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Using the ecosystem services approach for better planning and conservation of urban green spaces: a Finland case study

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Abstract

Ecosystem services are vital for humans in urban regions. However, urban development poses a great risk for the ability of ecosystems to provide these services. In this paper we first address the most important ecosystem services in functional urban regions in Finland. Well accessible and good quality recreational ecosystem services, for example, provided by urban nature, are an important part of a high-quality living environment and important for public health. Vegetation of urban regions can have a role in carbon dioxide sequestration and thus in climate change mitigation. For instance, estimates of carbon sinks can be compared to total CO2 emissions of an urban region, and the municipality can aim at both increasing carbon sinks and decreasing CO2 emissions with proper land-use planning. Large and contiguous core nature areas, smaller green areas and ecological connections between them are the essence of regional ecological networks and are essential for maintaining interconnected habitats for species and thus biological diversity. Thus, both local and regional level ecological networks are vital for maintaining ecosystem services in urban regions. The impacts of climate change coupled with land-use and land cover change will bring serious challenges for maintaining ecosystem services in urban areas. Although not yet widely used in planning practices, the ecosystem services approach can provide an opportunity for land-use planning to develop ecologically sustainable urban regions. Currently, information on ecosystem services of urban regions is lacking and there is a need to improve the knowledge base for land-use planning.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Academy of Finland for research funding (110388 “Integrating Ecological and Social Information in Urban Planning” and 126915 “Enhancing Urban Biodiversity: Habitat Planning and Strategic Management of Urban Green Areas”).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 65, 00014, University of Helsinki, Finland

    Jari Niemelä, Vesa Yli-Pelkonen & D. Johan Kotze

  2. Environmental Policy Centre/Built Environment Unit, Finnish Environment Institute, Mechelininkatu 34a, P.O. Box 140, 00251, Helsinki, Finland

    Sanna-Riikka Saarela, Tarja Söderman & Leena Kopperoinen

  3. Sito Oy, Tietäjäntie 14, 02130, Espoo, Finland

    Seija Väre

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  1. Jari Niemelä
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  2. Sanna-Riikka Saarela
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Correspondence to Jari Niemelä.

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Niemelä, J., Saarela, SR., Söderman, T. et al. Using the ecosystem services approach for better planning and conservation of urban green spaces: a Finland case study. Biodivers Conserv 19, 3225–3243 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-010-9888-8

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