Impact of Climate Change on Urban Bird Species Richness and the Importance of Urban Green Spaces

AbstractRapid urbanization and associated biodiversity loss is rampant globally but especially a cause of concern for developing countries. However, numerous studies investigating the role of urban green spaces have established their key role in conserving larger suites of species in urban area. Yet our knowledge is lopsided due to lag in research in developing countries. We examined how landscape and local scale features of urban green spaces influence bird species richness, density, fine-foraging guild richness and composition during breeding and non-breeding season. This is the first study of this nature in one the Himalayan states of India. We quantified landscape level variables in the 250m buffer around 18 urban green spaces. We sampled vegetation and bird community during breeding and non-breeding season through 52 intensive sampling point spread across 18 urban green spaces. Size of the urban green space at landscape level and tree richness at the local scale emerged as important predictor variables influencing bird species richness, density and richness of imperiled insectivorous guild across seasons. Urban green spaces within education institutions and offices experiencing much less management supported higher bird richness and density whereas city parks were the most species poor. Community composition was affected more strongly by built-up cover and barren area in the matrix and also by tree species richness within urban green spaces. City planners should focus on establishing larger city parks during design stage whereas biodiversity potential of the existing urban green spaces could be enhanced by selecting native tree and shrub species to increase overall habitat complexity.

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Long-term species richness-abundance dynamics in relation to species departures and arrivals in wintering urban bird assemblages

European Journal of Ecology ◽

10.2478/eje-2019-0002 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jukka Suhonen ◽

Jukka Jokimäki

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Bird Species ◽

Total Abundance ◽

Bird Species Richness ◽

Abundance Dynamics ◽

Local Species Richness ◽

Local Species ◽

The Mean ◽

Urban Bird ◽

Number Of Individuals

Abstract Temporal dynamics of local assemblages depend on the species richness and the total abundance of individuals as well as local departure and arrival rates of species. We used urban bird survey data collected from the same 31 study plots and methods during three winters (1991–1992; 1999–2000 and 2009–2010) to analyze the temporal relationship between bird species richness and total number of individuals (abundance). We also evaluated local departures and arrivals of species in each assemblage. In total, 13,812 individuals of 35 species were detected. The temporal variation in bird species richness followed the variation in the total number of individuals. The numbers of local departure and arrival events were similar. Also, the mean number of individuals of the recently arrived species (8.6) was almost the same as the mean number of individuals of the departed species (8.2). Risk of species departure was inversely related to number of individuals. Local species richness increased by one species when the total abundance of individuals increased by around 125 individuals and vice versa. Our results highlight the important role of local population departures and arrivals in determining the local species richness-abundance dynamics in human-dominated landscapes. Local species richness patterns depend on the total number of individuals as well as both the departure-arrival dynamics of individual species as well as the dynamics of all the species together. Our results support the more individuals hypothesis, which suggests that individual-rich assemblages have more species.

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Urban Heat Island Effect of Addis Ababa City: Implications of Urban Green Spaces for Climate Change Adaptation

Climate Change Management - Climate Change Adaptation in Africa ◽

10.1007/978-3-319-49520-0_33 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 539-552 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ermias Teferi ◽

Hiwot Abraha

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Urban Heat Island ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Addis Ababa ◽

Green Spaces ◽

Heat Island ◽

Urban Green ◽

Urban Green Spaces ◽

Island Effect ◽

Urban Heat

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Urban Green Spaces: Potentials and Constraints for Urban Adaptation to Climate Change

Resilient Cities ◽

10.1007/978-94-007-0785-6_47 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 479-485 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Juliane Mathey ◽

Stefanie Rößler ◽

Iris Lehmann ◽

Anne Bräuer

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Green Spaces ◽

Adaptation To Climate Change ◽

Urban Green ◽

Urban Green Spaces ◽

Urban Adaptation

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Evaluating the Cooling Potential of Urban Green Spaces to Tackle Urban Climate Change in Lisbon

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11092480 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 2480 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Cláudia Reis ◽

António Lopes

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Air Temperature ◽

Urban Climate ◽

Green Spaces ◽

Reference Station ◽

Future Climate Change ◽

Measuring Point ◽

Urban Green ◽

Urban Green Spaces ◽

Human Thermal Comfort

The increase and optimization of urban vegetation has been considered an effective mitigation measure of an urban heat island (UHI), with positive effects on human thermal comfort. In this study, the cooling potential of all green spaces in Lisbon was estimated. For that, several mobile measurements of air temperature data were made in a single park (Gulbenkian’s Garden). These measurements were used for the interpolation of air temperature. Furthermore, urban biomass was estimated using remote sensing products, namely Landsat satellite images. Ultimately, a linear regression model was built from the relation between vegetation density and air temperature. Results regarding the estimation of biomass (AGB) in the city of Lisbon were higher in winter than in summer. The urban green spaces cooling potential model showed that for every decrease of 1 °C in air temperature between a measuring point and a reference station we need to increase the area covered by vegetation by 50 m2 (planar measure). This methodology can be applied in other urban areas for the quantification of the cooling effect provided by vegetation in order to improve urban climate thermal conditions and human well-being and, consequently, to mitigate some consequences of future climate change.

