Skip to main content

Restoring Urban Green Cover of Chennai City: An Ecological Approach

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Environmental Concerns and Remediation
  • 168 Accesses

Abstract

Green cover has a more significant role in linking the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and anthroposphere on the earth. The reduction of green space has consequential liability in most of the environmental issues we are facing. ‘Impervious land covers,’ the characteristic features of the cities and the prime swallower of urban green cover, are prominent environmental indicators for a wide range of urban environmental issues. The previous literature shows that instigating appropriate green cover could alleviate the urban environmental problems, such as air pollution, water scarcity and urban heat island, the three major issues that tremble the urban quality of life. Ecological spatial strategies in the green cover plan could strengthen the urban ecosystem by protecting environmentally sensitive areas, connecting the fragmented natural areas and easing the flow or movement of energy, matter and species across the urban landscape. Trees are essential biophysical elements; considering the ecological concepts in the ‘green cover restoration’ is critical to assure the future sustainability of our cities. Through adapting the patches, corridor and matrix-based spatial concepts, this study developed four-level strategies for the urban green cover restoration of Chennai city.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. K.E. Limburg, C. Folke, The ecology of ecosystem services: Introduction to the special issue. Ecol. Econ. 29(2), 179–182 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. R.R. Cacciola, M. Sarva, R. Polosa, Adverse respiratory effects and allergic susceptibility in relation to particulate air pollution: Flirting with disaster – Review article. Allergy 57, 281–286 (2002)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. S. Conti, P. Meli, G. Minelli, R. Solimini, V. Toccaceli, M. Vichi, C. Beltrano, L. Perini, Epidemiologic study of mortality during the Summer 2003 heat wave in Italy. Environ. Res. 98(3), 390–399 (2005)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. A.E.M. de Hollander, B.A.M. Staatsen, Health, environment and quality of life: An epidemiological perspective on urban development. Landsc. Urban Plan. 65, 53–62 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. V. Whitford, A.R. Ennos, J.F. Handley, ‘City form and natural process’ – Indicators for the ecological performance of urban areas and their application to Meyseyside, UK. Landsc. Urban Plan. 57, 91–103 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. C.Y. Jim, The urban forestry program in the heavily built-up milieu of Hong Kong. Cities 17, 271–283 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. D.J. Nowak, D.E. Crane, The Urban Forest Effects (UFORE) Model: Quantifying Urban Forest Structure and Functions (USDA Forest Services, Integrated Tools Proceedings USA, 1998), pp. 16–20

    Google Scholar 

  8. J. Norberg, Linking Nature’s services to ecosystems: Some general ecological concepts. Ecol. Econ. 29, 183–202 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. R. Costanza, R. d’Arge, R. de Groot, S. Farber, M. Grasso, B. Hannon, K. Limburg, S. Naeem, R.V. O’Neill, J. Paruelo, R.G. Raskin, P. Sutton, M. van den Belt, The value of the world’s ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature 387, 253–260 (1997)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. H. Akbari, Shade trees reduce building energy use and CO2 emissions from power plants. Environ. Pollut. 116(1), S119–S126 (2002)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. H. Akbari, J. Huang, H. Taha, S. Davis (eds.), Cooling Our Communities: A Guidebook on Tree Planting and Light-Colored Surfacing (US-EPA, Washington, DC, 1992)

    Google Scholar 

  12. D.J. Nowak, Atmospheric carbon reduction by urban trees. J. Environ. Manag. 37, 207–217 (1993)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. M.P.E. Gregory, Accounting for benefits and costs of urban green space. Landsc. Urban Plan. 22, 41–51 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. J.R. Simpson, Urban forest impacts on regional cooling and heating energy use: Sacramento County case study. J. Arboric. 24(4), 201–214 (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Q. Xiao, E. Gregory McPherson, Rainfall interception by Santa Monica’s municipal urban forest, Urban Ecosyst. 6, 291–302 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. C.Y. Jim, S.S. Chen, Comprehensive greenspace planning based on landscape ecology principles in compact Nanjing city, China. Landsc. Urban Plan. 65, 95–116 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. M.G. Turner, Landscape ecology: The effect of pattern on process. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst. 20, 171–197 (1989)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. T.T. Forman Richard, G. Michel, Landscape Ecology (Wiley, New York, 1986)

    Google Scholar 

  19. A.M. Hersperger, Landscape ecology and its potential application to planning. J. Plan. Lit. 9(1), 14–27 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. R.T.T. Forman, S.K. Collinge, Nature conserved in changing landscapes with or without spatial planning. Landsc. Urban Plan. 37, 129–135 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. J. Ahern, Greenways as a planning strategy. Landsc. Urban Plan. 33, 131–155 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. B. Harms, J.P. Knaapen, J.G. Rademakers, Landscape planning for nature restoration: Comparing regional scenarios, in Landscape Ecology of Stressed Environment, ed. by C. C. Vos, P. Opdam, (Chapman & Hall, London, 1993), pp. 197–218

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  23. P. Bolund, S. Hunhammar, Ecosystem services in Urban areas, Ecol. Econ. 29, 293–301 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Z.E. Boybeyi, Mesoscale Atmospheric Dispersion, Advances in Air Pollution, vol 9 (WIT Publication UK, 2001)

