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Examples of planning for biodiversity in the city. a) Time and space: Louis Le Roy's Eco-Cathedral project in Mildam, The Netherlands. b) Careful control: In Malmo, Sweden, new urban design succeeds in integrating natural systems into development. c) Designed replacement: The High Line project in New York. d) Visible care: At a grassland in Melbourne, Australia, a fragile remnant is protected through visibly valuing the site and inviting community access. e) Great artifice: This portion of the Cheonggyecheon creek was previously beneath a freeway but now sees daylight. f) On the rural edge: The new development of Kronsberg in Hannover, Germany, achieves its ecological goals in part by building at high density and including substantial green infrastructure, such as the green roofs pictured here. g) Catalyst: Derelict land planted with sunflowers in Melbourne, Australia, creates a space for intense engagement with nature in an otherwise hostile urban landscape. h) Urban style: A sophisticated appreciation of the possibilities of urban plantings is apparent in this streetscape from Barcelona, Spain.
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Cities tend to be built in areas of high biodiversity, and the accelerating pace of urbanization threatens the persistence of many species and ecological communities globally. However, urban environments also offer unique prospects for biological conservation, with multiple benefits for humans and other species. We present seven ecological principl...
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... across space and time, and provides critical resources for organisms; even in human-altered landscapes, high structural diversity increases animal diversity ( Tews et al., 2004). Consequently, to retain biodiversity, cities need to construct ecosystem components that enhance not just the number but also the diversity of spaces for species (Fig. 1a, b, h), including constructed habitat analo- gues such as green roofs and walls (Kattwinkel, Biedermann, & Kleyer, 2011;Lundholm & Richardson, 2010;Melles, Glenn, & Martin, 2003;Williams, Lundholm, & MacIvor, 2014). While construction, planning and design are core concerns for built environment professionals, the construction of ecological ...
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... example, buffer plantings of native ve- getation can reduce weed invasion into remnant woodlands and grasslands (Lunt & Morgan, 2000) and constructing roads and sidewalks to slope away from remnants can prevent the entry of stormwater runoff that carries weeds and nutrient pollution (Marshall, 2013;Williams, 2005). At a social level, urban-design guidelines should also encourage the local community to care for, value and engage with areas of high biodiversity (Marshall, 2013;Nassauer, 1995 ; Fig. 1d). On a larger spatial scale, guidelines such as the biodiversity-sensitive urban design protocol (BSUD) aim to create suburbs and precincts that will provide a net benefit for native species and ecosystems through the provision of essential habitat and food resources (Garrard, Bekessy, & van Wijnen, 2015;Garrard, Williams, Mata, Thomas, & Bekessy, 2018). ...
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... the preservation of upland drainage lines (first-order streams) is required to allow natural drainage. This has only been realized in a few cases (e.g., the Village Homes development of Davis, California, and its descendants (Karvonen, 2011); Kronsberg Neighborhood near Hannover, Germany (Dagenais et al., 2011;Rumming, 2004; Fig.1f)), which have also been successful in other ways as the networks of linear parks formed by the drainage lines provide connected green space and promote local biodiversity (Coates, 2013;Dagenais, Paquette, Fuamba, & Thomas-Maret, 2011;Von Haaren & Reich, 2006). ...
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... for increasing biodiversity exist well beyond the creation of new, permanent urban green spaces such as parks. Many current practices introduce biodiversity either on a temporary basis (e.g., pop-up parks, derelict industrial areas; Fig. 1g), or into urban spaces not traditionally considered for greening (e.g., roofs and walls; Fig. 1f). These actions are not usually driven by a primary concern for biodiversity per se, but rather a desire to increase urban green cover for amenity or other functions such as water retention or urban cooling. However, these actions may also ...
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... for increasing biodiversity exist well beyond the creation of new, permanent urban green spaces such as parks. Many current practices introduce biodiversity either on a temporary basis (e.g., pop-up parks, derelict industrial areas; Fig. 1g), or into urban spaces not traditionally considered for greening (e.g., roofs and walls; Fig. 1f). These actions are not usually driven by a primary concern for biodiversity per se, but rather a desire to increase urban green cover for amenity or other functions such as water retention or urban cooling. However, these actions may also bring about biodiversity gains, if in- stallations are designed using ecological principles ...
