Biodiversity
Definition
“the variety of organisms considered at all levels, from genetic variants belonging to the same species through arrays of species to arrays of genera, families, and still higher taxonomic levels; includes the variety of ecosystems, which comprise both the communities of organisms within particular habitats and the physical conditions under which they live.”
Wilson, Edward O. The Diversity of Life. London: Penguin, 2001.
Benefits
- Promote gene flow
- Increase connectivity
- Allow for evolution cf. Anthropogenic Change
Nilon, Charles H., Myla F. J. Aronson, Sarel S. Cilliers, Cynnamon Dobbs, Lauren J. Frazee, Mark A. Goddard, Karen M. O’Neill, et al. “Planning for the Future of Urban Biodiversity: A Global Review of City-Scale Initiatives.” BioScience 67, no. 4 (2017): 332–42. https://doi.org/10/gbgp37.
Criticism
Biodiversity is a whitefella word: changing relationships between Aboriginal people and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Urban Ecosystems
Editorial for a special issue
Neuenkamp, Lena, Leonie K. Fischer, Roland Schröder, and Valentin H. Klaus. “Special Issue: Urban Ecosystems: Potentials, Challenges, and Solutions.” Basic and Applied Ecology, 2021. https://doi.org/10/gmnvc4.
Urban Biodiversity Research
Knapp, Sonja, Myla F. J. Aronson, Ela Carpenter, Adriana Herrera-Montes, Kirsten Jung, D. Johan Kotze, Frank A. La Sorte, et al. “A Research Agenda for Urban Biodiversity in the Global Extinction Crisis.” BioScience 71, no. 3 (2021): 268–79. https://doi.org/10/gmnvcn.
Urban Biodiversity Design
Animal Aided Design (Private) Animal Design
Usefulness to Humans
A substantial body of knowledge from the fields of urban ecology, population health, epidemiology and environmental psychology demonstrates that urban biodiversity increases the liveability of cities for humans (Fuller et al. 2007; Tzoulas et al. 2007; Taylor and Hochuli 2015; Carrus et al. 2015).
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