Publisher : Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
Place of publication :
Publication year : 2015
Thematic : Urban Biodiversity
Language : English
Note
Urban greenspaces harbor considerable biodiversity. Such areas include spontaneously vegetated
spaces such as such as brownfields, street or railway verges and vacant lots. While these spaces
may contribute to urban conservation, their informal and liminal nature poses a challenge for
reviewing what we know about their value for biodiversity. The relevant literature lacks a common
terminology. This paper applied a formal definition and typology of informal urban greenspace
(IGS) to identify and systematically review a total of 174 peer-reviewed papers in English (152),
German (14) and Japanese (8). We identified three main topics: value for conservation (94 papers),
factors influencing diversity (80), and non-indigenous species (37). Additionally, we analyzed this
literature for temporal trends, spatial patterns, studied IGS types, taxa, climate zones, human impact
types, and key authors. Results show IGS plays an important role for biodiversity. Management
practices were identified as the most common and negative impact on diversity, while vegetation,
site age, distance to city center, and habitat diversity were positive-influence factors. The number
and impact of non-indigenous species varied widely. The analysis of literature patterns reveals: an
increase in publications over the last 15 years and a strong geographic bias in publications, as well
as towards temperate and humid climate zones. Studies of gap, powerline and microsite IGS were
scarce, as were studies of mammals and reptiles. Results suggest different maintenance regimes for
IGS may improve its contribution to urban conservation. We therefore propose adapting
management to the local context.
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Keywords : aquaculture
Encoded by : Pauline Carmel Joy Eje
