Promoting urban biodiversity for the benefit of people and nature

Опубликована: Март 25, 2025

In an increasingly urbanized world, urban biodiversity is people's primary contact with nature. However, as cities expand and densify, green blue spaces their are under pressure, risking declines in liveability. This Review discusses the benefits of multiple challenges it faces, identifies opportunities pathways towards developing sustainable, biodiverse for both humans The substantial biological richness that areas can harbour helps to mitigate environmental pressures, address adapt climate change, human health well-being. challenged by competition space, pressures declining engagement residents Understanding underlying mechanisms informs efforts create maintain high-quality blue–green infrastructure. Biodiversity-sensitive socially inclusive governance planning key biodiverse, cities. Urban policies should move cross-sectional approaches coordinate sectors such health, education, design. Developing shared environments nature contributes global conservation offers solutions social faced underpins ecosystem services cities, but faces from activities, nature, inadequate systems. provided biodiversity, its promotion conservation.

Язык: Английский

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Urban landscape-level biodiversity assessments of aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates by environmental DNA metabarcoding

Journal of Environmental Management, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 340, С. 117971 - 117971

Опубликована: Апрель 27, 2023

Язык: Английский

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Gardening for wildlife: A mixed‐methods exploration of the factors underlying engagement in wildlife‐friendly gardening

People and Nature, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 5(2), С. 808 - 825

Опубликована: Фев. 1, 2023

Abstract Private domestic gardens have immense potential to contribute urban biodiversity conservation. However, they are divided into small private plots and managed individually by garden owners. Therefore, engagement in wildlife‐friendly gardening (WFG), which entails alternative management design choices, relies on the individual willingness of each owner. Using an online survey qualitative walking interviews with owners, our study explores internal external factors underlying WFG. We interpret reflect findings context as a relational practice between people nature. Our suggest that motivations for play central role how promote or impede For example, towards organic learning from nature WFG, whereas personal family care well‐being seem it. The perceived actual area, well self‐reported insufficient knowledge social norms, covary most Engagement WFG relates people's relationships nature, embodied norms community acceptance cohesion, respect others. Future research pro‐environmental behaviours should adopt more approaches go beyond self take better account feedback actions relations. Read free Plain Language Summary this article Journal blog.

Язык: Английский

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In defence of urban community gardens

People and Nature, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 6(2), С. 367 - 376

Опубликована: Фев. 20, 2024

Abstract With the boom in urban living has come a gardening. In particular, community gardening is an increasingly popular form of horticultural production, involvement and connection to nature. Through establishment management gardens, biodiversity can flourish, with gardens as ‘hotspots’ flora fauna within matrix. Gardeners deeply connect natural elements thus learn about gain appreciation for world. Such interactions combat loss nature experiences cities. Despite their benefits people, are threatened ecosystems often temporary fixtures city landscapes due lack land tenure policy protection. this perspective, we recognize important ecosystem conservation argue defence by policy. We formalize activity value these scientific evidence from ecological social‐ecological research 39 Berlin Munich, Germany. Although our data reveal that support large amounts catalyse human‐nature connections, comprehensive documentation at level make vulnerable planning threats; have seen losses multiple sites last 4 years research. Policy implications : To protect now future generations, call systematic collection on activities ecosystems. Some cities starting do be scaled out. recognition physical use also gardeners themselves habitat managers stewards biodiversity. Read free Plain Language Summary article Journal blog.

Язык: Английский

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The city nature challenge: A global citizen science phenomenon contributing to biodiversity knowledge and informing local government practices

BioScience, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 74(4), С. 290 - 299

Опубликована: Фев. 6, 2024

The bioblitz phenomenon has recently branched into cities, presenting exciting opportunities for local governments to channel participants' efforts toward issues. City Nature Challenge (CNC) is one such initiative that been quickly taken up by hundreds of municipalities worldwide. Despite high levels participation, we still lack a framework evaluating how the CNC contributes biodiversity knowledge and inform government practices. In present article, develop tool case study illustrates its applicability. We demonstrate collected records contributed better understanding contemporary, patterns provide more realistic representation understudied groups as insects fungi. Importantly, show presented with cost-effective make informed, evidence-based management policy decisions, improve education engagement programs, foster cross-council collaborations, support stronger sense environmental stewardship within community.

