A Survey of Multiple Interactions Between Plants and the Urban Environment

Abstract

It is well-acknowledged that plants in urban areas provide multiple ecosystem services. They contribute improving ambient quality and mitigating negative impacts of human presence, beautifying the anthropic environment, and promoting place identity and cultural heritage. However, the existence of plants in general, and trees in particular, cannot be considered independent on urban activities and infrastructures. Release of plant volatile compounds is profoundly affected in urban environments, in turn modifying plant relationships with other living organisms, both plants and animals, and affecting air chemistry and quality. Plants also interfere with stone artifacts, cultural and historical heritage. Plant-human coexistence requires precise and adequate managing measures, which have often been ignored in cities' government and planning. Plants and humans (and human infrastructures) are frequently considered as independent from each other and plant requirements are often disregarded, thus causing difficult or erroneous management and/or environmental damage. We review some of the most important ecosystem services provided by plants in urban environment, and also focus on possible negative effects of plants that may become relevant if urban vegetation is improperly managed and unintegrated in proper city planning, both of historical centers and of new towns or suburbs. Keywords: ecosystem services, global change, green area typologies in cities, green urban planning and management, positive (negative) plant-human interactions, urban trees

Assessing City Greenness using Tree Canopy Cover: The Case of Yogyakarta, Indonesia

“…The second indicator used is canopy per capita, which is a proxy used to measure the likelihood of residents access to natural components such as trees (UN HABITAT 2016). The literature states that the interaction between humans and nature is important due to various benefits such as maintaining the mental and physical health of city residents (Fineschi & Loreto 2020;Greene, Robinson & Millward 2018;Soga & Gaston 2020). Rest on this concept, the article argues that the greater the number of canopy per capita, the more likely it is for the public to access and gain socio-cultural benefits from urban trees.…”

“…The even distribution of the canopy provides equal access for residents to interact with urban trees. The interaction of city residents with environmental elements such as trees can maintain the mental and physical health of residents (Fineschi & Loreto 2020;Greene et al 2018;Soga & Gaston 2020). The interaction between residents and trees can also enhance understanding and knowledge about environmental conservation, especially in the protection of urban trees (Davis & Jones 2014).…”

“…Besides, the existence of urban trees can also mitigate climate change in cities because of trees' ability to absorb carbon emissions (McGovern & Pasher 2016;Russo et al 2014; Tang, Chen, & Zhao 2016). The existence of trees also provides space for biodiversity to live in (Aronson et al 2017;Fineschi & Loreto 2020;Parmehr, Amati, Taylor, & Livesley 2016;Trees & Design Action Group 2014). In the context of human and natural interactions, the presence of urban trees also positively influence residents' well-being and health (Fineschi & Loreto 2020;Soga & Gaston 2020;Ulmer et al 2016).…”

“…The existence of trees also provides space for biodiversity to live in (Aronson et al 2017;Fineschi & Loreto 2020;Parmehr, Amati, Taylor, & Livesley 2016;Trees & Design Action Group 2014). In the context of human and natural interactions, the presence of urban trees also positively influence residents' well-being and health (Fineschi & Loreto 2020;Soga & Gaston 2020;Ulmer et al 2016). Accordingly, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) see urban trees as a significant aspect to achieve at least 3 goals which are Goal 11: Resilient and Sustainable cities, Goal 13: Climate Action, and Goal 15: Life on Land (Turner-Skoff & Cavender 2019;United Nations 2019).…”

The Legacy of Hurricanes, Historic Land Cover, and Municipal Ordinances on Urban Tree Canopy in Florida (United States)

“…These benefits or ecosystem services include, but are by no means limited to, reducing building energy usage (Ko, 2018), improving human health (Jennings and Johnson Gaither, 2015;Kuo, 2015), providing food (Kowalski and Conway, 2019), and fostering a sense of place (Blicharska and Mikusiński, 2014). Granted, the urban forest can also be a source of disservices such as increasing airborne allergens and damaging property, in addition to being costly to maintain (Fineschi and Loreto, 2020;Roman et al, 2021b). The ability and extent to which the urban forest provides these services and disservices is a function of many interacting biophysical and human legacies and factors (Fig 1 ., Roman et al, 2018).…”