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... residents generally respond positively to biodiversity re- storation programs. Ambitious projects such the High Line and Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York (Fig. 1c) and the restoration of Cheonggeycheon Stream in Seoul (Fig. 1e) have captured the public imagination, attracting tens of thousands of local and international visitors annually while improving amenity, increasing local biodiversity and providing valuable ecosystem services. Importantly, such projects have also been an economic success, ...
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... residents generally respond positively to biodiversity re- storation programs. Ambitious projects such the High Line and Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York (Fig. 1c) and the restoration of Cheonggeycheon Stream in Seoul (Fig. 1e) have captured the public imagination, attracting tens of thousands of local and international visitors annually while improving amenity, increasing local biodiversity and providing valuable ecosystem services. Importantly, such projects have also been an economic success, revitalizing neighborhoods and driving increases in property ...
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... third principle of urban biodiversity is to construct ecological features that can provide habitat for a range of plant and animal spe- cies. Urban development can result in both an extensive loss of habitat and a reduction in habitat complexity for many species of flora and fauna ( Alberti et al., 2003;Grimm et al., 2008;Luck & Smallbone, 2011;Paul & Meyer, 2001). The structural complexity of habitat encompasses vertical and horizontal features across space and time, and provides critical resources for organisms; even in human-altered landscapes, high structural diversity increases animal diversity ( Tews et al., 2004). Consequently, to retain biodiversity, cities need to construct ecosystem components that enhance not just the number but also the diversity of spaces for species (Fig. 1a, b, h), including constructed habitat analo- gues such as green roofs and walls (Kattwinkel, Biedermann, & Kleyer, 2011;Lundholm & Richardson, 2010;Melles, Glenn, & Martin, 2003;Williams, Lundholm, & MacIvor, 2014). While construction, planning and design are core concerns for built environment professionals, the construction of ecological systems remains limited to a small part of the profession. Landscape architects integrate complexity in their con- structions for the purposes of both layering and aesthetics (e.g., Hes & du Plessis, 2015), while planners improve the liveability of neighbor- hoods with long-term, multi-year plans in which elements of com- plexity gradually accumulate (Marshall & Bauer, 2013). This mirrors the approach of ecological restoration projects that start with key ve- getation elements and the expectation that other elements of biodi- versity will establish as the restored area ages (e.g., Zhang, Han, Huang, & Zou, ...
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... residents generally respond positively to biodiversity re- storation programs. Ambitious projects such the High Line and Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York (Fig. 1c) and the restoration of Cheonggeycheon Stream in Seoul (Fig. 1e) have captured the public imagination, attracting tens of thousands of local and international visitors annually while improving amenity, increasing local biodiversity and providing valuable ecosystem services. Importantly, such projects have also been an economic success, revitalizing neighborhoods and driving increases in property prices. And at the grass-roots level, there are many examples of residents embracing opportunities to expand the space for nature and enhance urban biodiversity, such as the Green Alleys (Ruelles Vertes) citizens' initiative in Montreal (www.eco- quartiers.org/ruelle_verte) and various wildlife-gardening programs run by local councils around Australia (Shaw, Miller, & Westcott, ...
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... residents generally respond positively to biodiversity re- storation programs. Ambitious projects such the High Line and Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York (Fig. 1c) and the restoration of Cheonggeycheon Stream in Seoul (Fig. 1e) have captured the public imagination, attracting tens of thousands of local and international visitors annually while improving amenity, increasing local biodiversity and providing valuable ecosystem services. Importantly, such projects have also been an economic success, revitalizing neighborhoods and driving increases in property prices. And at the grass-roots level, there are many examples of residents embracing opportunities to expand the space for nature and enhance urban biodiversity, such as the Green Alleys (Ruelles Vertes) citizens' initiative in Montreal (www.eco- quartiers.org/ruelle_verte) and various wildlife-gardening programs run by local councils around Australia (Shaw, Miller, & Westcott, ...
