The Biodiversity of Urban and Peri-Urban Forests and the Diverse Ecosystem Services They Provide as Socio-Ecological Systems

Stephen Livesley,Justin Morgenroth,Francisco Escobedo

doi:10.3390/f7120291

Stephen Livesley, Justin Morgenroth + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/f7120291

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Abstract

Urban and peri-urban forests provide a variety of ecosystem service benefits for urban society. Recognising and understanding the many human–tree interactions that urban forests provide may be more complex but probably just as important to our urbanised society. This paper introduces four themes that link the studies from across the globe presented in this Special Issue: (1) human–tree interactions; (2) urban tree inequity; (3) carbon sequestration in our own neighbourhoods; and (4) biodiversity of urban forests themselves and the fauna they support. Urban forests can help tackle many of the “wicked problems” that confront our towns and cities and the people that live in them. For urban forests to be accepted as an effective element of any urban adaptation strategy, we need to improve the communication of these ecosystem services and disservices and provide evidence of the benefits provided to urban society and individuals, as well as the biodiversity with which we share our town and cities.

Highlights

The term “ecosystem service” is used prodigiously with respect to current urban ecosystems and in urban forest research [1]
By assessing the impacts of sub-division development on the tree species composition of urban forests in Halifax and London in Canada, they are able to determine whether the pre-urban landscape lead to differences in urban tree diversity following urbanization
Urban tree planting initiatives should not contribute to the growing divide between the haves and have-nots in modern urban society

Summary

Introduction

The term “ecosystem service” is used prodigiously with respect to current urban ecosystems and in urban forest research [1]. We have been able to bring together a large number of international studies covering a wide spectrum of ecosystem services, ecological functions that urban trees and urban forests can provide—from supporting faunal biodiversity to the diversity of urban forests themselves; from urban forests for carbon sequestration to air quality improvements through particulate deposition; from indicators of resilience and health in urban forest planning to socio-economic drivers and inequity in urban forest cover. This Special Issue includes research performed in every continent except Antarctica. We could not have hoped to create a more internationally inclusive and relevant Special Issue, and are very proud to present as Guest Editors this collection of urban forest studies

Human–Tree Interactions in an Urbanised Society

Urban Tree Inequity

Urban Biodiversity

Summary and Future Directions