Wildlife and the city. Modelling wild boar use of urban nature: Empirical contribution, methodological proposal - Carole Marin; Laurent Couderchet; Grégoire Le Campion; Jérôme Werno (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Can you nest where you roost? Waterbirds use different sites but similar cues to locate roosting and breeding sites in a small Indian city - Kanishka Mehta; Vijay K. Koli; Swati Kittur; K. S. Gopi Sundar (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Biostimulants do not affect the performance of urban plant species grown under drought stress - Ariningsun Cinantya; Anthony Manea; Michelle R. Leishman (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Urban areas often have low soil water availability due to their impervious surfaces reducing rainfall infiltration. These water-limited conditions may be exacerbated by the projected increases in drought events caused by climate change. As a result, plants that grow in urban areas are vulnerable to drought stress. There are a range of practices that can be used to help mitigate drought stress, including the use of biostimulants. This study aimed to determine whether biostimulant application (1) improves plant performance and (2) mitigates the drought stress on urban plant species. To address these aims, we selected six woody and three graminoid plant species that are commonly planted in Australian urban areas and exposed them to different watering (drought-stressed, well-watered) and biostimulant (control, humic acid, protein hydrolysate, seaweed extract) treatments. We then measured their assimilation rate, growth metrics and biomass allocation. We found that drought stress reduced the assimilation rates and shoot growth of the study species. However, this did not translate into a biomass reduction because the drought-stressed plants reallocated resources towards root biomass. We found no evidence to suggest biostimulant application mitigated the impacts of drought stress on plant performance. Further, the only effect biostimulant application had on plant performance irrespective of the watering treatment was that the seaweed biostimulant increased the plant height growth of the woody species. These results show that the biostimulants used in this study will have a limited effect on the performance of plant species commonly planted in Australian urban areas.

Urban patches of dry forest as refuges for ants and carabid beetles in a neotropical overcrowded city - Nataly Forero-Chavez; Anderson Arenas-Clavijo; Inge Armbrecht; James Montoya-Lerma (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Cali is the third most prominent, and one of the most crowed, Colombian cities. It still harbours some tropical dry forest patches that can mitigate the impacts of the urban transformation; however, there is an almost total absence of information on the biological importance of these sites and their potential for future ecological restoration processes. To assess if they serve as important refuges for insect bioindicator species, we sampled five urban patches of tropical dry forest in the city, plus one nearby rural patch, using specific trapping procedures for ants and carabid beetles. Patch areas were variable, from 1 to 50 ha. We found that the smallest patch presented the highest ant richness, with a tendency towards generalists and a few unique species. Meanwhile, some specialist species were found in the rural patch. A total of 109 ant and 13 carabid species were recorded, including four new records of ants for Colombia. Results suggest that environmental variables favour the presence of generalist and opportunistic ants. Despite this, the high ant richness demonstrates that. Urban forest patches are important refuges for biodiversity. The low richness observed for carabids could be a sign of the challenges that urban forests face considering the ecological importance of beetles. The possible dangers of intensive internal use of these forests is discussed to prevent local extinctions, since the biggest forests are not necessarily conserving a higher richness. This work represents an important contribution to urban ecology in the region, with possibilities of further restoration in urban environments.

Artificial light changes visual perception by pollinators in a hawkmoth-plant interaction system - Corina Vissio; Eugenia M. Drewniak; Andrea A. Cocucci; Marcela Moré; Santiago Benitez-Vieyra; Adrián Giaquinta; Florencia Soteras (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

The behaviour of Athene cunicularia (Molina 1782) on the coast of Santa Catarina, Brazil, and the influence of urbanization on daily activity - Alana Drielle Rocha; Joaquim Olinto Branco (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Observations and modelling of mosquito prevalence within urban areas – A case study from Uppsala, Sweden - Fredrik Lindberg; Anders Lindström; Ville Stålnacke; Sofia Thorsson; Georgia Destouni (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Urban green–blue infrastructure (GBI) can provide important benefits to urban residents but may also affect mosquito abundance, with associated negative nuisance and infection transmission impacts. This study addresses important knowledge and quantification gaps for the relationships between mosquito prevalence and GBI features within cities. This is done for the city of Uppsala in Sweden as an urban case example, where mosquitos were captured and ambient air temperature and humidity were observed at seven different locations in the summer of 2022. A weighted multi-critera analysis (WMCA) model was developed based on relevant open data and open tools for resolving the mosquito ( Culex pipiens ) variations based on geographical variables, such as land cover/use, leaf area index, and building and green (vegetation) area fractions, within the city. The results show a clear relationship between mosquito prevalence and green-area fraction (of grass and trees), indicating that urban GBI extension can enhance mosquito prevalence, with possible associated negative impacts. This relationship is supported directly by data, showing significantly higher mosquito prevalence with higher ambient humidity, which in turn is related to larger green-area fraction. The developed WMCA model emerges as a promising tool, e.g., for urban development planning that needs to account for and seek relevant trade-off balances between positive and negative effects of urban GBI changes.

Growth performance of multi-species plant mixtures on an extensive vegetated roof: A two-year experimental study - Natalia Cáceres; Federico Omar Robbiati; Mario Suárez; Emmanuel Christian Hick; Evangelina Matoff; Chi Yung Jim; Leonardo Galetto; Lelia Imhof (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Habitat loss reduces abundance and body size of forest-dwelling dung beetles in an Amazonian urban landscape - Glenda Vanessa dos Santos Bernardino; Vanessa Pontes Mesquita; Paulo Estefano Dineli Bobrowiec; Luciana Iannuzzi; Renato Portela Salomão; Cintia Cornelius (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
The loss of forest cover in urban landscapes alters the dynamics of spatial and food resources, challenging the maintenance of forest species, which may have their condition compromised. Dung beetles are sensitive to changes in vegetation structure and land use caused by human activities, processes that are intrinsically related to the establishment and development of cities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of landscape structure on the abundance and morphological characteristics of two species of dung beetle ( Dichotomius boreus and Dichotomius quadrilobatus ) that inhabit forested areas in urbanized landscapes in the Amazon region. We carried out the study in 38 landscapes located in six urban regions in the central region of the Amazon. We evaluated the effect of landscape structure, at the site and city scales, on beetle abundance, individual body size, and relative horn length of males. At the local scale, landscapes with greater forest cover showed greater abundance of dung beetles, as well as greater lengths of D. boreus horns. Cities with a greater amount of forest cover had larger individuals than those with less forest cover. We conclude that forested areas in urban landscapes are a key habitat for the maintenance of dung beetle populations with a strong relationship between the amount of forest cover in the landscape. The maintenance of healthy and abundant populations of beetles in urban Amazonian landscapes guarantees the persistence of ecosystem services provided by these organisms in urban ecosystems.

Unveiling urban ecological integrity: spatially explicit assessment in contrasting environments - Richard Lemoine-Rodríguez; Michelle García-Arroyo; Miguel A. Gómez-Martínez; Meri Back; Tonje Lindeman; Ian MacGregor-Fors (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Although much attention has been paid to improve the representation of the urban spatial complexity, most efforts have been limited to the inclusion of green cover data to describe the biological component of cities, leaving the measurement of crucial urban ecological properties out of the picture. To tackle this, the Urban Ecosystem Integrity Index (UEII) was recently proposed to spatially represent the interplay between the intensity of urbanization and the biological components of cities, including urban biodiversity. The UEII has shown to be effective in measuring the ecosystem integrity of a Neotropical city; however its generalized applicability remains to be tested. Thus, here we tested the suitability of the UEII when applied in a boreal city and also evaluated if it adds more valuable information than the NDVI (also contrasting it with a UEII previously published for a tropical city), which is often suggested as a proxy of urban greenness and therefore the ecology of cities. We calculated the UEII by considering land surface temperature, built-up cover, and native plants and bird species richness of the city of Lahti, Finland (Palearctic; boreal). The UEII showed to be robust, comparable, and effective in capturing the intra and inter-urban spatial heterogeneity of both cities. Moreover, although the UEII and NDVI values correlated, the variance in such correlation showed the detail that the UEII brings to the quantificaiton of the ecological integrity of the cities, representing a more integral indicator. Thus, our findings indicate that the UEII is a valuable tool to inform on areas requiring ecological enhancement, as well as identifying those that are thriving, in cities ranging from tropical and highly biodiverse to boreal and with considerable less biodiversity.

Invasion of Pieris mannii butterflies across Central Europe facilitated by urbanization - Simona C. Ruffener; Nathalie Matthey-de-l’Endroit; Daniel Berner (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Urbanization progresses world-wide and the frequency of biological invasions increases. Understanding to what extent urban environments facilitate biological invasions and how this affects ecosystems within and outside urbanized areas thus becomes crucial. We here examine the role of urban environments in the invasion of the butterfly Pieris mannii that expanded across Central Europe within the last two decades. Using standardized butterfly captures at paired urban and (semi)natural field sites within the invaded range in Switzerland, we demonstrate that P. mannii is strongly associated with cities and towns. At least in some urban localities, this species is now the most common butterfly, and densities tend to be particularly high where urban areas are large. Because urban habitats commonly provide non-native host plants and perhaps also the physical structure and microclimate suitable to this butterfly, urbanization has clearly promoted the species’ rapid invasion. Studying phenology over an entire season, we further infer that P. mannii has up to six generations per year, which may allow the species to adjust its life cycle to changing season length during northward expansion. Overall, our study demonstrates how preadaptation to urbanized environments in a relatively specialized insect increases urban biodiversity on a large geographic scale.

Correction to: Reptile responses to outdoor recreation in urban habitat fragments - Courtney L. Larson; Sarah E. Reed; Kevin R. Crooks (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Analysis of urban carbon metabolism from the land use perspective: a case study of Nanchang, China - Moli Gu; Changsheng Ye (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Urban pondscape connecting people with nature and biodiversity in a medium-sized European city (Geneva, Switzerland) - Fernanda Vasco; Jacques-Aristide Perrin; Beat Oertli (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
The current progressive increase in urbanisation is a contributing factor to the alarming rate of decrease in biodiversity worldwide, so it is critical to propose new solutions that bring nature, and their associated benefits, back to cities. Urban ponds and pondscapes are potential Nature-based Solutions that play a crucial role in the conservation and promotion of biodiversity, as well as providing other ecosystem services. Therefore, it is important to understand people's perception of the contribution that these ponds/pondscapes make in their daily lives. The aim of this study was to assess public perception of the value of the multiple ecosystem services, here referred to as Nature's Contributions to People (NCPs), provided by urban ponds with a focus on biodiversity. To achieve it, we conducted a face-to-face questionnaire survey among 331 visitors of urban parks and nature reserves in a medium-sized European city (Geneva, Switzerland). The results show that people highly value the different contributions provided by urban ponds, and that contact with nature is the main motivation for visiting urban pondscapes. Their positive view about the provided NCPs and also their acknowledgement of an improved quality of life suggest a public acceptance of these ponds. We also found that gender and income do not influence public perception of the contributions provided by urban pondscapes. Additionally, the biodiversity of urban ponds was highly appreciated, but there was a knowledge gap relating to biodiversity conservation, as both native and exotic species were valued equally. In conclusion, ponds are Nature-based Solutions that are very well adapted and accepted in cities, and in the future they should be part of the greening (and blueing) of urban planning to conserve and enhance freshwater biodiversity whilst also providing NCPs.

Comments on the paper “correlation does not imply causation: decline of House Sparrow overshadowed by electromagnetic radiation” by Nath et al. - A. Balmori; A. Balmori-de la Puente (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Song amplitude variation in Masked Gnatcatcher (Polioptila dumicola) as response to traffic noise - Evelina J. León; Rodrigo E. Lorenzón; Lorena V. Sovrano; Adolfo H. Beltzer; Paola M. Peltzer (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Understanding predictors of mistletoe infection across an urban university campus in Southwest China - Yuchen Niu; Benjamin Laffitte; Sophia Zuoqiu; Barnabas C. Seyler; Zhengang Ha; Jianan Chen; Lei Chen; Ya Tang (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Due to the importance of trees in urban ecosystems, it is crucial to understand the distribution, prevalence, and intensity of parasitic mistletoe infection across urban landscapes. In this study, we aimed to understand how various tree-related factors (e.g., tree taxonomy, size, pruning history, nativity, foliage, density, and diversity) might influence mistletoe prevalence and infection intensity across a typical subtropical urban greenspace. We surveyed 6,012 trees representing 96 species, 76 genera, and 44 families across a large, urban university campus in a major Southwest Chinese city. In total, we found 353 mistletoe host trees (prevalence: 5.87%), largely concentrated on the eastern part of campus, partially due to the proximity of waterbodies and a large adjacent greenspace, as well as higher tree density. To understand how predictors affected the prevalence and intensity of mistletoe infection, we used a hurdle model fitting our zero-inflated count data. Four independent variables significantly affected the prevalence of mistletoe infestation, with three demonstrating positive correlations (crown width, tree density, and tree diversity). One variable (evergreen foliage) negatively correlated with mistletoe prevalence. However, only one factor was found to significantly affect mistletoe infection intensity (crown width, positively). Due to the variety of ecosystem services mistletoes provide, more studies are necessary to assess the impact of various mistletoe management strategies, especially on urban biodiversity.

Urban floristic diversity in Bosnia and Herzegovina—the reflection of nature - Biljana Lubarda; Milica Rat; Slađana Petronić; Nermina Sarajlić; Nataša Marić; Tanja Maksimović; Goran Anačkov (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Built vs. Green cover: an unequal struggle for urban space in Medellín (Colombia) - Carolina Paniagua-Villada; Jaime A. Garizábal-Carmona; Víctor M. Martínez-Arias; N. Javier Mancera-Rodríguez (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Disentangling drivers of temporal changes in urban pond macroinvertebrate diversity - Gustaf Granath; Chaz Hyseni; Luis Mauricio Bini; Jani Heino; Jean C. G. Ortega; Frank Johansson (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Ponds are key elements for ecosystem functions in urban areas. However, little is known about pond biodiversity changes over time and the drivers underlying such changes. Here, we tested whether past species assemblages, land cover and pond environmental change influence pond macroinvertebrate species richness and temporal beta diversity. We also compared spatial and temporal beta diversity, and investigated species-specific colonization and extinction rates over time. We sampled for presence of Odonata and Trichoptera (larvae), and Coleoptera and Hemiptera (larvae and adults) species in 30 ponds in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2014 and 2019. Past species richness was the best predictor of current species richness, whereas temporal changes in land cover and pond environment were not significantly related to current species richness. No correlations between temporal beta diversity and land cover or pond environmental changes were detected. However, ponds showed large changes in their temporal beta diversity, with equal contributions from species gains and losses. The probability of species colonizing and going extinct from ponds revealed that more common species were more likely to colonize a pond, while uncommon species were more likely to go extinct in a pond. Within our 5-year study, we found (i) highly similar spatial and temporal beta diversity, (ii) that past species richness is a good predictor of current species richness; however, the same does not hold true for species composition. The high dynamics of urban pond communities suggest that a large number of ponds are required to maintain high species richness at a landscape level.

Are southern temperate urban natural forests a suitable habitat for beetle diversity? A case study in Chile - Francisco Tello; Cristobal Tello-Arriagada; Fernanda Olivares; Carlos LeQuesne; Rodrigo M. Barahona-Segovia; Cristian Montalva (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Linkages between plant functional diversity and soil-based ecosystem services in urban and peri-urban vacant lots - Poliana Mendes; Bérenger Bourgeois; Stéphanie Pellerin; Carly D Ziter; Jérôme Cimon-Morin; Monique Poulin (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

The relationship between basin urbanization and ecosystem services in China: a case study of Central China (CC) urban agglomeration - Yun Zheng; Yu Fan; Jiayang Ji; Changgeng Jia; Kunyu Luo; Chaoxiang Wei; Youtao Song (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Insect pollinator and natural enemy communities in green roof and ground-level urban habitats - Katherine McNamara Manning; Reid R. Coffman; Christie A. Bahlai (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Variation in the use of anthropogenic materials in tit nests: influence of human activities and pandemic restrictions - Joana Girão; Filipa Bessa; Jorge Garrido-Bautista; Beatriz Ferreira; Carolina Santos-Baena; M. Paula M. Marques; Luís A. E. Batista de Carvalho; Jaime Albino Ramos; Ana Cláudia Norte (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
As urbanization expands, so does the presence of anthropogenic materials within bird’s nests. However, our understanding of this phenomenon remains limited, particularly in terrestrial birds. This study describes and compares the use of anthropogenic materials in great tit ( Parus major ) and blue tit ( Cyanistes caeruleus ) nests in relation to the intensity of anthropogenic activities, distance to contamination sources and reproductive metrics, in nest boxes in a suburban wood in Coimbra, Portugal, during the breeding seasons of 2020 and 2021. Nests were collected after fledging and sorted to remove anthropogenic materials. From a total of 9.71% anthropogenic materials in great tit nests we observed an abundance of uncoloured tangles of mixed fibres, representing 78% of the total weight of the anthropogenic materials in great tit nests in 2021. The chemical composition of these mixtures was determined by spectroscopy analysis, using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and 56% of the nests (16/25) contained fibres from synthetic origin. The percentage of anthropogenic materials was higher in great tit than in blue tit nests and increased in 2021, comparatively to 2020. The proximity to potential contamination sources influenced positively the percentage of anthropogenic materials in nests, as those closer to areas with more intense anthropogenic activities (the bar/tennis court and the wastewater treatment plant) had a higher percentage of these materials. No effects on productivity were detected. Our results suggest that the use of these materials is probably related to the intensity of anthropogenic activities.

