Biodiversity of Mushrooms at Dansolihon, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines

Bu çalışmada Pinus nigra Arn. subsp. pallasiana (Lamb.) Holmboe meşcerelerinde alfa tür çeşitliliği ve tür zenginliği ile ekolojik ortam koşulları arasındaki ilişkilerin ortaya konulması amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaçla Sütçüler yöresinde yayılış gösteren doğal karaçam meşcerelerinden alınan örnek alanlarda bitki türlerine ait bolluk verileri Braun-Blanquet yöntemine göre kayıt edilerek, 0-1 arasında değişen örtüş-bolluk değerlerine dönüştürülmüştür. Her bir örnek alanda bitki türlerinin yanı sıra yamaç konumu, toprak derinliği, arazi yüzey formu, toprak taşlılığı verileri envanter karnesine kayıt edilmiştir. Yörenin eş yükselti haritasından elde edilen Sayısal Yükseklik Modeli (SYM) yardımıyla çevresel değişkenlerden yükselti, eğim ve bakı haritaları elde edilmiştir. Elde edilen bakı ve eğim haritalarından faydalanılarak, sıcaklık indeksi ve radyasyon indeksi haritaları oluşturulmuştur. Örnek alanlara ait alfa çeşitlilik değerlerinin hesaplanması için Shannon, Brillouin, Simpson ve Berger-Parker indislerinden yararlanılmakla birlikte, ayrıca her bir örnek alan için doğrudan tür zenginliği hesaplaması yapılmıştır. Çalışmada çeşitlilik değerleri ile çevresel değişkenler arasındaki ilişkilerin tespitine yönelik sırasıyla Pearson Korelasyon Analizi ve Temel Bileşenler Analizinden yararlanılmıştır. Uygulanan analizler neticesinde farklı alfa indislerine göre hesaplanan çeşitlilik değerlerinin karaçam ormanlarındaki yükselti ve topraktaki taşlılık oranının artmasıyla birlikte azaldığı, eğim ve sıcaklığın artmasıyla ise arttığı şeklinde bir sonuca varılmıştır. Çalışmada tür zenginliği ile çevresel değişkenler arasında önemli bir ilişki tespit edilemezken, bolluk verilerine dayalı indisler ile hesaplanan çeşitlilik değerlerinin yükselti, sıcaklık, eğim ve toprak taşlılığı değişkenleri ile önemli ilişkileri belirlenmiştir. Bu durum tür çeşitliliği-yetişme ortamı ilişkilerinin ele alındığı çalışmalarda sadece tür zenginliğinin dikkate alınmasının yeterli olmayacağı sonucunu ortaya çıkarmıştır. Ayrıca hesaplamalarda kullanılan farklı alfa çeşitlilik indislerinin çevresel değişkenlerle ilişkilerinin ortaya koyulması aşamasında da kısmi farklılıklar oluşmuştur. Dolayısıyla yapılacak olan çalışmalarda bu durumunda ayrıca göz önünde bulundurulması önem arz etmektedir.

Plant species diversity of Sinocalycanthus chinensis community in Dalei mountain of Zhejiang Province was determined by using the index of species richness,species diversity and community evenness,and the relationships between the biodiversity indices and soil factors were studied by employing correlation analysis.According to the statistics of ten plots,there are altogether 74 families of vascular plants which can be subdivided into 193 species,165 genera.Most of them are distributed in the temperate zone in terms of the geographic composition of seed plant genera.In different communities,the species richness and species diversity index of the woody plants were highest in Cunninghamia lanceolata+Schima superba forest,the community evenness was highest in C.lanceolata forest,and these index were lowest in bamboo grove.The species richness of the herbal plants was highest in C.lanceolata+Pinus massoniana forest and lowest in C.lanceolata forest.The species diversity index and community evenness of the herbal plants was highest in bamboo grove and lowest in Quercus serrata var.brevipetiolata+Eurya muricata forest.In the vertical structure of these different communities,the species richness and species diversity index of tree layer were lower than those of shrub layer,the species diversity of herb layer was greatly varied in different communities.The correlation analysis showed that there was great correlation existing between the species diversity of S.chinensis community and soil organic matter content in which organic matter content was positively related to species diversity of the woody plants but negative to the herbal plants significantly,respectively.

