Throughfall and stemflow serve as two important transport mechanisms for water and solutes in urban forests, though these fluxes are seldom quantified within cities. This study is the first to utilize two flux-based enrichment ratios for stemflow to characterize spatial patterns in water and solute distribution in urban forest fragments. Using event-based, in situ sampling, this study quantified stemflow

Urban wildlife faces a novel set of challenges resulting in selective pressure that can lead to population-level changes. We studied Australian water dragons (Intellagama lesueurii) from urban and natural populations to test if urban populations differed in body size, shape, and performance capacity. If urban-derived morphology has arisen through selection, we predicted distinct morphological differences

Rose-ringed parakeets Psittacula krameri are one of the most widely distributed urban avian invader species present in ~ 35 countries with population sizes increasing. These parakeets were introduced to South Africa as part of the pet trade, and feral populations have established in several urban areas since and are of concern. We, therefore, conducted monthly surveys between August 2018 – December

Cities are increasingly developing renewable energy within urban areas, yet the implications for ecosystems have not been explored. This study brings together climate change mitigation policies and ecosystem conservation in urban areas by investigating how ground-mounted solar arrays in parking lots affect arthropod abundance and biodiversity. We assess which arthropods are present under these solar

Biocultural diversity (BCD), denoting the ‘inextricable link’ between biological and cultural diversity, has traditionally highlighted the coevolution between highly biodiverse regions and the ethnic–linguistic diversity of indigenous communities. Recently, European researchers have relaunched BCD as a conceptual foundation for urban greenspace planning capable of overcoming challenges of the ecosystem

Pacific chorus frog (Pseudacris regilla) populations have persisted despite urban and rural development throughout the species’ range; yet it is possible that P. regilla, like other anurans with which it historically co-occurred, will become extirpated from cities and suburbs if urbanization intensifies as predicted. An improved understanding of the conditions that enable this species to persist in

Urbanization can affect arthropod abundance in different ways. While species with narrow habitat range and low dispersal ability often respond negatively to urban environments, many habitat generalist species with good dispersal ability reach high densities in city centers. This filtering effect of urban habitats can strongly influence predator-prey-mutualist interactions and may therefore affect the

Increasing urbanisation and human pressure on lands have huge impacts on biodiversity. Some species, known as “urban exploiters”, manage to expand in urban landscapes, relying on human resources. The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is the perfect example of a human-commensal species. Surprisingly, this urban exploiter has been declining all over Europe over the past decades. The proximate causes

Freshwater ecosystems are under threat from habitat loss, partly due to urban expansion. However, some elements of urban freshwaters are already integral parts of the urban landscape and so are more resilient to loss, representing opportunities for the enhancement of freshwater resources within cities. This study investigated the biodiversity value of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal in Leeds, UK, in relation

Studies on the contribution of the yellow-necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis and of other vertebrates to the diet of the tawny owl Strix aluco were carried out in Warsaw (central Poland) in the years 1983–2018. The frequency of the yellow-necked mouse in owl pellets increased at the break of the 20th and 21st centuries, particularly in some woodlands in the peri-urban area of the agglomeration. In the

‘Wildlife-friendly’ gardening is a dominant theme in the media that readily engages public attention. However, there is little empirical evidence of the ecological benefits of increased habitat quality of individual domestic gardens. This study uses light-trapping to examine the response of moth assemblages to domestic gardens that are assessed in terms of their habitat complexity (simple and complex)

Increasing pace of urbanization is the leading cause of decline in natural areas and associated biodiversity in developing countries. Bird richness is considered as a key indicator of urban environment quality. We investigated the relationship between satellite image derived landscape variables and field surveyed bird counts to predict bird richness in a rapidly urbanizing city in Western Himalayan

The original version of this article unfortunately contained errors.

Setting up a survey may be very complex, especially when no previous data are available on the population of interest. Survey results must be non debatable (i.e. whose results are not open to question and cannot be interpreted in different ways) and precise enough to allow to answer the initial research question. A probabilistic sampling design with sufficient samples for acceptable precision and robust

Global increases in urbanization requires us to better understand how species are adapting to novel ecosystems in urbanized environments. We conducted a multi-year study to compare how five bird species with different life history strategies responded to local- and landscape-scale factors within forests in an urbanizing landscape. We modeled the responses of species to factors that have been shown

Water quality and quantity within the upper San Antonio River (Bexar County, Texas) were supported historically from spring flows of the Edwards Aquifer. Since the 1700s, water quality, quantity, physical aquatic habitats, and presumably fish communities have been altered in the upper San Antonio River, including loss of spring flow and replacement of base flow by treated wastewater. The upper San

