The shift in the spatiotemporal relationship between supply and demand of ecosystem services and its drivers in China.

In China, over 65% of human activities are concentrated in cities, resulting in a conflict between the supply and demand of ecosystem services (ESs). To alleviate this problem, many cities have adopted eco-friendly development modes, however, the effectiveness of these models in reducing ESs supply-demand conflicts has not been comprehensively reviewed, and the human and natural drivers behind these relationship shifts remain unclear. To bridge this gap, this study analyzed the shifts in the relationships between supply and demand of ESs across China from 2010 to 2020 at a city level, as well as identified the human and natural drivers behind them. Firstly, the InVEST models were integrated with socioeconomic data to evaluate the supply and demand distribution for three pivotal ESs: water yield (WY), habitat quality (HQ), and soil retention (SR). Then, a four-quadrant diagram approach was proposed to enhance the analysis of their spatiotemporal relationships. Furthermore, random forest models were employed to examine the drivers of the shifts in these relationships. The results showed that WY and SR services witnessed growth until 2015, and then receded, while HQ saw a modest decline from 2010 to 2020. Spatial synergies in the supply and demand of ESs were primarily observed in the southern cities, with a significant northward extension by 2020. From a temporal perspective, the percentage of cities achieving coordination in WY and SR services increased from 32.6% to 57.3%, respectively, in the 2010-2015 period to 42.4% and 63.3% between 2015 and 2020, meanwhile, HQ service conflicts diminished from 58.7% to 53.5%. The changes in socioeconomic and land use factors contributed to 64.3%, 36.1%, and 33.3% of the shifts in the supply-demand relationship for HQ, WY, and SR services, respectively. Our analysis highlights the potential of human-driven ecological management to enhance the balance of this relationship. It can support the design of city-specific policies that foster a balance between ecological processes and socio-economic development.

Impacts of a herring gull colony on runoff water quality from an urban green roof.

Green infrastructure (GI) strategies, including green roofs, have become a common, decentralized, nature-based strategy for reducing urban runoff and restoring ecosystem services to the urban environment. In this study, we examined the water quality of incident rainfall and runoff from a green roof installed on top of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. Since the 2014 installation of this green roof, one of the largest in North America, a colony of nesting herring gulls grew to approximately 100 nesting pairs in 2018 and 150 nesting pairs in 2019. Water quality monitoring took place between September 2018 and October 2019. Except for phosphorus on some occasions, we found concentrations of nitrate, nitrite, chlorine, sulfate to be below federal drinking water standards. Levels of the fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), total coliform, E. coli, and Enterococcus, were consistently higher in runoff samples than rainwater, ranging from 150 to over 20,000 CFU/100 mL for E. coli and 100 to over 140,000 CFU/100 mL for total coliform. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) methods were used to search for potential opportunistic pathogens, including Legionella spp., Mycobacterium spp., Campylobacter spp., and Salmonella spp. Discovery of the presence of Catellicoccus marimammalium, a gull-associated marker in runoff water indicates that herring gulls are the likely source of contamination. Due to habitat loss, herring gulls, and other Larus gull species are increasingly nesting on urban roofs, both green (such as at the Javits Center) and conventional (such as on Rikers and Governors Islands). Habitat creation is one of the target ecosystem services desired from GI systems. Although the discharge from the green roof of the Javits Center is directed to the city's sewer system, this study demonstrates the need to treat runoff from green roofs with nesting gull populations if its intended use involves reuse or human contact.

Rethinking urban wilderness: Status, hotspots, and prospects of ecosystem services.

