Bonilla Bedoya, Santiago

Preferred name

Main Affiliation

Centro de Investigación para el Territorio y el Hábitat Sostenible

Quito

santiagobonilla@uti.edu.ec

ORCID

0000-0002-2464-4500

Scopus Author ID

55360745200

Now showing 1 - 10 of 28

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Sentinel satellite data monitoring of air pollutants with interpolation methods in Guayaquil, Ecuador
(2023)
Mejía C. D.
;
Alvarez H.
;
Zalakeviciute R.
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Macancela D.
;
Sanchez C.
In Ecuador, there is a limitation on air quality monitoring due to the cost of monitoring networks. Although air quality monitoring stations are instruments for air measurement, they do not cover an entire city due to their scope. Satellite remote sensing is now an effective tool to study atmospheric pollutants and has been applied to continuously assess a region and overcome the limitations of fixed stations. Despite the application of satellite data for air quality monitoring, there are some limitations, such as measurement frequency, cloud cover and wide spatial resolution, which do not allow the assessment of air pollution in cities. Therefore, downscaling, applying interpolation methods, is essential for continuous air quality monitoring at smaller scales. For this research, Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) data from the Sentinel-5 satellite percussor was used in the city of Guayaquil for January–December 2020, which is considered before, during and after the COVID-19 quarantine. This mid-size port city does not have a permanent monitoring network, which prevents us from knowing the air quality. Due to the limitation of pixel size, this study used satellite data to apply interpolation techniques and reduce pixels to assess air quality. Two categories of interpolation were selected: deterministic and stochastic. The empirical Bayesian kriging (EBK) interpolation obtained a R2 of 0.9546, which was superior to the other methods applied. Therefore, the EBK method had the best accuracy for tropospheric NO2 concentration. Finally, the method used in this research can help monitor air quality in cities lacking continuous monitoring networks, as the reduction of the pixel size gives us a better pattern of pollutants. © 2023 The Authors
38
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Modelling the relationship between urban expansion processes and urban forest characteristics: An application to the Metropolitan District of Quito
(2020)
Bonilla Bedoya, Santiago
;
Mora A., Vaca A.
;
Estrella A.
;
Herrera M.Á.
The rapid process of global urbanisation engenders changes in urban socio-ecological systems and in the landscape structure. However, the future processes of urban expansion in Latin American cities has been little studied even though the wellbeing of its citizens will depend on territorial management and on planning the provision of ecosystemic benefits and services. This research, considering different socio-ecological dimensions, proposed to determine the causes of potential urban expansion, analysing the dimensions and possible predictors that would explain the expansion of a high Andean city and its influence on peri-urban forest landscapes. To develop a model that integrates the complexity of the system, we used the following five dimensions: biophysics, land cover and management, infrastructure and services, socio-economics, and landscape metrics, and we opted for a binomial analysis through a spatial logistic regression model developed from 33 predictors. Considering the odd radio of the model, we observe that the independent increase in predictors, including building blocks, drinking water, sewerage, waste collection, average land size, the Interspersion and Juxtaposition Index (IJI) and Largest Patch Index (LPI), and the constant behaviour of the others predictors, would increase the probability of a potential urbanisation of the territory. Similarly, the independent increase in predictors, including the presence of protected areas, the presence of protected forests, land cover, unemployment, and the Shannon Diversity Index(SHDI), reduce the probability of the urbanisation process. Our results suggest that the territorial vulnerability from a potential urbanisation process is strongly related to an increase in infrastructure, services, and the average size of properties variables. Moreover, the landscape with the greatest potential for urbanisation presents an adequate intercalation of the different patches that compose it. However, the presence of variables such as protected areas and protective forests, in addition to monitoring indicators such as landscape diversity and mitigation strategies, could be considered to focus the analysis on the current dynamics of urbanisation processes in Latin America. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd
Scopus© Citations 31 69
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Mapping 50 years of contribution to the development of soil quality biological indicators
(2023)
Bonilla Bedoya, Santiago
;
Valencia K.
;
Herrera M.Á.
;
López-Ulloa M.
;
Donoso D.A.