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Island biogeography of insect conservation in urban green spaces

Environmental Conservation ◽

10.1017/s0376892917000121 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

SIMONE FATTORINI ◽

CRISTINA MANTONI ◽

LIVIA DE SIMONI ◽

DIANA M.P. GALASSI

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Island Biogeography ◽

Extinction Risk ◽

Strong Support ◽

Insect Conservation ◽

Green Spaces ◽

Insect Species ◽

Urban Green ◽

Urban Green Spaces ◽

Insect Species Richness

SUMMARYBecause of their isolation, biotic communities of urban green spaces are expected to be similar to those of oceanic islands. This should be particularly true for insects, which represent an important component of urban faunas. The equilibrium theory of island biogeography (ETIB) allows for the formulation of some hypotheses regarding the influence of the geographical characteristics of green spaces on insect species richness and extinction risk. Based on island biogeography principles, we present eight predictions on how green space characteristics should influence insect species richness and loss. We analysed the current literature in order to determine which predictions were supported and which were not. We found that many studies gave outcomes that support ETIB predictions about the effects of area and isolation of green spaces; we found no strong support for predictions about shape and extent of native habitat in the literature that we reviewed. Most of the available studies dealt with patterns in species richness, whereas insect species loss has been rarely investigated. Future developments in the application of island biogeography principles to urban insect conservation should address temporal trends in species persistence and the analysis of species co-occurrence and nestedness.

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Area is the primary correlate of annual and seasonal patterns of avian species richness in urban green spaces

Landscape and Urban Planning ◽

10.1016/j.landurbplan.2020.103892 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 203 ◽

pp. 103892 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Frank A. La Sorte ◽

Myla F.J. Aronson ◽

Christopher A. Lepczyk ◽

Kyle G. Horton

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Avian Species ◽

Green Spaces ◽

Seasonal Patterns ◽

Urban Green ◽

Urban Green Spaces

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Perceived species-richness in urban green spaces: Cues, accuracy and well-being impacts

Landscape and Urban Planning ◽

10.1016/j.landurbplan.2017.12.002 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 172 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Georgina E Southon ◽

Anna Jorgensen ◽

Nigel Dunnett ◽

Helen Hoyle ◽

Karl L Evans

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Well Being ◽

Green Spaces ◽

Urban Green ◽

Urban Green Spaces

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Public Perceptions of Urban Green Spaces: Convergences and Divergences

Frontiers in Sustainable Cities ◽

10.3389/frsc.2021.755313 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Author(s):

Shah Md. Atiqul Haq ◽

Mohammad Nazrul Islam ◽

Ankita Siddhanta ◽

Khandaker Jafor Ahmed ◽

Mohammed Thanvir Ahmed Chowdhury

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Public Support ◽

Public Perceptions ◽

Green Spaces ◽

Extensive Literature ◽

Urban Green ◽

Urban Green Spaces ◽

Adaptation And Mitigation

In the context of rapid climate change, it is important to understand public perceptions of urban green spaces (UGSs), because green spaces have enormous potential as instruments for climate change adaptation and mitigation, and because the development of such spaces both requires and benefits from public support. This article attempts, through an extensive literature review, to understand convergences and divergences in perceptions of urban green spaces (UGSs) of city dwellers around the world and to identify gaps in the existing research. Additionally, the article explores research into the benefits associated with urban green spaces, including health (e.g., physical and mental), social (e.g., social networks and social relationships), economic (e.g., employment and income generation), and environmental (e.g., ecosystem services and biodiversity). This article further seeks to identify the extent to which urban residents have been found to perceive the roles UGSs can play in climate change adaptation and mitigation, and cultural exchange. Based on studies conducted in different countries over the past decade, this paper integrates environmental, social, cultural, and economic aspects of urban greening to provide insight into the similarities and differences in perceptions of urban green spaces and suggest approaches to building climate change resilient urban communities. This paper finds justification for: encouraging the use of integrated, multidisciplinary approaches, using innovative tools, for both the study and practical development of UGSs; conducting a greater number of studies of newer urban areas in developing countries; and considering the diverse disadvantages as well as the advantages of UGSs in order to support the continued development and expansion of this critical climate-friendly infrastructure. The more that residents' perceptions of and attitudes toward UGSs are incorporated into the design of such spaces, the more successful they will be at providing the myriad benefits they have the potential to offer.

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