An urban wilderness (UW) portrays a coupled relationship between natural dominance and human management in urban spaces. Superior ecosystem services support sustainable urban development. Systematic assessments of the status, changes, and trends of urban wilderness ecosystem services (UWESs) are a debated and complex issue in the field of ecology despite their importance as key components for ensuring the sustainable development of human society. We aimed to analyze the scientific literature on UWESs published between 2000 and 2022. Hence, we used bibliometric methods to comprehensively understand the research lineages, hotspots, and trends in UWESs. We found that the research has roughly encompassed two phases: initial exploration (2000-2011)and rapid growth (2012-2022). The number of publications has shown a continuous growth trend; the research hotspots include UWs compared with urban greenfield ecosystems, the spatio-temporal dynamics of UWs, ecosystem services and value assessments, and the coupling and linkage between ecosystem maintenance and human health. We summarized relevant trends for the concept of harmonious coexistence between human beings and nature, focusing on spatio-temporal dynamics and multidisciplinary integration as well as reinforcing the link with human health. This study can serve as a reference for demonstrating the value of UWESs and their practical application in a UW.

Urban trees' potential for regulatory services in the urban environment: an exploration of carbon sequestration.

Urbanisation has emerged as a formidable challenge for urban policymakers, reaching unparalleled heights and unsettling the ecological equilibrium of the cities. Urban areas now grapple with many issues encompassing climate change, resource depletion, population surges and increased pollution levels. Many planned cities have planted trees and other vegetation within the urban sectors to enhance air quality, mitigate climate effects and provide valuable ecosystem services. This study assessed tree species diversity and their potential for carbon sequestration in Panjab University Campus, Chandigarh. We established 188 plots, each comprising randomly selected quadrats measuring 10 m × 10 m, encompassing areas with varying levels of vegetation, ranging from low to moderate and high density. We used four different allometric equations to estimate tree biomass and carbon stock. Our findings revealed that 92 tree species belong to 72 genera and 35 families, with a total tree density of 975 ha-1. The total CO2 sequestration in form of carbon stock was 18,769.46 Mg C ha-1, with Manilkara hexandra (1239.20 Mg C ha-1), Ficus benghalensis (1072.24 Mg C ha-1), Kigelia pinnata (989.89 Mg C ha-1) and Lagerstroemia floribunda (716.88 Mg C ha-1) being the top contributors. Specifically, the equation of Chave et al. (2005) without tree height yielded the highest biomass and carbon stock estimates than other equations. The present study underscores the vital role of trees on the campus as potent carbon reservoirs meet to maintain an aesthetic sense for biotic components and alleviate rising levels of CO2 in the atmospheric environment. By emphasising the role of urban trees as potent carbon reservoirs, the study underscores the importance of integrating green infrastructure into urban planning strategies. Furthermore, it offers valuable guidance for urban planners. It suggests that strategic tree planting and maintenance can enhance green spaces, regulate temperatures and ultimately support regional and global climate change mitigation goals. Incorporating these findings into urban planning processes can aid policymakers in developing resilient, ecologically sustainable cities worldwide.

Community-based assessment of the dynamics of urban landscape characteristics and ecosystem services in the rainforest and guinea savanna ecoregions of Nigeria.

Understanding the dynamics of urban landscapes and their impacts on ecological well-being is crucial for developing sustainable urban management strategies in times of rapid urbanisation. This study assesses the nature and drivers of the changing urban landscape and ecosystem services in cities located in the rainforest (Akure and Owerri) and guinea savannah (Makurdi and Minna) of Nigeria using a combination of remote sensing and socioeconomic techniques. Landsat 8 datasets provided spatial patterns of the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalised difference built-up index (NDBI). A household survey involving the administration of a semi-structured questionnaire to 1552 participants was conducted. Diminishing NDVI and increasing NDBI were observed due to the rising trend of urban expansion, corroborating the perception of over 54% of the respondents who noted a decline in landscape ecological health. Residential expansion, agricultural practices, transport and infrastructural development, and fuelwood production were recognised as the principal drivers of landscape changes. Climate variability/change reportedly makes a 28.5%-34.4% (Negelkerke R2) contribution to the changing status of natural landscapes in Akure and Makurdi as modelled by multinomial logistic regression, while population growth/in-migration and economic activities reportedly account for 19.9%-36.3% in Owerri and Minna. Consequently, ecosystem services were perceived to have declined in their potential to regulate air and water pollution, reduce soil erosion and flooding, and mitigate urban heat stress, with a corresponding reduction in access to social services. We recommend that urban residents be integrated into management policies geared towards effectively developing and enforcing urban planning regulations, promoting urban afforestation, and establishing sustainable waste management systems.

