Habitat- and matrix-related differences in species diversity and trait richness of vascular plants, Orthoptera and Lepidoptera in an urban landscape

Abstract

Urban growth is considered to be a major driver of environmental change. Urbanisation can affect urban biodiversity in different ways. So far, most studies focused on the impact of urbanisation on single taxa in one habitat type. In this study, we used data of species inventories and GIS-based landscape elements to examine the effects of habitat size and landscape composition on the species diversity of three taxonomic groups (vascular plants, Orthoptera and Lepidoptera) in meadows and ruderal sites in the urban region of Basel, Switzerland. We also related the responses of three species traits (body size, dispersal ability and food specialisation) to habitat size in Orthoptera and Lepidoptera. We found that species of the different taxonomic groups differed in their response to habitat size and landscape composition both in meadows and ruderal sites depending on the traits 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 cover of ruderal area in the closer surroundings was a better predictor of species richness than habitat size per se. To sustain high levels of urban biodiversity, we recommend that urban planners develop adequate management strategies to satisfy the different requirements of various taxonomic groups and to increase the quality of green sites surrounding the target habitat.