How People Foraging in Urban Greenspace Can Mobilize Social–Ecological Resilience During Covid-19 and Beyond

Informal foraging for food and other natural materials in urban greenspaces is an activity undertaken by many across the world. For some, foraging is a necessary means of survival and livelihood, while for others, it provides cultural and recreational opportunities. In the socioeconomic crises induced by Covid-19, foraging can help communities, especially (but not exclusively) vulnerable people, cope with the impacts of lockdowns, and associated economic decline. In the long run, foraging can help improve social–ecological resilience in urban systems, particularly in response to climate, economic, and disease disruptions. First, we elaborate the ways in which urban foraging can provide immediate relief from the shocks to natural, human, social, physical, and financial capital. We then describe how over time, the livelihood, food, and income diversification brought about by foraging can contribute to preparedness for future uncertainties and gradual change. Cities are increasingly becoming home to the majority of humanity, and urban foraging can be one of the pathways that makes cities more liveable, for humans as well as other species we coexist with. Through the capitals framework, we explore the role foraging could play in addressing issues of biodiversity conservation, culture, and education, good governance and social justice, multifunctional greenspace, and sustainable nature-based livelihoods in urban areas.

An Analysis of Urban Ecological Knowledge and Behaviour in Wellington, New Zealand

<p>The majority of the worlds' population now live in urban areas, with urban areas growing at a faster rate than other land use types. Most urban residents are concentrated in neighbourhoods of low biodiversity, and there are concerns about urban residents' disconnection from nature. A lack of ecological knowledge and pro-environmental behaviour has conservation implications. I surveyed Wellington households (n=453) and investigated possible predictors of residents' ecological knowledge about birdlife, bird feeding, and tree planting connected to birdlife. Three measures of knowledge were tested, species freelisting, neighbourhood bird knowledge, and photo identification. Key predictors of higher levels of ecological knowledge were increased frequencies of visiting local and regional parks, higher levels of garden space, and higher educational qualifications. However, all models had low predictive power. Species richness and perceived access to greenspaces were not significant predictors of ecological knowledge. Residents had a lower knowledge of native birdlife compared with exotic species across all measures. Forty-two percent of respondents fed birds, 10% targeting native species, and 36% planted trees for birdlife. Knowledge of neighbourhood birds and garden size were key predictors for each. This study shows the importance of urban greenspaces for ecological knowledge and behaviour, and efforts should be made to encourage visits to greenspaces.</p>

An Analysis of Urban Ecological Knowledge and Behaviour in Wellington, New Zealand

<p>The majority of the worlds' population now live in urban areas, with urban areas growing at a faster rate than other land use types. Most urban residents are concentrated in neighbourhoods of low biodiversity, and there are concerns about urban residents' disconnection from nature. A lack of ecological knowledge and pro-environmental behaviour has conservation implications. I surveyed Wellington households (n=453) and investigated possible predictors of residents' ecological knowledge about birdlife, bird feeding, and tree planting connected to birdlife. Three measures of knowledge were tested, species freelisting, neighbourhood bird knowledge, and photo identification. Key predictors of higher levels of ecological knowledge were increased frequencies of visiting local and regional parks, higher levels of garden space, and higher educational qualifications. However, all models had low predictive power. Species richness and perceived access to greenspaces were not significant predictors of ecological knowledge. Residents had a lower knowledge of native birdlife compared with exotic species across all measures. Forty-two percent of respondents fed birds, 10% targeting native species, and 36% planted trees for birdlife. Knowledge of neighbourhood birds and garden size were key predictors for each. This study shows the importance of urban greenspaces for ecological knowledge and behaviour, and efforts should be made to encourage visits to greenspaces.</p>

Modeling seasonal emergence of Poa annua in urban greenspace

Turfgrasses are perennial components of urban greenspaces found in parks, recreational areas, golf courses, sports fields, and lawns that confer many ecosystem services. A copious seed producer, Poa annua is the most troublesome weed of turfgrass and continually threatens the ecosystem services provided by urban greenspaces. Field research was conducted in Knoxville, TN to better understand environmental conditions triggering P. annua seedling emergence patterns to assist managers with optimally timing interventions—both chemical and non-chemical—for control. Fluctuations in cooling degree day (CDD21C) accumulation accounted for 82% of the variance in yearly cumulative P. annua emergence data collected in a single irrigated sward of hybrid bermudagrass [C. dactylon (L.) Pers. x. C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy]. However, non-linear models using CDD21C data developed ex post were not able to accurately predict P. annua emergence patterns ex ante. In both years, P. annua emergence changed most rapidly between the 40th and 43rd week of the year when seven-day mean soil temperature and rainfall were 18.9 °C and 12.7 mm, respectively. Future research should explore the efficacy of herbicide mixtures applied when P. annua emergence is most rapidly changing in lieu of developing models to predict when specific emergence thresholds occur.

Qualitative and Quantitative Indicators of Foliar Mass of Woody Plants in Urban Greenspaces According to the Level of Air Pollution

The purpose of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of the leaf fall timing and parameters of fluctuating leaf asymmetry among two commonly used plant species for street landscaping in Detroit city, namely, American elm and American ash. The study was completed between summer and fall for the year 2019 in and around Detroit, US. Phenological leaf fall timing of elm and ash was studied, and the fluctuating asymmetry index of their leaves was estimated within the city limits (80 trees of ash and 40 of elm) and outside the city (control site, 20 trees of each species). Leaf fall in city ash trees was recorded from November 1st to 4th and 5-8 days prior to the leaf fall in elms (p ≤ 0.01). Elm trees in the control group shed their leaves 10 days later compared to the city trees, i.e., on average, on November 25th (p ≤ 0.01). Ash trees in the control group shed their leaves earlier than the elm control group, on November 11th (p ≤ 0.001). In the city streets, the average fluctuating asymmetry ranged from 0.065 to 0.086 (point 1), from 0.049 to 0.078 (point 2) and from 0.063 to 0.082 (control site, near the highway).

Streetscapes as Surrogate Greenspaces During COVID-19?

In 2020, the spread of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) globally led to severe crisis, disruption and hardship in both private and public life. In such times of distress, access to urban greenspaces is essential for physical and mental wellbeing. However, globally implemented lockdowns deprived many people of freely visiting greenspaces. Inequality in access to urban greenspaces was apparent at global scales. Consequently, many people took to streets for outdoor activities due to its easy accessibility. We, therefore, aimed to study the usage and relevance of streetscapes for outdoor activities during a crisis. We hypothesised that streetscapes supported diverse outdoor activities, functioning as surrogate urban greenspaces. We distributed an online questionnaire to over 400 international respondents. Our results clearly showed that people used streetscapes during this period for a variety of activities, many of which were also reported as their main physical activity. Walking was the most frequent activity in streetscapes globally, and independent from sociocultural characteristics. Other activities reported such as jogging and cycling also aligned generally with main physical activities of people, but differed between countries and people's sociocultural background. In summary, more than one third of respondents from lower-income countries reported not having had access to a greenspace, whereas 8% reported the same in high-income countries. Our results highlight the important role of streetscapes in facilitating people's regular physical activities during the pandemic. Recognising streetscapes as important public outdoor spaces within residential neighbourhoods could help counteract the inequality in greenspace access, an issue that seems more relevant than ever before.