Species richness patterns and community structure of land snail communities along an urban-rural gradient in river floodplains - Marek Čiliak; Tomáš Čejka; Branislav Tej; Jozef Oboňa; Peter Manko (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Urbanisation is widely considered as having a large impact on most native species. However, the species response to urbanisation varies among taxonomic groups, and its generalisation might lead to contradictory or incorrect management decisions in urban planning. Land snails, as an understudied group in this sense, are good subjects to study the impact of urbanisation due to their low dispersal capabilities and mobility. The study aimed to determine how land snail diversity patterns and community structure are influenced by urbanisation through an urban-to-rural gradient. A total of 59 terrestrial gastropod species and more than 4600 individuals were recorded at 24 alluvial sites distributed along an urban-to-rural gradient in three Slovak cities (Bratislava, Zvolen and Prešov). Most species belonged to euryecious, hygrophilous and forest specialist ecological groups; seven species were non-native to Slovakia. The results clearly highlight the negative effect of densely built areas on land snail community structure, since the proportion of indigenous and specialist species decreased progressively towards urban sites. The highest mean number of species was found in suburban zones and the lowest in urban zones, suggesting that most species favour intermediate levels of urbanisation. Some species (e.g. Arion vulgaris ) were evenly distributed along the urbanisation gradient, supporting the importance of river floodplains as bio-corridors for the dispersal of gastropods.

Aircraft noise modifies acoustic signals and social interactions of a microendemic frog from Mexico City - José Manuel Serrano; Leticia M. Ochoa-Ochoa (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Research on urban noises affecting acoustic communication of animals is a growing area of study and conservation concern. However, the consequences of aircraft noise on anuran acoustic communication have been explored on a restricted basis to date. In this study, we investigated the impact of aircraft overflights on the individual and chorus performance of acoustic signalling in the Pedregal frog ( Eleutherodactylus grandis ), a microendemic and threatened species from Mexico City. During the summer of 2021, we recorded acoustic signals from male individuals and conducted acoustic monitoring to analyse how chorus social interactions change due to aircraft overflights. For this purpose, we evaluated acoustic properties of the call, including call duration, dominant frequency, call amplitude, and call repetition rate. Additionally, we measured the amplitude of environmental noises and signals by means of two types of complementary methodological approaches. Our results show changes in the individual performance of acoustic signals with longer call duration, lower dominant frequency, and higher call amplitude due to aircraft overflights, while individual call repetition rate did not vary. Furthermore, a decrease in the number of calls within the chorus was observed during aircraft overflight. Overall, these results show that aircraft noise causes plastic changes in the acoustic signals of the Pedregal frog and that social interactions between conspecifics decrease, thus adding a new disturbance to this species that already suffers from other anthropogenic noises, and habitat fragmentation.

Raptors of a Neotropical city: diversity and habitat relationships along an urbanization gradient - Miguel A. San Martín-Cruz; Rafael Villegas-Patraca; Juan E. Martínez-Gómez; Ernesto Ruelas Inzunza (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

The urban heat island accelerates litter decomposition through microclimatic warming in temperate urban forests - Karen De Pauw; Leen Depauw; Sara A. O. Cousins; Emiel De Lombaerde; Martin Diekmann; David Frey; Katarzyna Kwietniowska; Jonathan Lenoir; Camille Meeussen; Anna Orczewska; Jan Plue; Fabien Spicher; et al. (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

A transdisciplinary multiscaled approach to engage with green infrastructure planning, restoration and use in sub-Saharan Africa - Christina A. Breed; Kristine Engemann; Maya Pasgaard (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
The systematic integration of green infrastructure (GI) concepts in urban planning shows promise to reduce environmental hazards; while creating sociocultural benefits. However, cities in sub-Saharan Africa face rapid urbanisation and are challenged by the degradation of existing GI, increasing their vulnerability to climatic risks. This paper presents the findings of a transdisciplinary research project that investigated GI planning in the City of Tshwane, South Africa, over two years. The researchers conducted a community survey, an on-the-ground rapid assessment of multifunctional benefit provisions, first-hand observations of local stormwater systems, reviewed policy documents and conducted semi-structured interviews with metro officials. To integrate the above findings, four design studios and eight co-creation workshops were held that explored GI spatial planning in the city. The researchers examined the uptake of GI planning principles, and the challenges, opportunities and local proposals for GI applications, and here synthesised some main conclusions. Despite many well-known challenges, GI opportunities include creating socioeconomic incentives for stronger human-nature relations, providing for multifunctional benefits and anchoring GI in local communities. Interactive research can facilitate increased local awareness and engagement, but access to GI benefits is physically constrained and socially determined by knowledge, networks and safety factors. Based on the above findings, the researchers propose locally adapted planning strategies to enhance GI: creating opportunities for GI access and co-ownership, encouraging multifunctional, safe and flexible GI, supporting multiscale GI integration, and strengthening collaborative governance. A joint GI vision can reinforce city ownership along with flexible and creative design alternatives that are rooted in local communities.

The importance of urban areas in supporting vulnerable and endangered mammals - Zach Boakes; Richard Stafford; Isobel Bramer; Marin Cvitanović; Emilie A. Hardouin (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
The fragmentation of habitats associated with urbanisation poses a significant threat to already vulnerable and endangered mammal species. While the county of Dorset has been identified as one of the UK’s biodiversity hotspots, it is characterised by large-scale urbanisation and intensive agriculture. Focusing on the largest urban area of Dorset—the conurbation of Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole—this study aims to investigate the importance of urban areas in supporting vulnerable and endangered mammals by comparing it to four other major land cover categories in the county: arable & horticulture, grassland, woodland, and heathland. The study utilises data collected by the county’s environmental records department through mainly volunteer-contributed ad-hoc sighting data of 10 872 georeferenced mammal records collected between 2000 and 2018. Our findings reveal that, despite having significantly different mammal communities to all other land covers, urban land cover was shown to host four out of five of the vulnerable and endangered species recorded in this study. These included the European rabbit (vulnerable on the IUCN red list), hazel dormouse (vulnerable on the UK red list), West European hedgehog (vulnerable on the UK red list) and European water vole (endangered on the UK red list). Our findings highlight the significance of urban areas as important habitats for mammal biodiversity, presenting an opportunity for the conservation of specific vulnerable and endangered species. Despite limitations in ad-hoc sighting data, our analysis indicates an overrepresentation of certain 'charismatic' species, like foxes and hedgehogs, in urban samples, likely due to their high intrinsic value to the population. While the recognition of urban habitats for 'red list' species is growing, it is also important to acknowledge the relative importance of charismatic species to urban human communities in conservation and management strategies.

Atta cephalotes (Hymenoptera: Myrmicinae) is colonizing urban areas in Cali, Colombia - James Montoya-Lerma; Jonathan Rodríguez; Karen Castaño-Quintana (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Numerous studies have examined the effect of invasive species on biodiversity in urban environments, however, few of them have investigated the role of native species while turning into invasive pests. In Colombia, Atta cephalotes , a native leaf-cutting ant (LCA), has responded successfully to the conversion of natural ecosystems to agricultural-rural environments and, most recently, to residential and urban development. In this study, we illustrate the incidence and distribution of this native ant species in an environment where animal life must face urban disturbs in the physical environment, resource availability, and ecosystem processes associated with human urbanization in Cali, the third most important city in Colombia. For this, A. cephalotes nests were georeferenced in public green areas located in 12 communes across the city of Cali, southern Colombia. Vegetation and soil cover, urban settings, foraging trails and plants foraged by the ants were recorded. A. cephalotes nests were present in all green areas and, even in human dwellings; the ants harvested both native and introduced plant species. Despite being well adapted to strongly modified urban environments, this ant species appears to be dependent on human-subsidized resources. Given the wide distribution of leaf-cutting ants in Latin America, it is plausible to expect that similar processes are underway in other countries where these ants are found. Hence, this study also proposes to alert the academic and social communities to direct future research towards evaluating both the responses and impacts of these ants in relation to changes in the urban landscape.

Species diversity and microhabitat characteristics of bryophytes on different types of walls in a karst city Guiyang (SW China) - Lixin Duan; Xiurong Wang (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Ecosystem services provided by urban green spaces in Bangkok Metropolis: Public awareness and planning implications - Can Trong Nguyen; Amnat Chidthaisong (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Assessing the state of urban forests in Dédougou, a Sahel city in Burkina Faso - Kangbéni Dimobe; Mitien Gnoumou (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

A multivariate approach for discriminating homegardens in different agro-ecological regions - N. Kuruppuarachchi; D.K.N.G. Pushpakumara; G.L.L.P. Silva; L.D.B. Suriyagoda (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Biodiversity and species-environment relationships of freshwater zooplankton in tropical urban ponds - Natthida Jantawong; Sameer Mukund Padhye; Supiyanit Maiphae (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

From green to grey: Unravelling the role of urbanization on diversity of dung beetles in an Amazonian landscape - César M. A. Correa; Renato Portela Salomão; Fredy Alvarado; Elio Cesar Guzzo; Kleyton Rezende Ferreira (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Basic urban services fail to neutralise environmental determinants of ‘rattiness’, a composite metric of rat abundance - Ticiana Carvalho-Pereira; Max T. Eyre; Caio G. Zeppelini; Vivian F. Espirito Santo; Diogo C. Santiago; Roberta Santana; Fabiana Almerinda G. Palma; Marbrisa Reis; Ricardo Lustosa; Hussein Khalil; Peter J. Diggle; Emanuele Giorgi; et al. (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

The effects of urbanization on functional dispersion of plant reproductive traits in Cerrado fragments - Karina Santos Paulinelli Raposo; Geraldo Alves Damasceno-Junior; Mauricio Almeida-Gomes; Andréa Cardoso Araujo (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Using ecology-with-cities approaches to guide conservation of urban heronries in India - R. Roshnath; Palatty Allesh Sinu (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

The noisy neighbor conundrum: what influences the value of urban sites for forest birds? - Jacinta E. Humphrey; Angie Haslem; Andrew F. Bennett (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Perceptions of cultural ecosystem services provision by small public urban green spaces: perspectives from different cultural backgrounds - Athanasios-Alexandru Gavrilidis; Kianoush Zakerhaghighi; Ana-Maria Popa; Seyedeh Zahra Akbarian; Diana-Andreea Onose; Simona R. Grădinaru; Raluca-Andreea Slave (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Numeric response of a neotropical raptor to urbanization gradient in central Argentina - Claudina Solaro (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Reassessing the role of herbivores on urban coral reefs: A case study from a heavily impacted reef near Cartagena Bay, Colombia - Andrew A. Shantz; Tomás López-Londoño; Kelly Gomez-Campo; Roberto Iglesias-Prieto; Mateo López-Victoria; Mónica Medina (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

City dwellers’ experiences and attitudes towards wild places based on an urban river - Sébastien Bonthoux; Amélie Boulay; Lolita Voisin (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

An assessment of the condition of flowing waters in predominantly urban areas of the conterminous U.S. and its relationship to measures of environmental justice - Alan T. Herlihy; Kerry L. Kuntz; Donald J. Benkendorf; Susan Holdsworth (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Urbanization often leads to environmental degradation and there is a growing concern that these impacts are inequitably distributed. We assessed the condition of urban flowing waters across the conterminous US using data from EPA’s National Rivers and Streams Assessment and tested whether degradation was related to metrics of environmental justice (EJ). We found that urban flowing waters are more degraded than their non-urban counterparts. Indeed, the proportion of the length of the nation’s urban flowing waters in poor condition, based on common environmental quality indicators, was often nearly twice as high as the proportion for the nation’s flowing waters as a whole. The majority of urban waters were in poor ecological condition for water quality integrity, nutrient concentrations, and riparian disturbance although, most were in good ecological condition for riparian vegetation, instream cover, bed sediment, enterococci, and dissolved oxygen. For biological indicators, urban flowing water was mostly in poor condition for both fish (52% of total length) and macroinvertebrate biotic integrity (80% of total length). Despite widespread degradation, we did not find that flowing water degradation was strongly related to the two EJ measures we analyzed (% low income and % minority). The highest correlations we observed (|r|=0.3) were between fish biotic integrity and % low income, and between riparian disturbance and % low income. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the pervasiveness of urban flowing water degradation and its relationship to EJ on a national scale. While this study did not uncover a compelling association between the studied environmental parameters and income and minority status in the surrounding human population, more research is needed to assess access to healthy rivers and streams for all communities.

Stress tolerant species are keys to plant communities success on extensive green roof: an experimental test of CSR strategy dynamic - Lucie Rivière; Sophie Meeûs; Gregory Mahy (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Selecting appropriate native plant species to ensure the resilience of plant communities and ecosystem services on extensive green roofs is a challenge. Plant functional strategy models provide a useful framework for identifying plant characteristics that promote plant success on green roofs, and for generalizing results obtained with a limited number of species to a global flora. We analysed the dynamics of floristic composition and CSR strategies of seeded plant communities on experimental extensive green roofs under different stress conditions (substrate depths and fertilization treatments) at early establishment (4 years). Floristic composition evolved strongly over four years, with a significant reduction in species richness and equitability due to the increasing dominance of the stress-tolerant Sedum album . CSR strategies shifted from initial communities co-dominated by C and R strategies to communities largely dominated by S strategy four years later. Changes in plant communities strategy were modulated by substrate depth, with a higher increase in S strategy under more stressful conditions. At the installation of vegetation, the dominant factor discriminating CSR composition was fertilization supply. Substrate depth emerged as the primary factor determining CSR strategy after four years of plant community establishment. Our study supports the pattern that stress-tolerant species tend to rapidly dominate plant communities on extensive green roofs and suggests that native species selection for implementing analogous habitat on extensive green roofs, in a temperate climate, should primarily focus on natural habitats composed of stress-tolerant species. A mix of different functional strategies can be favourable to vegetation success on green roofs with environmental heterogeneity.

How a city shapes its forests: Land use change and forest distribution around Cleveland, Ohio over 220 years - Kathryn M. Flinn; Zachary R. Hughes (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Relationships between population characteristics and nonresponse in urban forest inventories - James A. Westfall; Christopher B. Edgar; Rebekah Zehnder (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Room for rent: how habitat and materials influence the use of insect nesting boxes - André-Philippe Drapeau Picard; Julia Mlynarek; Thierry Boislard; Étienne Normandin; Michel Saint-Germain (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Modulating the effect of landscape composition on urban pylon use by White storks: the role of clustering strength in nesting supports - Chaymae Chahboun; Saâd Hanane; Benaceur Chahboun; Abdeljebbar Qninba (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Differences between urban and natural populations of dwarf chameleons (Bradypodion damaranum): a case of urban warfare? - Melissa A. Petford; Anthony Herrel; Graham J. Alexander; Krystal A. Tolley (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

From metropolis to wilderness: Uncovering pollen collecting behavior in urban and wild sweat bees (Halictus ligatus) - Rachel A. Brant; Aimee S. Dunlap (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Food availability and population parameters for squirrels differ even in neighbouring urban parks - Bianca Wist; Kathrin H. Dausmann (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Some species occur in higher densities in cities than in natural habitats, despite the variety of urban stressors. Urban fragments can be extremely heterogeneous though, and species’ responses might vary between urban patches. However, only few studies examine mammalian populations from different fragments in the core of cities, where stressors are at their maximum. The Eurasian red squirrel ( Sciurus vulgaris ) is highly abundant in urban green spaces and readily makes use of supplemental food sources. We examined natural and supplemental food sources as well as squirrel populations in three small parks in an urban core. We found pronounced differences in natural and supplemental food availability between the parks. Squirrel population densities were generally higher at all three urban sites when compared to a geographically close located natural forest, but with variation between the parks. The squirrel density in the smallest park in the summer season was 42 times higher (index of minimum number alive: 8.8 individuals/ha) than in the forest, whereas it was only 20 or respectively 16 times higher in the two other parks. Individuals from the park with the highest population density had access to the highest amount of supplemental food sources. However, side effects from non-natural food items, e.g., related to nutrition, also need to be taken into consideration and might counteract the advantages of supplemental food sources. This study shows that urban effects can vary even at the smallest scale between nearby urban habitat patches and this needs to be considered when drawing conclusions about the effects of urbanisation and deciding about conservation actions.

