Abstract
Urban water bodies are an important asset in terms of climate change. The accompanying vegetation is an integral part of the waterside space system and a source of ecosystem services and disservices. The composition of greenery in waterside spaces should therefore be preceded by detailed research. This research would be the basis for the development of recommendations for enhancement of the positive impact of vegetation on humans and minimisation of its negative effect. The aim of the study was to identify ecosystem services and disservices of vegetation in the four most important waterside recreation spaces in the city of Rzeszów, Poland, and to develop plant composition guidelines. A detailed inventory of vegetation and aerobiological monitoring of the presence of airborne allergenic pollen grains and fungal spores were carried out. Next, the ecosystem services and disservices of the vegetation were determined based on literature data and on our expert judgement. Additionally, a counting of the number of visitors to waterside areas was conducted. All these steps were used to develop recommendations for shaping the vegetation of study areas. The results of the investigations show that the boulevards along the artificial lake function completely differently than other investigated places as the area resembles an urban park, and the water is not the main attraction in this space. The vegetation of the boulevards and the nearby gravel-pit bathing area has mostly a spontaneous character and offers the widest range of ecosystem services and disservices. The management of the vegetation should focus on its health-enhancing values. The vegetation growing near the outdoor swimming pools has been designed by man. Nevertheless, it requires recomposing and is targeted specifically at the enhancement of the visual attractiveness. Additionally, there is a need for planting compact deciduous trees that will provide shade at the multi-media fountain.
Highlights
Blue-green infrastructure (BGI) is one of the most important components of a modern urban system, and the design of this component is still a challenge [1,2,3,4,5]
Sites S and F, which are well described by the arranged greenery category, mainly provide services in the form of benefits offered by the aesthetic composition of the greenery or shading in the relaxation infrastructure
Climate challenges associated with the increasing air temperature in cities may underline the importance of blue-green infrastructure for quality of life and, in particular, its health-related and recreational functions
Summary
Blue-green infrastructure (BGI) is one of the most important components of a modern urban system, and the design of this component is still a challenge [1,2,3,4,5]. The latest CICES classification (Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services) [13] has established three final ES groups that include provisioning, regulating & maintaining, and cultural roles Both the urban waterside spaces and the accompanying greenery provide services that can be classified into all these ES groups. The provisioning (PES) and regulating (RES) services include water supply, alleviation of the urban heat island, mitigation of the adverse climate phenomena, and the interception of pollutants. They provide habitats for animals and plants, thereby ensuring maintenance of biodiversity [3,6,14,15,16]. The system provides various ecosystem services [4,6], which can be both positive and negative
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