This commentary responds to “Cues to Care: future directions for ecological landscapes” (Hostetler 2020), which states that “research on cues to care has been sparse”. In a series of papers between 1988-1997, I introduced Cues to Care (CTC) and developed related theories about how CTC function to introduce and sustain environmentally beneficial landscape elements in human-dominated landscapes, and

Although urban gardens are often celebrated for supporting bee abundance and diversity within cities, little is known about how garden management and urbanization levels influence bee foraging behavior and ability to utilize resources within these landscapes. Specifically, the preferences and diet breadth of bees may depend critically on local and landscape conditions in human-managed, urban environments

The world is increasingly urban, and urbanization alters the abundance and distribution of resources important to mutualist pollinators. Pollinators require distinct and diverse resources throughout their life cycle, including larval habitat and adult food resources. However, the relationship among urbanization, pollinator resource distribution, pollinator abundance, and pollination service provision

Urbanisation is associated with the loss and fragmentation of natural land, the disruption of ecosystem functioning and services, and the loss of biodiversity. Cape Town is situated in a global biodiversity hotspot, with high rates of endemism, but both agricultural and housing demands are increasing pressure on remaining patches of natural land and consequently the biodiversity they support. The aims

Along with agricultural intensification, urbanization is often implicated in bee declines worldwide. While the vast majority of studies investigate how bee assemblages respond to urbanization across different spatial scales, very few attempts have used a temporal comparison to evaluate the impact of urbanization. The city of Curitiba in southern Brazil is unique for having long-term data of bees, and

Birds play a crucial role in plant reproduction, being one of the most important pollinators and seed dispersers among vertebrates. Here, we aim to study plant-bird interactions in the Cerrado biome of Brazil, highlighting existing mutualistic relations and their role in forest regeneration processes. We sampled plants and recorded feeding events and other interactions between frugivorous birds and

Focusing on the analysis of green spaces of urban and peri-urban borders, this paper puts into practice a methodology designed for the analysis of green areas and peri-urban spaces as green infrastructures, but from a multifunctional and integrating perspective, as it is stated in the European Strategy for Green Infrastructures and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals. The deadline for

Despite extensive accounts in the literature describing Barred Owls (Strix varia) as obligate forest-interior species, Barred Owls have increasingly been observed in urbanized landscapes. To determine if certain habitat characteristics, such as mature urban trees, facilitate the occurrence of Barred Owls in developed regions, we deployed GPS transmitters on 20 breeding Barred Owls in northwestern South

Wildlife is known to be attracted to cities as a result of the ecosystem services associated with synanthorpization. This however often results in conflicts between human activities and wildlife. Accidental encounters between snakes and people in urban areas is a problem Windhoek shares with many cities around the world. Globally, this conflict leads to numerous human envenomations, a serious and neglected

The structure of interconnected ecological network in cities includes corridors and large green spots continuity which provides ecosystem services, e.g. biodiversity conservation. From a functional perspective, green infrastructure would be one of the most adapted ways of solving environmental issues caused by restricted vegetation in intensive urban areas with high density of gray infrastructures

Urbanization is one of the most important causes of ecological changes and biodiversity loss worldwide, and forests in Latin America provide valuable scenarios to understand the ecological effects of this human-driven phenomenon due to its high urbanization rate. Our aim was to investigate how urbanization shapes species richness (SR) and composition of anuran communities in NW Argentina, and to determine

Urban areas provide small carnivores with an abundance of resources and reduced predation risk, resulting in higher population densities. Urban animals tend to have greatly reduced home range sizes in response to increased resource availability. We investigated the home range size of yellow mongooses Cynictis penicillata in an urban area and determined whether their home ranges overlapped with human

Free-ranging domestic cats (Felis catus) cats kill billions of wild animals every year, spread parasites and diseases to both wildlife and humans, and are responsible for the extinction or extirpation of at least 63 species. While the ecology and conservation implications of free-ranging cats have been well studied in some locations, relatively little is known about cats inhabiting suburban nature

Abstract Spontaneous plant communities found in abandoned post-industrial landscapes develop in unique conditions which can create novel community assemblages. We examined changes in plant community composition and its relation to soil properties in an urban brownfield more than 40 years following site abandonment to better understand the community’s long-term trajectory. A former railyard and industrial

Mammals are one of the most negatively affected groups by urbanization, nevertheless, urban reserves can help their conservation. The study of wildlife within the reserves is important for the persistence of these populations, but stressors factors as feral fauna might endanger the conservation of wildlife. Therefore, our objective was to analyze the patterns of temporal and spatial activity of wild

