Browsing by Author "Panagopoulos, Thomas"
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- Analysis of spatial interpolation for optimising management of a salinized field cultivated with lettucePublication . Panagopoulos, Thomas; Jesus, J.; Antunes, Maria Dulce; Beltrão, JoséThe lack of randomisation in irrigation experiments is usually a disadvantage. The introduction of spatial variable experimental design offers a convenient tool to help solving this problem. In order to understand the variation of some soil physical and chemical properties in an experimental block and its effect on lettuce (Lactuca sauna L.) production, graphical interpretation of those soil properties was done with the use of geostatistics in a geographic information system (GIS). In this work three techniques of geostatistics were used for the creation of several maps of soil properties in an experimental plot cultivated with lettuce. Lettuces were evaluated for individual weight and diameter at the end of the cropping season. The soil properties studied were: total mineral nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, pH, electric conductivity and saturated soil hydraulic conductivity. The techniques used were: ordinary kriging, inverse distance and Thiessen polygon. Cross validation used to compare the prediction performances of the three geostatistical interpolation algorithms determined that kriging was the best technique for each soil property. Prior to the creation of the maps, semivariograms were produced for each soil property. The maps resulting from the interpolation techniques were introduced in a GIS and their values reclassified. After that, spatial modelling was used to develop a final overlay map from all the information of the analysed soil properties simulating a "lettuce production capability map". This final map was created with the objective to determine which areas in the plot had optimal conditions for lettuce development. It was concluded that the plot did not had an optimal area for lettuce production. Localized problems with soil properties were found that could be solved with simple geographically restricted amendment treatments. Final lettuce yield had high correlation (r(2) = 0.83) with the lettuce capability map derived. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
- Area-storage capacity curve of historic artificial water reservoir ottergrung, Slovakia - assessment of the historical data with the use of gis toolsPublication . Fuska, Jakub; Kubinsky, Daniel; Weis, Karol; Lackoova, Lenka; Pokryvkova, Jozefina; Leitmanova, Mária; Panagopoulos, ThomasThe main goal of this work was to verify the historic data of historic artificial water reservoir Ottergrund, Banska Stiavnica district, which is inscribed in the UNESCO world heritage list. Main focus was set to area-storage capacity curve. There is historic map with the display of reservoir bottom contours and area-storage capacity curve in a paper format. These data were analysed and compared with the results of the calculation of area-storage capacity curve that was performed with the use of a new tool with named "ASC_Curve", which is based on Python script. This tool utilizes ArcPy site package and it works with the TIN model of water reservoir bottom. In case of water reservoir Ottergrund we created the TIN model of the historic bottom; input data for the TIN model creation was the historic contour plan. The results of the analysis have shown that the storage capacity calculated with the use of the developed ASC_Curve tool is 97% of the volume mentioned in the historic map. Analysis has also show the minor mathematical errors in the calculations of the area-storage capacity data in historic contour plan. This tool can also be used also for the analysis of the current storage capacity conditions of the water reservoirs, if the surveying with echosounding equipment is performed to obtain the data to produce the TIN model of the water reservoir bottom.
