Urban biodiversity in an era of climate change: Towards an optimised landscape pattern in support of indigenous wildlife species in urban New Zealand

<p>Biodiversity is the basis of life on the planet Earth. Without biodiversity, ecosystems and the life within them will not thrive. Nevertheless, biodiversity currently grapples with unprecedented challenges attributed to climate change and anthropogenic development, mostly in urban landscapes. While less than 3% of the world’s land surface is covered by urban settlements, biodiversity conservation in urban landscapes is vital because historically most cities have been established at ecosystem junctions where a variety of wildlife species co-exist and interact with abiotic resources to support ecosystem health, and therefore ecosystem services which are essential to human wellbeing, and indeed survival. To support biodiversity and ensure ecosystem services in these human-occupied ecosystem junctions, developing and advancing accurate and reliable knowledge to enable the informed arrangement of ecological patterns and processes in space and time should perhaps be one of the principal tenets of landscape architecture in the twenty-first century. One way this can be fulfilled is through the spatial design of land cover patterns based upon what wildlife require to survive in such a changing and unpredictable atmosphere. Thus, there is an urgent need for undertaking research to inform landscape architecture researchers and practitioners who engage in a wide range of planned interventions in urban landscapes, including decision making on site selection and the allocation of land for human activities or nature preservation, long-term land use planning in its broad sense, urban forestry, landscape restoration, geo-design practices, etc. In this research, Wellington New Zealand is chosen as the study area. Ecologically fragmented and rapidly growing, the city has been established and continues to expand at one of the most valuable ecosystem junctions in the Southern Hemisphere. As one of the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots, New Zealand is experiencing widespread biodiversity loss in its urban landscapes. Unique but fragile, New Zealand indigenous fauna face a wide range of impacts imposed by climate change including ecosystem degradation and habitat loss, biological invasions by some exotic plants, an increased rate of predation by introduced mammals that is exacerbated by rising temperatures, the spread of diseases by introduced species, phenological changes, and food scarcity particularly during winter. In response to these threats, this research drills down into the role of spatial patterning of patches of vegetation in order to safeguard indigenous fauna against climate change in urban New Zealand where possible. The aim is to examine opportunities for biodiversity conservation through spatial planning and design based upon the habitat requirements of urban fauna as a determinant factor for shaping and characterising urban landscapes. This is conducted to contribute to an informed spatial design of land cover patterns in relation to ecological processes in order to enhance human-wildlife co-existence in urban landscapes and to support the continuation of a wide range of ecosystem services in a climate that continues to change. A novel methodology employed in this research involves (1) a questionnaire-centred survey of international scholars, (2) semi-structured interviews with New Zealand subject-matter experts, and (3) a GIS-based spatial analysis of Wellington New Zealand using a rich collection of spatial datasets. Arc Map v. 10.4.1, FRAGSTATS v.4.2, and a core set of 15 landscape metrics have been used to quantify and measure the current composition and configuration of land cover classes distributed in Wellington with regards to the spatial ecology of six keystone species endemic to New Zealand. Results provide an array of land-based information applicable in landscape architecture research and practice. According to this research, the study area has suffered from widespread land cover change and habitat loss over the last two centuries. Although a large proportion of the urban landscape is still covered by different types of green space, in most, if not all, cases, the spatial composition and configuration of patches of vegetation do not meet the minimum habitat requirements that will allow urban fauna to respond effectively to the current threats attributed to climate change. To avoid further biodiversity loss and ensure the natural regeneration of indigenous ecosystems in the region over time, this research suggests that the allocation of land for human activities and/or biodiversity conservation in urban New Zealand should be informed by an in-depth knowledge of the spatial ecology of keystone species, such as kererū and tūī. Based upon this key concept, it is informed interventions in the composition and configuration of land cover classes that are likely to contribute most effectively to safeguarding wildlife species from the local impacts of climate change in urban New Zealand, not necessarily conventional development of green spaces or increasing the percentage of green space per capita without careful strategic consideration of the location and nature of that green space. The nature and level of these interventions should be determined with particular regard to the floristic nature of each land cover class as well as ecological interactions between the land cover classes and urban fauna in space and time. These findings are discussed, depicted, and illustrated in detail and reveal, for the first time, an integrated picture of current capacities and bottlenecks for biodiversity conservation through spatial planning in the context of climate change in urban New Zealand. The research ends with ten spatially-explicit recommendations for landscape architecture and land use planning practitioners in urban New Zealand, proposing practical solutions for achieving optimised landscape pattern compositions and configurations for safeguarding urban fauna against the impacts of climate change where possible. The research also opens up six specific areas of inquiry for future research in New Zealand and other regions with similar issues and challenges, worldwide. While the research places particular emphasis on urban New Zealand, lessons learned can contribute to the body of landscape architecture knowledge on a global scale, and show that landscape architects have a critical role in maintaining and increasing the well-being of people in cities through focusing on the health of urban biodiversity.</p>