Assessment of urban ecosystem health and its influencing factors: a case study of Zibo City, China.

Urban ecosystem health is the foundation of sustainable urban development. It is important to know the health status of urban ecosystem and its influencing factors for formulating scientific urban development planning. Taking Zibo city as the study area, the indicators were selected from five aspects: ecosystem vigor, structure, resilience, service function and population health to establish an assessment index system of urban ecosystem health. The health level of urban ecosystem was assessed, and its changing trend was analyzed from 2006 to 2018 in Zibo. Furthermore, obstacle degree analysis and sensitivity analysis were used to quantitatively analyze the main obstacle factors and sensitivity factors affecting urban ecosystem health, so as to provide references for improving urban ecosystem health. The results showed that the health level of urban ecosystem in Zibo showed an upward trend from 2006 to 2018. The poor structure and ecological environment quality were the main obstacle factors to urban ecosystem health. The impact of changes in a single indicator on urban ecosystem health gradually decreased, but the sensitivity index of indicators had obvious differences. Urban ecosystem health was sensitive to changes in ecosystem structure and resilience. In the future, Zibo should strengthen ecological construction, optimize the industrial structure, and develop green economy to promote urban ecosystem healthy.

A quantitative review of nature-based solutions for urban sustainability (2016-2022): From science to implementation.

Nature-based solutions (NBS) have great potential for achieving urban sustainability. While several reviews have comprehensively examined NBS, few have focused on its role in addressing urban sustainability challenges. Here we present a systematic review of 142 case studies selected from English papers published in SCI journals (i.e., indexed by Web of Science) during 2016-2022, whose titles, abstracts or keywords contain both urban-related terms and NBS-related terms. Using multiple methods, including statistical analysis, deductive content analysis, and inductive content analysis, we found that: (1) NBS have primarily been utilized to address urban flooding (43 %) and heat stress (21 %), with green roofs (24 %) and urban forests (16 %) being the most extensively studied NBS for tackling these challenges. (2) The ecosystem services (ES) capacity of NBS has been heavily researched (57 %), while studies addressing ES flows (7 %) and ES demand (18 %) are limited. (3) Most studies involved at least one NBS implementation process (83 %), but primarily focused on selecting and assessing NBS and related actions (66 %), with fewer studies on designing and implementing NBS and transferring & upscale NBS. We suggest that future research should contribute to the establishment of a checklist to assist in identifying which NBS types are effective in addressing specific urban sustainability challenges in varying contexts. Integrating the science and practice of NBS for urban sustainability is also crucial for advancing this field.

Carbon storage estimation and strategy optimization under low carbon objectives for urban attached green spaces.

In the context of rapid urbanization, scarce land resources have highlighted the importance of attached green spaces (AGS), which have received limited attention despite their critical importance in the urban carbon cycle. Analyzing the differences in carbon storage of different AGS types and proposing different optimization strategies can provide a reference for urban managers to scientifically enhance the carbon sinks of greenfield. This study estimated the carbon storage of AGS in central Shanghai using a series of detailed field survey data and remote sensing data. The results showed that AGS stored 296 Gg (1Gg = 109 g) of carbon, accounting for 56 % of the total carbon storage in all urban green spaces. While carbon density in AGS is lower than that in other green space types due to the dominance of small trees, simple vegetation structures and poor maintenance in some areas. Significant differences in carbon storage capacity were also found among different types of AGS, related to individual vegetation attributes and vegetation structure. Our findings emphasized that optimal design strategies should be different for various green space types, and proposed corresponding optimization strategies for different AGS types. Furthermore, the dual role of multi-layered planting structures in carbon sinks and biodiversity was also emphasized.

Taking spontaneous plants as a natural strategy for vegetation restoration in construction and demolition waste landfills: a case study in Suzhou, China.