Biological indicators of soil quality express the capacity of a soil to maintain its ecosystem functions and services between socio-ecosystem inflection thresholds; therefore, they are determinants in management and land use decisions. However, their development until a few decades ago was limited for several reasons: reductionism and early development of other dimensions, such as physical and chemical indicators or their methodological complexity, thus affecting the importance given to biological factors and the integral evaluation of soil quality or health. Thus, this review presents a mapping of the scientific contributions of the last 50 years oriented to the theoretical and methodological development of biological indicators of soil quality, identifying their development and application in these decades. We conducted a bibliometric analysis that allowed us to present an overview of the field with respect to scientific production: temporality, geographical origin, institutional origin, journals that promote the development of the field, articles with greater influence by citation in the field of study, and the co-occurrences of these indicators in research. This analysis was complemented at the second stage by a systematic review of the literature with the greatest impact by citation. We found 2320 scientific papers distributed mainly in the United States (17.8%), China (12.2%), Brazil (8.3%), India (6.3%), and European Mediterranean countries, such as Spain, France, and Italy (14.2%). Our review showed 25 biological indicators with the highest occurrence; for example, microbial biomass (1 1 8), enzymatic activity (90), and organic matter (78); other indicators, such as earthworms, nematodes, or springtails, are also reported. All indicators showed relationships, to a greater or lesser extent, with soil biodiversity and its functions in the landscape. Important advances in soil indicators have developed gradually in the last few decades, with scientific efforts mainly concentrated in developed and emerging countries. In the last decade, the production curve continues with a growth trend., and research questions in the field revolve around the linkage of diversity and function from a molecular point of view. The scope goes beyond productivity, manifesting the real need to conserve and manage the ecosystem services of a limited and non-renewable natural resource. Pioneering research should begin to report on the scope of soil biological monitoring and its influence on policy, management, and land use. Finally, the promotion of research networks with developing countries can foster the development of regional and local soil monitoring policies in these regions. © 2023 The Author(s)
Scopus© Citations 5 33
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Exploring Wardriving Potential in the Ecuadorian Amazon for Indirect Data Collection
(2021)
Santos F.
;
Pesantes P.
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Bonilla Bedoya, Santiago
Digital inclusion in the Ecuadorian amazon is known as a problem, which intensified with the pandemic. Since social distance is now the norm, we constructed a WiFi access point (WAP) scanner to map and analyze its data. We correlated it with ancillary geoinformation to observe its potential and limitations as a method for indirect data collection. Our result indicate that WAP correlate weakly but positively with nightlight, young population, accessibility to economical centres, and negatively with slope. Moreover, we differentiated vulnerability naming patters from Service Set Identifiers (SSDI) and differentiated the number of WAPs according to land cover for differentiate urban from rural areas. This output is now offering increasing applications to get updated rought estimates of internet activity and indirectly correlations to socio-economic conditions, technology practices, and opportunities for natural language processing. Therefore, we conclude that wardriving offer interesting opportunities for mapping social data but also concerns as an indirect data collection method. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.
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Evaluating night-time light sources and correlation with socio-economic development using high-resolution multi-spectral Jilin-1 satellite imagery of Quito, Ecuador
(2023)
Watson C.S.
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Elliott J.R.
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Córdova M.
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Menoscal J.
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Bonilla Bedoya, Santiago
Artificial light at night (ALAN) has positive and negative effects on social, economic, environmental, and ecological systems, and will increase with urban expansion. In this study, we used a multi-spectral 1.5 m resolution night-time acquisition from a Jilin-1 satellite over the city of Quito, Ecuador, to evaluate spatial lighting patterns in an expanding and topography complex-built environment. We demonstrated a requirement for robust georeferencing and orthorectification due to the complex topography, with errors on the order of 4–6 pixels (5.8–8.4 m CE95). We also quantified differences in observed brightness due to the image acquisition and local geometry. Street light type was distinguishable between high-pressure sodium (HPS) and light emitting diode (LED) sources (F1-score = 0.72–0.83) using a shark random forest decision tree approach. Additionally, street lights could be located within 10 