The growth of ketak was influenced by genetic and environmental factors. In growth, ketak needs other plants as a climbing host plant, so information on the diversity of plant species in their natural habitat was very important. This research was aimed to identify composition and biodiversity of species in the natural habitat of ketak. This research used purposive systematic sampling by survey technique based on altitude i.e. 0-249, 250-499 and 500-750 m asl. There are 10 of observation plot with dimension of 20 m x 20 m at each altitude and total plot was 30 plots. The results showed that the composition at the seedling level at each altitude was 15 species in 11 families; and 13 species in 11 families and 8 species in 6 families. And at the tree level at each altitude there was 15 species in 10 families and 17 species in 14, and 9 species in 8 families. The value of the species diversity index (H ') at the seedling level in all altitude classifications was known that in medium categories, the index of species richness (D) in medium categories, only at the altitude of 500-750 m asl was in low category, and the index of species evenness (E), at all altitudes in the stable category. The value of the species diversity index (H ') at the tree level in all altitude classifications was known that in medium categories, the index of species richness (D) in medium categories, only at the altitude of 500-750 m asl was in low category, and the index of species evenness (E), at all altitudes in the stable category.

A majority (83%) of the 246 species of land snails in Sri Lanka is endemic. The reduction of forest cover affects the diversity of land snail species and therefore it is important to study the status of the existing species. In the preset study, the villages of Mahalakotuwa (Elevation-752m), Illukkumbura (616m), Atanwala (1256m) and Pitawala (787m) in the Northern part of the Knuckles mountain range were selected as the 4 study sites. (Average annual rain fall 3000-5000 mm, Temperature 5.5- 35oC). The project was carried out from December 2011 to April 2012. The objectives were to identify the land snail species present in the study area, calculate the species richness and the abundance of species, identify the pattern of distribution of the population of land snail species, recognize the effect of soil pH, soil temperature, air temperature, relative humidity and depth of leaf litter on the distribution of land snail species Four 30 х 2 m belt transects were used for each study site. Each transect was divided in to 5 х 1 m plots. Number of shells in one plot was calculated within 20 minutes. Likewise all the plots were covered by using Timed Direct Transect method. Soil pH, soil temperature, air temperature, relative humidity and depth of leaf litter were recorded. Data were compared by using Minitab 15 software. Shells were identified according to the morphology of the shell, using a key. Live snails were identified by visual observations. A shell collection was made from collected shells. SPECDIV version 1.3 was used to calculate the Evenness, Shannon diversity index, Simpson index and Margalef Diversity Index. Species Density was calculated A total of 45 species were found in the 4 study sites (Mahalakotuwa: 31, Illukkumbura: 20, Pitawala: 14 and Atanwala: 7). Twenty eight species were identified up to species level; 14 up to generic level and 3 species were not identified. Out of the species identified up to species level, 26 were endemic (92.8%). Highest percentage of species belonged to family Ariophantidae (53.57%). Diversity of land snail species was higher in lower elevations (Mean value of Margalef Diversity in Illukkumbura: 2.422, Mahalakotuwa: 2.099). Diversity was lower in higher elevations (Atanwala: 1.309, Pitawala: 1.018). There was a significant difference between soil temperatures (p = 0.038), air temperatures (p = 0) and relative humidities (p =0.035) among the four study sites. In the sites with highest diversity, soil temperature ranged between 220C -24 0C and air temperature between 210C-260C. But there was no significance difference in the soil pHs (p =0.282) which ranged between 6.1-7.9 and depth of leaf litter (p=0.103) which ranged between 1cm-3cm among the four study sites. There was no evident correlation between soil temperature/ air temperature/ relative humidity and the diversity of snails despite the presence of a significant difference of these three parameters among the four study sites. Information on the distribution of land snails is an important prerequisite for monitoring habitat quality.