Abstract Small public urban green spaces (SPUGS) are important for human life-quality and for maintenance of biodiversity within urban landscapes. However, little is known about how local characteristics and spatial location are related to biodiversity inhabiting SPUGS in tropical cities. In this study, we aimed at assess how noise, vegetation aspects (local characteristics), distance from a major

The domestic cat is a widespread and abundant predator that negatively impacts a wide range of species. However, the predation activity and prey type of free-ranging cats may vary between areas with different levels urbanisation. Previous analyses of cat diet have used differing techniques to measure predation that often differ with one another. Given the variability in these methods we hypothesised

Hydric forest communities within the Tampa Bay Watershed were inventoried to assess the effect of urbanization on these systems. Based on aerial photography and site visits, 85 hydric plots were assigned a legacy class—remnant (forest, pre-1948), emergent (forest, post 1948), and managed (actively managed grass on plot). On each plot, diameter at breast height (dbh) and canopy width and species were

Many stressors plague bee populations including habitat fragmentation and degradation, as well as pathogens and pesticide exposure. With bee communities at risk, conservation efforts are imperative. Although recent research has examined bee communities across cities, few studies have analyzed variation in human attitudes toward and perceptions of bees, or how these perspectives might influence bee

Urban vegetation is important because of the fast-growing urbanization. If we want cities to have sustainable growth and well-kept ecology, we need to develop a smart and efficient urban vegetation monitoring system. This paper examines the possibility of using a modified GoPro camera mounted on a car. The lens of a GoPro camera was replaced with the NDVI-7 lens to obtain blue, green and near-infrared

The design of urban yards is key to reducing natural resource consumption in cities. However, going from turf lawns and ornamental plants to more native vegetation with structural complexity is contingent on public acceptance. Addressing social/cultural values is important and landscape designers frequently point to the need for yards to be designed with human intent, or ‘cues to care’. Cues to care

Coyotes (Canis latrans) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) are both generalist predators presently found in the Northeastern United States. This study aimed to identify major prey items of both species in suburban New York, investigate consumption of anthropogenic resources, and examine seasonal changes in diet. Scat samples were collected from 2017 to 2018 for coyotes, and from 2011 to 2012 for red fox.

Reliable models of urban tree growth over time are useful for selecting appropriate species for available planting sites, anticipating future tree maintenance and removal costs, and quantifying the benefits provided by trees. There is a need to develop growth models for multiple cities within the same climate region to understand the degree of variability for the same species in different cities. In

To maintain a stable population, an introduced species must be capable of exploiting varied resources and adapting to environmental conditions different from its native range. The brown anole (Anolis sagrei), one of the most prolific invasive species worldwide, is well established in Ecuador—especially in urban environments throughout Guayaquil and Samborondón (Guayas province). In this research, we

Vegetated roofs are hoped to benefit urban wildlife, yet there are few empirical results regarding the conservation potential of such roofs. In this paper, we focus on arthropods on vegetated roofs. We vacuum sampled 17 succulent, meadow or succulent-meadow roofs, in Helsinki, Finland, and used order to species level information together with trait data to describe the communities. We evaluated the

Vacant spaces, such as unplanted, unmanaged, or infrequently accessed green roofs, may play a critical role in sustaining biodiversity in cities. Initial plant composition of these spaces likely is contingent on seed dispersal and growing medium, yet no studies have directly characterized the effects of location or growing medium depth on plant diversity of unplanted green roofs. To address this gap

Green cover and air quality are important components of life quality and human ecology in arid lands. In the Sonoran Desert of Mexico, Hermosillo is the largest city with a population of 710,000. This city is currently affected by dust pollution and a large part of its population suffers respiratory diseases. Moreover, Hermosillo is considered highly vulnerable to climate change. The objective of this

Urban flora varies between urban habitats within a city and between cities. We used a particular urban habitat - tree-circles to compare floristic differences between urban agglomerations along a long climatic gradient on a continental scale. We recorded flora of this unique habitat in seven West Balkan cities and compared it to seven cities from Western and Central Europe. On average, 91 species were

Urban forests contribute greatly to the conservation of biodiversity and are able to store carbon in the same way as other forest ecosystems. This research investigated the diversity, volume yield, biomass and carbon sequestration of tree species in urban forests in two Nigerian cities (Port Harcourt and Ilorin) selected using simple random sampling. In Nigeria there is no record of quantitative assessment

Although the impacts of urbanisation on biodiversity are well studied, the precise response of some invertebrate groups remains poorly known. Dung-associated beetles are little studied in an urban context, especially in temperate regions. We considered how landscape heterogeneity, assessed at three spatial scales (250, 500 and 1000 m radius), mediates the community composition of coprophilous beetles

