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Land
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What Is Next for Urban Landscape Ecology?
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What Is Next for Urban Landscape Ecology?

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Landscape Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 24175

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Sara A. Gagné

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
Interests: landscape ecology; urban ecology; biodiversity conservation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Urban landscape ecology is the study of the interaction between environmental (abiotic and biotic) spatial heterogeneity and the distribution and abundance of organisms in landscapes dominated by urban land uses. As such, it is very well-positioned to provide basic and practical understanding of the multidimensional spatial and temporal complexity of urban areas. Published research agendas for urban landscape ecology are nearly a decade old, and the time is ripe to explore fundamental questions, hypotheses, and topics in the field. The intent of this Special Issue is to highlight the most pressing research needs in urban landscape ecology given the rapid rates of urban land use change and projected species declines. Papers that address the most important research questions in the field, illustrate the utility of established or new conceptual or methodological approaches, or showcase fundamental patterns or processes that deserve more attention are most welcome. The scope of this Special Issue is global and multi- and transdisciplinary. Research from underrepresented geographical regions and underrepresented participants in science is highly encouraged, as is research from across the spectrum of practice.

Dr. Sara A. Gagné
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • urban landscape
  • urban land use/land cover
  • urban ecosystems
  • spatial heterogeneity
  • urban sustainability

