Evaluating green infrastructure in urban environments using a multi-taxa and functional diversity approach

Environmental Research
Pedro PinhoCristina Branquinho

Abstract

Forested areas within cities host a large number of species, responsible for many ecosystem services in urban areas. The biodiversity in these areas is influenced by human disturbances such as atmospheric pollution and urban heat island effect. To ameliorate the effects of these factors, an increase in urban green areas is often considered sufficient. However, this approach assumes that all types of green cover have the same importance for species. Our aim was to show that not all forested green areas are equal in importance for species, but that based on a multi-taxa and functional diversity approach it is possible to value green infrastructure in urban environments. After evaluating the diversity of lichens, butterflies and other-arthropods, birds and mammals in 31 Mediterranean urban forests in south-west Europe (Almada, Portugal), bird and lichen functional groups responsive to urbanization were found. A community shift (tolerant species replacing sensitive ones) along the urbanization gradient was found, and this must be considered when using these groups as indicators of the effect of urbanization. Bird and lichen functional groups were then analyzed together with the characteristics of the forests and their surroundings....Continue Reading

References

Nov 22, 2005·The Science of the Total Environment·P G AngoldK Thompson
Sep 30, 2006·Environmental Pollution·S MunziG Caneva
Mar 30, 2007·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·Nicole LemoineKatrin Böhning-Gaese
Jun 28, 2007·Molecular Ecology·Silke WerthChristoph Scheidegger
Feb 14, 2014·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Myla F J AronsonMarten Winter

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Citations

Apr 13, 2017·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Artur SantosCristina Branquinho
Nov 19, 2018·The Science of the Total Environment·Natália Mossmann KochVera Ma Ferrão Vargas
May 16, 2020·The Science of the Total Environment·Filipa GriloCristina Branquinho

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