In this study, plant species diversity in two urban parks of Kio and Shariati in Khorramabad County were compared. A number of 30 sample plots were sampled from each park using systematic random sampling technique and in each sample plot characteristics of plant species, number of species, diameter at breast height of all trees, height of all trees and shrubs as well as large and small diameters of crown were measured. Simpson's diversity and evenness indices as well as Shannon Hill, and Brillouin diversity indices were used to assess plant diversity. Species richness was calculated using the number of species in each sample plot. Species diversity indices were calculated using the software Metadology Ecologycal and the t test was used to assess the significance of differences of these two indexes between the Kio and Shariati Parks. The results show that Kio Park had the higher average Shannon (1.514), Simpson (0.695), Hill (2.854) and Briloin (1.061) diversity indices indicating higher species diversity than Shariati Park. Also this park also has the higher Simpson evenness index (0.792) and the species richness (3.633), which indicates a better distribution and abundance of species in the park. The difference between averages of diversity indices at confidence level of 1% and the difference between averages of the evenness index at 5% were significant.

This study was designed to show the interrogation techniques of criminal investigators of police precincts in Cagayan de Oro,City The total number of respondents are thirty (30) policemen in ten (10) precincts in Cagayan de Oro City. In context, the study sought to answer the the following aspects ;(1) What is the profile of the respondents in terms of: Salary grade, Designation, Number of years in service, Relevant seminars/trainings attended, Kinds of Eligibility (2) What is the perception on the effectiveness of the variables interrogation techniques (3) Is there a significant difference in the outcome of interrogation techniques applied when the respondents were grouped in every precinct in Cagayan de Oro City. To achieve the objectives of the study, the descriptive survey method was used as a primary tool in acquiring the data of the survey. The study was conducted in all police precincts in Cagayan de Oro. The respondents were interviewed through the use of researchers’ made questionnaire. The policemen’s profile, salary grade, designation, number of years in service, relevant seminars /trainings attended. and types of eligibility were taken as independent variables, the different techniques as the dependent variables. The approval to conduct the study was secured from the Office of the Dean College of Law Enforcement and Public Safety in Liceo de Cagayan University and from all the police precincts in Cagayan de Oro City. The researchers personally administered the questionnaire to (30) respondents. The instructions were given before the respondents answered the questionnaire and were retrieved as soon as the respondents were through answering. Based on the investigators profile, the highest percentage belong to SG10-P8, 605 has the highest percentage, while the lowest percentage is the SG18-P13, 751.In designation the investigators has the highest percentage comprising 60 percent of the total number of respondents in terms of number of years in service. Eleven to fifteen has the highest number of respondents while seven to ten has the least number of respondents. The significant difference in the interrogation techniques in all precincts in Cagayan de Oro City was found insignificant. Therefore, the null hypothesis was accepted. Keywords - Interrogation techniques, Police precincts, Criminal Investigators, Cagayan de Oro City.

Butterflies are widely recognized as biological indicators of habitat quality due to sensitivity to environmental changes and habitat disturbances. This study aimed to assess butterflies’ species diversity in Magombera Nature Forest Reserve (MNFR), Tanzania as indication of forest recovery from the previous disturbances. Specifically, the study aimed to assess i) current status of butterfly species richness and diversity in MNFR, and (ii) butterfly species abundance, dominance and distribution in MNFR. Data collected through line transects using sweep nets and visual observations across the forest area of 2,623 ha. Species richness computed as a total number of species in a given area, species diversity computed using Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index (H') and abundance computed as a total count of all individuals. The results indicated that a total of 155 butterfly species belonging to six families and 64 genera recorded in MNFR. Closed forest had high species richness (105) and diversity values (H' = 4.06) and Grassland has least species (46) and diversity values (H' = 3.27). Variation in vegetation composition in MNFR influence higher butterfly species richness, diversity and abundance in closed forest and open woodland than in grassland and riparian vegetation indicating the improvement of forest recovery from prior disturbances after being upgraded to nature reserve in 2018. Therefore, intensive management approaches that currently implemented by the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) at MNFR should be maintained to overcome other ecological changes. This will assure proper ecological flow within the forest and between Udzungwa Mountain National Park and Selous Game Reserve.

