Correcting common misconceptions to inspire conservation action in urban environments

Soanes, Kylie; Sievers, Michael; Chee, Yung En; Williams, Nicholas S.G.; Bhardwaj, Manisha; Marshall, Adrian J.; Parris, Kirsten M.

doi:10.1111/cobi.13193

Cited by 76 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 77 publications

(83 reference statements)

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“…Given that “urban” is often considered to be the opposite of “natural”, urban environments suffer from a persistent stigma (Klaus ; Salomon Cavin ; Soanes et al . ) and are routinely cast as the antithesis of wilderness or viewed as a “lost cause” (Miller and Hobbs ; Kowarik ). This perception is reflected in policies that focus on large, intact, or undisturbed habitat remnants (Tulloch et al .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

When cities are the last chance for saving species

Soanes

Lentini

2019

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

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148

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Urban environments are arguably among the most suitable targets for conservation science, as they represent opportunities to preserve both species and habitats under threat while at the same time allowing people to engage with nature. We highlight the need for conservation within urban environments using species whose recovery is entirely dependent on effective action within cities and towns. We identified 39 urban‐restricted species in Australia and reviewed the advice guiding their conservation to address the question, “What does conservation look like when cities are the last chance for saving species?” We argue that in such circumstances securing land for conservation purposes cannot be relied upon; instead, species must be protected on lands not originally intended for conservation and urban communities must be involved in recovery actions. Ultimately, to achieve such outcomes, decision makers need to recognize the importance of urban ecosystems in the recovery of imperiled species.

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confidence: 99%

When cities are the last chance for saving species

Soanes

Lentini

2019

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

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148

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“…There are some high connectivity flows along the Chicago state border -a critical biodiversity hotspot home to endemic species and habitats in the region and a priority site for socio-ecological restoration 85 . Implementing small and novel urban habitats such as gardens in neighborhoods in this region might connect with natural areas in the landscape to support broader conservation goals of the city and benefit garden regulating services such as pollination through habitat connectivity 86,87 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socio-ecological connectivity differs in magnitude and direction across urban landscapes

Egerer

Fouch

Anderson

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Connectivity of social-ecological systems promotes resilience across urban landscapes. Community gardens are social-ecological systems that support food production, social interactions, and biodiversity conservation. We investigate how these hubs of ecosystem services facilitate socioecological connectivity and service flows as a network across complex urban landscapes. In three US cities (Baltimore, Chicago, New York City), we use community garden networks as a model system to demonstrate how biophysical and social features of urban landscapes control the pattern and magnitude of ecosystem service flows through these systems. We show that community gardens within a city are connected through biological and social mechanisms, and connectivity levels and spatial arrangement differ across cities. We found that biophysical connectivity was higher than social connectivity in one case study, while they were nearly equal in the other two. This higher social connectivity can be attributed to clustered distributions of gardens within neighborhoods (network modularity), which promotes neighborhood-scale connectivity hotspots, but produces landscape-scale connectivity coldspots. The particular patterns illustrate how urban form and social amenities largely shape ecosystem service flows among garden networks. Such socio-ecological analyses can be applied to enhance and stabilize landscape connectedness to improve life and resilience in cities. Urban landscapes are social-ecological systems that are growing in geographic area and population density across much of the world 1,2. Indeed, nearly two-thirds of the world's population will live in cities by 2050 3 , with 89% projected for the USA alone. This forecast is prompting discussion on the sustainability of urban growth, and the maintenance of social well-being 4 and environmental integrity in urban landscapes 5. The interactions between social and biophysical features in cities regulate ecosystem functions 1,5-8 which provides essential ecosystem services to urban populations 9. Ecosystem services include supporting services (e.g. nutrient cycling), provisioning services (e.g. food), regulating services (e.g. climate regulation), and cultural services (e.g. recreation) 10. These services enhance the well-being of urban residents by improving physical and mental health 11 , and providing the basic materials for a good life that allow people freedom and choice of action 10. Yet the maintenance and management of ecosystem services across urban landscapes is challenging because of high spatial heterogeneity in land use composition and structure 12 , and the high social diversity in demographics and resource access among populations 13-15. Urban ecosystem services that support human well-being are thus derived from multiple and diverse biophysical, social, technological, and economic features that vary with spatial scale 16 across the landscape 17,18. Biophysical and social heterogeneity of landscapes determines the connectivity of ecosystem services through the facilitation o...

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“…The challenge now is to expand conservation strategies to include small reserves and fragments in urban and agricultural landscapes (Soanes et al. ).…”

Section: Small Reserves Big Potentialmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation value of small reserves

Volenec

Dobson

2019

Conservation Biology

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The importance of large reserves has been long maintained in the scientific literature, often leading to dismissal of the conservation potential of small reserves. However, over half the global protected-area inventory is composed of protected areas that are <100 ha, and the median size of added protected area is decreasing. Studies of the conservation value of small reserves and fragments of natural area are relatively uncommon in the literature. We reviewed SCOPUS and WOK for studies on small reserve and fragment contributions to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services, and fifty-eight taxon-specific studies were included in the review. Small reserves harbored substantial portions (upward of 50%) of regional species diversity for many taxa (birds, plants, amphibians, and small mammals) and even some endemic, specialist bird species. Unfortunately, small reserves and fragments almost always harbored more generalist and exotic species than large reserves. Community composition depended on habitat quality, surrounding land use (agricultural vs. urban), and reserve and fragment size, which presents opportunities for management and improvement. Small reserves also provided ecosystem services, such as pollination and biological pest control, and cultural services, such as recreation and improved human health. Limitations associated with small reserves, such as extinction debt and support of area-sensitive species, necessitate a complement of larger reserves. However, we argue that small reserves can make viable and significant contributions to conservation goals directly as habitat and indirectly by increasing landscape connectivity and quality to the benefit of large reserves. To effectively conserve biodiversity for future generations in landscapes fragmented by human development, small reserves and fragments must be included in conservation planning. Valor de Conservación de las Pequeñas ReservasResumen: La importancia de las reservas muy extensas se ha mantenido durante mucho tiempo dentro de la * email zvolenec@princeton.edu Article impact statement: Small reserves make meaningful contributions to biodiversity conservation and provisioning of ecosystem services.

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Correcting common misconceptions to inspire conservation action in urban environments

Cited by 76 publications

References 77 publications

When cities are the last chance for saving species

When cities are the last chance for saving species

Socio-ecological connectivity differs in magnitude and direction across urban landscapes

Conservation value of small reserves

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