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... features of high biodiversity within the urban landscape, such as an area of remnant vegetation or a natural wetland, requires good planning and design as well as good management. The boundary of a remnant habitat is the interface between the remnant and the larger urban environment; there are many ways to approach the design of this interface to actively maintain the biodiversity and ecosystem function of the feature of interest. For example, buffer plantings of native ve- getation can reduce weed invasion into remnant woodlands and grasslands (Lunt & Morgan, 2000) and constructing roads and sidewalks to slope away from remnants can prevent the entry of stormwater runoff that carries weeds and nutrient pollution (Marshall, 2013;Williams, 2005). At a social level, urban-design guidelines should also encourage the local community to care for, value and engage with areas of high biodiversity (Marshall, 2013;Nassauer, 1995 ; Fig. 1d). On a larger spatial scale, guidelines such as the biodiversity-sensitive urban design protocol (BSUD) aim to create suburbs and precincts that will provide a net benefit for native species and ecosystems through the provision of essential habitat and food resources (Garrard, Bekessy, & van Wijnen, 2015;Garrard, Williams, Mata, Thomas, & Bekessy, ...
Context 12
... the preservation of upland drainage lines (first-order streams) is required to allow natural drainage. This has only been realized in a few cases (e.g., the Village Homes development of Davis, California, and its descendants (Karvonen, 2011); Kronsberg Neighborhood near Hannover, Germany (Dagenais et al., 2011;Rumming, 2004; Fig.1f)), which have also been successful in other ways as the networks of linear parks formed by the drainage lines provide connected green space and promote local biodiversity (Coates, 2013;Dagenais, Paquette, Fuamba, & Thomas-Maret, 2011;Von Haaren & Reich, 2006). Second, drainage management that seeks to maintain pre-development water balance must become standard practice ( Roy et al., 2008;. This requires capture of stormwater near its source in storages large enough to mimic the pre-development soil storage ca- pacity. Drainage design should of course ensure that stormwater ex- ceeding the capacity of storages is conveyed safely to the reserved drainage lines ( Walsh et al., 2016). ...
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... for increasing biodiversity exist well beyond the creation of new, permanent urban green spaces such as parks. Many current practices introduce biodiversity either on a temporary basis (e.g., pop-up parks, derelict industrial areas; Fig. 1g), or into urban spaces not traditionally considered for greening (e.g., roofs and walls; Fig. 1f). These actions are not usually driven by a primary concern for biodiversity per se, but rather a desire to increase urban green cover for amenity or other functions such as water retention or urban cooling. However, these actions may also bring about biodiversity gains, if in- stallations are designed using ecological principles (Williams, Lundholm, & MacIvor, ...
Context 14
... for increasing biodiversity exist well beyond the creation of new, permanent urban green spaces such as parks. Many current practices introduce biodiversity either on a temporary basis (e.g., pop-up parks, derelict industrial areas; Fig. 1g), or into urban spaces not traditionally considered for greening (e.g., roofs and walls; Fig. 1f). These actions are not usually driven by a primary concern for biodiversity per se, but rather a desire to increase urban green cover for amenity or other functions such as water retention or urban cooling. However, these actions may also bring about biodiversity gains, if in- stallations are designed using ecological principles (Williams, Lundholm, & MacIvor, ...
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By 2030, ten percent of earth’s landmass will be occupied by cities. Urban environments can be home to many plants and animals, but surveying and estimating biodiversity in these spaces is complicated by a heterogeneous built environment where access and landscaping are highly variable due to human activity. Citizen science approaches may be the be...
Citations
... To enact conservation management strategies protecting biodiversity, urban planning relies on identifying important habitat areas to protect, enhance and restore in order to support wildlife persistence (Parris et al., 2018). Generally, this involves strategic planning over a defined period (or planning horizon), relying on predictions as to where natural features and restoration efforts are needed to support biodiversity. ...
Urban areas are under constant pressure to accommodate more people, leading to an increase in built surface, further reducing and fragmenting wildlife habitat areas within and around cities. Nonetheless, wildlife populations may persist by using a network of habitat fragments, such as urban green areas, but only if functionally interconnected. Therefore, a proactive approach considering prospective landscape connectivity changes, following proposed developments, and potential mitigation strategies is needed.
