Meaning of protected areas in ecological sustainable city development

Abstract

Protected areas are the key elements of the green infrastructure and environmental city frame that provide variety of ecosystem services to the people as well as serve as the centers of investment attraction. The total area of the protected lands of Khabarovsk is 583.57 ha (1.5% of the city area): 5 protected ones of regional significance, 24 areas of local significance. There are 117 species observed in the dendroflora of all protected areas, which is relatively close to the natural biodiversity indicator. The reserve for expanding the protected areas network in Khabarovsk is mainly represented by the lands of the Russian Ministry of Defense, floodplain lands, the adjacent areas to the water protection zones of small rivers in the city, and ecologically restored technogenic sites. In addition to the forest type areas this will permit to create water and meadow-marsh protected plots, which meets the representativeness criteria of the natural ecosystems of the Amur River Region. The case study of a protected area called Orekhovaya Sopka, allows seeing that keeping record of the ecosystem services increases both the economic and the environmental values of the territories. The results may be applied in: municipal management.