“The springs are untouchable”: amid community management and government neglect, the last springs in peri-urban areas of Mexico City - Angela Caro-Borrero; Javier Carmona-Jiménez; Lisset Temis-García; María Fernanda Martínez-Moreno (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
In Latin America, conservation is a subject that cannot be understood outside of the social processes that determine the different conceptions, uses and customs related to nature and water. Mexico is an example of ecosystem diversity, where rural populations see their homes and ecosystems threatened by the uncontrolled advance of urban sprawl. In addition, the lack of governance in water matters leaves both the ecosystem and people in a situation of vulnerability. The aim of this research was to determine the ecological and social indicators of the state of conservation and management of the springs within Mexico City’s Conservation Soils, through: ecological quality, biological diversity and the perceptions of rural-urban communities of water management resources. The springs were found to still conserve elements of good ecological quality and unique traits, making these sites hotspots of local diversity. However, ongoing activities endanger its integrity, such as in situ water extraction, the lack of local organization for water management resources and the poor presence of government institutions to support it. The establishment of a citizen and government participation system for water management is recommended, considering local economic development, socio-cultural complexity, ecosystem richness and fragility, and the socio-ecological context in which these water distribution mechanisms are established. Such actions should include a census of water bodies and the economic activities that depend on them, the ecological evaluation of actively used springs, and water distribution agreements at the local level that consider the previous points.

Seasonal variation in urban pollen resource use by north temperate European honeybees - Marie L. Davey; Rakel Blaalid; Sondre Dahle; Erik E. Stange; David N. Barton; Graciela M. Rusch (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Urban green infrastructure can provide important habitats for pollinators and support urban ecosystem services. Therefore, these areas must be managed to maximize biodiversity and density of pollinating insects. We used DNA metabarcoding to study honeybee pollen resource use over time and space in the city of Oslo, Norway, and to assess the role of green infrastructure as a resource for pollinators and the services they generate. Urban honeybees used diverse pollen resources throughout their active season. There was considerable seasonal turnover in pollen resource use that reflected flowering phenology. Non-native plants (including invasive species) were an important resource early in the season but were replaced by native plants later in the season. Hive location was not strongly correlated with resource use, likely indicating effective long-distance foraging in the fragmented urban landscape. However, flower visitation rates and floral resource density in public urban green spaces were coupled to pollen use. Honeybees collected pollen from a small number of preferred species but also visited other species, likely for nectar. To preserve pollinator services, urban planning should consider flower resource management, with particular focus on planting native species that can act as early season resources for bees. Public campaigns and other incentive mechanisms to promote the cultivation of native plants that are resources for pollinators and the protection of urban semi-natural habitats have the potential to enhance the value of green infrastructure to support urban pollinators and pollination services.

The effects of urban density on the provision of multiple health-related ecosystem services - L. Emily Kroft; Carly D. Ziter (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Bats as indicators of ecological resilience in a megacity - Gabriel Gutiérrez-Granados; María Teresa Rodríguez-Zúñiga (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Urbanization has transformed more than 50% of the land area and brought the emergence of a new humanized-based ecosystem. In answer to this, urban systems have looked for become resilient. Thus, urban landscapes must enhance their resilience capacities; robustness, adaptability, and transformability. However, there is a necessity of a well performing and easy gathering indicators. In this paper, we propose that bats are a good indicator of city’s capacity to be resilient. We used bat permanence, species diversity, and activities to analyze Mexico City resilience capacities. We used citizen science to register bat sounds around the city. From these data we identified bat species and two main activities: passes and hunting buzzes. Data showed that the east and center area of the city had the lower species richness and relative abundance, while south was the richest. This diversity patterns were in response to different habitat characteristics, mainly those related to landscape. However, activities and permanence were strongly related with human presence. The bat permanence modeled, indicated that bat community structure could be shaped under changing scenarios. Due to their differential sensitivity bats are good indicators of habitat changes in urban landscapes. Cities seeking resilience should perform planned-habitat management to achieve a bat-friendly status and promote the ecosystem services that bats can provide.

Invertebrate diversity in peri-urban community gardens and possible mechanisms of community assemblage - Savanna Ploessl; Samantha A. Willden; Laura L. Ingwell (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Reptile responses to outdoor recreation in urban habitat fragments - Courtney L. Larson; Sarah E. Reed; Kevin R. Crooks (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Habitat and nutrients, but not artificial lighting at night, drive fish assemblage composition in urban streams - Jason R. Bohenek; S. Mažeika Patricio Sulliván; Suzanne M. Gray (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Does urbanization affect behavioral responses to novel objects in marine birds? The Olrog’s Gull as a case of study - Melina Vanesa Castano; Francisco Zumpano; Laura Marina Biondi; Germán Oscar García (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Importance of urban green areas’ connectivity for the conservation of pollinators - Sofia Graffigna; Rocío A. González-Vaquero; Juan P. Torretta; Hugo J. Marrero (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Effects of urban ecosystem under the diversity and structure of two forest ecotones in Maranhão state - Catherine Rios Santos; Melissa Oda-Souza; Eduardo Bezerra de Almeida; Carmen Sílvia Zickel (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

The effect of urbanization and behavioral factors on coyote net displacement and its implications for seed dispersal - Tiziana A. Gelmi-Candusso; Tyler J. Wheeldon; Brent R. Patterson; Marie-Josée Fortin (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Urbanization related changes in lepidopteran community - Anssi V. Vähätalo; Ahti Pulli; Topias Kulmala; Roosa Marin; Jari Haimi (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Urbanization displaces natural habitats with impervious surfaces and managed ornamental green infrastructure. This study compared the structure of lepidopteran community in an office campus cleared from forest to that in the remaining forest. For the comparison, we trapped 2,233 lepidopteran specimens of 56 species from an office campus and adjacent forest. The species richness of lepidopteran assemblage in the office campus was half of that in the forest and consisted primarily of the same species found in the forest. The abundance and biomass of Lepidoptera in the office campus was a quarter of that in the forest. The biomass and abundance of Lepidoptera decreased along with the impervious area within 100-meter radius around the traps and approached zero when impervious surfaces covered the area entirely. The specimens in the trapped lepidopteran assembly from the office campus were on average larger, indicating elevated mobility, than those caught from the forest. Our results support earlier studies concluding that fragmented urban landscape selects for large mobile species, which can feed on ornamental plants or can disperse between high-quality habitats within urban landscape. Green infrastructure with native plants, high-quality native habitats and their connectivity can maintain species-rich lepidopteran communities in urban landscapes.

Assessing urban-heating impact on street tree growth in Berlin with open inventory and environmental data - Alexander Gideon Hurley; Ingo Heinrich (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Excess heat (i.e., Urban Heat Island; UHI) and other urban conditions affect tree physiology with outcomes from enhanced growth to mortality. Resilient urban forests in the face of climate change require species-specific understanding of growth responses. However, previous studies assessing growth dynamics were primarily based on remote sensing of communities rather than individuals, or relied on labor-intensive methods that can limit the spatial coverage necessary to account for highly variable urban growing conditions. Here, we analyze growth dynamics of common urban street tree species over time and across space for Berlin (Germany) combining dendroecological (temporal) and inventory assessments (spatial). First, we show annual increments increased across the 20th century for early (i.e., young) growth. Second, we use an approach relying on open inventory data to identify growth potential in relation to excess heat while accounting for age, potential management effects, and the urban fabric (i.e., planting area; building density, height; available soil nutrients) with generalized additive models for the ten most abundant species. Our analyses showed that younger trees may benefit from increased temperatures, while older individuals feature lower growth at greater UHI magnitudes. Furthermore, planting area as well as building density modulate growth responses to temperature. Lastly, we discuss management implications in the context of climate change mitigation, considering that younger trees are predominantly located at UHI “hot spots” and will undergo the observed age-dependent shift in temperature-growth sensitivity. By relying on increasingly available open data, our approach here is or will be transferable to other urban regions.

Suburban forest patches have high functional and phylogenetic diversity in bird communities - Gabriela Franzoi Dri; Carla Suertegaray Fontana; Cristian de Sales Dambros (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Constructing ecological corridors in response to extensive rural sprawl in a highly developed urban agglomeration - Yilin Cheng; Hongxi Liu; Yujun Yi (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Spatial relationships between mesocarnivores and domestic species in an urban environment and implications for endangered San Joaquin kit foxes - Nicole A. Deatherage; Brian L. Cypher; Tory L. Westall; Erica C. Kelly (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Urban biodiversity suitability index: decoding the relationships between cities and birds - Tulaci Bhakti; João Carlos Pena; Ana Clara Mourão Moura; Diego Pujoni; Lucas Saliba; Marcos Rodrigues (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Understanding the sociocultural valuation of ecosystem services in urban parks: a Colombian study case - Fabián Andrés Granobles Velandia; Jenny Maritza Trilleras Motha; Luz Piedad Romero-Duque; Sandra Quijas (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
The significance of urban ecosystem services on the perception of parks among the public is profound. Parks are valued for their functional benefits, the experiences they provide, and their relationship with green spaces. To better understand the sociocultural values associated with five urban parks in Tunja (Boyacá, Colombia), in this case study, we interviewed three types of stakeholders: decision-makers, social leaders, and park users. We employed semi-structured interviews to identify the perception and orientation values of different stakeholders. According to the results, stakeholders recognize 18 ecosystem services as the most important, with cultural ecosystem services having the highest perception value. We found that socio-cultural values are influenced more by the characteristics of the parks than their size, and socio-demographic aspects of stakeholders such as age, level of education, and gender had no significant effect. We conclude that people value urban parks for the benefits associated with trees and the emotional connections they develop with them over time, assigning intangible value to city parks. However, we also identified discrepancies in values between governmental and non-governmental stakeholders that may adversely affect decision-making and policy formulation. This information can be valuable to urban planners who seek to assess and integrate measures that promote green spaces in cities to achieve sustainability.

The effects of landscape and yard features on mammal diversity in residential yards within Northwest Arkansas, USA - Emily P. Johansson; Brett A. DeGregorio (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
The human footprint is rapidly expanding, and wildlife habitat is continuously being converted to human residential properties. Surviving wildlife that reside in developing areas are displaced to nearby undeveloped areas. However, some animals can co-exist with humans and acquire the necessary resources (food, water, shelter) within the human environment. This ability to coexist may be particularly true when development is low intensity, as in residential suburban yards. Yards are individually managed “greenspaces” that can provide a range of food (e.g., bird feeders, compost, gardens), water (bird baths and garden ponds), and shelter (e.g., brush-piles, outbuildings) resources and are surrounded by varying landscape cover. To evaluate which residential landscape and yard features influence the richness and diversity of mammalian herbivores and mesopredators; we deployed wildlife game cameras throughout Northwestern Arkansas, USA in 46 residential yards in summer 2021 and 96 yards in summer 2022. We found that mesopredator diversity had a negative relationship with fences and was positively influenced by the number of bird feeders present in a yard. Mesopredator richness increased with the amount of forest within 400 m of the camera. Herbivore diversity and richness were positively correlated to the area of forest within 400 m surrounding yard and by garden area within yards, respectively. Our results suggest that while landscape does play a role in the presence of wildlife in a residential area, homeowners also have agency over the richness and diversity of mammals using their yards based on the features they create or maintain on their properties.

Busy on campus: activity budget, feeding habit and habitat use by the Gambian sun squirrel Heliosciurus gambianus on the University of Ghana, Legon campus - Benjamin Yeboah Ofori; Kate Aku Sika Ackon (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Effects of urban, peri-urban and rural land covers on plant functional traits around Bogotá, Colombia - Mauricio Salamanca-Fonseca; Ana M. Aldana; Valeria Vargas-Martinez; Sam Acero-Gomez; Juliana Fonseca-Tellez; Stivenn Gutierrez; Yessica D. Hoyos; Katherin M. León; Camilo Márquez; Laura Molina-R; Angelica Moreno-Abdelnur; Sara Pineda; et al. (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
The Global South has suffered an accelerated population and urban growth. This has created multiple impacts at the regional level such as erosion, soil degradation and biodiversity loss, as well as temperature increase in the cities causing urban heat islands. Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, is one of the largest cities in the Global South and in the last five decades has undergone a rapid urban transition, impacting surrounding ecosystems. However, little is known about how urbanization affects the local flora. To understand how plants are responding and adapting to urbanization processes in the city of Bogotá, we used a land cover gradient of urban, peri-urban and rural areas, and four plant functional traits (leaf area [LA], specific leaf area [SLA], leaf dry matter content [LDMC] and wood density [WD]). We analyzed 16 species shared in at least two land covers. Although urban and peri-urban areas had higher temperatures and higher LDMC and lower SLA values than rural areas, there were no significant differences in functional traits between land covers. Some species showed significant changes between land covers, indicating that there is a species-specific response to urbanization. Considering the need for urban areas to prioritize species that promote cooling and exhibit resistance to stress, as well as the capacity to adapt to climate change, it is essential to include plants possessing different combinations of functional traits.

Impact of urbanisation on the taxonomic and functional diversity of spider assemblages in Guwahati City, Assam, India - Ankita Sharma; Bitupan Deka; Puja Bishaya; Raman Kumar; Narayan Sharma (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Evaluation of the diet of Didelphis virginiana in an urban area using stable isotopes - Yury Glebskiy; Marcela Negrete-González; Luis Zambrano; Zenón Cano-Santana (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Human food waste is an essential resource for many animals that inhabit urban ecosystems and has allowed some species to proliferate in cities. Virginia Opossums ( Didelphis virginiana ) are considered a good example of this process; however, the real role of waste in this animal’s diet is still unclear. Therefore, this study aims to compare opossums’ diet from urban and natural areas in Mexico City. Opossums were live-trapped, and samples of hair and blood were taken to perform a stable isotope analysis of C and N. The results show that opossums from natural and urban areas, in general, have a very similar isotopic niche; however, one natural location fell out of this pattern, and here opossums based their diet on C3 plants. This suggests that opossum diets have a similar carbon source and occupy a similar trophic position in urban and natural areas. However, there is a separation between opossums in urban and natural areas, not so much in the isotopic niche, but in the feeding habits since natural areas, opossums prefer to feed in their distribution area despite the availability of better quality food in the nearby urban areas.

Urban refugia sheltering biodiversity across world cities - Rodolfo Gentili; Lara A. Quaglini; Gabriele Galasso; Chiara Montagnani; Sarah Caronni; Elisa Cardarelli; Sandra Citterio (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Over the last years, world cities have emerged as multiple and complex habitats hosting numerous and varied urban refugia for biodiversity. Therefore, the published literature was systematically reviewed to investigate the increasingly acknowledged role of many urban habitats to function as refugia for species. Many plants and animals were reported to colonize a variety of urban environments: Urban forest/grassland (natural/seminatural), City park, Historical park (villa garden, botanical gardens, cemeteries, etc.), Green spaces (abandoned areas, railways, line of trees, etc.), Water body, and Built area. Refugia were found in over a hundred world cities, especially in medium- to very big-size cities. The number of papers focusing on animals (n = 66) were higher than those regarding plants and mushrooms (n = 19 and n = 1, respectively); however, the number of species recorded within refugia were the highest for plants. Plants exhibited the highest frequency (7 out of 19 papers) in Historical park, while animals in Urban forest/grassland (20 out of 66 papers). In most studies (25.9%), urban refugia were linked to Urban forest/grassland that is terrestrial natural and seminatural sites widespread within or around cities. The 22.3% of studies referred to generic Green spaces of several types interspersed within cities, both public and private. The 14.1% of refugia were found in Built area (artificial). About the 33% of studies reported the presence of species worthy of conservation (rare, endemic, endangered, or protected) for a total of 365 species. The 20% of investigated papers reported the presence of alien species for a total of 879 species. Invasive alien species recorded within refugium areas should be subjected to control measures to prevent degradation to refugia. Overall, the capability for urban areas to host a huge amount of biodiversity needs to be acknowledged by city planners so that management practices that maintain and support such diversity can be pursued. Recording and monitoring species along with their refugial habitats is fundamental to achieve this goal.

