Urban Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management

Urban biodiversity encompasses the variety and variability of species, habitats and ecological processes within city environments. As urban areas expand, green spaces—from public squares and parks to street verges and green roofs—serve as critical refuges for native and non-native flora and fauna alike. Managing these ecosystems requires balancing human needs—such as recreation, well-being and cultural values—with the ecological requirements of diverse species. Strategies include creating and connecting habitat patches, adopting adaptive maintenance regimes and integrating ecological principles into urban planning. By sustaining ecosystem services—such as air and water purification, temperature regulation and mental health benefits—urban biodiversity contributes to climate mitigation, genetic resilience and stronger human–nature interactions that underpin broader environmental stewardship.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated that the design and configuration of public urban squares substantially shape species diversity and abundance. Analyses of variations in greenness, shrub volume, tree density and human activity across these spaces reveal that greater vegetative complexity generally enhances overall taxon richness, while individual taxa respond selectively to particular design features. The findings emphasise that planning strategies must be multifaceted, simultaneously catering to human comfort and the distinct habitat needs of multiple biological groups to foster diverse and resilient urban ecosystems.

Urban Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in urban biodiversity and ecosystem management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Taxon richness: The number of distinct species or taxonomic groups present within a defined area.

Alpha diversity: A measure of species diversity within a specific habitat or community.

Beta diversity: The variation in species composition between habitats or spatial scales, indicating community turnover.

Legacy effects: Long-term ecological consequences arising from historical environmental or socio-political actions on current ecosystem structure and function.

Habitat heterogeneity: The diversity of physical structures and resource types within an environment that supports a wide range of species.

References

1. Urban biodiversity is affected by human-designed features of public squares. Nature Cities (2024).
2. Historical redlining is associated with disparities in wildlife biodiversity in four California cities. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2024).
3. The role of ‘nativeness’ in urban greening to support animal biodiversity. Landscape and Urban Planning (2021).
4. The Biological Deserts Fallacy: Cities in Their Landscapes Contribute More than We Think to Regional Biodiversity. BioScience (2021).