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Urban biodiversity and climate change

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Climate change has the potential to affect urban vegetation diversity. The effects of climate change will vary across the globe. Global climate change along with increasing urbanization and its associated heat islands could lead to significantly warmer temperatures in developing regions. The local climate and soils, urban processes, vectors of plant and seed transmission, and vegetation management decisions combine to produce the current biodiversity exhibited in cities. The diversity of urban vegetation composition has changed through time with many cities currently having species richness and Shannon-Wiener diversity index values greater than native forest stands. Vegetation managers can affect future biodiversity and help offset potential environmental changes by understanding these changes and designing vegetation plans to sustain future plant health and diversity, and ensure ecosystem services that help mitigate climate changes.

Keywords

urban forests, species diversity, species richness, urban heat islands, urban tree cover

Citation

Nowak, David J. 2010. Urban biodiversity and climate change. Chapter 5. In: Urban Biodiversity and Design. Muller, N., Werner, P.; Kelcey, J.G., eds. Wiley-Blackwell Publishing. Hoboken, NJ: 101-117. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444318654.
Citations
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/57932