What is the impact of urbanization on biodiversity?
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Impact of Urbanization on Biodiversity
Urban Land Expansion and Species Threats
Urbanization is a significant driver of biodiversity loss, with projections indicating that up to 855 species could be directly threatened by unmitigated urban expansion by 2050. Rapidly urbanizing regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, South America, Mesoamerica, and Southeast Asia are particularly vulnerable, highlighting the urgent need for integrating urban land considerations into global conservation strategies.
Direct and Indirect Impacts of Urban Growth
Urban growth is expected to add 1.2 billion people to urban areas by 2030, converting approximately 290,000 km² of natural habitat into urban land. This transformation is more extensively studied in high-income countries, while indirect impacts, such as those related to food consumption, affect a larger area but are less frequently quantified. The direct impacts of urbanization include habitat loss and fragmentation, while indirect impacts extend to broader ecological changes.
Pollinator Diversity and Urbanization
Urbanization has complex effects on pollinator diversity and pollination services. Moderate urbanization can sometimes enhance pollinator diversity compared to agricultural landscapes, but high levels of urbanization generally lead to declines in pollinator populations. Urban green spaces and the availability of nesting resources and flowering plants are crucial for maintaining pollinator diversity.
Homogenization of Biota in Developing Countries
In developing countries, urbanization often leads to the homogenization of biota, replacing native ecosystems with non-native ornamental species and causing significant loss of wetlands and agricultural lands. For instance, in Concepción, Chile, urban sprawl resulted in a 23% loss of wetlands and a 9% loss of agricultural and forest lands between 1975 and 2000. This pattern is indicative of broader trends in rapidly urbanizing regions.
Functional Uniqueness and Species Assemblages
Urbanization affects species assemblages by altering the functional uniqueness of species. In Paris, France, urban plant communities showed increased functional originality, suggesting that urban environments can support unique species assemblages. However, this effect diminishes in species-rich communities, indicating that urbanization can lead to both the coexistence of unique species and the presence of regionally redundant species.
Intra-Urban Biodiversity Variation
Intra-urban biodiversity is influenced by factors such as patch area, corridors, and vegetation structure. Large habitat patches and networks of corridors are essential for maintaining high levels of urban biodiversity. Local habitat management practices are more critical than landscape or design variables in determining biodiversity levels within cities.
Species Mobility and Specialization
Species' responses to urbanization are influenced by their mobility and degree of specialization. Highly mobile specialist species, such as certain butterflies and birds, are most negatively affected by urban environments. Urbanization tends to favor generalist species, leading to biotic homogenization and a reduction in specialist species.
Cross-Taxon Declines in Abundance and Diversity
Urbanization leads to declines in species abundance and diversity across multiple taxonomic groups. Terrestrial active dispersers, such as butterflies, experience significant reductions in abundance, while passive dispersers show varied responses. The overall trend is a decrease in species richness due to local species loss and biotic homogenization.
Implications for Protected Areas and Rare Species
Urban growth poses significant threats to ecoregions, rare species, and protected areas. By 2030, urbanization is expected to impact 15 additional ecoregions and 24 rare species with only one known population. The proximity of protected areas to urban centers is also decreasing, particularly in low to moderate-income countries, which may lack the capacity to manage these new pressures.
Conclusion
Urbanization has profound and multifaceted impacts on biodiversity, affecting species through habitat loss, biotic homogenization, and changes in species assemblages. Effective conservation strategies must consider both direct and indirect impacts of urban growth, prioritize the creation of urban green spaces, and address the unique challenges faced by developing regions. Integrating biodiversity management into urban planning is essential to mitigate the adverse effects of urbanization on global biodiversity.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic
Biodiversity impacts and conservation implications of urban land expansion projected to 2050
Research gaps in knowledge of the impact of urban growth on biodiversity
How urbanization is driving pollinator diversity and pollination – A systematic review
Multiple effects of urbanization on the biodiversity of developing countries: the case of a fast-growing metropolitan area (Concepción, Chile).
Urbanization Effects on Biodiversity Revealed by a Two-Scale Analysis of Species Functional Uniqueness vs. Redundancy
Biodiversity in cities needs space: a meta-analysis of factors determining intra-urban biodiversity variation.
Impacts of urbanisation on biodiversity: the role of species mobility, degree of specialisation and spatial scale
Urbanization drives cross‐taxon declines in abundance and diversity at multiple spatial scales
The implications of current and future urbanization for global protected areas and biodiversity conservation
Biodiversity concepts and urban ecosystems
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