We predicted present‐day and prospective landscape connectivity for six taxa, in the Greater Toronto Area, under landscape changes across three future scenarios which include the conversion of agriculture to developed land with (1) no mitigation strategies, (2) renaturalization of single‐large areas and (3) renaturalization of small and widespread areas. We used Omniscape to identify shared movement corridors across taxa, and Graphab to estimate the importance of each habitat patch for the overall connectivity (IICk), the isolation degree of habitat patches (node degree) and the distribution of stepping‐stone pressure (betweenness centrality). We validated our connectivity assessment through a road mortality risk assessment near the predicted present‐day movement corridors.
Without mitigation strategies, the proposed developments will increase the isolation of currently near‐isolated patches and the importance of nearby patches as stepping‐stones. There will be a shift in the distribution of movement corridors to remnant green areas within newly developed land, and the fragmentation of three key corridors connecting peripheral areas to inner‐city forested areas. Mitigation strategies with small and widespread renaturalized green areas provided the best outcome in terms of connectivity and can compensate habitat loss following new developments.
The validation analysis supported our connectivity modelling assessment and revealed that road mortality risk was elevated near roads intersecting movement corridors. This finding strongly indicates that roads act as barriers to connectivity and should be explicitly addressed in wildlife connectivity strategies, such as natural heritage or greenspace planning.
Synthesis and applications. Notably, smaller but widely distributed natural areas can serve as a practical and effective management strategy for balancing the trade‐offs among economic costs, urban expansion and habitat conservation. To effectively support biodiversity conservation goals, such as the 30 × 30 target, these smaller natural areas should ideally be connected to nearby larger natural areas through natural corridors or mitigation infrastructure.
... A broad spectrum of parties, such as international organisations, academics, scientists and the public, has advocated for nature-inclusive cities (also known as nature-based solutions). Examples include the framework developed by the IUCN (Gionfra et al., 2023) or the seven "lamps" framework (principles) developed by Parris et al. in 2018(Parris et al., 2018. There is a clear call for a paradigm shift from urban planners because urban spaces offer an opportunity to advance sustainability development goals (Nilon et al., 2017). ...
... A broad spectrum of parties, such as international organisations, academics, scientists and the public, has advocated for nature-inclusive cities (also known as nature-based solutions). Examples include the framework developed by the IUCN (Gionfra et al., 2023) or the seven "lamps" framework (principles) developed by Parris et al. in 2018(Parris et al., 2018. There is a clear call for a paradigm shift from urban planners because urban spaces offer an opportunity to advance sustainability development goals (Nilon et al., 2017). ...
Beekeeping is a popular hobby, and urban beekeepers make up the largest number of beekeepers in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The ease of purchasing beehives, together with New Zealanders’ positive attitude toward honeybees, has meant that hobbyist beekeeper numbers have steadily increased since 2012. The impact of the increasing numbers of urban beehives has meant Aotearoa, New Zealand’s local councils have been forced to deal with honeybees and, ultimately, with urban beekeepers. This has, in some instances, led to nonsensical bylaws that the urban beekeepers have largely ignored. However, this article will demonstrate that local councils and, by inference, urban planners should take an alternative approach to urban beekeeping only because urban beekeeping leads to better sustainability outcomes. This article will show how urban beehives and beekeeping link well to the Sustainable Development Goals and provide local councils and urban planners with justifications to engage with urban beekeepers. Finally, this article states that local councils should stop treating honeybees as farm livestock and instead treat them as valuable pollinators and the indicator species that they are.
... So, urban planning designs supporting management and biodiversity are essential for creating sustainable cities 110,111 . Thus, city planners and decision-makers should adopt an attitude towards protecting natural resources and increasing biodiversity in new plans 112 . To achieve this, constantly updated and comprehensive information is needed. ...
