Context Land use change requires measuring shifting patterns in biodiversity at various spatial scales to inform landscape management. Assessing vegetation change at different scales is challenging in urban ecosystems managed by many individuals. Thus, we do not know much about the structure and function of green spaces that support biodiversity. Objective We aim to understand how vegetation structure and function indicators in urban community gardens vary with spatial scale, applying new and traditional methods in landscape ecology to inform future research and application. Methods We performed two methods to assess garden vegetation structure (height) and function (species diversity, cover) at the garden- and garden plot scale. First, we used traditional field sampling to estimate garden vegetation at the garden scale (1 m 2 quadrats along transects) and at the plot scale (estimated within entire plot) to measure height, diversity and cover. Second, we used UAV aerial imagery to derive measures of garden and plot vegetation using canopy height models (CHMs). We evaluated differences in CHMs at each scale across the gardens, and compared field and UAV-derived measures. Results Garden vegetation characteristics vary with spatial scale. Plant species richness and vegetation cover, but not height, related to UAV-derived imagery. Conclusions New technologies paired with traditional field methods can together inform how vegetation structure and function vary with spatial scale in urban landscapes. Spatial scale is key to accurate and meaningful urban vegetation analyses. New and traditional methods in urban ecology research should develop together to improve and streamline their future application.

中文翻译：

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城市花园空间分析的新方法为未来的植被调查提供信息

背景 土地利用变化需要测量不同空间尺度上生物多样性的变化模式，以便为景观管理提供信息。在由许多人管理的城市生态系统中，评估不同尺度的植被变化具有挑战性。因此，我们对支持生物多样性的绿色空间的结构和功能知之甚少。目的我们旨在了解城市社区花园中植被结构和功能指标如何随空间尺度变化，应用景观生态学中的新方法和传统方法为未来的研究和应用提供信息。方法 我们采用两种方法来评估花园和花园地块尺度的花园植被结构（高度）和功能（物种多样性、覆盖度）。第一的，我们使用传统的田间抽样来估计花园尺度（沿横断面的 1 m 2 样方）和地块尺度（估计整个地块内）的花园植被，以测量高度、多样性和覆盖度。其次，我们使用无人机航拍图像，使用冠层高度模型 (CHM) 推导出花园和地块植被的测量值。我们评估了花园中每个尺度的 CHM 差异，并比较了现场和无人机衍生的措施。结果园林植被特征随空间尺度变化。植物物种丰富度和植被覆盖率与无人机图像相关，但与高度无关。结论 新技术与传统的田间方法相结合，可以共同说明植被结构和功能如何随城市景观空间尺度的变化而变化。空间尺度是准确和有意义的城市植被分析的关键。