Research papers of the month – September 2022
We present the highest-score research papers of September 2022. These papers have ben published in journals with the highest Ministerial score – 200 points.
Variation of secondary metabolites in Cannabis sativa L. inflorescences under applied agrotechnological measures
Karolina Barčauskaitė, Aušra Bakšinskaitė, Antoni Szumny, Vita Tilvikienė
Industrial Crops and Products
Ministerial score = 200.0
Journal Impact Factor (2022) = 6.449 (Q1)
Industrial hemp is a multi-purpose plant which contains various biologically active compounds and has a broad application in numerous markets. The study aims to investigate industrial hemp variety Felina 32 growing potential in the Nordic-Baltic region, to assess the impact of fertilization by mineral, organic and combined fertilizers on plants secondary metabolites accumulation into their inflorescence. In addition, sowing density (15 and 35 kg/ha) influence on fatty acids methyl esters, cannabinoids, essential oil yield and composition were taken into the qualitative and quantitative evaluation. The results reveal that tested agronomical practice tested significantly affected fatty acids and essential oil yield. Increased sowing density 2.3 times from 15 kg/ha to 35 kg/ha slightly increased CBD content (+ ∼23 %) in hemp inflorescence. 73 volatile compounds were found in the essential oil composition of which the highest amount showed sesquiterpenes: (E)-β-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide and humulene epoxide II. The research performed strengthens the hypothesis that industrial hemp could be cultivated in the North-Baltic climate as a multi-use crop through complete utilization of the plant material using inflorescences to produce essential oils as a source of natural antioxidants, flavour and fragrance additives.
DOI:10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.115570
How vegetation impacts preference, mystery and danger in fortifications and parks in urban areas
Landscape and Urban Planning
Ministerial score = 200.0
Journal Impact Factor (2022) = 8.119 (Q1)
Parks and heritage fortifications are important components of urban green spaces in many cities in terms of benefitting people and urban nature as well as preserving cultural heritage. Heritage fortifications, like parks, can offer various cultural ecosystem services. Therefore, recognising the preferences of their visitors is relevant from the perspective of creating and managing spaces that are people-friendly. In this research, we have attempted to identify the nature of the relationship between mystery, danger and preferences while considering the complexity of these relationships. Therefore, we examined the preferences expressed by 83 participants for 60 fortified and 60 park landscapes in Poland. The research results indicate that in the case of parks, greenery increases the sense of danger, which lowers preferences, despite the mysterious appeal of such scenery. In turn, vegetation in parks should be shaped in a manner that ensures safety. In the case of forts, the feeling of mystery makes the vegetation more appealing, despite the fact that it evokes a sense of danger. The preservation of vegetation on historical fortifications is advisable because it helps to maintain the mystery that some visitors might enjoy. These findings may help to successfully plan and design sustainable urban green spaces that are visually and socially accessible.
DOI:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2022.104558
How the amount of greenery in city parks impacts visitor preferences in the context of naturalness, legibility and perceived danger
Aleksandra Lis, Karolina Zalewska, Łukasz Pardela, Ewa Adamczak, Alicja Cenarska, Klaudia Bławicka, Barbara Brzegowa, Anastasiia Matiiuk
Landscape and Urban Planning
Ministerial score = 200.0
Journal Impact Factor (2022) = 8.119 (Q1)
Understanding how the physical characteristics of city parks impact the perceptions of visitors is a factor that designers may well find useful. Many studies have been made on the influence of the quantity of vegetation in parks, and how natural it looks, on visitor preferences, but the mechanisms underlying this impact are still insufficiently understood. We attempt to identify the nature of the relationship between naturalness, legibility, perceived safety and preference taking into account the complexity of these relationships in urban parks. We analysed the correlations between the variables and the mediating effects. We applied a within-subjects design whereby 127 participants evaluated a set of 120 eye-level photographs of park landscapes. We evaluated a number of mediation models while testing hypotheses regarding the mediating role of legibility in how the quantity of greenery and naturalness impacts perceived safety and preferences towards park landscapes. All the hypotheses presented, verified via analysis of indirect effects, were confirmed. Legibility mediates naturalness and safety – the naturalness of a park itself is not a source of fear as long as the park has a clear layout. Moreover, the influence of the amount of greenery on preferences is partly explained by naturalness and legibility: more greenery enhances a landscape’s natural feel, while a landscape that is extremely natural has lower legibility, which leads to lower preferences. Finally, perceived safety turned out to be a mediator between naturalness and preference – naturalness is not popular in a park because it lowers sense of safety. The research does not offer an indication as to whether visitors prefer parks with copious or sparse greenery, or wild-looking or sculpted vegetation. However, it has shown that parks with natural vegetation tend not to be popular when they are illegible and dangerous – nature and a large amount of greenery per se do not evoke negative feelings.