Species composition and abundance patterns in eighteen forest sites from 1700m to 3400m elevation were studied to evaluate species diversity and richness at Qazi Nag Range, Kashmir region, Western Himalaya. Evaluation of species diversity was determined by Shannon-Weiner's index of diversity (H') Sheldon evenness index (E) and Margalef species richness index (R'). Species diversity values ranged from 3.497 to 2.773 at 1700m and 3400m respectively whereas species richness varied from 1.83 (1700m) to 0.8 at 3200m. The species diversity and richness values were recorded higher from 2300 to 2600 m having best combination of heat and precipitation which ensure survival of more species. Diversity values declined towards upper and lower reaches, which might be due to flow of individuals from both upslope and low-lying areas. Correlation analyses showed that the environmental variables as altitude and potassium were found negatively correlated with diversity index while pH, EC Organic matter and soil saturation were recorded positively correlated with species diversity. This study highlights the importance of local and landscape scale environmental variables on species diversity and vegetation patterns in Kashmir Region, Western Himalaya

Biodiversity monitoring schemes are designed to infer trends in biodiversity over long time periods. The value of a biodiversity monitoring program depends largely on its data quality. High quality data allow to estimate temporal trends without bias and with high precision. Data quality largely depends on the initial design of the monitoring scheme, on properly conducted fieldwork, on various aspects of quality control mechanisms, and on the methods to analyse the data. In my thesis I show and discuss implications of design and data quality presenting five case studies using data from the Swiss Biodiversity Monitoring Scheme (BDM). The BDM is a long-term programme of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment and was initiated in 2001 to monitor Switzerland’s biodiversity. The programme focuses on changes in species richness and surveys selected species groups in a systematic sampling grid all over the country. Defined and constant sampling methods are needed to allow for unbiased and precise estimations of biodiversity trends. In Chapter I, we analysed inter-observer variation of double-sampled vegetation plots. We could show that both systematic (directed) methodological errors and random variance of species counts were small. We concluded that BDM methods are adequate for detecting biodiversity trends. In the meantime this conclusion has been widely confirmed with recent data from quality control. Chapter II focuses on detectability of species that provides the link between a raw species count and true species richness. Variation in detectability between species or habitats may considerably bias trend estimates in biological studies. We therefore asked if capture-recapture methods were suitable to analyse differences in species detectability of butterflies and looked for underlying factors that may cause variation in detectability. Because the methods available at that time were not allowing the analysis of butterfly surveys over the whole season we had to restrict it to three mid-season surveys. We found that average detectability per count was 0.61 and was influenced by observer, transect and region. Individual species during one count were detected with a mean probability of 0.50. Since the study has been published in 2007 statistical methods have been substantially developed and nowadays enable detailed analyses of butterfly communities. In the study in Chapter III we demonstrated how data from the systematic BDM surveys could be used in combination with environmental variables. We tested different sets of variables for modelling plant species richness and produced species richness maps for Switzerland by predicting species richness for each kilometre square. We found that the final models performed similarly well. Average elevation was the best single variable for explaining plant species richness nationwide. Species richness maps typically showed belt-like patterns of highest richness at intermediate altitudes. We discussed different approaches for explaining such “mid-elevational peaks” of species richness. In the frame of the BDM vascular plants, butterflies and birds are surveyed on the same sites during the same years. These simultaneous studies may be considered as a major advantage of the BDM compared to the monitoring programs in other countries. In the final two chapters we therefore inferred patterns between the species groups. Chapter IV is based on data of the first iteration of surveys. We looked at the changes that had happened in surveyed species communities of plants, birds and butterflies within the period of 5 years. As a response to climate warming we expected species to shift their distribution towards higher altitudes. We used the “Community Temperature Index” (CTI) to test for differences in reaction to climate change. As expected, in the lowlands birds and butterflies tracked climate warming with an average uphill shift of 42 and 38m respectively, while plants showed a shift of only 8m. At higher elevations there was no significant CTI change in plants and butterflies. In general our results supported the idea that reactions to climate change in alpine landscapes were lowest and alpine landscapes could be safer places because of their highly varied surfaces. In the study in Chapter V we examined to what extent distribution patterns of butterfly species are shaped by interactions with their individual host plants or, alternatively, by environmental factors. Our findings indicated that butterfly - host plant interactions were not relevant in benign environments. In contrast, at the cold distribution limits there was a strong coincidence between butterfly and plant ranges. We argued that this could be evidence for butterfly species being limited by the distribution of their host plants in harsh environments and discussed the implications of the findings under climate change conditions. Finally I summarized the most important results and also included more recent experiences from other studies using BDM data and from unpublished analyses, e.g. from quality control. I concluded in discussing the strength and weaknesses of long-monitoring programmes and pointed out that they should be considered as a complementary data source and reference for experimentally orientated research.

