Abstract
ContextLand use change requires measuring shifting patterns in biodiversity at various spatial scales to inform landscape management. Assessing vegetation change at different scales is challenging in urban ecosystems managed by many individuals. Thus, we do not know much about the structure and function of green spaces that support biodiversity.ObjectiveWe aim to understand how vegetation structure and function indicators in urban community gardens vary with spatial scale, applying new and traditional methods in landscape ecology to inform future research and application.MethodsWe performed two methods to assess garden vegetation structure (height) and function (species diversity, cover) at the garden- and garden plot scale. First, we used traditional field sampling to estimate garden vegetation at the garden scale (1 m2 quadrats along transects) and at the plot scale (estimated within entire plot) to measure height, diversity and cover. Second, we used UAV aerial imagery to derive measures of garden and plot vegetation using canopy height models (CHMs). We evaluated differences in CHMs at each scale across the gardens, and compared field and UAV-derived measures.ResultsGarden vegetation characteristics vary with spatial scale. Plant species richness and vegetation cover, but not height, related to UAV-derived imagery.ConclusionsNew technologies paired with traditional field methods can together inform how vegetation structure and function vary with spatial scale in urban landscapes. Spatial scale is key to accurate and meaningful urban vegetation analyses. New and traditional methods in urban ecology research should develop together to improve and streamline their future application.
Highlights
Rapid land use conversion has changed the distribution, composition and function of biodiversity within ecosystems across landscapes (Foley et al 2005)
Garden vegetation characteristics vary with spatial scale
New technologies paired with traditional field methods can together inform how vegetation structure and function vary with spatial scale in urban landscapes
Summary
Rapid land use conversion has changed the distribution, composition and function of biodiversity within ecosystems across landscapes (Foley et al 2005). Understanding how biodiversity responds to land use heterogeneity versus homogeneity informs landscape management (Lindenmayer et al 2008), but it is necessary to evaluate heterogeneity at different spatial scales because ecological processes underlying ecosystem functions may vary with spatial scale (Wu 2004). Heterogeneity is especially important to measure in urban ecosystems managed by many individuals that contribute great amounts to the vegetation diversity, structure and biodiversity conservation in cities ([ 50% of urban green space in many cities; (Goddard et al 2010)). We investigate how vegetation species diversity, cover and height as indicators of ecosystem structure and function in an urban green space type (urban community gardens) vary at different spatial resolutions across an urban landscape by applying new technologies in ecology in combination with field assessments that are frequently used in urban ecology. We explore some of the ecological implications of changes in vegetation across different spatial scales, and look
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