practices in terms of prominent tools and methodologies used to incorporate environmental attributes into their valuation assignments.
Results:
The study reveals that, in Tanzania, there is a growing consciousness of the need to consider environmental attributes in practice though indicated that there is a challenge with how they consider these attributes using prominent valuation techniques in place. The study suggests that valuers and other stakeholders are eager to learn how to consider and integrate environmental features and contemporary valuation techniques to provide up-to-date estimates to support informed decision. The study recommends introducing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors in terms of their theoretical foundation and practical implication on property valuation studies.
This study explores the impact of street pattern measurements on urban heat islands (UHI) in the arid climate of Mashhad, Iran. The Landsat-8 top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA) brightness images from 2013 to 2021, average values of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and land surface temperature (LST) were calculated. Street pattern measurements, including closeness-centrality, straightness, and street orientation, were employed to analyse the patterns in each district. The results indicated that districts with higher straightness and lower closeness-centrality exhibit cooler surface temperatures. Strong correlations were observed between LST and NDVI, straightness, and local closeness-centrality. The research highlighted the importance of considering street network measurements in long-term urban planning and design to mitigate the UHI effect in arid regions. A moderate grid street pattern with a reasonable distribution of green spaces throughout the region is suggested to reduce surface temperatures sustainably. Street pattern indexes, such as straightness and local closeness-centrality, are identified as significant factors in urban design to mitigate UHI. These findings have implications for urban planners, who can use this information to create street network patterns with lower UHI effects by reducing local closeness-centrality and increasing straightness.
Egypt, the third country on the African continent and the first Arab country by demographic weight (93 million inhabitants in 2017), is one of the few countries south of the Mediterranean to have had a full and regular census of its population for two centuries. The first published censuses date back to 1882 and 1897. Since then, they have been conducted about every ten years until today, providing a valuable set of demographic, social and economic indicators (gender, age, occupation, economic status, level of education, etc.). The level of spatialization of the results from these fourteen censuses is of remarkable consistency and refinement, offering an exceptional heritage collection of statistics, with more than 20 million demographic and socio-economic data available.Data from previous censuses (1986, 1976, 1966) are recorded in books that can be bought at CAPMAS (Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics). Other interdisciplinary research teams shared data on Egypt, including the Mediterranean Demographic Observatory, whose website contains a demographic database and an interactive atlas on all Mediterranean countries, offering comparative perspectives within the Mediterranean region (http://demomed.org/index.php/en/). However, this portal does not offer access to the socio-economic indicators contained in the Egyptian censuses; it only provides data on population and its structure, whereas the interactive atlas offers a single variable (population density) at a first-level analysis scale (governorate) for the sake of data harmonization at the pan-Euro-Mediterranean scale. In short, this existing mapping tool is not available at the intermediate scale of Egyptian cantons (markaz/qism) or at the finer scale of village and urban district (qaria/shiyakha).The interactive web mapping platform undertaken with CAPMAS has been online since 2019: www.cedejcapmas.org. This innovative tool shares a database that is both demographic and socio-economic, and it performs geocoding of each administrative entity according to the last census in 2017. Its originality thus lies in the temporal monitoring of localities over two centuries and in the interactive dynamic mapping tool. The web portal also includes historical records of all Egyptian administrative districts (5,779 villages and urban districts in total), the evolution of the administrative division of the Egyptian territory from 1882 to the present day, and an administrative directory of localities, thus allowing diachronic comparisons over two centuries, despite administrative reshuffles. The aim of the web platform is not only to preserve and share a wealth of statistics about Egypt, but also to offer a tool for using this diversified and multi-scale corpus of Big Data with spatial reference. The platform is intended for a wide audience (researchers, decision-makers, civil society) and is therefore designed to allow direct access, extraction, exploration, processing of data corpus and analysis of geo-referenced Big Data.
