Low plant diversity and floristic homogenization in fast-urbanizing towns in Shandong Peninsular, China: Effects of urban greening at regional scale for ecological engineering

Abstract

a b s t r a c tUrban forest construction is believed as an effective method to preserve urban biodiversity and restore urban green ecosystem. However, in some fast-urbanizing towns, the most urban flora in the built-up area was almost totally manmade, where is new expanded areas mainly transformed from cultivated lands. How such urban flora contribute to local and regional diversity is seldom quantitatively tested. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of man-made urban flora in 15 fast-urbanizing towns in Shandong Peninsular, China, to explore the effect of urban greening on the local and regional plant diversity. The results that showed huge investment to urban greening contribute to high urban green coverage but do not foster high plant diversity. Exotic species has lower overall dissimilarity between town pairs than native in either cultivated or wild flora. Urban greening does not result in high proportion of exotic species, however, either wild flora or cultivated flora show homogenizing tendency due to the expansion of exotic species. Nevertheless, the main driving forces are different: the wild flora are homogenized by diminished species richness difference while the cultivated flora due to the decreased species replacement. We therefore suggest biodiversity conservation should be more considered and strengthened in further urban greening. Our study could also provide useful reference data in biotic homogenization research in China.

How small cities affect the biodiversity of ground-dwelling mammals and the relevance of this knowledge in planning urban land expansion in terms of urban wildlife

“…There are few studies of biodiversity in small cities, e.g. for plants (Wang et al 2014), birds (Ferenc et al 2014;Sorace and Gustin 2010;Helden et al 2012), fish (Peressin and Cetra 2014) and insects (Magura et al 2004;Elek and Lövei 2007;Helden et al 2012, ). Indeed there is a lack of review articles on this subject and many groups of animals have yet to be studied in terms of the effects of urbanization.…”

“…Indeed there is a lack of review articles on this subject and many groups of animals have yet to be studied in terms of the effects of urbanization. Much more needs to be done in order to fully assess the impact of small cities on biodiversity (Wang et al 2014).…”

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

“…The presence of therophyta observed in almost all the studied zones might be due to disturbances in habitat conditions, favored by built-up expansion. Indeed, it is evident from the literature that the capacity to produce large quantities of seeds in therophyta, despite the reduced competitive capacity, would explain the maintenance of their populations in disturbed environments such as cultivated fields or fallows in urbanized areas (Wang et al., 2014).…”

Spatial–temporal succession of the vegetation in Xishuangbanna, China during 1976–2010: A case study based on RS technology and implications for eco-restoration

“…forest ecological system, playing a significant and irreplaceable role in preserving ecosystem health and regional ecological security. However, in some countries and regions, natural vegetation was often confronted with destroy or degradation because of natural disaster or human disturbance (HinojosaHuerta et al, 2013;Cui et al, 2012;Miettinen et al, 2011;Rastmanesh et al, 2010;Hreško et al, 2009); by contrast, artificial vegetation was characterized with unordered establishment and rapid expansion without restraint (Senf et al, 2013;Koh et al, 2011;Oballa et al, 2010;Wei and Xu, 2003), which not only led to the sharp change in land use pattern (Uriarte et al, 2010;Li et al, 2008;Lambin and Geist, 2006), further to a series of ecological environment problems (Stanturf et al, 2013;Carlson et al, 2012;Liu and Li, 2010;Qiu, 2009), such as decrease in biodiversity (Wang et al, 2014;Hosoishi et al, 2013;Qiu, 2009;Li et al, 2007;Beukema et al, 2007;Zhu et al, 2004;Eshetu and Olavi, 2003), invasion of alien species (Yu et al, 2013aLi et al, 2013;Moreira et al, 2013;Zuo et al, 2012;Richardson et al, 2007), and loss of soil and water resources (Briggs et al, 2013;Singwane and Malinga, 2012;Joshi and Palanisami, 2011;Robinson et al, 2006;Zheng, 2006;Yang et al, 2004;Behera and Sahani, 2003), etc., but also brought unprecedented difficulties a...…”