Moderately urbanized areas as a conservation opportunity for an endangered songbird
| Autor: | Reto Spaar, Boris Droz, Raffael Ayé, Christophe F. Randin, Thierry Bohnenstengel, Robin Arnoux, Jacques Laesser |
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| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
Ecology
biology 0211 other engineering and technologies Wildlife Biodiversity Endangered species Urban sprawl 021107 urban & regional planning 02 engineering and technology 010501 environmental sciences Management Monitoring Policy and Law Redstart biology.organism_classification 01 natural sciences Urban Studies Geography Phoenicurus phoenicurus Habitat Environmental protection Impervious surface 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Nature and Landscape Conservation |
| Zdroj: | Landscape and Urban Planning. 181:1-9 |
| ISSN: | 0169-2046 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2018.09.011 |
| Popis: | Urban sprawl has increased in Western Europe principally due to conversion of farmland areas, which has constrained remaining farmland to more intensive use. Urban densification aims to counteract urban sprawl; however, it threatens urban green spaces that act as sustainable alternative habitats for wildlife. In this study, we used the Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) as a model species to develop sustainable planning recommendations for urban green spaces. Using species distribution models (SDMs) in combinations with high-resolution predicting variables (2 × 2 m grid cell), we defined the suitable habitat of a Common Redstart territory in a moderately urbanized environment. We then predicted how the distribution would be affected under realistic scenarios of land-use modification (termed conservation scenario and threat scenario) in an effort to provide recommendations for urban green space planning. Tree canopy cover was the principal land-cover type in the SDMs that explained the current species distribution followed by impervious surface and short-cut lawn. In the conservation scenario where tree canopy coverage was increased we predicted an increase in optimum habitat for the Common Redstart from 7% to 27% of the study area. In contrast, under a threat scenario based on urban densification, we predicted a decrease in the optimum habitat to only 4% of the study area. The SDMs results were used to highlight the importance of the suitable areas that have a predicted potential to conserve and promote an interconnected urban green space networks to maintain urban biodiversity. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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