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) landfills around the city have caused serious damage to the ecological environment and menaced the public health. Restoration of closed CDW landfills is critical to compensate for the degraded ecosystem and ensure safety in further development and utilization. Vegetation restoration is an essential part of the restoration of CDW landfills, in which the use of spontaneous plants is the foundation of the nature-based strategy. In this study, Fenghuangshan CDW landfill in Suzhou, China, was selected as the research site, and the species composition and diversity of the spontaneous plants were analyzed. Moreover, the types of habitats and growth indexes of 8 species with high frequency and 18 species with medium frequency in the CDW landfill were investigated, and a comprehensive evaluation of growth rate and expansion capacity of the 26 species was conducted. The results showed that, herbs were the main type of the spontaneous plants in the CDW landfill. The species and quantities of the spontaneous plants in the CDW landfill were obviously fewer than those in the surrounding areas of the CDW landfill, and the Shannon-Wiener index and Pielou index of the spontaneous plants were lower compared with the surrounding areas of the CDW landfill. Meanwhile, the differences of dominant families and the distribution of origins, life forms and growth types between these two fields were insignificant. The heliophilous and drought tolerance species were widely distributed in the CDW landfill while the shade-tolerant or hygrophilous species were few. The relatively large comprehensive evaluation indexes of Elymus dahuricus, Daucus carota, Sonchus asper, Geranium carolinianum, Rumex acetosa, Metaplexis japonica, Carex breviculmis, Erigeron canadensis, Trigonotis peduncularis, Lamium amplexicaule reflected their high growth rates and strong expansion capacity, demonstrating their great potentiality in the vegetation restoration of CDW landfills as indispensable components of the nature-based solution.

Economic costs of invasive non-native species in urban areas: An underexplored financial drain.

Urbanization is an important driver of global change associated with a set of environmental modifications that affect the introduction and distribution of invasive non-native species (species with populations transported by humans beyond their natural biogeographic range that established and are spreading in their introduced range; hereafter, invasive species). These species are recognized as a cause of large ecological and economic losses. Nevertheless, the economic impacts of these species in urban areas are still poorly understood. Here we present a synthesis of the reported economic costs of invasive species in urban areas using the global InvaCost database, and demonstrate that costs are likely underestimated. Sixty-one invasive species have been reported to cause a cumulative cost of US$ 326.7 billion in urban areas between 1965 and 2021 globally (average annual cost of US$ 5.7 billion). Class Insecta was responsible for >99 % of reported costs (US$ 324.4 billion), followed by Aves (US$ 1.4 billion), and Magnoliopsida (US$ 494 million). The reported costs were highly uneven with the sum of the five costliest species representing 80 % of reported costs. Most reported costs were a result of damage (77.3 %), principally impacting public and social welfare (77.9 %) and authorities-stakeholders (20.7 %), and were almost entirely in terrestrial environments (99.9 %). We found costs reported for 24 countries. Yet, there are 73 additional countries with no reported costs, but with occurrences of invasive species that have reported costs in other countries. Although covering a relatively small area of the Earth's surface, urban areas represent about 15 % of the total reported costs attributed to invasive species. These results highlight the conservative nature of the estimates and impacts, revealing important biases present in the evaluation and publication of reported data on costs. We emphasize the urgent need for more focused assessments of invasive species' economic impacts in urban areas.

Tracking arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to their source: active inoculation and passive dispersal differentially affect community assembly in urban soils.

Communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi assemble passively over time via biotic and abiotic mechanisms. In degraded soils, AM fungal communities can assemble actively when humans manage mycorrhizas for ecosystem restoration. We investigated mechanisms of urban AM fungal community assembly in a 2-yr green roof experiment. We compared AM fungal communities in inoculated and uninoculated trays to samples from two potential sources: the inoculum and air. Active inoculation stimulated more distinct and diverse AM fungal communities, an effect that intensified over time. In the treatment trays, 45% of AM fungal taxa were detected in the inoculum, 2% were detected in aerial samples, 23% were detected in both inoculum and air, and 30% were not detected in either source. Passive dispersal of AM fungi likely resulted in the successful establishment of a small number of species, but active inoculation with native AM fungal species resulted in an immediate shift to a diverse and unique fungal community. When urban soils are constructed or modified by human activity, this is an opportunity for intervention with AM fungi that will persist and add diversity to that system.

