Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the floristic composition and diversity of seven urban habitat types in 24 Serbian cities with different climatic affiliation. In each of the 24 cities, we selected 1 ha plots representing a habitat from one of the following groups: square, boulevard, residential area with compact and with open building pattern, city park, and sites with early and mid-succession vegetation stages. All vascular plant species that occur spontaneously in these plots were observed. Data on the main climatic characteristics were collected for each plot, and data on the life forms were obtained for each species recorded. Diagnostic species were identified for each habitat type analyzed, and alpha, beta and gamma diversity were calculated. A total of 674 taxa were recorded in the studied area. Significant differences were observed in habitats by diagnostic species and by life form representation. The lowest alpha and gamma diversity and the dominance of therophytes were observed in habitat types with intensive anthropogenic impact, whereas the highest number was recorded in mid-successional sites and residential areas with a compact building pattern. The analysis showed that habitat type influences species composition much more than climate.
Highlights
Human activities are an inseparable part of urban area and play a leading role in modifying its ecological characteristics, forming similar conditions in diverse, often remote areas
The highest average value of Φ (0.13) and the highest number of diagnostic species (67) were calculated for mid-successional sites (m). This habitat type was dominated by deciduous shrubs and trees (e.g., Prunus spinosa, Cornus sanguinea, and Juglans regia), and by a large number of herbaceous perennial species (e.g., Hypericum perforatum, Dipsacus laciniatus, Rumex patientia, Agrimonia eupatoria) and grasses (e.g., Calamagrostis epigejos, Poa trivialis, Holcus lanatus, Bromus hordeaceus)
Residential areas with compact building patterns were mostly characterized by ornamental species, which spread from neighboring gardens (e.g., Campsis radicans, Kerria japonica, Antirrhinum majus, Ipomoea purpurea, Rudbeckia hirta)
Summary
Human activities are an inseparable part of urban area and play a leading role in modifying its ecological characteristics, forming similar conditions in diverse, often remote areas. Additional homogenization is caused by the presence of invasive species, primarily archeophytes, whereas neophytes mainly lead to opposite effects [5,6]. Both groups of invasive species have been shown to contribute to an increase in the richness of plant species in urban habitats [5,7]. Urban areas are very heterogeneous, so this contributes to a larger number of species in cities [10,11] This heterogeneity, caused by different disturbance regimes, induced differences in species composition [12]
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