The increasing urbanisation of the natural environment affects species differently. While most species cannot cope with these human impacts, others can persist or may even be favoured in these anthropogenic ecosystems. Among the different urban-adapted wildlife species, the populations of different species of opportunistic gulls have increased in urban areas and some have established breeding populations

By the end of 2020, 75% of the Swiss population will live in cities. The urban densification will result in habitat and biodiversity loss. One solution to mitigate this loss in urban environments is the implementation of green roofs that are now recognised as a tool for the maintenance of epigeal and aerial arthropods. Green roofs can provide various services such as pollination and food supply for

Citywide tree planting in urban cities is occurring rapidly because of the benefits urban vegetation provide to the environment. Nutrient cycling in tropical urban ecosystems is relatively unknown. Nitrogen utilisation in urban and rural conditions can vary substantially hence foliar N characteristics of two common tree species grown in the tropics was compared between urban roads and parkland sites

As urban growth continues at an ever-increasing rate, it is important for city architects and city governments to understand the ecological effects of urbanization. As an ideal candidate for studies of urbanization, Eurasian Magpies (Pica pica) have been studied extensively in terms of nest placement in urban environments. However, there have been few quantitative studies on the effect of urbanization

In order to reflect ecosystem services in environmental policies, it is necessary to assess multiple ecosystem services as well as the correlations among them in complex urban landscapes. Although landscape multifunctionality based on different land use statuses and intensity cause variations in the ecosystem services of complex urban landscapes, research that connect the urban landscape multifunctionality

Land use changes associated with urbanization may increase ecological risk and subsequent geohazard risk. Africa is particularly vulnerable at preset as, since 2005, the highest rates of rapid urbanization-associated forest degradation have occurred there. On August 14, 2017, a compound geohazard in Freetown, Sierra Leone, caused thousands of fatalities and destroyed hundreds of houses. Land use change

Urban natural areas are often heavily invaded by non-native plants. To restore the biodiversity and ecosystem function of these areas, land managers commonly remove invasive species. Partnering with Portland Parks and Recreation, I studied a management-scale removal of Hedera spp., Clematis vitalba, Ilex aquifolium and Prunus laurocerasus from a 59 ha forested natural area in Portland, OR. Over four

The effects of Dutch elm disease (DED, Ophiostoma novi-ulmi) on 106,738 American elm (Ulmus americana L.) trees in Milwaukee WI, USA was contrasted through ecologic and economic results of an Actual Outcome to management alternatives of No Control, three sanitation intensities (Best, Good, Fair), and No DED over 40 years. No Control was like the Actual Outcome with over 99% of trees dead. The greatest

Most of the Ethiopian Orthodox Churches comprise natural and planted forests and trees on their premises. A study was conducted to investigate carbon stock and woody species diversity patterns along the church age gradient in Addis Ababa city. We hypothesized that the carbon stock would relate to the church age gradient. Thus, the study was conducted in forests belonging to churches that were selected

Seed banks in the soil play a role in the temporal continuity and succession of vegetation in urban vacant lots. Therefore, it is necessary to know the composition, abundance and dynamics of the seeds stored in the lots’ soils to understand their effect on spontaneously established urban plants. We hypothesized that soil seed banks in the urban vacant lots of Santiago, Chile, have a high abundance

Urbanization has been identified as one of the major causes of species endangerment. Albeit important efforts by urban ecologists, there are still understudied regions in the globe with an important bias toward bird studies. Fortunately, studies from biodiversity-rich regions are increasingly growing; yet, with few exceptions, most evidence-based suggested urban conservation, management, and planning

Urban areas may support high densities of wild carnivores, and pathogens can strongly influence carnivore populations. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are hosts of sarcoptic mange (Sarcoptes scabiei), which infects numerous species, and transmission can be density dependent. In Great Britain, urban red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have recently increased in population density and undergone range expansions. Here

Urban ecology is a well-established integrative discipline with many historical roots. One of the eminent pioneers of urban ecology is the German ecologist Herbert Sukopp, who works in Berlin since the late 1950s and is often referred to as the founder of the "Berlin School of Urban Ecology". On the occasion of his 90th anniversary in 2020, this paper aims to recognize and commemorate the major contributions

There are several spatial valuation and ecosystem service mapping studies using participatory methods in North America, Australia, Europe and Japan. But, there is much less information from urban areas in the Global South using these approaches, particularly regarding the influence of spatial literacy on such methods. Accordingly, we tested how two-dimensional (2D) maps and three-dimensional models