Urban domestic gardens (IX): Composition and richness of the vascular plant flora, and implications for native biodiversity

Smith, Richard M.; Thompson, Ken; Hodgson, J.; Warren, Philip H.; Gaston, Kevin J.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2005.10.045

Cited by 363 publications

(238 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…(6). For example, 100-m 2 plots in European forests in our database contain 14-28 plant species (six studies), whereas a typical domestic garden of the same area in the United Kindom contains almost 100 species (29). Likewise, a monoculture of corn contains far fewer plant species than the prairie it replaced.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Global meta-analysis reveals no net change in local-scale plant biodiversity over time

Vellend

Baeten

Myers‐Smith

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

492

582

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Global biodiversity is in decline. This is of concern for aesthetic and ethical reasons, but possibly also for practical reasons, as suggested by experimental studies, mostly with plants, showing that biodiversity reductions in small study plots can lead to compromised ecosystem function. However, inferring that ecosystem functions will decline due to biodiversity loss in the real world rests on the untested assumption that such loss is actually occurring at these small scales in nature. Using a global database of 168 published studies and >16,000 nonexperimental, local-scale vegetation plots, we show that mean temporal change in species diversity over periods of 5-261 y is not different from zero, with increases at least as likely as declines over time. Sites influenced primarily by plant species' invasions showed a tendency for declines in species richness, whereas sites undergoing postdisturbance succession showed increases in richness over time. Other distinctions among studies had little influence on temporal richness trends. Although maximizing diversity is likely important for maintaining ecosystem function in intensely managed systems such as restored grasslands or tree plantations, the clear lack of any general tendency for plant biodiversity to decline at small scales in nature directly contradicts the key assumption linking experimental results to ecosystem function as a motivation for biodiversity conservation in nature. How often real world changes in the diversity and composition of plant communities at the local scale cause ecosystem function to deteriorate, or actually to improve, remains unknown and is in critical need of further study.spatial scale | permanent plots | ecosystem services A huge number of experiments has investigated the effects of species diversity (typically the number of species) on ecosystem function in small study plots (≤400 m 2 ), with a general consensus emerging that processes such as primary productivity and nutrient uptake increase as a function of the number of species in a community (1-6). These experiments thus appear to provide a powerful motivation for biodiversity conservation, given that ecosystem functions underpin many ecosystem services from which people benefit, such as forage production and carbon sequestration (1). However, the link between diversityfunction experiments and the widespread argument that ecosystem function should motivate biodiversity conservation (7-11) hinges on the untested assumption that global biodiversity declines apply to the small scale (2). Experimental studies typically focus on small spatial scales not only for practical reasons, but also because organisms, plants in particular, typically interact over short distances (12), and so it is at the small scale that biodiversity is most likely to have an important impact on the functioning of ecosystems (13-15).Habitat loss, invasive species, and overexploitation, among other factors, have accelerated global species' extinction well beyond the background rate (16-18), and it is temptin...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Global meta-analysis reveals no net change in local-scale plant biodiversity over time

Vellend

Baeten

Myers‐Smith

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

492

582

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“…Despite such locally derived benefits from urban ecosystems, the authors of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) chose largely to ignore the urban landscape and cities are generally seen as the recipients rather than producers of ecosystem services (Krasny and Tidball, 2015). Urban areas can however harbour biodiverse habitats (Smith et al, 2006;Davies et al, 2009;Goddard et al, 2010;Cameron et al, 2012) and, through forms of social-ecological innovation and civic engagement, provide ecosystem services in the form of pollination (Strauss, 2009), food production (Saldivar and Krasny, 2004;Lawson, 2005) and education (Krasny and Tidball, 2009). …”

Section: Participatory Approaches To Management Of Urban Green Commonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Site-specific factors in the production of local urban ecosystem services: A case study of community-managed green space

Dennis

James

2016

Ecosystem Services

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1 Site-specific factors in the production of local urban ecosystem services: a case study of community-managed green space. AbstractPockets of green space in cities can provide important ecosystem services for urban residents. As naturalistic spaces in urban areas become increasingly sparse, communities are beginning to co-manage existing incidental pockets of land towards the creation of communal natural resources. Such green commons can be productive in terms of ecosystem services through targeted management such as in the case of urban agriculture. Although some work has been done to explore the motives behind and potential benefits of informal green space management, further research is required to understand those characteristics of site management and community input which contribute to the enhancement of sitespecific ecosystem service production. A case study of ten examples of community-managed green space was undertaken to evaluate the contributory factors relating to site character and management which influenced productivity as defined by the cumulative provision of four urban-relevant ecosystem services. The analysis revealed that the level of community involvement, measured as intensity of volunteer hours, was highly instrumental in the productivity of sites. Food production also proved to be catalytic for the enhancement of ecosystem services whereas extent of vegetative cover and increasing site size were, counter-intuitively, detrimental to overall site productivity. The study therefore supports the promotion of participatory approaches to the management of ecosystems services in urban areas, particularly those which take small-scale urban agriculture as a primary practice.

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“…Many urban alien plants in northern Europe have natural ranges in regions with Mediterranean climates and dry soils, rather akin to those found within highly urbanized environments (Sukopp and Wurzel, 2002). Moreover, propagule pressure resulting from introductions and escapes of alien plants from gardens and amenity plantings is likely to be much higher in towns and cities than in rural areas, and disturbed urban habitats may promote the establishment of non-native weedy species (Smith et al, 2006c;Dehnen-Schmutz et al, 2007). Work in Sheffield has also revealed an intriguing behavioural response to urban noise (arguably either a measure, or a close correlate, of urban form).…”

Section: Biodiversity and Urban Formmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environment and Biodiversity

et al. 2008

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Urban domestic gardens (IX): Composition and richness of the vascular plant flora, and implications for native biodiversity

Cited by 363 publications

References 21 publications

Global meta-analysis reveals no net change in local-scale plant biodiversity over time

Global meta-analysis reveals no net change in local-scale plant biodiversity over time

Site-specific factors in the production of local urban ecosystem services: A case study of community-managed green space

Environment and Biodiversity

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