Local habitat characteristics have a stronger effect than the surrounding urban landscape on beetle communities on green roof
| Autor: | Alexander Szallies, Stephan Brenneisen, Kukka Kyrö, Susanna Lehvävirta, Magdalena Gerner, D. Johan Kotze |
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| Přispěvatelé: | Environmental Sciences, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Fifth Dimension - Vegetated roofs and walls in urban areas, Urban Ecosystems, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS) |
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
INFRASTRUCTURE Biodiversity 711: Raumplanung (Städtebau) Soil Science Vegetated roofs 010501 environmental sciences 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Landscape configuration RICHNESS Urbanization 11. Sustainability HETEROGENEITY 577: Ökologie FRAGMENTS 1172 Environmental sciences 0105 earth and related environmental sciences 4112 Forestry Pitfall traps Ecology ARTHROPODS CARABID BEETLES SPECIES-DIVERSITY Species diversity Forestry Green infrastructure Vegetation 15. Life on land Patch characteristics Coleoptera Geography Habitat 13. Climate action 519 Social and economic geography Forb ABUNDANCE Species richness Landscape configuration |
| Popis: | Green roofs are a promising tool to return nature to cities and mitigate biodiversity loss brought about by urbanization. Yet, we lack basic information on how green roofs contribute to biodiversity and how their placement in the urban landscape affects different taxa and community composition. We studied the effects of local and landscape variables on beetle communities on green roofs. We expected that both local roof characteristics and urban landscape composition shape communities, but that their relative importance depends on species characteristics. Using pitfall traps, we collected beetles during two consecutive years from 17 green roofs in Basel, Switzerland. We evaluated the contribution of six local and six landscape variables to beetle community structure and to the responses of individual species. Communities on the roofs consisted of mobile and open dry-habitat species, with both local and landscape variables playing a role in structuring these communities. At the individual species level, local roof variables were more important than characteristics of the surrounding urban landscape. The most influential factors affecting the abundances of beetle species were vegetation, described as forb and grass cover (mainly positive), and roof age (mainly negative). Therefore, we suggest that the careful planning of green roofs with diverse vegetation is essential to increase their value as habitat for beetles. In addition, while beetle communities on green roofs can be diverse regardless of their placement in the urban landscape, the lack of wingless species indicates the need to increase the connectivity of green roofs to ground level habitats. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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