Plants in Urban Settings: From Patterns to Mechanisms and Ecosystem Services

Kowarik, Ingo; Fischer, Leonie K.; Säumel, Ina; Lippe, Moritz von der; Weber, Frauke; Westermann, Janneke R.

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-17731-6_5

Cited by 15 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 122 publications

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“…These differences are in accordance with previous research (Kowarik et al, 2011) showing that urban populations could not replace natural habitats when it came to biodiversity conservation.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Nevertheless, distant urban ecosystems cannot completely replace the function of systems of habitats that are close to the natural state (Kowarik et al, 2011). Despite significant human influence, urban tree communities (including species for which it is not the natural habitat) are determined by the same climatic factors that shape indigenous plant communities (Ramage et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Genetic variability of bilaterally symmetrical fruits of Norway maple in function of species biodiversity conservation

SIMOVIĆ¹,

OCOKOLJIĆ²,

OBRATOV-PETKOVIĆ³

et al. 2015

Turk J Agric For

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Parkway trees in urban environments have a pivotal ecological role, primarily because they modify microclimatological parameters. Norway maple is a suitable species for these purposes since it is very adaptable to city conditions. This characteristic of Norway maple allows urban trees to be used as a basis for biodiversity conservation. Bilaterally symmetrical fruits of Norway maple are particularly convenient for the exploration of developmental stability and the role of genetic and environment in variability of morphological characteristics of Norway maple. Variability change through different conditions could be used for creation of a scale that could serve to predict morphology of Norway maple in different environments. The differences between fruits collected from 4 locations show great variability of the species, but the size and appearance of the fruits are in accordance with literature data and do not deviate in any group of samples. Despite similar normal distributions of groups, the fruits differ significantly, although these variations are not consequences of a cause-and-effect connection between environment and appearance of fruits. Variability of samples taken from the urban environment does not differ from variability of samples taken from natural habitats. The large variability of Norway maple is expected since it has a wide ecological amplitude as well as a small plasticity, which is typical of species adapted to shadowy conditions. The great variability of fruit morphology within each individual is typical of Norway maple, so these could be used as representatives of the population in which they are grown. In this paper it is shown that the differences found between fruits are the result of genetic variations mosaic; that is, they are different ecotypes of Norway maple, since bilaterally symmetrical fruits do not have significantly different left and right sides, which shows the developmental stability of Norway maple.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic variability of bilaterally symmetrical fruits of Norway maple in function of species biodiversity conservation

SIMOVIĆ¹,

OCOKOLJIĆ²,

OBRATOV-PETKOVIĆ³

et al. 2015

Turk J Agric For

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“…There is great potential for an increase in plant species richness in urban grasslands, as shown by Kowarik et al () for European wastelands (see also Fischer et al 2013 a , b ), by Luscombe and Scott () and DeCandido et al () for “wildflower” meadows in residential areas and parks, and Mutch () for North American urban prairie restoration. Further studies highlighted beneficial effects of plant species richness on faunal diversity (Scherber et al ).…”

Section: The Biodiversity Potential Of Urban Grasslandsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…While natural and semi‐natural grasslands are well studied, urban grasslands have received very little attention in the restoration ecological community (Fischer et al 2013 a ). This is surprising as they cover large proportions of cities' areas and are the only “green” perceived as nature by a large share of the world's population (Dearborn & Kark ; Kowarik et al ). Given the current severe pressure on grassland habitats and biodiversity, the importance of making use of this opportunity for biodiversity restoration has to be emphasized.…”

Section: Introduction: Lack Of Studies On Urban Grassland Ecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban Grassland Restoration: A Neglected Opportunity for Biodiversity Conservation

Klaus

2013

Restoration Ecology

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Urbanization is one of the most severe threats to biodiversity, so why should not we use green space in cities to counteract the biodiversity loss as much as possible? Urban grasslands provide a large number of social, financial, recreational, and environmental ecosystem services but can also support high biodiversity. In this article, I describe the importance of urban grasslands for (local) biodiversity and recommend strengthening restoration ecological research and efforts to optimize these novel ecosystems for conservation purposes. The management intensity of a high proportion of urban grasslands decreased over the last decades. However, species richness of these grasslands is still low, although there is now a great potential for higher plant, but also animal diversity. While communal authorities are interested in cost-efficient but at the same time biodiversity-friendly management of urban grasslands, a well-founded scientific basis for the restoration of urban grassland is still missing. I argue that besides all challenges associated with the restoration of urban habitats we should urgently proceed in the development of appropriate and effective restoration approaches and communicate knowledge gained to urban planners and stakeholders. Widening the scope of restoration ecological research to novel ecosystems such as urban grasslands is one of the most important recent challenges for biodiversity restoration and it gives urban habitats the significance they deserve.

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“…Therefore, in urban planning, plants are very essential for human health (Mitchell & Popham, 2008). Kowarik et al (2011) suggested that small plants be planted at roadsides because it is not only cheap, but also effective in improving air quality. Table 3 depicts a summary of works on pedestrian safety.…”

Section: Safety Zonementioning

confidence: 99%

Factors that Contribute to Green Neighbourhood: A Review

Salleh

Zainol

Ahmad

2014

IJPS

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Human activities such as deforestation, urbanisation and industrialisation have contributed to the increasing amount of carbon dioxide (CO 2) deposited in the atmosphere which has become a major issue in this century. CO 2 gives a huge impact on greenhouse gasses that lead to climate change, global warming and other environmental disaster. These impacts are very severe, and need to be properly examined in designing a city. A city should move towards a comprehensive green and sustainable development. For the past 10 years, various studies emphasising on green neighbourhood have been published in urban planning research. This paper presents a review of literature prior to 2014 and its current issues based on factors that contribute to green neighbourhood. The review highlighted that green infrastructure, walkability and connectivity, mixed use development and safe neighbourhood as the most prominent factors in a green neighbourhood planning concept. It is also found that these factors contribute towards a more liveable city.

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Plants in Urban Settings: From Patterns to Mechanisms and Ecosystem Services

Cited by 15 publications

References 122 publications

Genetic variability of bilaterally symmetrical fruits of Norway maple in function of species biodiversity conservation

Genetic variability of bilaterally symmetrical fruits of Norway maple in function of species biodiversity conservation

Urban Grassland Restoration: A Neglected Opportunity for Biodiversity Conservation

Factors that Contribute to Green Neighbourhood: A Review

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