The emergence of the communal conservancies in Namibia contributed to community-based conservation approach outside protected areas. This study was conducted to establish the status of biodiversity conservation of the Nyae Nyae Conservancy by analysing the mammal species composition and diversity changes for 13 years. The long-term wildlife count data were obtained from the conservancy in Tsumkwe, Otjozondjupa region. A total of 20 mammal species, comprising of ungulates and predators, were recorded from 2001 through 2013. The overall trend of the mammal species population sizes was positive, though not statistically significant (r = 0.477; t10 = 1.574; P = 0.145). In addition to the stable species composition over the years, the mammal species diversity in Nyae Nyae conservancy was high (Simpson Index of Diversity, SID = 0.81). However, a significant decline in the diversity of mammal species (SID = 0.72) was detected in 2013 evident from the low species count data. This low diversity may be attributable to many factors including but not limited to the effects of severe drought which may have led to the emigration of some species, reduction in the abundance of some species due to deaths from drought and low reproductive output. Hence Nyae Nyae Conservancy, though an open unfenced system, serves as a good example in which a community-based natural management program outside protected areas contributes not only to the conservation of natural resources including wildlife but also utilisation of these resources for the benefit of local community members.

Effects of grassland management on plants and invertebrates in Transylvania, Romania : a threat to local biodiversity hotspots

شاخص‏های تنوع زیستی ابزاری نیرومند برای ارزیابی پایداری نظام های کشاورزی محسوب می شوند. در این تحقیق که به منظور ارزیابی تنوع زیستی محصولات زراعی و باغی شهرستان های استان اصفهان و همچنین بررسی روابط موجود بین تنوع زیستی و عوامل اقلیمی ‏این استان صورت گرفت، سطح زیر کشت، غنای گونه ای، یکنواختی، تنوع گونه ای و تنوع آلفا و بتای محصولات زراعی و باغی محاسبه شده و مورد ارزیابی قرار گرفتند. بدین منظور، اطلاعات مربوط به سطح زیر کشت گیاهان زراعی و باغی شهرستان‏های مختلف استان اصفهان در سال زراعی 92-1391 از طریق اطلاعات سازمان جهاد کشاورزی استان و همچنین پرسشنامه‏هایی جمع‏آوری گردید. محصولات زراعی به هشت گروه غلات، حبوبات، جالیزی، سبزیجات، علوفه ای، صنعتی و دارویی و محصولات باغی به دو گروه درختان میوه معتدله و گرمسیری طبقه بندی شدند. تنوع آلفا و بتا نیز با استفاده از رابطه غنای گونه‏ای مساحت برای اقلیم‏های مختلف استان محاسبه شد. نتایج نشان داد که در گروه محصولات باغی، درختان میوه معتدله (2/76 درصد) بیشترین و در گروه محصولات زراعی غلات (36/59 درصد) و گیاهان دارویی (09/1 درصد) به ترتیب بیشترین و کمترین سطح زیر کشت را دارا هستند. شهرستان های سمیرم و برخوار و میمه به ترتیب بیشترین و کمترین سطح زیر کشت محصولات باغی را به خود اختصاص دادند. بیشترین سطح زیر کشت محصولات زراعی در شهرستان اصفهان و کمترین آن در شهرستان خوروبیابانک مشاهده شد. شهرستان-های کاشان، لنجان، و نطنز با 17 گونه گیاهی، بیشترین و آران و بیدگل با سه گونه گیاهی کمترین غنای گونه ای محصولات باغی استان را در برداشتند. بیشترین و کمترین شاخص یکنواختی محصولات باغی به ترتیب مربوط به شهرستان های اصفهان (83/0) و سمیرم (192/0) بود. شهرستان های فلاورجان، خمینی شهر، کاشان، نایین و نجف آباد دارای بیشترین شاخص یکنواختی در محصولات زراعی و شهرستان اصفهان کمترین میزان این شاخص را نشان داد. به طور میانگین بیشترین و کمترین شاخص تنوع زیستی شانون- وینر در محصولات زراعی به ترتیب مربوط به گیاهان علوفه ای (929/0) و جالیزی (442/0) بود. این شاخص برای درختان معتدله بیش از دو برابر درختان گرمسیری گزارش شد. بیشترین و کمترین میزان تنوع آلفا به ترتیب در شهرستان‏های واقع در اقلیم‏های معتدل و بیابانی گرم مشاهده شد. اقلیم بیابانی معتدل نیز بالاترین میزان تنوع بتا را شامل شد.