Influence of urban land use types on ecosystem services in two rapidly urbanizing cities of southwestern Nigeria.

Many ecological functions in cities are based on urban soils. In order to meet the needs of the expanding human population and the ensuing strain on natural resources, it is essential for soil-based ecosystems to function. Approximately 80% of the total urban land use in Akure and Okitipupa, Nigeria, are used for commercial, residential, and agricultural purposes. Thus, we investigated the potential of these three urban land use types (ULUTs) to offer a variety of ecosystem services in the two different cities. Soil properties that serve as proxy indicators for four ecosystem services were measured in the ULUTs: hydraulic conductivity (Kunsat) and available soil water for rainwater retention; soil organic carbon (SOC) stock for carbon storage; soil microbial respiration (SMR) for the capacity to support biological activity; and soil compaction (PR) and total nitrogen (TN) for promoting plant growth. The location and ULUT resulted in distinct ecosystem service provisioning. In comparison to Akure, Okitipupa soils had lower PR (1.0 vs 1.1 MPa) but higher Kunsat (36.9 vs 10.3 cm h-1), SOC stock (6.9 vs 5.7 Mg C ha-1), and SMR levels (35.2 vs 23.6 mg CO2-C g-1 soil). Commercial soils exhibited more compaction than residential and agricultural soils but less SOC stock and Kunsat, and TN in both locations. The properties of the urban soils showed that the soils could support a variety of ecosystem services. Different soil properties at the city level led to variations in the potential for ecosystem services in various locations, and these variations were observable in commercial, residential, and agricultural soils. Understanding urban soils would thus necessitate both cross-city comparative studies as well as within-city examinations of the potential for ecosystem services for various urban land use types.

Improving urban ecosystem holistic sustainability of municipal solid waste-to-energy strategy using extended exergy accounting analysis.

Waste-to-energy technologies play a crucial role in integrated waste management strategies to reduce waste mass and volume, disinfect the waste, and recover energy; different technologies have advantages and disadvantages in treating municipal solid waste under urban conditions. This paper applies the extended exergy accounting method to develop an analytical framework to identify the optimal waste-to-energy strategy from an urban ecosystem holistic sustainability perspective. In the analytical framework, urban ecosystem costs and revenues are formulated as a multi-criteria cost-benefit quantitative model. The urban ecosystem cost is divided into five categories, and the urban ecosystem revenues consist of direct and indirect parts. The direct part is the chemical exergy of the waste-to-energy plants produced product, and the indirect part includes equivalent exergy content of power generation substitution, human health risk elimination, disamenity impact removal and environmental degradation avoidance. Proposing an indicator system to evaluate the waste-to-energy strategy impact on the sustainability of the urban ecosystems and social, economic and environmental sub-ecosystem. Detailed analysis of food waste treatment scenarios of a food center in Singapore was done as a case study to illustrate this analytical framework. Base scenario is current practice that food waste disposal in incineration plant. Anaerobic digestion and gasification are proposed as potential technological solutions for on-site food waste treatment in scenario I and II respectively. In different scenarios, the urban ecosystem costs are estimated to be 71,536.01, 61,854.87 and 74,190.34MJ/year respectively, and the urban ecosystem revenues are estimated to be 135,312.66, 405,442.53 and 298,426.81MJ/year respectively. We show that the scenario where food waste is treated by anaerobic digestion outperforms both the base scenario and scenario II in terms of urban ecosystem costs and revenues, technical energy conversion efficiency, contribution to urban ecosystem holistic sustainability, and natural, social, and economic subsystems improvement, making it the optimal municipal solid waste-to-energy strategy choice.

The role of park size on ecosystem services in urban environment: a review.

Urban parks play an important role in urban ecosystems with multifunctional services. Park size is one of the important attributes to explain the potential capacity of urban parks. In recent years, the number of studies that focus on the relationship between park size and ecosystem services in the context of ecosystem services has been increasing. This study aims to focus on investigating the relationship between ecosystem services and urban park size. The Web of Science online databases were searched using the keywords "green space", "size" and "urban" as well as related terms. A total of 129 papers meeting the inclusion criteria were examined within the scope of the research aims. The results obtained from the systematic search were summarized and presented in the three categories with sub-categories: (i) cultural services with sub-categories of physical activity (n = 42) and housing prices (n = 10), (ii) supporting services with sub-categories of fauna (n = 44), and flora (n = 3) and (iii) regulating services with sub-categories of microclimate (n = 25) and air quality (n = 5). The results indicated that park size influences a wide range of services by providing more spaces for physical activities, increasing housing prices, creating habitats for birds, insects, and bats, and effects on their richness, diversity and density, increasing the cooling effect capacity and reducing air pollution of urban parks. In conclusion, a comprehensive approach is needed, recognizing the potential of both large and small green spaces to optimize ecosystem services delivery, promote resilience, and enhance urban well-being. This includes considering supply and demand aspects and improving measurement methods. Furthermore, exploring optimal improvements across diverse park sizes remains a promising avenue for research, contributing to the development of more efficient urban green spaces.

Between flood and drought: How cities are facing water surplus and scarcity.

Droughts and floods are weather-related hazards affecting cities in all climate zones and causing human deaths and material losses on all inhabited continents. The aim of this article is to review, analyse and discuss in detail the problems faced by urban ecosystems due to water surplus and scarcity, as well as the need of adaptation to climate change taking into account the legislation, current challenges and knowledge gaps. The literature review indicated that urban floods are much more recognised than urban droughts. Amongst floods, flash floods are currently the most challenging, which by their nature are difficult to monitor. Research and adaptation measures related to water-released hazards use cutting-edge technologies for risk assessment, decision support systems, or early warning systems, among others, but in all areas knowledge gaps for urban droughts are evident. Increasing urban retention and introducing Low Impact Development and Nature-based Solutions is a remedy for both droughts and floods in cities. There is the need to integrate flood and drought disaster risk reduction strategies and creating a holistic approach.

Flux of NH3 release from dew evaporation in downtown and suburban Changchun, China.

Ammonia, as the only high-concentration alkaline gas in the atmosphere, plays an extremely important role in the initial nucleation process of aerosols. A rise in the concentration of NH3 after sunrise has been observed in many areas, known as the "morning peak phenomenon", which is likely related to the dew evaporation process because of the considerable amount of NH4+ present in dew. To investigate and compare the flux and rate of NH3 release from dew evaporation in downtown (WH) and suburban areas (SL), the dew amount and chemical makeup were measured and analyzed in Changchun, in northeastern China, from April to October 2021. The differences in the fraction of NH4+ released as NH3 gas and the NH3 emission flux and rate during the process of dew evaporation between SL and WH were identified. The results showed that the daily dew amount in WH (0.038 ± 0.017 mm) was lower than that in SL (0.065 ± 0.032 mm) (P < 0.01), and the pH in SL (6.58 ± 0.18) was approximately 1 pH unit higher than that in WH (5.60 ± 0.25). SO42-, NO3-, Ca2+ and NH4+ were the main ions in WH and SL. The ion concentration in WH was significantly higher than that in SL (P < 0.05), which was influenced by human activities and pollution sources. A total of 24%-48% NH4+ was released as NH3 gas during dew evaporation in WH, which was lower than the conversion fraction of SL dew (44%-57%). The evaporation rate of NH3 was 3.9-20.6 ng/m2·s (9.9 ± 5.7 ng/m2·s) in WH and 3.3-15.9 ng/m2·s (8.6 ± 4.2 ng/m2·s) in SL. The dew evaporation process makes an important contribution to the NH3 morning peak phenomenon, but it is not the only contributor.

¿El área verde o el humedal afectan el precio de la vivienda, en un sector de Bogotá?