Rapid urban growth is a subject of worldwide interest due to environmental problems. Population growth, especially migration from rural to urban areas, leads to land use and land cover (LULCC) changes in urban centres. Therefore, LULCC and urban growth analyses are among the studies that will help decision-makers achieve better sustainable management and planning. The objective of this study was to ascertain the impact of urbanization, which resulted from migration, on the alterations in LULCC, with a particular focus on the changes in forest areas surrounding the Bartın city centre between 2000 and 2020. Spatial databases for two periods were used to determine changes in urban growth. The spatial and temporal LULCC patterns of land use were quantified by interpreting spatial data. Remote sensing (RS) and geographical information systems (GIS) have been used for data collection, analysis, and presentation. The LULCC was assessed under nine classes using optical remote sensing methods on stand-type maps created from aerial photos. To determine how urban growth affects LULCC, land use status and transition matrices were created for each of the five sprawl zones around Bartın city. The annual change in forest areas is determined by the “annual forest rate”. The results indicate that the urbanization of Bartın city from 2000 to 2020 increased by approximately 19% (2510645.82 m²). However, this did not harm the forests; cover increased by 10.32% (174729.65 m²) over the same period. The process of urbanization was particularly evident in open areas and agricultural zones. During this period, there was a 37% reduction in agricultural areas (2943229.85 m²) and a 59% reduction in open areas (1265457.76 m²). The sprawl of Bartın city can be attributed to changes in its demographic structure, which mainly includes the migration of the rural population to urban areas and the emergence of new job opportunities. Factors such as challenging urban living conditions, insecure environments because of the increase in temporary foreign asylum seekers, and retirees returning to their hometowns are believed to have contributed to this population growth.
... To view a copy of this licence, visit h t direct drivers associated with land management practices and vegetation cover. Finally, despite the recognition that the design of greenblue infrastructure needs to be multidisciplinary (Parris et al. 2018), few studies have considered how insect diversity can be supported at the same time as other benefits. Future studies could address this in different ways. ...
Green-blue urban infrastructures potentially offer win-win benefits for people and nature in urban areas. Given increasing evidence of widespread declines of insects, as well as their ecological importance, there is a need to better understand the potential role of green-blue urban infrastructure for insect conservation. In this review, we evaluated 201 studies about the ability of green-blue infrastructure to support insect diversity. Most studies were focused on the role of local and landscape-level characteristics of green-blue infrastructure. Fewer studies explicitly compared one type of infrastructure to another, and even fewer compared insect communities between green-blue infrastructure and traditional infrastructure. Overall, the body of research highlights the importance of plant diversity and reduced intensity of management (e.g., mowing) for most insect taxon groups. While local characteristics seem to be generally more important than landscape factors, insect communities within green-blue infrastructures can also depend on their connectivity and landscape context. Some infrastructure types are generally more beneficial than others; for instance, ground-level habitats tend to support more insects than green roofs. Few studies simultaneously studied synergies or trade-offs with other services provided by green-blue infrastructure, but environmental variables, such as tree cover and plant diversity, that affect insects are likely to also affect the provision of other services such as improving thermal comfort and the well-being of people. Our review offers some initial evidence for how green-blue infrastructure could be designed for multifunctionality with insects in mind.
... This not only included wild animals but also livestock that was present in cities and was also kept in dense neighbourhoods. Even today, as there is a general consensus that biodiversity should be promoted in cities (CBD, 2012), and even though there exist ecological concepts and planning approaches to preserve and promote biodiversity in the city (Nilon et al., 2017;Parris et al., 2018;Pierce et al., 2020), biodiversity has still not been fully integrated into urban planning procedures. ...
... In growing cities, safeguarding remnants of natural vegetation is a conservation priority, maintaining them free from urban development (Hostetler & Reed, 2014). Similarly, preserving existing green areas that support crucial species, such as parks, is a fundamental step in city-level biodiversity planning (Parris et al., 2018). In contrast, the build-up area of the city has attracted less attention for conservation (Apfelbeck et al., 2020). ...
There are suggestions of how to integrate biodiversity-friendly measures into both architecture and landscape architecture, however it is unclear how to systematically include the needs of other organisms such as animals. One particular challenge is the conflict between amenity and biodiversity, as the human designer aims for good design, which often appears to be incompatible with biodiversity-friendly measures. Here we describe ‘Animal-Aided Design’ (AAD) as a methodology to systematically include animals into the planning cycle of project-based planning. The basic idea of AAD is to make animals an integral part of the design and define their needs at the beginning of the planning process. The requirements of target species then set boundary conditions for the planning process, but also serve as an inspiration for the design itself. We illustrate our methodology using theoretical examples, mostly from Western Europe, in particular Germany.
