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Urban biodiversity: patterns and mechanisms.

Stanley H Faeth¹, Christofer Bang, Susanna Saari

¹Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina 27402-6170, USA. shfaeth@uncg.edu

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

|April 1, 2011

Summary

Urban biodiversity patterns show increased plant richness but decreased animal richness. Human actions shape the plant "template," influencing other urban wildlife, highlighting the need to understand these processes for conservation.

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Area of Science:

Urban ecology
Biodiversity science
Conservation biology

Background:

Urbanization significantly alters global biodiversity patterns.
Research on urban biodiversity is concentrated in temperate zones, with less understanding of other climate zones.
Existing models of urban biodiversity change lack a deep understanding of underlying ecological processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the processes driving biodiversity changes in urban environments.
To investigate the role of human-mediated plant communities as a "template" for other urban wildlife.
To inform strategies for conserving and reconstructing urban biodiversity.

Main Methods:

The study synthesizes existing research on urban biodiversity patterns.
It proposes a conceptual model where human-controlled plant communities influence animal and microbial diversity.
Ecological and evolutionary processes acting on this plant template are examined.

Main Results:

Urban areas often exhibit increased plant species richness due to introduced species, contrasting with declining animal species richness.
Abundances of certain taxa, like birds and arthropods, can increase despite overall species richness decline.
Human management of urban vegetation creates a "template" that indirectly shapes the rest of the urban ecosystem.

Conclusions:

Conserving or restoring urban vegetation does not automatically ensure the recovery of associated animal and microbial communities.
Understanding the interplay between human-driven and natural processes is crucial for effective urban biodiversity conservation.
Urban biodiversity represents an increasingly significant portion of global biodiversity, necessitating focused research and conservation efforts.