    Google Scholar 

  25. D.D. Baldocchi, B.B. Hicks, P. Camara, A canopy stomatal resistance model for gaseous deposition to vegetated surfaces. Atmos. Environ. 21, 91–101 (1987)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. A.B. Bhattacharya, S.K. Kar, R. Bhattacharya, Diffuse solar radiation and associated meteorological parameters on India. Ann. Geophys. 14, 1051–1059 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. R.A. Pielke, R. Avissar, Influence of landscape structure on local and regional climate. Landsc. Ecol. 4, 133–155 (1990)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. R.T.T. Forman, Horizontal processes, roads, suburbs, societal objectives, and landscape ecology, in Landscape Ecological Analysis – Issues and Applications, ed. by J. M. Klopatek, R. H. Gardner, (Springer, New York, 1999), pp. 35–53

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  29. J. Ahern, Spatial concepts, planning strategies and future scenarios: A framework method for integrating landscape ecology and landscape planning, in Landscape Ecological Analysis – Issues and Applications, ed. by J. M. Klopatek, R. H. Gardner, (Springer, New York, 1999), pp. 175–201

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  30. D. J. Nowak, E. G. McPherson, R. A. Rowntree (eds.), Urban Forest Structure: The State of Chicago’s Urban Forest Climate Project – General Technical Report (US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 1994)

    Google Scholar 

  31. G.E. McPherson, J.R. Simpson, K.I. Scott, Actualizing microclimate and air quality benefits with parking lot tree shade ordinances. Wetter Und Leben 50, 353–369 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  32. R.A. Sanders, Urban vegetation impacts on the hydrology of Dayton, Ohio. J. Urban Ecol. 9, 361–376 (1986)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. C. Kremen, Managing ecosystem services: What do we need to know about their ecology?: Ecology of ecosystem services. Ecol. Lett. 8, 468–479 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. E. Fernández-Juricic, Avifaunal use of wooded streets in an urban landscape. Conserv. Biol. 14, 513–521 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. K. Henein, G. Merriam, The elements of connectivity where corridor quality is variable. Landsc. Ecol. 4, 157–170 (1990)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. W.E. Dramstad, J.D. Olson, R.T.T. Forman, Landscape Ecology Principles in Landscape Architecture and Landuse Planning (Harvard University/Island Press, Washington, DC, 1996)

    Google Scholar 

  37. S. Yannas, Toward more sustainable cities. Sol. Energy 70(3), 281–294 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. R.T.T. Forman, Some general principles of landscape and regional ecology. Landsc. Ecol. 10(3), 133–142 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. C.W. Thompson, Urban open space in the 21st century. Landsc. Urban Plan. 60(2), 59–72 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. A. Anas, Optimal preservation and pricing of natural public lands in general equilibrium. J. Environ. Econ. Manag. 15, 158–172 (1988)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. A. Flores, S.T.A. Pickett, W.C. Zipperer, R.V. Pouyat, R. Pirani, Adopting a modern ecological view of the metropolitan landscape: The case of a greenspace system for the New York city region. Landsc. Urban Plan. 39, 295–308 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. S.T.A. Pickett, M.L. Cadenasso, Landscape ecology: Spatial heterogeneity in ecological systems. Science 269, 331–334 (1995)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. I.L. Mcharg, Open space for natural process, in Metropolitan Open Space and Natural Process, ed. by D. A. Wallace, (University Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 1970), pp. 10–52

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  44. M. Hough, Cities and Natural Process: A Basis for Sustainability (Psychology Press, 2004)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  45. J. Fabos, Planning the Total Landscape: A Guide to Intelligent Land Use (Taylor & Francis, New York, 1979)

    Google Scholar 

  46. P.H. Lewis Jr., Tomorrow by Design (Wiley, New York, 1996)

    Google Scholar 

  47. G.W. Grey, F.J. Deneke, Urban Forestry, 2nd edn. (Wiley, New York, 1986)

    Google Scholar 

  48. S. Pauleit, R. Ennos, Y. Golding, Modeling the environmental impacts of urban land use and land cover change – Merseyside, UK. Landsc. Urban Plan. 71(2–4), 295–310 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. S. Pauleit, F. Duhme, Assessing the environmental performance of land cover types for urban planning. Landsc. Urban Plan. 52, 1–20 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. R.T.T. Forman, Ecologically sustainable landscapes: The role of spatial configuration, in Changing Landscapes: An Ecological Perspective, ed. by I. S. Zonneveld, R. T. T. Forman, (1990), pp. 261–278

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  51. R. Costanza, Ecological economics: Reintegrating the study of human and nature. Ecol. Appl. 6(4), 978–990 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. R. Costanza, H.E. Daly, Natural capital and sustainable development. Conserv. Biol. 6(1), 37–46 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Meenatchi Sundaram .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Sundaram, A.M. (2022). Restoring Urban Green Cover of Chennai City: An Ecological Approach. In: Ashish, D.K., de Brito, J. (eds) Environmental Concerns and Remediation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05984-1_12

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics