Abstract
Nature-based solutions (NBS) positively impact ecological landscape quality (ELQ) by providing multiple benefits, including enhancing natural capital, promoting biodiversity, mitigating water runoff, increasing water retention, and contributing to climate change adaptations and carbon sequestration. To analyze the specific contribution of different NBS types, this study assessed 14 ELQ indicators based on the application of spatial data. Five NBS based on existing elements of green and blue infrastructure (GBI) were analyzed at the city level (Lublin, Poland), including parks (UPs), forests (UFs), water bodies (UWs), allotment gardens (AGs), and woods (Ws). The analysis revealed that different NBS contribute in contrasting ways to the improvement of various dimensions of ELQ. UFs made the biggest contribution to the maintenance of ecological processes and stability, as well as to aesthetic values. Ws together with AGs were crucial to maintaining a high level of diversity at the landscape scale and also contributed to preserving the ecological structure. UWs and UPs had no outstanding impact on ELQ, mainly due to their high level of anthropogenic transformation. The application of spatial indicators proved useful in providing approximate information on the ecological values of different types of NBS when other data types were either unavailable or were only available at a high cost and with considerable time and effort.
Highlights
Published: 22 October 2021Nature-based solutions (NBS) are a multidisciplinary umbrella concept that links social and economic benefits with the notion of ‘nature’ [1,2]
Lublin is characterized by a varied topography, a low river network density, and a moderately developed natural structure dominated by forests, which constitute 11% of the city’s area
The results indicated that Urban waters (UWs) had no outstanding impact on ecological landscape quality (ELQ)
Summary
Nature-based solutions (NBS) are a multidisciplinary umbrella concept that links social and economic benefits with the notion of ‘nature’ [1,2]. These solutions should be either inspired by, supported by, or copied from nature; the use of nature should be treated as a priority and not a supplement to conventional infrastructure [3,4]. NBS can be defined as solutions that are oriented to urgent problem(s) that simultaneously address environmental, social, and economic challenges by the use of plants, water, and/or chemical processes, are inspired by nature, provide multifunctional benefits, and have considerable management potential and economic efficiency [7].
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