Urban biodiversity and its impact on ecosystem services
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Urban Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Key Relationships
Positive Impacts of Urban Biodiversity on Ecosystem Services
Research consistently shows that higher biodiversity in urban areas supports a range of ecosystem services, especially pollination, nutrient cycling, and retention. These services are crucial for maintaining healthy urban environments and directly benefit city residents by improving air and water quality, supporting food production, and enhancing climate regulation 1234+3 MORE. Studies highlight that soil biodiversity, in particular, is strongly linked to multiple ecosystem functions, such as carbon sequestration, organic matter decomposition, plant productivity, and water regulation, all of which are vital for urban sustainability and human wellbeing 45.
Synergies and Trade-offs in Urban Ecosystem Services
Urban green spaces and agroecosystems often exhibit multiple synergies—where increasing biodiversity leads to stacked benefits across several ecosystem services. For example, greater tree species richness in urban parks is associated with higher carbon sequestration and improved air quality, while also supporting pollinator habitats and increasing human visitation rates 37. Contrary to previous assumptions, food production in urban gardens does not necessarily conflict with biodiversity goals; instead, well-managed urban gardens can simultaneously support high biodiversity and food yields . However, some trade-offs can occur, particularly in highly managed or intensively used spaces, but these are generally less common than synergies 137.
The Role of Soil and Plant Diversity
Soil biodiversity is a key driver of ecosystem multifunctionality in urban greenspaces. Diverse communities of soil bacteria, fungi, protists, and invertebrates enhance essential services like nutrient cycling, pathogen control, and carbon storage. Plant diversity also plays a role, mainly by influencing soil conditions that support below-ground biodiversity. Both native and non-native plant species can contribute to these positive effects, though native species often have a stronger impact 45.
Aquatic Biodiversity and Urban Streams
Urban streams and rivers provide important ecosystem services, including water purification, flood regulation, and recreational opportunities. The biodiversity of aquatic communities, such as macroinvertebrates and diatoms, is closely linked to the provision of these services. Macroinvertebrate diversity, in particular, serves as a strong indicator of a stream’s ability to supply provisioning and regulating services, reinforcing the need to protect and restore urban aquatic habitats .
Urban Planning, Green Spaces, and Integrated Management
Effective urban planning that integrates biodiversity and ecosystem service mapping can help reconcile the needs of urban development with nature conservation. Mapping the supply and demand of ecosystem services across urban-rural gradients reveals that urban areas often have higher demand than supply, highlighting the importance of strategic green space management and the inclusion of ecosystem services in urban plans . Urban forests, when managed for diverse tree species and structural complexity, deliver a wide array of environmental benefits, including air and water regulation, climate moderation, and habitat provision .
Gaps and Future Directions
Despite growing evidence of the positive relationship between urban biodiversity and ecosystem services, research is still limited in geographic scope and often focuses on single services or cities. There is a need for broader studies that assess multiple services, consider non-species-based biodiversity measures, and include non-native and invasive species. Expanding research to more cities and diverse urban contexts will help develop better predictive frameworks and inform urban design and management strategies 12.
Conclusion
Urban biodiversity is essential for supporting a wide range of ecosystem services that underpin the health, wellbeing, and sustainability of cities. Enhancing both above- and below-ground biodiversity in urban green spaces, gardens, forests, and waterways can provide multiple, simultaneous benefits for people and nature. Integrated planning and management approaches that prioritize biodiversity and ecosystem service provision are key to building resilient and livable urban environments.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
Multiple ecosystem service synergies and landscape mediation of biodiversity within urban agroecosystems.
Urban community gardens show multiple synergies and few trade-offs in supporting biodiversity and ecosystem services, highlighting the importance of garden management and urban planning for human well-being.
Soil biodiversity supports the delivery of multiple ecosystem functions in urban greenspaces
Conserving soil biodiversity in urban greenspaces is crucial for supporting multiple ecosystem functions, contributing to sustainability and human wellbeing.
Biodiversity maintains soil multifunctionality and soil organic carbon in novel urban ecosystems
Increasing plant and soil diversity in urban grasslands can enhance soil multifunctionality and carbon sequestration, potentially mitigating climate change impacts.
Biodiversity and ecosystem services mapping: Can it reconcile urban and protected area planning?
Mapping biodiversity and ecosystem services supply and demand can help reconcile urban and protected area planning, potentially enhancing integrated territorial planning.
Urbanization and Global Trends in Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Urbanization impacts and depends on the biophysical environment, both causing and solving environmental problems, with a global overview of cities' relationships with biodiversity and freshwater ecosystem services.
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