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 25802 KiB  
Article
Urban Community Power: Enhancing Urban Forest Diversity and Reversing Ecosystem Disservices in Zomba City, Malawi
by Patrick J. Likongwe, Frank B. Chimaimba, Sosten S. Chiotha, Treaser Mandevu, Lois Kamuyango and Hesekia Garekae
Land 2021, 10(11), 1258; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10111258 - 17 Nov 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2639
Abstract
Tree species diversity in urban green spaces supports the provision of a wide range of urban ecosystem services, well studied in developed countries and less so in developing countries, where little is discussed concerning the role of urban communities in addressing the eminent [...] Read more.
Tree species diversity in urban green spaces supports the provision of a wide range of urban ecosystem services, well studied in developed countries and less so in developing countries, where little is discussed concerning the role of urban communities in addressing the eminent threat facing green spaces. A study was, therefore, conducted to assess the impact of community involvement in the management of urban green spaces, which is mostly left in the hands of the central government in most developing countries. Two hills, namely, Sadzi and Chiperoni hills, were selected within Zomba city, where the latter has no community involvement in managing it. Trees with diameters at breast height (DBH) of ≥5 cm were measured and identified to species level from 25 sampled plots (20 × 20 m each). The results found a total of 51 species, 40 genera and 17 families, with the Fabaceae family dominant in both hills. A Shannon index of above 3.0 was recorded from both hills, with a greater tree density for Sadzi hill at 695 trees/ha. Sadzi hill has gained more than a twofold increase in green cover, while Chiperoni has lost 10%. Despite being in the regenerating phase, the community management is contributing to urban green space provision, ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue What Is Next for Urban Landscape Ecology?)
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16 pages, 35404 KiB  
Article
Assessment of the Impact of Land Use Change on Spatial Differentiation of Landscape and Ecosystem Service Values in the Case of Study the Pearl River Delta in China
by Ren Yang, Baoqing Qin and Yuancheng Lin
Land 2021, 10(11), 1219; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10111219 - 10 Nov 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2550
Abstract
Industrialization and urbanization have led to continuous urban development. The rapid change in land-use type and extent has a significant impact on the capacity of ecosystem services. Changes in the landscape pattern of roads, rivers, railway stations, and expressway entrances and exits have [...] Read more.
Industrialization and urbanization have led to continuous urban development. The rapid change in land-use type and extent has a significant impact on the capacity of ecosystem services. Changes in the landscape pattern of roads, rivers, railway stations, and expressway entrances and exits have evident geographical proximity effects. We used landscape pattern indices and ecosystem service value (ESV) to evaluate the landscape pattern and ESV spatial differentiation of the Pearl River Delta region and its typical transportation infrastructure and rivers in 1990, 2000, and 2017. The results show that rapid urbanization and industrialization have led to changes in urban land use along the Pearl River Estuary. Urban land changes on the east bank of the Pearl River are greater than urban land changes on the west bank of the Pearl River; the landscape diversity of the Pearl River Delta has increased, the connectivity of the landscape has decreased, and the degree of fragmentation has increased. Second, the city size of the Pearl River Delta was negatively correlated with the ESVs. The ESVs in the core areas of the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration were smaller than those in the fringe areas. With the gradient change in urban land use, ESVs showed a growing trend from the city center to the surrounding areas. The key areas for ecological protection and restoration should be central urban areas and suburbs. Third, the siphoning effect of the buffer zones of railway stations and expressway entrances and exits was very strong and drove the development and utilization of the surrounding land. As the degree of land development in the buffer zone decreased, the ESVs increased. Fourth, different grades of roads in the Pearl River Delta had different impacts on the regional landscape and ESVs. County roads had a greater interference effect than expressways, national roads, and provincial roads, and the riverside plains of the Pearl River Delta have a large development space, low urban development costs, and multiple land-use activities that have profoundly changed the landscape of the river buffer zone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue What Is Next for Urban Landscape Ecology?)
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16 pages, 5090 KiB  
Article
Dynamic Changes in Melbourne’s Urban Vegetation Cover—2001 to 2016
by Bhuban Timalsina, Suzanne Mavoa and Amy K. Hahs
Land 2021, 10(8), 814; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10080814 - 02 Aug 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3219
Abstract
Understanding changes in urban vegetation is essential for ensuring sustainable and healthy cities, mitigating disturbances due to climate change, sustaining urban biodiversity, and supporting human health and wellbeing. This study investigates and describes the distribution and dynamic changes in urban vegetation over a [...] Read more.
Understanding changes in urban vegetation is essential for ensuring sustainable and healthy cities, mitigating disturbances due to climate change, sustaining urban biodiversity, and supporting human health and wellbeing. This study investigates and describes the distribution and dynamic changes in urban vegetation over a 15-year period in Greater Melbourne, Australia. The study investigates how vegetation cover across Melbourne has changed at five-yearly intervals from 2001 to 2016 using the newly proposed dynamic change approach that extends the net change approach to quantify the amount of vegetation gain as well as loss. We examine this question at two spatial resolutions: (1) at the municipal landscape scale to capture broadscale change regardless of land tenure; and (2) at the scale of designated public open spaces within the municipalities to investigate the extent to which the loss of vegetation has occurred on lands that are intended to provide public access to vegetated areas in the city. Vegetation was quantified at four different times (2001, 2006, 2011, 2016), using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Dynamic changes of gain and loss in urban vegetation between the three periods were quantified for six local government areas (LGAs) and their associated public open spaces using a change matrix. The results showed an overall net loss of 64.5 square kilometres of urban vegetation from 2001 to 2016 in six LGAs. When extrapolated to the Greater Melbourne Area, this is approximately equivalent to 109 times the size of Central Park in New York City. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue What Is Next for Urban Landscape Ecology?)
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17 pages, 13109 KiB  
Article
Planning Strategies of Wind Corridor Forests Utilizing the Properties of Cold Air
by Uk-Je Sung, Jeong-Hee Eum, Jeong-Min Son and Jeong-Hak Oh
Land 2021, 10(6), 607; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10060607 - 07 Jun 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3427
Abstract
A wind corridor forest is defined as an urban forest for utilizing the functions of a wind corridor that allow “cool and fresh air (cold air)” generated in forests at night to flow to urban development areas. This study aims to provide planning [...] Read more.
