Changes in the Spatial Pattern and Ecological Functionalities of Green Spaces in Lubumbashi (the Democratic Republic of Congo) in Relation With the Degree of Urbanization

Abstract

An accurate description of spatial urban growth is a prerequisite step in order to implement appropriated policies to improve the ecosystem service performance of green spaces in a city. Such information is, however, absent in Lubumbashi, the second metropolis of the Democratic Republic of Congo, despite its high demographic growth rate and an unplanned spatial urban growth. This study was designed to characterize the spatial pattern of green spaces and the extent of changes driven by the urbanization along the urban-rural gradient using a combination of landscape metrics and floristic plots. Our results revealed that the number of patches was directly proportional to the degree of urbanization of the city, whereas the area of the green spaces and the index of the largest patch showed an inverse relationship with the urbanization degree. Urban green spaces were dominated by attached and roadside spaces that are more equipped and present a higher occurrence of cultivated plants. By contrast, peri-urban green spaces were characterized by buffer zones, fields, abandoned areas, and informal spaces, with an elevated proportion of invasive species and natural vegetation. Moreover, it was found that the number of exotic species increased with the degree of urbanization, reaching values considered a threat to the indigenous flora. The current results underline the need for urgent measures oriented both toward increasing the spatial connectivity between green spaces (e.g., by creating new green spaces planted with indigenous species) while reducing the spread of invasive species in the city.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Green Spaces in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region in the Past 20 Years

“…Satellite remote sensing techniques and geographical information system (GIS) have been widely applied in recognizing the land-cover changes over time for better management of green space [15,16]. A large number of studies examined the rate of green space change using multitemporal remotely sensed data [17] and showed spatial variation in green space patterns in different cities [18]. Furthermore, land-use transitions among different types were also quantified in the previous studies [19].…”

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used in the treatment of sexual dysfunctions in traditional medicine in Kampemba-Lubumbashi, DR Congo

“…It would be more interesting to carry out a large-scale study to determine the dominant biological types in plant species used in traditional medicine in Lubumbashi. Besides, having collected more plants at Kafubu is related to the fact that this area is located near the rural areas where the vegetation itself has not yet experienced advanced deforestation unlike other areas of the city where planning has promoted deforestation [41].…”

Drivers of Functional Composition of Bird Assemblages in Green Spaces of a Neotropical City: A Case Study From Merida, Mexico

“…There is evidence of the influence of the location of green spaces on its characteristics. For example, those green spaces located in the more urbanized regions of a city tend to be smaller and to include more exotic plant species (Useni-Sikuzani et al., 2018). Hence, we considered that the negative relationship between plant species richness and isolation of green spaces merits deeper examination.…”