Urban biodiversity in an era of climate change: Towards an optimised landscape pattern in support of indigenous wildlife species in urban New Zealand

<p>Biodiversity is the basis of life on the planet Earth. Without biodiversity, ecosystems and the life within them will not thrive. Nevertheless, biodiversity currently grapples with unprecedented challenges attributed to climate change and anthropogenic development, mostly in urban landscapes. While less than 3% of the world’s land surface is covered by urban settlements, biodiversity conservation in urban landscapes is vital because historically most cities have been established at ecosystem junctions where a variety of wildlife species co-exist and interact with abiotic resources to support ecosystem health, and therefore ecosystem services which are essential to human wellbeing, and indeed survival. To support biodiversity and ensure ecosystem services in these human-occupied ecosystem junctions, developing and advancing accurate and reliable knowledge to enable the informed arrangement of ecological patterns and processes in space and time should perhaps be one of the principal tenets of landscape architecture in the twenty-first century. One way this can be fulfilled is through the spatial design of land cover patterns based upon what wildlife require to survive in such a changing and unpredictable atmosphere. Thus, there is an urgent need for undertaking research to inform landscape architecture researchers and practitioners who engage in a wide range of planned interventions in urban landscapes, including decision making on site selection and the allocation of land for human activities or nature preservation, long-term land use planning in its broad sense, urban forestry, landscape restoration, geo-design practices, etc. In this research, Wellington New Zealand is chosen as the study area. Ecologically fragmented and rapidly growing, the city has been established and continues to expand at one of the most valuable ecosystem junctions in the Southern Hemisphere. As one of the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots, New Zealand is experiencing widespread biodiversity loss in its urban landscapes. Unique but fragile, New Zealand indigenous fauna face a wide range of impacts imposed by climate change including ecosystem degradation and habitat loss, biological invasions by some exotic plants, an increased rate of predation by introduced mammals that is exacerbated by rising temperatures, the spread of diseases by introduced species, phenological changes, and food scarcity particularly during winter. In response to these threats, this research drills down into the role of spatial patterning of patches of vegetation in order to safeguard indigenous fauna against climate change in urban New Zealand where possible. The aim is to examine opportunities for biodiversity conservation through spatial planning and design based upon the habitat requirements of urban fauna as a determinant factor for shaping and characterising urban landscapes. This is conducted to contribute to an informed spatial design of land cover patterns in relation to ecological processes in order to enhance human-wildlife co-existence in urban landscapes and to support the continuation of a wide range of ecosystem services in a climate that continues to change. A novel methodology employed in this research involves (1) a questionnaire-centred survey of international scholars, (2) semi-structured interviews with New Zealand subject-matter experts, and (3) a GIS-based spatial analysis of Wellington New Zealand using a rich collection of spatial datasets. Arc Map v. 10.4.1, FRAGSTATS v.4.2, and a core set of 15 landscape metrics have been used to quantify and measure the current composition and configuration of land cover classes distributed in Wellington with regards to the spatial ecology of six keystone species endemic to New Zealand. Results provide an array of land-based information applicable in landscape architecture research and practice. According to this research, the study area has suffered from widespread land cover change and habitat loss over the last two centuries. Although a large proportion of the urban landscape is still covered by different types of green space, in most, if not all, cases, the spatial composition and configuration of patches of vegetation do not meet the minimum habitat requirements that will allow urban fauna to respond effectively to the current threats attributed to climate change. To avoid further biodiversity loss and ensure the natural regeneration of indigenous ecosystems in the region over time, this research suggests that the allocation of land for human activities and/or biodiversity conservation in urban New Zealand should be informed by an in-depth knowledge of the spatial ecology of keystone species, such as kererū and tūī. Based upon this key concept, it is informed interventions in the composition and configuration of land cover classes that are likely to contribute most effectively to safeguarding wildlife species from the local impacts of climate change in urban New Zealand, not necessarily conventional development of green spaces or increasing the percentage of green space per capita without careful strategic consideration of the location and nature of that green space. The nature and level of these interventions should be determined with particular regard to the floristic nature of each land cover class as well as ecological interactions between the land cover classes and urban fauna in space and time. These findings are discussed, depicted, and illustrated in detail and reveal, for the first time, an integrated picture of current capacities and bottlenecks for biodiversity conservation through spatial planning in the context of climate change in urban New Zealand. The research ends with ten spatially-explicit recommendations for landscape architecture and land use planning practitioners in urban New Zealand, proposing practical solutions for achieving optimised landscape pattern compositions and configurations for safeguarding urban fauna against the impacts of climate change where possible. The research also opens up six specific areas of inquiry for future research in New Zealand and other regions with similar issues and challenges, worldwide. While the research places particular emphasis on urban New Zealand, lessons learned can contribute to the body of landscape architecture knowledge on a global scale, and show that landscape architects have a critical role in maintaining and increasing the well-being of people in cities through focusing on the health of urban biodiversity.</p>

