Features of the balance of ecosystem services and risks for woody plants in the Samara Region

Abstract

The development of the concept of ecosystem services, started at the end of the 20th century mainly by foreign authors, has recently extended to the consideration of various aspects of the mankind interaction with the surrounding natural complexes, including the functioning of agroecosystems of various types and urban environments. The urban ecosystem includes various forms of infrastructure that provide services to the population, including green infrastructure consisting of natural plant systems and associated green technologies. Green infrastructure ensures the implementation of regulatory, supportive and cultural ecosystem services. On the other hand, the reverse interaction has recently been considered the practice of considering ecosystem services provided directly by the urban environment for the conservation of biological diversity has appeared. The provision of ecosystem services is an important role of urban plantings, and the contribution of woody plants to their implementation is particularly important. Despite the small share of the area occupied in the urban environment, the use of land covered with trees contributes to a significant reduction in the ecological footprint of the city. However, the quality of ecosystem services provided is largely determined by the vital condition of a particular instance of trees and depends on their specific features. Based on the actual data obtained during the survey of model plots of street plantings in Samara, the authors consider the features of the balance between ecosystem services and risks associated with the species composition and vital state of the tree component of plantings in the urban environment. For a number of species of woody plants, their actual role in the urban environment has been factorially analyzed, taking into account the effectiveness of the implementation of ecosystem services and the severity of problems associated with their condition or life characteristics.