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Landscape planning and design by identifying areas for ecological restoration based on carbon fluxes

Rubens do Amaral (Department of Architecture and Urbanism, University of Brasília, Brasilia, Brazil)
Maria do Carmo de Lima Bezerra (Department of Architecture and Urbanism, University of Brasília, Brasilia, Brazil)
Gustavo Macedo de Mello Baptista (Geoscience Institute, University of Brasília, Brasilia, Brazil)

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation

ISSN: 2398-4708

Article publication date: 16 May 2022

104

Abstract

Purpose

Human actions on natural ecosystems have not only jeopardized human well-being but also threatened the existence of other species. On the other hand, the benefits resulting from a greater integration between the logic of nature and human occupations have been seen as motivating factors for the prevention and mitigation of environmental impacts in landscape planning, since it provides human well-being through the grant of resources, regulation of the environment and socio-cultural services called ecosystem services. This article highlights the relevance of using ecosystem integrity indicators related to the functioning of ecological support processes for landscape planning.

Design/methodology/approach

The research used the photosynthetic performance of vegetation through carbon fluxes in the landscape, defining areas where different approaches to green infrastructure can be applied, gaining over the majority of work in this area, in which low degrees of objectivity on measurement and consequent ecological recovery still prevail. Thus, using the conceptual support of restoration ecology and remote sensing, the work identified different vegetation performances in relation to the supporting ecological processes using the multispectral CO2flux index, linked to the carbon flux to identify the photosynthetic effectiveness of the vegetation and the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI).

Findings

With a study in the Distrito Federal (DF), the results of the different performances of vegetation for ecological support, through electromagnetic signatures and associated vegetation formations, allowed for the identification of hotspots of greater integrity that indicate multifunctional areas to be preserved and critical areas that deserve planning actions using green infrastructure techniques for their restoration and integration into the landscape.

Originality/value

This approach could be the initial step towards establishing clear and assertive criteria for selecting areas with greater potential for the development of supporting ecological processes in the territorial mosaic.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Distrito Federal, the Dean of Research and Innovation at the University of Brasília for the support in the development and dissemination of the research.

Citation

do Amaral, R., de Lima Bezerra, M.d.C. and de Mello Baptista, G.M. (2022), "Landscape planning and design by identifying areas for ecological restoration based on carbon fluxes", International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBPA-11-2021-0148

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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