Human-river relationships in Chinese cities: evidence from highly educated water museum visitors - Yixin Cao; Wendy Yan Chen; Karl Matthias Wantzen (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

The ecosystem services supplied by urban green infrastructure depend on their naturalness, functionality and imperviousness - Elie Hanna; Daniel Bruno; Francisco A. Comín (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Urban green infrastructure (UGI) can provide key ecosystem services (ES) for human well-being. For this purpose, it is critical to ascertain which characteristics regulate the provision of ES by UGI. In this study, eight ES (water supply, water regulation, waste regulation, nutrient regulation, soil formation, carbon sequestration, air temperature regulation and air humidity regulation) of thirty UGI sites of Zaragoza (Spain), were evaluated using proxy indicators derived from analyzed soil samples, and in-situ measured air temperature and humidity. A principal component analysis was performed to group different ES, and to study the dispersion of different types of UGI along the distinct ES. Additionally, relationships, between the evaluated ES and predictors; flatness, imperviousness, regularity, naturalness and functioning of the UGI sites were studied through linear and quadratic regressions. Large UGI sites such as riparian zones, meanders and natural forests showed relatively high values of ES in contrast with more artificial sites. Moreover, the study showed that water supply, water regulation, soil formation, carbon sequestration and air temperature regulation were significantly and positively related to ecological naturalness and functioning, while imperviousness was the main predictor explaining the reduction of five ES. Our findings provide evidence for the existence of important interactions between predictor variables and ES in UGI. It also showed that the provision of urban ES can be improved expanding the variety and type of green infrastructure sites, decreasing impervious area, and increasing the naturalness and functioning of UGI.

Predicting people’s motivation to engage in urban predator control - Geoff Kaine; Dean Stronge; Vic Wright (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
Measures such as education, incentives, and regulations are used to change people’s behaviour and thereby achieve policy objectives. Understanding and predicting the willingness of people to change their behaviour in response to a policy measure is critical in assessing its likely effectiveness. We apply a dual-process framework of adoption proposed by Bagozzi (2006a, b) that distinguishes between goal setting and goal striving to predict urban trapping of rats. We employ ‘involvement’, a measure of motivation from the field of marketing, to operationalise two key variables in the dual-process model: goal desire and behavioural desire. We show how the dual-process model predicts urban residents’ trapping behaviour and discuss the implications of the model for efforts to promote rat trapping by public agencies.

Floral species evenness is the major driver of wild bee communities in urban gardens - B.A. Rossi Rotondi; J. Casanelles-Abella; S. Fontana; M. Moretti; M. Videla; M.S. Fenoglio (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

A methodological framework for prioritizing habitat patches in urban ecosystems based on landscape functional connectivity - Rhian Medeiros Vieira Soares; Paula Koeler Lira; Stella Manes; Mariana M. Vale (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Predicting amphibian and reptile distributions and species richness across urban parks in the eastern United States - David M. Marsh; Josmar Medina; Brynn Wilkinson (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Very few scientific publications and newspaper articles focus on catastrophic events and their effects on urban wildlife - Marlene Walters; Christina Cen; Julia Lung; Yaochi Li; Julianne Lea; Pamela Yeh (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
The COVID-19 pandemic upended daily life and disrupted human activity in urban centers all over the world. Stay-at-home orders emptied urban spaces, removing or decreasing stressors on urban wildlife associated with human presence. Anecdotal observations of unusual urban wildlife behavior spread virally across social media, but some of these reports were proven false or fabricated. Here we examined both scientific publications and local newspapers to understand how extensively urban catastrophes are covered with respect to their effects on wildlife. We read all article titles from January 1980–June 2023 in 100 high impact journals in biology to determine if prior research exists that could inform our understanding of this phenomenon. Additionally, we used a keyword search to find scientific journal articles about wildlife responses during events in which large-scale evacuations of urban environments occurred. We found 37 scientific articles on this topic, with 13 of those published in the highest impact biology journals. The majority of publications identified (70%) were about wildlife responses to the COVID-19 public health response. Finally, we searched local newspapers in areas where hurricanes struck urban centers. We found 25 newspaper articles reporting on wildlife in relation to urban natural disasters. These were typically anecdotes, but nearly always consulted a credible, expert source. Ultimately, more research focused on urban areas before and after catastrophic or sudden changes will allow biologists to develop a baseline expectation for urban wildlife behavior in the absence of humans.

Variation in functional connectivity between metapopulations in urbanized and forested areas in an endangered salamander - Jong Yoon Jeon; Daecheol Jeong; Amaël Borzée; Kyongman Heo; Han-Chan Park; Hang Lee; Mi-Sook Min (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Sustainable functional roles of ecologically sensitive areas in the Greater Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana: exploring local perceptions and attitudes from a socio-economic purview - Stephen Biliyitorb Liwur; Stephen Appiah Takyi; Michael Osei Asibey; Owusu Amponsah (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Increased bat activity at urban water sources: implications for cross-species transmission of bat rabies to mesocarnivores - Lias A. Hastings; Carol L. Chambers; David L. Bergman; Tad C. Theimer (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
We examined the potential for urban water sources, specifically golf course ponds, to act as centers for rabies transmission from bats to mesocarnivores in the arid southwestern United States where surface water is often limited. Because residential housing can act as den and roost sites for both mesocarnivores and bats, we also examined the effect of housing density around water sources on activity. Using ultrasonic acoustic recorders to assess bat activity and camera traps to estimate mesocarnivore activity, we compared 14 pairs of wet and dry locations over two years by surveying twice during the summer, once prior to summer monsoons and once during the monsoon season, when surface waters were more available. Number of calls for all bat species combined were greater at wet sites compared to dry sites and calls of two bat species often associated with rabies, big brown bat ( Eptesicus fuscus ) and silver-haired bat ( Lasionycteris noctivagans ), were recorded more at wet sites than dry sites in the monsoon season. In both years, raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) were photographed more often at wet sites while striped skunks ( Mephitis mephitis ) and gray foxes ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus ) were less likely to be detected at wet sites. Bat, fox and raccoon activity was not associated with housing density while striped skunks showed a positive correlation. Finally, we examined potential for contact between mesocarnivores and big brown bats, a species implicated in cross-species rabies transmission in our area, by combining call activity of this bat species and photo detections of mesocarnivores during individual hours of the night into a Potential Contact Index (PCI) and found no significant effect of season (pre-monsoon vs. monsoon), species, or treatment (dry versus wet) but did find a significant species by treatment interaction, with raccoon PCI 3–30 times higher at wet sites and no effect on the other two mesocarnivores’ PCI. Overall, we found higher activity of bats at urban waters could increase potential for cross-species transmission of rabies from bats to raccoons but not for gray foxes and striped skunks.

Black-tailed deer resource selection reveals some mechanisms behind the ‘luxury effect’ in urban wildlife - Jason T Fisher; Hugh W. Fuller; Adam Hering; Sandra Frey; Alina C. Fisher (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

The advantage of living in the city: effects of urbanization on body size and mass of native and alien squirrels - Claudia Tranquillo; Lucas A. Wauters; Francesca Santicchia; Mattia Panzeri; Damiano Preatoni; Adriano Martinoli; Francesco Bisi (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)
In an ever more urbanized world, animals have to cope with different challenging conditions that may shape the individual’s phenotype in the urban environment. Since body mass and body size are found to be related to fitness in many species, investigating the variation in these two morphological traits along the rural-urban gradient, is a first step to understand how animals adapt to urbanization. Here we studied two tree squirrels, the native Eurasian red squirrel ( Sciurus vulgaris ) and the invasive Eastern grey squirrel ( Sciurus carolinensis ), using a pseudo-experimental design with replicated study sites (2 rural, 2 suburban and 2 urban sites for each species). We investigated whether squirrels differed in body size and body mass along the urbanization gradient and whether the invasive alien squirrels had more marked differences along the gradient, showing a higher adaptation capacity. We did not find variation in body size in red squirrels along the gradient, but invasive grey squirrels were slightly larger in urban than in other area-types. In both species, animals of either sex were heavier in the urban than in the rural sites, while the difference between urban and suburban areas depends on species and sex. Hence, morphologically both native and invasive species showed similar changes, with higher body mass in urban habitat, which could result in higher fitness, since body mass in squirrels species is positively related to reproductive success.

Landscape naturalness and restoring benefit: a connection through bird diversity - Joanne Chang; Chia-Ching Wu; Chun-Yen Chang (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Galls in the city: Effects of urbanization on the interaction of a highly specialized fly (Neolasioptera sp) and a wildflower (Turnera subulata) in tropical environments - Antonio Christian de Andrade; Alessandre Pereira-Colavite (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Decreased functional dispersal traits of spontaneous plants in urban areas - Jonathan Wilson de Almeida; Gustavo Heringer; Rafael Dudeque Zenni (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Plant composition, water resources and built structures influence bird diversity: a case study in a high Andean city with homogeneous soundscape - Patricia Zaedy Curipaco Quinto; Harold Rusbelth Quispe-Melgar; Omar Siguas Robles (Urban Ecosystems, 2024)

Investigating the impacts of humans and dogs on the spatial and temporal activity of wildlife in urban woodlands - Rachael Beasley; Chris Carbone; Adrian Brooker; Marcus Rowcliffe; Jeff Waage (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Humans can derive enormous benefit from the natural environment and the wildlife they see there, but increasing human use of natural environments may negatively impact wildlife, particularly in urban green spaces. Few studies have focused on the trade-offs between intensive human use and wildlife use of shared green spaces in urban areas. In this paper, we investigate the impacts of humans and their dogs on wildlife within an urban green space using camera trap data from Hampstead Heath, London. Spatial and temporal activity of common woodland bird and mammal species were compared between sites with low and high frequency of visits by humans and dogs. There was no significant difference in the spatial or temporal activity of wildlife species between sites with lower and higher visitation rates of humans and dogs, except with European hedgehogs ( Erinaceus europaeus ) which showed extended activity in the mornings and early evenings in sites with lower visitation rates. This may have implications for the survival and reproductive success of European hedgehogs. Our results suggest that adaptation to human and dog activity deserves greater study in urban green spaces, as would a broader approach to measuring possible anthropogenic effects.

Intra- and interspecific interactions in the Indian urban ecosystem with special reference to street cattle as the pivot - Bhupendra Kumar Sahu; Atanu Kumar Pati; Arti Parganiha (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Reclaiming urban vacant land to manage stormwater and support insect habitat - Michelle A. Pham; MaLisa R. Spring; Frances S. Sivakoff; Mary M. Gardiner (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Stratifying the urban matrix using zoning laws: a protocol for bats and their pathogens - Beatriz Gagete Veríssimo de Mello; João Eduardo Cavalcanti Brito; Ricardo Augusto Dias (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

First steps of pollinator-promoting interventions in Eastern European urban areas – positive outcomes, challenges, and recommendations - Gabriella Süle; Anikó Kovács-Hostyánszki; Miklós Sárospataki; Tünde Ilona Kelemen; Gabriella Halassy; Anna Horváth; Imre Demeter; András Báldi; Viktor Szigeti (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Urbanisation has a strong role in pollinator decline, while properly managed green spaces could promote pollinators – especially bees and butterflies – by providing foraging and nesting habitats in cities. In public spaces, several opportunities exist to help pollinators including rare mowing, flower strip sowing, and bee hotel establishment. However, pollinator-promoting interventions are almost lacking and still understudied in Eastern Europe. We aimed to investigate the impact of rare mowing and annual flower-sowing interventions on pollinators, floral resources, and vegetation attributes in three case studies within Hungary. We compared treatment (extensively mown or sown) and control (intensively mown) site pairs during five sampling occasions within a season. We found positive, but due to the severe drought and management inaccuracies relatively minor effect of both interventions. The extensively mown sites presented higher and greener vegetation with more flowers and pollinators. The sown flower patches provided floral resources and supported the pollinators in the second half of the season, while they were scarcely visited in spring and early summer due to the annual soil scarification and re-sowing. Although the two types of interventions could complement each other during the season, there is room for further improvements. To reach resilient urban ecosystems against climate and environmental changes, we recommend using primarily native and mostly perennial seeds, combining intervention types, planning for the long-term, and avoiding management inaccuracies (e.g. unplanned mowing). Promoting and monitoring plant-pollinators systems may increase the diversity and human well-being in cities, while citizens’ involvement can facilitate these interventions.

Home range and habitat use of vervet monkeys in the urban forest mosaic landscape of Durban, eThekwini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa - Kerushka R. Pillay; Jarryd P. Streicher; Colleen T. Downs (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Generally, urbanisation affects biodiversity negatively; however, some species thrive in urban areas. One mammalian species thriving in the urban forest mosaic landscape is the vervet monkey ( Chlorocebus pygerythrus ), particularly in Durban, eThekwini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Vervet monkeys’ spatial use can provide important ecological information to understand their behavioural plasticity in an urban forest mosaic landscape. We, therefore, captured and collared vervet monkeys with Global Positioning System (GPS)-Ultra High Frequency (UHF) transmitters in two sites of varying degrees of urban and natural land-use types within eThekwini. Three home range methods Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP), Kernel Density Estimator (KDE), and Local Convex Hull (LoCoH) were used to determine individual home range size and core area use. Home range (30.7 ha 95% KDE) and core area (6.5 ha 50% KDE) estimates were relatively small for these vervet monkeys. Forest and thicket, and built-up habitat types were most used by vervet monkeys across the urban forest mosaic landscape. Overall, individuals in this study showed that the vervet monkeys, regardless of the environment, can successfully exist across the urban forest mosaic landscape. The spatial ecology of urban vervet monkeys provides valuable information for future education and management interventions, especially where there are negative human-monkey interactions amongst urban communities.

Resilient plant species selection for urban green infrastructure development in arid regions: a case of Qom, Iran - Hassan Darabi; Yasser Moarrab; Jahanbakh Balist; Behroz Naroei (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Urban growth and loss of green spaces in the metropolitan areas of São Paulo and Mexico City: effects of land-cover changes on climate and water flow regulation - Gabriela Narcizo de Lima; Ma. Alejandra Fonseca-Salazar; Julio Campo (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Urban green spaces provide ecosystem services that directly or indirectly benefit people, however, urban growth (especially in developing countries) generates the loss of these green areas and consequently of their ecosystem services. This paper aims to present the effects of land use and land cover changes in the last 30 years on two basic urban ecosystem services, water flow regulation and local and regional climate in two of main Latin American megacities (São Paulo and Mexico City). The study focuses on urban green spaces because they reduce the urban heat island effects, improve air quality, create habitats for biodiversity conservation, provide cultural services, and contribute to flooding prevention and groundwater conservation. A spatial analysis with the aid of geographic information systems was performed to assess (i) the urbanization process of the Metropolitan Areas of both cities over time; (ii) how this process generated changes in the land cover in both metropolises, and (iii) how these changes caused environmental negative impacts on ecosystem services. The loss of green areas as a consequence of urban expansion in the Metropolitan Areas of São Paulo and Mexico City changed the spatial distribution of urban heat island and increased the surface runoff, generating floods during the rainy periods. Our results suggest the urgent need for implementation of ecosystem-based spatial planning and ecological restoration of urban green areas in both studied cities to prevent further losses in ecosystem services and to improve the quality of life of urban inhabitants.

Functional urban ground-cover plants: identifying traits that promote rainwater retention and dissipation - Siti Nur Hannah Ismail; Virginia Stovin; Ross W. F. Cameron (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Urban vegetation can influence urban hydrology and reduce the risk of flooding. Urban forestry studies have suggested that tree type and species choice affect the amount of rainwater intercepted and retained. Little information exists, however, for other landscape typologies, and the sorts of ground-cover plants that are best used to retain/detain rainwater during storm events. This is important as many urban spaces are too small to facilitate trees, but can accommodate roadside vegetation, buffer strips, rain gardens, green roofs and stormwater planters. Thus, this research aimed to determine how choice of ground-cover taxa affected rainwater interception and retention. Six model species with contrasting leaf morphologies were used to determine how well rainwater was intercepted, but also dissipated through evapotranspiration (ET). A pot-based system was used to determine how plant water balance changed during late summer in the UK, with the aim to understand how leaf traits affected hydrological processes. Plant choice was important, with fine-leaved taxa, Festuca glauca and Dianthus ‘Haytor White’ showing best rainwater interception and Festuca demonstrating highest rates of dissipation from the substrate. Overall, compared to non-planted pots, those with plants present were more effective at capturing water (by 2.3–3.0x), and evapo-transpiring water (by 2.5-4.0x). Results indicate that ground cover vegetation has potential to aid urban water management in those localities where space is limited for trees. Plant choice and community-structure should be considered, especially when there is a desire to dry out soil/substrate quickly and restore maximum soil moisture holding capacity.

