Bridging biodiversity and gardening: Unravelling the interplay of socio-demographic factors, garden practices, and garden characteristics

Abstract

The expansion of urban areas poses a threat to biodiversity, disrupting essential ecological relationships and jeopardizing fragile ecological networks, thereby impeding key ecosystem services. To avert irreversible consequences, there is a global imperative for well-planned and sustainable urban environments, with a focus on improving the biodiversity value of domestic gardens for both human well-being and conservation. To untangle the complex interplay among socio-demographic factors, garden management, and garden characteristics we employed machine learning and network analysis methods and examined garden care practices and garden owners’ environmental consciousness in Hungary. We found that biodiversity-positive activities were widespread among garden owners, but a lack of undisturbed areas and frequent mowing were also present along with the ubiquitous use of pesticides. Middle-aged respondents demonstrated more biodiversity-supporting activities compared to those over 55, who had long-term gardening experience and were predominantly engaged in conventional gardening practices. Residents of towns showed the least biodiversity-positive activities, whereas those living in cities and the countryside fared better. Additionally, multiple interconnected garden characteristics revealed various types of gardens distinguished by care practices and use, such as gardens with a predominance of plants suitable for consumption, those with primarily ornamental function, or prioritizing biodiversity support. Our findings suggest that strategies, developed in Western-European countries to promote biodiversity-friendly gardening practices may not be suitable for countries with different cultural backgrounds, such as Hungary, where conventional gardening practices, notably extensive pesticide use, are widespread, and environmental consciousness is lower. In particular, factors such as the lack of social trust and an ageing society underscore the preference for in-person programs over online information transfer among specific societal groups. This study offers fresh perspectives on the intricate connections between garden diversity, characteristics, and practices, and it lays the groundwork for future research into the sociological drivers of gardening practices in Eastern Europe. Our work also emphasises that optimizing domestic gardens for multiple ecosystem services, including biodiversity conservation and enhancing well-being across diverse societal groups, requires a nuanced understanding of both ecological and socio-demographic factors.