To provide scientific evidence for vegetative recovery and biodiversity protection of evergreen broadleaved secondary forests, changes in stand structure and tree species diversity across a disturbance gradient of evergreen broadleaved secondary forests in Jiangle Forest Farm, Fujian Province were studied. The representative locations with similar site condition were selected through the field surveys, then a total of 25(0.04-0.12 hm2) permanent sample plots were set using typical sampling methods for evergreen broadleaf secondary forests. Five disturbance gradients (Ⅰ-Ⅴ with Ⅴ having the most disturbance) were assigned based on the relative value of major disturbance indicators. Then using ANOVA and LSD multiple comparision to analyze changes in stand structure and species diversity along a disturbance gradient. Results showed that for the five disturbance gradients, individual tree diameter conformed to an inverse J-shape curve. The individual number of Ⅴ disturbance gradient was significantly lower than other disturbance gradients (P=0.022) indicating the lowest capacity of natural regeneration and productivity. The individual tree heights of Ⅰ-Ⅳ disturbance gradients conformed to a normal curve; whereas, the Ⅴ disturbance gradient conformed to a bimodal curve indicating the lower stability in the forests vertical structure. With an increasing disturbance gradient, uniform angle indexes(P=0.045) increased, but neighborhood comparison indexes(P=0.039) and mingling indexes(P=0.017) decreased. The alpha diversity measures declined(P < 0.05) along the disturbance gradient as dominance increased(P=0.000). In addition, the similarity in species composition between each pair of disturbed forests was generally low (Jaccard's similarity index < 47%). With an increase in disturbance gradient, average DBH, average tree height, and alpha diversity measures decreased(P < 0.05), but the dominance index increased(P=0.000). Overall, as the disturbance gradient increased in the evergreen broadleaf secondary forests, the diversity index and stability of the forest structure decreased, which was not conducive to vegetative recovery and species diversity.

1. Land set aside for preservation of biodiversity often has low productivity. As biodiversity generally increases with productivity, due to higher or more diverse availability of resources, this implies that some of the biodiversity may be left unprotected. Due to a lack of knowledge on the species diversity and conservation value of low-productivity habitats, the consequences of the biased allocation of low-productivity land for set-asides are unknown. 2. We examined the conservation value of boreal low-productivity forests (potential tree growth < 1 m3 ha-1 year-1) by comparing assemblages of tree- and deadwood-dwelling lichens and forest stand structure between productive and low-productivity forest stands. We surveyed 84 Scots pine-dominated stands in three regions in Sweden, each including four stand types: two productive (managed and unmanaged) and two low-productivity stands (on mires and on thin, rocky soils). 3. Lichen species richness was highest in low-productivity stands on thin soil, which had similar amounts and diversity of resources (living trees and dead wood) to productive unmanaged stands. Stands in low-productivity mires, which had low abundance of living trees and dead wood, hosted the lowest lichen richness. Lichen species composition differed among stand types, but none of them hosted unique species. The differences in both species richness and composition were more pronounced in northern than in southern Sweden, likely due to shorter history of intensive forestry. 4. Synthesis and applications: Boreal low-productivity forests can have as high conservation value as productive forests, which should be reflected in conservation strategies. However, their value is far from uniform, and conservation planning should acknowledge this variation and not treat all low-productivity forests as a uniform group. Some types of low-productivity forest (e.g. on thin soil) are more valuable than others (e.g. on mires), and should thus be prioritized in conservation. It is also important to consider the landscape context: low-productivity forests may have higher value in landscapes where high-productivity forests are highly influenced by forestry. Finally, although low-productivity forests can be valuable for some taxa, productive forests may still be important for other taxa.

