A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Urban biodiversity hotspots wait to get discovered: The example of the city of Ioannina, NW Greece
Graphical abstract
Highlights Can Mediterranean cities become hotspots for in situ urban conservation? We assessed the floristic richness in a montane city in the Mediterranean Basin. Plants of conservation interest equally inhabit anthropogenic and seminatural habitats. The highest proportion of endemic taxa among Mediterranean cities is reported. Typical urban habitats reveal their wildlife refuge character.
Abstract Given the global urban sprawl that runs in favor of the anthropogenic habitats, cities that naturally encompass wildlife will set a future paradigm. Montane Mediterranean cities have been understudied in terms of biodiversity, although they are often embedded in biodiversity hotspots. It therefore remains an open question, to which extent they may harbor species of special conservation interest and if the latter can be incorporated in urban planning. In this context, we assessed the urban flora of urban habitats in Ioannina (NW Greece), a city located in a highly valued region in terms of biological conservation. In four study areas, 16ha each, we recorded 379 spontaneous taxa of vascular plants and assessed their abundance by a semi-quantitative approach. The representation of alien plants is low, compared to other Mediterranean cities (2.1% archaeophytes, 9.0% neophytes). Furthermore, the low archaeophyte to neophyte ratios in all habitats and the very small absolute numbers of archaeophytes indicate an urban environment submitted to a low rate of alien introduction. Endemics and taxa included in Greek and international conservation lists comprise 7.1% of the total city flora and occur both in indiscriminately inhabit all eleven habitats studied of both seminatural and anthropogenic type, forming medium to large populations in at least one study area. Ioannina displays the highest proportion of endemic taxa (4.8%) among the Mediterranean cities surveyed to date. Our findings illustrate the potential refuge function of urban habitats within Mediterranean cities, which should be strengthened in the further urban development.
Urban biodiversity hotspots wait to get discovered: The example of the city of Ioannina, NW Greece
Graphical abstract
Highlights Can Mediterranean cities become hotspots for in situ urban conservation? We assessed the floristic richness in a montane city in the Mediterranean Basin. Plants of conservation interest equally inhabit anthropogenic and seminatural habitats. The highest proportion of endemic taxa among Mediterranean cities is reported. Typical urban habitats reveal their wildlife refuge character.
Abstract Given the global urban sprawl that runs in favor of the anthropogenic habitats, cities that naturally encompass wildlife will set a future paradigm. Montane Mediterranean cities have been understudied in terms of biodiversity, although they are often embedded in biodiversity hotspots. It therefore remains an open question, to which extent they may harbor species of special conservation interest and if the latter can be incorporated in urban planning. In this context, we assessed the urban flora of urban habitats in Ioannina (NW Greece), a city located in a highly valued region in terms of biological conservation. In four study areas, 16ha each, we recorded 379 spontaneous taxa of vascular plants and assessed their abundance by a semi-quantitative approach. The representation of alien plants is low, compared to other Mediterranean cities (2.1% archaeophytes, 9.0% neophytes). Furthermore, the low archaeophyte to neophyte ratios in all habitats and the very small absolute numbers of archaeophytes indicate an urban environment submitted to a low rate of alien introduction. Endemics and taxa included in Greek and international conservation lists comprise 7.1% of the total city flora and occur both in indiscriminately inhabit all eleven habitats studied of both seminatural and anthropogenic type, forming medium to large populations in at least one study area. Ioannina displays the highest proportion of endemic taxa (4.8%) among the Mediterranean cities surveyed to date. Our findings illustrate the potential refuge function of urban habitats within Mediterranean cities, which should be strengthened in the further urban development.
Urban biodiversity hotspots wait to get discovered: The example of the city of Ioannina, NW Greece
Kantsa, Aphrodite (author) / Tscheulin, Thomas (author) / Junker, Robert R. (author) / Petanidou, Theodora (author) / Kokkini, Stella (author)
Landscape and Urban Planning ; 120 ; 129-137
2013-08-19
9 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Urban biodiversity hotspots wait to get discovered: The example of the city of Ioannina, NW Greece
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