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Abstract
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Accurate and detailed transportation anthropogenic heat release (TAHR) datasets would benefit atmospheric research and public health. However, detailed temporal and spatial descriptions are yet to be obtained because of the low spatiotemporal resolution of basic data in previous studies. Therefore, we here developed a low-cost and efficient TAHR construction method by introducing trajectory data. Furthermore, we constructed an index to examine TAHR sinks and sources. This enabled the quantification of spatial associations between workplace/residential functional zones and TAHR sinks/sources. The results showed that TAHR varied dramatically at multiple temporal scales. Peak‒trough shapes of TAHR variations were found at hourly levels, while increasing trends were found at daily levels. Central downtown areas experienced significant variation trends at both hourly and daily levels. Sinks of TAHR were more closely associated with workplaces, while TAHR sources were more closely associated with residential functional zones at daily levels. This study provides a reference for the explanation of ecological scientific questions using spatiotemporal big data and provides insights into the mechanisms underlying urban energy consumption, urban planning, and energy conservation.
Nature-based recreation activities are popular worldwide, yet traditional monitoring methods and their derived databases often limit spatial studies of these activities, partially due to the large area and remoteness of many open spaces. Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) from crowdsourced data could be used to study nature-based recreational activities. Most studies using VGI for recreation analysis are based on international English-speaking apps, and thus may miss information which is only available in local languages. Here we used a database from the Israeli unique VGI app and Hebrew website 'Amud Anan' (https://amudanan.co.il/) to study spatial patterns of recreation activity, using the points of interest's (POIs) density as the response variable, and several explanatory variables such as accessibility and attraction of the POIs. We also conducted in-depth interviews to study the motivations of users to share POIs. We found strong correlations between POIs' density and accessibility variables such as distance from roads and hiking trails, as well as with attraction variables such as distance from camping and picnic sites. We conclude that the Amud Anan database and VGIs in general can serve as effective tools for mapping nature-based recreational activity Israel and world-wide.
The rapid spread of a (re)emerging pandemic (e.g., COVID-19) is usually attributed to the invisible transmission caused by asymptomatic cases. Health authorities rely on large-scale voluntary screening to identify and isolate invisible spreaders as well as symptomatic people as early as possible to control disease spread. Raising public awareness is beneficial for improving the effectiveness of epidemic prevention because it could increase the usage and demand for testing kits. However, the effectiveness of testing could be influenced by the spatial demand for medical resources in different periods. Spatial demand could also be triggered by public awareness in areas with two geographical factors, including spatial proximity to resources and attractiveness of human mobility. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the spatial variations in raising public awareness on the effectiveness of COVID-19 screening. We implemented spatial simulation models to integrate various levels of public awareness and pandemic dynamics in time and space. Moreover, we also assessed the effects of the spatial proximity of testing kits and the ease of human mobility on COVID-19 testing at various levels of public awareness. Our results indicated that high public awareness promotes high willingness to be tested. This causes the demand to not be fully satisfied at the peak times during a pandemic, yet the shortage of tests does not significantly increase pandemic severity. We also found that when public awareness is low, concentrating on unattractive areas (such as residential or urban fringe areas) could promote a higher benefit of testing. On the other hand, when awareness is high, the factor of distances to testing stations is more important for promoting the benefit of testing; allocating additional testing resources in areas distant from stations could have a higher benefit of testing. This study aims to provide insights for health authorities into the allocation of testing resources against disease outbreaks with respect to various levels of public awareness.
What does the landscape of the large-format food retail industry look like? Is there a uniform pattern in the distribution of large-format food retail facilities? What is the role of the road transport system in shaping the food retail landscape in Poland? The authors provide answers to these questions by analysing large-format food retail facilities using the location of their catchment areas rather than their physical location. When studying the spatial differentiation of large-format food retailers, the authors assess the factors for the transport component not only in terms of infrastructure, but also regarding its efficiency. The analyses demonstrated the differences between the distribution of large-format food retail facilities (over 200 sq. m., classified as 'food stores'), presented in two ranges - static and interactional. It employed, inter alia, the authors' own model of private car speeds and an interactional measure of density based on a regression model and a model of potential accessibility. A distinctive aspect of the study is that it assessed the impact of the transport system on the development of the food retail industry. The methodology to address the research questions was implemented to achieve the following major objectives: to describe the spatial structure of the food retail industry and to show the role of transport accessibility in its development. It can be concluded from the analyses that the food retail industry in Poland is diverse, with differences observed at both the national and intraregional scale. The study revealed that the rise in the level of territorial accessibility translates into an increase in the differentiation of the analysed market, thereby proving that a higher efficiency of the road transport system promotes spatial differentiation for the structuring of the grocery market by large players.
Natural ecosystems provide various material and nonmaterial services to individuals. The provision of nature-based recreation services has become an important means to meet the spiritual needs of mankind. However, the increasing demand for recreation services and the unclear supply of recreation services have brought many challenges for recreation service planning. Therefore, to achieve high-quality regional development, scientific exploration of the relationship between recreation service supply and demand is necessary. In this study, we integrated multiple data sources into an indicator system for the supply and demand of recreation services. Environmental and landscape attribute indicators were applied in this study as proxies for the supply of recreation services, and population, gross domestic product grid data, and nighttime usage data were used to represent the local demand for recreation services. Finally, matching patterns and correlations between the supply and demand of recreational services in the Ili River Valley were identified. Overall, the results showed that the Ili River Valley has great potential for recreation services supply, but the local demand for recreation services is relatively lower than the supply. Therefore, there is a spatial mismatch between the supply and demand for recreation services in the Ili River Valley. We applied bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis to examine autocorrelation among recreation service indicators. The results showed a significant spatial correlation between recreation services supply and demand. Therefore, this study can provide information for Ili River Valley's recreation planning and management.
The sustainability of land use is a key issue for ecological conservation; therefore, it is imperative to understand how land use change (LUC) impacts the ecological carrying capacity (ECC). We developed a "direction-speed-pattern" tri-dimensional framework for characterizing LUC and assessed ECC by incorporating the resource provision capacity and environmental support capacity. GTWR model was further employed to examine the impacts of LUC on ECC. Afterwards, an empirical study was conducted in Chongqing city in Southwest China during the period of 2000-2018. The results indicate that the multifaceted LUC exerted spatial-temporally varying impacts on the ECC: (i) Among various LUC directions, afforesting cropland positively affected ECC and this effect was more significant in south-eastern Chongqing, while both encroaching on forest/cropland through urban expansion and converting forests/grass to cropland caused far-reaching negative impacts; (ii) Regarding the relationship between LUC speed and ECC, there was a negative-positive shift in Chongqing from 2010 to 2018; (iii) In terms of LUC pattern, we found various landscape metrics played a significant and heterogeneous role in ECC performance. Accordingly, by synthesizing the lens of direction, speed, and pattern, tailored land use strategies are recommended for Chongqing's ECC improvement, which also provides heuristic experiences for other regions worldwide.
Language: en |