Checklist of butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of an urban area of Caatinga-Atlantic Forest ecotone in Bahia, Brazil

The butterfly inventories carried out in urban landscapes in Bahia are still scarce. Urban areas with remnants of native vegetation in association with ornamental plants can provide several resources that are favorable for the development and shelter of various animal species, including insects, even with the high anthropization that occurs in these environments. In this work, we aim to investigate the urban fauna of butterflies at the Campus of the Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (UEFS), an area of ​​Caatinga-Atlantic Forest ecotone located in the municipality of Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil. Monthly samplings were carried out with entomological net and standardized traps with different attractive baits, between May 2019 and January 2020, in addition to review of the material previously deposited at the Entomological Collection Prof. Johan Becker located at the Zoology Museum of the UEFS (MZFS). In total, 114 species of Papilionoidea were recorded, with Nymphalidae being the richest family (45 species), followed by Hesperiidae (32), Lycaenidae (21), Pieridae (10), Papilionidae (3) and Riodinidae (3). Thirteen species are new records for Bahia and eight species are new records for Northeast Brazil. The results demonstrate the extreme relevance of the conservation and preservation of urban green areas for the maintenance of butterflies species and, consequently, the associated insect fauna.

Urban mammal fauna under conditions of a large city (on the example of Ulyanovsk, Middle Volga Region)

In this work, the topographic features of the spatial pattern of biodiversity of the urban fauna in general in the city are revealed: the number of urban fauna species has a maximum in the southern part of the city and a minimum in the western part. The mammal fauna as a component of urban fauna in general exhibits greater plasticity and adaptability in relation to humans compared to other groups of biota, for example, the insect fauna and avifauna. The urban mammal fauna in Ulyanovsk has historically formed due to the penetration of representatives of various faunal complexes that inhabit the region into the city area and its vicinities: (1) floodplain species associated with the river Sviyaga and its tributaries, 36.17%; (2) forest species living in pine-deciduous, deciduous-pine, and taiga forests, 46.81%; (3) upland-steppe species associated with Cretaceous landscapes of the right bank, 6.38%; (4) steppe species, including mammals of the left bank, common for the native feather grass–fescue steppes, 6.38%. Some animal species have remained in the city and in the region due to their spread by humans—introduced species and species kept in fur farms (10.64%). Synanthropic species are associated with human settlements (4.26%). The occurrence of species in different zones of the city (right bank and left bank) and habitats with an increase in the level of urbanization and a decrease in species diversity (1–5) are as follows: (1) green zones—parks and squares with woody vegetation, 31 species; (2) floodplain of the river Sviyaga within the city, 24 species; (3) summer cottages within the city, 15 species; (4) private sector with one-storey buildings, 5 species; (5) multi-storey buildings, 4 species. In general, in an urban environment, mammal species that coexist with humans make up 66.19 % of the total number of mammal species in the region. At the same time, the number of rare mammal species listed in the regional Red Book is 12.68%. Thus, when conservation measures for the protection of animal habitats within the urban environment are observed, most species are able to maintain stable populations.