... By determining how birds interact with different habitat types within this urban river system, this study will provide valuable insights into the ecological functions of urban waterways and their role in supporting biodiversity. These findings will be instrumental in informing conservation strategies that aim to restore and protect the ecological integrity of the Adyar River, contributing to broader efforts to integrate biodiversity conservation into urban planning [11][12][13]. Additionally, this study will also address the need for more comprehensive urban biodiversity data, which is essential for effective management and policy-making in rapidly urbanizing regions. ...
The avian survey conducted along the Adyar Riverbank (Manapakkam) from January 2023 to December 2023 documented a total of 3120 individual birds across 75 species from 16 avian orders, highlighting the significant biodiversity within this urban ecosystem. This study aimed to assess seasonal variations in bird diversity and abundance, emphasizing the river’s role as animportant habitat. The highest diversity was observed during winter, specifically in February 2023, with a diversity index of 296.80 and a Simpson’s index of 0.22. A total of 36 species and 636 individuals were recorded. In contrast, the lowest diversity was observed in summer, particularly in July 2023, with a diversity index of 29.29 and a Simpson’s index of 0.05, corresponding to 18 species and 114 individuals. The monsoon and post-monsoon periods exhibited a prominent increase in diversity due to the arrival of migratory species and improved habitat conditions. Important species recorded throughout the year included the Paddy Field Pipit, House Crow, and Rufous Treepie, while conservation-significant species such as the Black-headed Ibis and Spotbilled Pelican were also observed. Thus, the present study underscores the Adyar River’s ecological importance and highlights the need for continuous monitoring and targeted conservation efforts to maintain avian biodiversity in urban river ecosystems.
... By determining how birds interact with different habitat types within this urban river system, this study will provide valuable insights into the ecological functions of urban waterways and their role in supporting biodiversity. These findings will be instrumental in informing conservation strategies that aim to restore and protect the ecological integrity of the Adyar River, contributing to broader efforts to integrate biodiversity conservation into urban planning [11][12][13]. Additionally, this study will also address the need for more comprehensive urban biodiversity data, which is essential for effective management and policy-making in rapidly urbanizing regions. ...
The avian survey conducted along the Adyar Riverbank (Manapakkam) from January 2023 to December 2023 documented a total of 3120 individual birds across 75 species from 16 avian orders, highlighting the significant biodiversity within this urban ecosystem. This study aimed to assess seasonal variations in bird diversity and abundance, emphasizing the river's role as an 376 important habitat. The highest diversity was observed during winter, specifically in February 2023, with a diversity index of 296.80 and a Simpson's index of 0.22. A total of 36 species and 636 individuals were recorded. In contrast, the lowest diversity was observed in summer, particularly in July 2023, with a diversity index of 29.29 and a Simpson's index of 0.05, corresponding to 18 species and 114 individuals. The monsoon and post-monsoon periods exhibited a prominent increase in diversity due to the arrival of migratory species and improved habitat conditions. Important species recorded throughout the year included the Paddy Field Pipit, House Crow, and Rufous Treepie, while conservation-significant species such as the Black-headed Ibis and Spot-billed Pelican were also observed. Thus, the present study underscores the Adyar River's ecological importance and highlights the need for continuous monitoring and targeted conservation efforts to maintain avian biodiversity in urban river ecosystems.
... By determining how birds interact with different habitat types within this urban river system, this study will provide valuable insights into the ecological functions of urban waterways and their role in supporting biodiversity. These findings will be instrumental in informing conservation strategies that aim to restore and protect the ecological integrity of the Adyar River, contributing to broader efforts to integrate biodiversity conservation into urban planning [11][12][13]. Additionally, this study will also address the need for more comprehensive urban biodiversity data, which is essential for effective management and policy-making in rapidly urbanizing regions. ...