Diferencias en las características de la infraestructura verde pueden variar la relación entre los espacios verdes urbanos y el precio de la vivienda (PV). El objetivo de este estudio es estimar el efecto de la proximidad de áreas verdes con diseño antrópico (AVDA) y de un humedal, sobre los valores del mercado de vivienda. Mediante uso de sistemas de información geográfica se determinó el tamaño de áreas verdes próximas al humedal y otros atributos de localización de las viviendas; los precios de los inmuebles se obtuvieron en el mercado de finca raíz en Bogotá. Con mínimos cuadrados ordinarios se relacionó el PV con atributos ambientales, de localización y socioeconómicos; el Índice de Moran, modelos de contigüidad y error espaciales permitieron analizar la dependencia espacial de los datos. El AVDA y no el humedal, estuvo significativamente asociada con el PV Las regresiones realizadas mostraron la ausencia de dependencia espacial entre los datos, así como una asociación positiva del PV con las AVDA, el área del inmueble y el número de alcobas. Mientras que la edad de las viviendas y la distancia al Comando de Atención Inmediata (CAI) tuvieron una asociación negativa con el PV. Estos resultados muestran que los residentes locales pagan más por vivir cerca a áreas con AVDA y tienen implicaciones para la planificación urbana de estratos socioeconómicos altos. Los valores estimados en este trabajo pueden ser utilizados para alimentar un análisis costo-beneficio en evaluaciones para la construcción, ampliación y rehabilitación de espacios verdes urbanos. Se recomienda realizar un estudio semejante, en vecindarios de menores ingresos económicos que permitan definir también la tipología de AVDA factible de pagar y que al mismo tiempo proporcione servicios ecosistémicos culturales.

Differences in the characteristics of green infrastructure can vary the relationship between urban green spaces and housing prices. The objective of this study is to estimate the effect of the proximity of anthropically designed green areas and a wetland on housing market values. Using geographic information systems, the size of green areas near the wetland and other attributes of housing location were determined; property prices were obtained from the real estate market in Bogota. Ordinary least squares was used to relate the housing prices to environmental, location and socioeconomic attributes; the Moran Index, contiguity models and spatial error models were used to analyze the spatial dependence of the data. The anthropically designed green areas, and not the wetland, was significantly associated with the housing prices. The regressions performed showed the absence of spatial dependence among the data, as well as a positive association of housing prices with anthropically designed green areas, property area and number of alcoves. While the age of the dwellings and the distance to the Immediate Attention Command had a negative association with housing prices. These results show that local residents pay more to live near areas with anthropically designed green areas and have implications for urban planning for high socioeconomic strata. The values estimated in this work can be used to feed a cost-benefit analysis in evaluations for the construction, expansion, and rehabilitation of urban green spaces. It is recommended that a similar study be conducted in lower income neighborhoods to define the type of anthropically designed green areas that can be afforded and at the same time provide cultural ecosystem services.

As diferenças nas características da infra-estrutura verde podem variar a relação entre o espaço verde urbano e os preços da habitação (PH). O objetivo deste estudo é estimar o efeito da proximidade de áreas verdes antropogenicamente projetadas (AVAP) e de um pântano sobre os valores do mercado imobiliário. Usando sistemas de informação geográfica, foi determinado o tamanho das áreas verdes próximas ao pântano e outros atributos de localização habitacional; os preços dos imóveis foram obtidos do mercado imobiliário em Bogotá. Os mínimos quadrados comuns foram usados para relacionar a PV aos atributos ambientais, de localização e sócio-econômicos; os modelos do Índice Moran, contiguidade e erro espacial foram usados para analisar a dependência espacial dos dados. A AVAP e não a zona úmida, foi significativamente associada à PV. As regressões mostraram a ausência de dependência espacial entre os dados, bem como uma associação positiva de PH com AVAP, área da propriedade e número de alcovas. Enquanto a idade das moradias e a distância até o Comando de Atenção Imediata (CAI) tinham uma associação negativa com o PV Estes resultados mostram que os residentes locais pagam mais para viver perto de áreas com AVAP e têm implicações no planejamento urbano para altos estratos sócio-econômicos. Os valores estimados neste trabalho podem ser usados para alimentar uma análise de custo-benefício em avaliações para a construção, extensão e reabilitação de espaços verdes urbanos. Recomenda-se que seja realizado um estudo semelhante nos bairros de menor renda para também definir o tipo de AVAP que pode ser oferecido ao mesmo tempo em que fornece serviços culturais ecossistêmicos.