m (F1-score = 0.71) with balanced omissions and commissions. Spatial trends revealed that the road network was the dominant source of illumination, accounting for 45% of illuminated pixels, whereas built-up areas accounted for 23%. Overall, 68% of all illuminated pixels were on or within 10 m of the road. Higher socio-economic development was associated with higher proportions of LED lighting, greater road network lighting and density of street lights, higher overall radiance for built-up areas and the road network, and greater coverage and illumination of designated green spaces. The broad impacts of ALAN mean that addressing the causes and consequences of lighting inequalities is a complex issue. Nonetheless, Jilin-1 night-time imagery offers a low-cost way to map and monitor light sources at high-resolution that will be beneficial to city-planners and progressing Sustainable Development Goals. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Scopus© Citations 4 35
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Urban Air Pollution in the Global South: A Never-Ending Crisis?
(2025)
Rasa Zalakeviciute
;
Jesus Lopez-Villada
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Alejandra Ochoa
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Valentina Moreno
;
Ariana Byun
Among the challenges the human population needs to address are threats of global pandemics, increasing socioeconomic inequality, especially in developing countries, and anthropogenic climate change. The latter’s effect has been amplified with the arrival of 2023/24 El Niño, causing an exceptional drought in the Amazon basin, significantly affecting fire conditions and hydroelectric power production in several South American countries, including Ecuador. This study analyzes five criteria pollutants—carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), and particulate matter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5)—during 2019–2024 in Quito, Ecuador, a high-elevation tropical metropolis. Despite long-term efforts to regulate emissions, air pollution levels continue to rise, driven by overlapping crises, including energy shortages, political unrest, and extreme weather events. The persistent failure to improve air quality underscores the vulnerability of developing nations to climate change-induced energy instability and the urgent need for adaptive, diversified, and resilient future energy planning. Without immediate shifts in climate adaptation policies, cities like Quito will continue to experience worsening air quality, with severe implications for public health and environmental sustainability.
25
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Online toolkits for collaborative and inclusive global research in urban evolutionary ecology
(2024)
Amy M. Savage
;
Meredith J. Willmott
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Pablo Moreno‐García
;
Zuzanna Jagiello
;
Daijiang Li
Urban evolutionary ecology is inherently interdisciplinary. Moreover, it is a field with global significance. However, bringing researchers and resources together across fields and countries is challenging. Therefore, an online collaborative research hub, where common methods and best practices are shared among scientists from diverse geographic, ethnic, and career backgrounds would make research focused on urban evolutionary ecology more inclusive. Here, we describe a freely available online research hub for toolkits that facilitate global research in urban evolutionary ecology. We provide rationales and descriptions of toolkits for: (1) decolonizing urban evolutionary ecology; (2) identifying and fostering international collaborative partnerships; (3) common methods and freely-available datasets for trait mapping across cities; (4) common methods and freely-available datasets for cross-city evolutionary ecology experiments; and (5) best practices and freely available resources for public outreach and communication of research findings in urban evolutionary ecology. We outline how the toolkits can be accessed, archived, and modified over time in order to sustain long-term global research that will advance our understanding of urban evolutionary ecology.
20
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Forests and urban green areas as tools to address the challenges of sustainability in Latin American urban socio-ecological systems
(2020)
Bonilla Bedoya, Santiago
;
Estrella A.
;
Santos F.
;
Herrera M.Á.
One sustainability challenge is confronting the process of global urbanization considering wellbeing and environmental justice. Integrating different disciplines to describe and analyze the relationships of urban socio-ecological systems gives us useful empirical tools to formulate policies and programs in urban planning considering their spatial dimension. The objective of this study is to present a model that integrates and explains the socio-ecological urban relations of a Latin American city considering three high-level approaches: forestry, geography, and psychology. Thus, we defined four factors: a) urban forest and green areas; b) urban spatial segregation; c) perceived restoration; and d) subjective wellbeing. For these, we grouped 16 measured variables and collected them with three specific procedures: a) SPOT remote sensors and object-based classification of urban