Язык: Английский

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Exploring integrated ArtScience experiences to foster nature connectedness through head, heart and hand

People and Nature, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 4(2), С. 519 - 533

Опубликована: Фев. 17, 2022

Abstract Human activities continue to inflict profound detrimental impacts on biodiversity, yet we have not observed a commensurate shift in people's mindsets achieve more harmonious relationship between people and nature. As such, the need publics' perspective awareness of their interconnectedness with nature continues drive education communication programs that aim deepen connection This has led mounting interest integrating art science as an influential practice tackle complex concepts such climate change biodiversity loss. Art can provide alternative pathways knowing understanding ecological crisis through provoking embodied, mindful emotional responses. The arts create dais for personal expression reflection traditional outreach methods typically cannot. Here, explore art‐based approach connectedness series participatory ArtScience workshops. These workshops were delivered at Living Pavilion, Indigenous‐led, temporary event space took place Melbourne, Australia. An integrated transdisciplinary using interactive underpins key outcomes findings this research. Our analysis revealed three themes emerging from participants' experience: discovery, where participants learn or discover something new about which is thrilling motivating experience; being state flow, are intrinsically motivated, focused find joy activity; attunement, experience awareness, relational Integrating head, heart hands' learning framework into allowed nuanced ground‐up our research helped further how connections than human interrelated flow attunement open potential ways noticing nature, creating embodied holistic world. We suggest strong foundation may lead subtle positive changes attitudes behaviours towards local level. Read free Plain Language Summary article Journal blog.

Язык: Английский

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Contribution of Home Gardens to Sustainable Development: Perspectives from A Supported Opinion Essay

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 19(20), С. 13715 - 13715

Опубликована: Окт. 21, 2022

Home gardening has a long history that started when humans became sedentary, being traditionally considered an accessible source of food and medicinal plants to treat common illnesses. With trends towards urbanization industrialization, particularly in the post-World War II period, importance home gardens as important spaces for growing reduced they began be increasingly seen decorative leisure spaces. However, awareness negative impacts agricultural intensification human health, quality, ecosystem resilience, biodiversity conservation motivated emergence new approaches concerning gardens. Societies question potential nearby green infrastructures wellbeing, provisioning, traditional varieties, well providers services, such ecological corridors wild species carbon sinks. In this context. foster adaptive resilient social–ecological systems, our supported viewpoint intends more than exhaustive set perceptions, but reflection ideas about contribution sustainable development. We envision these humble strengthening social components, by providing diversified intermingled goods services urban population.

Язык: Английский

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Exploring perceptions and attitudes towards wildlife in urban home gardens in Bengaluru, India

Urban Ecosystems, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 28(3)

Опубликована: Апрель 10, 2025

Язык: Английский

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Evapotranspiration of Residential Lawns Across the United States

Water Resources Research, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 59(6)

Опубликована: Май 31, 2023

Abstract Despite interest in the contribution of evapotranspiration (ET) residential turfgrass lawns to household and municipal water budgets across United States, spatial temporal variability lawn ET large scales is highly uncertain. We measured instantaneous (ET inst ) 79 yards six metropolitan areas: Baltimore, Boston, Miami, Minneapolis‐St. Paul (mesic climates), Los Angeles Phoenix (arid climates). Each yard had one four landscape types management practices: traditional lawn‐dominated with high or low fertilizer input, water‐conserving features, wildlife‐friendly features. situ during growing season using portable chambers identified environmental anthropogenic factors controlling lawns. For each household, we used estimate daily multiplied by area total volume lost through vol ). varied from 0.9 ± 0.4 mm d 1 mesic cities 2.9 0.7 −1 arid cities. Neither nor was significantly influenced patterns indicated that may be largely decoupled regional rain‐driven climate patterns. ranged ∼0 L over 2,000 , proportionally increasing area. Current irrigation practices did not necessarily result different among traditional, water‐conserving, yards, but smaller areas resulted lower .

Язык: Английский

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Reframing governance possibilities for urban biodiversity conservation through systemic co‐inquiry

Environmental Policy and Governance, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 33(5), С. 517 - 530

Опубликована: Фев. 1, 2023

Abstract Despite decades of effort, biodiversity has not attracted effective political discourse, policies, or action to halt its decline. In cities in particular, conservation is challenged by short‐term approaches, separately focusing on community well‐being rather than their interconnection, and pervasive beliefs that urban citizenry lack the requisite ethic skills for governance. We describe how a systemic co‐inquiry Victoria Australia, conducted citizen agency practitioners alongside policy developers academic researchers, modified understandings, practices, institutional arrangements (governance) conservation. The most impactful outcomes early period were (1) start‐up funding network forge collaborations between local government actors engage residents supporting indigenous gardens, (2) empowered members driving network's development. These efforts have led on‐going social learning long‐term burgeoning municipally based nature stewardship are nurturing human–nature relations. Key challenges include(d): maintaining co‐inquiry, paradigms undervalue role citizens, organizational inertia, evaluation measures incommensurate with strengthening person‐nature relationships. Our research shows involving can surface misleading assumptions around governance, help empower focus sustainable human‐nature relations cities.

Язык: Английский

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