Response of Ruderal Species Diversity to an Urban Environment: Implications for Conservation and Management

Abstract

Anthropogenic activities have weakened the invasion of ruderals and increased the number of non-native species in urban areas. Ruderals are an important component of urban plant diversity and are of great significance to the sustainable development of urban green space. We used the tessellation–randomized plot method to examine the composition and biodiversity of ruderal species among urban land use types (LUTs) in the built-up areas of Beijing. Soil samples from the surface to a depth of 10 cm were taken from each site to examine the impact of soil characteristics on ruderal species diversity. Results showed that a total of 120 ruderal species were observed, including 71 native and 49 non-native species. Among them, 90% were identified as Cosmopolitan. Native species accounted for the majority of ruderals across all the eight LUTs. Institutional, residential, and woodlot areas with coarser management had higher ruderal species richness than did commercial areas and roadside lawns. Allergenic species showed the highest proportions in municipal parks, and invasive species accounted for 20% of all ruderal species. Ruderal species diversity was related to distance from the urban center, pruning intensity, and soil characteristics. These results suggest that with ruderals playing an important role in urban grass species diversity, there is tremendous potential for more native species in Beijing lawns, which would contribute substantially to increasing the ecological system’s functional benefits. Ruderal species accustomed to the causal processes and environmental conditions of different LUTs should be used and conserved properly to improve the harsh conditions of different LUTs and to sustain ecosystem health.

Effect of Urbanization on Vegetation in Riparian Area: Plant Communities in Artificial and Semi-Natural Habitats

“…The increase of ruderal species in the parks located along the Shonai River suggested that colonization of ruderal species depended more on the massive artificial disturbances in a megacity. Consistent with our study, many studies have reported that a large number of ruderal plants are always recognized in urban areas with stronger anthropogenic pressure [37,38]. Interestingly, the semi-natural habitats showed opposite trends to the artificial habitats.…”

“…Although the distance to the city center was included in the GLM model, the effect was stronger in the semi-natural habitat. This negative relationship has been aptly explained by the increased habitat diversity and human disturbance at the urban centers [37,38]. Hence, a short distance to the city increases the possibility of the propagation of ruderal plants.…”

Essay on the prospects for the use of decorative perennials of the spontaneous flora of the local landscape Feofaniya

“…Such plant communities are recommended to be used with their natural structure or with a slightly corrected species composition. Some researchers consider spontaneous vegetation as an important component of urban green space diversity, which is essential for the sustainable development of urban ecosystems (Del Tredici, 2014;Guo et al, 2018). The dominance of alien species in urban landscaping, in their opinion, decreases the functional stability of such ecosystems.…”

Estrutura Populacional De Espécies Exóticas Invasoras Em Sítios De Mata Atlântica, Itabaiana, Sergipe, Brasil

“…Em determinadas circunstâncias, essas plantas são as únicas encontradas nesses ambientes, sendo, as responsáveis pela proteção do solo contra a erosão provocada pela chuva e pelo vento (SOUZA;PALEARI, 2012).Os centros urbanos geralmente apresentam grande riqueza de espécies, que pode ser até maior que os seus entornos(GUO et al, 2018). Esse fato pode estar relacionado com a movimentação de humanos, que pode contribuir com o transporte de propágulos de LUNDHOLM;MARLIN, 2006;KNAPP et al, 2008).…”