coverage; b) analysis of geospatial data with census information; and c) field surveys. We applied descriptive multivariate statistics and also proposed a structural equation model (SEM) that integrates all the variables and data. We found that the factor “urban green areas” had a direct positive relationship with the factors “urban spatial segregation” and “perceived restoration.” We observed that urban green areas were meeting spaces between different socioeconomic categories, reducing segregation and multiplying opportunities for the psychological restoration of citizens. However, we found no evidence that green areas are related to subjective wellbeing. The model quantified the socio-ecological relationships produced by combining various factors of urban socio-ecological systems, suggesting the benefits of this method to generate knowledge towards planning and managing Latin American cities. Our results are encouraging in terms of environmental justice and wellbeing. In developing countries where forecasts indicate rising urban populations, the need to establish planning processes based on scientific information is vital to meet the challenges of sustainability in the twenty-first century. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd
Scopus© Citations 19 33
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Mapping of the Successional Stage of a Secondary Forest Using Point Clouds Derived from UAV Photogrammetry
(2023)
Cabral R.P.
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da Silva G.F.
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de Almeida A.Q.
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Bonilla Bedoya, Santiago
;
Dias H.M.
The definition of strategies for forest restoration projects depends on information of the successional stage of the area to be restored. Usually, classification of the successional stage is carried out in the field using forest inventory campaigns. However, these campaigns are costly, time-consuming, and limited in terms of spatial coverage. Currently, forest inventories are being improved using 3D data obtained from remote sensing. The objective of this work was to estimate several parameters of interest for the classification of the successional stages of secondary vegetation areas using 3D digital aerial photogrammetry (DAP) data obtained from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A cost analysis was also carried out considering the costs of equipment and data collection, processing, and analysis. The study was carried out in southeastern Brazil in areas covered by secondary Atlantic Forest. Regression models were fit to estimate total height (h), diameter at breast height (dbh), and basal area (ba) of trees in 40 field inventory plots (0.09 ha each). The models were fit using traditional metrics based on heights derived from DAP and a portable laser scanner (PLS). The prediction models based on DAP data yielded a performance similar to models fit with LiDAR, with values of R² ranging from 88.3% to 94.0% and RMSE between 11.1% and 28.5%. Successional stage maps produced by DAP were compatible with the successional classes estimated in the 40 field plots. The results show that UAV photogrammetry metrics can be used to estimate h, dbh, and ba of secondary vegetation with an accuracy similar to that obtained from LiDAR. In addition to presenting the lowest cost, the estimates derived from DAP allowed for the classification of successional stages in the analyzed secondary forest areas. © 2023 by the authors.
Scopus© Citations 1 14
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Quito'S Urban Imaginaries: Between Conserved and Intervened Green Spaces
(2021)
Montero, D.
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Estrella A.
;
Oleas N.
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Cruz J.
;
Salazar L.
This manuscript presents the results of field research aimed to identify the perceptions that condition the urban imaginaries addressing the green spaces in Quito, Ecuador. Two focus groups were carried out with experts in designing green spaces. The results were evaluated through discourse analysis, applying the dialectical hermeneutical method, to finally establish open, axial, and selective categories. Six categories allow the understanding of the imaginaries associated with the city's green spaces: conserved or intervened spaces, public and private spaces, and individual and collective subjectivity in relation to green areas; also relevant are the interventions of actors such as the state, the real estate market, and the community in the management of these spaces. In the city, conserved green spaces, such as urban and peri-urban forests, are for contemplative use and would be less attractive to the population than provoked green spaces, the latter of which are characterized by facilitating human interaction and by having the direct intervention of public institutions. The identification of public and private green spaces was related to potential forms of urban segregation. Participants stated that privileged social groups have direct access to customized architectural designs, whereas community organizations manage these spaces through social action. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.
Scopus© Citations 1 30

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