Evaluation of Landscape Ecology and Urban Ecosystems

Dear Colleagues,

Landscapes are weighted against different criteria, traditionally we mean economic value, but recently the definition of the value of landscapes has expanded to include both the tangible and intangible. In an ecological context, value is interpreted as the value of the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem functions.

Landscape ecology provides important frameworks for understanding and conserving biodiversity within cities and has played an important role in the development of a substantial and expanding body of knowledge about urban landscapes and communities. Urbanized landscapes covering cities may encompass a range of human-dominated land uses, from highly compact urban centers to low-density suburbs or agricultural landscapes on the peri-urban fringe, and urban areas can contain even higher diversity and abundance than the agricultural hinterland. The creation of landscapes that promote human well-being and urban resilience to climate change, and that address both inequalities and biodiversity loss, requires a green infrastructure approach which considers a range of social and ecological outcomes.

The quantification of urban ecosystem components is necessary to assess the culturally, ecologically and landscape ecologically important impacts of development and land use policy and strategic planning. The aim of this Special Issue is to demonstrate that urban areas can host many landscape functions despite their predominantly built-up character, such as urban open spaces, urban green areas, and urban forestry and woodlands. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but need not be limited to, the following:

• Nature-based solutions in cities;
• Resilient cities;
• Integrated landscape management;
• Biodiversity in urban areas and beyond;
• Mapping of landscape ecology;
• Quantification of urban ecosystem components;
• Urban green spaces and forestry.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Barbara Prus
Dr. Stanisław Bacior
Dr. Adam Senetra
Guest Editors

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