K-dimensional trees, abbreviated as k-d trees in the following, are binary search and partitioning trees that represent a set of n points in a multi-dimensional space. K-d tree data structures have primarily been used for nearest neighbor queries and several other query types, for example in database applications. In the context of a research project at the Bauhaus-University Weimar concerned w...

Recent hurricanes have severely impacted communities in the southeast Gulf and Atlantic coasts. As part of each state’s response to natural disasters that affect urban areas, there is a need to support local governments with timely information on the extent and location of damage. Identifying post-hurricane downed trees by remote sensing is difficult in forests because they can be hidden by sta...

Park design in Iran has followed the traditional European style since the Qajar dynasty. Thefamiliarity of Iranians with the spirit of Persian gardens and the low quality of the newest parks is such that usersprefer ancient geometrical Persian gardens. Today, those responsible for the design of urban green spaces lackingexamples differing from the traditional and thus they are in need of an ade...

Airborne laser scanning has become an arch technology and which is now widely accepted for 3D data collection. These 3D points represent the terrain surface as well as objects on top of the terrain surface. Airborne LIDAR systems are able to record data through multiple pulses which make the data very accurate. LIDAR data is a relatively new technology for obtaining Digital Surface Models (DSM)...

3D reconstruction from point clouds is a fundamental problem in both computer vision and computer graphics. As urban modeling is an important reconstruction problem that has various significant applications, this thesis investigates the complex problem of reconstructing 3D urban models from aerial LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) point cloud. In the first part of this thesis, an automatic ur...

Marketing carbon offset credits generated by urban forest projects could help cities and local governments achieve their financial self-sufficiency and environmental sustainability goals. Understanding the value of carbon credits sourced from urban forests, and the factors that determine buyers’ willingness to pay a premium for such credits could benefit cities in strategically marketing carbon...

A broader diversity of trees is needed in our urban landscapes to guard against the possibility of large-scale devastation by both native and introduced insect and disease pests. Urban foresters and municipal arborists should use the following guidelines for tree diversity within their areas of jurisdiction: (1) plant no more than 10% of any species, (2) no more than 20 % of any genus, and (3) ...

*The fungal richness, diversity and community composition in the Quercus macrocarpa phyllosphere were compared across a growing season in trees located in six stands within and outside a small urban center using 454-sequencing and DNA tagging. The approaches did not differentiate between endophytic and epiphytic fungal communities. *Fungi accumulated in the phyllosphere rapidly and communities ...

Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) treatment devices are often used to restore natural drainage properties in developed catchments. WSUD can make positive contributions to the restoration of natural ecosystem processes, by supporting trees and habitats in urban areas without taking up limited urban space. This paper reports on the development and testing of a new WSUD device, the Wicking Tank....

Management decisions grounded in ecological understanding are essential to the maintenance of a healthy urban forest. Decisions about where and what tree species to plant have both short and long-term consequences for the future function and resilience of city trees. Through the construction of a theoretical damage index, this study examines the legacy effects of a street tree planting program ...