Novel urban ecosystems, biodiversity, and conservation

Kowarik, Ingo

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2011.02.022

Cited by 893 publications

(614 citation statements)

References 119 publications

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“…The third and the fourth type of nature acknowledge that the biotic as well as the abiotic conditions have been significantly altered by humans. These can be referred to as novel ecosystems (Kowarik, 2011). Novel ecosystems as defined by Hobbs et al (2006, p. 2) are characterized by novelty and human agency and "result from biotic responses to human induced abiotic conditions and/ or novel biotic elements".…”

Section: The Ecosystem Conceptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does the Ecosystem Service Concept Reach its Limits in Urban Environments?

Beichler

Bastian²,

Haase

et al. 2017

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There is a rapidly growing body of literature on the theory about the ecosystem service concept and the practical assessment of ecosystem services in different contexts ranging from natural to urban environments. Yet, where does the concept reach its limits? This paper critically reflects the application of the ecosystem service concept in urban environments illustrating the handling of urban structures (incl. built-up areas) and the risk that the normative principle of the concept could be missed. It is shown that in theory urban structures refer to a variety of ecosystem concepts. As a starting point for ecosystem service assessments, these could be classified into natural, managed, constructed and overbuilt systems. Since ecosystem service concepts do not directly refer to a specific ecosystem definition, but to biophysical structures and processes, all of these classes could be included. However, the dependency on context and scale makes a differentiation in practical ecosystem services assessment challenging. We conclude that the ecosystem service concept does not reach its limits in urban environments, but urban environments represent an extreme case characterized by multifunctionality and a high degree of modification that enables to uncover research challenges applying in any environment. There is a need for a more transparent reporting of theoretical and methodological assumptions to facilitate the comparability between ecosystem service assessments. Comprehensive approaches that consider multiple ecosystem services and include human input, human modification, the ecosystem status as well as their interactions are required to understand the spatial relations between ecosystem services delivered by different ecosystems.

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Section: The Ecosystem Conceptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does the Ecosystem Service Concept Reach its Limits in Urban Environments?

Beichler

Bastian²,

Haase

et al. 2017

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“…In natural systems, community assembly is driven by biogeographic processes, the regional species pool, dispersal, environmental filtering, and density-dependent species interactions (Cavender-Bares et al 2009). In managed systems, such as urban areas, anthropogenic effects add to these drivers of community assembly (Donoghue 2008) or manipulate them, for example, by anthropogenic selection of species or the creation of novel habitats, such as yards (Kowarik 2011). In this context, it becomes clear that by global change ''we are rapidly creating genuinely unparalleled circumstances in which it is becoming difficult to apply our expanding knowledge of the past to predict the future'' (Donoghue 2008:11 554).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogenetic and functional characteristics of household yard floras and their changes along an urbanization gradient

Knapp

Dinsmore

Fissore

et al. 2012

Ecology

131

124

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Abstract. Urban areas are among the most heavily managed landscapes in the world, yet they harbor a remarkable richness of species. Private yards are common habitats in urban areas and are places where cultivated species manage to escape cultivation and become part of the spontaneous species pool. Yards are novel ecosystems where community assembly is driven by both natural and anthropogenic processes. Phylogenetic diversity and functional traits are increasingly recognized as critical to understanding processes of community assembly. Recent evidence indicates that urban areas may select more closely related plant species from the pool of regionally occurring species than do nonurban areas, and that exotic species are phylogenetically clustered within communities. We tested whether phylogenetic diversity and functional trait composition in privately managed yards change along a gradient of housing density in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolis, Minnesota, USA, in accordance with these predictions. We also identified characteristics of the spontaneous yard flora by comparing its phylogenetic diversity and functional composition with the ''natural-areas'' species pool represented by the flora of nearby Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve. Along the urbanization gradient, yards had more species per hectare in densely built regions than in lower-density regions, but phylogenetic diversity and functional composition did not change with housing density. In contrast, in comparison to species in natural areas, yard species were more closely related to each other and functionally distinct: They were more often short-lived, self-compatible, and had higher specific leaf area than species of Cedar Creek. The high number of exotic yard species increased the yard flora's phylogenetic relatedness in comparison to species of Cedar Creek, causing a degree of phylogenetic homogenization within yards. The urban environment and homeowners' preferences select for trait attributes and phylogenetic lineages that can colonize and persist in yards. As yard species disperse beyond household boundaries, their functional attributes will affect ecosystem processes in urban environments and beyond, such as accelerating decomposition rates. Limited phylogenetic diversity may reduce the potential of ecosystems to respond to environmental changes. As cities continue to expand globally, understanding the impacts of yard management for biodiversity and ecosystem services becomes increasingly important.

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“…The low response rates at several sites require some caution in extrapolating these relationships. Kowarik [63] argued that ecosystem services in urban areas depend on biomass rather than species richness or occurrence of particular species. This is validated by respondents stating that their spiritual experience would not be enhanced if the garden was larger, had a greater variety of plants, or contained certain tree species or amenities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aesthetic and Spiritual Ecosystem Services Provided by Urban Sacred Sites

Lacy¹,

Shackleton

2017

Sustainability

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Abstract:The range and use of ecosystem services provided by urban sacred sites has hardly been considered in studies of urban ecology, sustainability and human wellbeing. This paper examines the perceived ecosystem services supplied by green spaces or gardens associated with places of religious worship and appreciated by worshippers in a mid-sized town in South Africa. A questionnaire with open, closed and Likert scale questions was administered at 30 places of worship (25 with gardens and five without). Respondents identified a wide diversity of ecosystem services provided by gardens, with social ones being more recognized than ecological, and economic services the least. Approximately two-thirds of respondents visited a sacred site garden weekly or more often. The majority of respondents (96%) felt that a garden was necessary because it added to their feelings of connection with God, or helped them relax and so be better able to concentrate, and 54% stated that a garden enhanced their overall spiritual experience. Regression analysis revealed that aesthetic appreciation of a garden was significantly related to woody plant species richness, number and basal area in the garden. On the other hand, spiritual experience was positively related to woody plant basal area, but not species richness nor tree number. Neither size of the garden, nor number of years the respondents had been vising a particular sacred site had any influence on the rated spiritual or aesthetic experiences. These results reveal the widely appreciated ecosystem services provided by urban sacred spaces and their centrality in enhancing spiritual satisfaction for some.

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Novel urban ecosystems, biodiversity, and conservation

Cited by 893 publications

References 119 publications

Does the Ecosystem Service Concept Reach its Limits in Urban Environments?

Does the Ecosystem Service Concept Reach its Limits in Urban Environments?

Phylogenetic and functional characteristics of household yard floras and their changes along an urbanization gradient

Aesthetic and Spiritual Ecosystem Services Provided by Urban Sacred Sites

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