Not all cities are the same: variation in animal phenotypes across cities within urban ecology studies - Javier delBarco-Trillo; Breanna J. Putman (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Green infrastructure in cities for the achievement of the un sustainable development goals: a systematic review - Alba Lombardía; María Teresa Gómez-Villarino (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Lessons learned about steering a large urban wildlife research network from theory to practice - Seth Magle (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Florivory on an alien tree as a potential case of biotic resistance provided by urban parrots - Paulo Antonio Silva; Larissa Lais Silva; Amanda Graciela Cherutte; Ana Caroline Silva Gomes; Lucilene Brito; Bruno Magro Rodrigues; Stephanie Teles Santos; Lucas Sobral Santos (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Anthropogenic light pollution is associated with diel patterns of fledging in an urban adapted songbird - Todd M. Jones; Laura J. Kearns; Amanda D. Rodewald (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Soil CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes in open lawns, treed lawns and urban woodlands in Angers, France - Tom Künnemann; Patrice Cannavo; Vincent Guérin; René Guénon (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Contributions of urban green and blue spaces on local-scale climate in the core area of Beijing, China - Yilun Li; Shuxin Fan; Kun Li; Kaien Ke; Li Dong (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Using citizen science data to investigate annual survival rates of resident birds in relation to noise and light pollution - Lauren D. Pharr; Caren B. Cooper; Brian Evans; Christopher E. Moorman; Margaret A. Voss; Jelena Vukomanovic; Peter P. Marra (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Exponential increases in anthropogenic noise and light pollution have accompanied growth of the built environment. Noise and light cause negative consequences for birds, such as disrupted navigation during migration, mortality from collisions with windows and other infrastructure, and reduced reproductive success, as well as some positive consequences, such as expanded night niches for behaviors associated with feeding, territoriality, and mating. Relatively less is known about noise and light effects on annual survival of non-migratory birds, so we conducted an exploratory study to examine variation in adult survival rates of seven avian species in relation to noise and light pollution. We used 20 years of band-resight data collected as a part of the Neighborhood Nestwatch Program (NN), a citizen science project run by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, at 242 sites in greater Washington, D.C. USA. We estimated apparent survival and documented species-specific relationships with light and noise. Gray Catbird ( Dumetella carolinensis ) and House Wren ( Thryothorus aedon ) survival decreased and American Robin ( Turdus migratorius ) survival increased with greater amounts of anthropogenic light. Anthropogenic noise had no relationship with apparent survival for any of the seven species. Life-history trade-offs between survival and reproduction may account for differences in species-specific effects of light pollution. Future research should examine the availability of other fine scale environmental conditions, such as tree canopy cover, that might buffer avian exposure to noise and light pollution.

Associations between the perception of ecosystem services and well-being in urban parks - Carlos Eduardo Menezes da Silva; Anselmo César Vasconcelos Bezerra; Claudiano Carneiro Cruz Neto (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Metabolic adjustment in urban birds: glycometabolic enzyme activities in urban and rural tree sparrows (Passer montanus) - Jing Shang; Shujuan Cun; Shuping Zhang; Wei Liang (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Coyotes access diverse anthropogenic attractants at the ecotone between natural and residential urban areas - Sage Raymond; Colleen Cassady St. Clair (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Urban yards as potential conservation space: large, diverse gardens may be valuable resource patches for butterflies - Lindsay D. Nason; Perri K. Eason (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Bumblebees and butterflies in green structure elements in Malmö, Sweden - Christine Haaland (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Within the BiodiverCity project in Malmö (Sweden), green structure elements were implemented aiming to support biodiversity and enhancing amenity in denser parts of the city. In this study, bumblebee and butterfly abundances and species richness were studied in 20 green structure elements in three areas in Malmö. The investigated green structure elements consisted of objects established within the BiodiverCity project and other green structure elements in their surroundings (e.g. road verges, lawns and flowerbeds). Observed bumblebee and butterfly abundances and species richness was generally low. In total, 528 bumblebees of eight species were recorded, with 97% of all bumblebees belonging to two species, Bombus lapidarius and B. terrestris/lucorum . A total of 154 butterflies from 10 species were detected, most commonly Pieris species. There were no significant differences in mean individual or species numbers (bumblebees and butterflies) between green structure elements designed to support biodiversity and conventional ones. Bumblebee species richness and abundance were positively correlated with mean cover of flowering vegetation and mean number of flowering plant species. Butterfly species richness and abundance were positively correlated with mean number of flowering plant species and size of the green structure. Observations of flower visits showed that the two groups of insects had different preferences. The results of this study show that enhancing bumblebee and butterfly diversity and abundances in densely built city areas can be challenging. To support bumblebees and butterflies more successfully, the habitat requirements of these insect groups need to be better considered from the beginning in the design of green structure elements.

Are the same factors determining biodiversity in cities across different regions? Comparing drivers of urban bird richness patterns in Southern Asia vs. Western Europe - Marufa Sultana; Luca Corlatti; Ilse Storch (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
According to general urban ecological understanding, bird species richness declines in highly urban areas due to the increasing extent of built-up areas, and decreasing proportions of green areas. However, this hypothesis is mainly based on studies conducted in cities located in the Global North and rarely in the Global South. We aimed to assess whether existing conceptual understandings of drivers of bird species richness patterns within cities are similar across different regions, specifically Southern Asia (in the Global South) vs. Western Europe (in the Global North). Using avian occurrence data drawn from GBIF (gbif.org), we estimated resident bird species richness in 943 selected grid cells (each cell corresponding to approximately 1 km 2 area) distributed in 24 cities, 13 in Southern Asia and 11 in Western Europe. We applied generalised linear mixed models to relate resident bird richness with different explanatory variables of gradients of urbanisation, habitat and climatic factors using the selected grid cells as sampling units. Our results showed that bird richness declined with increasing human built-up and settlement extent (imperviousness) in both regions, but this relationship was stronger in Southern Asia compared to Western Europe. Bird richness also sharply declined in urban areas located far from inland waterbodies, but only in Southern Asia. Our findings suggest that high imperviousness drives bird richness decline, but this process appears to be more pronounced in regions where rapid urbanisation is ongoing. Urban planning integrating green spaces throughout cities is crucial in Southern Asia, as it is in Western Europe, to benefit both people and biodiversity.

Urban development reduces bee abundance and diversity - Vera Pfeiffer; David W. Crowder; Janet Silbernagel (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Floral resources encourage colonisation and use of green roofs by invertebrates - Katherine Berthon; Freya Thomas; Jess Baumann; Rebecca White; Sarah Bekessy; Francisco Encinas-Viso (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Green roof retrofits offer a promising avenue to increase greenspace and thus biodiversity in the city. The successful colonisation and establishment of plants and animals on green roofs is limited by the location and context of the green roof. Here we use a before, after, control, impact (BACI) design to monitor the colonisation of a new retrofit roof in Melbourne CBD. We find that colonisation for some taxa occurs rapidly, with honeybees ( Apis mellifera ) arriving four days after flowers had been planted. Other insect taxa, such as native bees, did not colonise the impact roof but were present on the green roof reference site, which was lower in height and planted with native plants. Invertebrate abundance increased for all sites after the retrofit was built, however this sampling period was in late spring when more insects are expected to be active. Bird richness and abundance didn’t change in response to roof greening, but invertebrate richness was significantly higher on reference sites and increased after the green roof retrofit was built for the impact site. There was an apparent ‘spill over’ effect onto the nearby green roof control, which also increased in invertebrate diversity. Overall, invertebrate composition across roof types was driven by floral density. Floral density and richness increased on the impact roof as vegetation matured, subsequently correlating with higher abundance and richness of invertebrates. We use these findings to discuss colonisation of green roofs and argue for strategic placement of new green roof retrofits to maximise their biodiversity potential.

Dynamics of nest availability occurrence of Blue and Yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna) nests in the urban area of ​​Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul - Larissa Tinoco; Aline Calderan; Sabrina Cristiane Appel; Edson Diniz Lino Pereira; Maria Cecília Barbosa de Toledo; Neiva Maria Robaldo Guedes (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Conservation of skinks in New Zealand cities - Christopher K. Woolley; Stephen Hartley; John G. Innes; Danielle F. Shanahan; Yolanda van Heezik; Deborah J. Wilson; Nicola J. Nelson (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Urbanisation dramatically alters ecosystems, disrupting key processes and threatening species persistence. Despite growing knowledge of the impacts of cities on wildlife, particularly for birds and mammals, there remains a paucity of research on how urbanisation impacts other taxa, including reptiles. We examined how urbanisation affects skink communities across multiple New Zealand cities by undertaking pitfall trapping surveys in a range of habitats. Of the 20 endemic species thought to have been present historically in the cities, only four were captured during surveys, Oligosoma aeneum in Hamilton; O. polychroma , O. aeneum , and O. ornatum in Wellington; O. polychroma in Nelson; and O. aff. polychroma Clade 5 in Dunedin. Our results reveal highly variable patterns of occupancy, abundance, and complex associations with key threats and habitat modifications. Sites in Nelson and Wellington were much more likely to record skinks than Hamilton and Dunedin, and modelling showed abundance of O. polychroma was positively related to rat tracking rates when grass cover was low but showed a negative relationship when grass cover was high. O. polychroma body condition was negatively associated with the proportion of urban land cover (built up areas or transport infrastructure). The low number of captures of several species is concerning and long-term monitoring is needed to assess the trajectories of these vulnerable populations. Effective conservation management of urban wildlife requires knowledge of where populations exist and how urban processes affect persistence. For understudied urban-dwelling taxa such as reptiles, the lack of this information may be putting populations at risk.

Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites are correlated with urbanization but not body condition in eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) - Raven Ouellette; Gabriela Mastromonaco; Colin J. Garroway; Albrecht I Schulte-Hostedde (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Bat use of golf courses depends on surrounding landscape context - Evan Drake; Maarten Vonhof; Brooke Maslo (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Understanding how wildlife responds to altered ecosystems is an important conservation objective. Urban green spaces may support wildlife communities, but their internal and external environments vary substantially. Golf course design and management generally follow standardized best practices, and thus frequently contain similar ecological features. However, studies investigating their conservation value have produced discordant conclusions; therefore, we hypothesize that external environmental factors significantly affect their utility for wildlife. We used acoustic detectors to survey bats at eleven golf courses across a gradient of landscapes (urban, agricultural, and forested) over two years. We used generalized linear mixed models to examine how landscape features surrounding golf courses relate to bat activity. For most species, bat activity was greater on golf courses when the surrounding landscape contained fewer open spaces and more developed land. We conclude that golf courses situated in developed landscapes may provide important foraging habitat for bats. Notably, several species of conservation concern were more active on courses with larger patches of nearby forest. Given that management resources are finite, we recommend using the surrounding landscape to assess the conservation potential of golf courses and allocating effort to improve habitat on golf courses that are most likely to benefit bats and other wildlife.

Mechanisms involved in alien maples (Acer sp.) invasion process in the Central Europe. Testing hypotheses associated with species fitness - Peter Ferus (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Maples ( Acer sp.) are trees/shrubs of extraordinary aesthetic value, what favours them for wide utilisation in urban greenery. However, some of the non-native species became invasive in the new range and represent a threat to natural ecosystems. Therefore, after the definition of their frequency and planting history in Slovak cities and reinvestigation of ecological status, based on analysis of growth, reproduction biology, fruit dispersal, phenotypic plasticity and allelopathic potential, invasion hypotheses related to the species fitness were tested in non-invasive alien species, in respect of invasive box elder ( A. negundo L.). Parks and residential areas from the socialistic era were dominated by silver maple ( A. saccharinum L.) and private gardens by palm maple ( A. palmatum Thunb.) cultivars. A shift to ´locally naturalised´ was confirmed in the former, and palm maple was taken into consideration in the alien flora list (as casual). The fastest growth was found in silver maple and box elder. The latter showed also extraordinary reproduction earliness, largest fruit production, flight range and seed viability. Specific leaf area mostly decreased in box elder towards summer, indicating its large phenotypic plasticity. However, the largest allelopathic effect was observed in silver maple. Hence, ´limiting similarity hypothesis´, ´ideal weed hypothesis´, ´propagule pressure hypothesis´ and ´phenotypic plasticity hypothesis´ were essential for box elder invasion success. On the other hand, ´ideal weed hypothesis´ and ´novel weapon hypothesis´ seem to be crucial for silver maple naturalisation. Palm maple failed in all studied aspects, indicating colonisation stage of the invasion process.

Associations between wildlife observations, human-tick encounters and landscape features in a peri-urban tick hotspot - Casey L. Taylor; Henry W. Lydecker; Dieter F. Hochuli; Peter B. Banks (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Zoonotic disease vectors, their wildlife hosts, and the surrounding landscape interact in complex ways that vary spatially, temporally and with anthropogenic change. Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are one of the most important vectors of human disease globally but managing the risk of tick bites in urban areas requires a detailed understanding of these complex vector-host-environment relationships at multiple spatial scales. Extensive knowledge gaps of these interactions in Australia limits options for managing ticks and exacerbates human-wildlife conflict. To address this, we used an online survey to determine the potential drivers of human-tick encounters operating at the local, yard scale and at the broader, landscape scale in a peri-urban area of Australia. We explored the relationships between reported tick encounters in yards and yard traits, host sightings (yard-scale) and broader landscape traits (landscape-scale). We found that sightings of potential hosts such as long-nosed bandicoots ( Perameles nasuta ) and brush-turkeys ( Alectura lathami ), and broader landscape traits such as distance to wet sclerophyll forest, were important predictors of reported tick encounters. Yard traits such as garden mulching and leaf litter cover showed no relationships with tick encounters. However, garden mulching and the absence of pets were predictors of frequent bandicoot sightings in yards. Mulching over 20m 2 , moderate to dense leaf litter cover on lawns, and living adjacent to bush were predictors of frequent brush-turkey sightings in yards. Our results suggest that residents may be able to reduce tick encounter risk by making yards less attractive to potential hosts. The observed relationships provide a critical foundation for field studies that can determine underlying mechanisms and inform appropriate tick management in urban environments. Graphical abstract

How butterfly communities are structured and have changed in urbanized areas of Marseille: a 12-year monitoring survey - M. Ternisien; M. Deschamps-Cottin; M.-H. Lizée; L. March; C. Robles; B. Vila (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Water in the city: visitation of animal wildlife to garden water sources and urban lakes - Esther K. Gibbons; Paul G. Close; Bronte E. Van Helden; Nicola J. Rooney (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Providing garden water sources (e.g., ponds, bird baths) has become a popular and strongly promoted form of wildlife-friendly gardening, yet evidence of their use by animals is scarce and limited to a few taxa and water source types. We examined the prevalence, variety and potential value to animal wildlife of supplementary water provided within gardens of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, using an online questionnaire and field observations of wildlife visitation to urban water sources during summer 2021. Over 70% of 105 questionnaire respondents indicated the presence of at least one water source in their garden and almost 50% had two or more. Bird baths, ground water-bowls and ponds were the most common water source types provided. During 207 h of field observation, we recorded a total of 43 taxa (birds, insects, mammals, amphibians, reptiles) visiting urban lakes and garden birth baths, ponds and ground water-bowls. Taxa richness was similar at urban lakes (30) and garden water sources (27), although approximately 50% of the taxa recorded in each location were unique to that location. Visitation rates of smaller-bodied wildlife did not differ between lakes and gardens, nor among individual water source types. Multivariate analyses indicated insect assemblages visiting lakes did not differ from those visiting garden water sources, and small bird assemblages did not differ among each water source type. These results demonstrate garden water sources, especially for smaller-bodied animals, can supplement the wildlife values contributed by urban lake systems, and should continue to be promoted as an effective conservation action.

