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Urban Green and Biodiversity

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Greening Cities

Part of the book series: Advances in 21st Century Human Settlements ((ACHS))

Abstract

The chapter explores the relationship between urban green and biodiversity . Cities are home to a large number of native plant and animal species. Non-native species are an essential component for the species richness in the cities worldwide. The population of animal and plant species is not stable and the number of native species has been declining over the last decades and the portion of non-native species is increasing. Public and private gardening are main causes for the introduction of non-native species. The different contrasting attitudes towards non-native species between urban dwellers and nature conservationists are discussed. Three approaches are described representing different scales, namely the city in the region, the urban matrix and green patches. These three approaches offer a sophisticated view about the relationship between urban green and biodiversity and provide ways for a tailored management to improve biodiversity in urban areas. For each scale, recommendations for the management of urban green are presented. The chapter ends with basic principles for the development and management of green areas and green structures to enhance urban biodiversity and ecosystem services in cities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Housing and Environment, Darmstadt, Germany

    Peter Werner

  2. Ceckovice, Bor U Tachova, 34802, Czech Republic

    John G. Kelcey

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  1. Peter Werner
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  2. John G. Kelcey
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Correspondence to Peter Werner .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Puay Yok Tan

  2. The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Chi Yung Jim

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Werner, P., Kelcey, J.G. (2017). Urban Green and Biodiversity. In: Tan, P., Jim, C. (eds) Greening Cities. Advances in 21st Century Human Settlements. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4113-6_7

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