- Assessing the effectiveness of precision agriculture management systems in mediterranean small farmsPublication . Loures, Luis; Chamizo, Alejandro; Ferreira, Paulo; Loures, Ana; Castanho, Rui; Panagopoulos, ThomasWhile the world population continues to grow, increasing the need to produce more and better-quality food, climate change, urban growth and unsustainable agricultural practices accelerate the loss of available arable land, compromising the sustainability of agricultural lands both in terms of productivity and environmental resilience, and causing serious problems for the production-consumption balance. This scenario highlights the urgent need for agricultural modernization as a crucial step to face forthcoming di culties. Precision agriculture techniques appear as a feasible option to help solve these problems. However, their use needs to be reinvented and tested according to di erent parameters, in order to define both the environmental and the economic impact of these new technologies not only on agricultural production, but also on agricultural sustainability. This paper intends, therefore, to contribute to a better understanding of the impact of precision agriculture through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)/remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and normalized di erence vegetation index (NDVI) techniques in small Mediterranean farms. We present specific data obtained through the application of the aforementioned techniques in three farms located along the Portuguese-Spanish border, considering three parameters (seeding failure, di erentiated irrigation and di erentiated fertilization) in order to determine not only the ecological benefits of these methods, but also their economic and productivity aspects. The obtained results, based on these methods, highlight the fact that an e cient combination of UAV/RPAS and NDVI techniques allows for important economic savings in productivity factors, thus promoting a sustainable agriculture both in ecological and economic terms. Additionally, contrary to what is generally defended, even in small farms, as the ones assessed in this study (less than 50 ha), the costs associated with the application of the aforementioned precision agriculture processes are largely surpassed by the economic gains achieved with their application, regardless of the notorious environmental benefits introduced by the reduction of crucial production inputs as water and fertilizers.
- Assessing the income multiplier of trail‐related tourism in a coastal area of PortugalPublication . Pereira, Luis; Panagopoulos, Thomas; Lukoseviciute, GodaRising demand for access to trail networks has encouraged local governments to invest in trail development. This study is the first attempt to estimate the local income multiplier effect of recreational trail tourism, applying an Ad hoc model. The most popular recreational trail in the Algarve region of Portugal was used as a study case to verify the relevance of the Ad hoc model application. The result acknowledges a significant trail-related contribution to the local economy and rural community development. This study suggests the use of the Ad hoc model to assess the economic impact of local-scale outdoor-recreation activities in terms of income generation.
- Assessing user preferences on post-industrial redevelopmentPublication . Loures, Luis; Panagopoulos, Thomas; Burley, Jon BryanThere is a growing interest in post-industrial landscape redevelopment and public participation in urban planning process. This study examined the public preference on post-industrial land transformation projects. A semi-qualitative methodology was used throughout the application of a questionnaire and interviews. Data on public perception of post-industrial landscape that incorporates significant environmental, cultural and historic assets were collected from 450 residents. Results illustrate that community attitudes to brownfield regeneration projects are positive. Urban growth should consider the redevelopment of derelict and/or abandoned areas instead of consuming new green areas. The results illustrated that, according to public perception, the most important aspect in the redevelopment of the study area is the creation of multifunctional areas, and that this aspect is statistically related with touristic activities, mobility and accessibility, use of renewable energies, environmental education, economic redevelopment, and safety/security. The researchers suggest that coupling the information gathered throughout the public preference process with the intrinsic characteristics of each landscape is helpful in understanding community expectations in order to inform urban regeneration projects that consider the economic, environmental and cultural functions of sites.
- Assessment of supercell storm-induced uprooting of amenity trees—monetization of environmental and socio-economic lossesPublication . Ljubojević, Mirjana; Buča, Bojana; Šarac, Veljko; Narandžić, Tijana; Panagopoulos, ThomasAmenity trees contribute to the overall quality of urban environments and are valued for their beauty and the benefits they bring to communities. However, the assessment of this capital commonly concludes with considerations of its vitality and decorativeness. Thus, this research provided a monetary assessment of losses caused by the supercell storm-induced uprooting of trees growing in three public green spaces utilized by the most vulnerable population (children aged 3-18 years). For these purposes, the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers (CTLA) formula was applied taking into account growth parameters, species dependence, and the specimens' condition and location. Prices from national and European nurseries were utilized to obtain appropriate base values. The results indicate that the total appraised monetary loss amounted to EUR 495,864 (national) and EUR 1,528,481 (European prices). The species P. nigra, B. alba, T. tomentosa, F. excelsior, A. saccharinum, P. occidentalis, and P. cerasifera showed lower uprooting resistance with no clear species-specific responses, but there was an interaction of biotic, abiotic, and artificial influences. Understanding the complex factors influencing tree stability is crucial for urban planners and arborists to mitigate storm- and wind-related risks. Collaborative planning and participatory management are essential for safeguarding both economic and environmental interests and ensuring the safety of vulnerable populations in outdoor spaces.