Changes of avifauna in green areas of Almaty City in the beginning of 21st century

Currently, there are serious changes in the environment in Almaty due to the accentuated urbanization processes. The avifauna of the city is experiencing serious stress pressure in this regard, which forces the animals to adapt to new conditions or leave this territory. The last fundamental research on the species composition of the city's fauna was conducted about 3 decades ago. The analysis of information on the birds of Almaty, collected by specialists of the Institute of Zoology over the past 50 years, showed significant changes in the avifauna. 5 categories of bird species were identified: 1) species that have disappeared from the urban fauna, 2) species whose numbers have declined significantly, 3) species that have a tendency to decline in numbers, 4) species whose numbers are stable or have increased, 5) species that are settling.

Fauna urbana: revisão bibliográfica dos mamíferos presentes em fragmentos florestais no estado de São Paulo / Urban fauna: mammals present in forest fragments in the state of São Paulo

Com a supressão contínua da Mata Atlântica e Cerrado, a fauna, presente nesses biomas, enfrenta desafios em busca de abrigo e recursos. O estado de São Paulo possui importantes fragmentos florestais urbanos que atuam como refúgios para a biodiversidade. O presente estudo teve como objetivo realizar uma revisão bibliográfica dos mamíferos presentes em fragmentos florestais urbanos no estado de São Paulo. Os dados foram considerados de 2000 a 2020 nas bases de dados Google Scholar e Web of Science, a partir de estudos com registros diretos ou indiretos de mamíferos. Dentre as nossas buscas, 11 artigos se enquadraram, onde foram registradas 75 espécies pertencentes a 25 famílias e oito ordens de mamíferos. Foram registradas nove espécies ameaçadas de extinção estadual e duas se categorizam como NT – Near Threatened (Quase ameaçada), já a nível mundial quatro estão em alguma categoria de ameaça e três estão na categoria NT. Dessa forma, os dados levantados ressaltam a necessidade da preservação mesmo de pequenos fragmentos urbanos, que podem atuar como refúgio, passagem ou hábitat da fauna silvestre, podendo inclusive, interligar áreas maiores e formar um corredor ecológico.

Impact of agrocenoses on the populations of small mammals of recreational pine forests in the Tom River Valley

The paper is devoted to studying the influence of agricultural land on the formation of small mammal communities in the pine forests of the Tom River Valley. For the analysis, we took sites of natural and artificial pine forests of different areas experiencing various anthropogenic pressures. It was revealed that species composition, species richness and species diversity of small mammalian communities depend on a whole complex of factors. Thus, the population of right-bank forests is largely determined by the influence of mountain-taiga complexes of mammals in the adjacent territories. Cutting down taiga forests and using the vacant spaces for agricultural purposes lead to the introduction of species that prefer open biotopes to the initial community. A correlation was found between the size of the pine forest and its resistance to invasive species. The creation of artificial pine forests in the forest-steppe does not lead to the formation of typical forest communities of small mammals, due to their limited ability to resettle. Quite extensive, but to varying degrees isolated natural and artificial pine forests within the city and along the boundaries of the city are unique ecological “islands” that play a significant role in maintaining the diversity of the urban fauna ofmammals.

Influence of motor transport on species composition and number of roadside habitat carabid beetles

This paper examines the impact of road transport on species composition and abundance of roadside habitat carabid beetles. The studies were carried out in Saransk and its suburban area, because it is cities that are most affected by anthropogenic press, as they evolved and exist in concentrated and intensive impact of human society. When analyzing urban fauna one can get objective information about how harmful pollution of air, soil, water, plants to organisms, how effective those or other environmental measures, what dynamics of ecological situation is in the city. The study of carabid fauna in these circumstances, is оf great interest, as it allоws to find measures to restore damaged ecosystems and to track the dynamics of changes in the implementation of these measures.

EFFECTS OF URBANISM ON MALACOFAUNA (NITRA)

Recently, the number of alien landscape species has dramatically increased, and this could be a serious threat, not only for native species but also in cases of outbreaks for farmers. Our objective was to examine the impact of the urban environment (positive or negative) on the diversity of native species; forecast biotic homogenization or diversification of urban fauna; and determine the extent to which each of the zones are affected by invasive species. To examine the effect of urbanization, we selected 16 areas (across three urban zones and one zone in the protected area for comparison) for this study in 2015 in Nitra. We found that snails in open locations had significantly greater species diversity and abundance of individuals than in closed locations. Slightly degraded areas had the most abundant snail species, but areas heavily disturbed had high species diversity and incidence of individuals. It appears that heavily disturbed areas are suitable as new types of refuge for snails, e.g., for Helix lucorum, which was recorded in Slovakia for the first time (numerically recorded at the railway station) in 2014.