Mapping of urban environmentally sensitive areas in Bratislava city

摘要

Purpose Environmentally sensitive areas within urban environment (U-ESA) play an essential role in maintaining urban ecological balance and ecological safety. The aims of our study were to analyse and evaluate the U-ESA spatial distribution in Bratislava city, in terms of the impact of sealed area, soil quality and urban green areas infrastructure as well as the occurrence of urban heat island in the summer months. These phenomena significantly reduce the ecological functions and ecosystem services of urban soils and can result in negative affect of the living standard and health condition of urban population.Methods The methodology for assessing U-ESA is based on a multi-criteria process in which the following parameters have been identified and synthesized: pedo-urban complexes and their quality, urban heat island (UHI) areas and spatial distribution of urban vegetation types. Pedo-urban complexes (soil units including sealing areas, land use and soil degradation forms) were classified according to WRB.Results Georeferenced databases and maps became the basis for the identification of parameters involved within identification of U-ESA. Several partial products were compiled: vectorized land cover/land use categorized according to the Extended Nomenclature Urban Atlas 2012, database of pedo-urban complexes, modelled urban heat island map and map of urban vegetation types. Overlaying and synthesis of these partial results confirm thesis that sealed surfaces are one of the main causes of the increased incidence urban heat islands, but not entirely. The resulting U-ESA, designed areas in Bratislava, which are under increased risk in terms of quality of living standards.Conclusion The key point of the research in the future is to find assessment of the soil quality in urbanized areas. We assume that the assessment should be based on ecosystem functions of pedo-urban complexes, i.e. anthropogenic soils. The identification of the U-ESA can be used for solving of housing comfort and quality of living standards in the frame of urban development and balanced spatial urban planning.