- Citizen participation in city planning and public decision assisted with ontologies and 3D semanticsPublication . Panagopoulos, Thomas; Andrade, Rita; Barreira, Ana Paula; Rocha, A.; Restivo, F.; Reis, L. P.; Torrão, SofiaSustainable development of cities implies investigating cities in a holistic way taking into account many interrelations between various urban and environmental problems. Urban models are created with the objective of helping city planners and stakeholders in their decision-making processes. Models which represent in 3 dimensions the geometric elements of a city are called 3D city models. These models are increasingly used in different cities and countries for an intended wide range of applications beyond mere visualization. Such uses are made possible by adding semantics to the geometrical aspects, leading to semantically enriched 3D city models. This can be achieved by using the primary data and ontologies to achieve the semantic enrichment of 3D city models as well as their interoperability with other urban models. Objective of the paper is to present how semantically enriched 3D city models and ontologies may help in sustainable landscape city planning.
- Corrigendum to “Visitor preferences and satisfaction in Attica zoological park, Greece” [Heliyon 9 (9) (September 2020) e04935]Publication . Karanikola, Paraskevi; Panagopoulos, Thomas; Tampakis, Stilianos; Tampakis, AntoniosIn the original published version of this article, there were 2 minor typos in the Abstract and Conclusion sections, which reversed the intended meaning of these statements.
- Creating green space sustainability through low-budget and upcycling strategiesPublication . Herman, Krzysztof; Sbarcea, Madalina; Panagopoulos, ThomasFrugality is a core notion of sustainability, and responsible resource management should be prioritized in urban planning and landscape architecture. Low-budget strategies as a deliberate means of creating valuable, attractive, well-used, sociable public spaces are recognized by some influential designers using the Light, cheap, quick methodology. Unused spaces, just like objects and waste, can be creatively changed, reinvented with little resource input through a circular solution of upcycling. Case study methodology was predominantly used in the inquiry with three new parks, built after the year 2004, in Faro, Portugal. The study examined how the success rate and the current state of these public green areas correlates with the amount of financial resources invested in each of the projects. The case studies show key aspects in the building of the three spaces including: urban context, management and community participation. The success rate of a place is established based on user activity observations, user counts and questionnairesconveyed amongst both experts and local residents. Results illustrate how low-budget strategies and limited use of funds and resources can be translated into a successful project of a public greenery. Comparative studies from Warsaw and Berlin further extend the discussion to the concept of upcycling as a sustainable solution for landscape architecture.
- Crescer mais pequeno em Portugal – Implicações para as finanças locais dos municípios com cidadesPublication . Barreira, Ana Paula; Panagopoulos, ThomasDiversas regiões na Europa e nos Estados Unidos confrontam-se com perda de população e de atividade económica. Enquanto há zonas que têm mantido, nos últimos anos, dinâmicas de atração de residentes, há outras, em oposição, que têm vindo, de forma persistente, a perder população. As causas e consequências dos fenómenos associados ao decréscimo da população têm vindo a ser objeto de estudos recentes. Em contrapartida, estudos que avaliem o impacto do declínio da população nas finanças locais são escassos. Os efeitos do decréscimo da população nos orçamentos locais em países como Portugal, cuja receita depende em grande medida do número de residentes, assumem uma importância nuclear. O objeto deste artigo é perceber como tem sido afetada a “saúde” orçamental dos municípios portugueses com cidades que observam declínio da população. Os dados permitem perceber que a maioria dos municípios com declínio persistente no número de residentes, não regista uma redução nas suas receitas. Mesmo os municípios que perderam receita durante a última década, a despesa não decresceu na mesma proporção. Há ainda evidência de que os municípios procuram evitar ou adiar o downsizing que resulta da perda de receitas, estimulando, na maioria dos casos, a despesa pública, na tentativa de captar população jovem.