Artemisia pollen dispersal pattern and feasible intervention measures in Hohhot, China - Yange Wang; Siqi Guo; Meiyu Jie; Ying Lu; Min Zhang (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Checking in at bee hotels: trap-nesting occupancy and fitness of cavity-nesting bees in an urbanised biodiversity hotspot - Kit S. Prendergast (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
With urbanisation leading to loss of nesting resources, and increasing public interest in helping bees, bee hotels (trap-nests) are becoming popularised. However, their success is relatively understudied. The influence of habitat type in determining occupancy and emergence is also poorly known. Over two years across 7 bushland remnant and 7 residential garden sites, trap-nests were installed and completed nests collected monthly over spring-summer. Bees appeared to take a month to find the trap-nests, irrespective of month they were installed. A small percentage (13% and 6% in the two years) of tubes were occupied, but this was within the range of other trap-nesting studies. Smaller 4 and 7 mm diameter nests had a higher occupancy rate than 10 mm diameter tubes. An impressive number − 24 bee species – occupied the trap-nests. Representation however was dominated by five species. The species composition (species and their relative abundances) of cavity-nesting bees differed greatly between those using the trap-nests compared with those observed in the field. Bushland remnants tended to have more bee hotels occupied, and male body size of emerged bees was larger in this habitat. Unexpectedly native and total flower diversity reduced bee hotel occupancy, whereas native flower parameters tended to positively influence bee fitness. Overall installing bee hotels can provide additional nesting resources for native bees in urbanised areas, and providing high proportions of native flora in the vicinity should enhance fitness of the bees using them.

Spatial-temporal effects on fish diversity and assemblages in a highly modified environment - Mohamad Aqmal-Naser; Kei’ichiro Iguchi; Amirrudin B. Ahmad (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Assessing the impact of free-ranging cats (Felis silvestris catus) and dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) on wildlife in a natural urban reserve in Mexico City - A. Karina Ramos-Rendón; Fernando Gual-Sill; Fernando A. Cervantes; Constantino González-Salazar; Rodrigo García-Morales; Enrique Martínez-Meyer (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Conservation of natural ecosystems embedded in urban contexts is a big challenge because diverse anthropogenic factors continuously impact native biodiversity and ecological processes. One such factor is the pervasive presence of free-ranging predators, especially cats ( Felis silvestris catus ) and dogs ( Canis lupus familiaris ), which may severely affect local wildlife. The “Reserva Ecológica del Pedregal de San Ángel” (REPSA), located within the main campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), in southern Mexico City, is an important natural area that protects a peculiar volcanic spill ecosystem holding native and endemic biodiversity. In 2012, UNAM launched a control program of cats and dogs in REPSA that is still active. To assess the potential impact of cats and dogs on wildlife species, we used live and camera traps coupled with capture-recapture analyses to evaluate changes in the vertebrate community, particularly in the presence and abundance of two medium-size native mammals ( Didelphis virginiana and Bassariscus astutus ), before (2008–2009) and during (2017–2019) the control program. Results showed that the abundance of dogs decreased between the two periods, but not so the abundance of cats, whereas the native vertebrate diversity increased from the pre-control stage to the control period. Furthermore, we found a negative, non-significant relationship between the abundance of D. virginiana and that of dogs, and a positive, also non-significant relationship between the presence and abundance of B. astutus with the abundance of dogs. We conclude that the control program of free-ranging predators has been beneficial for the conservation of native vertebrates and recommend its continuation and enhancement.

The lure of the big city: smaller Danish rookeries are increasingly associated with urban land cover - Henning Heldbjerg; Claus Lunde Pedersen; Ole R. Therkildsen; Thomas Bregnballe; Henning Ettrup; Johnny Kahlert; Thomas Vikstrøm; Anthony D. Fox (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Rooks Corvus frugilegus are common and widespread in urban and agricultural habitats in Denmark. Large numbers are killed annually by derogation shooting to control population growth to reduce noise near populated areas and prevent agricultural damage. Responding to increasing public complaints about noise nuisance from urban rookeries, we investigated changes in extent of urban and agricultural habitats within 500 m, 1000 m and 2000 m of all known breeding rook colonies (rookeries) in eastern Jutland, Denmark in 1991 compared to 2021 based on open access land cover GIS layers in 1990 and 2019. Numbers of rookeries increased by 40% from 95 (1991) to 133 (2021) but nest abundance increased only by 6% from 10,299 to 10,887 due to more and significantly smaller rookeries, increasingly associated with urban sites. In both years, the proportion of urban area within distance classes of rookeries was significantly higher, and the area of agriculture significantly lower, than at randomly chosen points in the same region. The proportion of urban area around each rookery decreased with increasing distance, whereas the proportion of agricultural land cover increased. The proportional area of urban land use within the distance classes increased between 1991 and 2021 whereas agricultural land cover decreased. Given no simultaneous major change in overall land use, our results indicate an increasing selection by rooks for smaller urban rookeries over agricultural landscapes, where rookeries have declined. We consider these trends, especially the proliferation of smaller rookeries in urban areas, as a potential explanation for the upsurge in public complaints about rookery noise in residential areas. We urge further research to explain the causes behind these trends before we can provide science-based solutions to resolve such conflicts effectively.

Designing “Tiny Forests” as a lesson for transdisciplinary urban ecology learning - Monika Egerer; Michael Suda (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
The sustainability and livability of urban areas call for the next generation of scientists, practitioners and policy makers to understand the benefits, implementation and management of urban greenspaces. We harnessed the concept of "Tiny Forests©" – a restoration strategy for small wooded areas (~100-400 m 2 ) – to create a transdisciplinary and experiential project for university forestry students that follows an ecology-with-cities framework. We worked with 16 students and a local municipality in the Munich, Germany metropolitan region to survey a community about its needs and desires and then used this information alongside urban environmental features and data collected by students (e.g., about soil conditions) to design a Tiny Forest. In this article, we describe the teaching concept, learning outcomes and activities, methodological approach, and instructor preparation and materials needed to adapt this project. Designing Tiny Forests provides benefits to students by having them approach authentic tasks in urban greening while experiencing the challenges and benefits of transdisciplinary communication and engagement with community members.

Urban landscapes affect wild bee maternal investment and body size - Sandara N. R. Brasil; Merna M. R. Khair; Anthony C. Ayers; Jesse L. Huisken; Sandra M. Rehan (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Spatiotemporal variation in water availability drives insect community dynamics in an urban riparian zone - Alyssa Bonfoey; Sugjit Singh Padda; Zachary Stahlschmidt (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Water bodies can mitigate urban heat island effects and allow terrestrial animals to access water during periods of insufficient precipitation. Because precipitation is expected to become increasingly scarce in many global regions, urban riparian areas in drylands may yield important insight into the dynamic role of water in terrestrial animal communities. Here, we first investigated the role of spatiotemporal variability in water availability in insect biomass and biodiversity in an urban riparian area—particularly, whether seasonality modulates the spatial effects of water availability. High water availability was characterized spatially by proximity to a river, and temporally by high-precipitation seasons. Second, we investigated whether the relationship between biomass and biodiversity shifts due to variation in water availability. We determined the biomass and biodiversity of an insect community across a riparian zone in Stockton, CA, USA, an urban drylands area characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Time (seasonality exhibiting dramatic variation in precipitation) exerted strong effects on ecological indices and a biodiversity-biomass relationship. Space (proximity to a fixed water source) had more modest effects on the community, and there was some evidence that space and time modulated the effects of one another on the community. Urban animal community dynamics may be more sensitive to larger-scale climate patterns than to local, landscape-level factors, and covariation between biomass and biodiversity may be influenced by resource (water) availability. Studying insect communities in the riparian zones of urban drylands may be critical to understanding how animal communities respond to a warmer, drier climate.

Carnivore coexistence in Chicago: niche partitioning of coyotes and red foxes - Alyson M. Cervantes; Robert L. Schooley; Elizabeth W. Lehrer; Travis Gallo; Maximilian L. Allen; Mason Fidino; Seth B. Magle (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Mesopredators including coyotes ( Canis latrans ) and red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) often co-occur in urban environments, but how niche partitioning facilitates their coexistence remains unclear. Highly urbanized areas can be spatial refuges for smaller mesopredators (i.e., spatial human shield effect), however these species also may coexist through temporal niche partitioning. We used camera traps ( n = 110 sites) across an urbanization gradient in Chicago to examine coyote-fox interactions from 2011 to 2018. We analyzed spatial partitioning through multi-season occupancy models and structural equation modeling (SEM), and quantified temporal overlap between canids and with humans. Coyotes most often occurred in natural areas, and urbanization reduced their colonization rates and increased their extinction rates. Initial occupancy for red foxes was negatively impacted by urbanization, but their extinction rates depended on a surprising interaction between coyotes and humans. When coyotes were rare, fox extinction was related positively to human activity; but when coyotes were more common, fox extinction was related negatively to human activity. This outcome may reflect a human shield effect at a within-site scale. The SEM further supported the negative impact of urbanization on both canids, and lack of an effect of coyotes on the distribution of foxes. Diel activity of coyotes and red foxes indicated temporal niche partitioning intensified at more urbanized sites. Our results suggest the spatial human shield effect is not operating across sites in Chicago. Instead, coyotes and red foxes may share green spaces, especially in highly urbanized areas, where species coexistence is promoted by temporal niche partitioning.

Urbanization affects web abundance and aggregation of a funnel-weaving spider, Agelenopsis pennsylvanica (Agelenidae) - Brandi J. Pessman; Madison Hays; Earl Agpawa; Eileen A. Hebets (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

A novel urban vegetation mapping approach for fire risk assessment: A Mediterranean case study - Maria Mahamed; Lea Wittenberg; Haim Kutiel; Anna Brook (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Urban food forestry transforms fine-scale soil function for rapid and uniform carbon sequestration - Brad Oberle; Steven Bressan; Joseph McWilliams; Erika Díaz-Almeyda (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Biochar, but not soil microbial additives, increase the resilience of urban plant species to low water availability - Anthony Manea; Samiya Tabassum; Martin Lambert; Ariningsun Cinantya; Alessandro Ossola; Michelle R. Leishman (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Impervious surfaces that characterise urban areas can make them harsh, water-limited places for plants to grow. To help alleviate plant stress under these challenging drought conditions, a range of soil additives can be utilised. Although well-studied individually, our understanding of the interaction between different soil additives in alleviating drought stress in urban areas is rudimentary. The aim of this study was to (1) assess the growth of urban horticultural plant species under drought stress and (2) determine whether drought stress in these species is alleviated by the use of soil additives, both individually and in combination. We grew six plant species (three trees, three graminoids) commonly planted in Australian urban areas under two watering regimes (drought-stressed, well-watered) and four soil additive treatments (no additive, microbial additive only, biochar only, microbial additive and biochar), and assessed their performance. We found that drought stress significantly reduced the growth of the six study species. Surprisingly, this decrease in growth was not reduced with the use of soil additives, despite biochar increasing soil water content and mycorrhizal colonisation when used in combination with the microbial additive. However, the addition of biochar significantly delayed the visual onset of drought stress across all species. Our results show that soil additives can be used as a cost-effective management strategy to increase plant resilience to drought stress in urban areas.

Green space in an extremely exposed part of the city center “Aorta of Warsaw” - Case study of the urban lawn - Jan Winkler; Eugeniusz Koda; Jana Červenková; Igor Děkanovský; Aleksandra Nowysz; Łukasz Mazur; Aleksandra Jakimiuk; Magdalena Daria Vaverková (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
The method of developing city centers is the responsibility of local authorities, which must reconcile the interests of investors applying for valuable land with the utility needs and expectations of residents regarding, inter alia, free squares and green enclaves. This study was conducted in Warsaw (Poland). In the study area, for 20 years there has been a discussion about how the area should be developed. So far, the area is used as lawns. During the monitoring period, 72 plant taxa were found. It is possible to state that an urban lawn is an ecosystem with relatively stable conditions, which is, however influenced by human disturbance and specific stress in the city. A city lawn is an oasis of greenery that is easy to set up and maintain, in the case of modernization, it does not generate large costs related to its restoration, unlike gardens. Maintaining an intensive lawn requires not only the selection of appropriate grass species resistant to the influences of the urban environment, but also the optimal way to us it. This research can be used to choose the optimal method for managing and maintaining greenery, considering the conditions of spatial development and environmental factors.

Combinations of plant species with complementary traits have the potential to maximize ecosystem services on green roofs - Kelly Ksiazek-Mikenas; V. Bala Chaudhary; Krissa A. Skogen (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Assessing the impacts of urban beehives on wild bees using individual, community, and population-level metrics - Sarah MacKell; Hadil Elsayed; Sheila Colla (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Distribution of trees in medieval areas of East-Central European cities ‒ regularities and peculiarities - Andrzej Mizgajski; Ewa Trzaskowska; Lidiya Dubis; Dominik Zajączkowski; Janina Borysiak (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Trees in the densely built-up historical cores of cities increase the aesth et ic values of the cityscape as well as lower the effect of the urban heat island. The research aimed to determine the spatial distribution of tree populations in the medieval parts of cities. The investigation included three cities in Central and Eastern Europe: Poznań and Lublin in Poland and Lviv in Ukraine. The oldest parts of these cities share similar origins, the same continental biogeographical region, and comparable climatic conditions. This study considered indicators of occurrence, density, species composition, and spatial distribution of trees. The study identified different types of management concerning trees. In Poznań, trees are actively introduced in public spaces. In Lublin, there is the largest share of trees in the backyards and self-seeding is common. In Lviv, there are new plantings in private and public spaces. Lviv is distinguished by its large share of native trees, and in Poznan and Lublin, new plantings include artificially shaped, small spherical crowns.

Morphological characteristics and water harvesting function of six urban shrub species: implications on sustainable greenspaces in a semi-humid region - Yuwu Li; Xining Shao; Jielei Yu; Chunling Zhou; Haifang Li (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

A mowing strategy for urban parks to support spring flowers in a mediterranean climate city in South Africa - Peta D. Brom; Leslie G. Underhill; Kevin Winter; Jonathan F. Colville (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Converting road verges and Public Open Space (POS) to floral-rich resources is an important strategy for supporting populations of urban pollinators. One of the ways this can be achieved is through adjusting mowing schedules, either with a “delayed start” after the end of winter, or a reduction in mowing frequency. In Mediterranean climate ecosystems with mild, wet winters, plant growth continues through the winter season and the definition of a “delayed start” is unclear. This study sought to identify a strategic period for the suspension of mowing activities in a city in South Africa with a Mediterranean climate. It estimated the duration of the flowering to seed-broadcast season of 20 species of native geophytes. Observations were made of phenological status from bud to seed broadcast in ten city parks in Cape Town during the austral spring flowering seasons of 2019 and 2020 (August – December). The Underhill and Zucchini (1988) Moult Model was employed to estimate the duration of the flowering season. Model results showed that mowing should stop in the second week of August and should not resume until the beginning of November in the study context. The results are discussed against the relative biodiversity contribution that different parks and verges make and the potential conflicts with the utility objectives of urban society.

Stream restoration milestones: monitoring scales determine successes and failures - Sujay S. Kaushal; Megan L. Fork; Robert J. Hawley; Kristina G. Hopkins; Blanca Ríos-Touma; Allison H. Roy (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Impacts of seasonality and urbanization on groundcover community: a case study on the soil slopes of Hong Kong - Ngai Lung Chau; Man Suet Michelle Law (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Correction to: Home ranges of box turtles in a rural woodland and an urban park in Saint Louis, MO; implications for turtle conservation - Stephen Blake; Jamie Palmer; Maris Brenn-White; Sharon L. Deem (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Floral richness and seasonality influences bee and non-bee flower interactions in urban community gardens - Julia Marion Schmack; Monika Egerer (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Pollinating insects are essential for food production. Both bee and non-bee pollinators are undergoing dramatic declines due to land use intensification and its consequences on native ecosystems. While interactions between crops and bee pollinators are well studied, our understanding of the pollination service provided by non-bee flower visitors including flies, ants, beetles and others is still limited. Moreover, the effects of landscape urbanization and changes in floral and nesting resource availability on the network structure of pollinators with both cultivated and wild plants have been poorly studied. We assessed which common bee and non-bee flower visitor groups dominate the interactions with both wild (e.g. Trifolium pratense , Taraxacum officinales ) and cultivated plants (e.g. Fragaria ananassa , Cucurbita pepo ) in urban community gardens in Berlin and Munich and explored how these interactions between flower visitor groups and plants change over the growing season. We further investigated the effect of changes in urbanization surrounding community gardens, and the availability of floral and nesting resources within gardens on the complexity (i.e. nestedness, linkage density, connectance) of interaction networks. We observed 20 focal plant species and 13 common bee and non-bee flower visitor groups in 30 urban community gardens. We found that dominant plant visitors changed over the growing season, with non-bee flower visitors including ants and flies as dominant early season visitors, and bee pollinators as important visitors later in the season. Nestedness of the flower visitor network increased with increases in floral richness in community gardens, while neither floral abundance nor the impervious surface surrounding the community gardens, garden size or the availability of nesting resources in gardens strongly influenced the flower visitor networks. Our findings suggest that high floral richness in community gardens may ensure the complexity and, thus, the stability of flower visitor networks. Findings further suggest that the role of non-bee flower visitors should be considered for pollination service provision especially in the shoulder seasons. Finally, our results emphasize that urban gardeners play a key role in mediating flower visitor interactions through their gardening practices.