DOI:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2022.104556
How the amount of greenery in city parks impacts visitor preferences in the context of naturalness, legibility and perceived danger
Aleksandra Lis, Karolina Zalewska, Łukasz Pardela, Ewa Adamczak, Alicja Cenarska, Klaudia Bławicka, Barbara Brzegowa, Anastasiia Matiiuk
Landscape and Urban Planning
Ministerial score = 200.0
Journal Impact Factor (2022) = 8.119 (Q1)
Understanding how the physical characteristics of city parks impact the perceptions of visitors is a factor that designers may well find useful. Many studies have been made on the influence of the quantity of vegetation in parks, and how natural it looks, on visitor preferences, but the mechanisms underlying this impact are still insufficiently understood. We attempt to identify the nature of the relationship between naturalness, legibility, perceived safety and preference taking into account the complexity of these relationships in urban parks. We analysed the correlations between the variables and the mediating effects. We applied a within-subjects design whereby 127 participants evaluated a set of 120 eye-level photographs of park landscapes. We evaluated a number of mediation models while testing hypotheses regarding the mediating role of legibility in how the quantity of greenery and naturalness impacts perceived safety and preferences towards park landscapes. All the hypotheses presented, verified via analysis of indirect effects, were confirmed. Legibility mediates naturalness and safety – the naturalness of a park itself is not a source of fear as long as the park has a clear layout. Moreover, the influence of the amount of greenery on preferences is partly explained by naturalness and legibility: more greenery enhances a landscape’s natural feel, while a landscape that is extremely natural has lower legibility, which leads to lower preferences. Finally, perceived safety turned out to be a mediator between naturalness and preference – naturalness is not popular in a park because it lowers sense of safety. The research does not offer an indication as to whether visitors prefer parks with copious or sparse greenery, or wild-looking or sculpted vegetation. However, it has shown that parks with natural vegetation tend not to be popular when they are illegible and dangerous – nature and a large amount of greenery per se do not evoke negative feelings.
DOI:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2022.104556
How vegetation impacts preference, mystery and danger in fortifications and parks in urban areas
Łukasz Pardela, Aleksandra Lis, Karolina Zalewska, Paweł Iwankowski
Landscape and Urban Planning
Ministerial score = 200.0
Journal Impact Factor (2022) = 8.119 (Q1)
Parks and heritage fortifications are important components of urban green spaces in many cities in terms of benefitting people and urban nature as well as preserving cultural heritage. Heritage fortifications, like parks, can offer various cultural ecosystem services. Therefore, recognising the preferences of their visitors is relevant from the perspective of creating and managing spaces that are people-friendly. In this research, we have attempted to identify the nature of the relationship between mystery, danger and preferences while considering the complexity of these relationships. Therefore, we examined the preferences expressed by 83 participants for 60 fortified and 60 park landscapes in Poland. The research results indicate that in the case of parks, greenery increases the sense of danger, which lowers preferences, despite the mysterious appeal of such scenery. In turn, vegetation in parks should be shaped in a manner that ensures safety. In the case of forts, the feeling of mystery makes the vegetation more appealing, despite the fact that it evokes a sense of danger. The preservation of vegetation on historical fortifications is advisable because it helps to maintain the mystery that some visitors might enjoy. These findings may help to successfully plan and design sustainable urban green spaces that are visually and socially accessible.
DOI:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2022.104558
Variation of secondary metabolites in Cannabis sativa L. inflorescences under applied agrotechnological measures
Karolina Barčauskaitė, Aušra Bakšinskaitė, Antoni Szumny, Vita Tilvikienė
Industrial Crops and Products
Ministerial score = 200.0
Journal Impact Factor (2022) = 6.449 (Q1)
Industrial hemp is a multi-purpose plant which contains various biologically active compounds and has a broad application in numerous markets. The study aims to investigate industrial hemp variety Felina 32 growing potential in the Nordic-Baltic region, to assess the impact of fertilization by mineral, organic and combined fertilizers on plants secondary metabolites accumulation into their inflorescence. In addition, sowing density (15 and 35 kg/ha) influence on fatty acids methyl esters, cannabinoids, essential oil yield and composition were taken into the qualitative and quantitative evaluation. The results reveal that tested agronomical practice tested significantly affected fatty acids and essential oil yield. Increased sowing density 2.3 times from 15 kg/ha to 35 kg/ha slightly increased CBD content (+ ∼23 %) in hemp inflorescence. 73 volatile compounds were found in the essential oil composition of which the highest amount showed sesquiterpenes: (E)-β-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide and humulene epoxide II. The research performed strengthens the hypothesis that industrial hemp could be cultivated in the North-Baltic climate as a multi-use crop through complete utilization of the plant material using inflorescences to produce essential oils as a source of natural antioxidants, flavour and fragrance additives.
DOI:10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.115570