A wind corridor forest is defined as an urban forest for utilizing the functions of a wind corridor that allow “cool and fresh air (cold air)” generated in forests at night to flow to urban development areas. This study aims to provide planning strategies for implementing a wind corridor forest by analyzing current conditions in Haengbok City (HBC region), Sejong, South Korea. The HBC region had many wind-generating forests (WGF), wind-spreading forests (WSF), and wind-connecting forests (WCF), and secured the connections among the target areas of each wind corridor forest. Despite the favorable conditions for a wind corridor forest, cold air flow showed that there are regions with unfavorable wind conditions in the HBC region. In order to strengthen the functions of a wind corridor forests in the HBC region, four zones were distinguished according to the functional characteristics. Additionally, the planning strategies of a wind corridor forests suitable for each zone were provided, and the strategies for establishing a wind corridor forest were proposed. The results of this study can be used as the fundamental data for establishing guidelines for a wind corridor forest and utilized as resources for selecting regions suitable for a wind corridor forest. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue What Is Next for Urban Landscape Ecology?)
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19 pages, 1368 KiB  
Article
Weak Effects of Owned Outdoor Cat Density on Urban Bird Richness and Abundance
by Genevieve C. Perkins, Amanda E. Martin, Adam C. Smith and Lenore Fahrig
Land 2021, 10(5), 507; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10050507 - 10 May 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4024
Abstract
Domestic cats (Felis catus) are ubiquitous predators of birds in urban areas. In addition to the lethal effect of predation, there can also be sublethal, negative effects of domestic cats on individual birds. These effects have led to the inference that [...] Read more.
Domestic cats (Felis catus) are ubiquitous predators of birds in urban areas. In addition to the lethal effect of predation, there can also be sublethal, negative effects of domestic cats on individual birds. These effects have led to the inference that reducing outdoor cat densities would benefit urban bird communities. Here we estimate the likely result of policies/programs designed to reduce densities of owned outdoor cats in urban areas, estimating relationships between bird richness/abundance and cat densities across 58 landscapes in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. We estimate that we would most likely observe one additional bird species, and 0.003 additional individuals per species, if policies/programs reduced owned outdoor cat densities to zero in an average landscape in Ottawa (with 130.2 cats/km2). However, these effects of cat density on birds were uncertain, with 95% confidence intervals crossing zero. Our findings—in combination with those of previous studies—suggest a need for research to resolve the apparent disconnect between the strong, negative effects of cats on individual urban birds and the weak, uncertain effects of cats on bird populations. Although measures that reduce owned outdoor cat densities are justified based on the precautionary principle, evidence to date does not support prioritizing these measures over those addressing threats that have consistently strong effects on bird populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue What Is Next for Urban Landscape Ecology?)
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14 pages, 1357 KiB  
Article
Testing the Likeable, Therefore Abundant Hypothesis: Bird Species Likeability by Urban Residents Varies Significantly with Species Traits
by Lillian Collins, Grant D. Paton and Sara A. Gagné
Land 2021, 10(5), 487; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10050487 - 05 May 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2145
Abstract
The urbanization of landscapes filters bird communities to favor particular species traits, driven in part by the changes that homeowners make to the amount and quality of habitat in yards. We suggest that an ultimate driver of these proximate mechanisms underlying bird community [...] Read more.
The urbanization of landscapes filters bird communities to favor particular species traits, driven in part by the changes that homeowners make to the amount and quality of habitat in yards. We suggest that an ultimate driver of these proximate mechanisms underlying bird community change with respect to urbanization is the likeability of species traits by urban residents. We hypothesize that bird species likeability, modulated by species traits, influences the degree to which homeowners alter the availability and quality of habitat on their properties and thereby affects species population sizes in urbanized landscapes. We refer to this new hypothesis as the Likeable, therefore Abundant Hypothesis. The Likeable, therefore Abundant Hypothesis predicts that (1) bird species likeability varies with species morphological and behavioral traits, (2) homeowners use trait-based likeability as a motivator to modify habitat availability and quality on their properties, and (3) residential habitat availability and quality influences species populations at landscape scales. We tested the first prediction of the Likeable, therefore Abundant Hypothesis using a survey of 298 undergraduate students at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte who were asked to rank their preferences for 85 forest generalist and edge/open country songbird species grouped according to 10 morphological and behavioral traits. Survey respondents preferred very small, primarily blue or black species that are insectivorous, aerial or bark foragers, residents, and culturally unimportant. On the other hand, respondents disliked large or very large, primarily yellow or orange species that forage on the ground and/or forage by flycatching, are migratory, and are culturally important. If the Likeable, therefore Abundant Hypothesis is true, natural resource managers and planners could capitalize on the high likeability of species that are nevertheless negatively affected by urbanization to convince homeowners and residents to actively manage their properties for species conservation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue What Is Next for Urban Landscape Ecology?)
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19 pages, 3336 KiB  
Article
Bird Diversity Unconsciously Increases People’s Satisfaction with Where They Live
by Lauren Hepburn, Adam C. Smith, John Zelenski and Lenore Fahrig
Land 2021, 10(2), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10020153 - 03 Feb 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5006
Abstract
There is growing evidence that exposure to nature increases human well-being, including in urban areas. However, relatively few studies have linked subjective satisfaction to objective features of the environment. In this study we explore the links among objective environmental features (tree cover, water, [...] Read more.
There is growing evidence that exposure to nature increases human well-being, including in urban areas. However, relatively few studies have linked subjective satisfaction to objective features of the environment. In this study we explore the links among objective environmental features (tree cover, water, and bird diversity) and subjective judgements of satisfaction. We surveyed residents of Ottawa, Canada (n = 1035) about their satisfaction with their local neighbourhoods. We then compared the survey responses to measures of nature near their homes, including bird diversity (number of bird species), tree canopy cover, and distance to water. After controlling for effects of income and subjective happiness, residents’ neighbourhood satisfaction was positively related to the number of bird species nearby, even before participants were prompted to consider nature. Residents’ appreciation of their local neigbourhood relative to others also increased with tree canopy cover and nearness to water. Unsolicited comments from participants following the survey indicated that while residents consciously appreciate trees and water, the relationship between bird diversity and neighbourhood satisfaction appears to be unconscious; very few of the participants mentioned birds. Based on these results, we speculate that a diverse local bird community may provoke feelings of satisfaction through their presence, activity, and songs. Our results create a compelling argument for city planners and individual residents to maintain bird-friendly spaces in urban areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue What Is Next for Urban Landscape Ecology?)
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