Association between socioeconomic status and woody plant diversity in neighborhood parks - Cengiz Yücedağ; Yasin Aşik (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Patterns of mistletoe infestation in neotropical urban areas - Marcelo Oliveira Teles de Menezes; Marcelo Freire Moro; Marina Oliveira de Souza; Jorhan Marinho de Almeida; Dávila Vitória de Freitas Braga; Pedro Lucas Rodrigues de Alencar; Francisca Soares de Araújo (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Examining the Spatial Structure of Woody Cover Within a Highway Road Effect Zone for Ocelots in Texas - Jason V. Lombardi; Thomas J. Yamashita; AnnMarie Blackburn; John H. Young; Michael E. Tewes; C. Jane Anderson (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Assessment of locations where wildlife species cross highways is a key question in mitigating future wildlife-vehicle mortality. Examination of the spatial structure, complexities, and patterns of vegetation or other land-use types (i.e., cropland, urban areas) near roadways allows scientists to identify any thresholds that influence where animals are likely to die or successfully cross the roadway. We used a historic 1982 to 2017 dataset of ocelot ( Leopardus pardalis pardalis ) mortality locations and approximate road crossing locations of telemetered ocelots in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas to examine the spatial structure of woody vegetation within a hypothesized road effect zone. We determined if there were differences in the spatial structure of woody cover within a 1050 m buffer of each successful crossing and roadkill location using PERMANOVA and principal component analyses. We used a similarity percentages analysis to determine the relative contribution of each aspect of spatial structure on differences in successful crossing and roadkill locations. We found statistically significant differences in spatial attributes of patches at the locations of successful crossing versus roadkill locations of ocelots at the 150 m spatial extent (pseudo-F 1,41 = 4.85, P(perm) = 0.008, permutations = 9949). Largest patch index contributed most to the differences between successful crossing and roadkill locations (15.94%), followed by mean patch area (15.44%), percent woody cover (15.18%), aggregation indices (14.53%), Euclidean nearest neighbor (13.47%), edge (13.08%) and patch densities (12.36%). Roadkill locations were clustered in locations with lower-quality woody cover within 300 m of the highway. This suggests areas immediately surrounding roads need to contain woody patches that are larger and closer together to reduce the barrier-effects of roads. Such information is important for informing highway planners about where to encourage crossings or to build wildlife crossing structures to promote movement across the highway.

Biological invasions in international seaports: a case study of exotic rodents in Cotonou - Sylvestre Badou; Karmadine Hima; Clément Agbangla; Philippe Gauthier; Antoine A. Missihoun; Gualbert Houéménou; Anne Loiseau; Carine Brouat; Gauthier Dobigny (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Black rat ( Rattus rattus ), brown rat ( Rattus norvegicus ), and house mouse ( Mus musculus ) are known to be among the most common anthropophilic rodent species in cities worldwide. These species are responsible for the destruction of domestic and industrial materials, considerable damage to food stocks as well as zoonotic pathogens circulation and transmission to humans and animals. These invasive species have disseminated in all continents following human-mediated exchanges, especially maritime transports. In particular, seaports appear as privileged rats and mice’s entry points into new regions, thus making them international regulations’ priorities for rodent surveillance and management. Yet, studies on seaport rodents are rare; in particular, investigations on their genetic structure are almost inexistent, thus precluding science-guided interventions. In order to fill such a gap, our study focused on the population genetics of R. rattus , R. norvegicus and M. musculus in the Autonomous Port of Cotonou, Benin. Nine different sites were surveyed for three years. In total, 366 R. rattus , 188 R. norvegicus and 244 M . musculus were genotyped using 18 microsatellites, 16 microsatellites and 17 microsatellites, respectively. Our results show very well-structured genetic clusters in all three species as well as limited impacts of rodent control campaigns. Using comparisons with genotypes from other European, Asian and African countries, we suggest for the first time that settlement of newly introduced individuals may be a rare event. Implications in terms of management units and control and monitoring are discussed.

The ecological role and potential impact of an alien tree highly attractive to native nectar-feeding birds in urban areas - Paulo Antonio Silva; Amanda Graciela Cherutte; Ana Caroline Silva Gomes; Larissa Lais Silva; Lucilene Brito; Bruno Magro Rodrigues; Pietro Kiyoshi Maruyama (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

The importance of unsealed areas in the urban core and periphery for bird diversity in a large central european city - Arne Hastedt; Dieter Thomas Tietze (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Although urbanization poses one of the largest threats for biodiversity, only few studies have so far examined its impact in large Central European cities. Our study aimed at investigating the effects of urbanization on bird diversity using two methods to describe the urban environment. The first measure used the degree of sealing, portion of traffic infrastructure, number of floors of the tallest building at a site scale (100-m radius), and the distance from the city center, while the second one relied on land-cover data at a local scale (1000-m radius). We conducted bird surveys at 761 sites across Hamburg. Bird diversity was assessed as species richness, abundance, and Shannon index. Additionally, evenness was calculated. Both urbanization measures represented a rural-to-urban gradient and were negatively correlated with bird diversity as well as evenness. At the site scale, the degree of sealing had the strongest negative effect on bird diversity followed by the portion of traffic infrastructure and the tallest building. At the local scale, artificial surfaces proved to have the strongest negative effect, while agricultural areas and forests were positively associated with bird diversity. In general, models using the site scale for measuring urbanization showed higher associations with diversity. The results emphasize the importance of unsealed areas in the urban environment and of natural habitats in the periphery for bird diversity in Central European cities with millions of human inhabitants. Considering this for future city planning can help to preserve biodiversity in the urban environment, increase bird diversity in development areas, and thus improve living conditions for people.

The retrieval of food hoarded by red squirrels inhabiting an urban park - Marcin Brzeziński; Andrzej Zalewski (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Food hoarding is a useful evolutionary adaptation which strongly affects animal fitness. However, its effectiveness depends on the trade-off between costs of gathering supplies and the benefits of using them by a hoarder when other food is hardly available. A field experiment conducted between November and April in a large urban park in Warsaw (Poland) showed that the survival rate of hazelnuts Corylus avellana hoarded by red squirrels Sciurus vulgaris was very low – about half of nuts disappeared from caches within one day, and after 50 days the probability of nut survival was 0.01. The survival rate of hazelnuts cached by squirrels was lower than these hidden in control caches. This difference suggests that squirrel-made caches were recovered by caching individuals and/or robbed by pilferers, both conspecific and heterospecific, more successfully than man-made caches. Moreover, survival rates of nuts deployed in control caches in clumps of trees were lower than in the open space areas avoided by squirrels. The probability of nut survival in a squirrel cache and in the control cache increased with the increasing proportion of days with frost as frozen soil limit squirrel access to cached nuts. The probability of nut survival in a squirrel cache and in control cache in the clumps of trees increased over the study period. We discuss whether food hoarding in the environmental conditions of an urban park where animals are oversupplied with food by humans is beneficial for squirrels or if it is an unimportant imprinted behaviour which does not increase their fitness.

Bangkok’s existing mixed fruit orchards are tree diversity hotspots for city greening - Vudipong Davivongs; Sigit Dwiananto Arifwidodo (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Bangkok’s Inner Orchard (BIO), located in the west peri-urban area of the city, provides both fresh products and ecological benefits to its inhabitants. Although this unique forest-like cultivation of mixed fruit trees growing on dikes has the potential to become an urban forest, it has never been thoroughly investigated. Urban expansion is a threat to this orchard. Sustainable cities must maintain a balance between development and the environment. In this study, six orchards were surveyed by collecting data on tree species, plant height, crown width, and location and analyzed to identify the orchard areas covered by forest canopy and clarify the forest structure and tree species diversity in the orchards. Overall, 98.64% of the forest canopy within the orchard area was evaluated using cover analysis. Analysis of the forest structure of the BIO revealed that the average tree height was greater than that of common orchard trees. Tree diversity analysis showed an average Shannon index value of 2.53, indicating mid-range diversity. Older orchards showed a greater diversity of fruit tree species, whereas newer orchards, replanted after major flood and drought events, showed a lesser diversity of fruit tree species. In order to protect BIO on the long-term, it is essential to identify and apply appropriate conservation strategies. Including BIO areas in the Bangkok greening scheme would cause rapid increases in the green area per capita ratio. Both urban food forest and urban agriculture concepts could be applied to existing BIO orchards, which represent new urban green area types. BIO thus has the potential to act as an urban forest and tree diversity hotspot for Bangkok.

Predator exclusion cages as visual attractants to coyotes - Seanna Jobe; Rachael E. Urbanek; Paul Hillbrand; Elizabeth S. Darrow; Emily Abernethy (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Sedum as host plants for caterpillars? Introducing gut content metabarcoding to green roof research - Thomas Van Dijck; Heinz Klerkx; Sofie Thijs; François Rineau; Carmen Van Mechelen; Tom Artois (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Effects of light and noise pollution on occupancy of gray treefrogs (Hyla versicolor) and green frogs (Lithobates clamitans) in Syracuse, NY - Jason D. Luscier; Anne Christopher; Haley Synan; Kylee B. Wilson (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Urbanization influences spatiotemporal patterns of roost site selection by black vultures and turkey vultures - Jacob E. Hill; Kenneth F. Kellner; Amanda E. Holland; Bryan M. Kluever; Morgan B. Pfeiffer; Travis L. DeVault; Jerrold L. Belant (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Roost locations can be an important contributor to vulture conflicts with humans, but factors influencing roost-site selection at a landscape level remain largely unexplored. Further, there has been little research comparing how these factors vary between nocturnal and diurnal roosting sites. We used remote cameras to document daily variation in vulture use of 21 roosts (20 communication/water towers and 1 natural roost) near Beaufort, South Carolina, USA from October 2019–August 2020. Numbers of vultures on roosts increased with decreasing urban cover and with greater distance to water, but were not influenced by habitat fragmentation or elevation. Roosts surrounded by greater proportions of urban cover were used more often during the day, whereas roosts adjacent to less urban cover were more commonly used at night. We suggest that this relationship results from a greater daytime association with human development, areas that likely provide food and favorable soaring conditions for vultures. Vultures tended to depart nocturnal roosts before sunrise and return within two hours of sunset, indicating that aircraft collision risk resulting from movement around nocturnal roosts would be elevated during these times. Several communication towers routinely had > 100 vultures roosting on them at once, likely contributing to conflict with humans. Our findings reiterate the generalism of these species and their capacity to exploit novel structures for roosting, which has likely contributed to range expansions and resultant increases in human-vulture conflicts over the past several decades.

Mass-flowering native species are key in the structure of an urban plant-hummingbird network - Vivian Akemi Nakamura; Camila Silveira Souza; Andréa Cardoso Araujo (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Urban heat and desert wildlife: rodent body condition across a gradient of surface temperatures - H. L. Bateman; B. D. Allen; M. S. Moore; D. M. Hondula (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Influences of adjacent suburbia, fire regimes and vegetation on the mammals of a peri-urban reserve - Jamie B. Kirkpatrick; Michael M. Driessen; Peter J. Jarman; Lauren Jakob (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Urban development is thought to negatively affect most native mammals. Here we assess whether adjacent suburbia, fire regime and vegetation influence the activity of mammal species in a reserve in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. We used multiple regression to analyse the relationship between distance from houses, fire history, vegetation structure and floristics, and mammal activity, derived from camera visits and signs. Animal diggings and visits by long-nosed potoroos, southern brown bandicoots and cats were greater close to houses, while visits by red-necked wallabies, rufous-bellied pademelons, brushtail possums and short-beaked echidnas were not. The structure of the vegetation, particularly related to shelter, was important in many models. Many models also included floristic ordination axes that reflected drainage, fire regime and distance from high-density housing. Positive relationships between the introduced predatory cat and some of its potential native prey animals may reflect the influences of close proximity to suburbia, such as elevated domestic mesopredator populations, and elevated resource availability in domestic gardens. Our results suggest that urban areas can have a valuable role in nature conservation, despite, or because of, their effects on remnant native ecosystems.

Home ranges of box turtles in a rural woodland and an urban park in Saint Louis, MO; implications for turtle conservation - Stephen Blake; Jamie Palmer; Maris Brenn-White; Sharon L. Deem (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
The negative consequences of fragmentation, infrastructure development, and urbanization on biodiversity are well known. However, careful urban planning can provide viable habitat for some species and communities. Generally, r -selected species are more likely to persist in urbanizing landscapes, while long lived, mobile species, such as turtles, are likely to decline toward extinction. Understanding species responses across urban gradients is important for developing mitigation planning. We used VHF telemetry to quantify ranging behavior of three-toed box turtles in fragmented urban forest patches and a semi-contiguous large rural forest in Saint Louis, Missouri. We then simulated movement trajectories based on empirical data from the two turtles with the largest and smallest home ranges, overlaid on forest cover and road network maps of Missouri, to quantify the state-wide probability of turtles encountering roads. Home range (HR) size varied from 1–250Ha. The mean home range estimate of rural turtles was > 9 times larger than that of urban turtles. Simulations indicated that the least mobile turtle (HR 1Ha) would have a 22% likelihood of encountering a road if placed randomly in suitable habitat anywhere in the state. The likelihood increased to 90% for the most mobile turtle (HR 250Ha), with 10 road crossings per year. High turtle mortality, range restriction and population fragmentation are likely even in rural areas. In urban cityscapes, large, roadless forest patches offer the highest conservation potential for this species.

Using house sparrow in biomonitoring lead in Tehran air pollution - Amir Hossein Hamidian; Seyed Mohammad Javad Abdolah Saberi; Sohrab Ashrafi; Leila Moghaddasi (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

The use of cellular telecommunication towers as nesting sites by pied crows (Corvus albus) in an urban mosaic landscape - Ntaki D. Senoge; Colleen T. Downs (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Corvids are known for their urban exploitation, often using artificial infrastructure to roost and nest. In many areas of its distribution range, the pied crow ( Corvus albus ) is often common in areas of anthropogenic land use, often breeding and foraging near human settlements. In this study, we monitored pied crow use of cellular telecommunication towers as nesting sites in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, during three breeding seasons. We found that of the 36 towers situated across the urban mosaic landscape, pied crows used 17 (47.2%) as nesting sites while 19 were not used. Many towers were used in subsequent years as nesting sites. Overall, 41 pied crow nests on towers in urban mosaic landscapes were counted by the end of the study. Towers had a mean ( ± SE) distance of 1595.2 ± 151.0 m between them and were located mainly in the suburbs of Edendale and Northdale. As shown by the hotspot analysis and spatial distribution of used and unused towers, it was unclear why some towers were not being used as nesting sites. We assessed the relationship between pied crow nesting sites and land cover features. We found that tower nesting was best explained by cropland ( wi = 0.58), forest ( wi = 0.94), grassland ( wi = 0.66), schools ( wi = 0.56) and relief ( wi = 0.56). The continued persistence of pied crows in urban mosaic landscapes with natural and /or managed green spaces, the availability of anthropogenic infrastructure and food in these, and their behavioural plasticity will likely increase their numbers in such landscapes.

Water quality, vegetation, and management of stormwater ponds draining three distinct urban land uses in central Florida - Lindsay M. Skovira; Patrick J. Bohlen (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Urban vultures preferentially roost at sites surrounded by landscapes with fewer edges between forest and urban development and near water - Hannah C. Partridge; Sara A. Gagné (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Urban greening dynamics in a Brazil Central city as a subsidy for public policies - Daniele Aparecida Moreira Batista; Everton A. Maciel; Deivid Lopes Machado; Christiano Peres Coelho; Frederico Augusto Guimarães Guilherme (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Long-term trends in nitrate and chloride in streams in an exurban watershed - Emma S. Castiblanco; Peter M. Groffman; Jonathan Duncan; Lawrence E. Band; Edward Doheny; Gary T. Fisher; Emma Rosi; Amanda K. Suchy (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Monument protection as a limiting factor for large scale vertical greening system implementation to counteract indoor heat stress – a GIS-based analysis for Berlin, Germany - Emil J. Roesch; Karin A. Hoffmann; Thomas Nehls (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Vertical greening systems (VGS), as proven strategy for adaptation to heat stress, are prohibited for monument-protected buildings and façades. To what extent monument protection effectively limits the implementation of VGS in heat stress affected city centers has not been quantified yet. In this study, the ratio of buildings under monument protection was quantified for Berlin, Germany, using a GIS analysis. It was then compared to a map of potential heat stress. This was done for the entire city and the inner-city area on block-scale. Therefore, maps of the Berlin buildings, monuments and blocks were processed. The ratio of buildings under monument protection was calculated for each block of Berlin. To not deform the outcome, urban green areas were cut out of the maps. Inside the 80 km 2 city center of Berlin, which is severely affected by heat stress, the range of monument protection prohibiting VGS in the individual blocks ranges from 0 % to 100 ﻿%. However, 25.42 ﻿% of the building façades in the city center and 16.20 ﻿% for whole of Berlin are protected on average and therefore cannot be greened. Compared to other restricting factors, monument protection does not generally hinder large scale implementation of VGS in Berlin. Nonetheless, 102 potentially heat stress exposed blocks inhabited by 48,122 people cannot be greened due to monument protection. This demonstrates that VGS should be discussed as exception from monument protection that can be justified by a predominant public interest. It also points to the need of minimal invasive and mobile greenery technologies, which would enable heritage-protection conform greening.

