Producing Urban Aerobiological Risk Map for Cupressaceae Family in the SW Iberian Peninsula from LiDAR Technology

Abstract

Given the rise in the global population and the consequently high levels of pollution, urban green areas, such as those that include plants in the Cupressaceae family, are suitable to reduce the pollution levels, improving the air quality. However, some species with ornamental value are also very allergenic species whose planting should be regulated and their pollen production reduced by suitable pruning. The Aerobiological Index to create Risk maps for Ornamental Trees (AIROT), in its previous version, already included parameters that other indexes did not consider, such as the width of the streets, the height of buildings and the geographical characteristics of cities. It can be considered by working with LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data from five urban areas, which were used to create the DEM and DSM (digital elevation and surface models) needed to create one of the parameters. Pollen production is proposed as a parameter (α) based on characteristics and uses in the forms of hedges or trees that will be incorporated into the index. It will allow the comparison of different species for the evaluation of the pruning effect when aerobiological risks are established. The maps for some species of Cupressaceae (Cupressus arizonica, Cupressus macrocarpa, Cupressus sempervirens, Cupressocyparis leylandii and Platycladus orientalis) generated in a GIS (geographic information system) from the study of several functions of Kriging, have been used in cities to identify aerobiological risks in areas of tourist and gastronomic interest. Thus, allergy patients can make decisions about the places to visit depending on the levels of risk near those areas. The AIROT index provides valuable information for allergy patients, tourists, urban planning councillors and restaurant owners in order to structure the vegetation, as well as planning tourism according to the surrounding environmental risks and reducing the aerobiological risk of certain areas.

Integration of Aerobiological Information for Construction Engineering Based on LiDAR and BIM

“…Therefore, the tree families were modelled in Revit with different LODs, which were represented as coarse (LOD 100), medium (LOD 200), and fine (LOD 300) (Figure 2). These files included the height and width of the urban green infrastructure individuals with the function "shared parameter" [86], which is shared by the different Revit tree families (Figure 3). The Revit tree family in LOD 100 designed in the view "front elevation" was used to obtain the geometric information of the tree crown, shrubs, and hedges, and to calculate the volume [7], based on the estimation of vegetation volume of a basic geometric figure as its morphotype (Figure 2).…”

How Do Different Modes of Governance Support Ecosystem Services/Disservices in Small-Scale Urban Green Infrastructure? A Systematic Review

“…Since EDS reduces public support for UGI, it is important to reduce these negative impacts to optimize UGI for sustainability. For example, in the Mediterranean region, the ornamental patterns of the urban areas imply significant pollen risk from woody species such as plane trees or cypresses, as the most allergenic ornamental species [87,88]. Some studies such as those conducted by Von Döhren and Haase [72] and Sousa-Silva et al [88] have provided a reliable overview of the environmental and health issues produced by different types of urban trees.…”

Aerobiology of the Family Lamiaceae: Novel Perspectives with Special Reference to Volatiles Emission

“…The particulate contribution of plants to air has been well studied, especially with regard to the allergenic potential of pollen [ 14 ]. For example, a previous study created a useful aerobiological risk map for the family Cupressaceae in the Iberian Peninsula for the safe planning of outdoor activities and to prevent pollen allergy cases [ 15 ]. Some studies have been concerned with the aerobiology of a single plant species in order to elucidate certain pollination mechanisms, such as in Symplocarpus foetidus [ 16 ].…”