Land subsidence can be observed with time-series of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data. However, existing approaches only reveal subsidence signals that are multi-scale mixed, which is not conducive to the systematic analysis of subsidence of different mechanisms. A deformation signal decomposition (DSD) method based on spectral analysis is used to decompose the deformation extracted by time-series InSAR into three classes of deformation signals. They refer to large-scale deformation related to geological settings, medium-scale deformation caused more by group excavation, and small-scale deformation along linear infrastructures. TerraSAR-X datasets for Shanghai spanning April 2013 to September 2020, and Sentinel-1A datasets spanning January 2016 to September 2020 are used in this study. The results were cross-verified between the TerraSAR-X and Sentinel-1A datasets, and validated against levelling measurements. Subsidence signals caused by different mechanisms were automatically decomposed, which facilitates a systematic analysis for targeted diagnosis of land subsidence signals. A detailed analysis was conducted jointly at three scales of surface displacement, geological conditions, major construction activities, and subsidence mechanisms. It indicated that construction activities were the leading cause of land subsidence, and suggests that local authorities that wish to mitigate surface subsidence may benefit from primarily considering this process.
Classicamente, observações do nível do mar são realizadas por estações maregráficas instaladas, principalmente em regiões portuárias. No entanto, os dados maregráficos podem estar contaminados por movimentos verticais da crosta. A instalação de uma estação de monitoramento contínuo Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) nas proximidades das estações maregráficas permite quantificar esses movimentos. A partir da segunda metade da década de 1980, iniciou-se o lançamento de satélites exclusivamente para o monitoramento do nível do mar, os satélites altimétricos. Estes permitem a obtenção de observações em cobertura global e num sistema de referência geocêntrico, porém, apresentam problemas em regiões costeiras em função da interferência do terreno no sinal de retorno e da rugosidade da superfície do mar. Novas gerações de satélites baseadas na tecnologia de radar de abertura sintética permitem melhoria na qualidade das observações nestas regiões. A mais recente técnica utilizada para este tipo de monitoramento é conhecida como refletometria oceânica e seu princípio de funcionamento considera que os atrasos de tempo entre os sinais GNSS diretos e refletidos estão diretamente correlacionados com a diferença de altura entre o receptor e a superfície refletora. Embora estas técnicas observem o mesmo sinal oceânico, cada uma apresenta singularidades relativas ao sistema de referência, resolução temporal e espacial, entre outros. Deste modo, o presente trabalho visa apresentar as principais técnicas para monitoramento do nível do mar. Além disso, serão apresentados a duração das séries temporais e os principais bancos de dados referentes às observações maregráficas na costa brasileira e aos dados das diferentes missões altimétricas.
Images and LiDAR point clouds are the two major data sources used by the photogrammetry and remote sensing community. Although different, the synergy between these two data sources has motivated exploration of the potential for combining data in various applications, especially for classification and extraction of information in urban environments. Despite the efforts of the scientific community, integrating LiDAR data and images remains a challenging task. For this reason, the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) along with the integration and synchronization of positioning receivers, inertial systems and off-the-shelf imaging sensors has enabled the exploitation of the high-density photogrammetric point cloud (PPC) as an alternative, obviating the need to integrate LiDAR and optical images. This study therefore aims to compare the results of PPC classification in urban scenes considering radiometric-only, geometric-only and combined radiometric and geometric data applied to the Random Forest algorithm. For this study the following classes were considered: buildings, asphalt, trees, grass, bare soil, sidewalks and power lines, which encompass the most common objects in urban scenes. The classification procedure was performed considering radiometric features (Green band, Red band, NIR band, NDVI and Saturation) and geometric features (Height – nDSM, Linearity, Planarity, Scatter, Anisotropy, Omnivariance and Eigenentropy). The quantitative analyses were performed by means of the classification error matrix using the following metrics: overall accuracy, recall and precision. The quantitative analyses present overall accuracy of 0.80, 0.74 and 0.98 for classification considering radiometric, geometric and both data combined, respectively.
This paper describes a methodology for implementing a GIS for the protection of artifacts, which also have historical-artistic significance, located along the route of Via Annia, better known as the ancient Roman road of Via Popilia.
The aim of the work-group's research is to contribute to the development of a methodological process, with a view to the conservation and enhancement of Cultural Heritage.
On a territorial scale, layer implementation will include information on geotechnical, hydro-geological, structural, urban and historical-artistic features.
At the level of the single artifact, data entry is obtained through field work information gathering concerning historical and artistic relevance, location and structural aspects, and, furthermore, to develop a monitoring card, with an indication of the state of the art and critical points to be kept under control.
Investigations are also to be carried out periodically with a view to necessary interventions for purposes of safety and structural recovery.
Maintenance data will also be useful for future restoration and conservation projects. The pilot project concerns the case study of Ponte Sant'Angelo, known as the "Hannibal Bridge" (a Roman bridge from the 2nd century B.C.) and located between the municipalities of Altilia and Scigliano, in the province of Cosenza. The GIS can be used as an aid for the realization of tourism/related activities (guides, itineraries, on-site training, educational workshops, sites of special scientific interest, etc.).
Being the first large-scale map of the province of Wallachia (approx. 1:57,600), and
also among the first that were constructed using modern topographic survey means, the Specht
Map (1790-91) has been used, sometimes quite extensively, in many historical-geographical
researches. A fact less known is that the map was accompanied by three tomes, providing
additional information, such as: location of the elements, number and type of constructions, type
of plant formations and others. Despite the novelty, the manuscripts kept as copy at the Library
of the Romanian Academy were seldom used for scientific purposes. The purpose of this article
is to explore the veracity of the data that expresses the distances between the settlements on the
Specht map in time units. The analysis consisted in interpolation of the data organized into a
historical-geographic database, and reflect two hypostases of the population movement: the trip
in the local horizon (in the vicinity of the village) and the intra-county trip, having as a pole the
county seat. In order to delimit the study area on relevant criteria, we have chosen as a case
study Sacuieni County, one of the administrative-territorial units of transit between Muntenia
and Transylvania. For validation, the maps obtained were compared with travel descriptions
from the 18th-19th centuries. Taking into account the existing variables (means of travel,
season, road condition, etc.), the results of the analysis correspond to the historical testimonies
and the real situation. In conclusion, the Specht map together with the three complementary
manuscripts is a true source of data in terms of estimated time between settlements.
Transformations which take place now in the the economy of Ukraine, and in particular in agriculture considerably exacerbated organizational and legal problems and organizational and territorial forms of local agricultural enterprises, protection of land ownership rights. Transformation of land relations violated the the traditional forms of organization of agricultural production, reduced the efficiency of capital investmenst in improvement of using and protection of land.
Therefore, to improve the efficiency of agricultural land use in conditions of formation of market economy, general urgent of time is an in-depth analysis of the types and forms of land use which have found their consolidation at the legislative level.
Land management is carried out throughout the country. It enveloped lands irrespective of unequivocal purpose, ownership and the character of using. But goals and objectives of land management, it’s content may be different. An important feature of land management are and it’s types. The current Land Code of Ukraineas the the Law of Ukraine "On Land Management" don’t contain legislative provisions on division of land management for certain types. Meanwhile, it should be noted, that normative and legal acts on land management of the Soviet period (Fundamentals of land legislation of the USSR and the United Republics 1968). Land codes 1978., 1990, 1992 there are two separate types of it - intereconomic (Modern terminology of A.M. Tretyak - territorial) and internaleconomic. Modern practice of the actions in the field of land management as evidenced by about the existence of another and a third type of land management – separational. Each of them is characterized by a specific purpose, carried out at different levels. It would therefore be appropriate, hat separate species of land management und their consolidation and in legislation level.
Given that the process of implementation of land management for the object of land relations and cadastral accounting taken land plot, made sharing of agricultural land, where the owners of land shares allocated of land ownership, land use system, especially agricultural enterprises, significantly changed. All this has caused the emergence of a new type of territorial land management, which is aimed, especially in agriculture and environmental protection, on the organization of land use of legal entities and citizens, on the basis of combining of land plots, that being at different property rights. Therefore, should provide as a type of land management territorial planning of land ownership, land use, whose task is the formation of their territory, as is the case in developed foreign countries.
Concerning intraeconomic land management, that under current conditions it’s explanation is somewhat different in new approaches to the regulation of land relations and the introduction of land use administration.
Introduction of notion of land management forms will help to improve the structure and content of land management documents, and therefore the quality of tools of improvement of land-use planning at different hierarchical levels.
Exactly fifteen years ago, the second of the present authors published on "Bulletin of SIFET" a short article entitled "Dalla SIFIP alla SIFET" (1). There
was evoked the activities of the "Società Italiana di Fotogrammetria Ignazio Porro", whose SIFET was the heir. This article resumed the examination of the
publications of that Scientific Society, numbered 1 to 21, gathered in a file that was fortunately saved from the destruction of much of the material of the Filotecnica Salmoiraghi, when the big company founded by Ignazio Porro was incorporated in one of many carriages (however brief) that was in auge in the second half of the twentieth century.