ABSTRACT. Understanding the dynamics of urban ecosystem services is a necessary requirement for adequate planning, management, and governance of urban green infrastructure. Through the three-year Urban Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (URBES) research project, we conducted case study and comparative research on urban biodiversity and ecosystem services across seven cities in Europe and the United States. Reviewing > 50 peer-reviewed publications from the project, we present and discuss seven key insights that reflect cumulative findings from the project as well as the state-of-the-art knowledge in urban ecosystem services research. The insights from our review indicate that cross-sectoral, multiscale, interdisciplinary research is beginning to provide a solid scientific foundation for applying the ecosystem services framework in urban areas and land management. Our review offers a foundation for seeking novel, nature-based solutions to emerging urban challenges such as wicked environmental change issues.
IntroductionSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex, multifactor autoimmune disease. The studies on aetiopathogenesis of autoimmune diseases focus on the impact the genetically conditioned impairment of xenobiotic metabolism may exert. The knowledge of oxidation polymorphism in the course of SLE may be helpful in choosing more efficient and safer therapy. We determined whether there was an association between susceptibility to SLE and particularly to CYP2D6 genotypes.Material and methodsThe study was carried out in 60 patients with SLE and 129 healthy volunteers and all the subjects were of Polish origin. The samples were analysed for two major defective alles for CYP2D6 – CYP2D6*3 and CYP2D6*4 and one wild -type allele CYP2D6*1-by the polymerase chain reaction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) metod with DNA extracted from peripheral blood.ResultsNo statistically significant differences in the incidence of CYP2D6 genotypes between the studied groups were found (p = 0.615). Risk (OR) of SLE development was 1.03 for the carriers of CYP2D6*3 allele and 1.48 for the subjects with CYP2D6*4 allele; but it was not statistically significant.ConclusionsIncreased occurrence of mutant alleles of the CYP2D6 gene in SLE patients and the calculated OR values could suggest the effect of these mutations on increased SLE development.
Urban green space strategies in Gothenburg have been recently developed for planning biodiverse and resilient urban environments, where densification is perceived as an opportunity for achieving higher-quality urban green space. Loss of important ecosystem services (ES) such as habitat for species and its fragmentation has long been considered the primary cause for biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. The concept of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) is currently promoted to provide simultaneous environmental, social and economic benefits, and help to build urban resilience. Yet, there is an observed knowledge and methodological gap on the development links between the built and natural environment. This article aims to discuss modelling urban environments for biodiversity of green areas. The main idea behind the research work presented in this paper is to investigate and explore possibilities to model and develop future integrated built and natural habitats that meet needs of people. This aims to investigate what are the tools that better integrate urban ecosystem services into built development and reflect on planning strategies for Gothenburg’s green urban space. The results show a necessity to promote an approach of going beyond calculating accessibility to green areas, but also taking into consideration planning for qualities of urban green space in relation to city’s shape and urban form. Spatially explicit indicators for ES like Green Area Factor are required to support real urban planning practice for biodiversity conservation and prioritization of green infrastructure in the urban development process. Complexity of urban systems, ecological assessment of quality of “urban green” is an emerging prerequisite in Gothenburg’s planning strategy due to ongoing rapid densification process. There is an expressed need for long term perspectives in planning with new tools and methods for assessing values and benefits associated with urban green space.
Urbanization effects on vegetation and the alteration in land use is likely to be the major driver of fragmentation and the loss of ecosystem services (ESS) and biodiversity. Understanding varying levels of biodiversity within cities is pivotal to protect ESS. However, due to the high complexity of urban systems, ecological connectivity assessment in urban planning remains challenging. This article evaluates policy documents and tools for ESS assessment in Stockholm, Sweden. Stockholm is an interesting city for studying ESS planning and management since Sweden has a long tradition of formal policy for biodiversity management. An overview is presented of tools and approaches to measure ESS at different scale levels used in the urban planning process in Stockholm. Their application illustrates the complementary nature of these tools, but also the need to integrate them in a platform based on a GIS (Geographic Information System) model. Ultimately, the development of such an integrated tool should inform and support planning practice in guiding urban systems towards greater sustainability.
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