The avian survey conducted along the Adyar Riverbank (Manapakkam) from January 2023 to December 2023 documented a total of 3120 individual birds across 75 species from 16 avian orders, highlighting the significant biodiversity within this urban ecosystem. This study aimed to assess seasonal variations in bird diversity and abundance, emphasizing the river's role as an 376 important habitat. The highest diversity was observed during winter, specifically in February 2023, with a diversity index of 296.80 and a Simpson's index of 0.22. A total of 36 species and 636 individuals were recorded. In contrast, the lowest diversity was observed in summer, particularly in July 2023, with a diversity index of 29.29 and a Simpson's index of 0.05, corresponding to 18 species and 114 individuals. The monsoon and post-monsoon periods exhibited a prominent increase in diversity due to the arrival of migratory species and improved habitat conditions. Important species recorded throughout the year included the Paddy Field Pipit, House Crow, and Rufous Treepie, while conservation-significant species such as the Black-headed Ibis and Spot-billed Pelican were also observed. Thus, the present study underscores the Adyar River's ecological importance and highlights the need for continuous monitoring and targeted conservation efforts to maintain avian biodiversity in urban river ecosystems.
... The ongoing decline in biodiversity is recognized as one of the most urgent global environmental challenges [3][4][5][6]. The loss of biodiversity is widely acknowledged as a primary driver of changes in ecosystem functions [7][8][9]. The pathways through which biodiversity influences ecosystem functions extend from the ecosystem structure and processes to the provision of ecosystem services, ultimately affecting the stability and resilience of ecosystems, which, in turn, impact human values and well-being [10][11][12]. ...
Exploring the factors that drive changes in biodiversity is a hot and critically important topic in landscape ecology and biogeography. In this study, semi-structured citizen science data and bird distribution maps were employed to gather data from 2015 to 2020 for the calculation of bird species richness, the Shannon index, and the Pielou index in Anhui Province. These metrics were utilized to assess avian biodiversity and to elucidate the spatial patterns of biodiversity distribution across the region. In this research, a structural equation model (SEM) was utilized to investigate the relationships between the three dimensions of landscape spatial structure, urban development intensity, and environmental factors on bird biodiversity, and a conceptual framework was established to identify the key driving factors. The validity, reliability, and fit of the hypothesized model were substantiated through rigorous testing, demonstrating its reasonableness. The results indicate the following: (1) In landscape spatial structure, landscape composition and configuration play crucial roles in influencing bird diversity. An increased proportion of cultivated land negatively impacts bird diversity, whereas the expansion of forested areas promotes it. At the configuration level, the Largest Patch Index (LPI) significantly enhances bird diversity, serving as the primary driving force. Landscape spatial structure affects bird diversity both directly, through its composition, and indirectly, through its configuration. (2) The dimension of urban development intensity generally shows significant negative impacts; among these, GDP has the greatest comprehensive impact and shows a significant negative impact. (3) Topography has the greatest overall impact on bird diversity among the environmental factors, with a predominantly direct positive effect. (4) Overall, urban landscape spatial structure and urban development intensity are the main driving forces of bird diversity in Anhui Province, the greatest of which is the direct effect of the urban development intensity. These results provide an important scientific basis for landscape planning and ecological protection and provide inspiration for assessing the driving factors of animal and plant diversity in other regions.
... Future research should therefore study urban planning from a transdisciplinary perspective such as by conducting urban experiments or living labs (Ehnert 2023;Rizzo et al. 2021). Promising areas of focus for such collaborative approaches include nature-based solutions (Wickenberg 2024) or planning for biodiversity in the city (Parris et al. 2018). ...
The future coexistence of human and nonhuman nature on an urban planet is at risk. A crucial lever is the transformation of human-nature relationships in and through cities. Urban planning as a sustainability intervention has the potential to reconnect cities with nature. To shed light on transformative potentials of urban planning in the context of human-nature connections, we conducted a systematic literature review. We analysed 71 empirical studies from Europe published between 2016 and 2022. We characterised the research using qualitative analysis, and applied the leverage point perspective as the main focus to identify blind spots and future research needs. Our review reveals a highly interdisciplinary field with research focus on transformation through planning, while issues of transformation in planning tend to receive less attention. Furthermore, the studies rather deal with shallow leverage points for sustainability transformations both in terms of system levels and human-nature connections. In order to unlock the potential of urban planning, future research should pay more attention to the inner dimensions of planning and human-nature connections in cities. Furthermore, research should be more concerned with the visionary modes of urban planning, e.g. by discussing what is (not) desirable in the future.