Native plant gardens support more microbial diversity and higher relative abundance of potentially beneficial taxa compared to adjacent turf grass lawns - Danielle S. Baldi; Christine E. Humphrey; John A. Kyndt; Tyler C. Moore (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Spatially explicit subpixel-based study on the expansion of impervious surfaces and its impacts on soil organic carbon - Yan Yan; Weige Zhang; Yunfeng Hu; Huaipeng Liu; Xiaoping Zhang; Yongxin Zhang (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Implications of wastewater discharges on environmental features and fish communities in an urban river - Alan Sebastián Andrade-Muñoz; Cecilia Yanina Di Prinzio; Yanina Andrea Assef; Adriana Mabel Kutschker; Germán Alday; Walter Mauricio Dromaz; Pamela Quinteros; María Laura Miserendino (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Diversity of diurnal raptors in a suburban area of a city in southern Chile - Andrés Muñoz-Pedreros; Varia Dellacasa (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

The Joy of birds: the effect of rating for joy or counting garden bird species on wellbeing, anxiety, and nature connection - Maria E. White; Iain Hamlin; Carly W. Butler; Miles Richardson (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
The feeding of garden birds is a popular and accessible means of connecting with wildlife in urban environments in the United Kingdom. Past research has found that the main motivations for feeding birds are psychological benefits, concern for bird welfare, and connecting to nature. This study explores whether a brief birdwatching activity impacts on wellbeing, anxiety, and nature connection. One hundred and fifty-six participants took part in a birdwatching activity, identifying the species that entered their garden during a thirty-minute period. Participants were randomly allocated to the ‘joy’ group, who rated their feeling of joy on seeing each species, or the ‘count’ group, who counted the number of birds of each species. Measures of wellbeing, state anxiety and nature connection were completed before and after the observation period. Both groups had improved wellbeing, anxiety, and nature connection, though decreases in anxiety were greatest for those in the joy group. These results suggest that activating a sense of joy heightens the psychological benefits of watching garden birds. These benefits and the strengthening of nature connections highlight the reciprocal relationship between humans and birds and the importance of actions towards healthy, sustainable urban ecosystems.

Breeding performance is explained for coloniality and phenology but not for urbanization in a generalist raptor bird - Claudina Solaro; José Hernán Sarasola (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Topsoil Carbon Stocks in Urban Greenspaces of The Hague, the Netherlands - Anniek J. Kortleve; José M. Mogollón; Timo J. Heimovaara; Julia Gebert (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Urbanization influences soil carbon (C) stocks and flows, which, in turn, affect soil-derived ecosystem services. This paper explores soil C storage in urban greenspaces in the Dutch city of The Hague along a transect from the suburban seaside towards the city centre, reflecting a toposequence from dune to peaty inland soils. C storage and C mineralisation potential were evaluated in relation to soil type and greenspace categories. Several soil-quality characteristics were measured, including dissolved organic C, pH, electrical conductivity, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, calcium carbonate, and the water-holding capacity of the soil to evaluate what drives soil C storage in the urban context. The total SOC storage of the upper 30 cm of the greenspaces in The Hague (20.8 km 2 with 37% greenspace) was estimated at 78.4 kt, which was significantly higher than assumed given their soil types. Degradability of soil organic matter in laboratory batch tests varied between 0.2 and 3 mg C g SOC −1 day −1 . Degradability was highest in the seaside dune soils; however, extrapolated to the topsoil using the bulk density, topsoil C mineralization was higher in the urban forest. Soils beneath shrubs appeared to be hotspots for C storage, accounting for only 13% of the aerial cover but reflecting 24% of the total C storage. Land ownership, land use, greenspaces size, litter management and soil type did not result in significantly different C stocks, suggesting that processes driving urban soil C storage are controlled by different factors, namely land cover and the urbanization extent.

Field-testing effectiveness of window markers in reducing bird-window collisions - Georgia J. Riggs; Christine M. Barton; Corey S. Riding; Timothy J. O’Connell; Scott R. Loss (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Mapping potential surpluses, deficits, and mismatches of ecosystem services supply and demand for urban areas - Leonardo Vargas; Diana Ruiz; Carolina Gómez-Navarro; Wilson Ramirez; Olga Lucia Hernandez (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Land-use decision making in densely populated cities is challenged to cover the urban demand for water and food while maintaining the integrity of ecosystems that regulate the supply of these ecosystem services, beyond urban limits. Land-use decision making can be informed using spatial analysis of ecosystem services supply and demand, shedding light on potential mismatches, surpluses, deficits, and unsustainable uses of ecosystems. The integration of such analysis in land-use decision making, however, can be challenged by the complexity of the hierarchical and inflexible planning models used in various countries. We explored how the analysis of potential mismatches, surpluses, and deficits in the supply and demand of water and fertile soil can be spatially assessed for urban areas, and how such information can be used to inform land-use decision making. We used official data and geoprocessing methods to map water -supply, demand, and risk for water scarcity- , and fertile supply –supply, demand, and risk for food insecurity- , for Bogota and Villavicencio. We showed a high risk for water scarcity in Bogota, and an increasing competition for fertile soil between urbanization and agriculture. We recommended a cooperative management strategy of ecosystems and services considering that both cities shared river basins and natural reserves, in addition to their strike differences in population size. Inter-jurisdictional and inter-municipal cooperation, in addition to strong governance, are necessary to handle mismatches of urban ecosystem services supply and demand, and a potential solution to solve conflicts related to access, availability, and jurisdiction of ecosystem services in urban areas. .

Estimates of wildlife species richness, occupancy, and habitat preference in a residential landscape in New York State - Stacy Mowry; Jennifer Pendleton; Felicia Keesing; Marissa Teator; Richard S. Ostfeld (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Spatial distribution and influencing factors of urban soil organic carbon stocks in Xi'an City, China - Zhenwen Fang; Sha Zhou; Shaohong Zhang; Wenchao Xing; Xiaoling Feng; Qiaoling Yang; Fazhu Zhao; Kang Liu; Jun Wang (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Breeding in the pandemic: short-term lockdown restrictions in a European capital city did not alter the life-history traits of two urban adapters - Michela Corsini; Zuzanna Jagiello; Michał Walesiak; Michał Redlisiak; Ignacy Stadnicki; Ewa Mierzejewska; Marta Szulkin (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Humans are transforming natural habitats into managed urban green areas and impervious surfaces at an unprecedented pace. Yet the effects of human presence per se on animal life-history traits are rarely tested. This is particularly true in cities, where human presence is often indissociable from urbanisation itself. The onset of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, along with the resulting lockdown restrictions, offered a unique, “natural experiment” to investigate wildlife responses to a sudden reduction in human activity. We analysed four years of avian breeding data collected in a European capital city to test whether lockdown measures altered nestbox occupancy and life-history traits in terms of egg laying date, incubation duration and clutch size in two urban adapters: great tits ( Parus major ) and blue tits ( Cyanistes caeruleus ). Lockdown measures, which modulated human presence, did not influence any of the life-history traits investigated. In contrast, the interaction between year and tree cover, a distinct ecological attribute of the urban space, was positively associated with clutch size, a key avian life-history and reproductive trait. This highlights the importance of inter-year variation and habitat quality over human activity on urban wildlife reproduction. We discuss our results in the light of other urban wildlife studies carried out during the pandemic, inviting the scientific community to carefully interpret all lockdown—associated shifts in biological traits.

Natural habitats in manor landscape gardens: their distribution and quality - Markéta Šantrůčková; Jiří Dostálek; Lucia Bendíková; Tomáš Frantík; Katarína Demková (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Large, concealed islands in the urban sea: Scattered surrounding green space enhances the quality of grassland habitats in urban parks, Tokyo - Seiichiro Ohata; Takeshi Osawa; Nozomu Sato; Narumasa Tsutsumida (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Local-scale habitat configuration makes a niche for wildlife encroaching into an urban landscape: grubbing sites of wild boar Sus scrofa in a city matrix - Michał Ciach; Piotr Tetkowski; Izabela Fedyń (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Urban environments may offer certain species diverse and abundant food resources of natural and anthropogenic origin. However, the local-scale configuration of habitats and urban infrastructure may influence foraging decisions regardless of the availability of food. In recent years, the expansion of wild boar Sus scrofa into areas significantly transformed by humans has been observed in many parts of its range. Grubbing (rooting) is a major foraging mode of the species, during which disturbance of the upper soil layers enables these animals to find and consume food items. However, the factors that determine the selection of grubbing sites in the urban landscape, where the balance between food availability and the avoidance of humans may influence foraging decisions, are not known. Our aim was to identify local-scale factors that influence grubbing site selection and the size of grubbed patches in an urban landscape. The characteristics of 108 wild boar grubbing sites in the city of Kraków (Poland) were compared to randomly selected control sites. The probable presence of a grubbing site was positively correlated with the proportion of meadows and fallow land in the vicinity and with increases in both canopy cover and distance to pavements. The size of a grubbed patch was positively correlated with the percentage of meadows in the vicinity, increasing distance to buildings and decreasing distance to pavements. We found a non-random pattern of grubbing sites in the urban landscape and indicated that the local-scale configuration of vegetation and urban infrastructure contribute to foraging site selection by wild boar. Our study highlights that the encroachment of wildlife into the urban landscape is a complex process, driven by both resource availability and the avoidance of human-related disturbances.

Stochastic and deterministic processes shaping the testate amoeba communities across different biotopes of urban parks in Moscow and Xiamen cities - Jean Claude Ndayishimiye; Yuri Mazei; Kirill Babeshko; Andrey N. Tsyganov; Anatoly Bobrov; Natalia Mazei; Alexey Smirnov; Kexin Ren; Mamun Abdullah Al; Huihuang Chen; Wenping Wang; Damir Saldaev; et al. (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Correction to: Constructing ecological indices for urban environments using species distribution models - Ariel Levi Simons; Stevie Caldwell; Michelle Fu; Jose Gallegos; Michael Gatheru; Laura Riccardelli; Nhi Truong; Valeria Viera (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Effect of urbanization on individual condition of a threatened seabird: the Olrog’s Gull Larus atlanticus - Germán Oscar García; Francisco Zumpano; Rocío Mariano y Jelicich; Marco Favero (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Diversity of greenspace design and management impacts pollinator communities in a densely urbanized landscape: the city of Paris, France - Vincent ZANINOTTO; Arthur FAUVIAU; Isabelle DAJOZ (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
The response of insect pollinator communities to increasing urbanization is shaped by landscape and local factors. But what about habitats that are already highly artificial? We investigated the drivers of pollinator diversity in a dense urban matrix, the city of Paris. We monitored insect pollinator communities monthly (March-October) for two consecutive years in 12 green spaces that differed in their management practices, focusing on four insect orders (Hymenoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera). Pollinator abundance and species richness were both positively tied to green space size and flowering plant species richness, but negatively linked to surrounding impervious surfaces. In addition, environmental features at both the local and landscape scales influenced the composition and functional diversity of wild bee communities. Indeed, small and large bees responded differently, with the occurrence of large-bodied species being impaired by the proportion of impervious surfaces but strongly enhanced by plant species richness. Also, sites with a majority of spontaneous plant species had more functionally diverse bee communities, with oligolectic species more likely to be found. These results, consistent with the literature, can guide the design and management practices of urban green spaces to promote pollinator diversity and pollination function, even in dense urban environments.

Intra-urban variation in body condition, body size and oxidative status of Rufous-collared sparrow relate to urban green space attributes in a Latin American metropolis - Carolina Fernández; Nélida R. Villaseñor; Carolina Contreras; Miguel Ávila; Pablo Sabat; Yanina Poblete (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Floral enhancement of turfgrass lawns benefits wild bees and honey bees (Apis mellifera) - James Wolfin; Eric Watkins; Ian Lane; Zachary M. Portman; Marla Spivak (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
The turfgrass lawn is a common feature of urban and suburban communities, often accounting for the largest green spaces by area in these landscapes. Flowering species within turfgrass lawns have the potential to serve as a source of forage for bee pollinators in urban and suburban areas. We intentionally introduced low-growing flowers to turfgrass lawns to promote bee diversity and reduce inputs, while maintaining the traditional aesthetics and recreational uses associated with lawns. We compared bee communities on lawns with naturally-occurring blooms of Trifolium repens to bee communities on florally-enhanced lawns that contained Prunella vulgaris ssp. lanceolata and Thymus serpyllum in addition to T. repens . Trifolium repens provided forage for both wild bee communities and Apis mellifera , with A. mellifera being the most common of the 56 species of bees observed on T. repens . We found that florally-enhanced lawns supported more diverse bee communities than lawns with just T. repens . Furthermore, the bee communities supported by florally-enhanced lawns were significantly different from the bee communities supported by lawns containing just T. repens based on presence-absence data (Jaccard’s dissimilarity index). Our research indicates that A. mellifera colonies and wild bee communities can be supported by allowing T. repens to bloom in turfgrass lawns, and that land managers can support more diverse bee communities by intentionally introducing low-growing species of flowers to lawns.

Mammalian functional diversity and trait responses to anthropogenic and environmental factors across the contiguous USA - Christine C. Rega-Brodsky; Katherine C. B. Weiss; Austin M. Green; Fabiola Iannarilli; Jacquelyn Tleimat; Sarah Fritts; Daniel J. Herrera; M. Caitlin Fisher-Reid; Justin A. Compton; Diana J. R. Lafferty; Maximilian L. Allen (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Investigating and predicting Land Surface Temperature (LST) based on remotely sensed data during 1987–2030 (A case study of Reykjavik city, Iceland) - Mohammad Mansourmoghaddam; Iman Rousta; Mohammadsadegh Zamani; Haraldur Olafsson (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Tree insect pests and pathogens: a global systematic review of their impacts in urban areas - Susanne Raum; C. Matilda Collins; Julie Urquhart; Clive Potter; Stephan Pauleit; Monika Egerer (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)
Trees contribute greatly to urban environments and human well-being, yet relatively little is known about the extent to which a rising incidence of tree insect pests and pathogens may be affecting these contributions. To address this issue, we undertook a systematic review and synthesis of the diverse global empirical evidence on the impacts of urban tree insect pests and pathogens, using bibliographic databases. Following screening and appraisal of over 3000 articles from a wide range of fields, 100 studies from 28 countries, spanning 1979–2021, were conceptually sorted into a three-part framework: (1) environmental impacts, representing 95 of the studies, including those reporting on tree damage, mortality, reduced growth, and changes in tree function; (2) social impacts were reported by 35 of studies, including on aesthetics, human health, and safety hazards; and (3) economic impacts, reported in 24 of studies, including on costs of pest management, and economic losses. There has been a considerable increase in urban impact studies since 2011. Evidence gaps exist on impacts on climate-regulating capacity, including temperature regulation, water retention, soil erosion, and wind protection, but also on specific hazards, nuisances, human well-being, property damages, and hazard liabilities. As a knowledge synthesis, this article presents the best available evidence of urban tree insect / pathogen impacts to guide policy, management and further research. It will enable us to better forecast how growing threats will affect the urban forest and plan for these eventualities.

Towards a pedagogy of social-ecological collaborations: engaging students and urban nonprofits for an ecology with cities - Anne Toomey; Jason Smith; Cam Becker; Monica Palta (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)

Urban biotope classification incorporates urban forest and green infrastructure for improved environmental land-use planning in Mexico City - María Toledo-Garibaldi; Danijela Puric-Mladenovic; Sandy M. Smith (Urban Ecosystems, 2023)