Urbanisation is increasing worldwide and regarded a main driver of environmental change. Urban development and associated factors like increased spatial isolation, reduced habitat size and various types of disturbances can alter the dynamics of plant and animal populations in the remaining green areas. Furthermore, changes in abiotic site conditions (e.g. temperature, moisture content) can influence habitat quality and, consequently, the species richness, species composition and functional diversity of plants and animals, which in turn can affect the functioning of ecosystems. Nonetheless, urban areas can harbour a remarkably high species richness and can be of high conservation value by serving as a refugia for many rare and threatened species. It is, therefore, of central importance in conservation biology to disentangle the various drivers of biodiversity in urban landscapes. Within the scope of this thesis, three studies were conducted to examine the consequences of urbanisation on the biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of green areas in the urban region of Basel, Switzerland.&#13;\nThe aim of the first study was to assess the impacts of habitat size and landscape composition of the closer surroundings on the species diversity of three taxonomic groups differing in trophic rank (vascular plants, Orthoptera and Lepidoptera) in meadows and ruderal sites. I also related the response of three traits (body size, dispersal ability and food specialisation) to habitat size in Orthoptera and Lepidoptera. For this purpose, I analysed data of species from the natural heritage inventory of Basel. I found that the response of different groups of species considerably varied depending on the habitat type, taxonomic group and species trait examined. The species richness of Orthoptera and Lepidoptera was positively related to meadow size but not to the size of ruderal sites, while the opposite was true for plants. For Lepidoptera in ruderal sites, the percentage of ruderal sites in the closer surroundings was a better predictor of species richness than habitat size per se.&#13;\nForests belong to the most frequent green areas in urban landscapes and provide a wide range of ecosystem functions and thus play a major role for human well-being in cities. The aim of the second study was to examine the potential effects of degree of urbanisation, forest size and the corresponding interaction on the species diversity and functional diversity of vascular plants, ants and spiders. The two arthropod groups do not show species-specific mutualistic or exploitative relationships with plants in contrast to those in the first study. I conducted vegetation surveys and pitfall trapping to sample soil surface-active ants and spiders. In plants, species richness decreased with the degree of urbanisation. Ants and spiders at higher trophic rank showed more pronounced shifts in species composition with increasing degree of urbanisation, while the percentage of forest specialists in both arthropod groups was positively related to forest size. Local site characteristics were also important determinants for species diversity and functional diversity. &#13;\nIn forests, the decomposition of leaf litter is an important component of the process of nutrient cycling and the formation of soil. In this way, litter decomposition contributes to the maintenance of several other ecosystem functions and services. The third study aimed to investigate the effects of urbanisation on leaf litter decomposition process in forests. Standardised litter of Fagus sylvatica leaves was used to assess the impact of urbanisation-related factors on the early stage of decomposition and seasonal microbial activity. I found combined effects of degree of urbanisation and forest size on the decomposition rate of leaf litter (klitter) indicating that forests of similar size differed in abiotic and biotic forest characteristics depending on the degree of urbanisation in the closer surroundings. Furthermore, moisture content of litter was the best predictor of microbial activity, followed by forest size.&#13;\nThe findings of this thesis highlight the necessity to consider different taxonomic groups and functional groups in urban planning to maximise conservation value of urban green areas. In addition to degree of urbanisation, also habitat size was important for the diversity of some groups and leaf litter decomposition process in forests. It was also encouraging to find that even small green sites have the potential to make a significant contribution to biodiversity conservation and essential ecosystem functions in urban landscapes. I recommend that urban planners develop more flexible management strategies to satisfy the different requirements of various groups of species in the corresponding habitat type. Locally adapted management practices may provide a way forward to enhance habitat quality in a way to maximise species diversity and thus ensure the functioning of ecosystems; albeit large-scale factors also remain important.&#13;\n