Conceptualizing the human drivers of low tree diversity in planted urban landscapes.

Despite the abundance of tree diversity in the natural world, and generally high tree species richness in urban areas, urban forests continue to be dominated by a limited number of species. As socio-ecological systems, urban forests are shaped by historical and current management efforts and decision-making across a wide range of human actors. Drawing on past research, we offer a conceptual framework for describing the complex interactions among tree producers and consumers as trees are selected, grown, specified, and planted in private and public urban areas. We illustrate how multiple layers of selection criteria filter down the entirety of potential local tree diversity to a handful of commonly used and accepted tree species. We detail the actors and decision-makers who impact tree composition and diversity across several land types. Finally, we identify research, education, and outreach needs as they relate to creating more diverse and resilient urban forest ecosystems.

Urban landscape-level biodiversity assessments of aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates by environmental DNA metabarcoding.

Globally, expansive urbanization profoundly alters natural habitats and the associated biota. Monitoring biodiversity in cities can provide essential information for conservation management, but the complexity of urban landscapes poses serious challenges to conventional observational and capture-based surveys. Here we assessed pan-vertebrate biodiversity, including both aquatic and terrestrial taxa, using environmental DNA (eDNA) sampled from 109 water sites across Beijing, China. Using eDNA metabarcoding with a single primer set (Tele02), we detected 126 vertebrate species, including 73 fish, 39 birds, 11 mammals, and 3 reptiles belonging to 91 genera, 46 families, and 22 orders. The probability of detection from eDNA varied substantially among species and was related to their lifestyle, as shown by the greater detectability of fish compared to that of terrestrial and arboreal (birds and mammals) groups, as well as the greater detectability of water birds compared to that of forest birds (Wilcoxon rank-sum test p = 0.007). Furthermore, the eDNA detection probabilities across all vertebrates (Wilcoxon rank-sum test p = 0.009), as well as for birds (p < 0.001), were higher at lentic sites in comparison with lotic sites. Also, the detected biodiversity was positively correlated with lentic waterbody size for fish (Spearman p = 0.012), but not for other groups. Our results demonstrate the capacity of eDNA metabarcoding to efficiently surveil diverse vertebrate communities across an extensive spatial scale in heterogenous urban landscapes. With further methodological development and optimization, the eDNA approach has great potential for non-invasive, efficient, economic, and timely assessments of biodiversity responses to urbanization, thus guiding city ecosystem conservation management.

Structure and characteristics of the plant-frugivore bird network from the Guilin Botanical Garden.

The interaction between plants and frugivores is crucial to ecosystem function and community diversity. However, little is known about the interaction between plants and frugivorous bird species in urban green spaces. We observed interactions between plants and frugivorous birds in the Guilin Botanical Garden for one year and determined the structure and characteristics of the interaction network. We also analyzed the impact of species traits on their network roles. Interactions between 14 frugivorous birds and 13 fruit plant species were recorded in the study area. Autumn interactions comprised 38.79% of the overall network, and winter interactions comprised 33.15%. The modularity (Q, z-score) of the network was higher in autumn; the weighted nestedness (wNODF, z-score) and interaction evenness (E2 , z-score) of the network were higher in winter; the connectance (C, z-score) and interaction diversity (z-score) of the network were higher in spring; and the specialization (H2', z-score) of the network was higher in summer. The observed network showed lower C, lower interaction H2 , lower E2 , lower wNODF, higher H2' and higher Q when compared to the random networks. The bird species most important to network stability were Hemixos castanonotus, Parus venustulus, and Pycnonotus sinensis. The most important plant species were Alocasia macrorrhiza, Cinnamomum camphora, and Machilus nanmu. Of all the bird and plant traits included in this study, only plant color had a significant impact on species strength, with black fruit having a higher species strength. Our results suggest that interaction networks in urban green spaces can be temporally complex and variable and that a network approach can be an important monitoring tool for detecting the status of crucial ecosystem functions.